He checked his equipment. "Don’t follow us until I give the signal. Good luck, everybody." With that, he left to join his team.
They watched, impressed with the efficient way the response team made their way to the caravans, taking it yard by yard, communicating with hand signals. It was how she imagined the army might complete house-to-house searches in a war zone. She leaned back on the bonnet of the car, taking weight off her hip.
❖
Michael Harries ran from the caravans, about to go after the gang.
“Stay where you are,” someone shouted from the slope above. “Armed police.”
Michael held his hand up to shade his eyes from the harsh winter sun. “Help us! They’re after my boy! He pointed to the trees.”
Armed officers poured down from the roadway.
“Stay where you are,” their leader ordered, again, as he continued to the trees, followed by several more officers.
Yet more officers moved in towards Michael and the caravans.
Up at the layby, Yvonne held her breath, listening to her radio. "They’ve called in air support. Will’s on the run from four men, armed with shotguns, believed to be heading to Devil’s Bridge. Michael and Kate Harries are down there with the travellers."
Dewi nodded. “I might head down there.”
“Wait.” She held out her hand, still listening. “Okay, we can go down. They’ve secured the caravans. It’s safe for the ambulance to go down now, too. We’ve got one injured.”
With the sound of a helicopter moving in from the East, Yvonne and her Sergeant made their way down to the caravans.
The DI recognised Kate Harries from the photographs she’d seen on the missing posters. She headed straight for her.
“My son…” Kate’s mouth was wide open, her face contorted in anguish. Strings of saliva hung between her lips.
Yvonne moved forward to take both of Kate’s hands. “We have highly skilled officers looking for Will. If anyone can bring him back safe, they can.”
33
Showdown
Will ran until he reached the Devil’s Bridge, and the famous waterfall which plunged into a rounded pool at the bottom. The travellers had told him they called it the Cauldron.
He swung his head left and right, unsure of where would be safe. About to run back into the trees, a shout stopped him in his tracks.
“Oi, Harries, if you move, you’re dead!”
Will recognised Scarface’s voice. He stood, hands raised to the sides, too afraid to run.
“Get him.” Scarface ordered.
Will heard feet in the undergrowth behind, his heart thudded in his chest, the sweat-soaked shirt on his back sent shivers down his body.
Hands grabbed each of his arms, frog-marching him to where Scarface and Dreads stood. He didn’t dare look them in the eye.
Scarface punched Will to the head as soon his henchmen let go. The boy's knees gave way, and he crumpled to the floor.
“Armed police. Nobody moves. Stay right where you are!”
Will held his jaw, staring up at the place the shout had come from, his face contorted in anguish. His vision blurred from the punch, he could just make out the response team, weapons at the ready, moving in from amongst the trees.
Scarface and Dreads held up their hands. The other two ran for it.
A shot rang out and the fleeing men stopped where they were.
“Throw down your weapons.”
They held on to them at first as though unsure whether to run again. Deciding against it, one after the other, they discarded the guns.
Officers moved fast, taking possession of the weapons and cuffing all four, before frisking them down and marching them back the way they had come.
The officer who helped him up, and walked with him back to the caravans, didn’t speak. It reminded Will of futuristic films he’d watched. The armour-clad officers appeared to him to be half-human, half-robot.
❖
“Are we in trouble?” Kate’s eyes searched the DI’s face.
“We’ll sort that out later. We will need to talk with each of you, but it’s the gang we want in court.”
“What about Will?”
“There may be minor charges.” Yvonne shook her head. “But we're not looking to prosecute him for dealing. We're aware he’s a victim. But, next time you want disappear, can you please leave a note? We’ll inform Max, put his mind at rest.”
Kate hung her head.
“What? Are you telling me he already knows? Has he been aware all this time?”
“Not all the time. We telephoned him when we got here. I couldn’t bear for him to worry about us.”
“Wow. He kept your secret well. Do you know how many man hours we spent looking for you?”
“I’m sorry. I've never felt so scared. Things got out of control. After we ran, I didn't see how we could go back. I thought our nightmare would never end. It's been a horrible time.”
“How did your husband get hurt?”
“You’d need to ask Michael,” Kate deflected.
Yvonne nodded, looking up as the sound of the chopper grew louder. “What matters now is that we get your son back, safe and get that gang behind bars.”
