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

“Maybe. Doug said Daniel was the weak link in the organization. He was reluctant to be involved, and when he met Summer Thompson, she wanted him out. And Art hated her for that, we think because Daniel was kind to him.”

“So that’s the connection between Art Whilley and Jade? Her mother?” Vega asked.

Jim nodded. “We can’t find any trace of Wayne’s whereabouts. Wayne disappeared, but not before he somehow became the owner of Art’s property, Hell’s Half Acre. Wayne may have conned Art. Art was smart, but not very worldly, and maybe looked to Wayne as his business mentor. If he thought Wayne betrayed him, it’s another reason for Art to hold a grudge against the Dagg family.”

Jim became very serious. “If we’re right, Inspector, Art Whilley is destroying all the people who tried to destroy him. The Haverses, Nadine, and now you say Jade Thompson is missing. We believe Lee and Katie Dagg are in his sights too. They’re living at Hell’s Half Acre. It was taken from Art and now he wants it back.”

Vega let this sink in. Then he asked a question.

“What did the bikers call themselves?”

“The Bold Knights or the Knights something,” Harry said. “They ran the biggest drug distribution network on the island for a while. You lot tried to nail them, but they were always one step ahead. They were supposed to be using a network of tunnels, the old mining tunnels. They were used by smugglers in the old rum-running days.”

Sinclair’s report. That’s where Vega had heard the reference to “Knight” before. Everything Harry and Jim were telling him now clicked into place.

Just then, Vega’s phone rang. He glanced at it, and then said, “I need to take this,” and he stepped out the galley onto the deck.

When he came back a few minutes later, he said, “Doug and Terri South are at the detachment with Katie Dagg. Summer Thompson is still there too. So I have to get back and verify some things you’ve told me. At the moment we think Whilley or Knight hasn’t left Coffin Cove. But it’s an extensive area, so I need to call in some help.”

Clara Bell hadn’t said a word. She’d eaten her meal, listening to the conversation, her bright eyes moving from one person to another.

As Vega went to step out on the deck, she said to the departing figure, “I know where Arthur is.”

* * *

Vega wasted no more time. But he needed one more piece of information before he called Superintendent Sinclair.

Summer Thompson was sitting in an interview room. Her head was bowed and her hands clasped in her lap. For a moment, Vega wondered if she was praying. Then she looked up.

“Any news?” she asked anxiously.

Vega shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. But I have to ask you a question and I need you to be straight with me.”

He pulled up a chair and sat directly opposite her. He looked into Summer’s eyes. She was terrified, he could see.

He asked, and when she’d answered, he patted her hand.

“Thank you,” he said. “This will stay between us.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

After Vega had spoken to Summer, he and Sergeant Fowler sat in another interview room with Katie Dagg and Terri and Doug South. Trembling, Katie Dagg pushed a wrinkled business card towards him.

In a low voice, she said, “Inspector Vega, for the last few days I have been living in a nightmare. It’s surreal. I found Ricky Havers’ dead body, or at least, Clara Bell and I found him. Then my mother was murdered. Then Ricky’s father and mother were murdered, and you think my dad had something to do with it. My dad . . .” Her voice got stronger. “My dad wouldn’t hurt anyone. My parents had problems. They’ve always had problems. But Dad’s never been violent. It isn’t in him.”

“Katie,” Vega started, but she cut him off.

“I’ve been trying to figure out why this is all happening to us. And I don’t know why. We don’t deserve it. But it started when this man—” she indicated the card — “this man here suggested I find the chapel and research that stupid story. I know this sounds crazy, Inspector, but I think he sent me there on purpose. I think he knew I’d find Ricky. And . . .”

Vega held his hand up and looked at the card. Knights Development Ltd.

“Katie,” he said, “we know about this man.”

Terri put her hand over Katie’s and Doug started speaking.

“Inspector, you may know about this man, but you don’t know everything. The thing is . . . I think he is not Mr Knight or whatever name he’s calling himself. I think it’s Arthur Whilley.”

Vega nodded. “Go on.”

Doug took a deep breath. “Inspector, a long time ago, Art Whilley wanted to escape from Coffin Cove. For lots of reasons, he felt trapped and desperate. People here, apart from my mother and Clara Bell and me — well, most people treated him pretty badly. Including his own family. It got wild back then, and Art was into some bad stuff. He wanted out, and he staged a house fire.” Doug’s voice faltered. “Art was good with chemicals and knew how to make a fire burn really hot, so nothing would be left. There’d be no way to tell if he’d burned up in there or not. But he wasn’t in that fire. Nobody noticed. Everyone was stoned or drunk, and all I had to do was scream that Art was in the house, when the fire had caught on enough for nobody to chance running in.”

Doug looked at Inspector Vega and shook his head slowly. “I thought I was helping. My mother, before she died, she asked me to look out for Art. And . . . and I tried . . . but I had no idea this would happen.” He hung his head.

Vega felt bad for the man, but