Stepping over fishing rods and almost tangling herself in the lines, Leanne trudged on. Beads of sweat had turned to ice at the nape of her neck, and her leather jacket was too thin to offer much protection from the freezing temperature. If Karin had wanted to cure her hangover with a shock of cold, there was no need to stay out long. She could be home already and in no mood to answer the door if Leanne turned up.

Deciding she was ill-prepared for another stakeout, Leanne turned about-face, but she didn’t immediately head back. The angler she had passed moments earlier was giving her a hard stare. He would need to move his rods again if she retraced her steps. She turned a second time and followed the curve of the canal.

Only vaguely aware of the tunnel ahead, Leanne reconstructed the events leading up to the fire. Claudia had just found out that she was pregnant and, whatever her feelings for Declan, the baby changed everything. Having Justin’s child provided the kind of security Claudia had yearned for, and it wouldn’t have mattered who the father was. It was only Declan who knew the paternity was questionable, and how fortunate for Claudia that the fire had neutralised that risk? Or was it luck?

Leanne’s boots thudded against the dirt path as her brisk pace became a jog. It was as if her subconscious had registered the two figures inside the tunnel before her conscious mind recognised Claudia in the same gym gear she had been wearing on their last encounter. It took only a fraction of a second to realise the second figure was Karin.

‘My God, you killed him!’ she heard Karin yell.

‘So what if I did?’ Claudia shouted back, her voice reverberating off the tunnel walls.

‘You bitch!’

Leanne broke into a sprint as she entered the tunnel. She could see the two women grappling with each other and time stood still as Karin’s back arched over the water’s edge. The canal was only one boat-width wide and if Claudia let go of her, Karin could swim easily to the other side, but that didn’t factor in the temperature of the water. Cold-water shock could be fatal, especially at this time of year.

‘You stupid bitch!’ Claudia cried. ‘Why did you have to remember?’

Leanne felt a fresh surge of adrenalin as she raced towards them. ‘Stop!’ she cried out, pushing Claudia away with one hand while making a desperate grab for Karin.

The only part of Karin that Leanne managed to grab hold of was her scarf. Karin’s arms windmilled over the water’s edge and her scarf began to unravel. Leanne yanked it hard, by which point Karin had built up enough momentum to propel herself forward. Their combined efforts meant Karin was thrust head first against the tunnel wall.