Murder On Bwytheney by Elizabeth. Newby (phonics story books TXT) 📗

it together. She tried to comfort me. But the news just kept coming. The only reason she was telling me was that he had shown up. He was on the island. He wanted to meet me too. Melissa promised that she wouldn’t tell him who I was until I was ready. I spent hours tormenting myself about it. I mean, how could I suddenly turn round to Bronwen and say, by the way, I have a child? It would have destroyed her. But he was my boy—”

“And who was that child, Matthew?”

“It was Pete. Peter Langley. He was my boy, and now he’s gone.” Matthew’s tears became uncontrollable sobs, “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t. I couldn’t.”

“Did you see Melissa again after she told you?”

Matthew’s eyes shot up at me, and there was a pause in the sobs. He had no idea that he was spotted out of the house that night.

“Yes.” His voice was a whisper.

“When Matthew?”

“That night. The night she was killed. I swear it wasn’t me. She was alive when I left her. She was outside sorting the woodpile, and we talked and then I left.”

“What were you telling her?”

“My decision. I was telling her that I wanted to know my son. That I wanted to be a part of my son’s life even if it cost me my marriage. I know how this looks. Oh god, I’m going to jail, forever, aren’t I? But it wasn’t me. I didn’t lay a finger on her.”

“That’s not entirely true, is it. Babies aren’t made without laying a finger on someone.” The voice had come from the doorway, and Matthew shot to his feet and turned around. Bronwen was stood there, her eyes burning with hatred.

“It’s okay, Matthew. I know it wasn’t you. Bronwen, do you want to tell him, or shall I?”

Chapter 20

Nord Isle Living Blog

Murder Mystery Solved: Bwytheney Gives Up Its 27-Year-Old Secret

There have been many new readers to this blog over the last few weeks, and if that’s you, welcome. I hope you’ll stick around to find out more about the incredible Nord Isles and everything they have to offer beyond recent gruesome events.

For those who’ve been around longer, you will know how much love I have for these islands and their people. Never could I have imagined that I would feel so at home somewhere when I arrived around 15 years ago. Recent events have hurt my heart and had my head in a spin.

It became apparent quite quickly that as someone who knows quite a bit about this place and the people and has an investigative background, I needed to delve deeper into what had happened.

The police and residents were perplexed by the double murders of Melissa Palmer and Peter Langley. Melissa not only ran the popular Beachview Campsite that so many of you have visited but was also born and raised here. Bwytheney ran in her blood. Peter, on the other hand, had moved to the island only six months earlier. He was a quiet, unassuming man who was making Bwytheney his home and relaxing into island life. But what connected these two people? There had not been a murder on the island for over forty years. Then these two happened within a week of each other. There had to be a connection.

The more I thought about it, the further away I seemed to get from an answer. But I knew that finding the connection was the key to this mystery. And so, I began to delve into the lives of Melissa and Peter. It was a journey that would reveal a 27-year-old Bwytheney secret. A secret that was kept from all other islanders, but it is one I am telling today in honour of those whose lives have been turned upside down or taken due to its revelations.

I want to take you back to 1994. Melissa was 17 years old and found herself, like many teenagers, becoming increasingly bored with her parent’s company and fed up with the island’s gossip. One day, she bumped into a neighbour who was upset. Matthew was going through a challenging time in his young marriage. They chatted to each other, shared their problems, and found solace in a listening ear. One thing led to another, and they embarked on an affair. It is something Matthew regretted deeply for decades, knowing it was wrong. But with what he knows now, it's hard to see whether he should feel regret.

A few months after Melissa and Matthew started seeing each other, the rumours began. Anyone who’s lived island life will know that it doesn’t take much for these fans to be flamed. Sometimes they have a kernel of truth, and other times they can simply be a misunderstanding that's blown into something. In this case, the rumours were right, and it was the young Melissa who felt the brunt of these. Matthew was desperate to save his marriage. When his wife confronted him about the rumours, he continued to deny them, blaming the island’s gossipers as making up stories.

Not long after, Melissa turned 18 and headed to the mainland to stay with a friend for a bit. Matthew thought she was getting away from the rumours, allowing them to die down. But the truth was that Melissa was hiding a secret. Six months later, she gave birth to a baby boy and called him Mark Palmer. Melissa gave him up for adoption. She then returned to the island, never revealing the truth. Afraid of the repercussions she would face and weighed down by the thought of destroying a marriage, Melissa went back to island life. But Melissa never forgot her baby, and she died without having any more children or ever committing to another relationship.

But Melissa did get to meet that baby again just a couple of months ago. It was at her funeral that her friend told me about the baby. It was just something I couldn’t shake. Something bugged me about it. And, after a visit