PC Reg Gray

(Dave Garwood)

    You are very much enjoying your time in your country posting. Covering three villages, Llangadfan, Llanfair Caereinion and Llanerfyl, you are based in a small sub-police station in Llanfair Caereinion living "above the shop". It has proved mostly quiet, although there was a small buzz about a week ago when that very bright comet passed by, followed by all those shooting stars. A few locals say they saw a large shooting star explode in the sky above the forest near Llangadfan and certainly farmers reported a fire in the forest that burnt itself out. But apart from the interference on the radio during your favorite program the matter passed you by without much concern.

    A little over a week later you were then contacted by a Professor Ogilvie from Greenwich observatory enquiring after a colleague of his called Richard Harker. Apparently Harker had come to Llangadfan the week before searching for meteor rocks that may have fallen during that meteor storm. He is concerned as Harker's assistant has been found murdered and Harker was due to have returned to London by now. It seems Harker had just sent a telegram from the post office on Llangadfan to this Shannon fellow before he was murdered.

    You travel to Llangadfan and call in at the local pub, The Cann Office, to make some initial enquiries. The regulars inform you that Harker has been seen on a couple of occasions last week. He arrived on Saturday 8th May and was talking to the locals about the comet and the night of the shooting stars. He also asked after the explosion. He had apparently rented a cottage that used to belong to a Mr Lewis who died a few months ago - a Mr Dafydd Jones in the village was holding the keys for the executor of the estate. Prof. Harker then returned to the village on the following Tuesday to buy some provisions. The Bar Keep remembers a few other townies (like yourself) were sniffing around asking questions about those shooting stars, but they were not as friendly as Prof. Harker.

    You speak to the local shopkeep who runs the village shop come post office, and are informed that Prof. Harker sent a telegram to London on the Tuesday. No one has seen him since. You speak to Dafydd Jones who confirms that he was holding the key to the late Mr Lewis' cottage, which was being rented out by his executors until they could find a buyer. He advises that he has not seen Prof. Harker since the day he picked up the key and that he should by now have returned it.

    You return to your station to write-up your report and consider visiting the cottage, although you understand it is a long way deep inside hundreds of acres of forest and all by foot as no motor car would be able to manage the tracks. Just then you receive a call from your superiors based in the town of Welshpool. They ask if Ogilvie has been in contact and advise you that they have been instructed by higher authorities to order you not to follow up any enquiries. All you can assume is that someone had made a mistake in London in the first place and you finish your report and file it. The rest of the week passes of quietly.

    On Thursday Mr Lewis, the gamekeeper to the estate of Lord Willis, calls you to advise that he has caught a poacher, "Damn Irish fella, thieving buggers, Set the dogs on him and gave him a bit of a thrashing", now Lord Willis wants you to come over and arrest him. You collect (or is that save) the poacher, one Thomas Moore, from his lordship. Thomas Moore is a known poacher and though this is the first time you have arrested him you are familiar with his exploits. You lock him in your holding cell and begin your report.

    Friday 21st May. You receive a call from Prof Ogilvie. He is very concerned for his colleague's safety; he asks if you have heard any news? You advise no, as you had been told not to follow up the investigation. Ogilvie announces that he will set off for Llangadfan tomorrow and wants to meet you to accompany him to the cottage Harker had rented. He expects to arrive tomorrow lunchtime. He sounds most anxious for Harker’s safety. You consider referring the matter to Welshpool for instructions but then decide to follow it through yourself. You agree to meet Harker and suggest the Cann Office Pub.

    Now, the only problem is that you have no idea where exactly the cottage is and are concerned you will get lost - no doubt this is what happened to Harker anyway. You consider getting Dafydd Jones to show you but he is an old man and it would be too far for him. Then you remember Moore. You go to the holding cell and make him an offer, if he will guide you through the forest to the cottage you will let him off with a caution - Lord Willis will be none to pleased but still. Moore agrees to assist you.

    Come Saturday mid-morning you set off for Llangadfan with Thomas Moore in tow. When you enter the pub you immediately spot a group of stranger, who are having a discussion. One of them spots you and calls you over introducing himself as Ogilvie. You ask who the others are and Ogilvie explains he is accompanied by another friend of his and Harker's a Mr Arthur Catt who traveled with him, he then introduces a young lady, Elizabeth Mayland, who it seems is Harker's cousin and had, unbeknown to Ogilvie, also traveled here in search of Harker. With Harkers cousin are two more gentlemen, a Mr Biggs and a Mr Donahue. Ogilvie then points to a further man introducing him as Charles Carter "the stage magician" who had for his own reasons followed Ogilvie here. Carter's name and face rings a bell; he was in the newspapers recently after his recent "death defying" stunt where he spent six hours suspended over the Thames in a wicker basket without food - idiot.

    Just as you are planning to set off with the group a man approaches you, introducing himself as Peter Roberts, Estate Agent. The man motions towards a rather wealthy looking couple seated in the pub and explains he has been appointed by the estate of the late Mr Joseph Lewis to sell his land and property and the Earl and his betrothed were to view it today. However the key holder, Mr Dafydd Jones, has advised him that the chap who recently rented the property for a week has not returned the key and by all accounts may still be there, he wants to you to help with directions to the cottage and if necessary evict the trespasser.

    Setting off with your eclectic entourage you all drive in your vehicles to the entrance of the forest before setting off on foot in search of Harker...