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truth.’ His gaze flickered towards Gecko
with a silent apology: he knew that Gecko’s father had died from tuberculosis – a disease that could have been cured if the drugs had been available.
    ‘Welcome to capitalism,’ Gillian said, shaking her head. ‘It may not be an ideal system, but it’s the best we’ve got.’ She took a deep breath.
‘We’re not going to agree on this, are we?’
    Calum shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. I still love you though.’
    ‘And I love you too. Now give me a hug before I leave.’
    She moved towards him, and he slipped his free arm round her. ‘It’s good to see you again. And thanks for the leg braces. I promise I’ll give them a go.’
    ‘See that you do. I’ll be angry if you don’t, and you know what that means.’
    ‘No Ferrari?’
    ‘That’s right – no Ferrari.’
    Professor Livingstone waved at Gecko, gave Natalie a quick peck on the cheek and walked out.
    Natalie huffed. ‘She doesn’t let me talk to her like that,’ she said.
    ‘But you do anyway,’ Calum pointed out.
    Gecko snorted. ‘Not with the same razor-edged logic and the same bright, shining moralistic position.’ He moved across and punched Calum gently on the shoulder. ‘That was well
said.’
    Natalie looked at them both. ‘You guys really think my mom would do that? I mean, keep a medical treatment under wraps so that a company she was involved in could make more money than they
already have?’
    ‘Where do you think the money for those shoes comes from?’ Gecko asked gently.
    He was saved from Natalie’s scathing response by the doorbell.
    Before Gecko could move to the computer keyboard to activate the door lock, the door pushed open.
    ‘Sorry – it was unlocked,’ a voice said. ‘Can I come in?’
    It was Tara. Gecko felt his face suddenly flush, and he quickly brushed a hand over his clothes, aware that they were dirty from the free-running he’d done earlier. Using Calum’s
shower was one thing, but he really ought to keep a few spare sets of clothes here as well. He smiled to himself. Calum was right – it was almost as if he was moving in!
    ‘Hi, Tara,’ Calum called. ‘You can always come in here – you know that.’
    ‘Best to check,’ she said, entering. ‘Oh, hi, Gecko. Hi, Natalie – I saw your mum outside.’ She frowned. ‘I’m not sure she saw me though.’
    ‘She gets like that,’ Natalie pointed out. ‘Very driven.’ She glanced at Calum. ‘Aren’t you getting tired, hanging around there? Can’t we, like, all go
and chill out on the sofa or something?’
    ‘That’s a good idea,’ Gecko said, before Calum could protest that, no, he was fine where he was, thank you very much. He knew how stubborn the boy could be.
    ‘Ooh, what’s this?’ Tara said, gazing into the opened crate.
    ‘I’ll tell you later,’ Calum promised.
    ‘OK.’ Tara sat down, brandishing her tablet in the air. ‘But I’ve got something for you! There’s a hidden website out there on the shadow internet, and I think
they’ve got a photograph of a cryptid on it! It’s one of the things you specifically asked me to look for.’
    Calum swung himself over and almost fell into the sofa. ‘Let me see!’
    Tara powered up her tablet, touched the screen a few times and then passed it across to Calum. Natalie sat down beside him and leaned in to look. Gecko moved round to the back of the sofa and
gazed over Calum’s shoulder.
    ‘I hate to tell you this,’ Gecko said, looking at the photo of the man holding the turtle, ‘but that’s a Bostami turtle. It’s a very rare soft-shelled turtle
– there are only supposed to be a hundred and fifty or so of them left, and they all live in a pond of the Tripureswari Temple in Gomati district of Tripura, which is in India. This man
certainly shouldn’t be offering one for sale, and he ought to be reported, but it’s not exactly a cryptid.’
    ‘I’m not talking about the turtle,’ Tara said, exasperated,