30 December 2025

Gaynor is being questioned

Gaynor is being questioned by the police;  

"Did he mention Cheryl Thomas?"

“I know this is difficult after yesterday, Mrs Llywelyn.   Do you remember if Mr Humphries ever mentioned Cheryl Thomas, following her disappearance on Christmas Day last year?”

"Yes, because she broke his heart"

“Well, yes, because she broke his heart by leaving him on Christmas Day,” replies Gaynor.   She is asked if he gave any indication that he knew where she had gone.   “Well there was talk about Stoke – but who knows?   Cheryl told a lot of lies.”

"Do you remember calling at Maes-y-Deri?"

The DS continues, “Do you remember calling at the couple’s home on the Maes-y-Deri estate on the day she disappeared?”   Gaynor is not sure about that.   “We can see from the doorbell camera that you were there – do you remember seeing or hearing anything suspicious at the time?”

Gaynor does not know

Gaynor simply shakes her head, but it is emphasised that it is important that she tries to remember, 

"Every details helps"

as every detail helps.   

"It's over a year ago"

Gaynor protests that it is over a year ago and she has hardly been sleeping;  it is not surprising that she cannot think clearly.

"If you do remember anything else"

“Well, if you do remember anything else,” says the DS, 

"How long will you be keeping Tom?'

but Gaynor’s sole interest is to find out how long they will be keeping Tom.   “Well, that depends on our enquiries,” she is told.   She says that she would like to talk to him at least, 

"Not while he's in custody"

but that is not possible while he is in custody.

"But he hasn't done anything wrong!"

“But he hasn’t done anything wrong!” she angrily protests;  she is again urged to phone the DS if she remembers anything helpful and now Gaynor is in tears

Mark meets Cassie outside the Deri

Mark comes out of the Deri just as Cassie is approaching and she says that she will make him some breakfast;  “You can’t go back to the house – they might still be looking for evidence.”   He makes it clear that he is not going home, but he just does not want to be at the Deri when she opens.   

"We're not going to open today"

Cassie assures him that they are not going to open today, trying to persuade him to come back inside, 

"I need some time to myself"

but he maintains that he needs some time to himself.

"In case the police have some news"

“Don’t go far,” she urges, “And keep your phone with you, just in case the police have any news for us.”

"Unless Cher's alive and well . . ."

“Unless they phone to say Cher’s alive and well, I’m not sure I want to hear it,” he groans.

"I thought it might be the police"

Ffion was not expecting a visit from Cai, so he wonders who else she was expecting;  “I thought it might be the police – I haven’t spoken to them since yesterday.   

"Arwen has gone to stay with Ethan"

“Arwen has gone to stay with Ethan and his family for a few days to try and keep her mind off everything.

"She's not in trouble with the police?"

Cai cannot imagine that she is in trouble with the police, but Ffion does not know;  

"They're making enquiries"

“They’re making enquiries, whatever that means.”   

"She was only defending you"

He is sure that it is only a matter of time until they see that Arwen was defending her mother.   “Yes, that’s what I hope – but there’s no proof of that, is there?   Just mine and Arwen’s word against his.”

Tom is not happy

Tom is sitting in the interview room at the police station, apparently seething with rage.   

"How did you sleep"

The DS, plus another officer, enters and wishes him good morning, asking whether he slept.

"I was knocked unconscious yesterday!"

“As well as possible, considering I was knocked unconscious yesterday!” he snarls.   

"You're well enough to be questioned" 

The police have been told by a paramedic that he is well enough to be questioned again.   

"Have you arrested whoever did it yet?"

“Have you arrested whoever did it yet?” and he is told that they are still making enquiries.

"You can't hold me for longer than 24 hours . . ."

“How much longer do you intend to keep me here?   You can’t hold me for longer than 24 hours without charging me – 

". . . and you have no proof"

“and you have no proof that I’ve done anything wrong.”

DS advises, “With your background as a police officer, I’d expect you to know that we can extend those hours,” but Tom points out that she cannot without solid evidence.   “You’ve seen the video, Mr Humphries.”

"Taking an old carpet to the dump?"

“What?   Of me taking an old carpet to the dump?   Unless you find something better – and you won’t, because I haven’t done anything wrong – I’ll be out of here and home in about eight hours.   

"I'll make sure you pay!"

