Page 63 of A Murder is Going Down

Patrick tries to wriggle out of the visit – ‘Everyone knows verbal contracts don’t count’ – but it’s a half-hearted attempt and he stops entirely when I threaten, again, to go by myself. It’s a relief.

I don’t tell Patrick that Lilia’s coming too until she knocks at our door.

‘Lilia,’ Patrick says with his mouth full of the marmalade toast he’s holding in one hand.

‘Patrick,’ she says, matching his tone.

He turns to me, sitting on the couch. ‘Do I invite her in?’

‘She’s not a vampire, Patrick,’ I say. ‘At least not literally. And she’s coming with us.’

‘Isshe?’ Patrick looks at me in a way I can’t unpack, but I’m enjoying being the one with secrets, so I don’t give him anything.

Lilia and I have messaged a couple of times since my weak moment. Without Patrick to talk to, it’s been nice to have someone to bounce things off, even if that someone is my backstabbing former bestie. (Also, she didn’t even suggest inviting Ben when I told her she could come, so that’s something.)

Jade and Haruto live in the city, which is an easy bus ride from Mount Lawley. I don’t think anyone misses Ben or his mum’s car.

The first sign that Patrick has retained any interest in the investigationhestarted comes when we get off the bus.‘So, Mabel Mora, what are you going to ask them?’ he asks me as we walk.

The name takes me a sec. ‘Only Murders in the Building?’

‘Uh huh.’

‘I like that show.’

‘I knew you would.’

‘Me too,’ Lilia says and instead of ignoring her, like I would have days ago, I give her the tiniest and coldest of smiles. A little shard of a smile that could be taken to meanyes, it’s a great show we could watch together one day perhapsor just as easilyI’d like to murderyouin a building, actually.

‘So?’ Patrick says.

‘I’m going to ask them what happened that night,’ I say.

‘Just like that?’

‘We’ve done this before,’ I remind him. ‘I’m a pro.’ I pull my best Haunted By My Brother’s Death face.

‘And they know we’re coming?’

‘Of course.’

‘Why are they even home on a weekday? Shouldn’t they be at work?’

‘It’s school holidays for Haruto. I don’t know, they said they could be home today, so here we are.’

‘With Lilia.’ Patrick widens his eyes at me, wanting a reaction, but I only smile. That will piss him off.

We’re passing a corner shop when Lilia stops. ‘We should get biscuits,’ she says.

‘What?’

‘If we turn up with biscuits, they’ll feel compelled to feed them to us and we’ll get to stay at least as long as it takes for us to eat them,’ she says. This is Psychological Warfare 101. ‘Stay here, I’ll run in.’

‘Who got youSun Tzu for Dummies?’ Patrick calls after Lilia as she disappears into the shop. ‘It’s not a bad idea,’ Patrick says to me, ‘but I’m prepared to hate it, if that would help you.’

‘It’s fine.’

‘You and Lilia seem friendlier?’ His voice doesn’t go up at the end, but I still think it’s a question.