‘But that’s what all the really cool people think, isn’t it? Really cool people don’t care about that sort of thing.’ Carolyn’s expression faltered a little, and she looked older, suddenly, sadder. ‘I remember once sitting next to you in the library in a free period. I was struggling to finish an essay for English Lit, and you were reading a copy of Vogue. I think you might have been the first person I ever met who read it.’

‘Oh, God – that makes me sound kind of awful.’

‘You and Laura McCallister were big friends, weren’t you? And you went out for a bit with Mark Atkinson.’

‘But he dumped me for – for—’

‘Marianne Bentley,’ said Carolyn.

‘Oh yes, Good Lord.’ Nell hadn’t thought about Mark in years.

‘Anyway, you were all so – the rest of us were just trying to keep up.’

‘Like how?’ asked Maude, leaning forward.

‘Oh I don’t know,’ Carolyn faltered, then brightened. ‘The Edinburgh trip. Do you remember that?’

‘Not really.’

‘It was – what, two nights – a whole bunch of sixth formers being let loose on galleries and the theatre and what have you.’

‘Rock and roll, Nell,’ Maude said.

‘Hey, mind your manners, you.’

‘Only someone suggested we didn’t have to stick with everyone else. And a few of us sneaked away from this dreadful guided tour, I think it was in the Scottish National Gallery? Anyway, we all bunked off.’

‘Where did you go?’ asked Evie.

‘I’m not . . .’ Nell smiled apologetically. ‘I can’t really remember. I think Laura got it into her head . . .’ Something about buying some dope, probably, she glanced at Maude.

‘What?’ Maude’s tone was gleeful.

‘We were going through a goth phase, me and Laura – well, quite a lot of us, actually.’

Some of the details came back to her: the dark gallery and the blazing hot sunshine in the street, the directions they’d got hold of. It hadn’t been Nell’s idea, though; she was sure of that.

‘Yes?’ Oliver said. ‘Is this something I should know about?’

‘What was it called?’ Nell asked.

‘Oh God, I don’t know,’ said Carolyn.

‘The – something, something – Magick Emporium?’

‘Magick with a k.’

‘Sorry?’ said Evie.

‘It sold occult stuff,’ said Carolyn. ‘You know, bundles of herbs, joss sticks, crystals, black candles and chalices.’

‘Like Gina’s shop,’ said Maude.

‘Not exactly,’ said Carolyn. ‘These people – they took it seriously, I’m sure they did.’

Maude looked impressed. ‘Did you buy anything?’

‘No. We all lost our collective nerve pretty quickly,’ said Carolyn. ‘We tried to play it cool, then staggered back out into the daylight, more or less straight into one of the teachers.’

‘Mrs Parker,’ said Nell.

‘She was livid,’ said Carolyn.

‘Yeah.’ She remembered this part.