The Solace Farm Killings: A Snowdonia Murder Mystery (A DI Ruth Hunter Crime Thriller Book 7)

by Simon McCleave

  ‘How is she?’ Nick asked gently.

  ‘Fine. Yeah, well she’s fine now,’ Amanda said wearily.

  ‘Long day then?’ Nick asked. ‘Do you want tea?’

  ‘No, I don’t want tea,’ Amanda said pointedly.

  ‘Why don’t you go to bed and have a sleep?’ Nick suggested.

  ‘I don’t want to go to bloody bed, Nick,’ Amanda snapped.

  Nick waited for a few seconds as he busied himself getting a tea bag, mug and milk.

  ‘Why don’t you ask Auntie Pat to come over? She’d love to help out,’ Nick said, as he had done on previous occasions.

  ‘I don’t need her here. She’ll only judge me for being a shit mother!’ Amanda snapped.

  Jesus, this is hard going.

  ‘You’re not a shit mother! ... And she’s not like that. You know she’s not like that,’ Nick protested, but regretted his tone.

  ‘Fuck off, Nick. What would you know? You and Ruth swan around in your car, thinking you’re God’s fucking gift ...’ Amanda stopped and the tears began to fall down her face.

  ‘It’s all right,’ Nick said as he went to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

  ‘What’s happening to me, Nick?’ Amanda sobbed.

  Nick put his arms around her and for a moment she hugged him back. It had been days since they’d had any physical contact. It was breaking his heart to see her like this.

  ‘It’s okay. I’m fine. Every mother goes through this don’t they?’ Amanda said, pushing him away and standing up.

  ‘Why don’t we go back and see the doctor?’ Nick suggested.

  ‘Do you know what I need?’ Amanda sneered as she went to the door.

  Nick shrugged. He had no idea what she was going to say. ‘No, I don’t. But if you let me help you ...’

  ‘I need a drink, Nick. I need a big fucking drink,’ Amanda said as she tapped her head. ‘I need to get out of here. The thoughts that are spinning around my head. I just need to turn them off.’

  Nick felt his stomach lurch.

  Oh God, I didn’t see that coming.

  ‘You need to ring your sponsor,’ Nick said.

  ‘Fuck my sponsor. She’s a self-righteous bitch!’ Amanda said as she stormed out of the room.

  Nick watched her go – he was completely helpless.

  RUTH WANDERED FROM the kitchen to the living room of her house with a large glass of red wine. Even though it was dark outside, she hadn’t pulled the curtains. They made her feel claustrophobic. It had been one of the things about Sian that annoyed her. At the first sign of darkness, the curtains would have to be pulled. Sian said it “... creeped her out because any weirdo could be looking in.” Ruth would snort her derision. They were both CID detectives for God’s sake. They knew the chances of them having a random, psychotic ‘Peeping Tom’ was virtually nil. Ruth also knew that she didn’t precisely match the profile. She wasn’t exactly Pamela Anderson or Demi Moore, or whoever the modern equivalents were.

  It had now been nearly six months since Detective Constable Sian Hockney had packed her bags and moved out. Ruth’s obsession with the ghosts of the past had finally driven her away. One ghost in fact. Sarah.

  Ruth sat for a moment on the sofa and gazed out of the patio doors. It was inky black outside. The wind rushed across the garden having swept across the fields that extended for as far as the eye could see. Someone nearby had an open coal fire and Ruth got a trace of its odour from the air that sneaked in from outside.

  Looking over at the box that had been left by a courier at the side of the house nearly two months ago, Ruth wondered if she should open it. She knew exactly what it was but once she’d prised open its lid, her understanding of the past would change forever. And there was no going back.

  It had been nearly seven years since Ruth’s partner Sarah had got on a commuter train from Crystal Palace to Victoria. She never arrived and no one had seen her since. She had simply vanished into thin air. Ruth had used all her powers to track her down but to no avail. Inside that slim box might be some answers. But Ruth wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

  Stamped on the side of the black, high-quality cardboard in gilt ink – Secret Garden. Ruth’s instinct was that the elite London sex parties run by Sarah’s lover under the banner Secret Garden, held the key to why her partner had disappeared.

