The Anglesey Murders Box Set

by Conrad Jones

  ‘Okay, they’re English and splash their money around. They fit the bill, but I don’t see the connection to us.’

  ‘You’re not going to like this.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘What if I’m wrong?’

  ‘Just tell me.’

  ‘Okay. The connection is that Whacky did some work for them when they bought that house in the bay. They gutted the place and had the windows widened and balconies fitted to the front and back.’ Naz blew smoke out of the window and shook his head. ‘Thinking about who can get nine-mils, there’re plenty of shooters in Salford.’

  ‘And you’re sure Whacky worked for them; you’re kidding me?’

  ‘Nope. I’m not kidding. He welded all the balconies on the place. It was a massive job and it took him nearly six months; he got well paid. That’s how he bought the smallholding he lives on. He paid cash for it with their money and I know he became matey with them.’

  ‘How matey?’

  ‘He drinks with them whenever they’re on the island.’

  ‘I don’t believe this. I’ve known him since school. Would he stab me in the back, like that?’

  ‘Who knows what anyone would do for money; it’s a bit of a coincidence, isn’t it?’

  ‘It is a coincidence and you’re right, but I just can’t see it.’

  ‘Someone ratted and there aren’t many suspects, Joss,’ Naz said. ‘One thing I do know is if there is a connection to Salford, guys like that know better than to be misbehaving on a small island that’s overrun with police. Especially if there’s a murder to answer for. There might not be a body, but someone will report Jeff missing at some stage.’

  ‘You might be right. Maybe I’m being too jumpy.’

  ‘I can see why but we need to be able to move quickly.’ Naz flicked his cigarette out of the window. ‘It’s your call.’

  ‘You’re right,’ Joss said. ‘Let’s dump the trailer.’

  ***

  The search resumed at first light. Alan had briefed the officers to start at the farmhouse and radiate out from there. There was a buzz of excitement among the search team which came with a good night’s sleep and a hot breakfast. It didn’t take long to find the blood trail in the bushes. Alan was called over to the spot.

  ‘What do you think happened, Pamela?’ Alan asked the senior CSI.

  ‘There’s a lot of blood outside the window where he jumped, then he goes into the cellar where he stems the bleeding somehow until he reaches here, where he stops and the bleeding has worsened or has seeped through whatever he was using to stem the flow.’

  ‘Why didn’t we see him?’

  ‘It’s very overgrown around the window. There’s blood on the window and wellington boot prints in the mud where he climbed out of the cellar and then he crawled through the undergrowth. The blood trail stops for a gap of fifty-yards or so before we can pick it up again,’ a CSI officer said. She pointed to congealed blood on the grass. ‘It looks like he stopped here for a while and then the trail changes.’

  ‘Changes how?’

  ‘It’s no longer pooled. The blood from here onwards is in droplets leading into the trees over there.’

  ‘Why does it change to droplets from here?’

  ‘He’s moving quickly so the blood can’t pool. The blood is dripping from a height.’

  ‘There are boot prints from there to the trees over there but they’re not wellington boot prints like the prints by the window.’

  ‘So, they belong to someone else. Meaning what?’

  ‘In my opinion,’ Pamela said, pointing to the trees. ‘He was carried from this spot in that direction.’

  Who carried him? Alan asked himself. And more to the point, why would they?

  Alan shook his head and followed the trail with Pamela. Three uniformed officers were ahead of them. They made their way painstakingly through the trees. Half an hour later, they came across the birdwatchers’ hide. Pamela looked inside.

  ‘There’s blood on the ground and some form of wadding soaked in blood. He probably used that to slow the bleeding.’

  ‘There’s a path through the trees, sir,’ one of the uniformed officers said, returning to the group. ‘There’s a farm track about four-hundred yards on and some fresh tyre tracks, which are heading towards the old A5 at Star.’

  ‘Right then,’ Alan said. ‘That explains how he slipped through the cordon. I knew he couldn’t have broken through on his own. It’s been bothering me all night.’

