Culhwch alpha, p.1
Culhwch Alpha, page 1
part #12 of Highlands and Islands Detective Thriller Series
G R Jordan
Culhwch Alpha
A Highlands and Islands Detective Thriller
First published by Carpetless Publishing 2021
Copyright © 2021 by G R Jordan
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
G R Jordan asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
G R Jordan has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.
First edition
ISBN: 978-1-914073-23-6
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Friendship and money: oil and water
Mario Puzo
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgement
Novels by G R Jordan
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
chapter 23
Chapter 24
Read on to discover the Patrick Smythe series!
About the Author
Also by G R Jordan
Foreword
This story is set on an oil rig, in the Cairngorms and on the Isle of Lewis. Although incorporating known cities, towns and villages, note that all events, persons, structures and specific places are fictional and not to be confused with actual buildings and structures which have been used as an inspirational canvas to tell a completely fictional story.
Acknowledgement
To Susan, Jean and Rosemary for your work in bringing this novel to completion, your time and effort is deeply appreciated.
Novels by G R Jordan
The Highlands and Islands Detective series (Crime)
Water’s Edge
The Bothy
The Horror Weekend
The Small Ferry
Dead at Third Man
The Pirate Club
A Personal Agenda
A Just Punishment
The Numerous Deaths of Santa Claus
Our Gated Community
The Satchel
Culhwch Alpha
Fair Market Value
The Contessa Munroe Mysteries (Cozy Mystery)
Corpse Reviver
Frostbite
Cobra’s Fang
The Patrick Smythe Series (Crime)
The Disappearance of Russell Hadleigh
The Graves of Calgary Bay
The Fairy Pools Gathering
Austerley & Kirkgordon Series (Fantasy)
Crescendo!
The Darkness at Dillingham
Dagon’s Revenge
Ship of Doom
Supernatural and Elder Threat Assessment Agency (SETAA) Series (Fantasy)
Scarlett O’Meara: Beastmaster
Island Adventures Series (Cosy Fantasy Adventure)
Surface Tensions
Dark Wen Series (Horror Fantasy)
The Blasphemous Welcome
The Demon’s Chalice
Chapter 1
David was tired. It had been a long couple of weeks, and frankly, the weather hadn’t been great. Sure, every day might have given you a great view of the sea, but when you looked at the guard vessels bobbing up and down in the waves, sometimes you felt happy to be on the rig. You could feel the effects of the sea even this high up drilling for oil but compared to some of the guard vessels, they got it easy on the platform.
The platform in question was called Culhwch Alpha, the main platform for a relatively new field, far off the north coast of Scotland. A helicopter from Shetland had delivered him over two weeks previously to his role of platform manager. It was full on once he arrived and he was looking forward to his three weeks off, worry-free, back on dry land. You got into a mode, a way of it when life was simply work. And platform life also took its toll back on land.
It had been three years now since he had moved out, three years because he caught Margaret playing around for a solid year. She had been disappearing during his three weeks offshore. Maybe it was because the kids were growing up; maybe that gave her the opportunity, or maybe that was why she became bored. Whatever it was, it had caused irreparable damage to the marriage, and now he was struggling to find someone else. It was not that easy when you got to your late forties. You did not just pop out down the pub and pick someone up. Who was he kidding? He had not done that when he was in his twenties. Margaret had been a long-time friend before she became his wife. Now, she was his ex.
It’s funny, David thought to himself, the things that go through your head when you start doing your ablutions. Still, maybe it was like a little private fortress, space away from everyone. He laughed to himself. Seeking refuge in a toilet, unbelievable. What had he come to? His salary commanded much more than that.
A shrill alarm hit the air, and David groaned. There was the call-to-muster. Everyone had to gather on the platform. Something had happened. Maybe it was a leak, maybe it was a small fire. Who knew? It was something, and he would find out soon enough, but he needed to move quickly. He cleaned up and dressed himself, and not pausing to wash his hands, made his way out to the main muster point of the platform.
David could see the men arriving already, gathering as boards were produced and people’s names were ticked off by his deputies. So many platform personnel they had to count the numbers. Meanwhile, he approached Andrea, who would have been in the control room when the alarm went off.
‘I’m not sure, David, before you ask. I’m not sure, but we think it’s a small fire on the far side of the platform. I’m sending a small group out to look for it now.’
‘You’ve got the names of those people?’
‘Of course. Just going through the head count of everybody else now.’
