Woman in the Water

by Katerina Diamond

  He turned his hand to Imogen, who reluctantly shook it. Jimmy Chilton looked out of place in this grand lobby, as though he had just clocked off after a long-distance lorry trip.

  ‘We’re here to talk to you about two former employees of yours,’ Adrian said.

  ‘Two?’ Jimmy Chilton said.

  He ushered them to the far corner of reception, away from the receptionist’s earshot.

  ‘Simon Glover and Leon Quick.’

  ‘Ah, right. Yes.’

  ‘Are you familiar with them?’

  ‘Yes, of course.’

  ‘What can you tell me about them?’ Adrian asked.

  ‘They were often late; sometimes their work was sloppy. Spent more time chatting than working. We had to let them go.’

  ‘We were led to believe they both left of their own volition,’ Imogen said.

  ‘I don’t know where you got that information from, but it’s incorrect. They were both fired. Why do you want to know why they left?’

  ‘Who let them go?’ Adrian said.

  ‘Probably me or Reece. Reece Corrigan. We do most of the hiring and firing. I’m afraid I don’t remember exactly which one of us did the actual firing. You’d be surprised at the sheer volume of turnaround in staff within the construction industry.’

  ‘When was the last time you saw either Simon Glover or Leon Quick?’ Imogen said, unconvinced by his vague response.

  ‘Oh, it’s been months. I haven’t seen either one since they left.’

  Adrian noted that Chilton hadn’t asked why they were asking questions about the two men. People usually ask, curiosity getting the better of them. It could just be that Chilton didn’t actually give a monkey’s, or maybe it was something else. Maybe he already knew.

  ‘What time does your boss get in?’ Imogen asked.

  ‘Today, he won’t be in until after lunch.’

  ‘We’ll need to speak to him. Could you tell us his address?’ Imogen said.

  Jimmy shifted uncomfortably, his calm, collected look turning to one of unease.

  ‘Ruby on the desk can give it to you. I need to get back to my meeting, if that’s all?’

  ‘Thank you, Mr Chilton. Don’t leave town; we may need to question you again.’

  Chilton nodded and walked over to the desk, instructing Ruby to give them Reece Corrigan’s address. She gave them a suspicious side-eyed look as Chilton spoke.

  ‘What do you make of that, then?’ Imogen asked Adrian, her eyes fixed on Chilton as he went up the stairs.

  Adrian had noticed that his behaviour wasn’t right. It was obvious just from speaking to him that Jimmy was lying and keeping secrets. He didn’t seem to be afraid in the same way that Leon Quick had been, but there was something weaselly about the man.

  Adrian turned back to Imogen when Jimmy had finally disappeared from view.

  ‘God knows. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.’

  ‘Let’s go get this address and visit the big boss.’

  ‘Maybe he can shed some light on this situation,’ Adrian said.

  ‘What are the chances of that?’

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  I should have known better than to think I could escape, that there was any chance for me to have a normal life. I don’t even know what that is. Everything has been so twisted for so long now that I really think I am where I belong. There is no Hail Mary for me, no last-minute reprieve.

  Being back home is like riding a bike with a broken seat or slipping into an uncomfortable pair of shoes that you can’t remove. I wish with every fibre of my being that I had died on that riverbank, and yet I survived and here I am, back here again. Groundhog Day.

  Every day is the same, I wake up and then I pretend to be the person he wants until it’s time to go to sleep again. I may as well be a doll or a robot. I am barely human at all.

  Slipping out of the hospital was easy enough; no one thought I would go. People are always underestimating me and that’s fine. I don’t really care. I wonder if I really care about anything, anymore. I used to want to get away, but now I think I have used up nine lives and not all of them were mine. This is where I belong, uncomfortable shoes and all.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Since Imogen and Adrian had started dating, things had definitely changed at work. As they drove out to Reece Corrigan’s home address, Imogen found her cheeks warming as she watched Adrian drive. She had never really thought about how attractive he was, as if the mere fact of her thinking about it might inflate his ego. He was a more cautious driver than her, didn’t seem to wander off in his own head as much as she did. He was definitely more at peace than he had been in a long time. Since his last girlfriend, Lucy, was murdered in connection with an investigation they were conducting last year.

