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

by Cheryl Rees-Price

  ‘But you think she is?’

  ‘Alan was getting money from somewhere. If it was from Bethesda then I’m betting Jane knew about it.’

  Chapter Twenty

  When they arrived at the station, they found the team unpacking boxes.

  ‘Any problems getting these?’ Meadows asked.

  ‘No.’ Blackwell put a stack of files onto his desk. ‘I warned the relief staff not to have any contact with Jane or any of the regular staff concerning the removal of files.’

  ‘Good.’ Meadows stood at the enquiry board and addressed the team. ‘I want us to split the files and search for any inconsistencies. Check signatures on any withdrawals and receipts. We need to look at the overall finances of Bethesda as well as individual residents’ accounts and personal files. Also I want to be sure that all the medication over the last four years is accounted for. Jane Pritchard’s alibi is shaky, her husband can’t confirm that she was in bed all night. We still don’t have confirmation of Miles’ alibi and Cillian doesn’t have one. Alan was getting money from somewhere and someone knew about it. Any questions?’

  There was a general shaking of heads and the files were divided among the group. Paskin took charge of the medication, cross-referencing the log against the client files. Blackwell huffed his way through the house expenses while Valentine checked the computer taken from Jane’s office. Meadows and Edris were left with the residents’ personal accounts. Each time money was withdrawn there was a corresponding expense form with two signatures, which was then matched to receipts. It was slow going, and despite the copious amounts of coffee the team drank, Meadows could sense the enthusiasm and energy waning.

  ‘I think we need to get one of the tech guys to check out the computer,’ Valentine suggested. ‘There doesn’t appear to be anything incriminating but files may have been deleted.’

  ‘That’s a good idea, Valentine. Take it over to them then call it a night,’ Meadows said.

  ‘Thanks.’ Valentine smiled and began packing up the computer.

  ‘How come she gets to go home?’ Blackwell grunted.

  Meadows looked at his watch. No wonder Blackwell was grumbling.

  ‘You can go, you too, Paskin. It’s late, go home get some sleep and we’ll start early in the morning.’

  ‘I’m happy to stay a bit longer,’ Edris said.

  ‘No surprises there, golden boy,’ Blackwell said as he shut his file.

  Meadows ignored the comment.

  Sergeant Folland walked into the office. ‘Still at it then?’

  Meadows looked up and noticed that Blackwell had paused at his desk. ‘Looks like it’s going to be a long weekend.’

  ‘I’ve got something that will cheer you up.’ Folland approached Meadows’ desk. ‘That vehicle travelling from London you asked to be checked out? Traffic picked it up on the M4 cameras, but not on the day your boy says. Last camera picked it up on Monday at 7.05 p.m.’

  ‘Now that is good news. No alibi and Miles lied about his whereabouts.’

  ‘We should bring them in now,’ Blackwell said.

  ‘We still don’t have a motive. I want to go through this lot first to see what we turn up.’

  ‘If you find anything,’ Blackwell sneered.

  ‘Why don’t you have a dig around, see what you can find out about Miles’ last employment?’

  ‘Yeah, first thing in the morning,’ Blackwell grunted. He picked up his jacket and sauntered out of the office.

  ‘What’s up with him?’ Folland asked.

  ‘It’s Blackwell, he doesn’t need a reason to be a dick,’ Edris said.

  ‘Right I’ll leave you to it, I’m off home. Have a nice weekend,’ Folland said with a wink.

  Meadows returned his attention to the bank statement. There appeared to be a regular income, what looked like a disability payment from the government. Payments were made for various items which coincided with receipts and expenses forms. Some money was gifted for birthdays and Christmas, possibly from family members. He paused at an entry for a payment to Guardian Holdings, which was followed by a receipt from the same company for the same amount a few weeks later. He checked through the rest of the statements and found more entries of the same nature.

  ‘Whose bank statements have you got?’ Meadows looked across to Edris.

  Edris looked up, keeping his finger marked on an entry. ‘Eddy’s.’

  ‘Are there any entries from Guardian Holdings?’

