‘And what about you?’ Leanne persisted. ‘Did you see Declan? With the crush at the front of the theatre, he could only have gained access through the side entrance, but you said you couldn’t get back in. How do you think he managed it?’

The tear running down Beth’s face revealed a broken woman. ‘It was possible to get back inside,’ she said, contradicting what she had said only a moment earlier. She lifted the newspaper Leanne had given her. ‘She managed it.’

There were only two faces on the front page of the Courier, and Leanne doubted Beth was referring to Amelia. ‘Claudia Rothwell?’

‘Some things stick in your mind, and she was one of them. She was encouraging everyone to get out, reassuring us that the fire crews were on their way, and then she pushed her way back inside,’ Beth said with incredulity. ‘I stayed where I was, and I still can’t believe I left Karin in there.’

‘Or Karin left you,’ Leanne offered. ‘She was found close to her brother’s body. What if she made a deliberate choice not to leave? What if she’d been looking for Declan?’

‘Why would she?’ Beth said, wiping her eyes and smearing her make-up. ‘Declan wasn’t supposed to be in there.’

‘And yet we all know he was. The question is, what was he doing?’

‘No, the question is, what the hell am I doing?’ Beth said, straightening up. She shoved the newspaper back at Leanne. ‘You’re not interested in my story, are you? I’d say this interview is over.’

As Leanne tucked the copy of the Courier out of sight, she tried a few more questions, gentle enquiries into how Beth had felt seeing Karin again, how they had managed her recovery, but Beth had closed down. Leanne picked up her phone in one hand and lifted the three twenty-pound notes in her other.

Beth backed away as Leanne extended the money towards her. She pulled open her car door. ‘Keep your money,’ she said. ‘How the hell do you sleep at night, preying on other people’s misery?’

If Beth had given her a chance to reply, Leanne would tell her that she didn’t sleep well at all. She wasn’t sure she ever would again.

The Empress Theatre

Sedgefield, Cheshire

Karin Gallagher was trying not to giggle. Beth had drawn the short straw and was sitting next to an eccentric older lady with bright purple highlights who had decided they would be companions for the night. Beth’s new friend had been knitting when they arrived and, after the alarm sounded, she took for ever to pack up her things.

‘Do you want one last sweet before I put them away?’ the lady asked, offering one of the many bags she had brought with her. She was the only one in their row yet to stand up.