The Heatwave Confession
A Gus Freeman Cold Case Mystery
Urchfont is sweltering under a relentless summer sun. Locals pray for rain. And buried secrets rise with the morning sun. When a crumbling hut in nearby woods reveals human remains, retired detective Gus Freeman is pulled from his peaceful routine into a decades-old mystery. The discovery coincides with a strange confession from a local woman—one that hints at a long-forgotten crime during the legendary 1976 heatwave. As Gus digs deeper, he uncovers whispers about a missing girl, teenage pacts, and a night the village would rather forget. Someone is determined to keep the truth buried. In a village where the sun never sets and everyone has something to lose, can Gus expose a killer before the heat boils over?
Here’s a set of character sketches for new players and potential suspects in The Heatwave Confession —
Celia Markham
A retired schoolteacher in her seventies. Seems frail and forgetful—until she confesses something strange about the summer of ’76. Known in town as kind and eccentric, but her past hides shadows no one expects.
Alan Croft
Former fireman, now runs a roadside café. Charismatic and nostalgic. A teenager in ’76 and one of the last to see the missing girl. Friendly on the surface, but cracks show when Gus starts asking questions.
Becca Lyle
Local reporter trying to revive her flagging career. Ambitious, clever, and annoyingly persistent. Teams up with Gus occasionally, but she’s also not above publishing what he’d rather keep quiet.
DI Mark Tait
New to London Road, Devizes, strictly by-the-book. Doesn’t like being shown up by an old hand. But he can’t ignore the results Gus gets—or the pressure from above to leave the case alone.
Here’s a timeline of the 1976 events that shape The Heatwave Confession, with key dates from that scorching summer:
Timeline: The Summer of 1976 – Urchfont
June 10th, 1976
A heatwave grips southern England. School breaks feel endless. Teenagers roam freely around the fields and woods of Urchfont.
June 22nd
A group of six local teens — including Alan Croft and Celia Markham’s younger brother, Tom — throw a secret bonfire party. Unsupervised, fuelled by pilfered cider. A girl, Lorna Chase, never makes it home.
June 23rd
Lorna is reported missing by her parents. Police dismiss it as a runaway. She had a history of “trouble” and arguments at home.
June 25th
Tom Markham dies in a supposed accident. He falls from the rooftop of a farm building near the same hut where the body is later found. Ruling: misadventure. Celia never believed it.
July 4th
A brief police inquiry is conducted to interview the partygoers. Everyone’s story aligns. No charges are brought. The case goes cold.
July–August
The heatwave continues. The hut begins to shift slightly due to soil erosion, but no one inspects beneath it. Locals whisper, but no one talks.
August 30th
It’s the day of the Urchfont village fete. A perfect storm of heat, music, and distraction. The villagers collectively forget about Lorna.
Fast-forward to the present, when a violent storm damages the hut and reveals the hidden remains… Can Gus Freeman uncover key modern-day clues tied to the 1976 timeline, gradually pulling the threads of The Heatwave Confession together?
Modern-Day Clues & Connections to 1976
Clue 1: The Skeleton Beneath the Hut
After the storm causes a partial collapse, a long-buried skeleton is found beneath the hut. A distinctive pendant on the body — a crescent moon with L.C. engraved — links it to Lorna Chase. Forensic analysis suggests death by blunt force trauma. The pendant was a birthday gift Lorna received days before she vanished.
Clue 2: Celia’s Confession
Celia Markham, now elderly and seemingly confused, tells Gus, “They said she ran away, but she screamed that night. I remember the screaming. And I remember the silence after.” She also insists her brother Tom “didn’t fall — he knew something.” Celia’s brother died two days after Lorna’s disappearance. His death was ruled accidental, but could he have been silenced?
Clue 3: Alan Croft’s Old Polaroid
In the back room of Croft’s café, Gus spots a dusty frame with a photo from the ’76 bonfire party. Five teens, not six. Lorna isn’t in it. Croft claims she left early.
Clue 4: Police Interview Transcripts
Gus gains access to the original case file. He notices all five interviews — including Croft’s and Tom Markham’s — were taken by a now-deceased officer known to cut corners. All accounts are suspiciously similar. It seemed likely the teens had coordinated their stories. But why — and who were they protecting?
Clue 5: The Village Fete Brochure
At a local history archive, Gus finds a 1976 brochure. The list of floats and other entries includes a hastily added tribute to Lorna. Why memorialise someone presumed to have run away? Someone knew she was dead, even before it was publicly accepted. These clues push Gus toward a final revelation: that the real killer isn’t who the town suspects — and the cover-up involved more than just frightened teenagers.
A setup with loads of tension, nostalgia, and hidden menace isn’t it? Do you have ideas on how to move it forward?
The most plausible answer will earn a signed paperback copy from both of my series.
Time for a change in routine. There will be more frequent blog posts from now on.
Keep watch for ‘Breaking News’ and join me again soon.
Best wishes
Ted Tayler
