22 January 2025

Mark looks at the scene of the crime

Mark walks slowly up to the police tape across the alley and stands, looking at the scene;  

The approach of his mother . . .

his mother approaches 

. . . startles him

and he is startled when he turns round.   “Have you heard how Jinx is today?” she asks him and he just rebukes her for creeping up behind him.

"Sorry, love – we're all a bit jumpy"  

“Sorry, love – we’re all a bit jumpy – we don’t feel safe anywhere.”   He is eager to get away and says that he has work to do.   

"Mark, I've got something to tell you"

Kath wants to talk to him but he walks away.

Arwen wants a dog

“He’s so cute!” insists Arwen, as she and her mother sit at the breakfast table, 

"I can think of better adjectives"

but Ffion can think of better adjectives to describe the dog Arwen is talking about.   “He can’t help being old and lonely,” her daughter goes on;  Ffion can see this is another attempt to get a dog, but is told, “Not any dog – Buster!”

This is the 'Buster' in question

Ffion can see from the photo on Arwen’s phone that it is not even a pup.   “Every dog needs a home,” Arwen argues, but her mother is insistent that he will not be coming there.   

"They'll put him down!"

“If he doesn’t find a home by next week, they’ll put him down!” she wails, “That’s what the kennels say – he’s been there two years and they need the space.”

“You expect me to believe that?” demands Ffion 

"I'm telling the truth"

and Arwen insists that she is telling the truth.   

"Just go and get your school bag"

“Just get your school bag – you’re going on the bus,” she is instructed, “While I go to the hospital to get Jinx.”

"Is Jinx going to be all right?"

Arwen is anxious that jinx is going to be all right;  when her mother says that he is, she is asked, “Are you telling the truth?   You promised we would get a dog after moving – but that was a lie!”

“No – I promised to consider it!” Ffion replies 

"So you're happy for Buster to Die?"

and Arwen imagines that she is happy for Buster to Dai.   

"Right, we'll discuss it tonight"

“Right, we’ll discuss it tonight,” is Ffion’s decision.

"You'll have payment by next week"

Rhys is on the phone, promising someone that they will have the payment by next week;  “I mean it this time!”   

Ieuan is on his way in

Ieuan appears outside the door of the brewery and as he comes in, asks if everything is OK.

“I’ve just come in to see my favourite nephew,” who, Rhys reminds him, is his only nephew.   

"Latté with extra shot"

“A latté, with an extra shot, if I remember rightly,” Ieuan continues as he hands over the takeaway drink.

"What do you want, Uncle Ieu?"

“What do you want, Uncle Ieu?” Rhys cynically asks, “Come on, out with it.”   Ieuan is aware that every estate agent is either a crook – 

"They don't want to do business with me"

or they do not want to do business with him.   He wants to put Mami’s house on the market, so is told to do it privately.

"I need to put everything on social media"

“I want to do that, but I need to put everything on social media,” he says.

"And you don't know how to?"

“And the former owner of Tomos ac Ellis doesn’t know how to?” Rhys enquires.   

"You and Kelly were very good at that sort of thing"

He is told that he and Kelly were very good at that sort of thing and Ieuan thought that they could get the old team back together again, helping him to put it on sale.

"I'm pretty busy at the moment"

Rhys regrets that he is pretty busy at the moment, 

"Easy for a 'whizz-kid' like you"

but is assured that it will only take a couple of hours for a ‘whizz-kid’ like him.   

"Is there commission?"

“Is there commission?” is Rhys’ next question and is told that it will depend on the price.

“All right – leave it with me,” replies Rhys, “As you bought me this coffee   – you can make a habit of this!”   

"Anita mustn't find out"

There is one proviso, however – Anita must not learn anything about this – Ieuan wants to keep it quiet.

It might be financially advantageous

Rhys hopes that this will help him with his financial problems.

"I've been talking to the doctor . . ."

Ffion is at the hospital to collect Jinx;  “I’ve been talking to the doctor – and it’s lucky that I did, 

". . . and I don't know if you're fit enough to go home"

“because I don’t know if you’re fit to go home,” she tells him.

He protests that he only has concussion and will be fine in a day or two;  

"You need someone with you"

she points out that he needs someone with him for the first few days, just to make sure everything is all right.   “I just want to go home!” he grumbles.

