Gerry Thompson didn’t live like a man who had until recent years been working for the top construction company in the area. His home was a run-down studio flat just behind Paris Street. He opened the door and limped back to the sofa, flopping down and muting the TV. They followed him inside. The smell of overripe rubbish hung in the air; Imogen wondered how he slept in here. The curtains were drawn and swirls of dust circled the air. Her stomach turned. Let’s get this over with.
‘Mr Thompson, you used to work for Corrigan Construction, correct?’ DI Walsh said.
‘How did I know this was going to be about that?’
‘Have you been expecting us?’ Imogen asked.
Thompson was the second person to make a remark like that.
‘I guess. Eventually.’
‘What did you think we would need to speak to you about?’ Imogen said.
‘I am guessing I am not your first port of call for whatever you are here for. Reece upsets a lot of people. It’s what he does. So really I don’t know what specific thing this is about.’
‘Do you know his wife, Angela?’ DI Walsh said.
‘Lovely girl. She’s still there, then?’ Gerry Thompson looked at the ground, shaking his head as he spoke.
‘You knew about the domestic violence?’ Imogen said.
‘That’s one of the reasons why I don’t work there anymore. I wasn’t comfortable with it and challenged him one too many times.’
‘The limp?’ Imogen said.
‘You noticed? An accident onsite, apparently. I am still not sure,’ Gerry scoffed.
Reece Corrigan was certainly consistent.
‘What do you mean?’ DI Walsh said.
‘Only the people Reece wanted out of the way seemed to have these career-ending accidents.’
‘Do you know of anyone else who had an accident at work?’ Imogen asked.
‘I hear rumours mostly, but there is a ring of truth to them. A few guys quit without working out their notice while I was there. I got the distinct feeling they were running away. God only knows what he did to them. I only stuck it out as long as I did because I needed the money. If you have met him, you know he gives off that scent of Eau de Nutcase.’
‘Did you go to the police about it?’ DI Walsh said.
‘I never had any proof; just a hunch, really. Reece doesn’t like being challenged on anything. If this was retribution, I got off lightly. There’s a darkness about him. I don’t even know how to describe it, but you just know not to fuck with him. His threats aren’t idle.’
‘Did you ever witness anything first hand? Would you be willing to testify?’ DI Walsh said.
‘I was his right-hand man on paper, but really I wasn’t someone he came to when he needed something. I don’t know if he is still there or what, but a bloke called Jimmy Chilton is who you need to speak to. He knew the ins and outs of what Reece was up to. I think he probably arranged for my little accident.’
‘Did you know Simon Glover or Leon Quick?’ Imogen asked.
‘No, sorry. What’s happened to them? It was a long time ago, though I try to remember as little as possible. Everything gets skewed when you are working there. It’s almost a hostage situation, or a cult, like you can’t leave unless he says so. I just want to forget about all of it. It changed me and I lost my family because of it. My wife, my kids, they didn’t recognise me anymore. Now they are gone. I can’t work in construction anymore because of my leg.’
‘Did Corrigan openly threaten you, then?’ Imogen said.
‘He openly threatens everyone. If you’re smart, you listen the first time.’
‘So, why would you stay there? Just money?’ Imogen said.
‘I wasn’t exactly swimming with career opportunities. He gives chances to people with a lot to lose and then that’s it, you’re on the hook.’
‘Lots to lose, how?’ Imogen said.
‘In my case it was debt. I took out a loan with some dodgy outfit at three thousand per cent interest and he paid it off for me. Took payments out of my wages. Took me years to pay it off. At first I felt indebted to him, but then I realised it was just a way of keeping me loyal no matter what he did. Which I couldn’t do in the end.’
‘Like, what did he do?’ Walsh asked.
‘He would blackball people who didn’t do what he wanted. He cut corners on jobs, sometimes he didn’t pay people, sometimes he got people hurt. I don’t know, really; it was a long time ago.’
‘And you worked there how long?’ Walsh asked.
‘Just over five years. He must have got wind that I wanted to leave and then this happened. My disability benefit is barely enough to keep me in fish fingers, let alone all the alcohol I want to consume. I just wish I had left a long time before I got fired.’
‘I thought you left because of the accident?’ Imogen said.
‘This is how Corrigan fires people. Makes sure you can never work in construction again.’
‘What happened? Was he always like that?’ Imogen said.
‘Yes and no. His behaviour got worse over time, but there was no definite moment when I noticed a change; it crept up on us. It’s not like he ever seemed completely “right”, if you know what I mean. He just got more brazen with his aggression. He wanted us to be scared of him.’
‘What about his wife? Did she come on site often? Did you ever witness any aggression towards her?’ Imogen asked.
‘Not very often, no, but I saw the aftermath more than a couple of times. He didn’t even bother trying to hide it. He didn’t like it if any of us even spoke to her.’
Imogen looked around the room. Thompson was hardly living the high life. While she had mostly acclimatised to the smell of rubbish in the flat, she could see that Thompson didn’t have a whole lot going for him at the moment.
‘Do you know anything we can say that might get Angela Corrigan to speak out against her husband?’ DI Walsh asked.
‘If she’s stayed there that long then no. My guess is there is only one way out of that relationship for her.’
Walsh handed him his card.
‘If you think of anything else, if you remember anything specific, then give me a ring.’
Gerry Thompson stood again and walked towards the door, opening it to let them leave.
Imogen wondered how honest he had actually been. She noticed that same apprehension and fear that Leon Quick had had. What on earth had Corrigan done to make these men so afraid of him?
She still didn’t understand Matt Walsh and wished Adrian was here. There was very little chit-chat with Matt and so she realised she didn’t know anything about his life. They had worked together for a few months now and she didn’t know if he was married or if he had children. He was completely closed, all business and nothing else, and it made it hard for her to trust him. The only real conversations they had had together were about Adrian’s behaviour on both this and previous cases. She had to be the adult and get to know him better if she was going to end up being partnered with him. At the moment, the thought of that filled her with dread.