Kate lurches forward in her seat, rage boiling in the pit of her stomach. ‘I’m quite something? You’re threatening to destroy my life, you piece of shit. How can you sleep at night, doing the job you do – door stepping grieving people, hassling the innocent, grubbing around in the ashes of people’s lives for a story? You’re scum.’

Caroline lifts a hand and, for a split second Kate thinks she’s telling her to stop, but then she pulls down the cuff of her jumper, revealing the mobile phone in her sleeve. ‘Would you like to repeat that? My recordings are normally pretty good but, just in case a few words were missed, could you say that again?’

‘Fuck you.’ Kate leaps out of her chair and heads for the door. It’s over. There’s nothing she can do to stop the story. Caroline’s got everything she needs.

She slams the door behind her and stalks through the corridors, heading for the back door. Unless … she pauses as a thought hits her.

Unless Caroline’s dead.

Chapter 36

Then

JENNA

Jenna kicks a leg out from under the duvet and twists onto her side. She stretches out, resting her elbow on the pillow and her head on her hand.

‘You okay?’ Tom rolls lazily towards her.

‘I could go off you if you don’t stop asking me that all the time,’ she says with a smile.

‘But’ – he plays it dumb – ‘how will I know how you are if I don’t ask?’

‘You could use your intuition. Maybe read my body language or the expression on my face.’

‘I might be lacking in those skills.’

‘Liar!’ Laughing, she leans in to kiss him then squeals as he flips her onto her back and straddles her, pinning her wrists up by her head.

‘Are you okay?’ he asks, his eyes shining as she squeaks and wriggles and tries to escape. ‘Are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay? I’m not letting you go until you answer me. Are you okay? Are you—’

‘Happy!’ she shouts. ‘I’m happy. Now stop being a dick and kiss me.’

Thirty minutes earlier, as Jenna made her way to Tom’s chalet for her third therapy session, there were no nerves, no sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, no doubt in her mind that they’d end up having sex. The night before, after Damian’s interruption, neither of them said a word for several seconds then Tom pushed himself up so he was sitting on the edge of the pool, his legs dangling in the water.

‘Do you think he’ll tell anyone?’

‘Tell them what?’ Jenna raised an eyebrow. ‘Nothing happened.’

A look passed between them then – knowing, loaded.

‘You’ve got your final session tomorrow haven’t you?’

Her eyes didn’t leave his. ‘I do, yes.’