It seemed obvious to Imogen where Angela was going. She was going to confront her husband about the body; she must have an idea who it was. Beside her in the car, she saw Adrian clenching his fists until they were white. She really didn’t think him being around Reece Corrigan was a good idea. He had attached too much of himself to this case and seemed to be forgetting that it wasn’t about his life or his history with his parents. It wasn’t about the domestic abuse his mother suffered at the hands of his father. In all honesty, it was more about murder than the domestic abuse, in any case. If Angela wouldn’t speak up, then there was very little they could do about her situation. Murder, however, it was harder to get away with.
Imogen’s phone rang. It was Detective Hasan again. She put it on speakerphone.
‘Detective Hasan, do you have a positive ID for me?’
‘Not yet, but I can tell you it isn’t Clive Osborne.’
‘How can you be sure?’
‘Because it’s a woman.’
‘What? That doesn’t make any sense.’
‘It’s definitely the skeletal remains of a female. She’s been there around ten years.’
‘Thank you for letting me know so swiftly,’ Imogen said.
‘No problem. I’ll get back to you when I have more.’
‘Thanks.’ She pressed the red button and looked at Adrian.
Adrian looked as confused as Imogen. Whoever the female buried under the greenhouse was, she had never once been on their radar when it came to this case.
‘She’s gone to the site, to confront him,’ Adrian said.
‘Do you have any idea about what?’ Imogen asked. ‘Did she ever indicate who the woman at Oswestry could be?’
‘When, exactly? She told me less than she told you, Imogen. You were the one she told about Osborne, remember?’ Adrian said angrily.
‘So, where the hell is he?’
‘It was always a long shot when it came to Osborne’s body – the house, the number of contracts they oversaw in Shropshire. Osborne could be underneath any one of the buildings they worked on.’
‘I guess,’ Imogen said then added, ‘If Reece Corrigan is there, are you going to be able to keep your shit together?’
‘What do you mean?’ Adrian snapped.
‘I mean last time you decked him and he could have brought charges against you, not to mention the fact that he cracked your rib. With everything we have heard about this guy, it sounds like you got off lightly.’
‘I can keep my cool, don’t worry,’ Adrian said not entirely convincingly, his jaw straining as he clenched it.
‘I just don’t want you to get in any trouble. I don’t want to give DCI Kapoor another reason to put you with someone else, or me with Walsh.’
‘I know. I promise, I won’t hit him,’ Adrian said, his voice flat.
‘We just can’t give him anything, you know? We have to nail this prick, for Angela’s sake,’ Imogen said.
She knew that Adrian meant what he was saying at the time he said it, but all of that could go out of the window the moment they saw Corrigan with his wife.
Imogen felt the burden of having Adrian with her – in this particular case, he wasn’t so much a partner to her as another variable she had to make sure didn’t go to shit. Maybe Matt Walsh was right when he said she was ready for more responsibility. Maybe she was letting Adrian hold her back. She felt disloyal even thinking it.
‘I should tell you that Walsh knows about us,’ Imogen said.
‘You told him?’
‘No. He asked me about it on the way back from Shropshire. I couldn‘t lie when he asked me directly.’
‘Is he going tell the DCI?’
‘He says not.’
‘Do you believe him?’ Adrian asked.
‘Well, he hasn’t said anything so far. Plus, he reckons she already knows. He said it’s kind of obvious.’
‘What does he think we should do?’
‘Nothing, by the sounds of it. If we tell the DCI, then she has to act on it. He thinks that’s why she is ignoring it.’
‘So why did he mention it?’
‘Because …’ Imogen paused and took a deep breath. ‘Maybe it’s messing up our ability to do our jobs properly.’
‘He means me, though, doesn’t he? Not you. Not perfect Imogen.’
‘That’s not fair,’ Imogen said, hurt by his words. Where did that come from?
‘Maybe that’s what he wants. He wants you to either drop me as a partner or as a boyfriend so that he can swoop in and save the day; be your shoulder to cry on under the guise of protecting your career.’
‘Are you taking the piss right now? What are you talking about?’
Imogen was taken aback. It was unlike him to be jealous. She might be angry with him if she didn’t suddenly remember the fact that she had checked the call history on his phone without his permission.
‘Sounds to me like Matt wants to spend some quality time with you.’
‘So, he can’t just think I am a good police officer? He must fancy me because I don’t hold any value in any other capacity, is that what you’re saying?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘For what it’s worth, he made a good argument for why we shouldn’t work together anymore. For a start, we’d be talking about the case right now instead of our own bullshit.’
‘I’ll follow your lead, Imogen. Whatever you think is best.’
‘So, it’s all on me? Wonderful.’
‘Seems like no one talks to me about these things anyway,’ Adrian said. ‘You’re the adult in this relationship, judging by the way everyone is always talking to you about what we should be doing.’
As irritating as Adrian’s petulant behaviour was, at least this was a conversation.
‘That’s not fair.’
‘So, let’s talk about the case, then. Who does that body belong to?’
Imogen blew out her cheeks in exasperation before speaking again.
‘We have reason to believe it’s someone Angela knows, so we can assume she’s connected to her in some way. A friend, maybe.’
‘Do we know if Gary had any luck gaining information about previous contacts they may have had in Shropshire?’ Adrian asked.
‘Call him and find out.’
Adrian pulled out his phone and called Gary, putting him on speakerphone.
‘Where are you guys?’ Gary said.
‘On our way to the Corrigan construction site. We think Angela Corrigan has gone there to speak to her husband about the body under the greenhouse. Any news on that?’
‘Nothing yet; they are still getting it out, as far as I know. Officer Hasan called in to update us about fifteen minutes ago. The paramedics didn’t manage to save Jimmy Chilton, I’m afraid. After Adrian left the scene, they got him out and put him in the ambulance, but he died before they even got to the hospital.’
‘We didn’t think there was much hope they would be able to,’ Adrian said.
‘What about the identity of the body under the greenhouse? Have you got any ideas about who it may be?’ Imogen said.
‘None, but I did find something strange,’ Gary said.
‘Go on,’ Imogen said.
‘Well, I was looking for any trace of family for Angela Corrigan and I was looking at her wedding certificate. I can’t quite work it out.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘According to this, she married Reece when she was sixteen years old.’
‘That’s grim. How old was he?’
‘Forty-four.’
‘Wow. So, they got married just before they moved down to Exeter?’
‘Looks like it.’
‘Her father’s name will be on the certificate, won’t it?’ Imogen said.
‘Yep. His name was Joseph Purcell. I checked and both he and his wife died in 2006 within a few months of each other, two years before the marriage took place.’
‘She really didn’t have anyone looking out for her, did she?’ Imogen muttered.
‘I’ll keep digging but that’s as far as I have got right now.’
‘Thanks, Gary,’ Adrian said, hanging up the phone.
They drove into the brand-new as-yet-unopened business park and pulled up as close to the construction site as they could. Angela Corrigan’s white Lexus was parked on-site. Reece Corrigan’s Range Rover was also there, the boot open. But there was no sign of either of them.
Imogen took a deep breath before speaking, her hands quivering from either upset or anger, she couldn’t tell which.
‘I don’t know what is with you lately, Adrian, but you’d better shape the fuck up.’
‘I’m sorry … I didn’t—’
‘You ready?’ Imogen said, getting out of the car and slamming the door before he had a chance to answer.