‘If you’re after something newsworthy, you could always write about the hardship fund,’ Claudia suggested. ‘We’ve been inundated with applications and should be making our first payments soon. I’ll send you the press release when it’s ready, but until then, I have nothing to add.’

The dismissal had no effect. Leanne held her position. If Claudia wanted to pretend that Leanne hadn’t called her out about being Amelia’s hero, she could play that game too. ‘Amelia’s quite upset that you haven’t returned her calls.’

With her arms remaining across her body, Claudia squeezed her shoulders together. She was shivering, which would have made her appear vulnerable in someone else’s eyes. ‘I haven’t received any calls from Amelia, or her mum.’

‘Could there be a fault on your line?’ asked Leanne mischievously. ‘You haven’t answered my calls either.’

‘I’m sorry, that was deliberate,’ Claudia said. ‘The last few months have been overwhelming and I’ve needed to take a step back.’

‘That’s all right. I thought it might have been something I said.’

‘Look, Leanne. I can assure you I haven’t been avoiding calls from Amelia. I can only presume her mother wrote down the wrong number. We were all a bit emotional at the time.’

‘I can double-check with Kathryn.’ It wasn’t meant to sound like a threat. Or maybe it was.

‘Please, I never intended to upset anyone,’ Claudia tried. Met with only a blank stare, she crept closer and lowered her voice. ‘Off the record, I’ve had some health issues since losing the baby. I’m trying to get back on my feet again, but it isn’t easy.’

The confession made Leanne feel awkward, but she had no sympathy for the woman who was standing next to her Mercedes in top of the range gym gear, begging Leanne to see her as a victim. Her loss didn’t cancel out the lies she had told, or the glory she had stolen from someone less fortunate. Did that make Leanne a heartless bully? Or was that simply how Claudia wanted her to feel?

Leanne opened the envelope she had taken from the car and took out a sheet of paper. ‘Amelia asked me to give you this.’

‘That’s so sweet, thank you,’ said Claudia, reaching to take the drawing. Leanne held on to it.

‘I think she’s remembered a few more details. She keeps drawing you with a necklace.’

Claudia’s smile was fixed as she looked more closely at the sketch. ‘So I see.’

‘What was the pendant like?’

With a firm tug, Claudia took the sheet of paper. ‘It was over a year ago. I’m sorry, I don’t have a clue. What did Amelia say?’

‘She was almost as vague as you.’