But Miki knew it wasn’t right to do nothing, and she felt a wave of strength rising: the courage to stand up to Kurt. ‘He’s a nice boy,’ she said. ‘I’ll run up and tell his mother, then I’ll be back.’

Kurt’s frown was as threatening as the approaching storm. ‘No, you won’t. You’ll stay here.’ He reached out a paw to grab her, but Miki dodged it, heart thudding.

‘Please, Kurt, it won’t take long.’

‘Don’t you go,’ he growled.

‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

The heat of his glare stabbed her skin as she raced across the road and up the footpath. Glancing back, she saw his thunderhead frown, then ahead the thunderhead clouds over the mountains.

At the highway, she paused to let cars pass. Then she crossed the road and ran along a side street, turning the corner and puffing uphill past Robbo’s log truck to Max’s house, next door to Leon’s. She knew where to go from her night-time walks.

Everyone was on the doorstep: Wendy and Shane, Leon, Suzie hanging on to her doll. Miki felt their eyes on her, full of questions. Wendy’s face was riven with angst, and Miki was sorry for her—she had a look of smallness about her.

‘I saw Max go along the road to the forest,’ Miki puffed. ‘He ran past the shop and I followed but I couldn’t catch him.’

Wendy turned to Shane, who already had his car keys out. Miki saw her put a hand on her husband’s arm. ‘Don’t be angry when you find him, Shane. Just bring him back home.’

Shane frowned and nodded gently at his wife. It was the first time Miki had seen softness between them. ‘It’s okay, love. I’ll leave the telling off to you. But I’ll tan Jaden’s arse when I see him, and I’ll give Fergus a piece of my mind. Bloody copper’s kid, bullying my son. We’ll see about that.’

‘I can come too,’ Leon said. ‘Two sets of eyes are better than one.’

Miki could tell by the tussle that worked on Shane’s face that this offer was unexpected. He tightened, then relaxed and exhaled. ‘Sure, mate. I could use a hand. We’ll need torches and wet-weather gear. There’s a storm coming.’

Wendy rushed inside and came out with packets of chips and chocolate, a bag of spare clothes. ‘In case he gets wet,’ she said, thrusting everything at her husband.

Shane shoved the food into the bag then held Wendy’s gaze for a moment before leaning in to kiss her cheek. ‘No worries, love. We’ll make sure he stays dry.’