Fleet closed his eyes again. He knew what was coming now, and he knew there was no escaping it, but it was the only thing he could do to hold it off.

The DC kept speaking.

‘They found a body. And they think … that is, they say … They say it’s her, sir. They say it’s Nicky.’

Ben – May 1997

(Five days before his death)

Ben saw Callum talking to Lance up ahead. Before they could spot him approaching, he turned on his heels, heading back the way he’d just come. He knew he would probably be late for class, but he preferred the idea of being humiliated by Mr Cavanagh again to being cornered by Callum and Lance. They would want to know where he’d been, why he’d been avoiding them for the past two days. And then Ben would have to lie, and Callum, he knew, would see through him in an instant.

He turned the corner, relieved to have escaped unnoticed – and came face-to-face with Melissa.

‘Ben. There you are. We’ve been looking for you all over.’

Ben tried to keep the anxiety from his face. ‘You have?’ He glanced behind him, half expecting to see Callum and Lance closing in on him from the rear. Did Melissa know they were right around the corner? ‘Sorry, I … I’ve been catching up on work and stuff.’ He laughed nervously. ‘I just realised it’s only four weeks till the exams.’

Melissa smiled. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t worry about the exams.’ She lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘I mean, who knows? Maybe none of us will end up having to sit them.’ She smiled again, conspiratorially this time.

Ben did his best to smile back.

‘Listen, Ben.’ Melissa placed a hand on Ben’s arm, and guided him towards the side of the corridor. They ended up tucking into a stone alcove around one of the windows, slightly removed from the steady stream of pupils. ‘Are you OK? We’ve been worried about you. That is … I have.’

Melissa allowed her hand to trail down Ben’s arm, until her fingertips were resting lightly below his elbow.

‘I’m fine,’ said Ben. ‘Really. I was just … I’m late for class, that’s all. It’s Cavanagh again, and he hates me enough as it is.’

Melissa appeared to be studying him intently. ‘You’re not … I don’t know. Having second thoughts or anything. Are you?’

‘No!’ Ben replied, a bit too quickly. ‘What makes you say that?’

Melissa shrugged coyly, but her eyes never left Ben’s. For the first time, he noticed a dark patch on her skin at the point her jaw met her earlobe. In the light from the window, Ben could see she’d tried to cover it with make-up, but either she’d missed a patch, or the bruise was deep enough that it continued to show through.