2 April 2025

Sioned looks at DJ's message . . . 

Sioned looks at her phone 

. . . and replies to it

and types in a reply, ‘Please, DJ, what’s happening?’   

She is desperate to get her baby back

She is very concerned, 

She hears a car approaching . . .

then he she hears a car approaching the farmhouse;  when she sees it, she hurries to the door 

. . . and runs outside . . .

and runs outside, 

. . . only to find Gaynor and Tom

only to find that it is Gaynor and Tom.

"Have you heard anything?"

“I thought it was the police,” gasps Sioned, “Have you heard anything?”   Gaynor replies that they did see the APD van, but not DJ or Lili.

"The van was left on the industrial estate"

“The van was empty, sorry – it was left on the industrial estate, up by Llanarthur,” says Tom, with Gaynor adding that they have phoned the police.

"They're blinkin' useless!"

“Why haven’t they found them?   They’re blinkin’ useless!” snarls Sioned.  

"He can't have gone far"

Tom points out that they cannot have gone far – so they have not left the county, let alone the country.   Sioned that is good news, as he tries to assure her that it is only a matter of time.   He predicts that DJ is probably hiding right under their noses and Sioned will have her back today.

"You're a good mother, Sioned"

“I hope so – I can’t go another night without her!” Sioned sighs;  Tom assures her that she is a good mother and wonders if there is anything they can do to help, or does she need to be taken anywhere.

"Jac will soon wake up"

Sioned  replies that Jac will wake up soon, so she had better go;  “Let us know if there is any news,” Gaynor asks her.   Sioned is told that the whole village is thinking of her.

"The police have found the APD van . . ."

Sioned takes out her phone and attempts to contact DJ;  “Listen, the police have found the APD van – I promise I won’t say a word to them – please, just tell me where you are – 

". . . tell me what's happening, please!"

“tell me what’s happening, please!”

"I heard you get up around six"

Siôn comes downstairs to find Lleucu, in her dressing gown, sitting in front of the laptop.   “Poor you – I heard you get up around six – have you finished your work?   I could send a note to school explaining about the burglary last night.”

"One thing is strange . . ."

She tells him that there is no need for that, but finds one thing strange;  

". . . why would they only steal one bottle of whisky?"

“Who would bother breaking in to steal one bottle of whisky?”   

"Sounds like someone is playing mind games"

Siôn has no idea of the answer to that and she considers, “It sounds like someone is playing mind games with you, Siôn.”   

"You could be right, Lleucu"

He fears that she could be right.

He offers to give her a lift to school, 

"The first lesson has been cancelled"

but she says that the first lesson has been cancelled because the teacher is ill.   

"You should get half an hour's sleep, then"

He advises that she should get half an hour’s sleep, in that case.   He will see her later.

The police are investigating

The police are putting up cordon around the APD van 

Sioned hears Dani's voice

 Sioned is watching from a distance.   Suddenly she hears Dani’s voice;  

"What are you doing here?"

“Do you want company?”   Sioned cannot understand what she is doing there and she lies that she is collecting cleaning stuff.

"How are things?"

Jac cries in his pram and Dani asks, “How are things?”   

"It hurts so much, Dani"

Thinking about Lili crying hurts Sioned so much.   She knows that little Lili is with her father, but it is not the same – something which Dani can appreciate;  

"What you're going through is a nightmare"

“What you’re going through is a nightmare.”

"What will I do if something has happened to her?"

“What will I do, Dani, if something has happened to her?”   

"Just take one day at a time"

After a pause, Dani advises that she can only take things one day at a time and keep busy.   That is what she is trying to do.

Sioned apologises for bringing back memories;  

"I wasn't trying to compare . . ."

“I wasn’t trying to compare what I’m going through with . . .”   

"Youn have to believe that Lili will be fine"

Dani knows that, but insists that Sioned has to believe that her child will be fine.   She tries to convince Sioned that Lili will be OK.

"What I'd do to have one more day with Seren!"

“I can’t tell you what I’d do to have one more day with Seren,” Dani adds and Sioned describes her as very brave.   “Just do what you have to do.”

Lleucu is sitting on the bench

Lleucu is sitting on the bench outside the pharmacy when Iolo approaches;  

"Have you missed the bus?"

“Are you ‘mitching’ or have you missed the bus?” he asks.

She does not say anything

She does not reply, so he sits down next to her, 

"What's the trouble, Lleucu?"

realising that she is not all right.   

"I can't stand the place!"

“I can’t stand the place!” she snarls, but he reminds her that she has many friends there and she is good at her work.

"I wasn't a fan of school, either"

“Look, Lleucu, if it’s any comfort, I wasn’t a fan of school either, but with you, you seem happy there – that’s why it surprises me.”

"Yes, everyone knows!"

“Well, your Dad didn’t work there, did he?” she snaps and and he realises what she means.   “Yes, everyone knows – everyone’s talking behind my back – about the fact that Dad tried to kill himself – again.”

"It will be the Easter holiday before long"

Iolo points out that it will be the Easter holiday before long and a couple of weeks will do her the world of good – and then she will have the long summer holiday – no more rumours, no more gossiping.

"Yeah, you're right"

Lleucu replies, not very convincingly, that he is right.   

"I'll see you later"

He will see her later.   

Then Iolo notices someone across the road . . .

When he walks round the corner by the shop he sees someone coming past APD;  

. . . Alex 

it is Alex, who looks very different to when he last met her.

Gaynor is at work

Gaynor is at work in the pharmacy when Tom comes in; 

“Isn’t Maya around?” he asks.   He is told that she has just popped out, he he remarks, “While the rest of us work?   I wanted to have a word with her, to be honest.   

"I had a call from my friend, Harry"

“I received a phone call from my friend, Harry, who lives in Stratford.   He’s going away with work, and he’s offered that we could stay in his flat over the weekend – I know how fond you are of Stratford.”

"I'm working"

Gaynor points out that she is working;  

"I'll ask Maya if you can have the weekend off"

that is why he is there – to ask Maya if she can have the weekend off.   

"It's bit short notice"

“It’s a bit short notice,” is Gaynor’s response.

"I hoped we could go and see Hamlet"

“It would be a shame, because I was hoping we could go and see Hamlet – but never mind.”   

Gaynor will speak to Maya

Gaynor will have a word with Maya when she gets back to see what is possible.   

"Things haven't been special recently"

“Are you sure?   That would be great – things haven’t been special recently, have they?   

"Like the queen you are"

“It would be an opportunity for me to treat you like the queen you are,” he goes on and kisses her.

"Why don't you come over for coffee?"

As they walk around the abandoned industrial estate, Dani invites Sioned to come to her house for some coffee, but Sioned’s mind is elsewhere;  

"He might be hiding right under our noses"

“He might be hiding right under our noses!”   Dani is sure that the police would have found him in that case and wonders why Sioned keeps looking at her phone.   

"I'm just checking, in case"

She replies that she is just checking, in case.

"Sioned, do you know something?"

Dani is becoming suspicious;  “Sioned, do you know something?”

"You can't say a word to anyone, Dani"

Sioned looks around to make sure that no-one is within earshot;  “You can’t say a word to anyone – I’m serious, not a word!   DJ has been in touch.”

"And you haven't told the police?"

Dani is outraged that she has not reported this to the police and insists that Sioned is putting Lili in more danger.   Sioned thinks otherwise;  

"You said you'd do anything to see Seren again"

“DJ needs some money to disappear and then I’ll get Lili back – you said you’d do anything to see Seren again.   DJ is obviously in trouble with this drugs business – and there’s no telling what sort of people are after him and Lili.   

"This is my only hope – right?"

“Dani, this is my only hope of seeing her again – so not a word to anyone, right?”   Dani walks away without another word.

Alex seems accident-prone

“So, what with getting a new phone screen and putting petrol in a diesel car . . .” Alex explains to Iolo, 

"Does being scatty run in the family?"