  Swigging down the last of her wine for a bit of Dutch courage, Ruth took the box and began to tear it open. Inside was the Secret Garden membership brochure which featured a man and woman in a sexual embrace. Beside that was an ornate membership ticket with a red velvet trim. Ruth stared at the contents for a few seconds. It had taken her months to summon up the courage to even open it. As she pulled out the brochure, she saw there was also a thin black eye mask. Not much for the two hundred pounds she had forked out for membership. However, if it brought her closer to finding out what had happened to Sarah, then it was more than worth it.

  Picking up the mask, Ruth looked at it. Even just touching it made her squirm inside.

  As she opened the brochure, she saw a list of parties that she was now eligible to buy a ticket for. There were two a month, and most were in London. Tickets were a hundred and fifty pounds each, even after the membership fee.

  Running her finger down the dates, she came to March 1st 2020.

  That’s the date. Am I really going to dress up and head to a London sex party? she thought. She didn’t have a choice.

  CHAPTER 4

  The following morning, Nick and Ruth had mis-timed their journey over to Llancastell University hospital. They had driven straight bang into the middle of the rush hour and school traffic.

  Ruth glanced at the school children in the back of the car in front and said, ‘Christ, in my day no one ever got a lift to school. It was either the bus or walk.’

  ‘These days if you haven’t got one hundred pound trainers and Netflix, you’re deprived,’ Nick said.

  ‘I’m glad that fatherhood is turning you into a grumpy old man ... How was Amanda when you got in?’ Ruth asked.

  Nick pulled a face. ‘Not good.’

  ‘No?’ Ruth said and waited for Nick to fill the silence. He had got a lot better at talking about personal stuff as their friendship had developed. It had also been helped by his ongoing sobriety. Ruth and Nick shared everything, which made their working relationship in the force unusual.

  ‘I’m not sure what to do for her. She said she wanted to have a drink because she feels so bloody awful,’ Nick admitted.

  ‘That really doesn’t sound good. Are you worried that Amanda is with Megan at home on her own?’ Ruth asked.

  Nick shook his head. ‘No, no. She’s not going to drink. And I’m not worried that Amanda’s going to harm Megan or anything like that. But I know I’m not fully concentrating on the job, which is dangerous.’

  ‘Take some time off work. You must be owed leave? When was the last time you had a day off?’

  ‘When I had paternity leave,’ Nick admitted.

  ‘Do it. And that’s an order,’ Ruth said with a kind smile.

  Nick pulled into the University Hospital car park and parked in the restricted parking area. They were there to check on the young man that they had seen knocked down on the A5 last night. Callum Roper.

  ‘Anything come back on the victim from last night?’ Ruth asked as they got out of the car.

  ‘Nothing, boss,’ Nick said.

  ‘Hopefully, he’ll be able to explain why he was running across a main road with a gunshot wound and those prescriptions in his pocket,’ Ruth said as they went through the main entrance.

  As they headed for the lifts, Ruth got the waft of ‘that hospital smell’ – a mixture of overcooked food and sterilising chemicals.

  ‘You know Sian’s actively looking for a transfer out of Llancastell CID?’ Ruth said. It had been weighing on her mind for a while. Since they split up, Ruth and Sian had continued to work in the same CID office which made things awkward at times. It was the
reason why relationships within the force were not encouraged.

  ‘Yeah, I heard ... I just didn’t want to say anything ...’ Nick said with a slightly embarrassed shrug.

  Ruth and Nick got into the lift and the doors closed.

  ‘It’s fine. It’s made a few people uncomfortable,’ Ruth said.

  ‘I’m gonna miss her when she goes,’ Nick admitted.

  For a moment, Ruth got a flashback of the relationship she had shared with Sian. The laughter, the passion and the love.

  God, how did I manage to fuck that up so monumentally?

  ‘Yeah, so will I,’ Ruth said quietly as they got out of the lift and headed for the ICU. She felt a twinge of emotion. Sian was going and it made her incredibly sad.

  Don’t cry, you idiot! she thought to herself.

