‘No one’s alive in there, luv,’ a man said.

‘Why aren’t the firemen going in to save her?’ Max asked Mum.

Her face was dreadful when she looked at him. ‘They can’t go in yet.’ She laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘It’s too dangerous.’

Everybody was staring at the fire in horror. It was hot and terrible. Max held on to Mum’s hand.

Toby and the firemen had the hoses set up now, and they shot jets of water and foam onto the shop. Max heard glass breaking, water hissing, flames roaring. He wished he’d stayed at school. He wanted to hide his eyes, but he couldn’t look away—it was like he was hypnotised.

A fireman was putting witches hats on the street to stop people getting too close. Then the local police car pulled up. Fergus and his assistant Ken got out.

‘Why are they here?’ Max asked Mum. ‘Shouldn’t they be helping to look for Leon?’

‘A special squad has gone out to find Leon,’ Mum said. ‘Fergus and Ken aren’t trained for that.’

‘What sort of special squad?’ Max asked. But Mum didn’t answer.

Fergus and Ken made people move further away from the fire so no one would get hurt. Max’s heart thumped. When were they going to save Miki? Mum was crying. Did that mean Miki was dead? He didn’t want to think about it. There was a knot in his throat, and tears like a sea waiting to come pouring out.

Up the street near the hardware, a pale-blue car stopped on the side of the road. Max knew that car—he knew all the cars in town. It belonged to the lady from the visitor centre. He saw Miki leap out, but she was staggering like a drunk, and her face was all swollen. One of her eyes was half-shut and she had a big red bruise on her cheek.

Mum had seen Miki too. ‘Oh, thank God she’s alive!’ she breathed. ‘But Christ! Look what he’s done to her! That bastard.’ She gave a small sob and shoved Suzie at Max. ‘Look after your sister. I’m going to help.’

Max held on to Suzie while Mum rushed over to Miki. Suzie was like an octopus in his arms; she wanted to stick with Mum, so she hit him and it hurt, but he didn’t let go. He saw Mum put her arms around Miki and say something to her, but Miki stared at Mum like she was a stranger, then pulled away and ran towards the shop.