‘See you around, I guess,’ Will says.

She rocks the pram and squints at the sun, low over the marshes now. ‘There’s one last thing.’

‘OK.’

‘Listen carefully to this, Will, it’s important.’

‘I’m listening.’

‘When someone tells you to move, you have to run. Fast as you can. You’ll come to no harm, I promise you. But just run, yes?’

‘Right.’ He takes a step backwards, but he’s already against the wire fence dividing the road from the railway line.

‘You understand me? When you hear “Move!”, yes? You run. No stopping to think. Run.’

‘Got it.’

He feels his cheeks glowing. He’ll wait long enough for this bonkers woman to be out of sight, and he’ll be straight out of here.

She smiles, almost smug. ‘You’ll be fine.’

The level crossing alarm begins to sound.

‘Take care, Will,’ she says. ‘Your friend will be right along.’

Rooted to the spot, Will watches as she turns back towards the town and hustles the pram over the tracks just before the barriers come down.

Joyride

Will stands back from the road, loitering in the passage next to the derelict dry-cleaners. He rocks his weight from foot to foot, waiting for the queue of traffic out of Patten’s Island to begin moving. Reaching inside his school bag, he massages the rough leather of Beppo’s lead. The ground vibrates as an express hammers over the level crossing. The barriers lift. It’s been a few minutes – surely the old lady will be out of sight now, leaving him free to head home.

There’s a squeal of brakes behind Will as he sets off, the traffic on the move again now. A scruffy BMW pulls over ahead of him, scuffing its tyres along the kerb.

‘Willy Parks!’ Alfie Lim shouts through the open passenger window. ‘Wanna ride?’

Will says nothing.

‘What do you think of the whip?’ Alfie asks.

‘Whip?’ Will’s voice is inaudible over the clacking of the engine.

‘The car! Beaut, isn’t she?’

Will glances at the wing and the bonnet. The matt black paint looks to have been applied with a toilet brush, the underlying orangey-red showing through in places. He gives Alfie a thumbs up. ‘You passed your test?’

‘Never been known to hang about. When you got as many fingers in as many pies as I have, it pays to be mobile. This is what freedom looks like, cuz! Where you headed?’

‘Just home.’

‘Where’s home?’

‘Westlands Way.’

‘I know it. Jump in.’

‘It’s OK. Good walking, thanks.’

‘Come on, Parks. We’ll take the scenic route.’

Will takes a step closer and stops. Is this the friend the old woman was talking about? Did Alfie tell her to bring Will here?

‘What’s up, cuz?’ Alfie says. ‘You look confused.’

Will shakes the stupid thought away. Of course he didn’t. How absurd. He was just passing. Nothing else.