  Edris looked through the statement. ‘Yes, in and out for the same amounts.’

  ‘They go back at least two years. I want to check the other residents’ accounts, see if they have the same entries.’ They split the pile between them and methodically worked through each statement. Each one showed similar entries, the amount increasing each month. He picked up Vanessa’s file and was shocked by what he found.

  ‘Look at this.’ Meadows pointed the entries out to Edris. ‘Whoa, she’s minted!’

  ‘Was.’ Meadows shook his head with disgust. ‘I would imagine she inherited this money from her parents. They’re both dead and she is an only child. These entries to Guardian Holdings go back three years. The first payment is for ten thousand, then it’s paid back in a month later. This goes on until the payments increase to a hundred thousand – there is no receipt, and the account is almost cleared out.’

  ‘So, what is Guardian Holdings?’

  ‘That’s what I would like to know.’ Meadows turned to his computer and searched the company. There wasn’t a lot of information available so he put in a request for full company information. He sat back and rubbed his hands over his face. ‘Let’s call it a night. We’ll look at the other files in the morning and calculate how much money is missing. With a bit of luck I’ll have the company report back and we can see who is behind it.’

  ‘I’m betting Jane Pritchard,’ Edris said.

  ‘I think you might be right, and if Alan Whitby was a part of it that would give her a strong motive for getting rid of him.’ Meadows grabbed his coat and flipped his desk calendar to December. ‘Twelve days until the Lapland trip, let’s hope we can wrap it up over the weekend so Kevin can build his snowman.’

  Meadows left the station and drove towards home. He passed in and out of villages, each with its own shop, church, and pub before arriving in Bryn Bach. There he stopped at the shop to pick up milk and tobacco and spent a few minutes taking to Jay, the shopkeeper.

  The farm track was in darkness and with the moon hidden behind thick cloud there was no light once he parked and turned off the car engine. Inside the cottage the heating was on and once he turned on the lamps and radio, the sitting room felt cosy and welcoming.

  In the kitchen Meadows cooked up some scrambled eggs and gobbled them down. He washed the plates and left them in the rack to dry. What he really wanted was hidden in the sitting room. After brewing a cup of camomile tea, he changed into tracksuits bottoms and an old T-shirt then turned off the radio. The cottage fell silent.

  In the sitting room three shelves with neat rows of books lined the wall above the television. Meadows stretched up and plucked a book from the top shelf. He flipped open the book, the inside was hollow and hid a grinder and bag of weed. This was his only vice and he knew it could cost him his career. It was one reason he was happy to live alone.

  Meadows sat back in the armchair and lit the freshly rolled joint. He inhaled deeply and felt the smoke coat the back of his throat. With each puff he felt his body relax and he sank back in the chair.

  We really need to find Eddy’s book. I’m sure it’s in the building somewhere. Where would you hide a book? A place where no one would look?

  Meadows eyes came to rest on his bookshelves.

  Eddy has a lot of books in his room. No, he would notice if one was out of place. Too risky.

  He stubbed the remainder of the joint in the ashtray then rested his head on the back of the armchair.

  I’m sure Cillian said something important. I’ll have to a
sk Edris to go through his notes in the morning.

  This was his last thought before he fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Leah and Cillian have been whispering to each other all day. I hate it when they do that – not supposed to whisper, it’s rude. It’s all the policeman’s fault, he keeps asking questions. It hurts my head. Too many pictures, words and noise pushing inside my head. I want to let them out, make more room, but I promised Leah, promised I would keep them hiding in my head.

  Leah’s gone home now, home with Cillian, and the Saturday woman is here. I don’t like Saturday, only when Leah comes to visit but she won’t come, she says, not this time. It’s because of the policeman. She was crying when she left. I don’t want Leah to be sad. My tummy feels funny again, like there’s a fish swimming around, wiggling against my skin. It’s because Leah says we have to go away to a place where we will be safe. I want to take Hard Hat but Cillian says he can’t come where we are going. I don’t want to go if Cillian is going to be there. I want to stay here with my friends and Leah but Cillian says I won’t see Leah again if I don’t go. Leah is afraid.