He is unsteady on his feet . . .

He has difficulty standing up and she has to help him;  

. . . so needs some assistance

“You can stay with us, OK?    You’re family - but don’t think I’ve forgiven you – sleeping with the enemy – keeping her dirty secrets.   

"Did you know?"

“Did you let me buy Deri Fawr, knowing that the place was going to be flooded?”

"I've only just found out myself"

He stresses that he has only just found out himself, but she finds this difficult to believe.   

"I need to get back to school"

They had better leave, because she needs to get back to school.

"Isn't it better to wait until tomorrow?"

Outside number 7, Iolo asks Anita, “Are you sure?   Isn’t it better to wait until tomorrow?”   

"I'd like another lesson today"

She pleads with him that she has been practising and would like another lesson today.   He agrees that he will be over later and will be thinking of her, as she goes for her appointment.

"Are you ready?"

Ieuan comes out of the deli with two cups of coffee and asks if she is ready;  

"I think I am"

she thinks that she is and they leave for the appointment.

"I'll just go over to the shop"

As they walk along the High Street, Ffion says that she is going to the shop to get some milk 

Mark has just delivered to number 8

and Jinx sees Mark at the door of number 8.   

"The worst headache I've ever had"

Mark asks how he is and he replies, “Well apart from the worst headache I’ve ever had, I’m great.”

Mark is glad to hear that

Mark is pleased to hear this, as Llinos can be seen, presumably heading towards her shift at the shop.   

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier"

“Listen, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner about Brynmor and the developers’ plans – you have a right to be angry with me.”   

"That's OK – forget about it"

Mark seems very keen to get away from him and tells him to forget about it.

"I want some fresh air"

When Ffion comes out of the shop with a pint of milk, she reprimands Jinx for still being outside;  he says that he has been in hospital all night and wants some fresh air.   “You’ve always been stubborn – come on, let’s go home,” she instructs him.

The thought of what he has done haunts Mark

Again, Mark passes the alley and cannot resist looking in that direction;  once more his mother happens to pass and wonders what is the matter.   

It is clear to Kath that something is wrong

“What’s wrong with you, eh?   Don’t try to deny it – something’s not right.”

Anita is at her appointment

Anita is at her appointment with Ieuan by her side;  she is asked what month it is at the moment, which she finds quite easy to answer.   

"D you experience any difficulties?"

Then she is asked about her daily life;  “Do you experience any difficulties during a normal day?”

"I can be uncertain of where I am at times"

Anita nods her head;  “I can be a little uncertain of where I am sometimes – I know where I live, but I’m not sure which side of the road the house is on sometimes.   But when I talked it through with Ieuan, 

"That was my old home"

“I realise it’s OK because that’s where I used to live – that was my old home.   And that’s happened in the car – and the supermarket, when I was in Canada – 

"I went missing for a little while"

“I went missing for a little while, but that was because I wasn’t familiar with the place, that’s what Darren said.”

Ieuan's phone sounds

Ieuan’s phone sounds, so he quickly rejects the call.   

"I have to sleep in the afternoon"

Anita says that she also wakes up a lot during the night;  “I have to sleep in the afternoon, or I can be a little bit . . .”

Ieuan fills in the word, “Moody,” 

"I can be confused"

with Anita agreeing that she can be a little confused.

"I had jet-lag . . .and . . ."

“We got married in October last year and I had jet-lag . . . and . . .”   Ieuan places a comforting hand on her shoulder.   “It was a lot to take in – and then the stress and the tiredness on top of that – 

". . . I started to see things"

“I started to see things – some sort of hallucinations.”

Again Ieuan reject a phone call

Ieuan’s phone rings again, with him again rejecting the call.   Anita is asked to describe the hallucinations and she begins to get upset, 

"It's all right – take your time"

but is told to take her time.

Jinx comes downstairs

Jinx comes downstairs at Deri Fawr and Ffion instructs him to sit down and put his feet up;  

"I'm sorry about everything . . ."

she gives him a cup of coffee.   He tells her he is sorry about everything;  

". . . this business with the dam"

“This business with the dam – I should have said the minute I found out.”

Ffion can see that he was trying to be loyal to Eleri;  

"I have no idea what you see in her!"

