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chipmunk, Kevin took hold of her gloved hand and dropped something into it.
    It was the silver ring.
    Tess was afraid that her emotions would show on her face. All those years of silence and secrecy and guilt were over, and she was no longer alone. She would almost have hugged Kevin then, despite his scruffy clothes, but he began to talk before she had the chance.
    ‘You’ll help, then?’ he said.
    Tess was bewildered. ‘But how? What?’
    ‘I’m not sure, yet, said Kevin, gazing out across the park. ‘But if you meet me tonight we’ll find out.’
    ‘Meet you? Where?’
    ‘Connolly Station. One o’clock.’
    ‘One o’clock?’
    ‘Is that too early?’
    ‘Too early?’
    ‘Use your head,’ he said. ‘You’ll have to get out, won’t you? And you’ll have to get there.’
    ‘But I can’t,’ said Tess. ‘How can I?’
    Kevin blew on his hands again and shrugged. ‘If you can’t, you can’t,’ he said, and he began to walk away. ‘But I’ll be there anyway.’
    She watched him as he went. She knew nothing about him, nothing at all. Then she remembered the little chipmunk racing with her, playing, staying close, and she felt that she did know him, at least as well as she needed to.
    ‘Kevin?’ she called.
    He turned back. ‘Yes?’
    ‘My name is Tess.’
    He smiled and gave her a thumbs up. But her heart was heavy as she walked towards her house. How could she possibly do as he asked?

CHAPTER SIX
    T ESS LAY AWAKE, LISTENING to her parents getting ready for bed. She could hear their voices through the wall, but not the words. From the tone of their conversation she could tell that all was well with them, and the house was relaxed and comfortable as long as they were content. But it didn’t make Tess any happier. Kevin had asked her for help and she had let him down. The clock on the wall said twelve twenty-five. Even if she had the courage to cross the city at this hour, there was no way she could do it. The last buses would be on their way out of the centre of town and they would not be bringing passengers back in. A taxi, even if she could find one, would be too expensive. If she had meant to be there, she would have left an hour ago or more. But it was impossible. Couldn’t he understand that? What parent would allow their thirteen-year-old daughter out in the dead of night to meet a boy they had never set eyes on?
    If she had any friends in the area, she might, just might, have pretended to be staying with them. If she had gone with someone to a disco or a film, she could have risked her parents’ alarm by going on from there and coming back late. But there was no one for her to go with and nowhere to go. She couldn’t even sneak out. Just ten minutes ago her father had put his head around the door and listened, as he did every night. She had made her breathing as deep and regular as she could. It was dreadful, being an only child.
    Twelve thirty-five. Poor Kevin. He would be there, soon, all alone among the homeless people and the winos, looking round for her, waiting. And here she was, lying in her comfortable bed, wretched, feeble, worthless.
    She turned over on to her side, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep for a long time. The clock on the wall ticked with infuriating monotony. Outside, an occasional car passed along the road, and in the tree opposite a barn owl began to call.
    Tess listened, slightly calmed by the familiar sound. It seemed strange tonight, different somehow. Her nerves were on edge. She sighed and turned again in the bed.
    ‘What a fool,’ said the owl. ‘What a foo-ool.’
    Tess sprang up, almost before she understood why. Of course! She would have laughed and shouted out loud if she hadn’t been afraid of waking her parents. As quietly as she could, she opened the window and climbed up on to the sill. The freezing night air blew into the room. She wouldn’t be able to close the window behind her, but it was too bad.
    A moment later, a barn owl was