AustLit

'Tom Petkovic walks in the city while his father is working night shifts. He is a loner, drawn to look in at the family lives of others. But lately, more and more curtains have been closed, the windows dark — except for one, where a girl sits watching, night after night. In the park Tom hears a puzzling argument between two men. They seem to be shouting about the Aztecs. Then he sees one of them drag the other, limp and bleeding, into the back of a van. Tom writes about the scene, weaving it into a short story which he enters in a newspaper competition, hoping to give the police some clues. He is afraid for his life — and not without reason, as more and more children are afflicted with a mysterious illness. This well-plotted and satisfying story has enough twists to keep the most demanding reader enthralled.' (Publication summary)