I gawped at him. *What?'

*How's things? How's life been treating you?'

*Sorry... are you mental?' I asked.

*What? I'm just asking how you've been. What's so bad about that? We're bonding here.'

*No,' I growled. *We aren't.'

*Ah, suit yourself,' he said, and he went back to looking out of the window.

*What are you doing here?' I asked him. *What do you want?'

He shrugged. *Some fathera"son time, that's all. Not too much to ask, is it?'

*Yes,' I replied, coldly, *it is. What, you think after everything you've done you can just drop in for a cosy chat whenever you feel like it? It doesn't work that way.'

*After everything I've done?' he said, looking genuinely puzzled. *Why, what have I done?'

I almost choked. *What do you...? What have you...?' I began counting things off on my fingers. *You sent Mr Mumbles after me. You sent Caddie after me. You sent the Crowmaster, and because of that my mum is in hospital and Marion is dead.'

*Whoa, back up. That's not my fault,' he said, holding up his hands. *You could've protected them if you'd wanted to.'

*What? No I couldn't!'

*Of course you could, kiddo. With your abilities you can do anything you want.' He gave a sad shake of his head. *Maybe deep down you just didn't want to save them, after all.'

*Shut up,' I warned him.

*What's the point in being special if you don't put your talents to use?' he asked, breaking into a smile. *You could've saved them. You could've saved everyone. But no, you just flail around, too scared to realise your real potential. It's a shame. It's a d.a.m.n shame.'

*I know what you're doing,' I said. *The Crowmaster told me everything. He told me exactly why you want me to use my abilities, and he told me what would happen if I did.'

The grin stayed fixed on my dad's face, but his eyes told another story. *Yes,' he said. *You mentioned that.' He pointed to the bruise on his face. *Just before you gave me this, remember? What exactly did he say?'

*That you want to bring the Darkest Corners over here into this world. And you need me to do it. The more I use my powers, the weaker the barrier between the worlds becomes. That's right, isn't it? He was telling the truth.'

To my surprise, he didn't deny it. *Yes, son, the scarecrow was telling the truth,' he said. *You might as well know. No harm in it. It's not like you can stop it now, anyway. Every time you use your... gift, the doorway between this world and mine opens a little further. Use it enough, and we can all go free.'

*You're already free.'

*Temporarily,' he sighed. *Only temporarily. And, believe it or not, I'm not just thinking about me. I'm not the only one trapped over there, you know?'

*Yeah, I know,' I said. *You sent some to visit me, remember?'

*I don't mean those... things,' he spat. *I mean normal people. Good people. Kids, even, all doing their best to hide out and stay alive.'

Immediately, I thought of I.C., the boy I'd found hiding in the hospital in the Darkest Corners. He had been scared and alone, but try as I might, I couldn't bring him back with me to the real world. I'd had no choice but to leave him there, although I had a" I hoped a" arranged for him to be looked after.

*You can help them, son. You can help all of them get out. They'd be safe.'

*They'd bring all the monsters with them,' I said. *They wouldn't be safe. No one would be safe.'

He threw back his head and laughed. *OK, you got me,' he cackled. *I couldn't give a d.a.m.n about any of them. Let the freaks tear every last one of them to pieces, what do I care?'

*Then why are you doing all this?' I asked.

His laughter stopped. *Everything I do, son a" every single thing I've done for the past decade a" I've done for one reason and one reason only.' He looked me up and down, his face a mask of contempt. *To hurt you.'

I'm not sure why, but tears suddenly stung my eyes. I blinked them back. There was no way I was about to give him the satisfaction. *Why?' I asked, hoping he didn't hear the wobble in my voice.

*Why?' he shouted, flying at me. This time, I managed to stand my ground. *Why? Because it's your fault I got sent to that place, that's why. Fourteen years I've been stuck there, with the freaks and the demons coming for me every night! Fourteen years.'

*I wasn't even born fourteen years ago,' I protested.

