Her mum looked less impressed. ‘Twelve thousand already for that lawyer,’ she grumbled. ‘Eight hundred a night for this psychiatric hospital and the trial might be a year away.’

‘Megan says it’ll be faster if the prosecution drops the conspiracy to murder charge,’ Georgia said. ‘I can plead guilty to all the others and go straight to sentencing.’

‘Conspiracy to murder is a scare tactic,’ John said. ‘They don’t want to admit it was a police stun gun that sparked the explosion.’

‘Hundreds of thousands of pounds,’ Rachel went on. ‘The agreement was, we sold the house and split proceeds when Georgia left for university …’

‘I have my D’Anger money,’ Georgia said.

‘This isn’t the place to argue over money,’ John told his ex-wife furiously.

Georgia knew this was her fault and almost wished she had been sent to young offenders. She’d had way more involvement in the drone plot than Wendy and Pippa, who were heading to jail. And while her mum liked to moan, she would do the right thing and pay her share. Helping a daughter who could barely stand being in a room with her …

‘You need to get Georgia to the Freeman Unit by midnight,’ Megan said as they headed out of the courtroom with the signed paperwork. ‘You’re entitled to stop and have a meal, or go home to pack …’

The court had metal detectors and pat-downs for people entering. The security line gawped as Georgia pushed through a turnstile and out into drizzle.

She knew her case had been delayed by protestors, but Georgia wasn’t expecting a mob that stretched from the court’s anti-terrorist fence to a line of broadcast vans over a hundred metres away.

The hearing had been private, so nobody in the crowd knew Georgia had been released. She gripped her dad’s arm as protestors nearest the fence realised who it was.

‘Georgia’s free!’ someone shouted.

But as the news burst and the crowd started to cheer, she’d never felt more trapped.

PART FOUR

FIFTY-FIVE

Walter J. Freeman Adolescent Mental Health Unit – East Grinstead, UK

It was warm for late April and the air con in Therapy Room B chugged, forcing Julius to raise his voice.

‘I got the video from this anonymous message,’ Julius said, as a tear welled in his eye. ‘They’d blurred Collins, but it was obvious to me … And there were sick photos online after Duke died …’

Julius paused, and Georgia’s friend Alex held out a box of tissues.

‘Thanks,’ Julius said as he dabbed his eyes. ‘Sorry …’

‘There’s nothing to be sorry for. It’s good to see you opening up,’ Tanvi the therapist said soothingly. ‘Take your time.’

Georgia, Alex and the three others in the group all nodded or oohed supportively, before Julius choked up.

‘I really loved Duke,’ Julius stated.

He started crying harder, until the therapist interrupted gently.

‘How did you feel immediately after you found out?’