Death in Cold Waters

by Tannis Laidlaw

  Maddie and Jade watched Ethan bound up the ramp of the police station shortly thereafter. He had assured them he’d set up the evidentiary interview with a psychologist (a ‘lovely’ psychologist) as soon as he possibly could. Maybe even tomorrow.

  Maddie’s shoulders sagged. Nothing was going to happen. Dymock would be away before anything could be done. She didn’t start the motor. Instead, she looked over at Jade. “Where to?”

  Jade closed her eyes then slowly smiled. “Heathrow.”

  Maddie smiled back at this amazing daughter of hers. She started the car. “Hoped you’d say that.”

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Maddie headed for the short term carpark. She hated driving around Heathrow. First, because it was always busy with drivers changing lanes unpredictably who also hated driving around Heathrow. But second, because the huge number of signs all had to be read or she’d get hopelessly lost. Instead, she slowed and told Jade to read aloud every sign while she concentrated on finding her way around the many roundabouts, navigating to the correct lanes at traffic lights and avoiding crashing into cars whose drivers were obviously as confused as she was.

  Once parked in the appropriate building, they headed inside busy Terminal Three. “You’re sure about this?” Maddie asked as they marched over to the British Airways section.

  “Of course. And don’t remind me again that he might have already gone through security to the gate. But if he has tickets for that 7:50 flight, there’s still a chance, Mum. Don’t get cold feet now.”

  “I’m not. But it’s up to you. You can change your mind. Leave it to the police.”

  “As if! Come on. Hurry up,” Jade said impatiently. “It doesn’t matter if we run. Loads of people do when they’re late.” She sped up with Maddie attempting to keep up behind.

  British airways had queues. Two long ones. The two of them split; Jade went to one and Maddie the other.

  Suddenly Jade’s voice rang out. “There he is!” She paused. “That man molested me – grab him before he gets away!”

  Faces turned her way.

  Maddie rushed over as Jade elbowed her way into the crowd of suitcase-dragging people. “There! The guy in the leather jacket!”

  Donald shot an irritated look at Jade. Smiled uncertainly to the people around him. Said something.

  “That’s him! He’s a sex abuser!”

  As Maddie closed in on him, he blanched, dropped his carry-on bag, turned and ran.

  “Stop him!” Maddie yelled.

  The customers quietened, watched the drama. Moved to allow the two of them access.

  “He’s getting away! Call the police!” Her voice soared.

  One man stuck his foot out as Donald tried to elbow past him. They both went down with a thud.

  “Hold him! Someone, get security!” Maddie yelled.

  The man who had tripped Donald up, perhaps not the epitome of fitness but who certainly carried a lot of extra weight, sat on his back.

  “Get off me,” Donald yelled. “I can hardly breathe.”

  “Pleased you now know what it feels like,” Maddie muttered. She grabbed first one of his hands then the other and got the large man to hold them while she pulled off her silky scarf and used it to bind Donald’s hands together.

  Donald jerked in an attempt to free himself, first trying to buck the big man off his back, then attempting to kick the man with bent knees. Unsuccessfully. Maddie motioned to Jade to wait until his legs were straight for a moment and they both pounced – Maddie onto his knees and Jade, his ankles.

  Maddie turned to the on-lookers, all in various states of dismay. “Scarf, please, someone. I need to tie his feet together.”

  An elegantly dressed older lady whipped off her matching scarf and handed it to Maddie.

  With arms and legs secured, Maddie, Jade and the obese man watched with some equanimity as two burly security men approached.

  “Would you please call the police?” Jade asked from her place on Donald’s ankles.

  “Inform DI Ethan de Roque, Metropolitan Police, Kingston, that you have Donald Dymock in custody here at Heathrow,” Maddie said in her most authoritative voice. “He knows all about this creep.”

