At half-ten, Michaela met Sarah for coffee in a café near Victoria's flat. As they were finishing, Sarah asked her back, and she started to apologise, claiming she had to finish her essay. Bang on time, Victoria came in and went to the counter, and Michaela stared, nudging Sarah. 'Oh my God. That's that tennis player. Victoria da Sousa.'

Sarah looked round as she stood up and took her coat off her chair. 'So it is. I watched her match on TV last year, where she lost so unfairly.'

Michaela checked Victoria out obviously. Her jeans and top hugged all the right places, so she didn't have to pretend. 'I think she's hot.'

'So I see. Go and talk to her.'

Michaela shook her head, relying on what she knew of Sarah's character. 'Nah. That would be weird.'

'Silly.' Sarah handed Michaela her coat and straightened her miniskirt, then went over to Victoria at the counter, talking and laughing with her for a minute or two. They walked back to Michaela, and Victoria laughed at something Sarah said.

As they got level, Victoria said, 'Well, nice to meet you.' She smiled at Michaela too, then patted the paper bag with her cake in. 'I've got a bun to enjoy. Last one for a while, probably.'

'Training diet?' Sarah asked.

Victoria frowned at her, then smiled wistfully. 'Something like that. Anyway...thanks for coming over.'

Sarah gave her a little wave with her fingers. 'Bye.' She watched Victoria leave the café, then took her coat back off Michaela. 'There. Easy, see?' They headed out onto the street. 'She's very charming.'

Michaela prodded her gently. 'You were flirting with her.'

Sarah grinned as she buttoned her coat, and flicked out her hair. 'Maybe.' They stood close outside the café. 'Sure you can't come back?'

'Sorry. Bad weekend.' They kissed on the cheek. 'See you soon.'

~

By one o'clock, Michaela had been to the Agency and collected Victoria's new identity documents and the keys to the safe house they'd be using: a small cottage in an out-of-the-way village a few hours' drive away. She also took a nondescript car from the pool, parking it a few streets away from her flat.

Then she made lunch and revised her essay, submitting it online at about two-thirty.

~

A few minutes later, Victoria emailed Alex a copy of her file on the betting syndicate. Alex rang her colleague who was preparing the exposure story and suggested they meet in the paper's offices.

~

At four o'clock, Victoria left her flat and drove to the viewpoint, where she sat contemplating the view for a while. The Audi parked at the other end of the car park.

Michaela set off a little afterwards, driving to a layby in the vicinity and leaving the car there, while she took a small backpack into the woods near the riverbank.

When Victoria noticed the car park emptying as people drifted home, she got out and walked past the Audi onto the riverbank path. She bent to stroke a passing terrier, sharing a few words with its owner, who was heading back to his car. Passing through some trees, she came to an outcrop where she stopped, listening.

Certain that she was alone, that the Audi driver hadn't followed her yet, she pulled off her coat and threw it down into the river, watching it swell with water and drift off to get stuck on a tree root. She threw her shoes in after it, and tossed her car keys, mobile and purse onto the shingle at the base of the outcrop. Then she made her way down to the shingle and lowered herself into the river carefully, stripping the rest of her clothes off underwater and watching them drift away.

Carefully, she swam a little further downstream to the next low point on the bank, where Michaela was waiting with a towel and change of clothes. Once she'd dressed, the two girls hurried back to the layby, and Michaela drove them back towards town.

Taking a roundabout route, Michaela delivered Victoria to her beautician friend for a new hair style: a shorter, more structured cut, with blonde streaks; she also applied a touch of make-up to play down Victoria's high cheekbones. Combined with the change of clothes (a short woollen green shift, with a chunky brown leather belt and matching boots), it was quite a different effect from what Michaela had grown used to.

~

At half past seven, as the last light was fading, Michaela and Victoria pulled in to a service station miles away from the city in the opposite direction from the river, and bought sandwiches, chocolate and coffee to have in the car as they continued their drive.

By the same time, the Audi driver was increasingly worried that Victoria's car was still in the car park at the viewpoint, the only one there apart from his. He got out and walked some way along the path, the way Victoria had gone. In the gathering dark, he walked straight past the spot where she'd gone in the water, and where her coat was snagged on the tree. Even more uneasy, he returned to his car and rang in his concerns, alerting someone to watch the flat while he'd come back to investigate the viewpoint at first light.

~

A little after ten, Victoria and Michaela parked behind the small two-up-two-down safe cottage, and quietly let themselves in. They unpacked the few bags of supplies Michaela had brought, then Victoria made them both a very large rum and cola while Michaela sorted out the small tv and found a news channel. There was nothing on either Victoria or the syndicate, so they agreed to try again in the morning.

Michaela offered Victoria the bedroom, and made herself comfortable on the sofa.