“I have no idea what you see in her!” she snarls, but Jinx maintains that she is a nice girl, once you get to know her.   “If you say so,” is Ffion’s terse response.

"One of the boys can stay with me"

“If things are going to be awkward between us, I’ll go home – one of the boys can stay with me,” he suggests.

"They want your blood!"

Ffion reminds him, “Good luck with that, because they want your blood – now, drink your coffee before it gets cold.”

Anita is given a simple test . . .

The doctor puts down a simple drawing of two interlocking pentagons and asks Anita to copy it.   

. . . which she attempts . . .

“I’ve never been any good at art,” she groans, but is assured that they are not assessing her artistic skills, but rather her cognitive abilities.

. . . but finds challenging

Anita thinks that she can do it, 

She becomes confused . . . 

but as she starts to draw, she starts to become confused and despite encouragement from Ieuan, 

. . . and Ieuan does his best to calm her . . .

begins to hear high-pitched whistling sounds in her head which make her very emotional.   

. . . giving her a hug

Ieuan does his best to give her a comforting hug.

"Before I knew it, he was on the ground"

Up in the Deri flat, Mark is in the process of explaining to his mother what happened;  “Before I knew it, he was on the ground – and there was blood.”   

"Do you think I don't know that?"

Kath comes to the conclusion that he could have killed Jinx, but Mark is already well aware of that.   “I know, but I saw the red mist and I couldn’t think straight!   What’s wrong with me, Mam, losing control like that?”

"You've been through a lot lately"

Kath tries to justify it by pointing out that he has been through a lot lately, 

"I have to go to the police"

but Mark is determined, “I have to go to the police – to be punished.”

"Being locked up is not going to help you"

She stops him there;  “Being locked up is not going to help you.”   

"They might be lenient"

He suggests that if he confesses, the court might be lenient.   

Kath scoffs, “The courts aren’t lenient on people like us, are they?”

"What if Jinx remembers that happened?"

“What if Jinx remembers what happened?” Mark adds, “People get their memories back all the time.”   This worries Kath, but she points out that he does not remember anything at the moment and Mark said that he hit Jinx from behind – 

"There's nothing to remember"

so there is nothing to remember – he did not see anything.

“But I’ll remember, Mam,” he groans.   

"Do you really want to go to jail?"

Kath asks if he really wants to go to jail;  “No – but that’s where Dani thinks I should be, and she’s right.”

"I've been phoning you . . ."

Rhys tracks down Uncle Ieuan to the deli;  “Oi! – I’ve been phoning you!” he exclaims, 

". . . you've lost the sale!"

“Well – you’ve lost the sale,” moans Rhys, “They offered well over the asking price, too!”

"I didn't expect you to do it today"

Ieuan was not expecting him to put it on sale today, but Rhys had an old contact;  “He could only come this morning – and you’ve missed your chance!   What was so important that you couldn’t see me for half an hour?”

"Money isn't everything, Rhys!"

Ieuan angrily snarls, “Money isn’t everything, Rhys!   

"Stop complaining like a little boy, will you?"

“There will be other buyers, other opportunities – so stop complaining, like a little boy, will you?”   

"Sell it yourself, then!"

Rhys angrily tells him to sell it himself and walks out of the deli.

"For once in my life, I'm going to do the right thing!"

Mark insists, “For once in my life, I’m going to do the right thing!”   His mother asks him if he has taken her into account and he replies, “You don’t need me.”

"Brynmor and I are divorcing!"

“I do, actually – I need you now more than ever – Brynmor and I are divorcing!”   

This comes as a shock to Mark

Mark is stunned by this news 

"I did try to tell you this morning"

and she continues, “I did try to tell you this morning.”

"You can stand on your own two feet"

He maintains that she is better off on her own;  “You’re strong – you can stand on your own two feet.”   

"We're going to stick together!"

She stresses that they are strong together and they will stick together;  “Too many people have taken advantage of us – Brynmor, your Dad, Cassie, Stacey, Cheryl and Jinx.   Is that why you hit him?”

"And because of what he did to Dani"

“And because of what he did to Dani,” says Mark and Kath agrees that what he did to Dani after she lost Seren was terrible;  

"He deserved what you did to him"

in fact he deserved what Mark did to him and it is about time that Dani realised that.

Mark agrees that his mother is perhaps right;  “There’s no perhaps about it!” she snaps.

