The Anglesey Murders Box Set

by Conrad Jones

  ‘Two seconds,’ he said. ‘Open the door.’

  His partner checked through the spyhole before opening the door. Joss craned his neck to see who it was. Three men in suits and leather jackets walked in.

  ‘Hello, Joss. Fancy meeting you here,’ Igor Karpov said shaking hands with the men.

  ‘You are behind this?’

  ‘You shouldn’t trust anyone, Joss,’ Igor said.

  ‘So I’m told. I’m beginning to get the message.’

  ‘Is it ready?’

  ‘Ten minutes,’ Kev said. ‘And the money?’

  ‘Transferred to the account you gave me.’

  ‘What about him?’ Kev asked. Igor looked into the workshop and shrugged.

  ‘Who are they?’

  ‘They’re his welders. They told us where the shipment was.’

  ‘Kill him and his men. Leave no witnesses.’

  ***

  Sam locked the car with the remote and walked to meet the in-laws. Llinos and him didn’t believe in marriage but he’d always called her parents that. Her father, Gwillam was in the passenger seat and her mother, Wendy, was driving. She parked up and turned off the engine. Sam wanted to puke up. His knees were shaking so much, he felt like they were going to collapse. Gwillam got out of the car first.

  ‘Were you going somewhere?’ he asked.

  ‘Pardon?’ Sam asked, nervously.

  ‘You looked like you were about to go somewhere,’ Gwillam said, pointing to his daughter’s vehicle. He looked at Sam’s eyes and frowned. ‘Have you been crying?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘I’m fine, thank you,’ Sam said. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Falling to bits,’ Gwillam said. ‘You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get to my age. Everything stops working or starts working when it shouldn’t.’

  ‘Hello, Sam,’ Wendy said, approaching. ‘Where is Llinos?’ she asked. She saw that his eyes were reddened too. ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘I’ve just asked him that?’ Gwillam said. ‘He looks like he’s been crying.’

  ‘I haven’t been crying,’ Sam said. ‘I’ve been working in the yard and got dust in my eyes. They’ve been watering for hours.’

  ‘You’re not upset, then?’ Wendy asked.

  ‘No. I’m not upset.’

  ‘I thought it might be to do with that Hudson business. Isn’t it terrible what he’s done?’ Wendy said. ‘Poor old Mabel Jones. She was a frail old lady. What type of man hurts and old lady like that?’

  ‘He’s not a man. He’s a monster,’ Gwillam said. ‘Bring back hanging, that’s what I say, isn’t it, Wendy?’

  ‘It is. He always says that. Bring back hanging for men like that.’

  ‘And paedos,’ Gwillam added. ‘I’d hang the kiddie-fiddlers too.’

  ‘Anyway,’ Wendy said. ‘How’s that police lady he stabbed?’

  ‘She’s in intensive care.’

  ‘Did you know her?’

  ‘Yes. I’ve worked with her for years,’ Sam said.

  ‘Is that why you’ve been crying?’ Wendy asked.

  ‘I haven’t been crying. I got dust in my eyes.’

  ‘Where is Llinos?’ Wendy asked, again.

  ‘She’s working,’ Sam said.

  ‘I’ll pop in and say hello,’ Wendy said. She walked towards the surgery building.

  ‘She’s in the treatment room and can’t be disturbed,’ Sam said. Wendy stopped and looked at him, confused. ‘She’s operating on a dog. It’s a complicated procedure, apparently.’

  ‘I’ll just pop my head in and say hi,’ Wendy said, shrugging him off. ‘She won’t mind.’

  ‘Don’t disturb her please, Wendy,’ Sam called after her. ‘She specifically asked me to make sure she’s not disturbed.’ Wendy turned around and looked offended. ‘Like I said, it’s a complicated procedure.’

  ‘It’s not like her to operate alone,’ Gwillam said, pointing to an empty car parking space next to Llinos. ‘Where’s Alex?’ he asked. Alex was her trainee and assistant. ‘He usually assists her on the tricky ones.’

  ‘This was an emergency,’ Sam said. His nerves were jangling, but he knew he had to hold it together to be credible. ‘Car accident, I believe. Alex is on his way, but she had to get started or lose it. It was in a bad way.’

  ‘Poor thing. What is it?’ Wendy asked.

  ‘What?’