  She remembered when they’d met, how she had assumed so much about him and yet within just a few hours they were completely at ease with each other. You don’t get that every day. Imogen knew that this could get tiresome at some point. That one day she might not want to spend the day with the person she spends her nights with, but for now it was easy, it felt right. These moments together in the car were her favourite, she had no idea why.

  ‘Do you think the DCI knows about us?’ Imogen said.

  ‘No, I don’t, do you?’

  ‘I can’t imagine her not pulling us up on it. What would you do if she does?’

  ‘Then we deal with it, I guess. I’ll move, if she wants, to another department, another team or something.’

  ‘You would do that?’ Imogen said, taken aback by the very idea.

  ‘Why not? Wouldn’t you?’

  ‘I feel like I’m just getting settled here and don’t really want to change again. I like the way things are.’

  ‘I like it too, but I think I like you more. I’ve been here since I started, maybe a change would be good for me.’

  ‘I wouldn’t want to feel responsible for that.’

  ‘I know, but you wouldn’t be. I have thought about this before. After losing Lucy and now finding myself with you … I know I hadn’t been with her long, but it was the first time in a long time that I thought I was capable of a real relationship. When she died, I thought that was it for me. No more chances. Sometimes you just have to decide what you want most – and I know you’re more important to me than this job.’

  ‘Where would you go?’ she said, surprised that he had given this any thought at all.

  ‘I have no idea. Maybe I could train new recruits for a while, or maybe I could move to canine division.’

  ‘Dogs?’

  ‘What’s wrong with dogs?’

  ‘Nothing. You’ve just never mentioned it before.’

  ‘It could be time for a change, anyway. I don’t want to piss off the DCI and who knows, maybe you’ll like me even more?’

  ‘Not sure that’s possible.’ She smiled.

  He put his hand on her knee and squeezed. This felt like an unusually mature approach to the situation from Adrian, Lord knows he wasn’t usually so level-headed and measured when dealing with matters of the heart. They had been through a lot together over the last couple of years and she had seen him at both ends of the spectrum, high and low. There was no doubt that he had grown and changed into a different person. She liked to think she was at least partially responsible for that.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  It was obvious from the moment they arrived at the house that it was worth well over a million. This area and this view alone were both assets, but the real gem was the property itself. An eco house, white and wood with large metal beams, the back of the house was overlooking the Blackdown Hills on the border. Green upon green upon green. The house was detached, although they had neighbours either side with just a short distance between them. Enough not to be bothered by loud television sets or even louder parties.

  Adrian pulled the car into the large driveway next to a white Lexus. He had never been one of those men who was preoccupied with cars. If it wor
ked, that was enough for him; he only used it to get to work and back, anyway. Corrigan’s driveway could hold at least six cars. The second floor of the house had much larger windows overlooking the drive.

  They knocked on the door and waited patiently.

  ‘Would you want to live in a house like this?’ Adrian asked Imogen, who was looking through one of the windows, studying the inside.

  ‘God, no. It would freak me out, all these windows, everything on display like that. I know it’s set away from the road, but it’s still weird. And just so cold and impersonal. The only thing I can tell about these people is that they have an interior designer.’

  ‘I wouldn’t like this, either.’ He smiled to himself, reassured.

  He was paranoid about his own financial attractiveness after the mother of his child left him to be with a man of means. His lack of money was one of the things that made him feel a little inadequate. Probably just a residual chip on the shoulder from being poor as a kid.

