Alex Barclay - The Drowning Child

She looked at his eyes, red-rimmed, sad, and prickling with fear. Her heart sank. You poor guilt-ridden man.

‘No one listens to me,’ said Clyde. ‘Maybe if I didn’t do this...’ He swept a hand across the empty beer bottles on the floor.

‘Please don’t beat yourself up,’ said Ren. ‘We’re not doubting your memory. But I do have to ask you about your drinking that night.’

‘I understand. I understand.’

‘How much had you had to drink?’

‘I did the job, sober, like I said,’ said Clyde. ‘I prayed over Aaron’s body. Then I walked away from it. I was in a bad way. I had a bottle of vodka in my locker, I... I took a few swigs, maybe... drank half of it.’

Fuuuck. ‘ Half of?’

‘A liter bottle.’

Fuuuck once more.

‘Can you really be sure of what you saw?’ said Ren.

‘One hundred per cent,’ said Clyde.

‘Why didn’t you say it to Pete yesterday?’ said Ren.

‘I said it to Gil Wiley!’ said Clyde. ‘When he was dragging me through the gates. And he told me to shut the hell up. I asked him to tell Pete. And he told me to shut the hell up again. I asked him could I tell Pete myself, and he said: “If you mention one word to Pete Ruddock about this, you’ll be the one with the bruises.” Then he said Pete couldn’t stand the sight of me, that he was only ever nice to me because he had a reputation to protect, that Pete just pities me.’

What an asshole.

‘He told me I was no different to any other alcoholic out there,’ said Clyde, ‘except for the fact that Pete hated me the most. Then Wiley said if I dared to interfere in a police investigation, he would have me hauled up in front of a judge and I would be incredible.’

Don’t laugh .

‘An incredible witness,’ said Clyde. ‘I mean, I wouldn’t be considered credible.’ He blushed.

Ugh: this is awful.

‘He said that would mean even more people not taking me seriously,’ said Clyde. ‘Officially – in a court of law. He told me if he had to do one page of paperwork because of my bullshit, that he would throw me into Lake Verny himself.’

‘Let me talk to Wiley,’ said Ren.

‘Don’t tell him I told you!’ said Clyde.

‘Could anyone else in the crowd have heard him at the gates, telling you to shut the hell up?’ said Ren.

‘Yes,’ said Clyde. He paused. ‘Just... “hell” wasn’t the exact word.’

Ren laughed.

‘You know – you’re a lady,’ said Clyde.

A lady who says fuck more times than you know.

‘OK,’ said Ren, ‘Well, I can let on to Wiley that someone else overheard this – I don’t have to bring you into it yet. And, Clyde – just so you know, Pete Ruddock considers you a friend. He speaks very fondly of you.’

Clyde gave a broad smile. ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘That’s really nice to hear.’

Ren leaned toward him again. ‘Have you spoken to anyone else about this, apart from Wiley?’

‘No.’

‘Good,’ said Ren. ‘We’re going to need you to keep this to yourself, OK? I promise you that we are taking this seriously. We’re going to go back to Tate PD right now to speak with Pete.’

Clyde nodded. His face was a mix of relief and fear.

Someone is taking you seriously.

But even you’re not sure if they should.

I know the feeling.

Back at Tate PD, Ren met Wiley on her way to the ladies’ room.

‘Wiley, could I have a word, please?’

Wiley shrugged, stopped.

God, you hate me. ‘I was wondering,’ said Ren, ‘the other day with Clyde Brimmer... someone said that you told him to shut the fuck up about the bruise on Aaron Fuller’s back. He does seem to be a real nuisance, but I was just curious what the bruise was, and why you didn’t give it any consideration.’

‘Oh, I gave it consideration,’ said Wiley. ‘Here’s what I considered: is this man ever sober? And are drunk people reliable witnesses?’

‘He swears blind that he wasn’t drinking while he embalmed the body.’

‘Swears blind drunk.’

‘Come on,’ said Ren, ‘give him a break.’

‘Look, you’re not from around here, you don’t know the shit that goes on. You don’t know Clyde, you don’t know what a pain in the ass he is; “nuisance” – sounds cute – is an understatement, you don’t hear the paranoid, conspiracy-theory shit he comes out with. Oh, the world is going to hell in a hand basket, according to Clyde. Lake Verny is haunted, “the lake has secrets that the rain wants to tell” – I’ve heard that a hundred times. The Pope has never and will never shit in the fucking woods. And on and on and on.’

‘This wasn’t about the lake being haunted,’ said Ren. ‘This was him saying that Aaron was possibly hurt before he went into the water.’

His look was a giant fuck-you. ‘Sure, he might think he was hurt, but he still thinks the lake is haunted,’ said Wiley. ‘He probably figured it would make him sound too nuts to say it to you. It’s pretty simple: Clyde Brimmer embalmed a body while he was drunk. He was already freaked out, because of the haunted lake thing. Now he’s got one of its victims lying right there in front of him. Think about it: does Clyde want his worst fears confirmed? That the lake itself is actually killing people? Or would he like to find some evidence on that body that, in fact, someone – a person – is responsible?’

‘But, wouldn’t a “victim of the lake itself” vindicate him?’ said Ren. ‘Wouldn’t it go a little way to have people believe his claims that the lake is haunted?’

‘Yes,’ said Wiley, ‘absolutely. It’s just that, at that moment, it probably boiled down to what was more important – for him to be terrified for the rest of his life, or for there to be a more rational explanation for Aaron’s death.’

He’s not talking complete horseshit.

‘Look,’ said Wiley, ‘he says he saw a bruise on Aaron’s back. You could look at that two ways: a) sure, there could have been a bruise if Aaron slipped into the water and hit something on the way in and b) there was no bruise, because it would have been picked up at autopsy. And c) does it actually matter at this point? The kid drowned. It’s tragic, sure, but why would anyone intentionally drown Aaron Fuller?’

Wow: where do I start with all that is wrong with that?

Don’t start.

‘OK – thanks,’ said Ren. ‘Just one thing, though – Clyde did admit that he drank only after he finished embalming the body. And I believe him.’

‘Like I said, you’re not from around here.’

Missing out daily on you serving and protecting me, dickwad.

Ren and Paul gathered the CARD team and Ruddock together and filled them in on what Clyde claimed he saw.

Gary looked at Ruddock. ‘You might want to look into getting an exhumation order. I’m not saying this is connected to Caleb Veir, but something’s not right here.’

Go, Gary!

Paul Louderback nodded. ‘Yeah, I agree.’

Ruddock nodded.

Sylvie paused. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t. The guy’s a drunk...’

‘He’s terrified,’ said Ren. ‘He’s been fired. He could lose his license. And still, he came forward. Especially considering he’s already in trouble, he’s already marked out as someone who breached his professional code of conduct.’

Oh. Hold on... ‘Can you give me half an hour?’

Gary looked at her patiently.

‘Well, that’s a resounding no,’ said Ren.

‘What is it?’ said Gary.

‘OK... the guy’s breached his professional code of conduct by drinking. He’s already in trouble... what else might he have done that would get him in trouble if it got out?’