I take out my Velcro rollers, give my lips a final touch-up, and examine my reflection. OK. Good. I must get outside quickly, before the press get bored and decide to leave. Luke has already gone out with Aran, to see Sage, and I heard the journalists all shouting as they drove away. And now it’s my turn! I feel like a gladiator about to go into the ring.

I tracked down an address for Brent Lewis after about six phone calls. Of course, his family doesn’t live at the address Dad gave me. But someone there had a number for his mother, and someone at that number said she’d moved to Pasadena, and there they said she’d gone to Florida, and so it went on, till I discovered that she actually died seven years ago. But by then I’d also been given a number for a sister called Leah, and through her I finally got an address for Brent – somewhere called the Shining Hill Home Estate, off the San Fernando Road. I’ve looked on the map and it’s in an area of LA I’ve never been to before. But that’s fine. I’ve got sat nav.

Minnie is playing some very disorganized ball game with the Cleath-Stuarts in the basement. I put my head round the door and say casually, ‘I’m just running an errand. See you later.’

‘Mine sunglasses,’ says Minnie at once, clocking the vintage Missonis. ‘Miiiiiiine.’

‘Minnie!’ I say sternly. ‘We don’t say “Mine”!’

‘Please,’ she amends at once. ‘Pleeeeeeease!’

‘No, darling.’ I give her a kiss. ‘They’re Mummy’s.’

‘Pleeeeease!’ She makes a determined swipe for them.

‘You have … er …’ I cast around and find a toy handbag, which I hand to her. ‘This.’

Minnie looks at it disdainfully. ‘So over,’ she enunciates carefully and throws it on the floor.

Oh my God. Did Minnie just say ‘So over’? I meet Suze’s eyes and we both give shocked giggles.

‘I didn’t teach her that,’ I say.

‘Nor did I!’ says Suze.

I glance at Clemmie – but she’s happily playing in a vest with one of Minnie’s skirts on her head. The Cleath-Stuart children wouldn’t have the first idea what ‘So over’ meant.

‘It was Ora,’ I say with sudden conviction. ‘She’s a bad influence on Minnie. I knew it!’

‘You don’t know it!’ objects Suze. ‘It could have been anyone.’

‘I bet it was her. Minnie, this bag is not over.’ I pick the bag up and hand it back to Minnie. ‘It’s a timeless classic. And we don’t throw our bags on the floor, even if they are over.’

‘Where are you going?’ Suze is looking me up and down. ‘Nice shoes.’

‘Just looking up this guy for my dad.’

‘You know the place is still crawling with journalists?’

‘Yes.’ I try to sound nonchalant. ‘Never mind. I’ll just have to … er … ignore them.’

Suze gives me a sharp look. ‘Bex, have you curled your hair?’

‘No!’ I say defensively. ‘I mean … a bit. Just to put some body in. Is there anything wrong with that?’