The Landy echoes down Cae Terrace as Maldwyn pulls away. We watch it go.

‘What now?’ Tam asks.

‘We find another way to help,’ Jinx says.

I raise my eyebrows. ‘Simple as that?’

‘Well … yeah.’ He looks at Catrin and Tam, who nod. ‘That’s what mates do.’

I turn to put my key in the front door. ‘Just go home, yeah?’ I say quietly, feeling sick at the thought that, before long, this might not be my front door any more. Even the best friends in the world – and I have them, I already know that – can’t help me and Richie now.

I don’t even stop to listen to what they’re saying. I need to see my brother, to confess where we’ve been and what we tried to do. Maybe it’ll make him understand how much I need him to stop what he’s doing. Then we can work out a way to fix things. Me and him together.

But the house is totally dark and totally cold.

‘Richie?’ I call out, throwing my rucksack on the floor. I grab my torch and run to each room. I look upstairs. But, of course, he’s not here. He’ll be with Snook Hall. Getting himself deeper in trouble.

I can’t stand it. I need to see him. I don’t care what happens to me now.

I yank the front door open, rush out without looking and bump straight into a human tree trunk. Tam, Catrin and Jinx look at me, worry all over their faces.

‘Where you going?’ Jinx asks.

‘To find Richie.’

Before I can do anything to stop them, they throw their rucksacks into the passage on top of mine.

‘Nemo resideo,’ Tam says. ‘Wherever you’re going, we’re going too.’

We stand together, peering down a gravel track leading off the Esgyn Road.

‘My dad made you think the workshop is down there?’ Catrin says.

I take a big breath. ‘Yep.’

‘Jase,’ Tam says. ‘Don’t have a go at me or anything but … what are we going to do if Snook’s there?’

‘No idea.’ I start down the track.

‘Okay then.’

They walk with me.

The track runs through fields for about half a mile until it curves round to a high, metal gate. It’s open, its chains and padlock hanging loose. I go to slip inside and feel a hand grab my shoulder.

Tam smiles in that annoying, calm way he does. ‘We need to see what’s going on first. Up there.’ On the left, the land slopes to a high, grassy bank.

We sneak up and lie on our stomachs, commando-style, looking down at a big corrugated-iron building. Next to it a generator hums and rattles. Richie and Snook walk out on to a scruffy, concrete yard lit by the light from the workshop. Cars – and parts of cars – are dumped all over the place.

‘Get on with that Cortina,’ Snook says, screwing his face up as he takes a drag of his cigarette.

‘It’ll get done,’ Richie says. ‘It’s taking longer because the equipment’s rubbish.’

‘A bad workman blames his tools. Ever heard that one, Richie-boy?’ Snook laughs, going back to his own car. ‘Just do it. Customer wants it tomorrow.’

‘All right,’ Richie says. ‘But that blowtorch needs—’

Snook turns whip-fast and makes it across the yard in three big strides. He puts his arm across Richie’s chest, grabbing him by the shoulder and slamming him against the corrugated-iron wall.

Catrin gasps.

‘Don’t tell me what we need, all right?’ Snook pulls Richie towards him then slams him against the wall again. ‘Shut your whining.’

I try to get to my feet but Tam grabs me and pins me down.

‘Cortina!’ Snook walks off, flicking his cigarette butt over his shoulder. ‘Sort it. Today.’

Tam’s actually sitting on me, his hand over my mouth. Stopping me from running down the slope, from ripping Snook Hall’s stinking head off.

‘He’ll batter you,’ Tam whispers in my ear. ‘And then he’ll batter Richie. Cool it.’

Snook gets in the car, revs the engine like he’s such a big man and screeches off down the lane.

As soon as Tam gets off me, I spring up and fly down the slope, arms flailing like a crazy windmill.

Richie looks up. ‘Jason? Jason! What the hell?’