“Does being scatty run in the family?”

"We have a long list of weaknesses"

Iolo confirms, “We have a long list of weaknesses as a family, don’t worry.”

"You turned up today, then?"

Just then, Siôn comes in through the door of the deli, immediately remarking, “You turned up today, then?”

"Barging into other people's conversations is one of them"

Iolo continues his explanation, “Barging into other people’s conversations is one of them.”   Alex welcomes Siôn to come and join them, but he turns down the offer, commenting that he is not in a good mood.

"Did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?"

Alex imagines that he got up on the wrong side of bed this morning, but he moans, “I didn’t see much of my bed last night – I was too busy clearing up the mess – 

"You know about the burglary, don't you?"

“but you know about the burglary in Y Felin, don’t you?”

"I thought Cwmderi was a nice, quiet place"

Alex had been under the impression that Cwmderi was a nice, quiet place.   

"We didn't really lose anything"

Iolo points out that they were fortunate, as they did not really lose anything.

"It was limited edition"

“A bottle of Welsh whisky might not be important to you, Iolo, but it was limited edition,” his father advises, so Alex realises that he is a bit of a connoisseur;  she knew that he had good taste.

"Do you like a nice whisky?"

“And what about you?   Do you like a nice whisky?” he enquires, whereupon Alex looks puzzled, 

"Interfering is another weakness"

so Iolo tells her that interfering is another family weakness.

“I’m not interfering – it’s a simple question,” he father goes on, “Do you like whisky?”

"It's an old man's drink"

Alex describes whisky as, “An old man’s drink,” 

"What exactly are you doing, Dad?"

while Iolo is becoming uneasy, demanding what exactly his father is doing.   

"Are you suggesting I stole it?"

“Hold on – please tell me I’m wrong – are you suggesting I stole it?” and Iolo says that of course his father is not suggesting that.

"It's a bit strange"

Siôn goes on, “But it is a bit strange that you organise to meet Iolo – and don’t turn up – exactly when the burglary took place.”   Alex dismisses it as a coincidence.   “Is it a coincidence that you’ve turned up in our lives now?   

"You want something, don't you, Alex?"

“You want something, don’t you, Alex?   What is it?   Money – is that what you want?”

"Stop this, Dad!"

As Iolo insists that his father should stop this, 

Alex has had enough of this

Alex picks up her coat and leaves the deli.   

"You had no right to do that!"

“You had no right to do that!” snarls Iolo, but his father is quite convinced that she is playing games.   

Iolo rushes out in pursuit 

``There's something odd about her"

and his father mutters, to no one in particular, “There’s something odd about her.”

"Dad should never have . . ."

Iolo catches up with her by APD and apologises for his father;  “Dad should never have . . .”   

"Siôn is kind of 'spot-on'!"

Alex surprises him by saying that Siôn is kind of ‘spot-on’.

"Don't tell me you broke into Y Felin?"

Iolo has a very puzzled look s he asks, “No – please don’t tell me that you broke into Y Felin!”

Dani walks along . . . 

Dani walks past the derelict buildings, 

. . . taking particular notice of one door

particularly looking at one of the doors 

"Where's your car, then?"

and there Sioned catches up with her.   Dani says that she is going home now, so Sioned wonders where her car is – and her cleaning stuff.

"I come here . . . to be close to Seren"

“That was a lie,” Dani reveals, “I come here sometimes . . . when I’ve had a bad day – to be close to Seren, close to where she fell.   

"That's how I cope"

“I know it sounds stupid, but that’s how I cope.”

"And this is the way I cope"

Sioned points out that this is the way she copes;  “I feel like I’m doing something useful – at least I’ll be able to tell Lili that I did everything to get her back.”

"Make sure you have some back-up"

Dani begs her that if she is really going to meet DJ, she must make sure she has some back-up, in case it is a trap – because these drug people do not have a conscience.   

