‘Come on, Leon. Tell the truth. We can take you down to the station and ask you questions there on tape, if you want. Or you can tell us right now what the issue was. Why did you leave Corrigan Construction? Did you have a problem with someone there?’ Imogen asked.
Leon took a deep breath, then another. He was considering his options. Whatever he wasn’t telling them was weighing on him. He went to speak more than once then thought better of it each time. His eyes were glassy and bright.
What wasn’t he telling them?
‘It was a nightmare,’ Leon said, tears falling.
‘In what way?’ Imogen said softly.
He was on the brink of telling them – all he needed was a little push.
Leon turned away from them, his eyes streaming. He wasn’t just crying, he was distraught.
‘Tell my parents I’m sorry,’ he said, his hands flat on the worktop as he breathed heavily.
A panic attack, Imogen suspected. She was no stranger to them.
Imogen saw the knife in his hand too late. She rushed forwards as he raised it in the air, but she couldn’t reach him in time. He plunged it into the centre of his chest and collapsed to the ground.
What the hell was going on?
Imogen was on the ground with him seconds later then she heard Adrian on the phone requesting an ambulance as she frantically clutched at his chest and tried to stop the blood from pouring out. He spasmed and struggled for a few seconds but no more than that. She felt his heart labour then stop. He was gone. The pained look on his face was also gone and she could see the peace wash over him.
Imogen’s hands were covered in blood and she didn’t know what to do. She looked up at Adrian, who was on the phone but staring at the body on the floor. What was it that Leon hadn’t wanted them to know? What was he afraid of? Who was he afraid of? For all the questions Leon had answered, with this latest action he had opened up a whole load more. Too stunned to think, Imogen sat back on her heels and just watched the red stain on Leon’s shirt get bigger. Who would answer their questions now?
‘What the hell happened?’ DCI Kapoor snapped at Adrian and Imogen as they sat in her office.
Imogen could see the dark line of blood under her fingernails. Even though she had scrubbed her hands, she could see it and feel it. She clenched her hands into fists and tried to forget what had just happened.
‘We were just talking and he … he just stabbed himself,’ Imogen said.
‘That’s highly unusual behaviour, isn’t it?’ DCI Kapoor seemed just as baffled as them.
‘Well, yes,’ Adrian said, nodding.
‘And there was no indication before then that he was going to do that?’
‘He was agitated, but we had just told him that his friend was dead,’ Imogen said.
‘What did he say about Simon Glover?’ DCI Kapoor said.
‘They used to work together. As soon as he brought up the old job at Corrigan Construction, his demeanour changed completely. He became jumpy and anxious. I got the impression that he killed himself to avoid having to divulge anything else. He had secrets and it was all to do with that job they had together in Exeter. Something must have gone on down there,’ Adrian said.
‘You should have brought him in for questioning. I wish we had the exact words he said on tape. He never should have had that knife,’ DCI Kapoor said.
‘With all due respect, Ma’am, we speak to people in their houses all the time; this is not something we have ever witnessed before. It’s not as if we could have anticipated he was going to do that. It came from nowhere,’ Imogen said.
‘Well, I want both of you to see the counsellor and talk this through.’
‘We’re fine,’ Imogen said, huffing.
‘Then it shouldn’t be a very long session, should it?’ DCI Kapoor replied, conversation over.
‘Yes, Ma’am,’ Adrian said.
‘What did he say then, before he died? What the hell was he hiding?’ DCI Kapoor said.
‘He gave us an envelope with a letter for Fiona Merton inside. A goodbye letter from Simon, saying he was leaving and not to worry about him. We’ve handed it to Gary to match handwriting samples. Quick also gave us a Jiffy bag that had two brand-new passports in there. They were vacuum-packed, but we got one of the forensic techs to open it. They belong to Simon and the woman from the hospital, Jane Doe, but with a false name for him, so we assume for her also.
‘There were also train tickets into London, then Eurostar tickets to Paris, France, and then a flight to Montreal, Canada. Judging by what happened to them, I would say they were running away from someone. When we asked Leon Quick about their time at Corrigan Construction and why they left, he got more and more anxious. That seemed to be the trigger for … what he did. We were in there less than ten minutes,’ Imogen said.
‘Well, brace yourselves. The family liaison officer has been speaking to the Quicks. They are obviously very distressed, said he was fine before you got there but obviously dead when you left. The parents were understandably upset by the whole thing and so the FLO is trying to make sure they are OK and also advise them against lodging a complaint, which they had mentioned. She’s very good, so I am sure it will be fine.
‘Walsh is already looking into Leon Quick to see if he has any history of mental health issues or suicidal tendencies,’ DCI Kapoor said.
‘I just don’t understand what happened. Something we asked him provoked that extreme reaction in him. He looked terrified of something. Then he picked up that knife and stabbed himself. How do you even do that? How do you push a knife into yourself like that?’ Adrian said.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ Imogen said.
‘I just don’t understand what could have been so bad that he would rather kill himself than talk about it. And kill himself like that, too. To just make that decision in that split second like that. I feel sick just thinking about it,’ Adrian said.
‘Do you think he was involved in Simon Glover’s death? Maybe he felt guilty,’ DCI Kapoor said.
‘It didn’t seem so. It wasn’t guilt, it was fear,’ Imogen said.
‘Although he wasn’t surprised, I got the impression he was genuinely upset when we told him what happened to Simon Glover. I don’t think he was involved in his death. No, he was afraid of something or someone. I imagine it’s probably connected to what happened to Glover,’ Adrian said.
‘I can’t be certain, but I think he recognised the woman as well, even though he pretended he didn’t. Our Jane Doe,’ Imogen said.
‘I don’t suppose he told you who she was before he offed himself?’
‘I’m afraid not. It wasn’t long after we showed him the photo that he took his own life,’ Adrian said.
‘Right, well, it’s too late to do anything else today. At least we got the passports; although the chances of us finding out where they came from are pretty slim. Go and write up your reports about what happened, then tomorrow morning go to Corrigan Construction. Maybe you can find out something more,’ DCI Kapoor said.
‘Thank you, Ma’am,’ Imogen said and stood up.
They left DCI Kapoor’s office and went back to their desks. Still