‘Yeah, at the party. I saw her.’

‘OK.’ My mind was scrambling. Didn’t sound like a Ruby thing to do. ‘Cos the thing is, we know you’ve been bullying Cecilia.’ I went out on a dishonest limb. ‘I’ve seen her phone.’

‘Oh?’ Willow looked cagey suddenly, and I thought, I’ve hit something on the head here – I’m just not sure what.

‘Yes, I’ve seen it,’ I lied. ‘So? Why have you made it up?’

‘I didn’t.’ She pulled on the cuff of her new school jumper. It was already frayed, I noticed. ‘I’m not a liar.’

‘I think you did, Willow. Make it up.’

‘Yeah?’ She folded her arms across her chest. ‘Why would I?’

‘You tell me. Listen.’ And I stepped closer to her, so she was up against the wall. ‘I don’t know if it’s sunk in, but there’s a very good chance Zach might end up actually doing time for this. As in, being locked up.’

‘But—’ For a moment, I saw her uncertainty. ‘That’s not true. He’s a juvenile. I know that.’

How though, I wondered. Had she done her research?

‘It is true. If he’s convicted of sexual assault, he will go to a young offenders institute, and he’ll have a criminal record for life.’

‘Then you need to talk to your stepdaughter.’ She was still defiant – but her voice was definitely tremulous now.

‘I have. First, she said he’d done nothing, and then she went to school and saw you again, and she changed her story. I’m not sure why, but I do know Mary Peterson says you’ve got it in for Ceci.’

‘Mary who?’

‘The vicar’s daughter? She says you’ve been picking on Cecilia since you started.’

‘The vicar’s— That stupid ugly swot?’ she sneered. ‘And you believe her?’

‘Yeah, that stupid swot. So what happened, Willow? What did they do to you? And tell me this’ – I could hear voices now, getting nearer – ‘if you don’t like Zach and thought he was – dangerous…’ The idea of Zach being dangerous was farcical to me; I thought about him playing Battleships and gin rummy with us on holiday in Woolacombe last year; gooning around on the beach and by that pool in the woods; showing Ceci cat memes that made him cry with laughter. I leant right in. ‘How come you ended up in bed with him yourself? After you supposedly saw him “grope” Ces?’

‘I didn’t,’ she said quickly.

‘But I know you did.’

‘He got in bed with me.’ Quicker than an arrow, her chin went up into the air.

‘Really?’ I was feeling exasperated now. ‘So he attacked you too? Zach, who wouldn’t say boo to a goose? I must be a very poor judge of character.’

‘Willow!’ The bedroom door burst open and Nella was there. ‘Melissa? What the hell are you doing in my room? Willow, go and get ready for school.’

‘I am ready.’ The girl was brave again now. ‘And this is getting interesting.’