‘When my eyes adjusted to the light, I spotted Lois at the same time she saw me. I couldn’t breathe and I could see that she was struggling too.’ Joe’s breathing had become laboured as he relived the horror. ‘I wanted to reach her, but I couldn’t. We just held each other’s gaze, and I could see her lips turning blue. There was no air, and it felt like I was falling into a black hole.’ His voice faded. ‘I didn’t want to leave her.’

‘You know exactly how Lois felt.’ It wasn’t an accusation.

‘I can imagine, yes,’ Joe replied as he turned the car into the marina. ‘I often do.’

‘Me too.’

‘I tried, Leanne, I really did. I passed out at some point and only stayed upright because we were packed in so tight. When I came round, she’d disappeared.’

Leanne wiped a hand across her dry cheek. She hadn’t allowed herself to cry since Lois’s funeral. She couldn’t until she faced what she had done. ‘It might have been different if I’d been there.’

‘You can’t—’

‘No, let me finish.’ If Leanne didn’t do this now, she never would. Her chest heaved and she could feel her fingers tingling. ‘The last time I spoke to Lois, I lied to her,’ she said quickly. Joe had pulled up in front of the security gates and Leanne took hold of the door handle, ready to leap out. ‘I didn’t want to go to some ballet put on by a bunch of school kids, so I made sure I had to work late.’

‘She knew,’ Joe said, ‘and she understood.’

Leanne couldn’t agree. Lois had been angry.

‘I don’t believe this, Lea! We’re supposed to be leaving in an hour,’ she had shouted down the phone. ‘I knew you were going to bail on me. It’s all right for you, you’ve had the grand tour of the theatre, I haven’t.’

‘I’ve only just found out,’ Leanne had insisted.

‘I thought you hated liars,’ Lois had replied. ‘Never thought you’d be one.’

‘You can still go with Joe,’ Leanne had said, dodging the accusation. ‘He’ll have to get used to your bad taste in culture at some point, it might as well be now.’

‘Yeah, I can still go with Joe, but I wanted to go with you. I wanted you to know that even though I’m moving out, it won’t stop us doing things together.’

Leanne could remember rolling her eyes. ‘It’s one crappy ballet production I’m missing. It’s not the end of the world.’