Her radio alive with activity, the DI stilled to listen. “They’ve got him. They’ve got Will. Kate, he’s safe. They have the gang.”
Kate let out a cry. “Where is he? I need to see him.”
“They’re bringing him up. We will want to speak with all of you at the station when you’re ready.”
34
Dinner
Strains of jazz poured from an open window of the detached country house, along with the smell of something wonderful cooking. It was an impressive place. With its multiple roofs, and carved stone crenellations, it appeared to have leapt straight out of Country Life Magazine. The brightly lit lawns were well-kept too, she observed, through the curling mist of her breath.
Although needing her cane less, Yvonne felt comforted by its presence. It helped with the butterflies that weakened her knees. She pressed the metal doorbell and held her breath, giving the quarry-tiled floor in the open porch a soft tap, tap with her cane.
Opening the door, he kissed her on the cheek, accepting the bottle of merlot she’d brought with her. “Thank you for coming, I was worried you might cancel.” His smile warmed her.
“Is that Ella Fitzgerald?” she asked as he took her coat. She could have sworn she saw his hand shaking.
“It is. Do you approve?”
“I do. And the house. I didn’t expect it to be so… impressive.”
“Well, thank you.” He smiled.
She narrowed her eyes. “How much money does a DCI earn, anyway?”
He laughed. “Not enough to afford all this, Yvonne. I’m afraid I inherited a lot of what you see. Please, come this way.” He led her through a flagstone hallway, into a cavernous kitchen. “I owe a lot of my good fortune to my family. I resented it when I was younger. Wanted to make my own way in life. I stubbornly joined the police as a beat bobby when my father would have preferred me to study law.”
“What about now? Do you resent it now?” She cleared her throat, surprised at the nerves which refused to calm down.
“No.” He shook his head. “Now, I’m grateful for it and I treasure the memories of my childhood.”
“I’m sorry you lost your parents,” she said, ashamed that she hadn’t asked him about his life, before. She had always found it easier to chat to close colleagues and her team, than she did her superiors, even one as nice as the DCI.
“My mother is still alive.” He pursed his lips. “This place was just too much for her. She has a three-bedroom house, now, near Shrewsbury and she’s happier there. She comes up for visits often and stays for a few days.”
Yvonne took in the oil-fired range, the oak cupboards and furniture, brass and copper light fittings. Classic, with a modern twist. “I had no idea you lived in such a stunning home, Chris. It truly is beautiful.�
�
“I'm afraid, I’m oven cooking.” He grimaced. “My mother told me, if in doubt and it’s winter, throw everything into a pot. As long as it is well-seasoned, you can’t go far wrong. I was afraid my nerves would make me mess up. So, lamb tagine it is.”
“Lamb tagine? That is one of my favourite dishes and yours smells like heaven. Your mum’s a canny woman, I like her already and that food is right up my street.”
Chris put down his knife and fork, his plate almost empty. “How does it feel, another case in the bag? I’m surprised no-one’s attempted to poach you, you’re so damn good at your job.”
She took another sip of her second glass of merlot, eyes strafing the hair at his temples. It reminded her of the first time they met, and of how he had impressed her with his composure and relaxed manner. He looked good in his check shirt and Arran-wool jumper. He suited his home. A lump formed in her throat.
She cleared it, noisily. “No-one has tried to poach me? Not at all?” She giggled. “How about that? You give it your all, every single case, and still…”
“It's tough being an ace detective.” He laughed.
"Yeah. It really is." She laughed with him. It relieved the nervous tension she’d been feeling.
“You should do that more often.” He expression grew serious as his eyes searched her face. “Laugh like that, I mean. So often, you appear to have the world on your shoulders. You have an amazing laugh. It lights up your face.”
“Oh.” She coloured.
“I’ve made you self-conscious. I’m sorry.”
"No, no, it’s fine. I’m just not used to hearing it."
“No murders in this one.” He said, seeing her awkwardness and changing the subject.
She shook her head. “No, thank goodness it was the right result. I couldn't be happier for the family. They’re working out their differences. They have such love for one another.”
“I hear you got them support.”
