The smile on Claudia’s face vanished. ‘What?’

‘You had been with him that evening, hadn’t you?’ Leanne asked. ‘How fortunate for you that he learnt about the fire in time for you to get back to the theatre before you were caught out. I take it your husband still doesn’t know about the affair?’

‘You’ve gone too far,’ Claudia hissed. ‘And if you dare publish anything that links my name to Declan Gallagher’s, I’ll take your paper for every penny it has. It won’t survive. Tell your editor that.’

‘How strange,’ Leanne said. It was her turn to sound amused. ‘I’ve just told you we’re going to expose your lies about Amelia, and you don’t react. I mention Declan on the other hand …’

‘You want a statement? Well here it is,’ Claudia began. As she unclenched her fist, a trickle of blood ran from the half-moon wounds in her palm. ‘I stand by what I’ve said previously. I was inside the theatre when the alarm sounded and, when I reached the exit, I realised there were people left inside who needed help. The emergency services were struggling. Not enough appliances had arrived because the local fire station had been closed down. I didn’t realise at the time that they were concentrating their efforts at the front of the theatre. Time was running out for some of those trapped, and that was why I turned back. After various conversations with Leanne Pitman, she convinced me that I was the one who pulled Amelia from the wreckage. It’s possible that I was mistaken and it was in fact another child. If that is the case, I implore whoever I did help to come forward so we can put this traumatic event behind us.’

‘Is that it?’

Claudia loosened her shoulders. Her damp hair felt sticky, but her pulse was slowing. ‘Unless you have any more questions.’

‘No.’ Leanne didn’t sound so sure of herself now. She didn’t have the scoop she thought she had.

‘Would you like me to repeat any of what I’ve just said?’ Claudia asked helpfully.

‘I have it all on tape.’

‘Of course you do.’

Claudia cut the call. There was no goodbye, no pleasantries, and no opportunity for Leanne to work out how deeply she had plunged the knife into Claudia’s back.

It had been a mistake to give Amelia’s mum the wrong mobile number. If Claudia had engaged with the girl more, she might have teased memories from her earlier. She could have moulded the recollection of the pendant into something that would support Claudia’s claim instead of disproving it, but recriminations were futile. Past mistakes couldn’t be undone, and if the worst that came out of this sorry mess was that Claudia had to acknowledge that she might not have been Amelia’s hero, so be it. But it had to stop there.