Kelly drove slowly towards her house in a long queue of traffic. People were making their way home all over the Lakes to wait out the snow storm for the grit lorries that would give them a hope of venturing out tomorrow, but at this rate, it was looking grim. The journos had given up in the bad weather and her driveway was clear. She pulled in and answered a call from Kate. She kept on her heater and sat watching the windscreen wipers fight against the barrage of white flakes.

Kate updated her on the conversation she’d had with the mother of Chloe Tate.

‘I was heading over there but I’ve just made it home and to be honest, I’ll be lucky to get my car back out,’ Kate said.

‘Agreed, don’t bother, you’ll get stuck. No reply from the other girl’s mother?’ Kelly asked.

‘Not yet. I’ve been through their social media accounts and you’d think they were single good-time girls in their twenties,’ Kate said.

‘Jesus. What the hell were they doing at Laurie Fell?’ Kelly asked.

‘Well, if the tabloids are to be believed then they weren’t there for extra lessons in maths.’

‘Did you call the journalist?’ Kelly asked.

‘Yep. Sources protected of course, but she told me that they were watertight. She also told me that every single one of her contracts had been cancelled since the article broke. She’s bang out of work.’

‘Frozen out of the industry?’ Kelly asked.

‘Exactly. The article has now been deleted.’

‘Well, well. That is some power there. There’s no point dedicating hours to it. It’s quite obvious who’d want articles like that out of the press. I’ve just arrived home. I’ll see you in the morning, if this eases up. Did Rob tell you the phone data was ready?’ Kelly asked.

‘Yes. I reckon he’d already made up his mind to stay at the office tonight,’ Kate said.

‘You gave him the sleeping bag and pillow?’ Kelly asked. She’d taken it in for that purpose but hadn’t wanted to make it obvious to Rob that his boss knew he was sleeping there.

‘Yes. I think he believed me but whatever, at least he’ll have a comfy night,’ Kate said. ‘Jesus, this is heavy. Millie said Johnny drove her home earlier,’ Kate said.

Kelly allowed the question to sit momentarily.

‘We talked,’ she said.

‘Good, positive?’ Kate asked.

It was a warmer response than Kelly anticipated. ‘Kind of. I said he could come over for dinner, but now this weather is going to force my hand, isn’t it?’ she confided in her friend.

‘Well, you do have a spare room,’ Kate reminded her.

‘I know. I’m sat in my car outside. I’m actually nervous to go in, can you believe that?’ Kelly asked.