‘It’s okay,’ Meadows said. ‘All that matters is that you are safe.’
‘I thought I would never get out of there. He said I would be okay, that you would come for me. You know I’ve never prayed so much in all my life. I think I’m going to have to go to church to say thank you.’
‘Church?’ Edris said. ‘After everything that’s happened.’
‘Because of everything that happened. My prayers were answered.’
‘Yeah but not quick enough, while you’ve been hanging around with Saint Herbert we’ve missed the Halloween party.’
Valentine laughed. ‘Well, it is All Saints’ Day.’
Chapter Thirty-six
Meadows stepped into his garden, carrying a glass of wine. The chill in the air was quickly replaced by the warmth of the bonfire. He inhaled deeply and felt himself relax. He loved the smell of an outdoor fire. Edris was stood by the fire cradling a bottle of beer as he talked to Hanes and Valentine. Blackwell was sat in a chair and Paskin was tucking a blanket over his legs.
‘Piss off,’ Blackwell said. ‘I’m not a bloody invalid.’
‘Behave yourself or you won’t get a sparkler,’ Paskin said.
Blackwell laughed and Meadows smiled. It was good to see the team relaxing and enjoying themselves. He handed Daisy the wine and took a seat next to her.
‘Thanks.’ She smiled at him.
‘Nice of you to throw a party for this lot,’ Blackwell said.
‘They missed out on the Halloween party they had planned, and I needed to clear the garden and do some burning. Bonfire night seemed like a good opportunity.’
‘So, is there any news on Sarah Kelly and the others?’ Daisy asked.
‘The last information we have is that they landed in Belarus, I guess they chose it because there is no extradition treaty. Vicar Daniels transferred nearly all the church funds, so they’ll have enough money to disappear for a while. They can’t hide forever.’
‘I still can’t believe that a group of ordinary people got together, planned and murdered four people.’
‘Five if you include Donald. They all knew the vicar had killed him,’ Meadows said.
‘I suppose you can understand what drove the vicar to kill them,’ Blackwell said. ‘A brain tumour can change your personality. It looks like it blurred his sense of reality and his faith in the end. He at least thought he was acting on God’s command, but the others.’ He shook his head.
‘Given the right circumstances people act out of character all the time. Put them in a group and they feel anonymous. They wouldn’t have felt personally responsible,’ Meadows said. ‘They acted as a whole. Look at the Stanford prison experiment. Those acting as prison guards acted in a sadistic way.’
‘That’s not the same,’ Blackwell said.
‘Isn’t it? What about The Milgram shock experiment, look how those people acted on authority and how far they went. They were instructed to commit acts that would normally go against their morals. They had to administer electric shocks to subjects and it got to the point where the shock was increased to a level that would have been fatal. They believed the situation was real, yet a high majority still complied. There are loads of experiments that demonstrate how people act differently under authority or in a group to how they act alone. In this case they were all damaged individuals who were grief stricken and full of anger. Donald was socially awkward, no friends, and grieving for Erin. He felt safe in the group. He was impressionable. They were all given the role of judge, jury and executioner by a person they trusted and believed in.’
‘So, you’re saying given the right environment we could all end up being killers,’ Blackwell said.
‘We all like to think of ourselves as good but I reckon there is a little darkness in all of us,’ Meadows said.
‘I hope you are not talking shop,’ Edris said as he came up to the group.
‘It’s our night off and you need to have some fun,’ Edris said and took a swig of his beer.
‘For once I agree with him,’ Blackwell smiled. ‘Go on, off you go and play with some sparklers.’
Meadows stood up and held his hand out to Daisy. ‘Are you coming?’
‘Yeah, you too, Blackwell,’ she said.
As they joined the others around the bonfire the sky lit up with a rainbow of colours as the village set off fireworks.
‘Here’s to Blackwell’s speedy recovery,’ Edris said, holding up a bottle of beer.
‘I’ll drink to that,’ Meadows said, and raised his glass with the team.
List of Characters
Bryn Mawr police station:
Detective Inspector Winter Meadows
DC Tristan Edris
Sergeant Dyfan Folland
DS Rowena Paskin
DS Stefan Blackwell
DC Reena Valentine
PC Matthew Hanes – uniform officer
Chief Inspector Nathaniel Lester
DS Brianna Lloyd – family liaison officer
Others:
Jerome – commune elder
Daisy Moore – pathologist
Dr David Rowlands
Mike Fielding – forensic officer
Chris Harley – tech
Gwyn Rees – church caretaker
Stacey Evans – victim
Jack Hopkins – Stacey’s ex-boyfriend
Cloe Evans – Stacey’s mother
Anthony Evans – Stacey’s father
Becca Evans – Stacey’s sister
Shannon Dugan – Stacey’s friend
Alisha Morgan – Stacey’s friend
Donald Hobson – victim
Anwen Hobson – Donald’s mother
Cerith Hobson – Donald’s father
Gemma Lewis – Rhodri’s wife
Rhodri Lewis – suspect
Harry Lewis – son of Rhodri and Gemma
Erin Kelly – Sarah’s daughter
Sarah Kelly – suspect
Ellis John – Tomos’ father
Tomos John – suspect
William James/Bible Bill – suspect
Ryan Phillips – victim
Jean Phillips – victim
Iris Hawkins – Dr Rowlands’ patient
Other books in this series
The Silent Quarry – Book 1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08DD8L5LG/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DD8L5LG/
Frozen Minds – Book 2
When the boss of a care home for mentally challenged adults is murdered, the residents are not the most reliable of witnesses. DI Winter Meadows draws on his soft nature to gain the trust of an individual he believes saw the crime. But without unravelling the mystery and finding the evidence, the case will freeze over.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08FJCVKDD/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FJCVKDD/
Suffer the Children – Book 3
When a toddler goes missing from the family home, the police and community come out in force to find her. However, with few traces found after an extensive search, DI Winter Meadows fears the child has been abducted. But someone knows something, and when a man is found dead, the race is on to solve the puzzle.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08KQF6B88
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KQF6B88
Other titles of interest
If you enjoy crime fiction set in Wales, you’ll love Pippa McCathie’s series of murder mysteries featuring detectives Matt Lambert and Fabia Havard.
MURDER IN THE VALLEYS and the subsequent books are set in the fictional town of Pontygwyn in the Welsh valleys under the shado
w of the Black Mountains. It will appeal to readers who like traditional whodunnits, those who like the landscape, atmosphere and people of South Wales, and everyone who likes a good read that keeps you turning the page.
Free with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B089B52M3Z/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089B52M3Z/
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