And then I’ll make sure you pay for making an innocent man suffer like this!”

The interview is officially begun

The recording tape is turned on for the interview to resume.

"Where are they, then? . . ."

Sioned hears a familiar voice at Penrhewl;  “Ho-ho-ho!” says Dai in his Father Christmas costume, “Where are they, then?   

". . . the little elves?"

“The little elves – it’s not every day they get to spend a morning with grandad.”

"Sorry, I completely forgot"

So much has happened that Sioned had completely forgotten;  Mathew’s mother has been staying with them, so she would like to rearrange the visit.

"Did Mathew's Mam get to see the little ones?"

“Did Mathew’s Mam get to see the little ones?” Diane demands, and Sioned  immediately springs to the defensive.   Dai explains that he was just hoping to see them this morning 

"Diane's off to Heathrow this afternoon"

because Diane is off to Heathrow this afternoon, but is told that the twins are out with Sioned’s mother, so that she has a chance to tidy up.

She suggests that they come back at lunchtime, 

"We arranged it for a purpose"

but Diane is insistent that they arranged it for a purpose.   Dai tries to get her to leave it as they do not wish to disturb Sioned;  

"After you come home from Australia"

“She’s got work to do – we can come back after you come home from Australia.”

Diane will not let this go;  “This has been in the diary for ages – and you were looking forward to celebrating Christmas with your grandchildren!”

"I'll see if Mam can come back"

Sioned defuses her situation by phoning her mother to see if she can come back.   

Dai glowers at Diane

Dai looks angrily at Diane.

"The whole thing is a nightmare!

Ffion tells Cai, “The whole thing is a nightmare – but I’ve been lucky as well, haven’t I?   Compared to Cheryl, I mean.”   

"That's what you and the police think"

Cai points out that nothing has been confirmed yet, but she is convinced, “That’s what you and the police suspect – that he killed Cheryl.

"How didn't I see the signs?"

“I keep going over everything in my head – what he said, what he did – how didn’t I see the signs?”

"You're not the only one"

He remarks that Ffion was not the only one, but she adds, “I’ve been through this before, haven’t I?   Believing the lies of a murderer – 

"Why did he want to kill me as well?"

“it makes me feel sick, Cai – thinking that I let him get close to me – and to Arwen!   What I can’t understand is why – why did he want to kill me as well?”

Cai tries to calm her by stressing that he cannot touch her now, which is the important thing;  

"With any luck . . ."

“With any luck, the police will find enough evidence to keep him in prison.”

"They wouldn't release him?"

“But they wouldn’t release him, would they?” she asks;  

"I can't answer that"

it is impossible for Cai to answer that question at the moment, so she jumps up from her seat, 

"We need to find more evidence"

insisting that they need to find more evidence.   “I want to make sure that swine is never set free again!”   She storms out of the house and Cai follows her.

"I've brought this from the chapel"

Colin comes to Llwyncelyn, bringing a box of wedding things from the chapel this morning and does not know what she wants to do with them;  he wonders if she managed to get any sleep and whether she has heard any more from the police.

"Holding an innocent man against his will"

“They came here to question me again – they are too busy holding an innocent man against his will.”   

"But he did something to Cheryl, Gaynor"

Colin tries to explain to her that the police have evidence that Tom did something to Cheryl;  Cassie told him . . .

"I don't know what everyone's problem is"

“Not again?   Cassie has got some vendetta against him – and Ffion has!   I don’t know what everyone’s problem is!   He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

"And how about that black eye?"

Then Colin raises the matter of the black eye that Ffion was talking about;  “Come on – you can tell me, Gaynor.”   

"This is just Ffion making up stories"

She is adamant that this is just Ffion making up stories – it is a big misunderstanding;  “And once the police realise that, Tom will walk in through that door.   

"He'll be home tonight"

“He’ll be home tonight, you’ll see, where he supposed to be.”

Ffion closes the filing cabinet

Ffion and Cai are at the site hut, conducting a thorough search;  

"I'm not sure we should be doing this"

Cai is not sure that they should be doing that, 

"The poison might be here"

but she argues, “If you didn’t see poison in the shed at Llwyncelyn yesterday, it might be here.”

He reminds her that keeping a container of poison is not against the law, 

"I would get them to question him"

but she insists that it would prove something;  “Enough to get them to question him properly about poisoning me.”

