Sensing a reticence to share whatever else was bothering her, Leanne said, ‘If I do write another article, I don’t see why I’d need to revisit what I’ve already written about you.’

‘What about Amelia?’

Leanne’s pulse quickened. ‘Why do you ask? Did you see her?’

Carole nodded. ‘It was when the alarm went off. She was waiting for her mum and it crossed my mind that I should make sure she was OK, but it looked like everyone filing past was doing the same. Later on, as I was leaving the auditorium, I looked across to where I’d last seen her. There were bits of masonry all over the place, and I remember thinking …’ She pursed her lips. Took a breath. ‘I remember having this terrible fear that she must be underneath it, but it was too much to bear. I was already wailing like a banshee by then and convinced myself she had to have got out. I wasn’t brave enough to go back for her, but I’m glad someone did. She had a guardian angel that night.’

‘Yes, she did,’ said Leanne, grateful that Carole hadn’t mentioned the angel by name. Leanne had been instrumental in placing Claudia on that particular pedestal and, when the time was right, she would take great pleasure in knocking her off it. She was already taking aim.

The Empress Theatre

Sedgefield, Cheshire

Lena was lying flat on her stomach and couldn’t remember how she had got there. Her cheek was pressed against a carpet of grit and it took long seconds for her to realise she was in the theatre. Rising unsteadily to her feet, she was surprised to find she was unhurt except for the painful throb in her knees, which had taken the brunt of her fall. The air was thick with dust that tasted strongly of smoke and she knew she had to get out, but couldn’t work out which way was which. Her eyes stung, making her limited vision blurry, but she was aware of a glow the colour of amber that grew in intensity as she lifted her gaze.

Horror struck her as she realised the fire was above her head and she cried out. ‘Peter! Where are you?’

Using the position of seats that hadn’t been ripped from their fixings, she found her bearings. The main exit was somewhere behind her. That was where the screams were coming from.