Jimmy Coates: Killer. Joe Craig

There was toast waiting for Jimmy too. Felix’s mother must have heard him getting up.

      “Hiya, Jimmy, how’s your arm?” Felix almost shouted this, and bounded over to punch Jimmy on the shoulder.

      “Yeah, it’s fine.”

      “Lemme see.” Jimmy showed Felix his wrist and kept it held out while he sat down and started eating his toast. He let the images from the TV go into his brain without paying attention and felt Felix prodding around his cut.

      “That’s so cool.”

      “All right, get off it now.” Jimmy pulled his arm back.

      “Can I cut off your hand?” said Felix.

      “What?” Jimmy glared at Felix, before he realised he was joking. Felix laughed, and after a second Jimmy did too. “How was school?”

      “OK, I suppose.” Felix shrugged, “Miss Bennett nearly didn’t even notice you were missing when she took the register.”

      The more they chatted, the more ridiculous the events of the night before seemed. The danger started fading in Jimmy’s mind; he didn’t know why anybody was after him, so there didn’t appear to be much point being afraid. But as the fear dwindled, in its place came a long, slow ache. The memory of his parents being driven away tore at his mind. Suddenly he knew what it meant to miss somebody.

      “We should go and find them,” Felix said brightly, with toast crumbs all over his face. “Your parents, I mean.”

      “What?”

      “Well, you said we can’t call the police, and they’ve disappeared, right? Taken by these strange men in suits.” He said it like it was the name of an alien race, and waved his hands in front of him, trying to look spooky.