  As they arrived at the ICU, Ruth and Nick used the anti-bacterial hand wash. Nick showed his hands to Ruth. ‘There was a bloke I was in rehab with who used to drink this sanitiser stuff.’

  ‘Jesus. That’s disgusting!’ Ruth said.

  ‘Hey, it’s eighty per cent proof. That makes it soapy moonshine,’ Nick quipped with a grin.

  ‘I prefer a nice Merlot myself.’

  Ruth showed her warrant card to the nurse behind the main desk. ‘DI Ruth Hunter and DS Nick Evans, Llancastell CID. A teenage boy was brought in last night. RTA. Head injuries. Came in on the air ambulance?’

  The nurse nodded and got up from her seat. ‘I’ll just see if I can get the doctor for you.’

  A few seconds later, a young doctor came over to see them.

  ‘Morning, detective. Can I help?’ he asked.

  ‘A teenage boy came in last night. RTA? We just wanted to check on his progress,’ Ruth said.

  The doctor looked at them with a grave expression. ‘I’m afraid he didn’t make it.’

  SIAN SAT OPPOSITE DCI Drake in his office at Llancastell Police Station, which was also the headquarters of the North Wales Police force. When Drake had first arrived at Llancastell CID from Manchester, Sian had found him intimidating. He was a brilliant DCI and never resorted to condescension or bullying of any kind. However, his calm self-assurance, confidence and charisma just made her feel a little uneasy in his company. Still waters run deep, so the saying went. Maybe it was because Sian feared that she possessed none of those qualities.

  Smoothing his hand over his bald head, Drake sat forward in his chair and pointed to the paperwork in front of him.

  ‘I just need you to countersign this paperwork, and that’s it,’ he said, holding out a pen for her to take.

  Sian had applied for, and got, a new job as a DC in Swansea. No one else knew.

  ‘Thank you, boss,’ she said, taking the pen from his enormous hand.

  ‘You’re going to be sorely missed, you do know that?’

  ‘I doubt that, boss, but it’s very kind of you to say it anyway.’ Sian’s eyes scanned down the sheet to where a cross indicated a space for her signature.

  God, this is making me feel awkward.

  ‘Come on. Since I came into CID, I’ve really seen you grow. You’ve become an excellent member of the team here,’ Drake said. ‘And you’re sure there is nothing I can say that will make you stay?’

  Sian pursed her lips and shook her head. Bumping into Ruth every day just wasn’t good for her mental health.

  ‘No, sorry. My mind’s made up. Part of a new adventure in a new city,’ Sian explained, not convinced herself that it was the right thing to do.

  ‘Off the record, I know there’s been a problem between you and DI Hunter ... Ruth. It’s none of my business, but when things are personal it makes this job a lot harder,’ Drake said sitting back in his chair.

  ‘Yes, boss,’ Sian said as she signed the papers. ‘Unfortunately, you don’t always have control over who you’re attracted to.’

  Drake nodded. ‘That’s true.’

  ‘Do you mind not saying anything to Ruth until I talk to her? She knows that I want to leave but she doesn’t know that I’ve got a new job and that I’m actually going,’ Sian explained.

  ‘Of course. No problem,’ Drake said.

  CHAPTER 5

  It was mid-morning. Rachel had prayed to God at dawn for Thomas’ soul. He had left them and she knew what that meant for Thomas. Eternal damnation. He had turned his back on the word of God, even though he had been shown the light. When Christ Our Lord returned to them, it was the souls of people like Thomas that would perish in a lake of fire for eternity. It was such a sad thought. It was also why she fought so hard for people to stay and not leave The Family. As Jesus had once said, ‘Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do.’

  As Rachel came out of the front entrance of the farm, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and tied it. Even though it was cold, the sky was clear and the sunshine bright. She fished out her sunglasses and put them on. She took a deep breath. The incident with Thomas the evening before had shaken her and she needed God’s guidance as to how to proceed. That was the beautiful thing about the faith that she had found. If she asked, then God would provide signs, dreams, and direction for her and The Family. And if it was God’s will, then it would be their will too.