  ‘The dog,’ she frowned. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Oh. I see,’ Sam mumbled. ‘I’m not sure, to be honest.’

  ‘I think I should stick my head in and see if she needs anything,’ Wendy insisted. ‘I used to help her taid in his surgery when I was younger. I’m sure she won’t mind her old mum popping her head in.’

  ‘Wendy,’ Sam said, firmly. ‘I’ve explained the situation to you and asked you to respect the fact that Llinos has asked not to be disturbed during this operation.’

  ‘Yes. I heard you.’

  ‘Which part of that did you not understand?’

  ‘There’s no need to be so abrupt,’ Gwillam said. He shook his head. ‘No need at all.’

  ‘Listen, Gwillam. I’ve explained several times but as usual, Wendy only hears what she wants to hear. If that offends either of you, then I suggest you get back in your car and piss off home until she’s finished.’ The in-laws looked horrified. Gwillam flushed red but Sam was a big man, strong and fit and thirty-odd years younger. Plus, he was a policeman.

  ‘How dare you,’ Gwillam said.

  ‘I’m sorry I swore but I’m worn out and very emotional at the moment. This murder inquiry has got me wrapped up in knots. April Bifelt is a very good friend of mine and it’s getting on top of me. Forgive me, but please go home and I’ll ask Llinos to ring you when she’s finished in surgery.’

  ‘You have been crying, haven’t you?’ Wendy asked. Sam nodded.

  ‘Like I said, it’s just getting to me. Forgive me for being rude.’

  ‘Do you need a hug?’ Wendy asked, walking towards him.

  ‘No. I don’t need a hug. I don’t need anything but a bit of peace and quiet, while I’m on my break. I have to be back in work soon.’ Wendy looked offended again and retreated towards her car. ‘I’ll get her to ring you later.’

  ‘I’ll pop in and say goodbye and ask her to ring me when she’s finished,’ Wendy said.

  ‘Go home, Wendy.’

  ‘I don’t know why you’re being so awful.’

  ‘She specifically asked me not to let you in while she’s performing the operation.’

  ‘I don’t believe you,’ Wendy said. ‘She wouldn’t say that.’

  ‘She did. You drive her around the fucking bend, if I’m honest and she needs to concentrate,’ Sam said, flatly. Wendy looked stunned. ‘Now, stop wasting my breaktime and go home, please. I’ll tell her to call you.’

  ‘I know you’ve got a tough job,’ Gwillam said. ‘But using that kind of language to my wife will get you a punch on the nose.’ Sam stared at him. Gwillam stared back for a few seconds. ‘Let’s go, Wendy. We’re clearly not welcome here.’ He pointed at Sam. ‘Llinos will not be happy when I tell her about this.’

  They got into the car and Sam watched them reversing. Gwillam glared at him through the window all the time. Sam knew he’d barely got away with that and he also knew they would be back and next time, they wouldn’t be fobbed off so easily. Things had become complicated and his position was precarious. First things first; he needed to dispose of Llinos then he needed to deal with Mathew Hudson. Llinos was ash but even so, she needed to be taken to a place where anything could be disposed of. The sea. He waited a few minutes to be sure the in-laws had gone. Running into them at the top of the road would not be good. He needed to get rid of her remains and her car and her phone. They could track her phone usage and he could use it to make it look like she was still communicating. She didn’t go anywhere unless she was driving. If her car stayed at the farm, people would ask questions.
It would become obvious that she wasn’t coming home. He had to syphon as much money as he could from their accounts and then leave the island, permanently. Fabienne would help him to hide and that excited him. He could live the rest of his earth life in the dark shadows on the edge of mundane society; creating chaos and feeding on them.

  CHAPTER 47

  Joss watched them unloading the packages of cocaine out of the tow truck. His head was throbbing, and his heart was heavy. He was about to lose everything in one swoop. His gamble hadn’t paid off and in this game the winner takes all; literally everything that he’d worked for all his life. He wasn’t even sure if he had a life left. Would they allow him to live and walk away with his tail between his legs; probably not. Whacky and Naz wouldn’t want him around. That was for sure. They’d be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives. Anglesey is a relatively small island with nowhere to hide for any length of time. They would have to surface at some point. Staying on the island wouldn’t be an option for them. Joss would hunt them down and his men would kill them and make them vanish. As long as he had breath in his body, they would be hunted. The more he considered the possible options, the less likely it was they would let him live.

