Time to Die

Time to Die by Stephen Puleston ~~~~~~~~ Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Readers Club Inspector Drake Series Table of Contents Beginning Chapter 1 They threw the body over the cliff a few minutes after midnight. There was no scream, no shout of terror. The only discernible sound was the thud of bone against the jagged edges of the cliffside and the rocks below. The older of the two men standing at the edge of the precipice took a small step and peered down into the darkness. He wanted to check: be certain that at the bottom of the cliff was a dead body. But he knew he needn’t clamber down and feel for a pulse. The beach below them was popular with locals and tourists. The path around the island frequented by energetic walkers passed nearby. It was only a matter of time until a dog walker or local taking a morning stroll would discover the body. He stepped back and re-joined his companion. They stood staring over the bay. In the distance the lights from the decommissioned nuclear power plant lit up the night sky. Out of sight in a small bay over to their left was the village of Cemaes, its residents happily tucked up in bed. The older man smiled to himself, enjoying the prospect of the turmoil that would be unleashed in the morning, once the man’s body had been discovered. The younger man dipped a hand into a pocket of his fleece and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. He kept a hand over the cigarette at his lips as his companion fumbled with a lighter. He drew a deep lungful of smoke and exhaled in one long breath. ‘He cried like a baby, didn’t he?’ The older man chortled his agreement recalling the man’s desperate pleas when they had dragged him off his motorcycle. It hadn’t taken long Chapter 2 Detective Inspector Ian Drake had only a short drive from his home in Felinheli to Llangefni police station for the training session that morning. His normal commute to work would have taken him along the A55, the main dual carriageway that stretched across the North Wales coast, to the Northern Division headquarters of the Wales Police Service at Colwyn Bay. The road was like an artery, essential for the day-to-day activity of the people living in North Wales. Lorries trundling their way to and from the port of Holyhead towards the conurbations of England and beyond into Europe filled the road at all times of the day. Not having a long commute meant a few more precious minutes with Annie, his partner, before setting out for work. Although autumn was fast approaching there was still enough warmth in the air for them to sit out on the balcony looking out over the Menai Strait, enjoying a leisurely breakfast. She told him about her day. She would leave at the same time as he did and make her way to the history department at Bangor University. Drake knew how much she enjoyed her work and although the University term hadn’t started she had lectures to prepare, research to be completed and, imminently, freshers to be handled. ‘What time will you be back tonight?’ Annie said. ‘I’ll be back before you,’ Drake chuckled. ‘Well, I suppose there’s a first time for everything.’ ‘Seriously, the training I’m doing shouldn’t take long. It’s been rescheduled so many times the superintendent was most insistent that nothing would prevent this course taking place. So I’ll be finished by four o’clock.’ ‘And how is Superintendent Hobbs these days?’ Drake raised his eyebrows. ‘Nothing changes. I can’t work the