But reading the notebook had made everything clear. It was no mere chance that had taken Tom Jack to the coroner. It had been just another step in his highly organized plan to arm himself with dirt on everyone in the Journalists’ Union who was potentially either a help or a hindrance in his relentless climb to the top. It was all there, all the dirt, in tiny, immaculate shorthand. Who was sleeping with whom, who had been driving while disqualified, who was having money problems, who had an illegitimate child. Most of it wasn’t the sort of stuff you could use to blackmail cash out of people; but it was certainly the kind of information most of the victims wouldn’t want to be public knowledge. And that had been enough to extort the favors and support Union Jack had wanted. But what had really engaged Lindsay’s contempt was a section where he’d recorded snippets of information he thought he could use to undermine opponents, real and imagined. Amongst them one date had leaped out at her. It was a date she’d never forget. Against it, Tom Jack had noted, “Frances Collier died. Use to demoralize LG if she’s difficult.” It wasn’t just the malice that hurt. It was the paranoia of a man who felt the need to act like that against someone as insignificant in union terms as she had been back in 1984.

Lindsay forced herself not to brood on this discovery, and tried to remember exactly what the notebook had said about Laura. After Ian’s will had been probated, Union Jack had checked it out and discovered Laura was the sole beneficiary. Then he’d decided to go to Blackpool in search of something that he might be able to use as a lever against Laura. It was clear that he hadn’t seriously suspected her of anything, merely thought there might be some little detail he could persuade her would interest the police. What he’d found instead had been a gold-mine.

Lindsay sighed. Poor Ian. His kindness and support had been a vital factor in her winning the battle to rediscover reasons for living after Frances’ death had shattered her world. He had helped her to realize that failing to be the best she could be was a betrayal of the love that she and Frances had shared. But most of all, he had reminded her that laughter hadn’t died with Frances.