‘How do you know that? My Mola even questions whether this is real.’ She waves her hand around, and taps the wooden fence with her fist, and looks out to sea. ‘Everything. It all could be a dream. An illusion. It is like Mr McKinley was saying. Exploring these things could be … dangerous, I suppose. They can mess with your head. Think about it. I mean really think about it, Malky.’

The way she says really suggests that I don’t ever think about things properly, and I don’t like it.

We sit in silence for a moment and when the church clock chimes up on Front Street she says, ‘Lunchtime, methinks!’

I mean, really. Who says methinks?

We walk without saying anything until we’re at the top of the beach path joining Front Street that runs through Tynemouth village. On the corner at the top of the path is a newish building, which is Becker & Sons, the funeral directors. It’s painted white and blue, with big display windows, and I think they try to make it look friendly and modern, but they have things like gravestones in the windows and those little statues of angels that go on top of graves, so I still get creeped out by it.

Just as Susan and I get there, Kez Becker comes out of a side door. She lives with her mum and dad and older brothers in the flat above the shop. I keep my head down, but I’ve never been good at blending in.

‘Oi, oi, Blondie Bell!’ she says, like she’s trying out a new nickname. She swaggers towards us, hands deep in her pockets.

I force a smile and murmur, ‘Oh no, here we go.’

Chapter 36

‘Hello, Kezia. How are you?’ Susan says, sounding like an adult again.

Kez looks right through her as if she isn’t there and then says to me, ‘I see you’re developing a better class of friends, Bell.’ She pronounces ‘class’ with a long ‘a’ – clahss – like Susan does. It’s a deliberate dig. I answer this with a shrug.

Susan blinks with surprise at this unprovoked attack. Kez has spotted Susan’s discomfort like a lioness spots a nervous gazelle.

‘Y’know, Kez, I’m in a hurry so …’ I say, and start to move off. Kez steps casually in front of us, blocking our path, but making it look natural.

‘Oh, I say! Are you indeed! Are you going to a luncheon pah-teh!’

I don’t know why I do the next thing: a thing that changes everything. Well, actually I do: self-preservation.

I laugh.