The she turns to the (presumably hermetically sealed) cabinet

Then she turns her attention to that locked cabinet, at which Tom kept looking, but find it securely locked.   

"It might be in here"

“Hey, it might be in here,” she tells him.

"Perhaps we should phone the police"

“Perhaps we should just phone the police, tell them what you suspect and let them search the place,” Cai suggests, but she replies that they are too busy at Maes-y-Deri – 

"I'm not going to let them release the swine!"

and she is not going to sit back and let them release the swine.

Cai goes outside . . .

“Please, help me break this lock!”   He goes to look for some some tools, but while he goes to fetch them, 

. . . while Ffion finds a wrench . . .

Ffion notices a large wrench on the desk 

. . . with which to attack the cabinet

and sets about hitting the cabinet door with all her might.   

Cai suddenly hears a thud, followed by a scream

This looks unlikely to do the trick, but, as Cai is about to find something, he hears her striking the door, then a dull thud and Ffion screaming.   

The nauseating smell of putrefaction

She rushes out of the door, trying to avoid vomiting owing to the disgusting smell.   

Cai discovers . . .

Both Cai 

. . . the bundle from last Christmas 

and we see that Cheryl’s decomposing remains have fallen from the cabinet.   

They cannot believe what they have 'unearthed'

They are absolutely aghast at what they have found.   It is rather strange that she did not notice the odour on her previous visit.

Diane drinks tea

Diane is drinking a cup of tea at Penrhewl;  Sioned asks her for how long she is going to Australia.   “Almost three weeks,” is the reply 

"I'd love a few weeks in the sun"

and Sioned would love a few weeks in the sun.

"It's not the best time, with all that's going on"

“It’s not the best time, with everything that’s going on in the village – we’ll have to look after Gaynor now that Tom has been arrested.”   

"We'll have to look out for Mark and Ffion as well"

Sioned agrees, adding that they will have to look out for Mark and Ffion as well.

"Oh, you've taken it off!"

Dai has taken off his costume;  

"I'll be back in a minute"

Ffion looks at her phone and says that she will be back in a minute.   

"It's not fair that Eileen brings the children back"

“Look, Diane, it’s not fair to insist that Eileen brings the children back,” he says, 

"We arranged to see the twins"

but Diane is adamant that they arranged to see the twins this morning.

“Sioned’s so busy – the last thing she wants is us here!”   She tells him not to start, but he takes no notice;  “Look, things have changed, all right?   

"Things were different when DJ was around"

“Things were different when DJ was around the place – we were part of the children’s lives, but we aren’t any more.   You know Mathew is with Sioned now – and their Mam-gu is with Siôn White – and Mathew’s mother is here on top of everything else, whoever she is!”

"But you're their grandfather"

Diane continues to insist, “But you’re their grandfather.”   He does not believe that Sioned sees it that way – he does not think they are welcome there.

"I want to go home"

“I want to go home, come on.”

But then little Jac is brought in . . .

However, before they can do anything, Sioned brings in little Jac and Dai brightens up in a flash.   Eileen will be in with Lili in a moment.   

. . . and a change comes over Dai

“Are you going to show Tad-cu what you had from Father Christmas?” says Sioned.   

"There's more presents over there"

Dai announces that there are more presents in that bag over there, so they go to have a look.

'I don't know what happed to Cheryl"

Tom insists, “I’ve already told you, I don’t know what happened to Cheryl.   She walked out the back door after Christmas lunch and I never saw her again.”   

"Why was her phone in the shed"

The DS enquires why her phone and some of her possessions were found in a shed at Llwyncelyn.

"I didn't even know they were there"

“I have no idea – I didn’t even know they were there,” he maintains, 

The DS is not taken in by this

but the DS obviously does not believe a word of that, so he adopts another tack;  

"Have you asked Gaynor?"

“Have you asked Gaynor?   It’s her house – perhaps they’ve been there since when Cheryl lived there.”

"Including her mobile phone?"

“Including her mobile phone?”   He snarls that he does not know, suggesting that it may be an old phone.   

Her colleague comes in . . . 

There is a knock at the door 

. . . with significant news . . .

and the DS is informed that there has been a development.   

. . . which cases Tom some concern

This makes Tom worried, 

"Interview suspended temporarily"

as the interview is suspended temporarily at 10:30 am on Boxing Day.

