The Taylor Automotive Test Facility, an offshoot of Taylor Automotive Design, was a large black building at the top of a hill. Behind it was a long, wide track that twisted and turned into many shapes.

Because the Taylor Automotive Test Facility was a place Peter Taylor took the cars he had designed – very fast supercars, if you remember – to test them out. Raced them, basically. Yes. People actually get paid to do that.

Amy was very excited when it came into view. They drove round the corner of the road from the border – the children all cheered when they went past the WELCOME TO SCOTLAND sign – and saw the Facility, some way above them. It helped to take their minds off the smell of burning cow poo, which was suffusing the inside of the car.

“That’s it, isn’t it?” Amy said to Jack. “Where Dad works.”

“I think so. I was only eight.”

“Haven’t you ever been here before, Amy?” said Rahul.

Amy paused before saying, “No.”

There was another pause, as she turned the Taylor TurboChaser off the main road, on to the smaller one leading up the hill. The sky was darkening slightly, as if it was about to rain.

“Dad came to live – and work – up here after he and Mum split up,” said Jack. “He brought me up once and showed me round, but … not Amy.”

“He’s sent me some photos, though,” said Amy, sounding cheerful, in a slightly forced way. “And I’ve seen it on the internet.”

No one said anything again. Except Janet, who said, “I feel sick.”

The TurboChaser carried on up the hill. The road was very winding, and, as well as the bad smell emanating from the engine, the car was starting to make a lot of very strange noises – not just groans now, but squeals and grunts and scrapings. Plus it was shaking a lot, like it had a bad fever.

“Is it OK?” said Amy to Rahul.

Rahul shrugged.

“Because I really wouldn’t want it to conk out now. Apart from anything,” she continued, “I’ve come to think of it – the car – as part of our gang.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, sort of like a friend. Sort of like a real person. Is that stupid?”

“No,” said Rahul. “I mean it’s wrong. But it’s not stupid.”

The car shook again as he said this, but by now they were approaching the last corner, and then there they were outside the front of the building. Amy stopped the car, but she didn’t turn off the engine just yet.

“You have reached your final destination,” said the sat nav.

And the children all cheered. And they carried on cheering, right up until, from behind the building, came Suzi Taylor’s van.