‘Of course, that would be . . . great. I have to go, I’m sorry.’ I flash her a quick smile before hurrying over to where Kelly holds up a hand, clearly telling Ella she can’t go any further. Lord knows how Ruth made it past her.

‘It’s OK, Kelly,’ I say, ‘I know her.’ Kelly reluctantly stands to one side, telling me that I can speak to her here, but she’s to go no further.

‘Hi,’ I say, pleased to see her, despite the circumstances. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘God, I look like I’m snooping again, don’t I?’ she says, pulling a face. ‘I heard what was happening . . . it’s . . . well, everyone seems to know what’s going on.’ She looks down at her shoes, and as I peer past her shoulder I see she’s right – word has got out that the police are dredging the lake and there are people starting to congregate on the edge of the woods, the closest they can get without being moved on. I think I catch a glimpse of Mr Snow standing at the edge of the cordon, his black umbrella still in hand.

‘I just wanted to see how Dom was holding up.’

I look over my shoulder to where he paces along the restricted tape line, one hand raised to run through his hair, before he scrubs his hands over his face. Fran stands apart from him, as if frozen, still staring into the water, her face a blank mask. ‘We need to get this part over. I can’t bear to think of Laurel being in that water.’ Just the very thought of it makes my blood turn to ice in my veins.

‘She won’t be in there, she can’t be,’ my new friend says positively, one hand shooting out to grip mine, squeezing my fingers tightly in hers.

‘How can you be so sure?’ I ask, feeling the familiar hot burn that signals tears behind my eyes again. I wish, for the millionth time, that I’d kept Laurel in my eyeline that night.

‘I can’t be. But if we can all hope . . .’ she says simply, before she freezes at something over my shoulder. I turn to see Fran clinging to Dominic as DI Dove approaches them. Without thinking I turn and run across the thick mud, almost falling in my haste to hear what has been found. If Laurel is in that dark, silty water.

‘What is it?’ I gasp. ‘Did you find something?’

‘She’s not in there,’ Fran says, tears in her eyes, her whole body shaking. ‘Oh, Anna, they’ve looked and she’s not in the water.’

‘Thank God.’ I put my hands over my eyes, sucking in air to try and calm my racing heart. Thank God. I look over to the trees to where Ella stands, but no one is there.