It was a horrible realisation, particularly as Noah had begun to think that time was running out. If he didn’t find Dan soon, it would be too late. This was a fresh thought, and unbearably painful. However hard he tried, time just kept on passing, and soon there wouldn’t be any left. Noah felt as if he was going crazy. He was so alone. The police weren’t interested, and his friends didn’t understand why he was so upset. Anxiety could punch great big holes in friendships. Of everything that had happened over the past few weeks, that was what had shocked him the most.

Roine, his oldest friend and one of the few who was still around, had been honest with him over a drink only last week.

‘I’m trying to understand,’ he’d said. ‘But . . . the way you talk, it scares me. Why can’t you come to terms with the fact that your brother’s gone to Australia? Get over it. Be your old self again.’

Australia.

Fucking Australia.

Noah had had to make a decision. Either he let the harsh words go unchallenged, or he would lose Roine. He chose to keep his friend. He couldn’t cope with being any more isolated than he already was; he couldn’t bear to lose Roine too. But he hadn’t heard from Roine since that evening . . .

At first Noah had thought everything was okay with Dan and his family. They’d been talking about moving to Australia for several years. They hadn’t actually emigrated; it was more of a family adventure. They were planning to live abroad for one or two school terms. They had discussed Thailand (too much sun), then London (too expensive). Finally they had decided on Australia. After New Year the details had been firmed up. Both Dan and his wife had applied for and secured interesting jobs, after online interviews. The children’s school applications had been submitted, and eventually everything was settled.

‘We’re leaving two weeks before the end of term,’ Dan had said. ‘I’ve got a couple of meetings I need to attend in late May, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t all travel out together. That will give us a few weeks before work and school kick in.’

Noah freely admitted that he’d never been keen on the project. He thought it was a frivolous idea, and unfortunately he’d expressed his opinion more than once. The brothers had fallen out, and when Noah was offered the chance to attend an industry conference in Majorca in the week of Dan’s departure, he decided to go. He extended his stay on either side of the conference, took an early holiday. When he came back everything seemed so empty. Dan was gone, his house deserted. There was an envelope in Noah’s mailbox containing the key and a note from his brother: