Leanne plunged beneath the surface and moved her arms blindly as she searched for Claudia. Her hand glanced against what might be an arm, but there wasn’t time to find purchase. Leanne’s ability to hold her breath was dramatically reduced by the cold, and with her lungs burning, she rose briefly to the surface before trying again. At first she felt nothing. Her fingers were numb, but as her hand dredged the water one last time, she felt resistance and grabbed something that was soft and flesh-like. She kept hold as she broke the surface, gasped for air, and opened her eyes, only to discover darkness threatening to overtake her.

She wasn’t going to make it. She was going to die and, although she didn’t believe in an afterlife, she clung to the hope that Lois was waiting for her. She didn’t need to conjure a tunnel, she was in one. She could see a hand reaching out to her.

EPILOGUE

Leanne was at the stern with her hand resting on the tiller bar as she steered the boat out of the marina. She could hear the bleat of lambs in a nearby field, and the trees lining the canal bore succulent green buds. The waterways were full of life too and her chosen course was temporarily impeded by a convoy of rented narrowboats. The holidaymakers waved and Leanne offered them a smile that almost broke her. She was leaving Sedgefield.

Dianne had organised a small farewell party at the Raven Brook Café where Leanne had said her goodbyes to friends and colleagues. Today she was on her own and, although it was a wrench to leave so much behind, she was grateful at least that she wasn’t being parted from the Soleil Anne. She and Lois had christened their boat with an anagram of their names. Two lives entwined for ever.

What a life they had planned together in Sedgefield, and what a life they had lost. Ahead of Leanne was a whole future waiting to be rewritten and, even though it looked on the face of it as if she were running away, she was in fact moving towards something new. She hoped Lois would approve.

As the canal narrowed, Leanne had an unobstructed view running the length of the tunnel. The way was clear, but to be safe, she tooted the horn in case another boat was approaching from the other side. She hadn’t been back here since her dramatic dive into the waters, despite being offered ridiculous amounts of money to be interviewed on location. She had agreed to some press, but the most compelling account had been reported in the Courier, written by Leanne from her hospital bed. It was some story.