"Think of all the exercise I shall get"

As they sit round the table at Deri Fawr, Arwen is pointing out all the positive aspects;  “Think about all the exercise I shall get, taking him for walks.”   

"You don't need a dog to go walking"

Her mother points out that she does not need a dog to go walking, 

"Tell her, Jinx!"

but Arwen insists, “It’s easier with company – tell her, Jinx!”

"I'm not being dragged into this"

He does not want to be dragged into this, 

"Who's going to pay for this dog?"

while Ffion demands who is going to pay for this dog, 

"I'll get a Saturday job"

so Arwen proposes to get a Saturday job;  “At Tamed, MFC, washing glasses at the Ceffyl Du.”

“And who’s going to clean up after him and pick up his mess?” Ffion wants to know.   

"I'm trying to eat here"

Jinx reminds them that he is trying to eat here.

"You used to change my nappies"

“When I was a baby, you used to change my nappies – it’s the same thing,” Arwen explains 

"You've got an answer for everything"

and her mother can see that she has an answer for everything.   

"He might go at the end of the garden every morning"

“He might be a clean dog and goes at the end of the garden each morning,” she continues.

"Just like Stwffin"

Jinx recalls, “Like Stwffin – Taid bought me a little dog when I was seven years old – he could do a high-five and slept at the bottom of my bed.   The best friend I ever had – well, one of them.”   Arwen deduces from this that everyone has a dog except her;  she begs her mother that they should go and get Buster.

"We'll go and see him at the weekend"

Ffion maintains that they will go and see him at the weekend;  “It might be too late by then,” so her mother changes that to tomorrow, emphasising that they are only going to go to see him.   Jinx gives Arwen a surreptitious wink.

Rhys looks at paperwork . . .

At Ceffyl Du, Reese is looking anxiously through some papers, 

. . . then works on the laptop

then picks up his laptop and begins to work on it. 

"I found some books in the attic"

Iolo has arrived at number 7 for the music lesson;  he found some books in the attic that belong to Macs, “But he was even worse than me!   

"We can start with right hand exercises"

I thought we could start with right hand exercises and then move onto simple songs – folk tunes, and lullabies.”

"Are you all right, Anita?"

He asks if Anita is all right 

"Can we reschedule?"

and she sighs that she would prefer to reschedule;  

"How did it go today?"

“I didn’t want to ask how it went today, but . . .” says Iolo.

"It was a lot, you know"

“Well, it’s all a bit . . . it’s a lot, you know.   

"Now I have to wait until I get answers"

“And now I have to wait until I get answers – if I ever get any.”   

"Things will become clearer"

Iolo can sympathise with how difficult the waiting is, but is hopeful that things will become clearer and tells her not to give up, but go back to scales and that sort of thing.

Rhys finds Ieuan in the Deri

Rhys comes into the Deri and finds Ieuan there;  

"What do you think of this?"

“What do you think of this?” he asks, showing the laptop.   “It’s the spec for the house – floor plan, description, pictures.”

Ieuan had been under the impression that Rhys did not want to do it;  

"We're family now, aren't we?"

he is told, “Well, we’re family now, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, family that wants commission, is it?” Uncle Ieu comments, very impressed by what he sees.   

"You learned from the best, didn't you?"

“It’s spot-on – you learned from the best, didn’t you?   Listen, I’m sorry about earlier – Anita is having a difficult time.”

"We don't have to know everything"

Rhys replies that he does not have to explain as they are family, but they do not have to know everything about each other.   “Now, can I press ‘send’ and put it on the market?”   

"Go for it!"

He is told to ‘go for it’ and Ieuan will go and get him a pint.

"If I'd listened to you . . ."

As they sit elsewhere in the Deri, Kath remembers, “You said from the start that Brynmor couldn’t be trusted.   

If I’d listened to you, I would have saved myself a lot of pain.”

"Well, I hope you share"

“Well, I hope you share,” says Mark and his mother looks puzzled;  “The fortune you’re going to get from the divorce,” he explains, “It will be like winning the lottery again!”

"I don't want his dirty money"

Kath snarls that she does not want his dirty money, 

"You deserve every penny you can get!"

but Mark urges her, “Don’t be soft, Mam – you deserve every penny you can get!”