‘They didn’t tell me and I wasn’t going to ask them to write an essay,’ I replied. ‘To be honest … I find it hard to know what to talk to girls about.’

‘You’re doing all right with me. We’re not an unfathomable species from another planet,’ said Libby. ‘Just talk to us like normal human beings.’

‘So have you been on any dates?’ I asked.

‘One. With Dominic Slecker, but that was a disaster.’

‘Why?’

‘His views were too much like my mum’s.’

Enough said. I always thought Dominic was an arsehole. Libby had just confirmed it.

‘If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?’ She kept the out-of-nowhere questions coming. ‘The one thing you regret doing or not doing.’

She was making a big deal out of checking the makeshift bandage around her palms rather than look at me.

I sighed. ‘I wish I’d tried harder to persuade Mum that her friend killed my dad.’

Stunned, Libby stared at me. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Not something I’d joke about,’ I replied.

But maybe it was something I should’ve kept to myself until I had proof? Too late now.

‘Forget I spoke.’ I tried to shrug it off.

‘You can’t just leave it there,’ Libby prompted, exasperated.

I sighed. ‘My mum is pretty much engaged to Sonny Devlin and—’

‘The singer?’ Libby’s eyes were ready to pop out of her head now.

‘Yeah, that’s him.’

‘Lucky her. His music slaps!’

I glared at Libby who had a ridiculous grin on her face. When she clocked that I was scowling at her, her smile vanished.

‘I grew up with his songs, that’s all. Mum loves … loved his music.’

Another strike against him. I was beginning to regret confiding in Libby.

‘Wait! You think Sonny Devlin killed your dad. The Sonny Devlin?’

And that right there was why I hadn’t told anyone of my suspicions. ‘I know he did it.’

‘Let’s hear your proof. I’m all ears.’ Libby couldn’t have made her scepticism any more apparent.

Gathering my thoughts, I began. ‘When I was in Year Ten, my dad was knocked over in a hit-and-run incident by a man driving a dark blue Whitman Scorpius. The driver was never found. At the time, witnesses said it was like the male Nought driver accelerated towards my dad rather than trying to avoid him. A few weeks ago, I went for Sunday dinner at Sonny’s house for the first time with my mum. He has acres of land and there’s a quarry north of his house that also belongs to him. Guess what kind of car I found down in the quarry when I went exploring?’

‘A Whitman Scorpius? You’re joking!’ Libby’s eyebrows drew together. At least she wasn’t being outright dismissive any more.

‘A dark blue Whitman Scorpius,’ I added.

‘Did you ask him about it?’