His hand caught me by the throat. My back slammed against the bedroom wall. *No, but you were going to be,' he hissed. *You were going to be.'

He relaxed his grip and stepped away. When he spoke again his voice was distant, as if he barely remembered I was even in the room. *She was so lonely, your mum. No friends. Just her own mother for company.'

Sounds familiar, I thought, but I kept quiet.

*We found each other. She needed... someone. And I needed her to keep me out of that place. Getting her to fall in love with me was easy. She was eighteen, not bad looking, but no one had ever paid her the slightest bit of attention before then. I had her eating out of my hand in no time.'

*You used her,' I said, through gritted teeth.

His face darkened. *And then we found out we were going to have a little baby. And suddenly she didn't need me to make her feel special any more. All of a sudden, she had someone else to love.'

*Me,' I realised.

He nodded. *You. Next thing I know I'm in the Darkest Corners, fighting for my life, while she's out buying prams and knitting bootees. So tell me, son,' he spat, *who used who?'

*She thought you left her,' I said weakly.

*Left her? I'd have stayed with her forever.' He shook his head. *I didn't leave her, she sent me away.'

*But... none of that was my fault! I didn't do anything.'

He narrowed his eyes. *You know what? You're right. You've done nothing wrong. You're the innocent in all this. I should be taking it out on her.'

*No!' I cried, stepping forward. *Don't!'

*I could have just killed you. That would've been easier. I could've ended you any time I liked, but after everything I've had to go through because of you, killing you just didn't seem enough.'

He knocked on the window and gave a cheerful wave down towards the back garden. Even through the gla.s.s, I heard the screechers begin to howl and batter harder against the door.

*I wanted you to suffer. Physically, obviously, but mentally too. I wanted you to be scared, like I was. And I wanted you all churned up and twisted with guilt over the people you let die.'

I cleared my throat. *Well,' I said. *Mission accomplished.'

*Oh no, son,' he smirked, *trust me, you haven't seen anything yet. You think you feel bad now? Just wait until you open that doorway for me. Just wait until you spill the blood of every man, woman and child in this world.'

*That's not going to happen,' I insisted. Now that I knew for sure the Crowmaster had been telling the truth, the decision was easy. *I won't use my abilities again.'

His face twisted with rage. *I'll decide what you do and don't do with your abilities. Me! What, you think you got those powers from your mother's side? They're all me, kiddo. I gave you them, and you'll d.a.m.n well use them, even if I have to make you.'

*You won't make me,' I replied. *Whatever you send after me, I'll find a way to beat it without using my powers.'

He raised an eyebrow and snorted. *Really?' he said. *Good luck with that. The fact is, they're part of you. You can no more stop using them than you can stop your fingernails from growing.'

*I won't,' I insisted. *I swear.'

He rummaged in his pocket, eventually pulling out a small, hand-held tape recorder. *Well, if it comes to it, maybe this will change your mind,' he said.

*What's that?'

He slipped the machine back in his pocket. *Insurance.'

A movement in the corridor behind me made me turn. A figure in a brown robe stood on the landing. A hood was down over the figure's head, hiding his face. I'd seen this person a few times now, always lurking in the shadows near my dad. He never lifted the hood and never spoke a word. I wasn't even sure if he was even a "he" at all.

My dad pushed past me, making for the door. Just inside the room he stopped, as if a thought had only just occurred to him. *Your friend,' he said. *Ameena, is it?'

*What about her?'

*How much do you actually know about her?' he asked.

I didn't hesitate, not even for a second. *I know enough. I know that I trust her.'

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. *Interesting,' he nodded. *See you around.'

And then he was stepping out of the room, pulling the door behind him.

*What's that supposed to mean?' I demanded, racing after him. But by the time I made it out on to the landing, neither my dad nor the figure in brown were anywhere to be seen. *Great,' I mumbled. *Just great.'

