Claudia’s eyes were bright. She was waiting expectantly for Leanne to become enthused about the opera singer, but Leanne had stopped listening the moment Claudia mentioned a roll call of the victims. ‘Is Declan Gallagher’s name going to be read out?’

The sound of his name made Claudia flinch and Leanne was reassured that they still had some things in common. ‘It’s so awkward, isn’t it? I don’t see how we can leave him out. He has a sister in Sedgefield.’

‘True, but Karin Gallagher hasn’t tried to defend Declan, so why should we? It would help if she could explain what exactly he was up to in the theatre.’

‘You think she knows more than she’s letting on?’

‘According to her partner, Karin has absolutely no recollections from the disaster, and I’m inclined to believe her. From what I’ve heard, I’d say Karin blames Declan as much as anyone.’

‘That may be so, but in the absence of any request to exclude him from the reading, we have to go ahead as planned. At least the list is in alphabetical order, so he won’t be the first name people hear, nor the last before we stop to reflect.’

‘I suppose that’s something.’

‘It’s about making the best of a very difficult situation.’

From an adjoining room, Leanne heard the glass doors of a bookcase sliding open. ‘I take it your husband’s working from home again.’

‘Justin claims he’s saving the planet by cutting down on his commute.’

‘He could switch to a smaller car,’ Leanne suggested. She couldn’t help herself. The new Claudia served only to darken the clouds affecting Leanne’s judgement. She wouldn’t be too disappointed if she left without another confession.

‘Actually, Justin’s car is an Audi hybrid,’ Claudia replied, her tone cooling to match Leanne’s. ‘It’s my car that’s the gas guzzler. It’s the white Mercedes you’re parked next to.’ Point scored, she relaxed with a smile. ‘Not that I use it much, but I can tell you it’s a lot more comfortable than being thrown about in the back of my dad’s old work van.’

‘I’m sure a Merc comes in handy for all those trips to the stables,’ Leanne noted. ‘I had the impression from our last interview that you weren’t particularly close to Bryony Sutherland.’

‘I wasn’t, but since your article, new alliances have been forged. When I set up the charity, my guess is everyone thought I was trying to take advantage of Phillipa’s fall from grace. As if I could ever take her place.’ She went to laugh, but Leanne’s cold stare stopped her. ‘Thanks to you, they’re beginning to understand that I’m simply a survivor searching for a way to heal. It feels good to be accepted at long last. Is that so bad?’