Woman in the Water

by Katerina Diamond

‘You were really sobbing. It was awful. I kept trying to wake you and you were freaking out.’

  ‘It’s just this bug and this case. I think you were right and it’s getting to me. I need more rest, that’s all. I might go and lie on the sofa for a while.’

  Adrian walked past her and down the stairs. He grabbed a cushion and clutched it to him as he lay down again, propped up on the arm of the sofa. He picked up the remote and put the TV on – silence and darkness were not things he wanted to deal with right now.

  The sound of the bed creaking upstairs as Imogen climbed in alone relaxed him a little. At least he didn’t have to pretend to be all right for a while. He found it impossible to pretend he was all right, even though no part of him wanted her to know what had happened.

  He watched TV until the sun rose. But he couldn’t keep his mind on anything. His thoughts kept returning to that van, to specific moments in there. The overwhelming smell of his own blood as it pooled underneath him. The sensation as the man forced himself inside him over and over again. He could still feel the sting in his skin where it had split and ripped. The taste of the man’s grubby fingers in his mouth, pushing against the back of his throat. Nothing existed outside those moments for Adrian. Everything was gone. There was nothing else to think about, nothing else to remember. It had built a wall around him and trapped him inside.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Imogen thrummed her fingers against the steering wheel as Adrian’s phone went straight to answerphone again. When she left Adrian’s house that morning, he was sleeping on the sofa. She felt bad leaving him there alone; he really didn’t seem right. He had told her that he wasn’t still annoyed with her, but she didn’t believe him, as a few moments later he said he would prefer to spend the night alone. There was something very cold and unfamiliar about his behaviour. But maybe it really was just a bug and she was overreacting.

  It occurred to her that she took for granted that Adrian would always be the one who was OK, even when he wasn’t. He usually put on a brave face for others, but this time it really didn’t feel like he was doing that. Was it selfish of her to want him just to be Adrian again?

  As hard as it had been for Imogen growing up the way she did, with a bipolar single mother and no idea who her father was, it was no comparison to the pain Adrian obviously still carried with him after living with a violent addict as a father. She reminded herself to keep her mouth shut on things she knew nothing about in future.

  DI Matt Walsh was waiting at her desk when she arrived at the station.

  ‘Problem?’ she said, unaccustomed to seeing him here like this and hoping this wasn’t something she would have to get used to on a daily basis.

  ‘The DCI wants us to go and see Reece Corrigan again. She thinks we might get different results. We called the Corrigan Construction HQ and they said he is on site. I’ve got the address.’

  ‘Different results? Why, because Adrian isn’t here? I am sure Corrigan will suddenly become incredibly cooperative for no apparent reason,’ Imogen said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, hoping her tone was enough to convey how stupid she thought this idea was.

  ‘We can ask him about Thompson and maybe we can get a minute or two with his new bestie, Jimmy Chilton. Do you have a problem with this course of action?’ Walsh said.

  ‘I just do what I am told.’ She held her hands up as if to surrender. ‘I am sure the DCI has her reasons for sending us back there. Let me guess, you have to smooth things over with Corrigan because he has put in a complaint against Adrian or something.’

  ‘Not that I am aware of. He is still a suspect and your last visit didn’t exactly produce any results. Did it?’

  ‘You had to be there. It certainly cemented things in my mind.’

  ‘Well, this time I will be.’

  At the construction site there was a tense silence, as though everyone had their heads down and was getting on with the job. Imogen had visited construction sites before and there was always a jokey comment or two being thrown around. But these men didn’t even look at Imogen or Walsh as they walked towards the three men huddled in the corner.

  Reece Corrigan spotted them as they approached. At first, he looked annoyed. Then she was sure she could see a smile on his face as he glanced at Walsh. He obviously assumed that Adrian had been told to stay away.

