I looked up at Marilyn. ‘I – I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I had to, to avoid . . .’ I gestured at the newspaper web page. They must have been thrilled with it. ‘But I didn’t do it. Either time. Marilyn, you do believe me? You can’t think I would do something like that.’

‘Of course,’ she said, half-hearted. ‘It’s just so strange. And your name isn’t even Rachel.’

‘It’s legal to change your name,’ I snapped. ‘Wouldn’t you have done the same?’

‘I don’t know.’ Marilyn’s face said that she’d never have been involved in a murder enquiry, not even once. As they say, once is unfortunate. Twice looks like carelessness.

But what had I done to cause this? I thought I’d taken every precaution to hide my true identity, but had I let my guard down? Had I been careless at some point along the way? What had brought this down upon my head, like some inescapable fate?

Marilyn was gentle, but something had gone in her manner with me. Her eyes were cloudy. She didn’t know what to believe. ‘I don’t think, in the circumstances, we can have you back here during the enquiry. We’ve already had two people call up to cancel their adoptions.’

‘What, in case I’ve corrupted the dogs somehow?’ My voice was high and wavering. ‘That’s ridiculous.’

‘Well, yes, the great British public.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s the interns too. I have a duty of care.’

I nodded. I didn’t want to give up this piece of my life, but I knew I couldn’t be here.

From the car park, the noise of an engine made my head snap round. The rising of voices. Katrin came in from reception, half-running, wide-eyed.

‘There’s, like, millions of people out there! What’s going on?’

They had found me.

I caught Marilyn’s eye. My adrenaline had already kicked in, ready to run, to fight. Not that either had helped me last time.

‘I’ll see to Brandy. Go out the back,’ she said, and I ran.

Article in the Daily Mail – October 2005

‘Mary Poppins killer’ released