Kate rolled her eyes. This was nonsense. Everyone knew that asbestos was a huge problem, and environmental agencies took it seriously.
“Okay. But there must have been tension between Bill and Jo?”
“Of course. Bill was very worried about it all. And Jo had to do her job, of course.”
“According to Marnie—” started Kate.
“According to Marnie!” Bev spat. “What does she know? Last I saw, she was demonstrating toys on her fucking YouTube channel. No doubt thinking she’ll get away with working at the same time as claiming benefits off the state.”
“Did you and Marnie fall out?”
There was a pause.
“We was good for a time. She helped me a lot. My car got nicked at the same time as Jo went missing, and she was good, running me around, taking me shopping when Bill couldn’t. But then she turned nasty. Didn’t understand what I’m going through. She got irritated with me wanting to talk about Jo.”
“Okay; how did Joanna feel about discovering the story about the asbestos and then finding out Bill was involved?”
“What do you mean?” said Bev, slurring even more.
“Joanna uncovered this juicy story. Didn’t she feel cheated that she couldn’t print it?”
There was a pause. Bev sighed, exasperated.
“Jo wasn’t like that! She knew Bill meant everything to me . . . In the end, Bill took it on the chin, and they paid to have the building made safe. Listen. We’re paying you to find out what happened to Jo. I don’t like this, these questions, Kate. You sound like you think Bill’s done something wrong?”
“No. I’m just following up on some leads, and this came up.”
“From fucking Marnie. Shit stirrer. Did she ask you for money when you talked to her?”
Kate hesitated, thinking about the book Marnie had asked her to sign. “No. She didn’t.”
“She was always jealous of Jo making something of herself. Getting out of that estate.”
“Bev, if you’d have told me about this in the first place, it wouldn’t have taken me by surprise. That’s the only reason I’m asking.”
She was silent on the end of the phone.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said.
“Please. Don’t be. I can’t imagine everything you’ve been through. This must be so tough.”
“My whole bloody life’s been tough . . .” Kate heard Bev pouring a drink in the background. “I thought that when me and Bill lived together, we’d see each other so much more, but he’s away a lot with ’is work.”
“It’s a lovely house you’ve got there.”
“It gives me the creeps when I’m ’ere on me own . . . ,” said Bev. “I’ve never lived nowhere so empty. I’m used to having neighbors and people upstairs, downstairs, to the side . . . And the fucking windows. No curtains. And there’s all these buttons for things. I tried to turn the outside light on, and the fucking jacuzzi comes on.”
“Where’s Bill gone away on business?”
“Germany. They’re doing a big contract on a new motorway. He has to be there, overseeing. Dusseldwarf . . .” Kate didn’t want to correct her. “He’s only gone for a couple of days, but still. I miss him . . . Just me and these awful bloody windows, reflecting my ugly mug back at me . . . Do you think you’re any closer to finding her? Jo?”
Kate hesitated, feeling her heart sink at the question.
“We’re going through a lot of information in the case files. We’re talking with everyone who Joanna was friends with,” said Kate. She wished she hadn’t phoned Bev; it was cruel to phone without having concrete information.
“That’s a very political answer.”
“I’m going to find her, Bev,” said Kate. There was a long silence on the end of the phone.
“I can get Bill to phone you when he’s back,” said Bev. “He’s going to call me later. He won’t mind talking to you.”
“Thank you.”
There was a click, and Bev was gone. When she’d raised her voice on the end of the phone, there had been an echo. Kate thought of Bev, alone at night in Bill’s house, staring at her reflection in the huge glass windows. Then she thought back to Marnie, living on the horrible council estate, disabled, and bringing up two small children. Should she have just signed the book? At the stroke of her pen, it would have been worth a couple of thousand pounds. That freaked her out.