  “That was you?” an incredulous Kim asked Jade as they waited for the school to let them in the next morning. “I read about it in the paper. It didn’t say who was involved. Just Heathrow, a teenager and one of her teachers.”

  “Me. And Mum. The man was Mr Dymock. He, like, tried it on with me earlier yesterday. And he was about to skip the country.”

  “Mr Dymock?” one of the other girls asked. “Sheesh, he tried to get me to do things to him, too. A couple of years ago now, the dirty bugger.”

  “So he’s done it before,” Jade said, deciding she’d better keep quiet about Geneva. “We tried to get the police interested. Well, they were interested but they didn’t do anything. Red tape.”

  “I heard a girl last year left school because of something to do with Mr Dymock,” someone else said.

  “Why have I never heard anything negative about him at all?” Jade asked.

  “You were such friends with Freya. Nothing to do with her,” the girl who had the incident with Dymock said. “I hate him. Not her. She can’t help who her father is.”

  “I read he was arrested,” Kim said.

  “So far, not arrested,” Jade said. “Just ‘helping the police with their inquiries’.”

  “Well, we all know what that means,” Kim said. “He’s toast.”

  Ethan dropped by as Maddie was taking fresh scones from the oven. She had wanted to do something domestic, as far from paedophile teachers and crazy antics at the airport as possible. She was pleased Jade had headed off to school without complaint.

  As Ethan ate his way through the fresh scone (with butter and strawberry jam), he told her Jade had been busy.

  “She let the cat out of the bag at the school today,” he said.

  “I’m sorry,” Maddie said. “Just too much excitement yesterday, I guess.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I’ve had two more complaints about Mr Donald Dymock as a result. Important complaints, both young women are having evidentiary interviews this afternoon.”

  “You’ll want Jade’s, as well, I suppose.”

  “Yes. But these two are different. Both had schoolgirl crushes on Dymock. Both described themselves as shy. Each had been hugely complimented that Dymock paid them attention. So they were willing. But one was fourteen and the other fifteen, so, of course, couldn’t legally give consent at the time. Both tiny girls, both still look younger than they are. One is seventeen now and the other eighteen.”

  “He raped them?”

  “The Bill Clinton type of rape.”

  “Oh,” Maddie said. “You mean, like Geneva Hopworth.”

  “Essentially, but not a one-off like hers. Theirs was ongoing.”

  Maddie winced.

  “But, speaking of Geneva Hopworth,” Ethan said, “she’s come forward with a new statement. It’ll be useful.” He gestured to the pile of scones and Maddie nodded. “Looks like your boy will get another look from us, too. Officially, at this point, his conviction might be ‘unsafe’.”

  “That’s the first good news I’ve heard,” Maddie said. “Please, Ethan, don’t let Henry rot in prison any longer.”

  He sighed. “I wish I could wave a magic wand. But you’ll be pleased to know we’re recommending his release on parole again. That should happen very shortly. As soon as I get the go-ahead, I’ll let you know. Even before his present probation officer.” He winked. “But his conviction still stands, Maddie. Nothing as big as that has changed so far. But my team will be busy, very busy, in the coming days. They like cold cases they can solve.”

  When Jade arrived home, she told her mother about the two other girls who had experienced something similar to her. “Then, as I was walking home, this other girl caught me up. She asked me about what had happened. When I told her, she said hers was way worse.”


  “Do you know this girl?” Maddie asked.

  “Sort of. We were in the school play together last year. She’s a year younger than me.”

  “Did she say how it was worse?”

  “She was asked if she’d like to help him after school with putting the equipment away. She was really chuffed at being asked. Thought he was wonnnnderful.” She elongated the word. “Then one day he came onto her. She said he wanted her to do stuff – you, know, like Geneva – when he was sitting at his desk. That meant she was underneath the desk where nobody could see her. Sometimes people would even come into the room. He would talk to them. All the while she was under the desk doing it to him. So gross.”

