‘He’s not been returning my calls,’ said Angie, ‘and we’re desperate right now. There’s rent to pay and food to put on the table. Getting money out of Tone is like getting blood out of a stone. I know he was laid off from work, but he still has responsibilities.’

Sasha shared a glance with Lolly. ‘When was the last time you spoke to him?’

‘Yesterday morning. We speak every day, usually. Not because he wants to speak to me, as if I care, but he likes to talk to the kids.’

‘So you don’t live here, Angie?’

‘Nah, we’re up the road.’ She nodded back the way she had come. ‘Tone moved out of our place a couple of years back.’

‘And you don’t have a key?’

Angie made a face. ‘Why would I want a key to that shithole, he’ll only have me in there cleaning.’ She squinted at them through the smoke. ‘Why did you say you were here again? It’s not about that girl, is it? Tone is many things, but he ain’t no murderer.’

‘You mean Rhiannon Jenkins.’

‘That was when our marriage really started going down the toilet. Being accused of something like that really knocked the wind out of him.’ Angie made a face. ‘I wish he never went on that trip, or knew any of those people, even that charming sod from TV. Tony had this cloud hanging over him afterwards, he really took it to heart, and it was the end for us.’

‘He was never charged,’ said Sasha, fishing. ‘Why would it have such an effect on him?’

‘Tone’s sensitive like that, he lives on his nerves.’ Angie ground the stub of her cigarette beneath a foot. ‘Because of that mate of his, that Abs, the papers were all over it. Tony’s name got dragged through the mud. It ruined his friendship with Deano, that’s no great loss, but also Abs and Jez. They all used to be great mates. Abs used to take him to glitzy parties. I even went to a couple.’

‘I thought Abs and Tony were still friends?’

‘Hah.’ Angie shook her head. ‘Abs dropped him like a rock. I’ll never forgive him for that. I used to complain to Tone about it, but he told me he’d get his own back one day, said he had dirt on Abs that was dynamite.’

Sasha cocked her head. ‘Did he say what?’

‘I don’t think Tone meant anything by it, he was just hurt.’ She sniffed. ‘What’s that smell?’

‘How well did you know Andrew Dean, Angie?’

‘Deano?’ She made a face. ‘I never liked him either, he was a right Billy Big Bollocks. Tony was a good mate of his once. They used to get into all kinds of scrapes together when they were young.’

‘Scrapes?’ asked Sasha.