Aftermath

by Joanne Clancy

  “Maybe you can come to some arrangement with her. She seems like a reasonable woman,” Chantale suggested tentatively.

  “I don’t want to come to an arrangement with her,” Hope snapped. “I don’t want to have to get permission from another woman to be involved with the man I’ve been sleeping with for the past few years. Why should she be in control? It’s terribly unfair!”

  “But she is in control,” Darren interjected. “You have to start facing facts and deciding what you’re going to do? Have you spoken to your solicitor yet?”

  “Yes,” Hope nodded. “She advised that the police might prosecute me if they believed that I was part of his crazy plan. They might try to say that we were conspiring together against Kerry.” She sighed wearily. “My solicitor said she’s going to contact Niall’s solicitor and try to establish some rights for me based on the fact that I was unwittingly married him under false pretences.”

  “That seems a bit pointless, if you ask me,” her father continued. “How can you have any rights when she’s his legal wife?”

  “It’s worth a try, Darren,” Chantale shot him a warning glance.

  “You need to think seriously about your situation, love,” her father advised. “What happens if he’s dead?”

  “I don’t what will happen, Dad, that’s the problem.”

  “You have to be entitled to something,” Chantale said. “You’ll get the apartment, surely.”

  “Not necessarily,” Hope sighed again. “Legally, Kerry is entitled to everything. She might play hardball, kick me out of here and sell the apartment.”

  “Is the mortgage not in both your names?” her dad asked incredulously.

  “I don’t know, Dad. Niall took care of the legal stuff.”

  “Now we know why,” her father mumbled under his breath. “Conniving bastard!”

  “I don’t want to even consider that he might be dead,” Hope tried to swallow the huge lump in her throat. “I want to find him and I want him to be alive and well.”

  “There’ll be even more problems then,” Darren said.

  “I don’t care,” Hope said. “I just want him back.”

  Isabel decided that it was time she asked Hope and Kerry to come down to the police station to make official statements about their relationship with their husband. Neither of them seemed very happy about her request but they’d agreed nevertheless. Isabel organised separate days for the women to come in, she didn’t think either of them needed another confrontation to add to their stress.

  Later that afternoon, Kerry sat in the waiting room of the police station. It was completely surreal to her that it was her second time in a police station in just a few short weeks and what’s more she was there as a witness to a crime and that crime was that her husband had married someone else. It’s like a storyline from a very trashy soap opera on daytime television, she thought wryly. She never imagined that she’d ever be in a police station in her life, let alone for such an outlandish reason.

  The young police officer behind the reception desk was welcoming and friendly. It was nothing like she’d imagined. She gazed out the window at the clear blue sky and focused on her breathing in an effort to calm her rapidly beating heart. An attack of nerves had overcome her when Isabel had rung her to come in to make her statement. What could she possibly have left to ask that she hadn’t asked already?

  Isabel appeared in the waiting room and she seemed much serious and formal than before.

  “Thank you for coming in on such short notice, Mrs. Darcy,” she smiled. “Follow me please.”

  Kerry picked up her bag from the seat beside her and followed Isabel to a small interview room.

  “Take a seat, please,” Isabel gestured to a chair on the other side of the desk that stood in the middle of the room.

  There was a tinted window on one wall and Kerry suddenly had images of several police officers standing on the other side watching her, even though she couldn’t see them. She also noticed a video camera in the corner of the room which was pointing in her direction. “May I have a drink of water, please?” Kerry asked. She swallowed hard, her throat was very dry.

  “Certainly,” Isabel poured her a glass of cold water from the cooler in the corner. “You’re not in any trouble,” Isabel tried to reassure the other woman, noticing how nervous she was. “I just need your help to sort this out and I need you to sign your statement of events for me, that’s all.”

  “Are you recording me?” Kerry asked, glancing towards the video camera.

  “No, of course not. Don’t worry about the camera. We’re not recording anything.”

  “Ok,” Kerry visibly relaxed a little.

  “Right, let’s get started.”

  Isabel opened her notebook and scribbled the date at the top of an empty page. She flicked through her previous notes and went over some of the questions that she’d asked her a few weeks before. Kerry wondered why she was asking her the same questions again. She answered as honestly as she could but she was beginning to feel more and more foolish. How could she never have suspected that anything was seriously wrong in her relationship?

  It was very difficult for her to even begin to comprehend that her husband was now considered a criminal in the eyes of the police. Clearly, he was a lying, manipulating womaniser, but it was frightening to think that he was a criminal. Sitting in the interview room at the police station made the whole sorry situation seem very serious indeed. She was starting to seriously worry. What if Isabel thought she was somehow involved in Conor’s scam? Maybe she’d go to prison and lose everything, her home, her family, her career.

  Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was feeling very hot. She wiped her damp forehead and glanced anxiously at Isabel. “Will he be charged with committing a crime?”

  “It’s not up to me,” Isabel replied matter of factly. “The Director of Public Prosecutions will decide how we proceed, if we find your husband. Usually, the Director prosecutes if he believes that the public interest would be served in charging a criminal.”

