Claudia felt tears prick her eyes as she stared at the drawing. Against the light from the window, she could see each pen stroke. She brought the paper closer. Not all the hearts surrounding her name were completely pink. One heart had lines inside that were the same shade of purple as the pen used to write Claudia’s name. Amelia had made a mistake and tried to cover it up. Claudia could make out three dark lines that formed a letter.

Glancing again at the pendant drawn in grey, Claudia made the link she hoped no one else would, not even Amelia. There was a reason the child had been misspelling Claudia with a K. It was the block initial hanging from the silver chain around the neck of her rescuer. Karin Gallagher still wore it. That might be a problem.

30

‘Thanks for coming over so quickly,’ Karin said after offering Claudia a seat. ‘I know you must be busy.’

‘It’s no trouble,’ Claudia replied, even though she had been the one to suggest a visit. She had phoned that morning with Amelia’s drawing still clasped in her hand. ‘You sounded upset and I didn’t want to let you down.’

‘You’ve been so kind. There’s only a few people left I can trust,’ Karin said, perching on the edge of a battered leather sofa. Her open-plan apartment was small, and it looked as though the dated furniture was included in the rent and had suffered one too many occupants.

‘I’m shocked you and Beth have been ambushed again. Are the press looking for another angle on Declan?’

‘I wouldn’t be surprised. It was Leanne Pitman, the one who wrote about you and Amelia.’

Claudia knew it would be. It was one of the reasons she had come over so quickly. ‘What did she say exactly?’ By which she meant, what had passed between them, word for word.

‘Beth spoke to her while I was in the car. All she’s told me is that Leanne has tracked down the woman who was sitting next to us at the theatre.’

Claudia wiped a clammy hand against her trousers. Not only had the reporter worked out that she wasn’t in her allocated seat, she knew who had taken her place. Shit.

Swallowing down a wave of panic, Claudia reminded herself that all of the evidence against her was circumstantial. Leanne couldn’t prove that Claudia hadn’t gone to the theatre, she had been there, and any link to Declan remained tenuous. And as for saving Amelia, there was nothing to disprove her claim except a mishmash of unreliable memories and the pendant hanging around Karin’s throat. Claudia wanted nothing more than to yank it from her neck and run, but she forced a smile and nodded at Declan’s sister as if only mildly interested.

‘Does Beth know why Leanne’s still working on the story?’