54. Now

The policeman comes back in with coffee for me and sets it down. I take a sip. It's too hot.

‘Please go on,' he says.

I squeeze my eyes shut and let the story flow out of me.

Mother rushes out, checking side to side. We're still alone. I'm by the fountain. Mina and Lydia are still sitting dutifully in the car. We've been here for ages. The boarders must've finished their dinner by now and gone back to their halls. The canteen staff will be leaving soon.

‘Okay, I've done it,' she says.

‘Done what?' I ask.

She rubs her hands down the front of her trousers. She scowls at me. ‘I called Eakin – the police. He's on his way. And an ambulance.'

‘Is she…?' asks Tris.

Mother's face loses all expression, like when things are very bad at home. ‘I believe so.'

I gasp and Tris presses a fist to his lips, which have gone completely white. ‘It was self-defence,' says Tris, his words catching.

Mother strokes his hair, too hard.

‘She's been flirting with me all term – hasn't she, Frankie?'

I stare at him.

‘Did you or your friends ever see any of this?' Mother says, watching me.

I shake my head.

‘Are you sure?' she says, holding my gaze.

‘There was that time,' says Tris, ‘after we gave her that necklace, and she held me back, to thank me personally.'

I don't remember this.

‘You saw, didn't you? Or was it just Mina and Lydia? She tried to kiss me. Then there was the time she followed me into the store cupboard. She… she tried to touch me. You told everyone.'

We told everyone. It wasn't true. But now… Is it true now?

Tristan's eyes go wide again. ‘How long will they take to get here?'

‘Eakin said twenty-five minutes.' Mother checks her watch. ‘That was five minutes ago.'

‘Oh God,' says Tris, and he almost falls back into the fountain but I catch him.

‘Don't worry, darling boy,' says Mother, hugging him, pressing his face into her chest. ‘You're just a child. She attacked you. It was self-defence.'

He nods. ‘I know. It's just…' He looks up at her and he looks so young I can barely believe it. He looks over at me.

‘I'm sorry,' he says, to me, to Mother. He shakes his head. ‘I forgot about the tape.'

‘What tape?'

‘We were filming the session.'

‘But that's good – that's great,' I say. ‘It's evidence.'

‘But it…' He starts crying. ‘Oh God,' he says.

My mother closes her eyes. ‘Frances, tell your friends to walk back to our house – the back way. You're going to get the tape and go out the back of the school and destroy it the moment you get home. Has anyone seen you here tonight?'

I nod, thinking of the boarders. ‘But the tape is good for us,' I say.

‘No,' says Tris. ‘It doesn't look good.'

‘I thought you said?—'

‘It won't look like it really was. We… we were acting.'

Acting what?

Mother squeezes my shoulder. ‘You're going to get that tape, Frances. I have to be here when the police arrive. But you and your friends, you weren't here when I arrived. You got tired of waiting and left before I got here. You decided to walk.'

My mouth falls open. ‘I can't go in now. Someone will see me. The canteen staff.'

‘You have to try, Frances. We've got—' she checks her watch ‘—ten minutes, at most fifteen. Quick.' She pulls me off the edge of the fountain and I stumble forward.

I run over to the car. ‘Lydia, Mina, can you walk back to our house?'

‘What the hell is going on? What happened?' asks Lydia.

‘I don't have time to explain. Miss Smith attacked Tristan. The police are coming. My mother thinks it would be best for you to go back to ours now.'

Their mouths drop open at the same time.

‘I'll catch up with you.'

‘Miss Smith attacked your brother? Miss Smith?' says Lydia.

‘It's like an hour's walk,' says Mina. ‘Why do we have to go? And why can't you come with us now?'

My mind races. ‘Look, I think my mum thinks it'll be too complicated with everyone here when the police come. But I have to go get something from Tristan's locker.'

Mina and Lydia look at each other.

‘Miss Smith attacked Tristan?' says Lydia.

I nod.

‘Right, okay,' says Mina, scooting over. I stand back so she can climb out of the car.

Lydia stays where she is. ‘But why do we have to leave before they get here?'

I shake my head. ‘It's easier if you weren't here. They're going to have so many questions and it's just easier if we deal with it and you don't have to get involved.'

‘I don't under?—'

‘I don't have time to explain, please, just go.'

Lydia frowns.

‘Come on, Spanish,' says Mina. ‘Princess and Don are our best friends.'

Lydia shrugs, confused, but she climbs out. I want to tell them to try not to be seen, but I can see from the look in Mina's eye that she gets it. We give each other grim smiles before Mina and Lydia jog off. We feel important.

‘Quick,' hisses my mother, and I run towards the school. At the doors I look back, and for a moment, Tristan's gaze and mine connect, and I see the truth, and then I blink and it's gone.

The hall is empty, but I can hear voices far off, chairs being stacked – the cooks cleaning the canteen. Footsteps. I hide in a doorway as someone walks across the top of the stairs. I wait till they're gone and then run up and along the corridor. I hook round the corner. Miss Smith's classroom is at the end, on the right.

I'm sure I catch sight of someone disappearing down the back stairs, someone tall and slim, and I hide in another doorway, my skin tingling. Then I step out and walk up to Miss Smith's classroom.

I remember putting my hand on the shiny brass of the fingerplate, just below the window, taking a deep breath, and then nothing.