Truth or Die

by Katerina Diamond

  Imogen woke up with a tight knot in her stomach. She was thinking about Adrian; he had even started making cameo appearances in her dreams. Something had changed between them. They had had the conversation now, too. It just felt so weird, like it was wrong in some way, although she didn’t know why. In many ways, her friendship with Adrian was the healthiest relationship she had ever had. He was quite uncomplicated as a person; he didn’t lie, and she never felt as though she wasn’t getting the whole picture with him. The more she got to know Adrian, the more she liked him as a person. If anything, her original thoughts of him were unfair, not that she’d ever disliked him, but she hadn’t fully appreciated what a good guy he was. He hid it well by being a bit crap at people. He had appeared to be vain and a bit in love with himself when they first met, but as they spent time together she realised it was nothing like that. He messed around for the same reason she ran. A little time pretending you could be better, be someone else. She couldn’t judge him for that.

  She tried to put a finger on why she found it so strange to think of Adrian in that way. Maybe because they were friends first and foremost. Many relationships start with lust and progress to friendship. To be fair, that had never worked out for her. All she knew was that when she was in that shower with Adrian she certainly wasn’t thinking about him as a friend. Thank God he felt the same way. Could she wait? Were they past the point where they could get to know each other? Of course, she knew she still had a lot to learn about Adrian. She blushed at the prospect. Christ, she had to get ready for work and stop getting fired up like this.

  At the station, Gary and Adrian ushered Imogen into the liaison room. If their goal was to seem nonchalant, they failed. She shook her head; they couldn’t look more conspicuous if they tried.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘We found something out about the wife, Abigail Lucas. Well, Gary did,’ Adrian said.

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘She left the university because she claimed she was assaulted and the university basically didn’t give a shit. Tried to sweep it under the carpet,’ Gary said.

  ‘Who assaulted her?’ Imogen asked.

  ‘That’s never mentioned in any of the emails,’ Gary said.

  ‘And what’s that got to do with this?’

  ‘In the emails to Coley, Lassiter suggests using it as leverage to get her involved in some kind of programme, but I think it’s more of a game,’ Gary said.

  ‘Game?’

  ‘Yeah, as soon as I saw that it all clicked into place. I saw a movie like it once, a French movie, fucking horrible it was,’ Gary said.

  ‘OK, so how does it work?’

  ‘You start by getting a person you can control somewhat, either financially or with some secret they might have that they don’t want to go public. In the movie, it was about winning a large sum of money, but I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. Then you get them to do things they wouldn’t normally do, immoral or illegal things, and escalate it until they are doing some properly messed-up stuff. Once you get people involved in the game, it becomes harder for them to leave when they have committed any of the acts. You get them on the hook, then when you have them there you threaten them with exposure in order to compel them to commit another slightly more heinous act.’

  ‘How far does it go?’

  ‘As far as they want. Who can say? There is a possibility the other killer we are looking for is one of the others, like Caitlin. That maybe the killings were part of the challenges being set. Or maybe they just pushed someone too far and they lost the plot.’

  ‘Why am I surprised by anything that people do?’ Imogen said wearily.

  ‘Caitlin claimed she didn’t know any of the other people involved, only Gillian Mitchell, who was the one who was controlling her,’ Adrian said.

  ‘It seems as though Coley and Norris both had someone to use as their pawn, which means Lassiter probably had one, too,’ Imogen said.

  ‘So, this Parker guy, do we think he’s now after the final professor? Do we think he knows who it is?’ Gary asked.

  Imogen frowned. ‘Where’s the list of the faculty members?’

  Gary pulled out a small brown file and handed it to her; it was a list of university staff.

  ‘So, if we assume Owen Sager was Norris’s pupil, Coley had his eye on Abbey Lucas, then we need to know who Helen Lassiter’s pupil was,’ Imogen said.

  ‘Right. Well, I went through all of Lassiter’s pupils and there’s one that sticks out. He comes from a lower socioeconomic background; his grades didn’t meet the requirements, but Lassiter pulled some strings to get him in. His name is Russ Beacham and he’s been AWOL since Hugh Norris went missing,’ Gary said.