  ‘Liam, time for bed.’

  How did she get in here? I don’t like people sneaking into my room.

  ‘You didn’t knock. You’re supposed to knock.’

  ‘I did knock, Liam, you didn’t hear me. Come on, time to get into bed.’

  The Saturday woman is making a face at me.

  ‘I don’t want to get into bed.’

  Too many pictures in my head.

  ‘Come on, Liam, you are not going to give me a hard time, are you?’

  I suppose I better get into bed, she will go away then. She’s pulling down the covers and smiling. I take off my slippers and get into bed.

  ‘Goodnight, Liam.’

  It’s dark, Saturday woman has turned off the light. I have to think nice things, that’s what Leah says, but I can’t. I should’ve told the policeman the answers, we could stay here and Leah will be safe.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  All thoughts of Eddy’s book were pushed to the back of Meadows’ mind when he entered the station the next morning and found the report on Guardian Holdings in his mailbox. He clicked open the mail and his eyes scanned the information with growing interest. The company directors were listed as Jane Pritchard and Miles Flint.

  So that’s what you’ve been up to.

  ‘What have you got?’ Edris asked as he walked over to the desk followed by Blackwell and Paskin.

  ‘Guardian Holdings is owned by Jane and Miles,’ Meadows told them. ‘There isn’t much information with regards to trading. The last financial statements were filed in April and looks like they were doing well. Both have been drawing large dividends out of the company.’

  ‘That explains how she gets to drive around in that flash car,’ Edris said.

  ‘What’s this got to do with Alan Whitby’s death?’ Blackwell asked.

  ‘Money has been taken from the residents’ accounts to finance the company,’ Edris explained. ‘If you had stayed around last night you would know about it.’

  Blackwell’s lips turned up into a snarl. ‘I was here when your mother was still wiping your arse. I already knew those two were up to their necks in it, it’s all about experience. I said we should’ve brought them in.’

  ‘And we will,’ Meadows said. ‘First I want all the information on Guardian Holdings before we interview them. Where’s Valentine?’

  ‘Gone to pick up the computer from the tech guys,’ Paskin said.

  ‘Good. Blackwell, I suggest you do some more digging into Miles Flint’s background. Paskin, Edris, I want to collate information from the residents’ financial records. I want to see exactly how much money has been embezzled and when the transactions were made.’

  They worked through the files feeding the figures into a spreadsheet. In the background Blackwell could be heard on the phone, his voice rising as he demanded private numbers for contacts in London.

  ‘Well, that makes over a hundred and fifty thousand pounds.’ Meadows leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms. ‘Most of it from Vanessa’s account.’

  ‘Why keep putting the money back in?’ Edris asked. ‘The money is obviously moved to finance some other activity. The money was moved in and out, so if anyone was to check the balance, it would be correct. They started small and when they got away with it, increased the amounts. Something went wrong because they haven’t been able to pay the money back in.’

  ‘Drug money or laundering?’ Paskin suggested.

  ‘Could be, let’s hope Valentine comes back with some information,’ Meadows said.

  ‘So finally I got hold of the manager from Miles’ last employment.’ Blackwell perched on the edge of the desk. ‘He worked at a residential home for the elderly. Questions were raised about missing money but no charges were brought, he left of his own accord.’

  ‘And before that?’

  ‘Stockbroker. Haven’t been able to get hold of anyone yet but I’ll keep trying.’

  ‘Morning all.’ Valentine walked into the office with a large grin and waving a flash drive. ‘Tech guys managed to retrieve some deleted files, some interesting stuff.’

  ‘Guardian Holdings?’ Meadows asked.

  ‘Yes.’ Valentine’s face fell. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve already found the files.’

  ‘No, only the entries on the residents’ bank accounts. Let’s see what you’ve got.’

  Valentine plugged in the flash drive and pulled up the files for Guardian Holdings as they all gathered around the computer.

  ‘The money’s just going in and out of the account again,’ Edris said.