  The large wooden front door opened and an older gentleman stood in front of them. He was in his fifties, no hair and a very ruddy-coloured skin. He must have been around six foot three and physically he was a robust man, not exactly fat but not exactly muscly, either. He wore a wax Barbour jacket, Timberland boots and a Hackett rugby shirt. He wanted people to know he had money. There was an air of intimidation about him and that was before he even spoke.

  ‘Are you the police officers who were at HQ earlier?’ Reece Corrigan asked, shaking Imogen’s hand, then Adrian’s.

  He had a strong, confident grip and seemed completely unfazed by their appearance on his doorstep.

  ‘That’s correct. I wonder if we might speak to you about your former employees. Simon Glover and Leon Quick,’ Adrian said.

  ‘Yes, Jimmy told me you were asking after them. I believe he already told you everything. They were rubbish, so I sacked them. There really isn’t anything else to say.’

  ‘Can we come in? Maybe you can remember some more details about the men.’

  ‘I’m afraid now isn’t a good time. My wife and I are just off out. Why are you asking me about those two no-marks, anyway?’

  ‘We are investigating their deaths.’

  ‘They’re both dead?’ he said, genuinely surprised.

  Adrian noticed the emphasis Reece put on the word ‘both’, as though that was the part that was unexpected. Did he already know about Simon Glover’s death?

  ‘Can you tell us where you were last Friday night?’

  ‘Friday night is poker night. Me and a few of the boys at work get together once a week.’

  ‘Which boys? We will need some names.’ Imogen said.

  ‘Jimmy and some other lads. I’ll call Ruby and get her to send you over names and contact details, save you some time.’

  Behind them, a woman, presumably Reece’s wife, appeared at the top of the stairs. At first, all they could see were her bronzed legs and white patent heels. It was immediately obvious before they even saw her face that she was significantly younger than him.

  She descended slowly, trying to put her gold hoop earrings in as she walked. A tight dress clung to her toned thighs. There was something of the Hollywood Barbie doll about her. She had long blonde layered hair, big blue eyes with heavy black mascara and a golden powder dusted over her cheekbones. She looked at Imogen and Adrian then faltered for a moment in her descent. The perfect porcelain-toothed smile dropped almost imperceptibly before she continued to walk down the stairs.

  It took Adrian a few moments, but his body prickled with goose bumps as she stood on the bottom step. It was her – it was Jane Doe.

  Reece spoke again. ‘This is my wife, Angela.’

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Angela Corrigan had immaculate hair, blonde and bouncy with loose, tumbling curls just past her shoulders. Imogen barely recognised her. It was her, though, the woman Adrian had saved.

  Imogen shot a look at Adrian. He met her gaze immediately, the tiniest nod of his head confirming she wasn’t imagining what she was seeing.

  Angela Corrigan was at most half the age of her husband. She took a deep breath and approached the doorstep. She wore a polo-neck knitted dress in cornflower blue, which made her eyes even bluer. Imogen noticed that aside from her lower legs, she was almost completely covered.

  On closer inspection, there was a thick layer of foundation on her face, good foundation but still an unnecessary amount for a woman as young as Angela Corrigan – no doubt to hide the bruises she had sustained. Perfectly composed and immaculately dressed, she didn’t look the same as the woman they had seen almost completely broken in that hospital bed.

  Angela’s smile reappeared, a strained look in her eye, which clearly asked them not to mention what they knew, wanting to keep up the charade of a first meeting. The tension in the air was palpable as no one spoke for a moment, each unsure what to say.

  Imogen decided that now wasn’t the time for this confrontation; they didn’t know enough. She thought about what Dr Hadley had told her about the woman’s injuries and the possibilities of a prolonged campaign of physical abuse against her. Imogen would let the woman dictate how this introduction was going to go.

  ‘Who’s this?’ Angela said, walking forwards and slipping her arm through Reece’s, looking up at him.

  Imogen could see that whatever was going on, she didn’t want her husband to know about it; she wanted them to pretend they had never seen her before.

  ‘The detectives just came over to ask about a couple of former employees.’

