‘Pardon?’

‘Show me.’ I gestured to her phone. ‘The number.’

She terminated the call, started again with the phone held out in front of her so that I could see. I watched as she selected ‘Ben moby’ from her address book, and called the number. She put the phone to her ear again.

‘No,’ I said. ‘Put it on loudspeaker.’

She touched the screen again and the tinny metallic ringing filled the bedroom as the call went through. I watched Mel’s face as it rang. She seemed drained, exhausted. But also relieved, as if she was glad to have finally got all of it off her chest.

The call connected and she sat up a little straighter on the bed, holding her head up a little higher. In the stillness of our bedroom, I heard a male voice answer.

‘Hello?’

It was him.

Chapter 25

25

‘Ben?’ Mel said, her voice tight.

There was a pause.

‘Yeah?’ He sounded instantly impatient, or angry. Or both.

I moved a little closer so I could hear better.

‘It’s Melissa.’

Melissa, not Mel. She was Melissa to him, then.

A pause on the other end of the line. One beat, two. I thought I heard an intake of breath.

‘What do you want?’

‘Ben, I’ve got Joe with me. He’s here with me now. I’ve told him everything. And I’ve told him it’s over between you and me, it can’t carry on. Like I said the other night –’

There was a click from the other end of the line and her phone beeped.

‘Ben?’ Mel said, leaning a bit nearer to the mobile.

She checked the display.

‘He hung up,’ she said, a flicker of sadness in her voice.

‘Try him again.’

She redialled, and it rang just once before going to voicemail.

This time she hung up before dialling again. It rang six times before the voicemail message started.

‘This is Ben Delaney. Leave a message.’

Mel looked at me, as if to ask the question.

‘Go on,’ I said.

‘Ben,’ she started, hesitating over her words, ‘I just need you to know that . . . I can’t see you any more. Like I told you. Beth knows, she came to the Stratford today and caused a hell of a scene. She’s in a bad way, I’m worried about her.’

A bit late for that, I thought darkly.

‘Anyway,’ Mel continued, ‘Joe knows everything. I’ve told him all of it. Please don’t call me again, just . . . send me a text so I know you’ve got this message.’ She hesitated for a moment. ‘Goodbye, Ben.’

She looked up at me, and I nodded. She ended the call and silence filled our bedroom.