"I only slept properly when Garry was in prison"

“And I’m telling you now, Sioned, the only night I slept properly was the night Garry went to prison.   While DJ’s free, 

"DJ will always be at the back of your mind"

“he’ll always be there – always at the back of your mind.”

"Someone deserves a break"

Siôn returns to Y Felin to find Lleucu sitting on the sofa listening to music on her phone.   “Someone deserves a break,” he tells her, and she replies that this is only the start.

"I've left school!"

“Because I’ve left school!” 

"The Easter holidays have not started yet"

He reminds her that the Easter holidays have not started yet.   

"No – I'm not going back!"

“No, Siôn, I’ve ‘left-left’ – I’m not going back.   You heard me.”

He cannot understand it and points out that she only has a few months left anyway, 

"I can't go back there"

but she is adamant, “I can’t go back there, Siôn.”

He wonders what she has done now, 

"Being people judging, feeling sorry"

but she explains, “It was Dad – for the second time – and there’s no point trying to tell me this is a phase – I can’t stand the place!   Seeing people judging, feeling sorry – there’s nothing to say – 

"I've decided and Dad's not here to argue"

“I’ve decided and Dad’s not here to argue, is he?   

"Don't try to change my mind!"

“So please, Siôn, don’t try to change my mind!”   With that, she marches   off upstairs.

Sioned is at the cashpoint

Sioned is withdrawing money from the cashpoint when Mathew comes along the road.   He tells her that the police have taken the APD van to forensics, although he cannot understand what they expect to find.

"Why have you got so much money?"

Then he notices that she is stuffing a large amount of money into her pocket and asks why she has so much;  

"Don't say you're being hassled for payments"

“Don’t say you’re being hassled for Tamed’s payments?”

"It's just me being silly"

“No – it’s just me being silly,” she answers, “I’m worried that DJ is in debt and someone will turn up at the house.   You know these drugs people.”   

"That's why I should be at Penrhewl"

Mathew regards that as a good reason why he should be at Penrhewl and, again, she says that she is just being silly – 

"It will help me sleep"

“but it will help her sleep, just knowing that she has got it.   She walks away with the pram.

Gaynor is filling a flask

Gaynor is filling up a flask when she hears the front door;  

"Sorry for springing that on you"

Tom says that he is sorry for springing something like that on her during work hours.   Gaynor informs him that Maya will try to find cover;  however, she did not make any promises.

"You know how much I love Stratford and Hamlet"

“But you know how much I love Stratford and Hamlet,” Gaynor adds.

Tom proudly announces that he has sorted out everything;  

"Maya says it is fine" — yeah, pull the other one!

“I saw Maya on her lunch break and she said that it is fine, so she must have found someone to cover you.   That’s good news, isn’t it?   We’re going to have a great time!   Harry has left a list of the best restaurants and pubs for us.”

"It will be a chance to talk"

Gaynor maintains that it will be a chance for them to talk as well, which he says was exactly what he was hoping.  

"And a chance to spoil you"

 “And it will be a chance to spoil you as well.”

"I must get back to work"

Gaynor must now get back to work and thanks him;  he replies that it is a pleasure, 

Tome takes out the bottle of whisky . . .

then reaches into the bag he was carrying and takes out a bottle of whisky, which he proceeds to open, 

. . . pours himself a glass . . .

pouring some into a glass.   

. . . and looks at the label . . .

He looks very appreciatively at the label, showing that the contents are of 2020 vintage,

. . . and takes a sip

takes a sip 

"You have got good taste, Mr White

and says to himself, “You have got good taste, Mr White.”

"I haven't been very well recently"

“I haven’t been very well recently,” Alex tells Iolo in the Deri;  

"I'm sorry to hear that"

he is very sorry to hear that.   

"My kidneys are conking out"

“My kidneys are conking out,” she continues and Iolo asks how serious it is.

"It depends whether I can find a match or not"

“It depends whether I can find a match or not – for a transplant,” she replies.

Iolo looks frightened

Iolo looks frightened as he realises that she needs a kidney;  she adds that she does not have a lot of time.