"What's happened?"

He demands what has happened, 

He does not receive a reply

but she does not reply.

Mark comes into the Deri

Cai is having a drink in the Deri to steady his nerves when Mark comes in;  

"Is it true that it's Cher?"

“Is it true that it’s Cher?” he demands, “Please, Cai, I need to know.”

"The police haven't confirmed it"

Cassie points out that he does not know and that they have to wait for the police to confirm it.   “Did you see anything then?   Hair, clothes, anything?” Mark pleads. 

"It was a body"

“Look, it was wrapped in plastic or tarpaulin or something that had ripped – it was a body.”

"How could he have done something like that to her?"

Mark is distraught, demanding, “How could he have done something like that to her?”   

Cai tries to console him

Cai puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Crikey Moses!   I could do with a nap!"

At Penrhewl, Dai comes in, maintaining that the two grandmothers can settle them now;  “Crikey Moses!   I could do with an afternoon nap after all that excitement this morning.   

"Thank you for today"

“Look, Sioned, thank you for today.”

"I'm sorry for forgetting"

She replies that it is a pleasure and apologises for forgetting;  “Don’t mention it,” he goes on, 

"I sometimes forget what month it is"

“I sometimes forget what month it is – it’s lucky that Diane is there to tell me.   

"If you don't want me to be part of the children's lives"

“But I would understand if you don’t want me to be part of the children’s lives from now on.”

"Why would I want that?"

“Why would I want that?” she demands and he reminds her of what DJ did.   

"A lot has changed since them"

“Dai, I know what I said after DJ ran away, but a lot has changed since then,” and Dai wholeheartedly agrees with that, 

"You've got a brand new family"

pointing out that she has a brand new family now, to start with.

"But you're their grandfather"

She sits down and tells him, “Yes, but you’re their grandfather and I want you to be part of their lives.   Why don’t we arrange for you to come up again in the New Year?   

"You'll be glad of the company – and the noise"

“You’ll be glad of the company – and the noise – while Diane’s away.”

"I appreciate that, Sioned"

Dai is very pleased to hear that and tell her that he appreciates it;  

"They've only got one 'Tad-cu Sgaffalde'!"

“You’re welcome – they’ve only got one ‘Tad-cu Sgaffalde’!”

Tom is definitely rattled now

Tom is pacing up and down in the interview room in a very nervous state 

They come back in

when the officers come back in.   

"Can I go now?"

“At last – can I go now?” he demands, but is asked to sit down.   “You have no right to hold me . . .” he adds, but the DS resumes the interview at 3:00pm.

"A  body has been discovered . . ."

“A body has been discovered, Mr Humphries, 

". . . in your work cabin"

“in your work cabin.”

"Are you joking?"

“A body?   Are you joking?”   

"We wouldn't joke about something like that"

It is pointed out that they would not joke about something like that, also that he will not be going anywhere tonight as they have been given special permission to question him for more than 24 hours.

"So make yourself comfortable, Mr Humphries"

“So make yourself comfortable, Mr Humphries.”   

There is no way out now

Now he does not look so cocky.

"Why aren't you answering your phone?"

Colin comes in through the back door of Llwyncelyn, demanding why Gaynor is not answering her phone;  

"Ffion and Cai have found a body"

“I’ve had a phone call from Mark – Ffion and Cai have found a body – the police strongly suspect it’s Cheryl – in Tom’s Portacabin.   They think he’s responsible . . .”

"Leave me alone, Colin"

She simply demands that Colin leave her alone, 

"The police suspect is a murderer!"

but he continues to ask, “What will it take for you to see through this fog?   The police suspect Tom is a murderer.”

"Of course he isn't!"

She will not accept that, insisting that he is not;  Colin understands that it is difficult for her and that it has come as a hell of a shock.   

"He's not the man you think he is" 

“But please, Gaynor, he’s not the man you think he is.   What other explanation is there for keeping a body in a portacabin?”

"He was defending himself!"

Gaynor blurts out, “He was defending himself!”

Colin cannot believe that she knew about this;  “Gaynor, look at me.  

"Please ell me you didn't know he had killed Cheryl?"

“Please tell me you didn’t know that Tom had killed Cheryl?”   

She remains silent

Her silence speaks volumes.