Chapter 87

87

Corrine

Corrine had last visited Oxford’s Magdalen College early in the year to drop her daughter Freya off for the start of a new semester. Today, mother and daughter were making their way through the historic university grounds for a very different reason.

Corrine’s eyes fell upon a yoga group making the most of the lush green lawns and a late summer afternoon. Elsewhere others sat under shady trees chatting or with their heads buried in textbooks. If only her life was this uncomplicated, she thought.

It was Freya who’d appeared out of the blue in the warehouse where her mother, Yan and Nathan were catching up. Corrine later discovered it followed weeks of suspicion on Freya’s behalf, convinced that her increasingly preoccupied mother was keeping something important from her. She’d approached Corrine on several occasions, concerned about her well-being. Each time, she received a contrived smile and reassurances that all was well. On a whim, she had followed Corrine after spotting her climbing into a vehicle with a woman she didn’t recognize. And, at the warehouse door, she had listened to their conversation and suddenly her mother’s secrets made sense. She was both astonished and proud of Corrine’s double life. And, most of all, she wanted to help.

‘It’s through here,’ Freya said, leading the way under a brick archway and through a set of double doors. A brass plate on a wall read Longwall Library. ‘Lizzy says she saw him in here an hour ago.’

Corrine followed her daughter up a staircase until they reached an arched window and a desk piled high with reference books and a laptop. She immediately recognized the young man sitting there.

‘Will,’ Freya began.

Eleanor Harrison’s son looked up from his work and smiled. ‘Oh, hey, Freya, how are things?’

‘Probably like you, drowning in essays, but it’s all good. This is my mum Corrine.’

‘Hi Will,’ Corrine said as a swarm of butterflies gathered in her stomach. He shared the same prominent cheekbones as his mother and her smile. She hoped that was the end of their similarities.

‘Listen, I’m sorry to bother you,’ Freya continued, ‘but have you got a few minutes?’

‘Sure, what’s up?’

Freya glanced around the room, checking they weren’t being overheard. ‘I need to talk to you about something sensitive. It’s regarding your mum.’

Will’s body language altered immediately. He moved back in his seat and folded his arms. ‘If you want me to ask her to lobby for you, I’m afraid you’ll have to go through official channels. I have no influence on her . . .’

‘No, it’s nothing like that. It’s more of a . . . personal . . . nature. Do you mind if we sit?’

Will nodded.

‘I need your help with something.’

‘Again, I can’t help. She and I are busy people so we don’t see each other very often. You know how it is.’

Corrine lowered her voice. ‘I understand, Will, but I think there’s more to your estrangement than that. I watched you in that interview she gave after claiming she’d been attacked. You knew she wasn’t telling the truth.’

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘I think you do. And I think you’ve discovered certain . . . behaviours . . . that have upset and disturbed you. And that’s why the two of you no longer have a relationship.’ Corrine had no evidence to suggest whether her theory might be factually accurate, or if she just wanted it to be.

Will opened his mouth as if to argue, then stopped himself. And Corrine knew her hunch was correct. But now came the difficult part.