  Maddie was appalled. “Oh, Jade, I’m sorry she told you all that. Not nice to hear. And scary for you.”

  Jade shrugged her shoulders. “I know. But we’ll see. I think talking about it openly at school is good, you know.” She sighed. “Anyway, she also told me about her breaking it off with him.”

  Maddie wasn’t sure she wanted to hear any more. “Jade….”

  “No, listen. This is the one good part. Sort of funny, anyway.”

  “Okay.”

  “She’d started playing in a community orchestra a year or so ago. And this guy was sitting next to her. Both play the violin. He goes to Tiffins. Same age as her. They got talking – usual stuff – and she found him interesting. And he found her interesting, too. A couple of geeks, I guess. Really great for her because she’s so shy. He did become her boyfriend, but that was later. In fact, he still is her boyfriend.”

  Maddie nodded. Good to hear some normal stuff.

  “Anyway, much earlier, like just after she met this guy, she went into Donald’s office and closed the door but stayed there, her back against the door, her hands still on the doorknob so she could run if she needed to. He, the pervert, looked up at her, surprised she wasn’t heading to her spot under the desk. She wanted to say it was time for her to find a boyfriend so would not be ‘helping him with the equipment’ any more. ‘Helping with the equipment’! What a jerk.”

  “She told him she wanted out?”

  “She started to say it, but, look, she’s shy. Like not self-confident. She sort of stumbled about wanting a boyfriend. He said, would you believe, ‘A boyfriend? But you’ve got a real man.’ She then said, ‘But I want a real boy!’”

  Maddie laughed with Jade, but felt that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Donald Dymock was a pervert, just like Jade said. And the sooner he was out of circulation the better.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Maddie’s phone rang.

  “Hi, girlfriend. How’s it going?” Caroline asked.

  “Which bit?”

  “Still got a job? Still got a marriage? Those bits.”

  “Still got the job although I’m not sure if I can stick it anymore, truthfully, Caroline. And still in my marriage and ditto.”

  “Not good. Tell me if you want a girls’ weekend at the cottage in Oxfordshire. Not ‘if’. ‘When.’”

  Once off the phone, Maddie thought long and hard about skipping away again for another restful and soul-renewing break from her troubled life. Soon. But she had some challenges to get through before planning such a thing again.

  And leaving Wayne alone for a whole weekend? Not on your life.

  The opportunity came a day later. Both Maddie and Jade had gone to the police station during the day. Maddie made a statement for the record and Jade had her ‘evidentiary interview’.

  “How was it?” Maddie asked while she was driving Jade back to school.

  “Okay. Not so great remembering it in so much detail,” she said. “But the lady was nice. Made it seem okay to be talking with a stranger about something so revolting.”

  “Good at her job,” Maddie said.

  After school Jade had gone out to Esher for a study-sleepover with her friend Kim. Thank heavens for Kim, with Freya away and presumably still in the dark about what had occurred between her father and her best friend. Maddie spared a thought for her; life was about to become dreadful for her. Poor Freya. But no Jade meant there was an opportunity for the heart-to-heart Maddie needed to have with her husband.

  That evening Maddie deliberately kept to their normal routine. Everything was as Wayne would expect. He arrived home on time. Called out when he arrived. As he always did.

  Maddie said, “Hi, Wayne. How was your day?” As always.

  He popped his head into the kitchen, said his day had been fine and asked what they were having for dinner.

  “Chicken in a Madras curry sauce. Over what’s called ‘cauliflower rice’ instead of real rice.”

  “Why?” He was already turning towards the living room and its television.

  She patted her tummy. “Good for the beer belly.”

  “Who has a beer belly?”

  “Had a look in the mirror lately?” She smiled. Just a tad maliciously.

  “Whatever,” he said, grabbing the remote.

  Dinner was fine. He asked where Jade was, chatted about his music, everything as usual.

  When she poured their cups of tea, she sat down and looked at Wayne.

