‘Second, I have been in trouble before. Some kids started teasing Ed at the mall one time. I grabbed a fire extinguisher and foamed the little pricks. One guy slipped and when the foam ran out I belted him over the head with it.’

Harry’s eyebrows shot up. ‘For real?’

‘You can smirk, but I fractured the little turd’s cheekbone and Canyon Mall said there was over two thousand dollars in damages. I got a fine, three anger management sessions and the judge said if I put another foot wrong I’d be booking my ticket for juvenile detention.’

‘But they started on your little brother,’ Harry said indignantly, then jolted as a phone rang loudly behind him.

‘What’s happening, JJ?’ Charlie said anxiously as she answered her cell. ‘I’m dangling here.’

Charlie was on the phone for six minutes. Harry listened, but struggled to follow, beyond the fact that it was someone called Mr Elkmann, using JJ’s cell.

‘JJ’s lawyer,’ Charlie explained, after the call. ‘He’s just left the precinct after handing JJ over to the cops. Elkmann says the best thing is for me to surrender too – and don’t say I told you so. JJ’s dad is rich so he’s going to fix me up with a good lawyer, and I’m supposed to stay calm and polite, but keep my trap shut until the lawyer arrives.’

‘Why would Jay Janssen Senior pay your lawyer?’ Harry asked suspiciously.

‘I guess he has more control over his son’s case if my lawyer is in his pocket. Nothing can be worse than the public defender I had for the fire extinguisher deal. She saw me for ten minutes and basically said plead guilty, or else.’

‘So, you might get off?’ Harry asked.

Charlie shook her head. ‘JJ said he’ll take the rap for the bomb, but Elkmann says I’ll face charges for illegal possession of explosives.’

‘Could you get locked up for that?’

‘He said it hinges on how badly Deion Powell and the girl are hurt.’

‘Last I saw online, the hospital was saying seriously injured, but not life threatening,’ Harry told her.

‘Because of my age, Elkmann says I’d be unlucky to get more than nine months for an explosives charge. I can handle that. It’s Ed I’m worried about. He always asks for me when he gets upset and he’ll lose it if I’m not around.’

‘I’ll give you my number, so you can call if you need anything,’ Harry said. ‘Pass your phone – I’ll put it in your contacts.’

‘Doubt I’ll be allowed my cell where I’m going,’ Charlie said, but she still passed him her cheapo cracked-screen smartphone. ‘If you want to do me a real favour, take that and make it vanish.’

Harry looked up from the phone and saw Charlie pointing at the gun.