“We did, with the help of Annie from Bite Size. They have social workers keeping an eye on things and Will is receiving specialised counselling. It’s over the border, in England, but his mum tells me it’s going well. The court gave him a conditional discharge for his involvement with the gang. His dad refused to press charges over the assault, and I have to say, I’m glad about that.”
“Is she still accompanying him for every appointment?”
Yvonne put her glass down. “At the moment, she is. They’re encouraging her to let go of the reigns a little. So, with time, that should change. The family seem happier all round, to be honest, and their neighbour, Lloyd Owen, is behaving himself since the Harries’s discontinued the criminal damage and harassment cases. Michael says he wants a fresh start, and I can’t say I blame him, though I think Owen should consider himself a very lucky man.”
“And, what about you? Still healing well?”
Yvonne pursed her lips. “The scars aren’t fading as much as I’d like, but I can move better now. I won't need the cane in two or three weeks. Another milestone.”
“Have you seen Dr Rainer, again?”
“I have another appointment next week and I will be on my best behaviour, I promise.” She grinned.
“You’re an amazing woman.” His smile contained a warmth that flushed her cheeks. “And a credit to the service.”
“Thank you, sir, I try my best.”
The End.
Afterword
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this book, I’d be very grateful if you’d post a review on Amazon. Your support really does make a difference and helps bring my work to new readers and allows me to continue doing what I love.
Mailing list: You can join my emailing list here : Anna-marieMorgan.com
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You might also like to read the other books in the series.
These are:
Book 1: Death Master:
After months of mental and physical therapy, Yvonne Giles, an Oxford DI, is back at work and that's just how she likes it. So when she's asked to hunt the serial killer responsible for taking apart young women, the DI jumps at the chance but hides the fact she is suffering debilitating flashbacks. She is told to work with Tasha Phillips, an in-her-face, criminal psychologist. The DI is not enamoured with the idea. Tasha has a lot to prove. Yvonne has a lot to get over. A tentative link with a 20 year-old cold case brings them closer to the truth but events then take a horrifyingly personal turn.
Book 2: You Will Die
After apprehending an Oxford Serial Killer, and almost losing her life in the process, DI Yvonne Giles has left England for a quieter life in rural Wales.Her peace is shattered when she is asked to hunt a priest-killing psychopath, who taunts the police with messages inscribed on the corpses.Yvonne requests the help of Dr. Tasha Phillips, a psychologist and friend, to aid in the hunt. But the killer is one step ahead and the ultimatum, he sets them, could leave everyone devastated.
Book 3: Total Wipeout
A whole family is wiped out with a shotgun. At first glance, it's an open-and-shut case. The dad did it, then killed himself. The deaths follow at least two similar family wipeouts – attributed to the financial crash.
So why doesn't that sit right with Detective Inspector Yvonne Giles? And why has a rape occurred in the area, in the weeks preceding each family's demise? Her seniors do not believe there are questions to answer. DI Giles must therefore risk everything, in a high-stakes investigation ofa mysterious masonic ring and players in high finance.
Can she find the answers, before the next innocent family is wiped out?
Book 4: Deep Cut
In a tiny hamlet in North Wales, a female recruit is murdered whilst on Christmas home leave. Detective Inspector Yvonne Giles is asked to cut short her own leave, to investigate. Why was the young soldier killed? And is her death related to several alleged suicides at her army base? DI Giles this it is, and that someone powerful has a dark secret they will do anything to hide.
Book 5: The Pusher
Young men are turning up dead on the banks of the River Severn. Some of them have been missing for days or even weeks. The only thing the police can be sure of, is that the men have drowned. Rumours abound that a mythical serial killer has turned his attention from the Manchester canal to the waterways of Mid-Wales. And now one of CID's own is missing. A brand new recruit with everything to live for. DI Giles must find him before it's too late.
Book 6: Gone
Children are going missing. They are not heard from again until sinister requests for cryptocurrency go viral. The public must pay or the children die. For lead detective Yvonne Giles, the case is complicated enough. And then the unthinkable happens...
Book 7: Bone Dancer
A serial killer is murdering women, threading their bones back together, and leaving them for police to find. Detective Inspector Yvonne Giles must find him before more innocent victims die. Problem is, the killer wants her and will do anything he can to get her. Unaware that she, herself, is is a target, DI Giles risks everything to catch him.
Thank you for reading :)
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