  ‘It’s not uncommon for prestigious universities to let students with lower grades in if they fit the requirements in other ways. It’s an effort to make them seem less elitist. It could be innocent enough,’ Imogen said.

  ‘His were lower than that, and realistically he didn’t have anything going for him. No outside academic clubs. He hadn’t taken part in any of the hiking challenges like Ten Tors or Duke of Edinburgh or any of that other extra-curricular stuff they look for.’

  ‘You think he could be the attacker?’

  ‘Well, Russ had lessons with Hugh Norris and Owen Sager,’ Gary said. ‘Also, Owen Sager got in trouble with the police a couple of weeks before he died for tagging on a church – he sprayed a giant swastika in broad daylight.’

  ‘Jeez, that almost sounds like a dare,’ Imogen said. ‘What about Beacham? Has he been in trouble with us before?’

  ‘He sure has. Shoplifting in that huge DIY warehouse down by the bus station,’ Gary said.

  ‘So, let’s flip it. Let’s look for all the uni students that have been brought in since September and try to ascertain for sure which ones had one of our twisted profs,’ Imogen stated. ‘Beyond that, look for the pupils who didn’t have the required grades. Maybe we can find out who the fourth person is.’

  ‘Do we have enough to show the DCI without getting in the shit? We just have to leave out Parker’s involvement,’ Adrian said.

  ‘It all connects, so yes,’ Imogen added. ‘What happens if we catch Parker?’

  ‘We arrest and charge him,’ Adrian said.

  ‘For everything?’ Imogen asked.

  ‘We’ll have to deal with that shitstorm when the time comes.’

  ‘I was hoping you would say that,’ Gary said.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Adrian knocked on the door to Imogen’s flat. She opened it almost immediately. He held out the flowers he had bought for her and she ushered him inside with a puzzled look on her face.

  ‘Why did you buy me flowers?’

  ‘I literally have no idea. I was in the petrol station and they were there. It was flowers or charcoal.’

  He didn’t know what to do with this new stage in their relationship. There was her constant niggling presence in his mind and he had to come over – not just as her friend or colleague. Now that he was here with these flowers in his hand though, he felt foolish. He didn’t even know if Imogen liked flowers.

  ‘I’ll put those in water.’ She took the flowers and went into the kitchen, Adrian following. On the windowsill was a vase of what he supposed were dead flowers, although they looked more like a witch’s binding of dusty twigs. She pulled those out and put them in the bin, then started to fill the vase with water. He had been wrong before; he couldn’t take things slowly. That’s why he was here, now, with these stupid flowers. This collision course had been coming for some time, maybe from the moment they met.

  Adrian walked up behind her and brushed her hair away from her neck. He kissed her on the very most inner part.

  ‘I can’t stop thinking about this … about us,’ he said, hoping he wasn’t alone in his feelings, knowing that he probably wasn’t. Now that they had put it out in the open, it had got worse. Maybe sex was the only way through it. Maybe once they had got that over with they
could move on. Right now, it was at the very front of his mind and driving him to distraction.

  Imogen turned and their lips met. Instead of the frenzied kiss they had shared before, this time he was slow and deliberate, soft and curious. She leaned back against the sink. Adrian reached behind her and turned the tap off that was running in the background. Imogen took a deep, heavy breath.

  ‘Me either.’ She put her lips on his and took his face in her hands.

  The scent of coconut shampoo was all Adrian could smell as Imogen’s hair brushed against his face. He had put his hands on her before, but this time was different; there was no secret any more. He pushed his fingers in between hers.

  ‘Are you sure? We can’t go back if we do this,’ Adrian said.

  ‘I don’t think we can go back anyway,’ Imogen whispered. ‘Let’s go in the other room.’