  He looked at her, down at his tea, back at her. “What?” Slightly annoyed.

  “You,” she said and sipped her tea, more so her hands had something to do than she wanted to drink.

  “Me, what?”

  “You and, well, me, I guess. Or you and whoever you’re seeing.” She felt her face flush. She grabbed the teacup again, gulped a big mouthful and almost burned her tongue. “Tell me, Wayne. Speak to me.”

  “What do you mean, ‘whoever’? I’m not….”

  She interrupted. “Please, Wayne. The truth. Just the truth.”

  He stared at her. He untangled his right hand from the teacup and placed both palms on the table top. He took a deep breath. “Nothing’s happened.”

  She continued to keep her eyes on his. She knew not to interrupt now he’d started.

  “Look, she’s got a beautiful voice. It suits our sound. And she’s, well, she’s attractive. A bit like our Olivia. Actually they used to go to school together.”

  Maddie dropped her hands into her lap below the table. She gripped them. Tightly. She wanted to erupt. She squeezed her hands even tighter.

  A friend of Olivia’s?

  As young as their daughter?

  Attractive?

  Instead she loosened her hands, squeezed them again. Hard. Clenched her jaw so she wouldn’t make a sound. She continued to stare at him. Took a long, deep breath and held it.

  “She knows I’m married,” he said. “She’s not. Lives with her mum. She’s lonely. We know it’s wrong. It can’t last. She’s too beautiful. She’ll be off with someone else once she gets her career off and running. That part’s mutual – when her career takes off, mine does too. You can see that, can’t you Maddie? I’m lucky to have found her.”

  She didn’t deign to answer that one. But she thought she could speak now. Had to speak now.

  “The truth, Wayne. Nobody has that sort of discussion before something happens. Only after.”

  He flushed red again. “You’re too smart for your own good,” he muttered.

  Maddie wanted to scream to the rafters. If they had rafters. Wanted to rush out of the room, slamming the door. Or throw something.

  Instead, she sat as if nailed to her chair. “The truth, Wayne. We’ve always been truthful with each other. It’s no time to start lying now.”

  Tears welled up in his eyes and she could feel her own suppressed tears threatening. “I don’t want to hurt you, Maddie. I love you.”

  She cleared her throat. “I love you, too, Wayne. But I have to know. How long has it been going on?”

  “Not long.”

  She let the silence drag on. She unclenched her hands and sat on them.

  “Truly. Just the past couple of weeks. That’s all.”

  Weeks. She cleared her throat. “What do you want to happen
?”

  “Gawd, Maddie, I don’t know!” His voice rose in anguish. “I don’t want this to break us up. We have too much together. Years, Maddie. And I know she’ll move on. Can’t you just forget it? Let it play out?”

  She let her breath out slowly. “Play out?” she asked, keeping her voice flat. “No.” She shook her head. “No.”

  The silence dragged on again. She was fighting with herself not to take the blame. Because of her guilt about ignoring him. Of not being interested enough in his music when she knew music was his life – his very being.

  At the same time, she also wanted to call him every name in the book. To insult him. To attack this pathetic little schemer who was lonely. Lonely?

  Maddie squeezed her eyes shut. How did all this make her feel? Worse than lonely, that’s for sure. She shivered at the intensity of her feelings.

  Wayne stood and walked around behind her. He lightly massaged her shoulders. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Sorry, sorry, sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. But….” He took a deep breath. “But I can’t give you an answer right now.” His voice choked up. “It’ll be soon, Maddie. Soon. I promise.”

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Maddie sat a long time at the kitchen table. Wayne was in his usual place, in front of the television set which was turned up louder than usual. Protecting himself from thinking, most likely. She finally got up and saw she’d been sitting there only about ten minutes. It felt like hours.

  Once she’d cleaned up the kitchen and made a fresh pot of tea for herself – she certainly wasn’t about to offer Wayne another cup – her phone rang.