‘You’re turning everything I say against me,’ Charlie spat. ‘Aren’t you supposed to listen to what I say and investigate? Not decide I did something before I open my mouth?’

O’Banyon kept hammering. ‘The memory card recording CCTV footage for the entire ground-floor annexe suffered damage the last time it was reinserted. We can get a data-recovery technician to look into that. But that takes days and costs the police department money, which we can spend on something more worthwhile if you do the decent thing and admit to what you did.’

‘I’ve been framed,’ Charlie yelled.

‘Who’d frame a thirteen-year-old girl?’ O’Banyon said, tutting incredulously as she took a step back from the desk. ‘I’ve given you a chance to make things easier for yourself, but I’m clearly wasting my time.

‘So, Charlie, you cool your heels overnight in your cell. I’m gonna drive home, make food, walk my dog and snuggle up in bed with my boyfriend. I’ll drop by your cell in the morning. And hopefully you’ll be ready for a more constructive conversation by then.’

10 NEW-BABY SMELL

‘The person you are calling is not currently able to take your call. If you wish to leave a message, please speak after the tone.’

‘Harry, this is me … Charlie, from earlier? These calls are recorded so I must be careful. Fawn’s not answering, but the custody officer let me get numbers off my cell and yours was still open in the contacts screen.

‘I can’t think of anyone else and I know you’re interested in this story, even if you don’t care about me. I’m scared … Really damned scared. JJ didn’t hand himself in at all. They’re trying to blame me for the bombing, not just making explosive.

‘I got grilled by this awful cop. She’s talking about stuff they found. A steak knife from my house got used to slash Deion’s tires. Deion’s football shirts under my bed. Pictures of him on my laptop. They’re saying all this crazy stuff and none of— You’ll probably hear stuff about me, but, Harry, I swear on my mom’s grave it’s not true.

‘I don’t have an alibi, because Ed was sick and I had to stay home. I can’t see why the cops would make up a bunch of evidence. It had to be planned before the attack anyway, so someone must have it in for me. My sister Fawn’s not answering her phone, but we’ve been fighting a lot. I got angry and threatened to report her to the trustees who control Ed’s compensation money, because she gets eighteen hundred a month but hardly looks after him. I guess it suits Fawn if I’m not around, and if Deion’s out of the picture her boyfriend, JJ, gets to be starting quarterback …’