Pirates?
Rhodri walked around the body of the dead man. He had spent hours ensuring nothing on the autopsy was missed. Swearing in Welsh he picked up the small dictaphone from the stainless steel counter.
"The body is that of an adult male. Ethic origin appears to be white. Three tattoos can be found on the body. One - skull and cross bones is professionally done - adorning the left upper lateral aspect of the bicep. A second; decidedly amateurish anchor is seen on the right forearm and a more professional tattoo on the right pectoral muscle depicts a boat." He clicked the tape off. "Mathias is gonna go bonkers. A pirate. A dead Disneyfied pirate found dead in school premises three days before the kids go back. Nuts - bloody nuts." He shook his head; already imagining the phone call with the dour DCI was going to be less than pleasant.
Xxxxxxxx
"Snooty cow." Sian mumbled under her breath as the headteacher walked away from her.
"She wasn't the headteacher that was here when Elin came here." Mared shrugged her shoulder. "I'd have gone spare. Can you imagine trying to talk to her about a child with problems? I was lucky with my girl but some parents must have nightmares."
"Glad I haven't got kids."
"One day? Eh?"
"No chance. Not after all I've seen."
Mared touched her growing abdomen, wondering what the future would hold for her children. The new baby and the teenager she had raised had a whole life in front of them: the idea that the world could be as cruel to them as the people she met on a daily basis. Sian sighed as Tom approached them.
"Anything?"
"Lloyd is getting the cctv. His uncle works here. Caretaker."
"Right." His attention distracted from the women in front of him as his phone rang. Mared smirked as he answered the call. "Rhodri slow down. Hapus Iawn." He rolled his eyes as both woman looked at him. Mared smiled slightly as Tom's eyebrows shot up.
"What?"
"Pam?"
"Rhodri thinks our dead man is a pirate."
Sian burst out laughing as Mared shook her head.
"Like Pugwash?" Mared tried not to laugh as Tom ended the call. Tom couldn't help the smile that crept up his face. Sian shook her head as Lloyd approached them.
"Lloyd? You know any legends about Aberystwyth and Pirates?" Sian asked. The younger detective took his glasses off and put them back on.
"Eh?"
"Cmon." Mared rolled her eyes. "Let's go see what Rhodri and Iowerth have for us."
Tom nodded, slightly relieved that someone else had theories as bizarre as he did.
Xxxxxxxxx
"Pirates of the Irish Sea; not exactly as captivating as Pirates of the Caribbean." Tom stated as he walked into the mortuary. Mared smiled at the hapless pathologist who merely shrugged his shoulders.
"DCI Mathias, DI Rhys."
"Hi." Mared glanced over at the body on the slab.
"I merely informed you of my findings. What you make of them is up to you. The victim has a number of nautical tattoos."
"Yeah but he hasn't got a hook where his hand used to be. The bloke ain't got an eyepatch and a parrot!" Tom gestured to the corpse.
"Not all pirates are Captain Hook or Pugwash! Have you not seen the news?" Rhodri snapped.
"He was found in a school." Mared reminded them. "Any ideas on a cause of death? A time?"
"Time?" Rhodri spoke calmly. "Looking at core body temperature and general lividity I'd put time of death between 10pm and 0200hrs."'
"Cause?"
"He was already dead when he got to the school. His stomach was full of sea water. His lungs were covered in seawater. Your man ere was drowned."
"How does a drowned man, apparently drowned at sea end up in the school hall?" Tom sounded incredulous
"That DCI Mathias is for you to find out."
Xxxxx
A/N . Please review
