Inspector Franks was sure foul play was involved in this, his young assistant’s first find.

Peter Jones was very new to this area of the North, being a Welshman he had never really ventured further than Birkenhead in his younger days.

Now here he was in Sunny Southport by the Irish Sea, investigating something suspicious.

It was quite different to his home in Pontypridd.

His mother always warned him saying “don’t trust the English, they talk in English behind your back, so you don’t know what they’re saying.”

Peter never understood this, as if your English, you talk in English don’t you?

If your Welsh you talk in Welsh, isn’t it?

Inspector Franks was a kindly chap, never making Peter feel unwelcome or uncomfortable or stupid, even if that’s the way he thought of  himself at times; after all he was very new at this profession.

“It’s just a hunch, a feeling in my gut see,” said Franks.

 Wonder if I will ever be that good Peter said to himself.

So the famous pier was cordoned off with police all over and under it like ants.

I bet this pier has lots of secrets and seen many goings on over its160 years thought Peter.  Being 3.660 feet in length it had attracted many visitors since it was renovated. Many of whom at this point were very unhappy it was out of bounds.

Searching once again under the pier, Peter had a strange, unexplained feeling.  A mixture of excitement and dread, could it be a message ( in Welsh and English) from across the sea, trying to tell him something?

He decide to buy a bucket and spade from a local stall and started digging around the site of the find. Two hours later and many buckets full of Mersey sand Peter came upon another beautiful shell but this one was attached to an arm.

Well! That’s a turn up for the books he thought.

After taking the newly acquired find to the forensic laboratory for investigation Peter called his mum back in Pontypridd.

“Guess what I have found? an arm with a shell bracelet attached to it” he said.

Oh dear! that must be your cousin Michelle, she went missing two years ago on a visit to Southport Fair” said mum.

“How do you know it’s her? that’s such a long shot mum” Peter replied.

“Well, can’t be 100% certain but she was wearing a shell bracelet bought by her boyfriend at the time she disappeared. Her body turned up on the local beach eighteen months later, missing an arm and the shell bracelet” Peters mum said with such enthusiasm it made him shiver.

The headlines in the local paper were,

“Missing Michelle found missing an arm and the bracelet”

“So you must have found them Peter, I am so proud of you” said mum, making Peter wonder about his mothers lack of empathy.

Wow! Though Peter, Inspector Franks will be well chuffed with me.

Indeed, Franks was so please he promptly, promoted Peter., saying

Peter found sea shells on the seashore, sadly poor Michelle is no more.

He always fancied himself as a bit of a Poet.