  Kerry’s blood ran cold at the mention of the word “criminal.” Never in a million years did she ever think that it would be used in connection with her husband. He’d seemed like such a moral, upstanding person. “How does the Director decide?”

  “He’ll need to determine what your husband had to gain by marrying Hope. What do you think?”

  “A big ego boost, great sex maybe,” Kerry shrugged.

  “Pardon?” Isabel shifted uncomfortably on her chair.

  “How the bloody hell would I know why he married her?” Kerry cried. “The Conor I knew isn’t the type of man to have one-night stands. When we first got together he told me he liked being in a relationship. He liked feeling cared for and loved and being loving towards another person. He told me he’d never sleep with anyone who he didn’t truly love.” Her voice caught in her throat. “I suppose that means he loved her too.”

  Isabel didn’t know how to respond to the other woman’s outburst. She was uneasy hearing about the intimate details of someone else’s sex life.

  “My husband was a wonderful lover,” Kerry continued. “When we met there was an instant, magnetic attraction between us. I knew we’d be married. We could barely keep our hands off each other. The chemistry between us was always very strong. Conor made me feel good about myself. When he looked at me I felt like I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He made me feel safe and secure and my self-confidence soared whenever I was with him. Maybe it was the same with Hope.”

  Isabel struggled to regain her composure. She was relieved that Kerry seemed to have finally run out of steam. “There’s usually a more significant reason than great sex. I’ve been studying other bigamy cases and often someone marries multiple times for financial gain or to attain nationality.”

  “Maybe she’s a secret millionaire,” Kerry suggested, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Maybe Conor had financial problems that he hid from me. God knows he hid eve
rything else.” Her voice trailed off.

  “It doesn’t seem that money was his motivation,” Isabel said thoughtfully. “But obviously that’s another line of enquiry I’ll have to follow. Has your husband ever been in trouble with the law before?”

  “He’s never been in any sort of trouble that I know anything about,” Kerry answered carefully, measuring her words. “He didn’t even have an outstanding parking fine or speeding ticket. Up until recently, I believed he was a law-abiding citizen, but what do I know anymore?” She sighed heavily. She liked Isabel and knew that she was doing her best to be as understanding and non-judgemental about the situation, but she wished that Isabel would stop implying that Conor was some sort of a criminal mastermind. He was her husband, for better or worse, just an ordinary man. “I really loved him and I don’t believe that he was involved in anything criminal, well other than marrying two women. I don’t understand why he did this.”

  “Men,” Isabel rolled her eyes. “I’ll never understand them, and it makes me laugh when they say that women are complicated.”

  Kerry was surprised at Isabel’s statement. “Are you married?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her for a moment.

  “No,” Isabel shook her head.

  “Are you seeing anyone?”

  “No, well I was seeing someone, but we broke up.”

  “Would you like to meet a man, settle down and have a few children some day?” Kerry was relieved to be asking the questions for a change and there was something interesting about Isabel Murray that caught her attention.

  “I think I might like that one day, with the right man if he ever comes along. Who knows, I might decide to become a lesbian. At least I understand women, being one myself. Life would certainly be a whole lot easier.”

  The two women laughed.

  “You might be on to something there,” Kerry chuckled. “I might give it a try myself some day.”

  “You’ve got my number,” Isabel grinned.

  “I don’t want Conor to go to jail,” Kerry said, abruptly changing the subject. “I know what he’s done is terrible and I hate him for it, but I can’t stand the thought of him being locked away.”

  “My job is to gather the information and prepare the file,” Isabel explained sympathetically. “If he doesn’t come back that’ll be the end of it.”

  “He’s coming back! I will find him!” Kerry shouted.

  Isabel jumped at her sudden outburst.

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I think you’re being very brave. I would have cracked up by now if I was in your situation.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Do you fancy a coffee?” Isabel asked.

  “Um, sure, that’d be lovely,” Kerry was confused by the invitation. “Are you allowed to have coffee with potential criminals like me?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll bring my handcuffs so I can arrest you if you start getting out of hand.”

  Kerry looked worried.

  “I’m joking,” Isabel grinned, shutting her case files. “Come on, let’s go. I know just the place.”

  It was about a kilometre walk to the city centre and the day was pleasantly warm and sunny. Isabel led the way to a small cafe which wasn’t too crowded and had tables and chairs outside.

  “What would you like?” Isabel asked Kerry.

  “A latte would be lovely, thanks. Do you mind if I smoke?”

  “No, carry on. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Kerry pulled out a wicker chair and sat gratefully. She’d enjoyed the walk into town but her legs were aching from the strain. Her doctors had recommended light exercise, especially walking, but she felt she might have over-exerted herself. She lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply, waiting for the heady rush of the nicotine to hit her addled brain. Her doctors wouldn’t have been happy to see her smoking, but she didn’t care. She only had one or two cigarettes a day and she believed they helped her to relax.

  “There you go,” Isabel smiled brightly as she placed the coffee cups on the table. She took a long sip of her drink and sighed. “Ah, I don’t know how I’d survive without coffee,” she grinned at the other woman.

  “Everyone has to have a few vices in this life,” Kerry agreed. “I’d be lost without mine, although I probably shouldn’t be admitting that to a police officer.”

