Frozen Minds: A murder mystery set deep in Wales (DI Winter Meadows Book 2)

by Cheryl Rees-Price

  Meadows stepped forward and peered into the freezer. Alan Whitby’s body lay hunched, his knees bent and arms laying twisted on his chest. There were no obvious marks on his face. Poor bugger, now what did you do to deserve this end?

  ‘Frozen to death?’ Edris stood next to Meadows.

  ‘You’ll have to wait for the post-mortem. And don’t expect it to be quick. They’ve got to thaw him first. Glad it’s not my problem. If that’s all, I’ll be on my way.’

  ‘Yes. Thank you,’ Meadows replied without taking his eyes from Alan Whitby.

  ‘Cheerful sod,’ Edris commented once the doctor had left the cellar.

  ‘From what I can gather he’s rarely friendly, but he’s efficient nonetheless.’

  ‘Yeah, he was a great help. So, what do you think?’

  ‘Well he certainly fits the description of Alan Whitby. He’s not a small man.’ Meadows sized up the body. ‘I’d say at least fourteen stone. It would take considerable strength to lift him.’

  ‘Maybe he was pushed in and the lid shut on him.’

  ‘I would guess not. Do you think you could wrestle me into this freezer?’ Meadows turned to Edris and raised his eyebrows.

  ‘Maybe not, but we could give it a try if you like?’ Edris said with a grin.

  Meadows turned his attention back to the body. ‘I would imagine he was either already dead or unconscious.’

  ‘Not a very good place to hide him, but I guess someone with learning difficulties wouldn’t have the capacity to come up with a way to dispose of the body.’ Edris glanced around the cellar.

  ‘That’s assuming it was one of the residents.’

  ‘You don’t think so?’

  ‘No,’ Meadows rubbed his hand over his chin. ‘If it was one of the residents it would have been a spur of the moment attack and they would have just left the body, or even called another member of staff. This is a more calculated act. I think you are right about it not being a good place to hide a body, especially if the freezer is in daily use. I expect they panicked and put him in here to buy some time and move him later.’

  ‘They?’ Edris raised his eyebrows.

  ‘There has to be more than one person involved. No way could you lift him in alone. Even with two it would be a struggle. I don’t see much food in there. So it was either nearly empty or the food has been removed and dumped somewhere.’ Meadows turned away from the freezer to survey the room. A forensic officer stood nearby. ‘Any signs of forced entry, Mike?’

  ‘No, both doors are intact. The door to the main house is locked. There are very few prints, you would expect there to be a lot more if this room is in constant use. I think someone did a good clean up job.’

  ‘With bleach by the smell of it,’ Meadows said.

  ‘Yes, but there is always the possibility something was left behind. We’ll search for blood. I don’t see why anyone would thoroughly clean with bleach unless they were trying to cover something up. I don’t see any sign of injury on the victim though.’

  ‘There could be, just have to wait until he is moved.’

  ‘Good luck with that.’

  ‘Probably have to cut him out.’ Mike grimaced.

  As Meadows turned to leave, his eyes fell on a hoist in the corner of the room. He pointed it out to Edris.

  ‘That would work. Drag the body on the hoist, crank it up and tip him in.’

  ‘So it could be down to one person then?’ Edris said.

  ‘I still reckon more than one, or a very strong man. Mike, can you make sure that thing’s checked, please.’

  Mike looked over at the hoist. ‘I’m on it.’

  ‘Thanks. Come on, Edris, let’s go and see Jane Pritchard.’

  They walked outside and Meadows scanned the car park.

  ‘I think we can assume from the description and the fact that three staff members identified him, that it is Alan Whitby in there. But if that’s the case, I don’t see his car. The missing person report stated that he left the house driving a silver Jaguar XF.’

  ‘Nice car. Do you think they killed him and nicked the car?’ Edris looked at the building. ‘Are these people able to drive?’