David looked around him. Had everyone gathered? There was no way with the number of personnel on the platform that he could simply look around and know everyone was there. He would have to wait until the counts were done. Recalling his own role, David made the call to land, advising the coastguard that he had gone to muster. It would probably be nothing. It wasn’t like false alarms didn’t happen, but the trouble with the platform was that if it wasn’t nothing, it might be a real fire. You had to be careful. Things got out of hand quickly, and then you were out in the middle of nowhere with the sea all around you, praying the guard vessel could get to you.
Andrea came rushing up to David, shaking her head. ‘We’ve got about five people missing,’ she said.
‘About five?’
‘We’re still counting the numbers. We’ve got at least five missing. Still waiting for a couple to come back with their headcounts.’
‘Get them done sharpish. Any word from the team sent out?’
‘Not yet,’ said Andrea, ‘expecting any minute.’
‘Okay,’ said David. ‘Let’s not panic here. Let’s keep it nice and routine like it always is. Somebody set something off, it’s what usually happens.’ Andrea nodded, but David could see a slight worry in her eye. There was always that worry in the background, that voice that said, What if this is the real one? What if this is the one that does go wrong? Of all the many instances they trained for on the platform, so many rarely came to pass. How many rigs had been destroyed, had blown up, or caught fire? Sure, everyone remembered Piper Alpha, but in truth, the offshore industry was incredibly safe, heavily regulated. Most importantly, it was very well paid.
There was nothing for David to do but wait until he got the final head counts and could find out what he was dealing with from the team who were out seeking the issue. His mind should not have, but it drifted. He was thinking about the holiday he was going to go on in two months’ time. It was a simple one, just somewhere out in the sun on the beaches of Spain, but maybe there, he could find someone if even for just a short time. That was the thing about the divorce. Did he miss Margaret? Of course, he did, but he missed her in lots of ways, and he knew over the last year, he had been much more tense than he had ever been. Even back in the time when he knew she was playing around, it had taken him six mo
Andrea came rushing up again. ‘It’s okay, David. It’s okay. It was a small fire. They’ve put it out. They’re checking around it now, but it seems all okay. Nothing much to worry about.’
‘We’ll have to check how it started,’ he said. ‘Any initial ideas?’ Andrea shook her head.
‘I’ve only just received the team’s report. They’re checking the area, making sure it’s safe, so we’ll keep everybody in muster, David. Let them go in a minute, but we’re also short, short on the muster.’
‘How short? I mean, where are they?’
‘We’re one short. There’s a number of them arrived late, but I’m not sure why. We need to look into that, but we’re definitely one person short.’
‘Are you sure we’re safe in terms of the platform. The fire’s definitely out?’
‘Yes,’ said Andrea. ‘The team said it’s okay. They’re just checking for other ignition sources just to make sure nothing’s left to chance.’
‘Right. Assemble a team. You’ll take them around and we’ll look for this other guy. Who is it anyway?’
‘Angus Macleod, part of the canteen staff. The chef said he saw him, called him to go. In fact, the chef believes he’d left the kitchen.’
‘Okay. Grab a team together, Andrea. Go and find him. Give me a call when you know what’s what.’
Bloody magic, thought David. A little routine thing like this and some asshole goes and gets himself hidden away. He’s probably fallen and broken his leg somewhere. Panicked, flipping kitchen staff. That’s the thing. These guys didn’t come out to a rig because they were proper off-shore workers. No. They were just chefs or people who couldn’t find a job elsewhere or who’d decided to cook for a better living. Still, something has happened to him. If he did break a leg or twist an ankle, it’s more flipping paperwork.’
David made his way out amongst the muster groups and began talking to the staff assigned to each of the group. He explained what was going on and the fact that they should all be back to work in the next ten or fifteen minutes. After that, he made the phone call to land, explaining they would be standing down the muster very soon, that it looked like not a false alarm but a very minor incident. With that done, David picked up a bottle of water, took a long drink, and breathed in deeply. He was looking forward to Spain, time to sit and survey the beaches, time away from this, maybe time with a woman he would find over there. She would probably be a divorcee, too, forty-something. There would be no worries about long-term relationships or anything— both just needing a bit of fun. Yes, that was what he wanted.
While David was deep in happy thought, a bald man ran up to him, one he thought he recognized but was not convinced.
‘A message from Andrea. You need to come and see. You need to come and see.’
‘Why? What’s up?’ asked David.
‘I don’t want to say here,’ said the bald-headed man.
‘It’s— what’s your name again?’
