"Okay, so whenever you're ready." Diane Matthews finished talking into the device and waits for me to start.

I only hesitate for two seconds, considering just backing out and apologising for wasting her time.

But I don't.

"So we were in History," I say. "It was a cover lesson. Me and Eden Davis were talking. We sat next to each other, you see."

My words sound too stiff, robotic even. Mom is sat right next to me today, completely unaware of the poison about to spill from my lips.

"She started talking about how some people deserved to die, like Hitler. Then she asked me if there was anyone in my life I wanted dead. And I— And I told her that Josh would be mine because we'd just broken up and I was hurt and angry and wasn't seeing straight."

Diane nods, her calm eyes not showing any sign of emotion. I don't want to look at Mom.

"Then I asked her because I thought we were just talking. She said that she'd like Mr Granger to be dead and I was like, weird but okay. Then it got weird because she started talking about how she'd kill someone. So as a joke — a really stupid joke — I suggested pushing Josh off the bridge at Stockland Lakes? And then the rocks because it would be easier."

Mom lets out a gasp, like she can't believe that I'd do that.

My voice cracks. "And she said, or maybe I said, I can't remember, that poison in Mr Granger's coffee could kill him. And then I did something really stupid."

I stop to take a breath.

Diane nods, like she's telling me nothing will shock her or anything.

"I told her as a joke that I could kill Granger and she could kill Josh and that we'd get away with it. But I had no idea she would take it seriously, I promise. I didn't make her do it, I completely forgot about that conversation and—"

"Eve." Diane's voice cuts me off. "So why do you suspect Eden committed the crime?"

"She called me on Monday," I said. "On the landline? My stepdad answered and she was on the other end. She told me she was at Stockland Lakes and that she'd done it and that I had to kill Granger now. But I didn't, I haven't done anything. I thought she was joking and I hung up."

Another deep breath.

"So when Ravi texted me about Josh, I panicked. That's why we were at the park and why I was with Ravi."

"And why didn't you tell me this on Monday?"

"I was scared." The words come out before I can stop them. "But I'm telling you now."

"Is there any other reason why you believe it was Eden who killed Josh?"

"Is that not enough for you? She called me, told me that she'd done it the exact way she said that she would months ago!" My voice is rising, anger bubbling beneath my skin. "Josh is dead and she did it! She fucking—"

"Eve," Mom says, her voice warning me not to say another word that I'll end up regretting. "Calm down, love." She touches my arm lightly.

"And Jenny," I continue, shaking her hand off me. "Ask his sister Jenny. She said he went off with some girl. Show her a picture of Eden and ask her if that was the some girl."

"You go to the same school, how could she not recognise Eden?" Her tone still isn't rude, it's ridiculously monotone and emotionless.

"She's two years below us and there's, like, one thousand kids who go to our school. She can't be familiar with every single one of them."

Especially when Eden is a freaky loner who nobody knows. I'll admit, on Induction Day I breathed a sigh of relief when she was sent to the opposite side of the room. Because I was free to make friends with Inez and Cerys, Edie drifting to our group when the school year started. And that first year when my form didn't interact with her form at all, I tried to forget she existed.

She hadn't done anything particularly freaky at primary school. Just refused to have anything to do with any of the Year Six traditions. She'd always been on the edges of my primary crowd, the 'cool' crowd as we called ourselves. Not quite good enough at football or sports in general to be inducted properly. She didn't support Aston Villa, making Jace McCauley turn his nose up at her.

And Jace McCauley's word was law in our shitty playground. So we refused to let Eden into our 'gang' as the teachers called it. Eden with her charity shop clothes on non-uniform days and scuffed shoes that were too small for her and her slightly nerdy tendencies. I laughed with all the others and turned away when I saw her crushed expression. And I broke the unspoken vow of at least trying to keep those primary ties when we got to Dugray. I broke that vow I tried to forget she existed and succeeded until we were put in the same History class.

But she deserves this.

She deserves what's coming to her.

But aren't I just as bad?