The train pulled slowly into the small station in the Snowdonia region of Wales. Jerold and Beth grabbed their bags from above their seats and stepped out onto the platform into the brisk winter winds of the Welsh countryside. They were on the east side of the small country, just miles west of the Tremadog Bay. Jerold breathed in the sea air, letting his lungs fill with the fresh scent, a relief from the stagnant smells of the hot train. He grabbed Beth's hand and they made their way through the departing passengers, shoving their way through bags, pushing past people rushing to get to their own vehicles, past those blocking the walkway as they reunited with loved ones. Jerold thought about how he and Beth had never had anyone meet them at any of the dozens of train stations they pulled into. He let the thought linger and then pushed it aside.
Prior to leaving London, Jerold had made arrangements with one of Tildon's associates. He was going to get them a car, a hotel room, and anything else they'd need while here. Tildon's associate had also gotten them clearance with the local authorities to search Harlech Castle, which is where they believed the sixth trunk to be.
They reached the ticket office and found an attractive young woman, who looked like she wasn't glad to be there.
“Welcome to Harlech. May I help you?” the woman asked, trying to feign enthusiasm.
Jerold smiled, agreeing with her mood. “You have a package for me. It should be under Hanks.”
A look of recognition came over the woman's face and Jerold could feel her eyes boring into them. She frowned, a cold expression coming over her.
“Here you go, sir. Tell those thugs who dropped this off that if they come near me again, they'll be sorry.”
Jerold had no idea what she was talking about, but could only guess that one of Tildon's associates had made some inappropriate comments to this young lady.
“Sorry about that,” Jerold said, flashing her one of his brilliant smiles, and the lady nodded and turned around in her booth. He grabbed Beth's hand and they made their way to the parking lot. Jerold seemed to be scanning the lot and smiled when he saw his target. They made a beeline toward a 2009 gold BMW Z4 roadster. Beaming at Beth, he shook the keys out of the manila envelope. Beth's face perked up as she looked over their ride for the next couple of days.
“Now, this is a model I haven't had the pleasure of driving.” Jerold was rubbing his hands over the glossy gold driver's-side door. He slid into the leather seat and put his head on the triangle shaped head rest. Starting up the engine, he smiled at the purr of the 256 horsepower, six cylinder beauty. The GPS sang to life after Jerrold punched in the address of the hotel. The sultry computer voice began speaking to him, but Beth reached down and turned the volume off. She made a face and Jerold knew she didn't want some pushy woman telling them how to drive. Jerold turned on the satellite radio and pulled out of the train station's parking lot.
They were heading toward the town of Harlech, to the Maelgwyn House Bed and Breakfast. It was a luxury four star hotel that sat on the edge of Harlech, close enough to walk, but far enough to be a little removed from the center of town. They drove in silence with the top down, letting the brisk winter wind whip past them, drying them out from the insufferably hot train ride. They were both desperate for showers and wanted to debrief in their hotel room before venturing anywhere in Harlech. They pulled up the narrow drive to the hotel, passing two stone pillars on either side of the front drive. Jerold appreciated the quaint hotel Tildon's associate had reserved for them. The front drive was somewhat steep, rising up a small hill to the entrance. There were shrubs and flower beds on either side of the drive, continuing around the perimeter of the hotel. In the summer months, these beds made the Tudor style home look like it was rising out of an ancient garden from some fairytale book, providing splashes of color to the exterior appeal. But right now, the winter mists had settled onto the region, making everything appear gloomy. The three story home had gables over the dormered windows on the upper floor, making the home symmetrical with two larger windows just below. The steep roof line accented the gray stone exterior with twin chimneys on either side. The hotel itself overlooked Llyn Peninsula, Tremadog Bay, Harlech Castle, the nature reserve, and the championship golf course which was a big attraction for the small town. Jerold and Beth checked in and headed up the wooden staircase hugging the wall in the long hallway that made up the main entrance. Their room was small but just perfect. The large bay window overlooked the castle ruins. This would save them a lot of trips to the castle, as they could probably just look out their window to do most of their preliminary legwork. They set their luggage down on the queen bed covered in a pastel quilt. Jerold took off his shirt and draped it over the curved white metal footboard. He reached up to switch on the television in the corner, hoping for some news of the weather this week. Working in the rain or snow was something he did not want to do.