  She led him into the bedroom and sat him on the bed. Adrian watched as she pulled her jeans off before leaning forward, kissing him again and straddling his lap. This closeness was unfamiliar but not unwelcome. The warmth of her legs around his hips stirred him and he fell back onto his elbows. She unbuttoned his shirt and he watched her hands travel down his body. Seeing her touching him made him breathless. There was no darkness now, no secrecy. It was still light outside and he could see her legs across his pelvis – the only thing between them was three layers of fabric. He put his hands on her thighs and slid them towards her waist, catching the edge of her sweatshirt and dragging it upwards so he could see more. Imogen pulled the sweatshirt off. She wore a tight black vest that clung to every muscle. He looked at her grey pants, pressed against him, the tail end of the scar that ran the length of her torso tucked into the hem.

  He pushed himself into a sitting position, Imogen’s body closer than they had ever been before. They kissed again and he shook free of his shirt. He put his hands around her, grabbing onto her backside, and then stood up before turning and lowering her onto the bed. It felt so strange to be together like this, but also so natural, so completely predestined. It was impossible to fight and now he was amazed they had lasted this long.

  Reaching down, he unbuckled his belt and undid the top button of his trousers before he carried on. Just leaning over her like this, seeing her looking up at him made Adrian light-headed with hunger. He didn’t know what to do, what he was allowed to do. The time for talking was over and so he just had to push past his fear. Fear of what? He couldn’t keep asking her if she was sure. She was. He had permission.

  Holding his breath, he leaned down and kissed her stomach through the fabric. As he exhaled onto her, she took a deep breath and pulled her top up to offer her skin to him. The silky white jagged line of her scar was so prominent against her olive skin. He could feel her tremble through his lips; she tasted exactly as he supposed she would taste. It still wasn’t too late to pull back, to say this was all a mistake, to stay friends without the awkwardness of knowing what inhabited them.

  One of them needed to make the decision and Adrian decided it would be him. He traced his finger along the edge of her underwear and ran his hand over her, the warmth from between her legs in his palm. He gently stroked the jersey fabric as Imogen’s breathing became more uncontrolled. Raising himself up again, his hand still between her legs getting less and less gentle as he felt the fabric dampen, he kissed her on the lips, slipping his tongue inside her mouth. He heard the tiniest of sighs with each movement. As he kissed her neck, he pulled her underwear to the side and slipped his hand under the fabric. As he felt her wetness against his fingers, he had the strongest urge to be inside her. He couldn’t breathe.

  He pulled away and looked at her, there was no going back now. He pulled off her pants and knelt on the ground by the bed. From the corner of his eye, he could see her clamp her hands over her face and she moaned into her palms as he wet his lips with her. He wanted to bring her to the brink so that she was as overwrought with desire as he was, until she was pulling him into her and digging her nails into his flesh. He didn’t want it to be safe any more, he wanted them to be overtaken with this energy that was desperate to be expelled.

  With both hands on her thighs, he felt her legs quiver with each kiss. He reached up and slid his hand under the fabric of her top, his fingertips brushing against her nipples, her hand clutching his hair. He looked up and she was propped on her elbow, watching him as her chest heaved. Why had they waited so long?

  He ran his hand along her forearm until she let go of his hair and brought her hand to meet his, interlocking fingers; she squeezed his hand as he drew her into his mouth. Her grip tightened as she bucked involuntarily before pushing him away and turning onto her side breathlessly. He climbed up next to her and she kissed him, slipping her tongue inside his mouth while reaching down and sliding her hand down the front of his jeans.

  ‘Are you OK?’ he whispered.

  ‘No,’ she laughed and pushed him onto his back.

  She reached across to the bedside table and pulled out a condom. He unbuttoned himself and put it on as she watched impatiently. He could see the heat in her cheeks; he was sure he was blushing, too. She pulled her vest over her head and threw it on the ground as he removed his jeans.

  ‘This is really happening, huh?’ Adrian said.

  ‘Last chance to back out.’ But before he could answer, Imogen straddled him and guided him inside.

  Adrian closed his eyes, trying desperately not to succumb to his body just yet. She felt so good. He rested his hands on her hips as she moved, her hands pressed firmly on his chest. He had been ready for longer than he could stand and so he closed his eyes again, the sight of her writhing on top of him only exacerbating the situation. Just hold on a little longer.