  One of the Russians took out a small leather bag, pierced six packages at random and mixed a small amount of cocaine with a solution that turned purple when it dissolved. The purer the cocaine, the darker the colour. He shook the first vial and then the others in turn to force the reaction, but nothing happened. The powder settled at the bottom of the vial and didn’t dissolve; the liquid remained clear. All the samples were blank. The cocaine wasn’t cocaine at all. It was talc. The Russians looked increasingly angry as each vial was rechecked. Kevin Penny and Dale looked increasingly concerned as each vile failed to react. Igor Karpov pulled out a Glock and pointed it at Kevin Penny. Dale pulled out his Glock and put it to Igor’s head. Kevin drew an Uzi and aimed at Igor’s men. The Karpov men aimed their weapons at Kevin and Dale and a Mexican standoff began. Cold sweat ran and nerves were taut; the fear and tension in the air was palpable. Whacky and Naz were unarmed and they backed away slowly, ducking behind a Jeep.

  Joss watched the drama unfold with interest and amusement. The drugs had been interfered with at some point. His representative at the seller’s end had checked samples at random and they’d been good but then he thought about what people kept reminding him of; don’t trust anyone in the drug business. He tilted his head back and began to laugh like a madman.

  ‘Who’s out of their league now, gentlemen?’ he shouted. Tears ran down his face and he could hardly get his breath. ‘Now, that’s what I call karma and karma can be a bitch!’

  ‘We can resolve this,’ Kevin said. ‘There’s no need for anyone to die here.’

  ‘Don’t listen to him, Igor,’ Joss called. ‘That gear was good when it landed. They’re cowboys trying to have you over a barrel. Don’t fall for it. Shoot him in the face.’

  ‘Shut up, Joss,’ Kevin said. ‘You’re already dead, you just don’t know it yet.’

  ‘Fancy trying to have one over on the Karpovs,’ Joss said, chuckling. ‘You Manchester boys really do overrate yourselves, don’t you?’

  ‘We haven’t tried to have anyone over,’ Dale said, sweating profusely. ‘Don’t listen to him, Igor. We hijacked his shipment. That’s all we did.’

  ‘How many shipments have I brought in for you, Igor?’ Joss asked. ‘Think about it. When have we ever had an issue?’

  ‘Never,’ Igor said.

  ‘We haven’t touched the shipment,’ Kevin said, glancing at Joss. ‘He’s been ripped off, Igor. We just didn’t know it until we cut it out of the truck.’

  ‘Did you change it at the quarry or somewhere else?’ Joss asked. ‘Cheeky bastards aren’t they, Igor?’

  ‘Shut your mouth,’ Kevin said.

  ‘Or what?’ Joss said.

  ‘You’ll see what happens to you.’

  ‘Really?’ Joss said. ‘Because you look like you’ve got a Glock pointed at your head.’

  ‘He’s the one that got ripped off, Igor,’ Kevin said, his hands shaking.

  ‘I’m not the only one being ripped off, you idiot. I bet Igor told you the money is already in your offshore account, didn’t he?’ Joss asked, shaking his head. ‘Have you checked it?’

  Igor fired first, but he was dead a split second later. The vast unit was filled with sound of gunfire and when it quietened, there was no one left standing. The acrid smell of gun smoke filled the air. Joss’s ears were ringing, and he’d stopped laughing. Whacky and Naz appeared from their hiding places; they were pale with shock and clearly frightened. Whacky skirted the bodies, eyeing them as if they might jump back to life and bite him. Naz crept behind him, using him as a shield.

  ‘All your friends look a bit fucked up, Naz,’ Joss shouted. ‘Mind you, you two don’t know what friends are, do you?’ He started laughing again. ‘You should have seen your faces when they pulled their guns out. That was the funniest thing I think I’ve ever seen.’ He paused and sniffed the air. ‘Can you smell that? It stinks. One of them has definitely shit themselves. Mind you, being shot in the face tends to do that to you.’

  Whacky and Naz stopped and listened to him. They looked like dogs, cowering from an angry master. ‘You two should probably piss off and go as far away as you can. When I get out of this chair, I’m going to set about finding you both and when I do, I’m going to skin you with a fork.’

