The girl shook her head. I don’t know anything. I was only joking.

The flippancy of her comment didn’t hide the tension in her shoulders; I didn’t believe her. Singh asked a few more questions, but Cassie gave the same answers until Sasha suggested they stopped. The DS was frustrated, but he agreed, as he wasn’t getting anywhere.

As we left the library, I caught sight of Bradley sitting on one of the sofas in the common room. He stood up and came towards us.

You were watching us the other day, in the dining hall. You’re the one who told the police what we were saying. Is that what you’re here for, to spy on us?

He was taller than me and was as close as he could be without hitting me as he signed, and I could see the anger bubbling below the surface.

Bradley, that’s not what happened. Sasha came to my defence.

Do you really wonder why Leon ran away? he asked, rounding on Sasha. We’ve all been let down by adults who were supposed to protect us, but we all thought we could trust the adults here. As he became more agitated, his signing got faster until I could only just keep up. But we can’t trust anyone, can we?

He shoved past me, knocking me sideways into Singh, who caught my arms to stop me falling. As Bradley thundered up the stairs, Sasha looked after him with anguish on her face.

‘What was that supposed to mean?’ Singh asked, still holding on to my shoulders. Bradley’s anger had shaken me, but Singh’s touch was reassuring.

I don’t know, but I’m worried there’s still more they haven’t told us, Sasha replied.

Chapter 17

Jane Villiers’ house was a gorgeous little stone cottage straight out of a fairy tale. The garden was a mass of green and white, with evergreen shrubs heavy with snow and bare trees fighting for space, and it looked well-tended in a haphazard sort of way. A path wound from the low stone wall surrounding the property up to the front door, and the red-tiled roof was a little crooked, adding extra charm. Someone had carefully cleared the snow from the path and sprinkled grit over it. Ivy climbed up and around the front door, spreading its tendrils along and under the upstairs windows.