  As Adrian had predicted, Corrigan was back at work before his wife’s bruise had even healed. She thought the law would protect Angela. She also thought Adrian was overstating because of his own experience in childhood. Besides, the law had moved on in the last thirty years when it came to domestic abuse. Maybe it hadn’t moved on as much as it should have, though. She was pissed off that Corrigan had barely even been reprimanded and she could tell from the look on his face that he thought he was untouchable.

  ‘Detective Grey. It’s good to see you again.’

  ‘Save it.’

  ‘Hello, Mr Corrigan. I’m DI Walsh,’ Matt interrupted before Imogen could say anything else.

  ‘Where’s the other one?’ Corrigan said, smirking.

  ‘We spoke to your old friend Gerry Thompson the other day,’ Imogen said.

  She knew it was probably not the best idea to show their hand immediately, but she wanted to wipe that stupid look off his face. It worked.

  ‘He got fired for drinking on the job. Very unprofessional. He was a danger to himself and to everyone else, so he had to go.’

  ‘If you say so. A lot of your former employees turn to drink, do they?’ Imogen said, folding her arms and putting on her best ‘you’re full of shit and we know it’ face.

  ‘Well, if you met him you will know what I mean. Does he still live in that rat-infested shithole in town? Where do you think all his money went? He was everyone’s best mate at the pub. Life and soul of the party until he stopped buying everyone rounds. Now, he’s Billy No-Mates and no one gives a shit about him. I wouldn’t be surprised if when he eventually does drink himself to death it will only be the smell of his rotting body that would even alert anyone.’

  ‘Thought about this a lot, have you?’ Imogen said. ‘That’s completely normal.’

  ‘My point is, he’s not a particularly credible individual. My lawyers could discredit him within ten minutes. Whatever he has got to say, he’s full of shit.’

  ‘The problem we are finding, Mr Corrigan, is that no one has much of anything to say. They all say pretty much the same thing. It’s all very interesting but a bit too vague for any kind of prosecution. It’s almost as if they are scared of you. That alone is very interesting to me,’ Walsh said.

  ‘Don’t worry, though. We will find someone who doesn’t have a problem detailing all the shady shit you do,’ Imogen said.

  ‘Did you just come here to try and intimidate me? Because it didn’t work when your girlfriend tried it, so I don’t know why you think it would when you do.’

  ‘How long do you think before we find that one person?’ Imogen said.

  ‘I wouldn’t hold my breath, put it that way.’

  Corrigan smiled with an extreme confidence that put Adrian’s concerns and behaviour in perspective for her. She really wanted to knock this guy’s teeth out.

  ‘Where’s Jimmy Chilton today?’ Imogen said.

  ‘He’s got the day off. By all means feel free to go and speak to him, though. I am sure he will tell you exactly what I have told you about that waste of space Thompson.’

  ‘Don’t leave town, Mr Corrigan,’ Walsh said.

  ‘Tell your other friend I hope he feels better soon,’ Corrigan said to Imogen.

  She walked away before she did anything she regretted. The sheer arrogance of the man was completely staggering. He knew they had nothing. He had all the power. Not for long, if Imogen had anything to do with it.

  Chapter Fifty

  When Imogen arrived at Jimmy Chilton’s house with Walsh, they had to ring the doorbell several times before there was a response. His car was parked alongside the house, in fron
t of the garage. He looked behind them, past the front gate and at the road, checking for something or someone before ushering them inside.

  Without even asking, Imogen could tell he lived alone. It was a clean and tidy place but there was something missing. Just like in her house, she supposed. You could tell when a person only had themselves to look after. He had a photo of himself with a couple of teenagers on his wall, grown-up children, no pictures of a wife anywhere. It was an old photo – she could tell by the plumpness in his face that had all but disappeared now.

  ‘What is it you want?’ he asked.

  ‘I don’t know what kind of man you are, Mr Chilton, what kind of person,’ DI Walsh began. ‘We believe your boss was involved in the murder of Simon Glover. Whether or not he did it himself is another question, but so far we have found plenty of people who have told us he is no good but no one willing to elaborate.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  ‘So, you’re happy with the way he does things? Or are you just scared of having an accident at work if you speak up against him?’ Imogen pushed.

