‘Of course. But I don’t want to cause any trouble, all I want to know is that Ben’s OK. He doesn’t have to come home straight away, as long as I hear from him.’

It would have been too cruel to say, but I couldn’t stop thinking it: Ben’s not coming home, because he’s in love with another woman.

She put her head in her hands and began to cry. Her body shook with sobs, short breathless gasps mingling with the tears.

‘Beth?’ I said, as gently as I could manage.

‘I just want him back,’ she managed, through the sobs.

I waited for the crying to subside. After a minute she took a deep breath and plucked a tissue from her sleeve.

I said: ‘That phone you found, with the pictures of Mel on it – where exactly did you find it?’

‘In his study.’ She wiped her eyes and stood up. ‘I’ll show you.’

Chapter 42

42

Ben’s study was large and deep-carpeted, with a pair of iMac computers side by side on the huge oak desk. There was also a fridge, a leather sofa and an antique Space Invaders arcade game that I recognised from the pubs of my youth. Against one wall were three floor-to-ceiling filing cabinets, all open, half filled with black ring binders. Against the other wall were a dozen or so framed photographs of family, friends – and Ben.

‘It was in the top drawer of his desk,’ Beth said, pointing.

‘Unlocked?’

‘No, but I knew where the spare key was.’

‘You’ve looked for other stuff, I take it?’

She nodded. ‘I went through everything I could find. His computers are password-protected but I made a start on his paper files, hence the mess downstairs. Although to be honest I can’t make head nor tail of most of it. And then I was looking through more of his things and I found that phone with the naked pictures of Mel on it, and of course Sunday happened, and . . .’

‘Yeah. Sunday.’

‘Not sure what came over me. I was just so . . . angry. It was like I was going to explode.’ Her voice cracked as she fought to hold the tears back. ‘This whole thing is so unfair. After everything I sacrificed for him, he just . . . leaves.’

‘I’m sorry too, Beth.’

She nodded, biting her bottom lip.

‘You know what? I’m having a drink,’ she said. ‘Do you want one?’

‘Tea would be good, thanks.’

‘A proper drink, I mean.’

It was half past one in the afternoon. Ordinarily Beth was the kind of woman who could make a single white wine spritzer last all night.

‘Tea’s fine.’

‘Well, I’m having one.’

She turned and headed back downstairs.