Not on Saturday, no. He’d said he wanted to meet him in person, but Joe had said no because he was scared of coming out to his friends and family.

‘Do you think Leon might have told Joe where you were all going on the trip?’

I knew Singh was wondering if ‘Joe’ was really someone else entirely, the sort of person who might want to entice a fifteen-year-old boy away from the safety of his teachers, but I hoped he was wrong.

I don’t know. He said he and Joe talked about everything, though.

‘Kian, is there anything else you haven’t told us?’

The boy shook his head. Singh raised his eyebrows and fixed him with a stern look, but Kian shook his head again.

Stop badgering him, Bradley said. It’s not his fault, I told him not to tell you anything.

‘Why?’

To protect him. What’s happened to Leon is shit, but I didn’t want my brother getting involved with the police, being a witness.

Bradley’s eyes were shining, and I wondered what the two brothers had been through together. I got the feeling that whatever it was, Bradley had been the one to report it and to speak to the authorities in order to save his brother some distress.

‘I understand that Bradley, I really do, but every bit of information we get can help us. Leon might be in danger, he might be sleeping on the streets, or he might be with someone who wants to hurt him. Do you understand that?’

Bradley flinched as Singh spoke. Of course I bloody understand that. I just want to keep my head down and protect my brother.

Singh nodded. ‘Okay. But please don’t keep anything else from us.’

The boys both stood up and left, the older with his arm around the younger’s shoulders. Before Singh had a chance to do or say anything else, the door opened with a bang, slamming back against the wall.

What the fuck is going on? What’s happened? Samira stood in the doorway, her eyes blazing. Has someone done something to Leon?

Singh stood and faced her. ‘Did you know Leon was talking to a boy named Joe online?’

Samira shrugged, but I could tell from her face that she had known.

‘Did you know he arranged to meet Joe on Saturday?’

No, she replied quickly, but her face coloured slightly. She was lying, I was sure of it. But if she’d known, why wouldn’t she have told the police, to help them find her best friend?

‘I don’t know why you’re keeping information from us, when all we want is to find Leon,’ Singh said, his tone firm but gentle. ‘Why didn’t you tell us about Joe?’

Samira shrugged again, the teenager’s punctuation. It was none of your business.