  ‘No, which is another reason why the killer is unlikely to be one of the residents. The killer or killers are likely to have parked the car up somewhere or dumped it. Get Traffic to keep an eye out.’

  Edris took out his phone as Meadows surveyed the back of the building.

  They could have just dumped the body in the boot and got rid of the car. They must have been afraid they would be seen.

  He looked up to the top floor and saw a man, who he assumed to be a resident, in the window. He was rocking back and forth, his face expressionless as he kept a watchful eye over the scene.

  Chapter Three

  Jane Pritchard stood at her office window. By angling herself at the far left she could watch the police officers come and go. An ambulance was parked near to the door of the cellar but so far there had been no sign of the body having been removed.

  A cold shiver ran through her body despite the protection her office gave her from the outside elements. She moved away from the window and sat at the desk where she shuffled through some papers. She couldn’t concentrate, the words bounced off the pages. Anxiety constricted her ribs, and her heart rate increased until she felt the heat rise and prickle her skin. She tugged at her collar trying to stay cool, but she could feel the perspiration gathering on her neck.

  The office door flew open, making her start. Miles stepped through the door and shut it behind him.

  ‘Well there’s a stroke of luck, Alan dead in the freezer,’ he said with a smirk.

  ‘What do you think you’re doing, coming in here?’ Jane hissed. ‘We shouldn’t be seen alone together.’

  ‘What are you talking about, you daft cow, we have to act normal. I’m always in here. The last thing we want to do is draw attention to ourselves.’

  ‘Act normal!’ Jane shrieked. ‘Are you out of your mind? There’s a fucking body in the freezer!’

  Miles flew across the office and leaned in close until his face was inches from hers. ‘Pull yourself together. I’m not going down for you, you stupid bitch.’

  Jane leapt from her seat. ‘Are you threatening me?’

  ‘That’s bloody rich coming from you.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  Miles ignored her and moved to the window. ‘Looks like there’s some movement.’

  Jane walked to his side where she could see two men leaving the cellar. They stopped and surveyed the car park, then the younger one took out his phone while the other stared up at the window.

  ‘What are they doing?’ Jane could hear her voice quaver and struggled to keep the panic at bay.

  ‘Coming in to see you, I expect. You better sort yourself out and use your head. The residents all have the capability of violence. They’re unlikely to look elsewhere if you point them in the right direction.’ He walked to the door. ‘Use your charm, flirt with them. You’re good at that.’

  He left, pulling the door closed.

  Chapter Four

  Meadows followed Valentine into the entrance hall, with Edris close behind. To his left was a large sitting room where noise billowed out from the residents. He could see a hive of activity and it was evident from the squeals and shouts that the police presence at Bethesda was causing a disturbance. He noticed Edris move away from view. He was obviously uncomfortable around the residents. Meadows felt a smile play on his lips.

  There was a homely feel about the place. Coats were piled on to a rack with an assortment of boots and shoes underneath. Meadows let his gaze travel the hallway until it rested on a wide staircase. At the top stood the man he had seen in the upstairs window. He was slim, dressed in black trousers and a mauve shirt with a bow tie. In his hand he clutched a black book. Meadows smiled but got no response. The man started to descend the staircase, his shoulders held straight and chest puffed out.

 
‘Hello,’ Meadows said when the man reached the bottom of the stairs.

  The man continued to walk as if the group were invisible; he entered the sitting room without a backwards glance.

  ‘Jane Pritchard’s office is through that door and first on the left.’ Valentine pointed out a door on the opposite side of the hall.

  ‘That’s good, I thought for a minute we would have to go through there.’ Edris indicated the sitting room with a tilt of his head.

  ‘You could go and have a chat with the residents if you like,’ Meadows said.

  ‘No thanks, I’m sticking with you.’

  Meadows turned to Valentine. ‘You can stay here and warm up – that’s if you’re not uncomfortable like Edris.’

  ‘Not at all, my feet are like ice!’ Valentine smiled.

