‘It had crossed my mind,’ she admits. ‘But they can’t investigate every man associated with the school. How many girls are there? Two thousand? How many dads, stepdads, boyfriends could that add up to? I don’t think they have the resources.’

Mum has never held anything back about Dad’s past, or hers either, at least as far as I know. I know she was a wild-child in the nineties, first a grunge groupie in her teens, then a raver at university. I know about her fighting with her family and the fallout over Dad.

I know Dad was more enthusiastic about drugs than her, and that his enthusiasm led to two charges of possession. Mum has always said that as soon as she got pregnant Dad cleaned his act up, but I don’t remember what it was like when I was a toddler. I’m not sure if it was that simple. But being into drugs when you were young has nothing to do with abducting teenage girls.

‘Are you glad you went tonight?’ I ask.

‘Those parents were intense.’

I laugh. ‘I know! I was terrified!’

‘I guess they pay through their nose for the fees so they think they have the right. They expect so much.’ She puts her indicator on. ‘Are you sure you’re good for tomorrow night?’

Mum had to change shifts so she could come tonight; she wouldn’t normally work Friday nights.

‘It’s fine.’

‘I can ask Pearl again.’

‘Not two nights in a row,’ I say. ‘Me and Sam will have bonding time, it’ll be good.’

‘You should be out with your friends,’ she murmurs, taking the exit ramp. We’re almost home. ‘Who was that nice-looking girl you were talking to up the back? Is she a Balmoral buddy?’

I snort at her casual tone. I know she’s concerned that I haven’t adjusted to Balmoral as well as I might have. In all the thinking about whether to take up the scholarship offer, I didn’t think about whether I would fit in, or what it meant to trick your way into somewhere you don’t belong.

‘I can’t comment at this point in the investigation,’ I say.

DAY 13

Sam pokes his BBQ pork with disposable chopsticks.

‘I don’t think it should be this colour.’ The sauce has stained the mound of rice pink around the edges. ‘Chlo. Chlo. Look.’

‘You chose it, so eat it and don’t waste my money.’