  ‘He’s a tough boss but no, I’m not scared of him,’ Chilton said unconvincingly.

  ‘What are your thoughts on Angela Corrigan?’ Walsh said.

  ‘Nice woman, no real thoughts beyond that,’ he said, avoiding eye contact.

  ‘You’ve never seen her with a black eye? Or worse? I don’t believe that for a second; I only met her a few weeks ago and I’ve seen it more than once. Is that kind of thing OK with you?’ Imogen said.

  ‘Look, I don’t know about that. Angela doesn’t come to the site very often and I don’t poke my nose where it doesn’t belong.’

  ‘How long have you known Reece Corrigan?’ Walsh said.

  ‘About nine years. I got a job with him not long after the company moved down here.’

  ‘Moved down from where?’ Imogen asked.

  ‘Shropshire, around ten years ago.’

  ‘That’s a long way to move. Do you know why?’ Imogen said, watching his face for any sign of reaction.

  ‘Sorry, no.’ Chilton said.

  She believed him.

  ‘I bet you’ve seen some things over the years,’ Imogen said.

  ‘I can’t help you.’

  ‘It’s not us you would be helping. We could walk away; we don’t have enough evidence to prosecute. You could all go back to whatever is going on at that construction site, in that world you all live in. Until the next person dies … might even be you,’ Imogen said.

  ‘There’s nothing to tell.’ Jimmy squirmed.

  ‘How does a man like him get so powerful?’ Imogen said.

  ‘I don’t know what you want from me.’

  ‘I was talking to Leon Quick when he killed himself. Picked up a knife off his kitchen counter and stabbed himself in front of me because of something that happened while he was working for Corrigan Construction. Why would anyone do that to themselves without good reason? Considering how close Corrigan usually keeps you, I am going to bet you know a lot about the kind of things he does to people who cross him. How about I just tell him that you’ve decided to talk to us? I could go back there now and say you were giving us a statement,’ Imogen said.

  She stared straight at Chilton, who was visibly sweating. She made a move for the front door.

  ‘Wait!’ Chilton said.

  ‘What is it?’ Imogen said.

  ‘Don’t. I don’t know anything. I’ve got nothing to do with any of it,’ Chilton said desperately.

  ‘If you don’t know anything then what exactly is it that you have nothing to do with?’ Imogen said, staring at him, making it almost impossible for him to look away.

  ‘I was away when Quick left. He didn’t get fired, though, that’s all I can tell you. Corrigan made me put that in his and Glover’s file. I made up all the stuff about them being shit workers, too. They weren’t. Glover did something that pissed Corrigan off. I swear, I don’t know what it was. I would wager it was something to do with Angela, though. She is a real trigger for his temper.’

  ‘So we’ve seen,’ Walsh said.

  ‘What about Leon Quick?’ Imogen said.

  ‘I really don’t know any specifics. But he left suddenly. I overheard Reece on the phone talking to someone about teaching him a lesson, though. I think all he did was make a couple of jokes that Reece didn’t approve of. If it was something else, then I didn’t hear about it. As for what lesson he taught him, I have no idea what it was.’

  ‘And you have no idea why Quick killed himself?’ Walsh said.

  ‘He used to make a lot of jokes around the site; one of those people who always goes for the gag, if you know what I mean. He said a couple of things about Angela that got back to Reece. I genuinely don’t know what happened, but Quick took a week off work. He only came back for a few days before leaving and moving back in with his parents.’

  ‘How was he when he came back?’ Imogen said.

  ‘He wasn’t cracking jokes anymore, that’s all I know. After he left I assumed it was something to do with Reece. I saw Angela around that week, too. She had her arm in a sling,’ Jimmy said apologetically, looking down at his feet.

  ‘I’d like you to come in and make a statement about Glover and Quick,’ Walsh said.

  ‘I won’t. If Reece finds out about this …’

  ‘So, we tell him you told us anyway. What do you think will happen to you then?’ Imogen said.

