Gone To The Dogs: Murder and Kidnap in rural Wales (The Welsh crime mysteries Book 6) by Nicola Clifford

Author:Nicola Clifford [Clifford, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: THE BOOK FOLKS gripping crime fiction publisher
Published: 2022-05-09T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter twenty-four

Jack pulled up outside a large bungalow in Llanspyddid, a pretty village a few miles west of Brecon.

‘I’m not looking forward to this,’ Ben said.

‘Not surprised, guv. Charlie’s been your boss ever since you joined the force. Easier for me to deal with, I haven’t known him as long.’ He turned off the engine. ‘Do you want me to make the arrest?’

‘No thanks, it better be me. Let’s get it over with.’

Jack nodded, opened his door, stepped out and strode up the front path between flowerbeds packed with a rainbow of geraniums and busy Lizzies. He rang the bell and a few moments passed before it was opened by a short, slightly dumpy woman, wearing a floral apron which looked like it had come from a National Trust gift shop. She smiled when she spotted Ben.

‘Well, this is a surprise,’ she said. ‘You don’t usually call during breakfast. Is something wrong?’

‘Good morning, Sheila,’ Ben said. ‘Is Charlie in? We’d like a word.’

‘Yes, he’s here, eating porridge in the kitchen. Come on in. Would you like some tea?’

‘No thanks, we’re fine.’

‘Go on through then.’

Ben led the way and as he entered the kitchen, his old boss looked up from his breakfast and smiled.

‘Ben James, well I never. What are you doing here? Jack Trent too. Good to see you both. Got time for a cuppa?’

Ben shook his head sadly. ‘Not really, sir. I’m sorry, there’s no way I can sugar the pill.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I’m very much afraid we’re here to arrest you on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent.’

Charlie’s smile instantly slipped from his lips and his eyes dropped to the bowl on the table. ‘God help me,’ he muttered under his breath.

Sheila gasped. ‘Did you say you’re arresting my husband? That can’t be right. What do you think he’s done?’

‘We don’t think,’ Jack said. ‘We know. Your husband was the man who whipped a young woman with a riding crop at the Tywi hunt’s last meet. You may have read about it in the local paper.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ Sheila said. ‘He wouldn’t have done anything like that. You’ve made a mistake. Tell them, Charles.’

‘No, they haven’t made a mistake,’ Charlie said. ‘I’m sorry, my love, I have done what they are accusing me of. I am guilty.’ He groaned, skin flushing with shock and shame as he grasped the enormity of the situation he found himself in and swung his head from side to side.

‘You struck a young woman with a crop? I don’t believe it.’

‘It’s true, Sheila. That’s exactly what I did.’

‘But why? For heaven’s sake, why would you do such a terrible thing?’

Charlie shook his head and mopped his face with a handkerchief he took from his pocket. ‘I don’t know, not really.’

‘Either you know or you don’t,’ his wife snapped.

‘Guess I got caught up in the moment. Rode into the field, saw the sabs causing a rumpus, yelling and blowing horns. They made me so angry. It was as though I was operating on remote control, thought I was on riot control or something.

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