  Meadows proceeded through the door with Edris following silently behind. They reached the office and he gave a sharp knock with his knuckles then opened the door before waiting for a reply.

  A woman sat poised behind a desk, she had cropped bleached hair and hard grey eyes. She greeted them with a false smile. Her eyes roamed over Meadows before she turned her attention to Edris.

  ‘I’m Detective Inspector Meadows and this is Detective Constable Edris.’ He showed his identification and Edris followed suit.

  The woman stood up and held out her hand. ‘Jane Pritchard. How can I help you?’

  Meadows pulled up a chair in front of the desk and Edris took a seat next to him, notebook out and pen poised.

  ‘I would like you to talk us through what happened this morning.’

  Meadows noticed her shoulders relax and she leaned back in her chair.

  ‘I arrived just after eight this morning. Gemma, one of our support workers, was in the kitchen with Kevin, a resident. I said good morning and was making my way to the office when Leah came up the stairs from the cellar with Liam. Leah is Liam’s support worker. She was calling for Cillian and was clearly distressed.’

  ‘Cillian is a member of staff?’

  ‘Yes, he is also Leah’s boyfriend. Liam was elevated and shouting that Alan was hiding in the freezer.’

  ‘Elevated?’ Edris looked up from his notebook.

  ‘Yes, it’s a term we use to describe a resident’s exaggerated state of mind, or behaviour. Liam was overly anxious and excited, and needed to be talked down to prevent him from becoming aggressive.’

  ‘Right.’ Edris scribbled down a few notes.

  ‘Did you go down into the cellar?’ Meadows asked.

  ‘Yes, I went down with Cillian. We saw Alan in the freezer and I asked Cillian to quickly check on the rest of the residents. I locked the door then called you lot.’

  ‘Why did you ask Cillian to check on residents?’

  ‘To make sure they were all here, of course. This isn’t a lock-up. The front door is easily accessible and if one of them had… well, if one of them was afraid they may have run off.’

  ‘I see.’

  She doesn’t look very shaken considering she hasn’t long seen the dead body of a colleague.

  Meadows sat forward in his chair.

  ‘When was the last time you saw Alan?’

  Jane sat forward, folded her hands together and placed them on the desk. ‘Let me see. It was about six o’clock on Monday evening.’

  ‘So you didn’t see or speak to him after that?’

  A slight hesitation. ‘No.’

  Meadows noticed she kept still as she answered the questions.

  I don’t think you are telling us the truth.

  He didn’t break eye contact with her.

  ‘Is the door to the cellar usually kept locked?’

  ‘Yes, the key is kept here in the office.’

  ‘Who has access to the key?’

  ‘All the members of staff.’

  ‘Do the residents go down to the cellar?’

  ‘Not alone, although they all know the location of the key.’

  ‘How many residents?’

  ‘Six. I’m afraid all of them have displayed outbursts of violence in the past.’

  Meadows raised his eyebrows. ‘So, you think one of the residents is responsible for what happened to Alan?’

  Jane squirmed in her seat. ‘I wouldn’t like to say, but all the staff know the risks they take working here.’

  ‘How many staff members are employed here?’ Edris asked.

  ‘Besides myself and Alan, twelve. Six work during the week, they take it in turns to cover the night shift and sleep in. Relief staff come in Friday afternoon until Monday morning.’

  ‘So there is always someone on duty?’

  ‘Yes, each resident has a key worker. The staff organise their own shifts. Each member of staff can be assigned two residents, but not more. After 9 p.m. there are two staff members, one as a sleep-in, who is on call during the night if there are any problems; the other stays awake all night.’

  ‘What time did you leave on Monday evening?’ Meadows asked.

  ‘Half six.’

  ‘And you were expecting Alan for work on Tuesday morning?’

  ‘Yes. I phoned his mobile when he didn’t turn up. It went straight to voicemail so I left a message. His wife rang me shortly after to ask if he had been into work.’

  ‘Had he missed work before without contacting you?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Did he have any problems in work with the staff or residents?’