  ‘He had help,’ Pamela said. ‘Those boots are police or military in style, Alan.’

  ‘You’re sure?’

  ‘Absolutely no doubt about it.’

  ‘He did have help,’ Alan agreed, sighing. ‘Worse than that, he had help from one of our own.’

  ‘I can’t see any other explanation.’

  ‘But why would anyone help him?’

  ‘I have absolutely no idea.’

  CHAPTER 44

  Llinos did the rounds of the animals and put the kettle on. She made a cup of tomato soup and then walked from her surgery to her living quarters, which were on a different part of the farm. The surgery was situated in some converted outbuildings; the farmhouse was adjoining them, was her home. She pushed the front door open with her foot and stepped inside, closing it behind her with her backside. Her partner, Sam was in the kitchen, typing furiously on a laptop. She sipped her soup and watched him for while wondering how the hell they’d got to where they were. They were the envy of their friends and family; the pretty vet and the handsome policeman who live on a farm on the beautiful island of Anglesey. What had gone wrong? How could they have been sucked into O9A so far that they would harbour a sicko like Hudson? She’d been horrified when she saw him, but her medical instincts took over and she fixed his broken body as she would have with anyone or anything; human or animal; that’s what she did. Now that the panic of operating on him was over, it was time to apportion blame.

  It was Sam’s fault and there was nothing he could say to make things right. This was the final straw. She’d wanted out for months, making excuses not to attend O9A gatherings; things had become dark and sinister and she didn’t like where it was heading. They handed out mushroom tea, which was hallucinogenic and was taken to intensify the experience, but she was sure it was getting stronger. Some of the images she’d seen were demonic and she couldn’t explain them. It was no longer fun; it was frightening. Sam, on the other hand, was becoming more and more excited about the group; he spent hours reading their teachings. He talked incessantly about it to the point they were arguing; at first, it was something they sheared in common but not anymore. He was obsessed, she wasn’t.

  Bringing that maggot Hudson back to her farm was an act of total disrespect for her feelings and their safety, not to mention a threat to their liberty. Everything she owned was invested in her farm and her career. Sam contributed practically nothing to the mix. She earned three times what he did, yet he was prepared to gamble her entire life on helping that scum. His selfishness was staggering. Keeping a cool head would be difficult but she had to take a stand. Sam could be stubborn, but she needed to make him see what he was risking. Whatever he said, she wasn’t going to back down. Hudson had to go, quickly.

  ‘What are you up to?’ she asked, sipping her soup. She walked behind him and looked at the screen. It was some kind of police form, she didn’t recognise.

  ‘I’m booking the car in for replacement tyres. It has to be cleared by a senior officer before I can take it into the workshop. I can get it done today if I send this in via email now. It might be overcautious but better safe than sorry.’

  ‘Better to be safe than sorry,’ she said, sarcastically. ‘It’s a bit late to be overcautious, don’t you think?’

  ‘I’ve jet sprayed it, but the tyres need to go, just to be on the safe side,’ he said ignoring her. ‘How is he?’

  ‘He’s lost an eye and some fingers, and his leg was sliced to the bone, but he’ll live.’
/>
  ‘Good. I knew you could help him.’

  ‘He lost a lot of blood.’

  ‘Yes, you said.’

  ‘What about the blood in your car?’ she asked, trying to remain calm.

  ‘I put him on a plastic sheet. I’ve thrown it into the incinerator. There’s no blood on the carpets.’

  ‘Are you sure of that?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Wouldn’t it be better to change them, just to be on the safe side?’ she asked, her face reddening.

  ‘You’re obviously pissed off, Llinos but pecking at my head isn’t going to change anything.’

  ‘Oh, is it obvious?’ she said, grinning. ‘Pissed off is an understatement.’

  ‘I did what I thought was right.’

  ‘Thought?’ she said. ‘Are you telling me you actually thought about anything at all but yourself?’

  ‘I couldn’t leave him there bleeding to death.’

  ‘Why not? Our entire life is at stake here because you brought that psycho to my farm.’

