Something in the Water

Mark is Erin’s significant other. He works in banking and is the main breadwinner for their household. In Chapter 5, Mark loses his job, the catalyst for his change from loving husband to borderline sociopath. Mark’s self-esteem depends on his ability to make money and show off his status with expensive material goods. His job loss represents irrevocable destruction to his lifestyle, and he can’t cope with the change. He doesn’t “want to be less than he had been” (333), which precipitates pulling away from Erin with the intention to start over somewhere where no one would know about his former failure.

Mark foils Erin. Where Erin often misses things, Mark notices all the small details and keeps them organized, which is reflected by his banking job. From a bit after they find the bag, Mark leads a double life. He makes it appear as though he’s building a new company while secretly setting himself up to steal the money they found. His attention to detail allows him to think ahead. He purposefully keeps himself away from cameras in incriminating situations. He sends Erin alone to open the Swiss bank account and to discuss the diamonds with a potential seller, more details Erin doesn’t see the significance of at the time. He also plays mind games with Erin—leaving doors open and moving important items—to maintain her fear and paranoia.

Erin describes Mark as someone who “makes all situations better” (13). He does this by always appearing present and as the person people expect at a given moment. Mark’s ability to play multiple roles allows him to fool Erin repeatedly. This chameleon tendency is a common behavior of sociopaths. He plays the affronted husband when they fake Erin’s food poisoning on their honeymoon. Later, he charms the attendants in the airport clothing store before he and Erin fly to Switzerland. Mark’s natural easy-going personality lends him credibility. He detaches his emotions from situations, allowing him to do or say whatever it takes for him to be believed. Erin admires his ability to effortlessly play a variety of roles. Mark uses this talent and Erin’s ready acceptance to play the concerned and caring lover through most of the book.

Eddie is one of Erin’s interviewees and a former crime leader from East London. Despite committing multiple counts of murder, robbery, and other more severe crimes, his prison sentence is only seven years for money laundering. Like Mark, Eddie keeps track of the small details. He plays the part required for every situation and keeps himself informed. By the end of the book, Eddie becomes a confidant to Erin. He replaces Mark as the person Erin goes to when she’s in need. Though Eddie is “the kind of man who does things for a reason” (24), he is also genuine: the main difference between him and Mark.

In Chapter 30, Eddie asks Erin to talk to his daughter about letting Eddie back into her life. His personal request jumpstarts his relationship with Erin. His desire to reconnect with his daughter mirrors Erin’s desire to be a good mother. After Mark’s betrayal and Eddie’s release from prison, Erin finds herself part of Eddie’s extended family. The two asked favors of one another throughout the story, and in his final appearance, Eddie says he has a favor coming soon, implying he and Erin are part of an ongoing cycle.

Alexa is another of Erin’s interviewees. She went to prison for assisting in her mother’s willing suicide, something that she might not have been punished for at another time. Though she’s been in prison for nearly two decades, Alexa doesn’t have the air of a typical criminal. She’s “so calm, so self-possessed” (66), and Erin looks up to her for having these qualities. Alexa’s goal once she’s released is to become pregnant. Before and after her incarceration, her first thoughts are of family. Helping to end her mother’s life landed her in jail, and she wants to create new life when she’s free. Her desire to get pregnant mirrors Erin’s similar desire to start a family with Mark. By the end of the book, both women are pregnant. Their unborn children represent that past mistakes don’t define who we are; anyone can start anew.

Holli is Erin’s third interviewee and is in prison for setting a bus on fire during the London Riots. At the beginning of the book, Erin likens Holli to Eddie in terms of both being dangerous. Later, Eddie proves to be a good person, if someone who formerly did terrible things, but Holli falls further into a life of crime. She has a gaze that “makes her seem far more substantial than her slight frame” (37), which represents how Erin underestimates her. During her interview, Holli pretends to be repentant about her crime. It’s clear she enjoyed breaking the law and would do so again. Shortly after her release, Holly gets involved with counterterrorism, and she ends the book on the run from the authorities, showing that some people take longer to reform.

Holli and Mark share the ability to play roles convincingly. During Holli’s interview, Erin asks what Holli’s plans are, and in an instant, Holli changes from someone who enjoys crime to a prim, young woman in her 20s. Like Mark, Holli leads a double life—one as the person she wants to be and one as the person others expect to see. Erin’s unsettled reaction to Holli’s ability to shift foreshadows how unsettled Erin’s life becomes after Mark’s betrayal.

Andy is the detective working Holli’s case. He has “an easy charm about him” (196), which he uses to ingratiate himself to Erin, but she immediately distrusts him. She doesn’t realize it at the time, but Andy’s easy confidence reminds her of Mark, whom she subconsciously fears. Andy represents a roadblock for Erin and Mark. His and Holli’s disappearances put Erin in the spotlight with the authorities, which could lead to her and Mark’s illegal activity being discovered. Erin reacts by trying to stay under the radar. Mark uses Andy to his advantage as just one more thing he can use to threaten Erin’s feeling of safety. It’s never made clear if Andy believes Erin has no involvement in Holli’s crimes, but he doesn’t have enough evidence to mount a case and investigate.