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

Sandra Havers had always spoiled Ricky, but Dennis made no secret that he was ashamed of his layabout son. Dennis had acquired the deserted Coffin Cove strip mall, with its empty stores and overgrown parking lot, and paid for the renovation of the Smoke Room.

Not everyone in the community was happy about the Smoke Room. The legalization of weed was a hot topic, and Andi was planning a series of articles around the subject. She had only just got back to work, and Jim had thought it would be easier to meet at the café. Andi had still been using a cane, and there was a long narrow staircase up to the office.

Andi had been aware of the woman thanking Hephzibah and moving towards the back of the café, with the low comfy seats by the wood stove and the bookcases. She didn’t like to stare and so turned back to Jim. She couldn’t remember exactly how their conversation went, but she knew she’d said “Ricky Havers” just before she heard a slight gasp followed by the sound of china smashing.

The woman was white and shaking. The mug of coffee had fallen from her hands and shattered over the floor. For a moment, she seemed unaware she was splashed with hot coffee, and only moved when Hephzibah came rushing up to help. Jade had denied being startled in the coffee shop, making some excuse about cramp, but Andi had seen Jade’s face. She’d been in shock. Completely white.

Andi couldn’t help thinking that mug of coffee hitting the floor had signified the start of some very strange events in Coffin Cove.

Andi stopped walking and took a moment to take in the view of the ocean, as her thoughts remained with Jade Thompson.

A few days after the strange meeting at Hephzibah’s, Andi interviewed Summer Thompson. Summer was Jade’s mother. She was organizing a petition against the Smoke Room. It wasn’t going anywhere. Dennis was mayor, and the planning committee had already approved the application. The only chance to get rid of the Smoke Room was if Ricky really screwed up, or quit. It was a decent story, but Andi’s real motive was to probe a little further into Jade’s strange reaction to hearing Ricky’s name.

That interview had been weird too. Andi came away with more questions than answers. Summer had presented herself as an eccentric artist, all flowing skirts and arty knick-knacks everywhere. But it felt like an act, as if Summer wanted everyone to think she was a bit flaky. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but Andi was certain Summer and Jade were hiding something.

The next day, Ricky disappeared.

The local police investigated, but as Ricky was a grown man and there was no sign of a struggle or foul play, there was little they could do. Sandra Havers was distraught and persuaded a relative in the RCMP to dispatch an inspector from the mainland to re-examine the Smoke Room and try to shake out some new leads. But there had been none. Several people, Andi included, had seen the neon “OPEN” sign of the Smoke Room turned on during the day of Ricky’s disappearance. When Sandra and Dennis first looked for him, they found the sign turned off and the door unlocked. But the cash remained in the till and the inventory was untouched. It looked as though Ricky had gone out for a smoke and never come back.

One thing Summer and Jade had both revealed: neither of them liked Dennis Havers. But then, few people had a good word to say about him.

And now his own wife suspected he was involved in Ricky’s disappearance.

Andi realized she’d been gazing at the ocean for a while. She checked the time. She was still early, but the gunshot wound still hampered her walking at times, so she needed to get going if she was going to be on time for her interview with Jade.

As she turned to walk up the hill, Andi’s musings turned to the election battle between Dennis Havers and Jade Thompson.

Dennis had never had a serious opponent before, despite the fact Andi couldn’t find anyone who had a good word to say about him. “Only in it for himself” seemed to be the consensus. But he’d been elected for multiple terms. Nothing in this town was straightforward, Andi thought as she struggled up the last incline towards City Hall.

Jade’s announcement that she was running for mayor that August had come as a complete surprise to everyone. She’d quit a good job on the mainland and moved in with Summer. Andi had been astounded. She’d grilled Jade as soon as she could about her reasons.

“Coffin Cove has been in the shadow of crime and economic depression for too long,” Jade had said simply. “I want to make it a better place for people to live. People like my mother. They deserve better.”

She sounded sincere. And Coffin Cove believed her. Jade Thompson won in a landslide.

Andi arrived at City Hall a few minutes early. She waited in the visitor’s area and flicked through a glossy community magazine all about Coffin Cove. It was impressive, she supposed. The mayor and her newly formed Tourism and Economic Development Committee had been working hard. Jade Thompson had leveraged grants and private investment to develop the boardwalk and open a new museum and heritage centre. The plans included improving the marina, hoping to attract sports fishermen and charter companies, grants and tax breaks for new businesses, and some much-needed repairs to the high school. It wasn’t everything the town needed, but it was a start.

The atmosphere at City Hall was upbeat. The receptionist had greeted Andi with a wide smile. Jade had replaced some staff to fill the vacancies left by Dennis Havers’ sycophants who didn’t see their long-term future working for Mayor Thompson.

Mayor Havers had enjoyed being important. He’d surrounded himself with