  ‘Yes, but look, there are payments to H D Baines.’ Meadows pointed to the screen. ‘Then larger sums are paid back into the account before the original amount is returned to the residents’ accounts. The remainder is divided between J Pritchard and M Flint. Then the whole process starts again but with larger amounts. It stopped a few months ago, no money received from H D Baines.’

  ‘So, who is H D Baines?’ Paskin asked.

  ‘Possibly a stockbroker. I think Jane and Miles have been using the residents’ money to trade on the stock exchange. It makes sense, Miles knows the business. Looks like they made quite a bit until their luck ran out.’

  ‘And they couldn’t pay back the residents’ money,’ Paskin added.

  ‘Or the broker ran off with the money,’ Blackwell suggested.

  ‘So you think that Alan was in on it?’ Edris asked. ‘There are no payments direct to his bank account, but there are cash withdrawals. He could have found out about it – it was only a matter of time before someone picked up on the missing money. Alan would’ve had access to the information as supervisor. He could’ve asked for a piece of the pie or for money to keep quiet.’ Meadows pushed back his chair. ‘Right, I think we have enough to bring them in.’

  Blackwell grabbed his jacket. ‘I’ll pick up Miles, it’ll give me great pleasure to wipe that smirk off his face.’

  ‘OK, take Paskin with you. Edris, we’ll pick up Jane. Valentine, can I leave you to check out H D Baines, see if they are still trading?’

  ‘I’ll get right on to it.’ She gave Edris a coy smile before returning to her desk.

  Meadows noticed the glow in Edris’ face. ‘Come on, let’s get going before the jungle drums relay the news that Miles has been picked up and Jane makes a run for it.’

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Meadows pulled up behind Jane’s convertible. ‘Looks like we’re in luck.’

  ‘Probably doesn’t have any money left to go shopping,’ Edris said. ‘I bet her old man is going to have one hell of a shock.’

  ‘Poor sod.’ Meadows looked towards the house. ‘Maybe we’re doing him a favour.’

  The house was a newly built semi-detached on a smart estate. Meadows imagined that Huw Pritchard must have worked constant overtime to keep up with the mortgage payments.

&n
bsp; ‘I bet the neighbours are hiding behind the nets. We’ll soon give them something to gossip about.’

  ‘You really don’t like her, do you?’ Edris said. ‘It’s unlike you, you usually always see the best in people, even Blackwell.’

  ‘Yes, well, taking money from vulnerable people. That money is supposed to be making their lives easier. Vanessa’s account is almost cleared out.’

  ‘Yeah, I guess you can’t sink much lower.’

  They walked up the path and knocked on the door which was opened by Huw.

  ‘Oh, hello.’ He smiled. ‘I was just about to come down the station to alter my statement. I didn’t realise I had to be there at a certain time.’

  ‘We’re not here about the statement,’ Edris said. ‘Although we would appreciate it if you wouldn’t leave it too long.’

  ‘We’re here to see Jane. Is she in?’ Meadows peered over Huw’s shoulder.

  ‘Yes, come in. She’s just watching a film. She likes to have some time to relax on her day off.’

  They followed Huw into the sitting room. It appeared to be freshly decorated, and jacquard floor-length curtains draped the windows. The room was dominated by a cream leather corner sofa where Jane sat with her feet up.

  ‘You have visitors, love,’ Huw said.

  Jane turned her head away from the television and looked from Edris to Meadows. ‘It’s my day off. Can’t you wait until Monday?’

  ‘I’m afraid not,’ Meadows said. ‘We would like you to come down to the station to answer a few questions.’

  Jane’s eyes narrowed. ‘It’s not convenient.’

  ‘It’s not a request.’ Meadows turned to Edris and nodded.

  Edris stepped forward. ‘Jane Pritchard, I am arresting you on the suspicion of the murder of Alan Whitby–’

  ‘What!’ Jane sprang up from the sofa, eyes wild. ‘You can’t do this.’

  Confusion creased Huw’s face. ‘There must be some mistake…’

  Edris continued with the caution which was drowned out by Jane’s protests.

  ‘Don’t just stand there like a fucking idiot, do something,’ Jane shrieked at Huw.