  In many ways, Chilton was on the brink of telling them everything they wanted to know. He clearly wasn’t as strong as Angela, or as conflicted. Imogen just had to find the right button to push. In this short time of questioning she had already cracked him a little.

  ‘Come on, that’s not fair.’

  ‘Life’s not fair, Mr Chilton. That’s why we have to stop people like Corrigan from getting away with it. He’s literally ruining other people’s lives. How long before he turns on you?’ Walsh said.

  ‘I swear to God, I don’t know anything about what happened to Glover or Quick. I’ve told you everything. I had nothing to do with that. I only deal with stuff to do with work. I don’t get involved in any of Corrigan’s extra-curricular activities.’

  ‘But you must know something. Was he always like this? Has he been like this since you started?’ Imogen said.

  ‘He doesn’t like being told he can’t have something and the only people who say no to him get hurt. I think maybe he’s come to think that he is untouchable and to be honest with you, it certainly seems that way.’

  ‘What if that was your daughter? Don’t you think Angela’s father wanted more for her than this?’ Imogen pointed to the picture on his wall.

  ‘We will still need a statement from you,’ Walsh said.

  ‘If he finds out then I’ll lose my job. He is really big on loyalty. He can make it so no one else will hire me again.’

  ‘By orchestrating an accident so you lose a limb?’ Imogen said.

  ‘I don’t know anything about those accidents, I swear. He doesn’t come to me about things like that.’

  ‘Who does know about those accidents? Who might Corrigan confide in aside from you?’ Imogen asked.

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘That’s not good enough.’ Imogen moved towards the door again.

  ‘I can find out!’

  ‘How?’ Walsh said.

  ‘I spend most of my days in the Portakabin on the main site going through admin and making calls, but I could ask around. See who he’s been talking to.’

  ‘How do we know we can trust you?’ Walsh asked.

  Chilton hesitated for a moment before glancing at the picture of his daughter again.

  ‘She deserves better than him, you’re right. It might take a while; I don’t want him to get suspicious.’

  ‘OK, we’ll give you some time to get the information and then you need to tell us everything you know,’ Walsh said.

  ‘I will. I’ll try.’

 
‘I wouldn’t tell anyone about this arrangement, if I were you. Not even Angela. You could get hurt and we need you to help us build a case against him.’

  ‘I’m not stupid. Please, you had better go.’

  ‘Don’t leave town,’ Walsh said.

  They left the house and walked back to the car. Imogen looked back over to Chilton’s house and saw the curtain moving. He was watching them, waiting for them to leave. Had he really decided to help them out or was it all just an act to get them off his case? Was he going to run straight to Corrigan and tell to protect himself? Or was he going to do what they asked? Only time would tell.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Adrian hadn’t been into work since the attack two days ago. He couldn’t put off going back for much longer, not without a medical note, but he wasn’t sure how to get one, or even if he wanted to. He was going crazy at home, waiting for those men to come and get him again. He knew Imogen was worried about him and he didn’t know how to stop it. The only way he knew was to start acting normally again. The only problem was he couldn’t remember how to do that.

  After Imogen left for work, he got up and showered before walking to the hospital. Going outside was hard, but staying at home was no better. They knew where he lived and they had got to him before, so they could get to him again if they wanted to. Where he was wouldn’t matter, so he opted not to be housebound.

  He walked into accident and emergency and showed his warrant card to the woman on reception.

  ‘I need to speak to Dr Hadley. Is she in today?’ Adrian said.

  He felt stupid for coming here, bad for involving her in this, but he knew he couldn’t just go to someone random; he couldn’t trust them to be discreet. The one thing he knew about Dr Hadley above everything else was that she respected a patient’s privacy and would never violate that. He also trusted that she would be sympathetic; he had seen her with other victims in the past. He needed to speak to someone who understood this sort of thing, someone who would react appropriately. He wasn’t sure how he would take any kind of judgement at this point; he needed kindness and empathy.