‘We can sort that issue out later, right now I need Samira to tell us everything that happened from last Saturday onwards.’

We trooped back into the deputy head’s office, Liz and Jane both attempting to join us but being firmly refused by Forest.

Samira was trembling as she signed. That Friday, Leon told me he was going to meet Joe. He texted me really early on Saturday morning, saying how excited he was, that he was going to meet him in the park. But then he went quiet, and the next thing I know he’s outside my house. My brother was out, so I took Leon in and hid him in my room. Mo never goes in there, so I knew he wouldn’t figure it out. Leon just made sure he only used the bathroom once Mo had gone out, and I brought him food when I was home.

‘What actually happened? Why did he run away?’ Forest asked.

He told me he found Mr Wilkinson’s body. There were tears in Samira’s eyes as she finally told the secret she’d been hiding. Someone saw him, and he thought they were going to blame it on him. So, he ran away, and he told me he had to hide until the police had proven it wasn’t him.

‘Why didn’t you tell us any of this?’ Singh asked, trying to keep the anger and the frustration from his voice.

Leon told me not to. He said he wasn’t safe.

‘Who was it? Who saw him?’

Samira looked pained. He wouldn’t tell me. He said they were bound to tell the police he killed Mr Wilkinson, so he didn’t want me knowing who it was and getting involved.

‘Nobody has told us about seeing Leon next to Mr Wilkinson’s body, Samira,’ Forest said. ‘So that means the person who saw him is probably the real killer.’ She paused for a moment to let the gravity of her statement sink in. ‘Are you sure he never said anything that gave away who it might have been?’

Samira shook her head. No, I promise. He was so scared.

‘When did you last see him?’

Yesterday morning, before I came to school. I don’t know what happened, but when I got home he wasn’t there.

Forest turned to Singh. ‘We need to get a team out to the house to search for anything that might tell us where he’s gone. Check for CCTV in the local area as well, see if there’s any sign of him leaving on foot. He can’t have gone too far, with the snow so bad.’

He was at home in the afternoon, when we were all in the hall, Samira offered. I was texting him, telling him about what had happened to Mr Achembe. I told him he needed to go to the police, but he refused.