“In the morning?” she gasped.

Skulduggery hesitated. “In the next day,” he said.

“What?”

“You’ve been unconscious for twenty six hours,” China said kindly. “Your parents must be worried sick.”

After Stephanie had freaked out, they brought her a phone and stepped out of the room. Stephanie dialled her mother’s mobile and held her breath until the call was picked up.

“Steph?” came her mother’s frantic voice.

“Hi Mum,” she said nervously.

“Oh baby! Where are you? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Mum, I’m grand.”

“Where are you?” Then, louder; “Desmond! She’s OK!” Then, a little less loud; “Where are you?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t call.”

“What happened to you? We thought something terrible had happened! The police are organising searches and everything!”

Stephanie groaned to herself. “No, Mum, no need to search for me, I’m fine.”

“Then what happened?”

She heard her father’s voice, demanding to know what’s going on, and she heard a short tussle for the phone. Her mother’s voice came back to her. “What happened?”

Stephanie swallowed. “I fell asleep.”

“You what?”

“I just fell asleep.”

“Where are you? Where were you? We called all your friends.”

That must have been a quick thirty seconds, Stephanie thought to herself, then, hoping they hadn’t checked there;

“I was at Gordon’s house.”

“What were you doing?”

“I just thought I’d look around a little more. I fell asleep on the sofa. I’m really sorry.”

There was silence from the other end of the phone.

“Mum?”

“And why didn’t you call when you woke up?” Her mother’s voice was flat now, devoid of emotion. Stephanie closed her eyes. This was her mother really, really mad.

“I’m calling now.”

“It’s half one, Stephanie.”

“I’m sorry. I must have been really tired.”

“Well. Stay where you are, Desmond will be over to pick you up.”

“No, I’m not at Gordon’s any more, I’m in town. But it’s OK, I can get home—”

“You will stay where you are,” her mother repeated, “and your father will be over to pick you up. I’d do it myself, but I’m going to be far too busy calling our family and friends, telling them that you’re not dead. Oh, and I’ll probably tell the police not to bother searching for your body in a ditch somewhere. I’m sure they’d appreciate that.”

“OK,” Stephanie said meekly.