The taxi drops us back at my father’s house and I’m happy to see Jaxon’s coat by the front door, boots kicked off in the corridor, splatters of snow melting on the carpet. But there’s no sign of him in the kitchen or living room. I run up and knock on my father’s door. No answer.

I inch it open and see Jaxon sitting on the floor, his back resting on the bed, head in his hands.

He looks up.

‘What happened?’ I ask.

‘The usual, vodka.’ He slumps down further. ‘He told me to pick up two more bottles from his buddy at the liquor store. I’ve done it a million times before; his friend doesn’t even care I’m underage—they have an arrangement or something weird. But this time, I couldn’t. Stood in front of the store, his friend waved me in, but I left. This time I just couldn’t.’

I sit next to him on the bed, not knowing what to say.

‘I got back and told him I didn’t buy it,’ Jaxon continues. ‘Asked him to please go to AA. That fired him up worse, not surprisingly. He wanted the car keys, but I wouldn’t give them to him. So he marched outside and started knocking on all the neighbours’ doors, swaying, asking nicely at first—but when they refused, he literally started screaming at them to give him their booze. Someone called the—’

The door swings open and Miriam peeks through. ‘How are you, Jaxon? Is everything okay at home? Do you want me to call someone?’

‘Everything’s fine. I’ll go back home in the morning, if that’s okay? Thanks for asking.’ He smiles, and I can tell it’s an effort for him to fake it.

She raises her eyebrows. ‘Is your father …?’

‘He’s just had one too many,’ Jaxon says.

‘Oh.’

‘He’s sleeping it off. Be good as new tomorrow.’

She looks him up and down. ‘I thought you were picking up some clothes?’

‘They were all in the laundry. My dad did a big load when he got back.’

‘Did he really?’ She looks at me but I stare at my feet, giving nothing away. Then she closes the door with a hmmph.

‘They called the police,’ Jaxon says as soon as we hear her footsteps going downstairs. ‘Put Dad in handcuffs with a crowd forming on the street, watching and whispering. I just took his car and left.’

‘Wow.’

‘I don’t know what to do … Adam would know. He always does.’ Jaxon takes his phone out and puts the call through, but it goes straight to voicemail.

‘I tried him already,’ I say. ‘A hundred times. No luck.’

‘Yep, the valley around the hunting lodge is a dead zone.’

‘You know where he is?’ I ask.

He shakes his head.

‘Can you call someone else?’ I say.