“And we haven’t had anything to eat in ages,” she said. “I don’t think this is camp, Maggie. I think Mayor Anderson’s been lying to us.”

“She’s been lying for years.” I glanced into the corridor. “There isn’t any camp. She’s just brought you here to sell you. Look, we have to be quick. Can we get Jed up? Jed? Jed? Can you hear me? It’s Maggie. We’ve got to go.”

“Mmmm?” Jed peeped through hardly open eyelids. “Magsie? That you? What’s going on, Magsie?”

“Come on, Lindi. Let’s get him up.” I shoved the keys and the lamp into one hand and pulled Jed’s arm round my shoulder. Lindi wobbled to a stand. Her hair hung limp. She got hold of Jed’s other arm.

Una stepped in from the doorway.

“Who’s that?” Lindi stumbled back. “Who are you? Get away – leave us alone.”

“It’s all right, Lindi,” I said. “This is Una – she’s my friend.”

Una looked at me.

She didn’t smile.

She took Jed’s arm from Lindi and the four of us hobbled out of the room. We went through the door at the end of the corridor and rested at the desk.

“The mayor’ll be back any moment,” I whispered. “We have to find somewhere to hide.”

“But where, Maggie?” said Lindi. “I don’t even know where we are.”

Where?

Where can we hide?

Think, Maggie, think.

The jeep? We could get down on the floor inside, or climb on top, and get driven all the way home.

But the inside would be all locked up, and we’d never be able to hide four of us on the roof.

Think, Maggie.

Think.

The van.

It was bigger than the jeep, and I had Cal’s keys.

The van key must be on there somewhere.

“There’s a van outside,” I said. “We’ll hide in the back. Quick!”

“Magsie? Magsie?” Jed slurred my name.

“Shush, Jed.” I spoke close to his ear. “Keep quiet. We’re hiding.”

We helped him outside.

Moonlight pooled on the jeep and the van. We made our way over.

“Oh! Fresh air!” Lindi breathed in big deep breaths. “Fresh air and lavender!” She stood a bit more upright, a bit more strong.

“Lindi,” I said, “d’you think you can take Jed for a moment?”

Lindi and Una steadied Jed while I searched through the keys.

There must be one for the van here somewhere.

“What the … Cruise? Maggie Cruise?”

I froze. Solid. Still.

Mayor Anderson stood in the front door, her mouth wide open just like Trig. Billy lamp swinging by her side.

“How on earth…” She looked around. “Hang on, how did you get here? In the jeep? But how did you get out of the—”

“Maggie!” said Lindi. “Find the key!”

The key. The key. The key. Where was it?

What does a van key even look like?