  ‘Oh, it’s your farm now, is it?’

  ‘Yes, it is. My taid left it to me when he died, five years before I even met you. This is more than just a home to me; it’s everything and you’ve put it all into such a precarious position that I can hardly think straight.’

  ‘Not that old chestnut again.’

  ‘What old chestnut?’

  ‘The fact your granddad left it to you. Every time we have a row, you have to throw that in my face,’ he said, glaring at her. ‘What do you want me to do, exactly?’

  ‘Make sure you don’t get caught.’

  ‘I don’t intend to get caught.’

  ‘Change the carpets and get him out of here.’

  ‘I can’t request new ones without raising suspicions. They look like new. Why would I want them changing unless there was something on them that I didn’t want to be found?’

  ‘Did you clean them?’

  ‘Of course, I have. I’m not stupid,’

  ‘You’re not stupid. Really?’

  ‘Don’t start again.’

  ‘Don’t start again?’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I thought you just said you’re not stupid.’

  ‘I’m not stupid.’

  ‘Bringing that man into my home was quite possibly the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen,’ she snapped. He blushed and tried to hold her hand, but she pulled away. ‘You could’ve ruined everything I’ve built over the years and land us in jail. Why would you do that?’

  ‘Everything you’ve built?’ Sam argued. ‘It’s all about you, you, you, isn’t it?’ he said. ‘You’re a spoilt brat.’

  ‘It’s not about me being a spoilt brat. It’s about you bringing a murdering nutcase into our home!’

  ‘I’m not apologising. I was there and the opportunity presented itself.’ He shrugged. ‘This will endear us to them for the rest of our lives. He’s special to them.’

  ‘Oh, he’s special all right. And what makes you think I want to be endeared to them at all?’ she protested. ‘This has all gone too far, Sam. I don’t want any part of it anymore.’

  ‘We went there because you wanted that,’ he said. ‘It was you who took us there and you who wanted to go back time after time after time, when I didn’t want to. Now, I want to be there, you don’t.’

  ‘I didn’t realise what they were; it was just a bit of fun at first. This is too much, Sam. Surely, you can see how dangerous this is for us. What are you actually thinking?’

  ‘I’m thinking about how well thought of we are. We’ve come a long way. We’re respected and loved by our friends there.’

  ‘They’re not my friends, Sam, and they’re not yours either,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘It’s really sad you think they are.’

  ‘Fabienne is my friend and she’s yours too.’

  ‘I can’t stand the woman; she’s a freak.’

  ‘Don’t talk about her like that.’ His face darkened. ‘Fabienne is happy we saved him; she’s very grateful and said to thank you for fixing him up.’

  ‘Fabienne said, thank you?’ Llinos said, sarcastically. ‘Will Fabienne go to jail if we get found helping him?’ He looked away and shrugged. ‘No. I didn’t think so. As soon as that lunatic is awake, I want him out of here; do you hear me?’

  ‘I hear you,’ he said. Sam closed the laptop. ‘We’ll talk about it later. I’ve got to go. I’m back on duty in an hour.’

  ‘Great. Thanks very much, Sam. Just bring a nutjob into our home and then bugger off back to work as if nothing has happened.’

  ‘I have to go to work.’

  ‘You do, because there’s a manhunt underway; and the man you’re hunting is in my surgery. You go back to work and pretend everything is okay. I’ll stay here and nurse the serial killer, shall I?’

  ‘What do you want me to do, Llinos?’

  ‘I want him gone.’

  ‘He’s sick. When he can walk, I’ll move him.’

  ‘That’s not good enough.’

  ‘You’ve said he had to go when he can walk.’

  ‘I’ve changed my mind. Get him out of here.’

  ‘How long will it be before he can walk?’

  ‘It depends. There’re too many variables to be accurate.’

  ‘But it won’t be long. A week or so, right?’

  ‘He can’t stay here that long, Sam. It’s making me sick with worry. I want him gone today.’

  ‘Calm down. He won’t be here long. It will be fine. No one will ever know he was here.’

