Mal didn’t know that particular angle yet, but he was going to love it. Who wouldn’t? Claudia’s actions deserved to be acknowledged, and yet Leanne prevaricated. It wasn’t so much that Claudia had a link to Phillipa Montgomery. Or maybe it was, just a teeny bit. What bothered her most was that she would be drawing sympathy to someone who lived an otherwise privileged existence. It wasn’t as if Claudia wanted a pity-piece either, but sympathy was coming her way whether it was sought or not.

Driving past the timber-clad clubhouse, Leanne followed the track that hugged the edges of the marina. Raven Brook had what appeared to be an incomprehensible maze of jetties, but the design provided moorings for at least two hundred boats of varying shapes and sizes. Each mooring had its own electric hook-up and access to water, which meant Leanne had no reason to move the boat. Car parking spaces were at a premium during peak season, but not in the colder months. Leanne was one of only a handful who lived on board all year round and she had no problem finding a space close to home.

The Soleil Anne was a forty-foot narrowboat, painted marine blue and decorated with the requisite roses and castles. Inside, it had a well-proportioned galley and saloon that provided enough living space for a futon that doubled up as a bed. There were two more berths in the bunk room towards the bow, and in the middle, a bathroom complete with shower. The previous owner had lovingly fitted it out from a shell, but two months before he was due to marry his childhood sweetheart, he had discovered his fiancé was having an affair with his best man. With his dream in tatters, he had sold the boat to Leanne at a knock-down price. He had hoped she and Lois would have better luck in their new home. He would be disappointed.

Grabbing bags of shopping from the boot of her car, Leanne was halfway down the jetty when her phone rang. It was zipped up in her jacket pocket and she didn’t dare fumble for it. She had dropped a phone into the canal only a month after moving aboard and had learnt her lesson.