‘I’ve spent enough time cooped up, and I want people to know I’m back,’ Wendy said. ‘For you, the big advantage of doing a book is that it gives you breathing space. The publisher will want the book out in time for Christmas, and they’ll want all your big revelations held back until the weekend before the book comes out.’

‘But I won’t have to write it?’ Georgia asked.

‘God no,’ Wendy said, laughing. ‘Publishers hate it when celebrities want to write their own books. Writing is a hard skill to master and they want a decently crafted book that’s delivered on time. You’ll meet the ghost writer and do lots of interviews. Hopefully they’ll find someone you like.’

Georgia nodded. ‘Speaking about publicity, I met this really interesting guy at the Freeman Unit.’

‘First boyfriend,’ Wendy smiled. ‘That would make a great chapter …’

‘No,’ Georgia cringed. ‘Julius is gay, and I still haven’t got anywhere in the relationship department …’

‘Boys adore you,’ Wendy said. ‘Half of Sam’s mates have crushes, and he gets so much cred because he knows you.’

‘It’s creepy,’ Georgia said, shuddering at the thought of Sam’s geeky mates lusting after her. ‘Julius was telling me about the election in his home state. The story is mental. One side blew up a building, killing thirty union leaders. The other side poisoned the water in the town centre. And when they counted the result, there was so much ballot stuffing they ended up with more votes than registered voters.’

Wendy looked intrigued. ‘Where is your friend from?’

‘A place called Akure, in Nigeria.’

‘Ah, trying to get publicity would be impossible.’ Wendy shrugged. ‘A big aid agency like Oxfam can claim that ten thousand children have been killed in a war, or a million are at risk of starvation, and the story gets nowhere. What chance do you think I’d have with a story about Africans drinking poisoned water in a place nobody’s ever heard of?’

‘That’s so racist,’ Georgia complained.

‘The way the media works is so racist,’ Wendy said. ‘Tell me about a pretty, blonde American backpacker getting poisoned while on holiday in Nigeria and you’d have a story I could work with.’

‘I j-j-just thought …’ Georgia stuttered as she grabbed her phone. ‘It seems like something the world should know more about.’

Georgia scrolled up to some pictures of a late-night messenger conversation she’d had with Julius. ‘This is Julius with his boyfriend. Duke got murdered, which is basically why Julius cracked up and got sent to the Freeman Unit.’

‘I hate the way the media works,’ Wendy explained. ‘But if you know the rules of the game, you can make it work in your favour. Like with you.’

‘What do you mean?’ Georgia asked.