COFFIN COVE a gripping murder mystery full of twists (Coffin Cove Mysteries Book 1) by JACKIE ELLIOTT (books for new readers .TXT) 📕

stapled to the inside of the cover. Andi studied it. No makeup, no earrings — just one silver cross on a chain, she noticed. And although it was just a headshot, Andi could see that Sarah was wearing some kind of dress or top with a lace collar. Very . . . wholesome? And yet, there was something — something about her smile — that had just the hint of mockery about it.

“Was this taken near to the time she died?” Andi asked. “She looks quite young, and a bit . . . old-fashioned? Unworldly?”

“Sarah’s grandparents — her maternal grandparents — were very religious,” Jim answered. “Sarah was a regular churchgoer until her parents split, and then, I believe, she began to rebel. Sue, her mother, moved back in with her parents when she and Joe split up. They never liked Joe, and I got the impression that they encouraged Sarah to stay away from her father and his new ‘harlot’,” Jim continued. “It must have been confusing for Sarah.

“If she was vulnerable, it would have been easy for a predator to befriend her,” Andi said. “If Mason was — or is — a predator,” she added.

“Whatever he was back then, they cleared him of any involvement in Sarah’s death. And now he’s back in Coffin Cove, and that’s not the action of a guilty man, I suppose.” Jim rubbed his hand over his eyes. “He’s either innocent or stupid.”

“Or arrogant? Or somebody made him an offer he couldn’t refuse?” Andi added, recalling Harry’s words.

“Yes. It could just be that Mason’s been employed to cause a diversion, like last time.”

Jim peered at Andi from behind the boxes of files. “Our job now is to report the story at hand. Who’s killing the sea lions? Why are the Black OPS and Mason here? What’s the impact on our fragile economy? These are the questions our readers want answered, Andi. The community mourned Sarah’s death and it really did scare people. But as time has gone on, her death to most people is more like a legend than reality.” Jim got up and walked around the desk. He took the file from Andi and replaced it in the box. “Look, you can review these files and see what you find, but I got a lot of heat from Mason’s lawyer last time around, so do not start running around town and asking questions and stirring up shit. Remember, it’s a small community and—”

“Everyone knows everyone else’s business,” Andi finished for him. “Yes, I get that. But don’t you think we should at least visit Sarah’s parents to get their reaction to Mason’s return?”

“Look, Andi,” Jim put up a hand, “I get that this is intriguing for you. Believe me, it’s not just work that’s in those boxes. It’s my heart and soul. I wanted to solve this for Joe and Sue, just so they could get some peace.” His voice cracked a little. “Nothing I could do would bring Sarah back. But knowing what happened might have helped a little.”

Andi was silent a moment. She didn’t know why, but this story had awakened her imagination. Instead of sitting in the bar the previous night, she’d gone straight up to her apartment and made notes about possible angles of investigation. “Let me just do a little digging,” she pleaded. “Let me read the files. Who knows, a fresh set of eyes might turn up a new angle. And I do still have a few sources who will talk to me. I might find out who Mason is working for this time. I’ll be working on both stories at once . . .” She let Jim mull it over for a moment.

“OK. But you do it in your own time, after you’ve finished the assignments you have at the moment. And by the way, you might have noticed—” he waved his hand, gesturing for Andi to look around the office — “I’m not flush with cash. I can’t afford a lawsuit. So let’s not forget that the most pressing story we have concerns dead sea lions.”

Chapter Eight

Half an hour later they were both in Jim’s truck on the way to Sue McIntosh’s home. Although Jim was outwardly reluctant to stir up all this shit again, Andi sensed that pulling out all the old files had awakened his investigative impulses. He was a journalist. He hated to leave a story with no ending. So it was easy for Andi to persuade him to take her out to meet Sarah’s mother, under the guise of letting her know that Mason was back in town.

“Doesn’t seem right for her to just hear town gossip,” Andi said. “We should at least tell her officially. So it isn’t so much of a shock.”

Jim didn’t seem convinced that Andi’s enthusiasm for a meeting with Sue was motivated by sympathy for the bereaved mother.

“We’ll visit. And then we’ll concentrate on getting the real assignments finished, right?”

Andi agreed, but already she was feeling a slight thrill of anticipation. It was a familiar feeling that started in the pit of her stomach. A literal gut reaction that Andi had learned to heed and ignored to her detriment.

Jim refused to let Andi drive. He saw the old papers and coffee cups strewn over the seats of Andi’s beaten-up Toyota and said, “That’s disgusting. We’ll take my truck.”

Now, Andi was sitting in the passenger seat without any coffee, as Jim had refused to stop at Hephzibah’s. He seemed overly concerned about spillage and Andi resisted the temptation to point out the contrast between the spotless interior of Jim’s truck and the grime and general disorganization of the Gazette’s office.

Instead, she questioned Jim about Sue, Sarah and Joe.

“She kept her married name,” Jim explained. “Although she and Joe divorced legally, Sue didn’t believe that they were divorced in God’s eyes, so she is still a McIntosh.”

“What about Joe’s new wife?” Andi asked. “How does