HELL'S HALF ACRE a gripping murder mystery full of twists (Coffin Cove Mysteries Book 2) by JACKIE ELLIOTT (classic literature books .txt) 📗

“History should be alive,” she’d explained. “How exciting to imagine the stories of Coffin Cove as you stand on the very spot where history was made! Much more interesting than glancing at a few old exhibits in a glass case.”

Mayor Thompson had agreed with her, especially when she’d laid out her business plan. She’d hired her immediately. For the first year, Katie would clean up the old museum, which was currently housed in a boarded-up converted cottage, and when the new development took place on the waterfront, Mayor Thompson promised her a new state-of-the-art facility.

This was Katie’s dream job. She didn’t care about the tiny salary, though the mayor had also promised to double it if Katie could make the museum profitable in one year.

Katie had already heard from her father about the new mayor. He’d said things were changing in Coffin Cove, and Katie could see this quiet woman had a determined air. She thought they’d work well together.

Katie also had personal reasons for wanting to return. She was worried about her dad. Katie couldn’t remember a time when the Dagg family were happy together. She had memories of summer camps, days at the beach and rare wonderful occasions when he would beckon her to jump in the truck and go to work with him on a Saturday morning. But even when she was a small child, she’d sensed tension between her parents. Katie had little in common with her mother, Nadine. This hurt her when she was very young, but Lee had made up for Nadine’s indifference. Katie had always been a daddy’s girl.

Katie wasn’t sure if Nadine would welcome her back when she took the curator’s job and moved back permanently to Coffin Cove. She wished they could find some common ground. But Nadine had always seemed to resent her. She talked about ‘missing out on her best years’ and was obsessed with appearing youthful. Katie knew her mother had spent a fortune on plastic surgery and dental work in recent years. It was money Lee and Nadine could ill afford. Although Nadine earned a decent wage working for the city, she’d always spent every penny, leaving it to her husband to pay the household bills. Nadine also hated living in a rented house.

The Dagg family home belonged to her father’s brother. Katie had never met Uncle Wayne, but she surmised he was successful because Nadine would often throw the same vicious comment at her father when they were arguing: “I married the wrong brother — I should never have settled for you!”

Katie was certain Lee needed her. During her last year at university, she’d heard the strain in his voice every time they spoke on the phone. She rarely talked to Nadine. Katie knew the business was struggling. Lee was under constant pressure from Nadine’s spending.

Nadine had said little when Katie moved back. “You must pay your way,” was her only comment. “Your father barely provides for us now.”

“Of course,” Katie had said, giving her mother the expected kiss on the cheek. “Until I get my own place.” And I’ll take Dad with me, she thought to herself.

She was sad about her relationship with Nadine but had long since come to terms with it. Luckily, she’d had a lot of positive female influence in her life, so she hadn’t felt the lack of maternal love too badly.

When Nadine was working or just couldn’t be bothered to watch over her, Katie spent most of her time with their neighbour, Terri South. She and her husband Doug didn’t have children of their own, and Terri loved to fuss over Katie.

It had been Terri who first sparked Katie’s love of history. On rainy Saturday afternoons, Terri would pull out all her old photographs of Coffin Cove and tell Katie stories of when she had been young. Katie was fascinated with the past. She’d visited the old museum when the curator was Clara Bell, an elderly, grim-looking woman who did little more than scold children visitors and smack their hands if they touched the dusty glass display cases. Old Clara also had boxes piled up everywhere, so the tiny museum was cluttered and dirty, and only two or three people could visit at a time.

Katie was daydreaming about Terri now. She couldn’t wait to show her friend around the new Coffin Cove Museum. Terri had hugged Katie tight when she’d arrived home. “I’ve missed you so much, honey,” she had whispered to Katie. “And I know your dad has too.”

How different life would have been, Katie thought, if Dad and Terri had got together. It had been a childhood dream. She knew Terri loved her husband Doug, although Katie had always been slightly afraid of him . . . Her phone dinged and interrupted her thoughts.

She glanced down. She’d set an alarm to remind her of her schedule today. Katie had a meeting with the Historical Society at noon. The Heritage Festival was starting soon and she was planning a series of tours. Harry Brown was now on her list, and she’d been enthralled by his stories of Coffin Cove as an infamous haven for smugglers.

This afternoon’s meeting was a little different, although the historical site in question was in her own backyard. Katie was excited. She’d discovered an old Coffin Cove legend by chance.

When she’d arrived at the museum two days previously, she’d found a man trying the door and peering in through the window.

“Can I help you?” Katie had asked.

The man was tall and well-dressed, in a sports jacket and smart trousers. He was clean-shaven, and Katie caught a whiff of aftershave as she walked up the steps to unlock the door. He smiled at her.

“Just wondering if the museum was open,” he said, still smiling. “Do you work here?”

“I’m the curator.” Katie enjoyed saying that, and she smiled back.