  Gazing out at the countryside that stretched away into the distance, Rachel took a deep lungful of the fresh air. She felt it cleansing her as she raised her head to the sky and prayed for peace of mind.

  In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

  The tranquillity was broken by the sound of metallic banging. Over to her left, Simon and another man, Aaron, were working on fixing a car. That’s how Solace Farm made some of its income. Buying, fixing and selling cars.

  As Rachel looked over, crows took to the air from a nearby tree, startled by the noise. She didn’t like crows. They were a sign of a coming darkness.

  Striding across the yard, she approached the two men who were deep in conversation as they looked at a car engine.

  Simon looked up and wiped his hands on his jeans. ‘Rachel?’ He looked anxious. But then again, Simon always looked anxious.

  Aaron, mid-twenties, had been with The Family since he ran away from a care home aged sixteen. Despite the cold, he was wearing a t-shirt and Rachel admired the shape of his muscular arms. She’d had sex with him the night before. He was a little mechanical but the act was a service to God and The Family. Rachel had a vision from God that she must take on the burden of the sexual needs of The Family. Sexual intercourse outside of marriage was banned on the farm but Rachel would sometimes have sex with the single men. She felt it was an act of God to keep their biological needs in check. It was no coincidence that the rapists, sexual perverts, and paedophiles of the world were all men. Their sexual urges and need for gratification made them very different creatures to women. She thought that men were like cows – they needed to be milked regularly or they became irritable.

  Rachel gestured across the fields. ‘What do we know about the accident last night?’

  The local news bulletin on the radio had reported a serious accident on the A5 and Rachel was keen to know if it was connected to Thomas’ escape.

  ‘An air ambulance was called and a person was taken to the University Hospital. I’m waiting for a phone call from someone there,’ Simon explained.

  ‘Okay. If it was Thomas, is there anything that would link him to us?’ Rachel asked. She didn’t want the police poking their noses around Solace Farm. In recent years, she had developed a good relationship with the local police and they pretty much left The Family alone.

  Simon’s face dropped as he nodded. ‘He was carrying the prescriptions. If anyone checks them properly, then they are registered to Solace Farm.’

  ‘What? How was that allowed to happen?’ Rachel thundered.

  Simon cowered at her words and Aaron looked the other way, pretending not to have heard anything.

  Rachel felt the rage grow within her. It felt hot and unmanageable. Simon was so weak. So pa
thetic. She sometimes wished him physical harm and prayed for the feeling to go away.

  Simon’s mobile phone rang. He answered it and walked away for a moment.

  Rachel looked at Aaron but he avoided her gaze.

  ‘Are you all right, Aaron?’ Rachel asked, moving towards him and touching his arm.

  He’s scared of me. I don’t want him to be scared of me.

  Aaron nodded. ‘Yeah ...’

  ‘We spent the night together and yet you still fear me?’ Rachel said gently.

  Aaron pursed his lips. She could see that he didn’t know what to say.

  ‘Haven’t I been good to you, Aaron?’ she asked.

  ‘Yeah, of course,’ he replied.

  ‘And you understand that the prophecy that was given to me was real?’

  Aaron nodded.

  ‘And God demanded it. And we have to follow God’s lead regardless of what we might want for ourselves,’ Rachel said.

  Before she could go on, Simon returned. He gestured to the phone.

  ‘That was someone at the hospital,’ he said.

  ‘Was it Thomas?’ Rachel asked.

  Simon nodded. ‘He died last night in the ICU.’

  SITTING IN HER OFFICE, Ruth sipped her coffee and looked out of the window. The winter sun had burnt away the clouds and its rays now glistened on the glass. Looking down at her phone, she could see the date of the Secret Garden party she had picked. A venue above the London Planetarium. She knew she had to go to the event as if she were a working detective. Methodical and unemotional. It was a chance to gather possible evidence and follow a decent lead. But she knew it wouldn’t feel like that. She had too much invested in what she might find.

  There was a knock at her open door. Looking up from her phone, Ruth saw it was Sian. She felt her stomach instantly tighten.

  ‘Have you got a second, boss?’ Sian asked.

  For a moment they looked at each other and there was an uncomfortable silence.