Disclaimer I don't own Hinterland/Y Gwyll. All copyright belongs to BBC television and S4C. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred

1

Aberystwyth was freezing. Artic winds blew in from the Irish Sea as the sandy beach acted as a backdrop to the macabre scene unfolding. The crashing of the waves indicated a storm was brewing. There'd be no escape- the onslaught had already started. Matthias stayed back from the scene; taking in the broad landscape he had begun to think of as home. He had hated three years earlier when he had returned now the passion of the waves calmed him. But not now, not when the body of an unidentified male had been found on the beach just meters from his derelict caravan.

"Sir?"

He looked up to see Lloyd walking towards him. The bespectacled detective approached him looking worried. He frowned slightly, wondering if that was just the younger man's default setting. Worry.

"Anything?"

"Young adult male." Lloyd sighed. "Possibly late teens or early twenties."

"Drowning?" He wanted to be sick. Drownings had always broken his heart - but since losing Hannah he couldn't even contemplate them. It was too close. He wished Mared was with him; but with their baby due any day he knew she was safer at home.

"Rhodri doesn't think so."

"How come?" Tom was suddenly more alert. Lloyd took his glasses off before wiping away the drops of rain that had landed on them.

"Body hasn't been in the water long. The bullet hole in the back of his head seems to be antemortem."

"Lloyd. He was shot. Is that what you are telling me?"

"Yes Sir."

Tom ran a hand along his bearded chin. He liked Lloyd. He thought he was a good bloke and a competent detective but there were times he made him feel like screaming.

"Ok, right. Where's Sian?"

"She's ringing Delyth. Going to ask her to look in the Missing Person Database. See if there are any white males in that age group who have been reported missing."

Tom nodded; steeling himself to look at the body. He knew he would have to deal with Rhodri and Iori at the mortuary, but he hated the place as much as the junior detectives did. He stepped away from Lloyd cursing as a flash bulb went off. He turned back to Lloyd yelling as he pointed at the local newspaper reporters a few hundred yards away.

"DC Elis. Get shot of the vultures! We're trying to do our jobs!" He huffed before turning to the forensic scientist. "Anything?"

"This kid had serious enemies."

"Well, I didn't think they were playing. Bullet in the head? Dumped at sea. Pretty serious I'd say."

Rhodri nodded.

"All I can tell you is this lad. And I stress lad is still in school."

"What?"

"Look, he's wearing a prefect badge and a sixth form tie from the local school. Same as the one Mared's girl goes to." Rhodri stepped back as Tom looked. He immediately recognised the tie. The badly disfigured body had to be a classmate of his stepdaughter. He covered his mouth with one hand, sick at the sight of a young life stubbed out. Nodding he stepped back.

"Delyth Samuel is looking for a possible ID. Let me know when you have the PM result, yeah."

"Aye." The older man nodded. "Bloody kids. Makes you sick; what harm could this lad have done to deserve this? A kid. I dunno." He sighed as Tom left him to pack up the forensics tent and get the body back to his mortuary. Tom looked out over the sea. The waves still crashed as the wind howled. He knew the chances of retaining any evidence from the sand was marginal at best. He couldn't help the heartbreaking fact he would have to face a mother or father, siblings or grandparents- to tell them that their boy wasn't coming home ever again. He closed his eyes as his mobile rang.

"Matthias."

"Tom? Are you alright?" He headed back towards his car, comforted by her voice. It was still a novelty; having someone who loved him.

"Yeah. I'm on my way back to the station. Where's Elin?"

Mared glanced at her oldest child. Smiling she rested her hand on her swollen tummy. "Here, watching Emmerdale with me."

"Good." He unlocked the car as he spoke. "Keep her home tonight. Please. And off that Facebook thing. If you can."

"Why?" Mared frowned. She heard the car door slam. "Tom?"

"It's bad. I can't say much on the phone but I'll be home before midnight. I just don't want her hearing it from the bloody internet. It could be something to do with a lad in year 13 with her. I dunno much else at the moment."

Mared glanced at her daughter, who was engrossed in her soap. "Ok, I'll wait up. Be careful."

"I will." He smiled slightly before ending the call. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

Xxxxxx

A/N please review