Returning her attention to Carole’s recordings, Leanne was about to play the final clip, but the frozen image of the hands gave her pause. At first she had thought the woman was wearing a mustard-coloured skirt, but it was a beret resting on her lap. Leanne could almost hear the sizzle of synapses making connections inside her brain.

‘I’ve seen that hat before,’ she said, and after a quick internet search, she found the Facebook image she had looked up months ago. ‘Is this who you were sitting next to?’

Carole gasped. ‘You’ve found her. Who is she?’

‘Her name is Beth McCulloch.’

Beth had been wearing the same beret when Leanne had pounced on her in the car park. It made perfect sense, of course it did. Claudia had passed her unwanted tickets to her lover, who had passed them on to his sister and her partner. If nothing else, this proved the connection between Claudia and Declan.

Carole’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at the second woman in the photograph. ‘What happened to her girlfriend?’

‘She survived,’ Leanne assured her. ‘Remember what you told me about Declan Gallagher calling out to his sister? Well, that’s her.’

Carole bit her lip. ‘Is that why she didn’t follow us out? She heard him calling out to her?’

‘I think so,’ agreed Leanne. It felt good to have some of the unknowns revealed at last.

‘Oh, the poor thing. She nearly died, didn’t she? And then she had that awful business with the press vilifying her brother.’ Carole paused, a look of apology on her face. ‘Present company excepted.’

‘No, you’re right. We did demonise him, and it wasn’t deserved. I have to say I’m seeing everyone in a different light.’

‘Including me.’

Leanne wanted to reassure Carole that she was still a hero, but she let the comment slide. It was time to stop twisting the truth to suit the narrative. ‘I’m wondering now if Declan was shouting because he was trying to find Karin, or because he was trapped. Can you remember hearing a second crash, it would have blocked the remaining stairwell?’

‘With all the wailing I was doing, it was a wonder I heard Declan’s shouts.’

‘What about at the exit? Did you see Claudia Rothwell there? Beth told me she did, so you would have passed her too.’

‘I’m sorry. I was looking at the door, not the people around me. I just remember savouring that first gulp of fresh air, even if it did taste of smoke.’

Leanne put her hands on the arms of the chair, ready to stand up. ‘Well, I think that’s about all,’ she said. ‘Thank you so much, Carole. You’ve been a great help.’

‘That’s it?’

‘Unless there’s anything else you want to add?’

Carole played nervously with her hands. ‘Are you going to publish what I’ve told you?’