‘You can’t go in, I’m afraid.’ She dropped her voice reverentially, as if we were in church.

‘I’ve got an urgent message for Melissa. Family problem, you know.’ I lowered my voice too. ‘Terminal.’

Appalled, the girl let me through.

It was dark in the spin studio, the heat hitting me like a wave, music pulsating through the layers of sweat. It was dark, but Melissa saw me as soon as I walked into the back of the room, cycling for her life at the front.

Her face: a picture.

Shock. Horror? Fear?

All of the above.

Quickly, she motioned to a sweaty babe on the first row, who bounced up to Melissa’s bike to count loudly over the techno beat.

I went out to the corridor, my own heart thumping in time to the music.

‘Ruby.’ A sheen of sweat gleamed over Melissa’s curving biceps, her long neck, her pulled-back hair. She was wearing black Lycra, odd racing shades hiding her eyes.

We stood facing one another, gladiatorial almost.

‘Hi.’ I sought to strike the right note. What was the right note though? ‘You’ve avoided all my calls.’

‘I’m surprised to see you here, to be honest, hon.’

‘I’m – I’m scared, Melissa.’ I didn’t have the energy for anything but honesty. ‘I don’t understand what’s going on.’

‘You and me both, babe.’

It was as if I didn’t know her.

The beat bounced off the walls, the air throbbing and thick with sweat and deodorant.

I gazed at her. She was stiff – suddenly like a stranger. ‘Zach says it’s all rubbish. That he – you know’ – the words caught in my craw: I couldn’t bear to say it – ‘didn’t do anything.’

‘Yes,’ she agreed.

‘Yes?’ I felt a rush of relief so overwhelming, I nearly staggered. ‘You mean – yes, it’s rubbish?’

‘I think so.’ Melissa took a long pull from the water bottle she’d brought out with her. ‘As far as I’ve understood.’

‘So – Cecilia’s not making a – she’s not going to make a complaint?’

She shrugged. ‘Don’t think so.’

‘What do you mean – don’t think so?’ The shrug sliced through me.

‘What I said.’

‘But surely you can see—’ I wished she’d take those stupid glasses off so I could actually see her eyes. ‘I mean, Zach’s in a right state, Mel.’

‘Yeah, well. I can imagine.’

Please don’t shrug again, I prayed.

‘He – I mean, they’ve threatened us with the social and – you know. Actual prosecution, if Cecilia makes an allegation. I just need to know, for his sake.’

‘What about Ceci’s sake?’ Melissa cut across me, blank and blunt.

‘Well of course, but if she—’

‘OK, look, sorry, Ruby,’ she relented. ‘Ceci told the police it was mutual.’

‘Mutual?’ Oh God the relief. ‘Like – reciprocal?’

‘If you like. And other than that, she hasn’t said much. I could have done without Nella’s little visit though.’

‘You’ve spoken to Nella?’ I frowned. ‘When?’

‘She turned up on my doorstep yesterday morning.’