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

at the office. I have an idea, but I don’t know. You’ll think it’s crazy. But for now, you concentrate on the belly dancing tonight.” He’d grinned at her.

Shit. The bloody belly dancing. She’d forgotten.

But here she was, sitting at the bar, waiting for the festivities to begin.

Harry sat on a stool opposite her. He raised a beer glass. “Our intrepid reporter,” he said — a touch sarcastically, Andi thought. She moved around the bar to sit next to him.

“Not you as well,” she grumbled. “Everyone in this bloody place complains about Charlie Rollins all the time, but when I write an article, people act as if I’ve betrayed the town.”

Harry nodded. “I know. Life’s so unfair.”

Andi rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”

Harry put his pint glass down. “Seriously, I agree Charlie’s only one notch above useless, but he needs his pension, Andi. His wife is sick, and they’re struggling.”

Andi looked at him, her heart sinking. “Shit. I didn’t know.”

Harry shrugged. “Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t do his job properly. Forget it, Andi. The article is out there now. But the good news? If you write a scintillating piece about Nadine’s belly dancing, everyone will forget.” He grinned at her. “C’mon. Cheer up.”

Andi managed a smile. Then she saw Hephzibah waving at her.

“I’m going to sit with your sister. Coming?”

“Nope. I’ll get a better view here.” Harry winked at her.

Nadine and her two fellow dancers shimmied and sashayed more or less in time with the music blaring from an old stereo system. The audience whooped and cheered, and the dancers shook and jingled their tassels for an encore.

“Good lord,” Hephzibah said, “that’s quite the outfit Nadine’s wearing. Or nearly wearing. I wonder what the mayor thinks of her half-dressed assistant?”

Andi looked around the pub. “Doesn’t look like she’s here. You’d think she would make the effort for the first event of the Heritage Festival.”

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Hephzibah said, as Nadine bent over an unsuspecting elderly man and jiggled her breasts, to the loud approval of the men in the crowd.

Andi felt a pang of sympathy for Nadine. She remembered how hard her mother had tried to get Andi’s father to pay attention to her, in the end even starting arguments. Now Andi knew more about Nadine’s past, the women seemed less of an evil adulteress and more like a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, trying to capture some happiness. Why was it all so bloody complicated?

Andi remembered the message Andrew Vega had left. He wasn’t angry, he just sounded tired and disappointed. Why didn’t you call me before printing that article, Andi? I thought we had a better understanding than that. Call me when you get the chance.

“Hey, look over there.” Hephzibah nudged Andi. “It’s the mysterious handsome stranger.”

“Who?” Andi looked where Hephzibah was pointing and saw a tall slim man wearing an expensive-looking jacket and looking bemused at Nadine’s performance.

“He’s a developer,” Hephzibah said. “Walter’s sure he knows him. He’s deciding whether or not to develop the fish plant.”

“Wonder whether Nadine’s helping to seal the deal,” Andi murmured. “He can’t keep his eyes off her.”

Hephzibah laughed. “Another drink?” she said, pointing at Andi’s empty wine glass.

“God, yes. They’ve not finished yet.”

Half an hour later, Nadine and her dance team ended their performance. Walter looked pleased as the bar emptied out slowly. Cheryl was cleaning down tables and chatting with the remaining customers.

Andi looked around for Harry and saw him leaving. She waved and he raised a hand in response. Hephzibah left too, and Andi promised to see her for coffee in the morning.

Andi just wanted her bed now. She saw Nadine sitting on a stool at the bar and hoped she had a ride, because she knew she’d drunk far too much to offer to drive her home. But Nadine’s head was down and she seemed intent on texting someone, so Andi let it go.

At least the evening took everyone’s mind off Ricky Havers, Andi thought, as she left the bar and walked around to the steps up to her apartment. Except Sandra and Dennis, of course.

Andi spent a few minutes on her laptop, making some notes about the belly dancing. Before she went to bed, she pulled out the photograph Terri South had given her.

Andi shook her head. Would any of this help her keep her promise to Sandra? She hoped so.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Dennis Havers closed the bedroom door as quietly as possible. Sandra was finally sleeping. After Inspector Vega had brought Ricky’s belt buckle and other items for them to identify, she’d held it together remarkably well. He, on the other hand, had been shocked enough to feel light-headed. But when the police officers left, Sandra was first inconsolable and then hysterical. When Sandra read the article in the Gazette, Dennis had been worried enough about her state of mind to call their doctor. He’d administered a sedative, and eventually, Sandra allowed herself to be taken to her bedroom, where Dennis undressed her and covered her thin shoulders with the duvet.

He’d sat with her, gazing at her frail arms and hands that clutched at the pillow, even as she slept. She hadn’t been out of the bedroom since.

Before Ricky disappeared, Sandra Havers was an immaculate woman. She loved being the mayor’s wife, and whatever other problems the Haverses had in their marriage, she’d never let Dennis down when it came to her public role.

She was good-looking too, Dennis thought. She’d kept her figure with hours and hours of yoga and maintained an expensive grooming regime, including weekly visits to the spa and salon in Nanaimo.

Dennis had bitched about it at the time, but over the last months, he’d seen Sandra disintegrate. She wore only jogging pants and sweatshirts. She rarely put on any make-up, and she only had her hair done when