  ***

  Sam drove to Beaumaris to avoid the roadblocks. The traffic through Menai Bridge was slow-moving, but it was moving. He was stuck behind a lorry as he reached Chateau Rhianfa on the coast road. Llinos had loved it there. Whenever they were looking to celebrate something, the French-styled chateau was her first choice. They’d eaten there many times. It was a cross between a chateau and a castle. It even had a wine cellar with tables and chairs in it and she loved merlot; they’d sit and chat surrounded by wine racks and barrels. A bolt of regret shot through him and he felt his eyes filling up. It was too late to be sorry. All the apologies in the world couldn’t fix this. He had to face up to what he’d done and make sure its impact on his future wasn’t as catastrophic as it could be. There was a lot to think about and he had to be thinking clearly or he would make mistakes; murderers who make mistakes go to jail for the rest of their lives. He steeled his resolve and his vision was clearing when he passed the marina and the boatyard.

  Beaumaris was relatively quiet when he arrived; the pastel coloured hotels were showing vacancies in their windows. The weather had turned and there were a handful of visitors milling around the antique shops and tearooms. He turned off the high street before the Liverpool Arms and drove past the pier. Couples were huddled in shelters eating fish and chips; seagulls the size of dogs stalked them, waiting for scraps. The main car park was nearly empty. He parked as far away from the entrance as he could, next to the sea. To his left, the moated castle stood dark and brooding against a moody sky; on his right the tide was retreating to reveal the vast mudflats. He could see two fishermen in waders, digging for lugworms in the mud. They were closer to the pier than he wanted to be. He parked up and looked out at the Great Orme and Puffin Island in the distance. Across the Straits, the steep cliffs at Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr dominated the skyline; the rock sheer and grey.

  He popped the boot and climbed out, checking around for prying eyes. There was no one nearby when he took the bag of ashes and the shovel from the car. He swapped his shoes for his wellingtons and trudged over the shingle beach to reach the mudflats. The smell of the sea filled his senses and the wind at his back urged him on. It was less than a hundred yards before he reached the retreating water. Progress across the mud was painstakingly slow but when he reached the shallows, he put the bag down and dug a hole in the mud. The sea rushed in and filled it as fast as he dug. It took more than twenty minutes to dig it and he was aware he needed to empty the ashes and cover them up quickly. When he was happy with
the depth, he tipped the bag; the ashes poured into the hole. He spotted bone fragments and some teeth in the dust. Maybe he should’ve let her burn longer; it made no difference now. He continued to shake the contents free until the bag was empty. The ashes mixed with the muddy water and turned to grey sludge in an instant. Sam used the shovel to move the mud back into the hole. He patted the mud down flat and then laid the shovel down on the bag. The water licked at them, washing the mud and fingerprints away. He kicked some mud over them and headed back towards the car. The tide would dispose of the evidence.

  One of fishermen had moved his van closer to where Sam had parked. It looked like he was packing up and loading his bait box into his van; he had earphones in, listening to music while he worked. He eyed Sam suspiciously. Was it obvious that he wasn’t digging bait? Sam thought. He avoided eye contact and pretended to put something into the boot. The fisherman took his earphones out.

  ‘Have you forgotten something, mate?’ the man called over.

  ‘Pardon?’ Sam frowned.

  He pointed to where Sam had been digging. ‘You’ve left your shovel over there on the flats.’

  ‘Bloody hell,’ Sam said, looking around. ‘I’d lose my head if it was loose.’ He rolled his eyes skywards. ‘Goldfish brain, or what?’ he joked. He waved a hand and went back across the mud slowly, making a meal of picking up the bag and the shovel. It took what felt like forever to trudge back to the shore. The fisherman poured a hot cup of tea from a silver flask and watched him. He sipped it and stared at Sam returning to his vehicle.

  ‘Thanks,’ Sam shouted over, with a wave. The fisherman nodded. Sam put the shovel and bag into the boot and got into the car. He put his hands on the steering wheel and sighed. The encounter with the man had set his nerves jangling. There was now a witness who’d seen him digging in the mud. It was enough to make him nervous. He started the car and put it in gear.

  The fisherman finished his brew and put the flask into back of the van. Then he retrieved his spade and headed out onto the flats again. Sam drove away slowly but watched the man in his mirror, worried about where he was going. The fisherman looked over his shoulder to check Sam had driven away before changing direction and heading for the disturbed mud where he’d watched Sam digging. Sam swore beneath his breath and turned the car around in front of the castle.