"Vinny was standing there just a moment ago. Standing there in the middle of the sidewalk as the night club crowds erupted onto the streets on their way home. Jasper had only turned his back to his friend for a moment, just a moment. Jasper knew it would be easy to lose sight of Vinny for just a moment, what with the lights and the crush of people and Jasper was very tired and it was very late. But Vinny didn't reappear. He was gone, completely gone." Vinny and his three best friends are young, energetic and inseparable. Fresh out of school and on the cusp of adulthood, they are intent on enjoying life. Their favorite activity is going out on the weekends, out to the clubs, to drink and dance and have fun until dawn. But on Saturday night, as Jasper is distracted for only an instant, Vinny disappears. Jasper and his other friends don't know how to react. After all, Vinny's not a child. He's never disappeared before, but he must be all right. Certainly there must be a simple explanation for where he has gone... By Sunday, Vinny is a Missing Person and the world of his friends and family turns over, showing its darker side. Judith Clarke lives with her husband and son in Melbourne Australia. Her novel The Heroic Life of Al Capsella was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and was shortlisted for Australia's NSW Premier's Literary Awards.