  Adrian pulled her off and pushed her down onto the bed; he wanted to be in control, he wanted to feel her underneath him as pushed his way inside again and again.

  It probably should have lasted longer than it did, but they had months of foreplay behind them, this was just the culmination of all those lonely nights teasing each other in the dark. When he opened his eyes again, he saw her watching him. The moment over, he rolled onto the bed next to her. He took her hand in his and kissed it.

  ‘So, that happened,’ Imogen said.

  ‘Regretting it already?’ Adrian said.

  ‘Of course not. Don’t do that, it’s an insult to both of us. We know what we are doing,’ Imogen said.

  ‘Obviously.’

  She kissed him on the lips again before getting off the bed. Everything had changed since he had last seen her. He couldn’t believe they had gone there. The strangest thing about the whole situation was how natural it felt to be here in a room naked with her. He watched her pull her hair back into a ponytail, wondering when he would be allowed to touch her again. He sat up and pulled his jeans back on as she grabbed her sweatshirt and underpants.

  ‘So, why did you come over?’ Imogen asked.

  ‘I um … I thought that was obvious?’

  ‘Well, do you want some dinner maybe? I order a mean pizza.’

  ‘If you don’t mind me hanging around?’

  ‘You’re right, you should leave. We couldn’t possibly share something as intimate as a pizza now. It wouldn’t be right.’ She grinned at him.

  ‘I’m confused, OK? What happens next?’

  ‘I say we try not to overthink it, Adrian. Let’s eat some dinner, watch some TV and then you can stay the night. This is weird enough without us being weird with it.’

  ‘You’re being very pragmatic about the whole thing.’

  ‘I know, it’s disconcerting.’

  Imogen left the room. Adrian followed her into the lounge, feeling like a lost dog waiting for instruction. He was used to being the one in control in these situations, but he knew that wasn’t the case here. It occurred to him in that moment that every woman he had ever had strong feelings for was like this with him. Andrea, Lucy and now Imogen. Maybe he needed to feel submissive in order to feel love.

>   Imogen picked up her phone and went into her takeaway app. ‘Pepperoni OK?’

  ‘Sounds great.’

  She paused for a moment and took a deep breath before speaking. ‘What do we do about work? The DCI will kill me if I get into another inappropriate workplace relationship.’

  ‘Another one?’

  ‘Dean, you know, suspect, witness … whatever you want to call him.’ She put the order through and put the phone down.

  ‘Oh, I thought you meant another copper.’

  ‘No. Not at this station anyway.’ She winked and pulled the vase of flowers out of the sink and put them on the windowsill to die.

  Adrian had only recently started thinking about Imogen with other men. Even though he had known when she was with Dean, he felt uncomfortable thinking about it now. He didn’t like to think of her with anyone else. He was jealous.

  ‘How long ’til that pizza comes?’ he said, walking towards her, knowing they had at least half an hour. He needed to confirm that this was real, that it was still happening. Now the first time was out of the way.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  One month ago

  The train pulled into Exeter St David’s train station and Parker stood by the door ready to disembark. His stomach churned as the landmarks came into view. He’d never thought he would come back to this place. He thought he was done. The train came to a halt and Parker stepped off. No one looked at him, no one noticed him, no one knew what he had done. What he was about to do.

  He walked through the station and took the various roads to get to his old house, his grandfather’s house. He held his breath as he opened the door to the smell of his childhood, not wanting to be hit with it but to let it in slowly. Everything was how he had left it. He would never sell this house, it wouldn’t be fair. It was tainted and cursed. He had left a message for the cleaner not to come this month; he didn’t want any unexpected visitors. He had work to do. He had to find out what the link between Helen Lassiter and Robert Coley was, he had to find out who else was involved and what this was all about, what they wanted from Abbey, Parker’s wife, the love of his life. He got angry when he thought about the conversation he had read, angry enough to kill again.