‘My name is Vanessa Wright, and I need to speak with her. It’s very important.’

‘Are you a family member?’

‘No, but, as I said, it’s important.’

‘I can’t just pull a student out of class because you want to chat.’

Vanessa’s eyes welled with tears. ‘My son recently died in a car accident. Two weeks beforehand, his girlfriend committed suicide. I think the two are related, and I think that Lisa might be able to shed some light on why two seventeen-year-old kids are dead. That good enough for you?’

She was breathing heavily by the time she’d finished, gripping the edge of the counter tightly.

The lady pressed a button and called for Lisa Peterson to come to reception.

‘Thank you,’ Vanessa whispered as she went to sit down on one of the couches pushed up against the wall.

She saw Lisa coming down the stairs. ‘Mrs Wright?’

‘Hi, Lisa, how are you?’

‘Fine,’ she said, looking confused.

‘Can you sit for a moment? This won’t take long.’

She sat next to Vanessa, smoothing down her dress.

Vanessa hadn’t really thought much about what she was going to say, so she just winged it. ‘I know you haven’t seen me in a while or know me that well but I’m hoping you can help me and Olivia’s dad. Did Olivia ever tell you that she had thoughts about harming herself?’

‘No. Never. I would have told somebody.’

‘Of course you would have. So do you know why she was acting strangely in the weeks leading up to her death? Not going to school, not wanting to see friends?’

‘I don’t know about any of that, all I know is that she stopped returning my calls and texts after the party.’

Vanessa tried to think of which party she meant. There were so many, so she asked.

‘The end-of-year soccer bash?’

I didn’t go, I was grounded. I heard she spent the whole night with the three boys, but that’s not unusual. I’m not much help, am I? Mrs Wright? Are you OK?’ Vanessa could feel the blood draining from her face.

‘Uh… I’m fine, thanks for your help. I have to go now.’ Vanessa staggered out the front doors and over to her car. Once inside the car, she needed to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She held down the horn for a few seconds while she screamed.

She knew what happened.

Olivia went to a party, disappeared with the three boys, didn’t speak to anyone again, then two weeks later, she committed suicide. It was so obvious now. Why hadn’t she seen it before?

Justin and Wade had raped her. It was the only scenario that made any sense.