Possession

Mared let the young girl cry on her shoulder as the Social Worker looked on. Tom decided Denise Jones was neither use nor ornament as he watched Mared calm the teenager.

"You said the gun belonged to Zack." Mared prompted.

Sioned nodded. "Yeah. I had never saw it before. We didn't have it. Zack had to have brought it."

"We can check." Tom paused. He sighed heavily. "Interview suspended. Sioned, you told the truth. I believe you. Don't worry; that gun will help you and your friend- once we get the evidence we need. We'll leave you with Denise for a bit. Finish this later; yeah?"

Sioned sniffed, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Is Steven ok? Can I see him?" She looked up at him; her eyes rimmed with black mascara smudged with tears.

"He's ok. My colleagues are talking to him. Try not to worry." Mared smiled kindly before following Tom out of the room. She closed the door as Tom turned to her.

"Prosser has a handgun. Or he did before he went inside." She held his gaze. "I saw it; when." Her hand rested on her baby bump as she spoke. Tom nodded once.

"Yeah. No licence for it," He stepped towards her. "If those two boys were arguing over a girl, get into a scrap and the gun goes off. It's possible that's how he ended up in the water."

"How the Hell did he end up with the gun?"

"Trying to look big against the other boy? Impress the girl?" He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You should go home."

"And wait for Prosser to do something. No. I'm staying here."

"You're 35 weeks pregnant."

"I know." Mared smiled slightly. "And I am fine. I'm fat and waddle like a duck but I'm fine." She touched his chest as he watched her.

"You don't waddle." He smiled at her. "Much."

Xxxxxx

"If this is the case." Lloyd looked at the young man sat opposite him. "Why didn't you come forward sooner?"

The youth in front of him sighed heavily. It was clear he hadn't been sleeping.

"I was scared. I know I should have done. I'm sorry."

Sian raised an eyebrow. The blonde woman was considering the words of the younger man carefully. She knew they would compare Steven and Sioned's statements once both interviews were completed. She was determined not to hold the fact he was related to Brian Prosser against him; but it was proving difficult.

"Where did the gun come from?"

"It weren't mine!"

"Ok." Lloyd nodded. "We believe that. Did you get it from someone? Your uncle maybe?"

"I didn't have a gun. It was Zack! He had it with him. Said he'd taken it from a house in Aber. That he was gonna put it to good use."

"Did he say what?" Sian looked as the younger man shook his head.

"Na." He sighed. "Mind you, I thought he might have shot me and Sioned. He kept going on and on. How my uncle was scum and it was genetic. That I'd be the same as him. Well, I'm not. I couldn't lie like Brian. Hurt people like that." The young man sniffed. "I'm not."

"Ok." Sian leaned forward. "Ok, do you know I believe you. You can't help who you are related to. I get that you aren't like him. But why didn't you tell us this earlier? How did he have the gun? Your uncle's handgun?"

"I wasn't sure at first. He was always being dramatic. It was only when the police said his body had been found that I realised he wasn't being a manipulative prick. Not this time." Steven wiped his eyes. "I didn't know it was Brian's gun. Not until my Mam told me his house had been robbed. Then I freaked out. Sioned said we have to be honest. That we should come to talk to Elin's mam."

"Ok." Sian paused as the interview door opened. "For the tape, DS Delyth Samuel has arrived." Delyth handed her a piece of A5 paper before leavening. "And she's gone again." Sian read the note. "Ok, well we won't be charging you with murder or manslaughter."

The younger man sighed in relief as she handed Lloyd the note. Lloyd frowned.

"We could go with waiting police time so don't look too happy just yet. Interview suspended." She got up and left the room as Lloyd turned the tape recorder off.

"Don't worry. You did the right thing."

Steven rested his head on his folded arms on the table before bursting into tears. Lloyd tapped his arm in comfort before following Sian.

Xxxxxzxxx

The cell was silent as Prosser lay on his bunk facing the ceiling. He had been given time to think. The fracas he had instigated earlier giving him a 24 hour stint in solitary. He needed the space to think - little did the prison officers know they had played directly into his hands. He waited until he was sure the guards were not going to disturb him before extracting the ancient mobile phone from his sock. Pressing speed dial he waited for it to connect.

"Time to up the stakes." He ended the call before the recipient could answer. It was time he established who was in charge. Tomos Mathias would pay.

Xxx

A:N please review