  ‘None at all. We’re a happy family here.’ Jane smiled.

  ‘So, you got on well with him?’

  Another hesitation and Jane’s shoulders tensed. ‘Yes, I can’t think of any major disagreements.’

  ‘So, what do you think happened?’

  Meadows saw the colour rise in her face, she shifted in her chair and ran her hand through her hair.

  ‘I wouldn’t like to guess. Like I said before, all the residents in the past have shown violent behaviour. I suppose one of them could have pushed him in the freezer and shut the lid without realising the consequences.’

  ‘I see, but that doesn’t explain the car.’

  ‘The car?’

  ‘Yes. Alan’s car is missing.’

  ‘I see, well I wouldn’t know anything about that.’

  ‘According to Alan’s wife he left the house about nine o’clock Monday evening. Can you think of any reason he would come back to work?’

  ‘No, maybe he forgot something.’

  ‘Does he keep a laptop here?’

  ‘No, all administration work is done on the work computer in here.’

  ‘Who was on duty Monday night?’

  ‘Gemma, and I think Leah was the sleep-in.’

  ‘Then one of them would have seen him if he came into the house,’ Edris said as he looked up from his notepad.

  ‘Unless he used the back door to the cellar.’

  Meadows let the comment hang in the air. He could tell from Jane’s demeanour she regretted her words.

  Could she have got him into the freezer? That’s doubtful, even with a hoist. Unless she had help…

  ‘Would Alan have had keys to the back door?’

  ‘Um, no. The door is kept locked unless we have a delivery. The keys to both doors are kept together.’

  ‘So if he came in the back door someone would have let him in.’

  Jane shrugged her shoulders.

  ‘We’ll need to interview all the staff and residents as well as take fingerprints for elimination purposes.’

  ‘You do realise that a majority of the residents don’t have the mental capacity to answer questions. They get confused easily and it’s likely that your presence here will upset them.’ Jane’s eyes narrowed and she folded her arms across her chest.

  ‘I can assure you any questioning will be handled with sensitivity and I will ensure that an appropriate adult is present during the interviews.’

  ‘I would prefer you to use the staff members as appropriate adults. It will be less stressful than having a stra
nger. It would also be better if you dressed in casual attire. The residents associate suits with professionals such as doctors.’

  ‘I’m sure we can manage that.’ Meadows gave her a tight smile.

  ‘I would also be grateful if you would leave the questioning until tomorrow. The residents have a planned day out and it is crucial to their wellbeing that their schedules are not disrupted. I think there has been enough upset for one day.’

  ‘For the residents’ sake I will agree to leave the questioning until tomorrow, but this is a murder investigation and I would appreciate your full cooperation with my officers. I will need a list of all members of staff, names and addresses and length of employment. Also a list of residents and their medical conditions.’

  ‘That’s confidential information.’

  ‘I can get a warrant if you prefer?’

  Jane seemed to be weighing up her options. ‘Fine,’ she snapped.

  Meadows stood and Edris put his notebook back into his pocket. Relief was evident on Jane’s face.

  ‘We need to take a look around the house before we leave,’ Meadows said.

  ‘I’ll show you.’ Jane stood.

  ‘I would prefer you get the information ready for when we leave. I’m sure another member of staff can show us around.’

  ‘I’ll ask Miles, he’ll be able to answer any questions about the running of the house.’

  Meadows saw a sly smile play on her lips before she walked towards the door.

  As they stepped into the corridor, they met a young woman and man walking towards them. Meadows’ eyes travelled the height of the man who dwarfed his own six-foot-one frame.

  Bloody hell, I wouldn’t like to face him in a boxing ring.

  Chapter Five

  Thick legs supported a hefty body, while meaty hands like shovels swung back and forth at his sides. His face was round, with dimpled cheeks and a mop of unruly sandy hair topped his head. The girl by comparison was extremely petite, with long brown hair. Dark circles were visible beneath tired hazel eyes.