Joanne liked watching me work hard. Liked knowing that what she had was worth all that. She pretended to think, running her tongue around her teeth, which did nothing for her looks. ‘OK,’ she said. ‘Chris liked girls to like him. You know what I mean? Like, he was always trying to get every girl in the room to be all over him. And all of a sudden, like overnight, he’s totally ignoring everyone except Selena Wynne. Who, I mean, I don’t want to be a B or anything but I’m just being honest because that’s who I am: she isn’t exactly anything special? She acts like she is, but I’m sorry, most people really aren’t into . . . you know.’ Joanne gave me a meaningful little smirk and mimed large with both hands. ‘I mean, hello? I thought maybe it was one of those stupid movie things where it’s all a bet to embarrass someone, because if it wasn’t, I could’ve literally cringed to death for Chris.’

‘That doesn’t say they were going out, though. Maybe he was into her, but she wasn’t having any of it.’

‘Um, I don’t think so? She’d have been, like, insanely lucky to get him. And anyway, Chris wasn’t the type to waste his time if he wasn’t getting anywhere. If you know what I mean.’

‘Why would they keep it a secret?’

‘Probably he didn’t want people knowing he was with that. I wouldn’t blame him.’

I said, ‘Is that why you don’t get on with Selena’s lot? Because she and Chris got together?’

Wrong move. That flare in Joanne’s eyes again, cold enough and violent enough that I nearly leaned back. ‘Um, excuse me? I didn’t exactly care if Chris Harper was into hippos. I thought it was hilarious, but apart from that, so not my problem.’

I did a string of fast humble nods: got it, been put in my place, won’t be a bold boy again. ‘Right. That makes sense. Then why do you not get on with them?’

‘Because there isn’t a law that we have to get on with everybody. Because I’m actually choosy about who I hang out with, and hippos and weirdos? Yeah, um, no thanks?’

Just some little bitch, exact same as the little bitches in my school, in every school. Ten a penny, cheap at half the price, cheap anywhere in this world. No reason why this should be the one that made me sick. ‘Got it,’ I said, grinning away like a lunatic.

Conway said, ‘You got a boyfriend?’

Joanne took her time. A beat – Did I hear something? – then a slow sweep of her head to Conway.

Conway smiled. Not nicely.

‘Excuse me, that’s my private life?’

Conway said, ‘I thought you were all about helping the investigation.’