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.