  “We’re human too.”

  They sat in companionable silence for some minutes, sipping their coffees and watching the world go by. Kerry sneaked a peek at Isabel, she couldn’t help liking her. Isabel was easy to talk to and because she was one of the few people who knew the intimate details about her situation she felt more comfortable with her than with anyone else. She hadn’t told many people about Hope. Their pity would have probably sent her over the edge. Everyone was being so kind and thoughtful and worrying about her finding him that she didn’t have the heart to tell them he was a love-rat. Every time she thought about his marriage to Hope she felt sick to her stomach.

  “What sort of crimes do you usually investigate?” Kerry asked, eventually breaking the silence between them.

  “All sorts, mostly petty crimes as well as some more difficult cases.” Isabel continued to talk about her caseload while Kerry half listened and half day-dreamed out the window.

  “Is everything okay?” Isabel asked.

  “Sure, I’m fine,” Kerry replied quickly, realising that Isabel had stopped talking.

  “Anyway, I should be going,” Isabel pushed her chair back and stood up. “I have a meeting in half an hour.” She glanced at her watch. “I didn’t mean to delay you so long.”

  “You didn’t delay me,” Kerry replied. “I enjoyed it.”

  “Me too,” Isabel agreed, surprising herself at the realisation. “I do hope you find your husband very soon.”

  “I’m not sure if I care about finding him anymore,” Kerry pushed back her chair and waved goodbye to the police woman.

  Hope was dreading her visit to the police station. She hated the cold, formality of the place, in spite of their efforts to make it somewhat welcoming and she couldn’t help feeling like a criminal the moment she walked in the door. Luckily, she got the last remaining car space in the visitors’ parking area of the police station. The officer at reception glanced at her curiously when she asked to speak with Detective Isabel Murray and she felt herself blush under his gaze. Everyone in the police station probably knew about her situation and they were probably thinking she was a complete idiot.

  Hope sat down and rubbed her aching lower back. There were only a few short weeks left until the baby would be born and she couldn’t wait for her pregnancy to be over. It was getting more and more difficult to sleep at night and she was suffering from cramps in her legs which made walking very awkward. Her bump was getting bigger and bigger and she wondered if she’d ever lose the weight she’d gained during her pregnancy. Oh well, weight loss is the least of my worries at the moment, she sighed heavily.

  Isabel didn’t keep her waiting long. She led Hope to the same interview room where Kerry had been the previous day and took Hope through exactly the same procedure. Hope seemed much more business-like about the situation than the other woman or else she was just better at hiding her emotions. However, her pale face and the dark circles under her eyes told the real story.

  “I’m sorry to have to put you through these questions again,” Isabel apologised. “I know this must be very difficult.”

  “Difficult?” Hope asked incredulously. “It’s bloody unbearable!”

  “I understand,” Isabel said sympathetically.

  “How could you possibly even begin to understand?” Hope asked.

  Isabel blanched under the ferocity of her words.

  “I’m so embarrassed about the whole situation. Nobody knows the truth except my parents and a few very close friends. Thank God I’m on maternity leave from work so I don’t have to make any excuses there, at least. I don’t think I could stand their pity.”

&n
bsp; “I’m sure they’d be sympathetic,” Isabel interjected, trying to calm her down. Hope was getting very irate and Isabel didn’t relish the prospect of her going into labour in front of her. She had more than enough to deal with already.

  “I don’t want sympathy,” Hope cried. “I want to find him and ask him why he did it. Not knowing is driving me insane.”

  “Let me get you some tea,” Isabel got up and left the room for a moment, quickly returning with a hot mug of sweet tea.

  “I don’t know what to do,” Hope said, sounding a little calmer. “If we were legally married I could just divorce him and at least then I’d leave with some assets. As it stands I’m entitled to nothing and might even end up homeless, especially if he’s never found.”

  “It’s very hard for everyone involved.”

  “Part of me wants him to be found, but another part never wants to see him again. She massaged her lower back again. The throbbing ache was getting stronger. “I keep asking myself why he was so insistent on marrying me.”

  “I’ve been wondering about that too.”

  “I can’t help thinking that he married me because he wanted me all to himself. He didn’t want me being with another man. He’s very possessive and a little controlling at times.”

  Isabel listened to her, surprised that she was being so forthcoming.

  “You probably think I’m mad but I do still love him. I’ve tried to hate him, but I can’t. There’s something special about Niall. He always made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. He’s good with women, he understands us.” She stared unseeingly in front of her for a few moments. “Anyway, I should be going.” She struggled to her feet. “I’m sorry for rattling on, I’m sure you’re very busy.”

  “There’s always something to do,” Isabel smiled kindly at her. “Call me any time if you want to chat.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll be in touch if there’s any news,” Isabel said as she walked Hope to the door.

  Isabel sat at her desk long after Hope had left the building. It was certainly an intriguing case, on many different levels. Isabel wondered just how delusional the two women were about their relationship with their husband. There was no way he could love both women equally. Could he really be as good in bed as they claimed? Surely he must have been worn out from the two of them? Had he ever confused their names? How could he have stayed sane with two serious relationships in his life?