Fear of Drowning

‘No known enemies.’ He

‘Beats me, boss.’

‘The sort of man for whom appearance is everything, that’s who, Yellich. But you know, I don’t know him, I don’t know this man.’

‘Williams?’

‘Yes, Williams. I don’t know him. You see, on the one hand he has this apparently repressive attitude to his house, which is quite cramped, everything-in-its-place exactitude. You’d think that was a man with his feet on the ground. Then, on the other hand, there’s the Williams who’s a fantasist, who’s got this level of debt yet is treating his family to a meal with the most expensive wine in the best restaurant in the Vale of York, a man who is blissfully unconcerned about debt, the amount of which would have you and me on the point of suicidal despair. Those two personalities just don’t go together. Not in my mind, anyway.’

‘Well, you know what they say, sir?’

‘No, what do they say?’

‘There’s nowt so queer as folk.’

‘That’s a gem of Yorkshire wisdom, is it?’

‘Aye, well, they do say that.’ Yellich felt a little uncomfortable.

‘I mean, folk do such daft things that there’s often no other explanation. It’s like when you think you know someone and…’

‘Yes. Thank you, Yellich, we’ll save the homespun philosophy. I want to meet Tim Sheringham.’

Tim Sheringham revealed himself to be a well-built, muscular man whom both He

‘Yeah,’ Sheringham said, clean-shaven, crew-cutted, ‘I knew her, so what?’ He further revealed himself to speak in a curious blend of British English and American English, often, He

He had either lived for a while in the States or steeped himself in American films. He

‘She’s missing.’

Tim Sheringham paled.

‘Hey, I haven’t done anything.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes, really.’

‘Nothing to worry about then, have you? When did you last see Mrs Williams?’

‘Last week. Last Wednesday.’

‘We understand you often see her on Wednesdays?’

‘Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t.’

‘Maybe you’d just better tell us what you know.’

‘About what? I’ve done nothing.’

‘So you said. You’re having an affair with Mrs Williams?’

‘Look.’ Sheringham hunched his shoulders. ‘Just keep your voice down, will you?’

‘Why? You bothered someone will hear?’

‘Yes. I’m married. Mr Williams had some kind of golf club committee meeting on a Wednesday. So I went to her house on Wednesdays. We had to be discreet, he was a bit jealous.’

‘Had. Went. Had. Was.’

‘Sorry?’

‘All past tense.’

‘Yes.’

‘As if he is deceased. And as if you know he’s deceased.’

‘Clever. But wrong. I broke it off with her. Last Wednesday I told her it was over. I’m married. It was fun, then it wasn’t.’

‘I see. Why did you start in the first place?’

‘Mutual attraction.’

‘Not many men in their twenties would find women in their mid-fifties attractive.’

‘Nowt so queer as folk.’

‘Fu

‘Oh?’

‘Nothing. So how did it come about?’

‘Because I’m physical. I’m very, very physical. For physical people the flesh is often very, very willing and the spirit is very, very weak. Yes, she was older than me, more than thirty years older. I was younger than her son…but I like cross-generational relationships. I get a thrill out of them. So did she.’

‘Cross-generational relationships?’

‘That’s the term. You know, people who seek partners of different age groups, toy boys for the women, sugar mummies for the boys. I like it. She liked it. This is between you and me?’

‘Of course.’

‘I mean, if my wife were to find out…’

‘She’d not be happy.’

‘That would only be the begi

‘Your wife?’

‘Aye.’

‘Where did you meet Mrs Williams?’

‘Here in the gym.’

‘How long ago.’

‘About two years.’

‘Long time ago, really.’

‘Long enough. It was good for both of us. Like all affairs, it was better in the begi

‘What she can do. She could finish me. In the end the risk wasn’t worth it. I mean, you’d be frightened of your wife finding out if your wife could do to you what my wife can do to me.’

‘I’m not married.’

Sheringham sneered.

‘Out of choice,’ He

‘Of course.’ Sheringham curled his lip. ‘You’ve got to say that.’

‘So how long have you been married?’

‘About twelve months.’

‘Twelve months!’

‘That’s what I said.’ Sheringham looked pleased with himself.

‘So you were having an affair throughout your engagement to your wife and for the first year of your marriage?’

‘Yes,’ Sheringham said smugly. ‘Anything wrong with that? In fact, I met Amanda Williams before I met Vanessa. I ran them in parallel for about eighteen months.’

‘In parallel. Is that how you see it?’

That’s just the way of it. A lot of women come in here to get in shape. I help them. I take them round the circuit. I take an interest in our clients.’

‘Our?’

‘My wife and I are partners in the gym.’

‘Some you get to know better than others?’

Sheringham shrugged. ‘Amanda had problems at home, her children were up and away, her husband drank like a fish…not giving her the attention a woman needs…she was in her fifties.’

‘Was.’

‘Is, then.’

‘But you said “was”.’

‘Don’t tie me up in knots.’

‘Don’t have to, Mr Sheringham, you’re doing a good job of it yourself.’

Sheringham flushed with anger and gripped the arms of the chair he was sitting on. ‘Don’t say anything you might regret.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Take it as you want to take it!’

‘Got a temper, have you? Bet all those steroids don’t help that.’

‘Nothing I can’t control.’

‘Fortunate for you.’

‘I want you out of my gym. I want you out now.’

‘All in good time.’

‘Now. Now!’ Sheringham leaned forwards. ‘I get what I want, when I want it and I want you two out of my gym now. I want you out. You have no choice.’

‘You’re right.’ He

‘So, go.’

‘But if we go, you come with us.’

‘And you come with us now,’ Yellich said, slowly. ‘Full gym or not.’

‘On what charge?’