She’d called Chris’s mobile phone for most of the night until the early hours when his phone had been switched off and she assumed he was in the air. She’d gone over the scene a thousand times and with every replay, it paused on Chris’s final glance as he left the house. His eyes had told her then, more clearly than words ever could, and she’d felt the disgust and pity radiate from them, piercing their marriage. Eventually, she’d gone to bed, slipping into a troubled sleep.

She’d woken the next morning, dragging herself out of bed, grateful for the arrival of a new day. Yes, things had got out of control, but they couldn’t let things get so bad between them, especially now, when they needed to present a united front for the sake of their son. Claire thought of Joshua. For the most part, he seemed to be doing okay and Claire was in two minds whether that was a good thing or not. On the one hand, it indicated that he was innocent and felt he had nothing to hide. On the other, it might mean that he simply didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation.

The trial would start next month and Claire felt a quiver of fear run through her. Frankfurt was one hour ahead; she would keep trying Chris until he answered. He had to pick up at some point; last night he’d been angry and rightly so. Today, they would both be calmer and she would apologise and they would sort this out.

*

Claire had tried to keep busy, but she was struggling to concentrate. She called Chris’s mobile every hour, on the hour, but it had simply rung out. Clearly, he still wasn’t ready to talk. She willed herself to be patient. Eventually, she’d sent him a message telling him how sorry she was and to call her when he felt ready. She was satisfied that she’d done everything she could, but by lunchtime, she knew she needed to get out of the house.

She drove into Manchester, parked the car and wandered the city centre before stopping to get a coffee. As she waited for her order, she rubbed her eyes distractedly, the tiredness threatening to swallow her whole. When she opened them again, she was surprised to see Linda walking into the cafe. She hadn’t seen Linda since their night out; in fact Claire hadn’t been out at all since then, although she knew that Lucy and Luke’s nanny often arranged playdates, so the boys could get together. Linda stood in the queue for a few minutes before she noticed Claire and waved.

‘Hi! What a coincidence! I was just thinking about you!’ greeted Linda.

‘Hi, how are you? You look fantastic!’ Claire took in her slim figure and tailored suit. It fit perfectly, accentuating her slim waist and long legs.