‘John, but Andrea, she says you need to come now.’
‘Can I let down the muster though?’ asked David. ‘We’ll send everybody back if you’ve found him.’
‘No,’ said the man. ‘Don’t. She said whatever you do, keep everyone together. Tell David just to come, just David.’
‘Where? Go where?’
‘To the kitchen,’ said the man. ‘Go to the kitchen. I’ll tell the rest of them we’re holding muster here and to prepare for a long one. You need to go to the kitchen, David.’
‘Why?’ asked David, but the man seemed unable to speak.
David shook his head. What was it with people? You just say what it is. It wasn’t like he couldn’t handle anything. Making his way along the gangways and then corridors to the canteen area, David was amazed about how quiet everything was. Usually, you could not walk anywhere in the platform without bumping into someone, but now everyone was mustered together. It was almost like coming onto the rig for the first time when they towed it out before it found its final place. Culhwch Alpha was a relatively new platform in a field far off the north coast of Scotland. It was named Culhwch after one of the ancient Britons, like so many of the other platform fields, and this was the first platform to be established.
There was a Bravo some distance away and a Charlie was planned, but there would be a number of factors governing whether Charlie went ahead. It was a crazy life out here, high above the sea with nothing around you except the odd safety vessel. Occasionally, you got commercial traffic going by, but he thought on this platform, it seemed to be less so. They seemed to be more remote, if you could be more remote in the sea. Maybe they were just further away from the more obvious shipping lanes.
David turned around the corner to the double doors that led into the canteen. As he pushed them open, he saw some of the team that had made their way with Andrea to search for the missing man, and the shock on their faces did not look good. One had tears in their eyes and was being comforted by a colleague. In some ways, it looked a little strange to David. He’d grown up with the man being the strong one of the household, expecting a woman to cry on his shoulder, but here he had a brown-haired colleague, maybe six foot, weeping tears into the shoulders of a smaller, female colleague. She looked up at David, shaking her head gently but saying nothing.
‘Andrea, what the hell is going on?’ asked David. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘Through the kitchen, David. You need to come. Prepare yourself.’
‘Prepare myself? What do you mean, prepare myself?’ David pushed open the door into the kitchen and saw Andrea on the far side staring across at something behind the large ovens. They were blocking David’s view, and clearly, Andrea was looking at something of a horror. Her face was in shock and her normally tanned skin had turned to white.
‘He just was like this when we got here, just like this. I didn’t do anything. I haven’t touched anything. Well, that table over there— that’s on its side because James stumbled, fell on it. Other than that, we haven’t touched anything. I don’t think we should touch anything.’
‘What do you mean?’ said David. ‘Why wouldn’t we touch anything? What-’ Something caught David’s eye. At first, it was a blurred, dark shape in the corner of his left eye, one second there, the next not. David quickened his step to look around the corner of the ovens, and then he saw two legs. He followed them up to the torso of a man and a head lying to one side on his shoulder. Around the neck was a piece of electrical wire that ran up into the ceiling of the kitchen. Something was causing the man to swing ever so gently. Maybe it was the vibration of the platform. At this point in time, David could not think what would cause it, but instead, he stared in horror at the body drifting slowly backwards and forwards.
‘Is he all right?’ asked David.
‘All right?’ said Andrea. ‘He’s bloody dead. Look at him. He’s bloody dead.’
‘How do you know?’ said David. ‘Has anybody touched him? Has anybody?’
David saw the angle of the neck. Surely no one alive would have a neck at that angle. At the very least it was broken.
‘I tried for a pulse,’ said Andrea, ‘but I couldn’t find anything on his wrist. I’m not touching the neck, but he’s dead and somebody has killed him. You don’t do that.’
‘It could have been a suicide.’
‘It’s no suicide. It’s no bloody suicide, David. Look at it. Look at the wire.’
David walked around to the back of the body. The electrical wire disappeared up into the ceiling but then re-emerged about two feet away where it ran in a straight line before being tied to a leg of a table. The table had all sorts of heavy food items on it, buckets of flour and sugar.
‘It’s anchored, David. They knew that wouldn’t move. You can’t move that table without taking that stuff off. Somebody knew what they were doing. They’ve put him up there.’
‘Who? Why?’ cried David. ‘What the hell? Why would anyone want to kill this guy? Who is he even? I mean, I know there’s people with issues in this place, but it’s an oil platform. You just get on with it. You go home. You take your money. What the hell’s this?’