  ‘That’s not the point. He’s not right in the head and to be honest, I’m not sure you are.’

  ‘He’s one of us,’ Sam said. ‘We’re Niners, Llinos. We chose that path. He’s on the same path but further down it.’

  ‘That’s total bullshit,’ she shouted. ‘Don’t you dare connect me with that animal. How can you even say we’re the same as him?’ She moved away to the other side of the room. ‘We’re nothing like him for God’s sake.’

  ‘We’re more like him than you wish to admit,’ Sam said. ‘We’ve been to some very frantic meetings were people got hurt.’

  ‘That’s nothing like what he’s done. Are you mad?’

  ‘What’s the difference?’

  ‘A bit of S&M is hardly the same as chopping people up, Sam, for fuck’s sake. I don’t know what you’re thinking anymore. Have you lost your mind?’

  ‘We’re Niners, Llinos. We joined with our eyes open and you were more than enthusiastic to experiment.’

  ‘Can you hear yourself? You’re talking complete bollocks.’

  ‘His belief has become more extreme.’

  ‘Belief? What are you talking about? He’s a killer, Sam.’

  ‘He’s one of us.’

  ‘You need to listen to me, Sam, and listen to me well.’ She pointed her forefinger in his face. ‘I don’t care if he’s a Niner. I wanted to experience and explore different things and you weren’t doing it for me, but I loved you. I didn’t hear you complaining at any point. There’s nothing wrong with having sex with whoever I want to and if it got rough a couple of times, so what? What he’s done goes way beyond that.’ She shook her head. ‘You know this is wrong and I’m talking sense. Come on, Sam. Are you really going to protect that monster?’ Sam looked embarrassed; she was getting through to him. ‘When we got involved, it was supposed to be a bit of fun nothing more than that, but things have gone too far. Way too far.’

  ‘You started this. You wanted the group sex and I went along with you to stop you going behind my back,’ Sam argued. ‘I went along with it for you. You were keen enough to join them at the time.’

  ‘I might have been, but I didn’t sign up to sheltering a maniac. That wasn’t part of the deal.’ There was an uncomfortable silence; both of them simmering. Sam broke the deadlock.

  ‘Look, Llinos. I understand what you’re saying but we can’t change what we’ve done. He’ll be gone soon.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘No
what?’

  ‘No, I’m having nothing more to do with it. So far, I haven’t done anything illegal,’ Llinos argued. ‘I’ve acted in good faith and saved his life but that’s as far as I’m prepared to go. It stops right now. His life isn’t in danger anymore and that’s me out of it. Get him out of here and don’t mention the Niners to me ever again.’

  ‘Don’t you understand what is going on here?’

  ‘I understand that you’ve lost your marbles.’

  ‘We became Niners a long time ago. We can’t pick and choose which bits we like and don’t like,’ Sam said, sighing. ‘We’re either in or we’re out.’

  ‘Fine. I’m out.’

  ‘She’s got too much on us and she’ll use it. If we don’t do what’s expected, there’ll be consequences.’

  ‘I’m happy to face the consequences, Sam. I am out.’

  ‘You don’t know what you’re saying. I’ve seen what happens to people who fall from grace and try to walk away, and most of them wind up dead.’

  ‘Dead?’

  ‘They ruin people. Most of them kill themselves.’

  ‘What the hell have you got us into?’

  ‘What have I got us into?’ Sam said, shaking his head. ‘You wanted to go there, and you went back.’

  ‘I told you months ago it was getting weird.’

  ‘You did, but you went along with this all the way. Don’t try to put this all on me.’

  ‘Don’t put it on you? Who brought the psycho home?’ Llinos looked around the room and then rolled her eyes. ‘No one else brought the psycho home, did they? Oh, that will be you who did it then.’

  ‘Look, all we have to do is keep him hidden until he can walk and then I’ll take him away from here and take him to Fabienne myself if I have to. I promise this will all be all right.’

  ‘Don’t make promises to me that you can’t keep, Sam,’ she said.

  ‘It will be fine.’