MURDER IN PEMBROKESHIRE an absolutely gripping crime mystery full of twists (Tyrone Swift Detective , GRETTA MULROONEY [books to read now .txt] 📗

benefits now. I can cook if I sit on a stool in the kitchen and take my time. I make big soups and stews. I might be a bit buggered, but I can still cook up a storm when I put my mind to it!’ She paused, swallowed and continued. ‘Caris could only get a part-time job at a warehouse when she left school and she doesn’t have much of a life, stuck here with me. She’s my youngest and the others have all moved away, got their own families. I’m glad of her help but I don’t want to hold her back. She’s only eighteen, she should be having some fun. Anyway, Tir Melys was good for her until Morgan Callender, her boyfriend, started tagging along there with her.’ She shook her head and took a sip of water from a glass on the small table beside her.

‘You didn’t like Morgan?’

Before she could reply, there was a huge cheer and Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen’ burst into the evening air, accompanied by a loud chorus of voices.

‘Oh God,’ Lori said. ‘That’s next door, having a karaoke evening. I can’t complain, ’cause I used to go in there regular when I had a voice. Could you close the doors, love?’

Swift closed the doors. The music was still audible, but slightly muffled.

‘Ta. I miss my karaoke. My favourites were “I Will Survive” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”. They still invite me in sometimes, but I couldn’t even hum now and no point in being a party pooper. I’ve got heart failure, see. Had to give up work five years back and I don’t get out much now. Actually, it might be nice to die belting out Gloria Gaynor, instead of parked in my chair, staring at the rabbit, both of us bored stiff. Do you like karaoke?’

‘I have a dim memory of a bar in Soho a long time ago and singing “Space Oddity”. I was very drunk, so I’m sure it was awful.’

They both laughed and Lori said, ‘Doesn’t matter, it’s the fun that’s important. Where was I?’

‘It sounded as if you didn’t like Morgan Callender.’

She paused for a moment. ‘It wasn’t so much that I didn’t like him. I was sorry for him — you had to be, with his family — but he’d latched onto Caris and he dragged her down. She was always worrying about him, texting him to ask if he was all right. He was ling di long — lacked direction in life. Caris is no go-getter, but she’s a lovely girl, got a spark to her and she gets stuck into things. I never understood the attraction. Morgan’s nothing much, and I reckon Caris could have had her pick of what little talent there is in this place. Morgan just used to hang around her. I knew a chap like that when I was young. He sort of sucked up other people’s energy, the way I suck oxygen out of this canister, God help me.’

Lori had a good turn of phrase and he filed ling di long for future use. He considered how to put his next question. ‘Were Caris and Morgan more than friends?’

Lori grinned, showing a set of startling white dentures. ‘Judging by the noises that used to come from upstairs now and again, I reckon so. I’m no prude, but let’s just say that I used to turn the telly up.’

Swift smiled back. ‘Caris told me that she and Morgan were just mates.’

‘Really? That’s an understatement. When I saw them together, they seemed very lovey-dovey. She was moping about here after he legged it. She really misses him, I can tell, but she won’t talk about it.’

‘Tell me what Caris said about Morgan’s disappearance.’

Lori sucked in oxygen, taking slow breaths. ‘Summer Nights’ belted out from next door — tell me more, tell me more — and Swift saw a cigarette butt fly over Lori’s wall and land on top of the rabbit hutch.

‘Not much,’ Lori said at last. ‘She said that Morgan had had enough of his brother and he’d gone to London for good. When I asked her if they were staying in touch, she said no and went quiet on me, so I didn’t push it. I’m enough of a pain to her without nagging. She’s entitled to her own life, but I don’t like to see her fretting. To be honest with you, I was glad that Morgan was off the scene. I thought she’d get over him and find herself someone with a bit more to offer apart from a sad story.’

Lori still hadn’t told him why she’d wanted to see him, other than being worried about her daughter. He was interested in why Caris had lied to him and the police about her relationship with Morgan. It might be best to stick with the thread that led to Callender for now. ‘Tell me about Morgan’s family.’

‘Where to start? Rough as sandpaper, the Callenders. The mother died, leaving the father, Terfel, with the two boys. Terfel’s weak and hopeless, always out of work — Morgan takes after him. The older boy Calvin’s always been a nasty item. Big fellow, handsome and a charmer when he wants, but rotten through and through. People round here have always known that he terrorised Morgan and the father did nothing to stop him. Don’t ask me why Calvin’s that way, he was just born bad. A rotten bully, he is. I’ve noticed Morgan all cut and bruised sometimes, and that’s just the damage you could see.’ She paused for a puff of oxygen. ‘Morgan’s weedy and skinny, no match for his brother even if he’d wanted to put up a fight. He stayed over here a lot, just to have somewhere safe to lay his head, even before he and Caris were an item. I used to worry that Calvin would kill him one