  ‘Oh. Will you be long?’ She looked at a slim, expensive-looking gold wristwatch. ‘I have an appointment with the salon at eleven.’

  Corrigan kissed her on the forehead before turning back to them.

  ‘Listen, I’ll give Ruby at HQ a call and she can email over their personnel files for you. It’s been a few months and so I really can’t remember anything particularly insightful about them off the top of my head.’

  Imogen looked at the couple in front of her. She wondered why he hadn’t reported his wife missing. She also wondered why Angela was pretending she didn’t know them. Their charade was well-rehearsed and if Imogen didn’t know what she did, then she wouldn’t even question it. What this did tell her was that she couldn’t trust a word that came out of Reece Corrigan’s mouth.

  ‘Just a few more questions,’ Imogen said. ‘Was there a specific incident that led to their dismissal, do you remember?’

  ‘It was cumulative, you know? Sloppy work and insubordination. It will be in the files. We got sued a few years ago by a disgruntled employee that we let go, so now we log every single altercation and incident. The employees have to sign a form for every single incident or accident that occurs on site.’

  Imogen noticed that Adrian was unusually quiet beside her. A part of her wanted to reach out and hold his hand. She wasn’t sure why, but this interaction confirmed some kind of domestic abuse to her. Even if Reece didn’t do it himself, he knew. Corrigan knew she had disappeared and he knew what kind of state she was in when she got back home. Reece Corrigan was not an innocent bystander in this.

  ‘I’ll just go grab a bagel or something for breakfast while you finish up.’

  Angela smiled and disappeared into the back of the house, presumably where the kitchen was.

  ‘Were there any other employees you got rid of for similar reasons?’

  ‘Loads. Over the years we’ve got through a large volume of staff. I like to give people a second chance, so I employ some ex-cons. I also employ a lot of young ’uns who think it’s going to be an easy job, but when they start, they find it too much for them physically. Ruby can compile a staff list for you, if you think that will help. I’ll get her to send it over with those other contact details. Unless there’s anything else you need to see?’

  ‘We may need access to your accounts. We’ll get in touch if and when we have enough for a warrant,’ Imogen said.

  ‘No need for a warrant;
I am happy to provide you with them. I’ve got nothing to hide,’ Corrigan said.

  ‘Give us a call if you think of anything else.’

  Imogen wanted to move away from the door for now. There was more going on than a conversation about Simon Glover and Leon Quick. The lies and secrets surrounding this case just kept getting bigger and harder to understand. She wanted to regroup with Adrian and discuss what their next step needed to be. She wanted to check he was OK.

  ‘Glad to be of service,’ Reece smiled and closed the door.

  Imogen and Adrian walked away from the house in silence. They got in the car and it wasn’t until the house disappeared from view that they actually turned to each other.

  ‘What the fuck was that?’ Imogen said.

  ‘That was her, right? That was Jane Doe.’

  ‘Angela Corrigan. I almost didn’t recognise her, she looks so different.’

  ‘She acted like nothing had happened, like she had no idea who we were. Why would she do that?’

  ‘So did he. Why didn’t he report his wife missing? Dr Hadley implied to me that Jane Doe … Angela Corrigan was a vulnerable person. I took that to mean an abusive situation,’ Imogen said.

  ‘And we’re just going to leave her there?’ Adrian said, his jaw tightening.

  ‘We can go back when he is at work, speak to her and see if she can shed any light on anything. If she is still in a dangerous situation then we don’t want to make it worse.’

  ‘She went back to him? If, indeed, he was the person who did that to her,’ Adrian said.

  ‘Which means he is probably the one who killed Simon Glover. I don’t like jumping to conclusions, but the conclusions are right there. She lied to us about not remembering who she was.’

  ‘Wouldn’t you?’ Adrian said.

  ‘What else did she lie about? I wonder.’

  ‘Do you think we did the right thing? Not letting on that we knew her? Leaving her there?’ Adrian said.