What had he meant? Of course I could trust Ameena. She'd saved my life countless times. Without her, I'd have died on my front step, with Mr Mumbles kneeling on my chest. Or, if not then, then a hundred times since. The fact I was even breathing was all down to Ameena. I owed her everything.

Pushing my dad's question from my mind, I took another look at the situation beyond the front windows. The snow was still off, and the street was completely empty now. The two screechers I'd seen earlier seemed to have stumbled away somewhere, leaving the route to the police station completely clear.

I took the stairs two at a time. There was a row of jackets hanging on the wall beside the front door. I found a warm one in about my size and pulled it on.

After zipping up, I stopped at the door just long enough to take a deep, steadying breath. My hand pushed down on the handle and the door slowly opened.

Right then, I thought. Here goes nothing.

*What do you mean, "she's not here"?'

Billy spun the office chair he was sitting on a full three-hundred-and-sixty degrees, then leaned back with his hands behind his head. On the other side of the police station's reception area, Guggs knelt by the window, looking out.

The journey from the house to the police station had gone perfectly smoothly. I'd actually laughed with relief as I'd arrived at the front door and banged on it until Billy let me inside.

I wasn't laughing now.

*She's not here,' Billy repeated. *I thought she was with you?'

*No, she isn't,' I said.

I turned from the desk and hurried back towards the door I'd just come through. From the corner of my eye, I saw Guggs stand up.

*Where are you going?' he asked. *You can't go back out. You know what's out there.'

*Yes,' I nodded. *My friend. And I'm going to find her.'

*You're not going anywhere,' Guggs told me. He pointed at me with his metal bar. *We stick together. Strength in numbers. You go and you're putting us at risk. Tell him, Bill.'

Billy looked at his cousin, then back at me. He stood up and took something from the desk behind him. I looked down at the walkie-talkie as he pressed it into my hand.

*Keep it on,' he said. *If she turns up, we'll let you know.'

I clipped the radio to my belt. *Thanks,' I said.

Billy nodded his head, just barely. *Good luck,' he said. *Make sure you come back.'

*I will,' I said. I turned to the door, then hesitated. *One thing. What's the Beast?'

Billy shrugged. *Don't know. Haven't seen it. Just seen what it can do.'

*Like what?' I asked.

He swallowed hard. *Trust me,' he said, his voice a hoa.r.s.e whisper. *You don't want to know.'

There was a story there, I knew, something Billy wasn't telling me. It could wait. Ameena couldn't.

*Fair enough,' I said, then I opened the door, pulled my jacket around my neck, and stepped back out into the harsh, biting cold.

scampered, crouched-over, across to the scene of our earlier car smash, keeping my eyes peeled for trouble. The lights of the vehicle we'd hit were still flashing, but the alarm had long since stopped. There were no screechers around the crash-scene, but there was no Ameena, either.

I squatted down by the car we'd been in. Aside from the now almost deflated airbag, everything was just as we'd left it a" keys in the ignition, engine running, three of the four doors standing wide open. If Ameena had come back to the car, she'd left no trace behind.

Keeping low, I crept down to the back of the vehicle and knelt in the snow beside it.

Ahead of me, I could see the entrance to the maze of alleys I'd run into. I wondered if the screechers were still there, still banging against the locked door of the house, trying to get inside.

They didn't seem to be very smart, but I doubted even they would stay there forever. They'd come looking for us soon enough, which was why I kept out of sight behind the car until I could figure out my next move.

The last time I'd seen Ameena had been here. She'd got out of the car at the same time as I had. We'd watched Guggs and Billy make a bolt for it, then I'd run off, a.s.suming she was right behind me.

I cast my eyes over the snow around the car. No blood, other than a patch a dozen or so metres away, where Guggs had fought the screecher. We'd left the man lying on the ground with a shattered knee, but now there was no sign of him. Presumably he'd crawled off towards the alleyway, following the others.

So, the screechers were more or less accounted for, but Ameena? That was another matter.