HELL'S HALF ACRE a gripping murder mystery full of twists (Coffin Cove Mysteries Book 2) by JACKIE ELLIOTT (diy ebook reader txt) 📕

An officer interrupted, “Is it a possible murder-suicide, sir? Or a suicide pact? Given the recent discovery of their son?”

“No. It’s a reasonable theory, except forensics believe Dennis was shot first, and although there may have been an attempt to make it look like a suicide, because Dennis was shot in the side of the head, the angle is all wrong. But the safe was left open, and Dennis left a note. So it’s possible he’d intended to kill himself but was helped along. Dennis also reeked of booze, and there was an empty bottle of Jack Daniel’s at the scene. The coroner says it’s unlikely he could have held his hand steady enough to fire a shot.”

“What did the note say, sir?”

Vega preferred the questions to come at the end, but he grabbed his notebook.

“The note specifically is not addressed to anyone. But it was in the same envelope with the housekeeper’s name on and it was full of cash. Joanna Campbell, the housekeeper and unfortunate soul who found the victims this morning, said Dennis always left her cash on his desk. The note says just one thing: ‘I am responsible for the death of Daniel Ellis. I am truly sorry. I have always loved Sandra. I am so sorry. Dennis.’”

“Nothing about Ricky? And who is Daniel Ellis?” another officer asked.

“All questions we need answering, and quickly,” Vega said briskly. “At the moment, we have one person connected to all three deaths: Lee Dagg. Lee is Nadine’s husband. We know from more than one statement that Nadine and Dennis Havers were having an affair and weren’t too discreet about it. The affair had been going on for years. Several people confirm that Lee was pretty fed up with his marriage and Nadine was, let’s say, a ‘high-maintenance’ wife who liked to spend beyond their means. Ricky Havers’ remains were found on the Daggs’ land — in the middle of the woods, where people would be unlikely to walk.”

“Wasn’t it Katie Dagg who found Ricky?”

“Good point, Officer. Katie Dagg arranged a field trip of sorts for the historical society, and by Lee’s own admission, he had no idea the event was taking place. Our working theory, based on the evidence we have at the moment, is Lee Dagg, a humiliated husband, seeks revenge on his wife and her lover by first snatching the lover’s son and killing him and then, when the affair doesn’t end, killing his wife and her lover. There doesn’t seem to be a reason for killing Sandra unless she was just collateral damage.”

The room was silent. Everyone seemed to be taking it in.

Then an officer said, “Lee Dagg wasn’t at the Fat Chicken. He could have dropped Nadine off, and then gone to the Havers’, killed them both and then come back to pick up Nadine, right?”

Vega nodded.

“Dagg was informed of Nadine’s death as her next of kin earlier today. So far, he’s been unable to tell us where he was all night. Katie says she heard him come home in the early hours, and she assumed it was Lee and Nadine, after the belly dancing night. She says she was at the neighbour’s house all evening, and her dad wasn’t home when she got back. She thought he was at the Fat Chicken. Everyone at the pub confirms he was not there.”

Vega looked around the room.

“There are holes in this theory. I want you all to gather evidence, please. Keep an open mind. Do not discard evidence or statements that don’t fit with this,” he added, and he banged the whiteboard. “Too many investigations have gone sideways because we only looked at evidence that worked with our theory. But we do need to know where Lee Dagg was all night.”

“We also need to know who Daniel Ellis was,” Sergeant Fowler said. “He was important enough for Dennis Havers to be thinking of him just before he died, so he’s important to us. Was this killing revenge for Daniel Ellis’s death?”

Vega let Fowler take over and assign tasks to the team. She was efficient and knew what needed to be done.

“OK, folks—” he looked at his phone — “it’s six. Grab something to eat, get on with your assignments and we’ll meet at eleven. Let’s make progress, please.”

PC Matt Beaufort knocked on the door.

“Inspector? I think you need to hear this. Summer Thompson is in an interview room. She says her daughter Jade is missing.”

“The mayor’s missing?” Vega was astonished. Then he remembered Andi had told him Jade hadn’t made it to the Fat Chicken.

“OK,” he told PC Beaufort, “I’m coming.”

He threw a glance at his whiteboard as he left the room. He knew he’d told his team to follow the evidence and not the theory, but was it possible Jade’s disappearance was connected? And did that mean they had no leads at all?

Chapter Thirty-Three

Summer Thompson stood up as Inspector Vega entered the interview room. She looked anxious, and he saw she was rubbing her hands nervously. He saw Matt Beaufort had supplied Summer with a cup of tea which she hadn’t touched. Matt had also started to take some notes.

Vega gestured for Summer to sit down at the table and also indicated for Matt to take one of the empty chairs. Vega sat down in the other.

“OK, Summer,” he said, “Matt here is going to take notes as we chat and then we’ll get all available officers out looking for Jade. Let’s start with when you last saw her.”

Summer took a deep breath.

“I saw her yesterday when she left for work. I didn’t actually see her. She likes to be quiet in the mornings, get her head together for the day ahead, so I give her some privacy. But I got up and watched her car drive away.”

Vega raised his hand.