COFFIN COVE a gripping murder mystery full of twists (Coffin Cove Mysteries Book 1), JACKIE ELLIOTT [most recommended books txt] 📗

if I could keep the protests going long enough, either people would find other jobs, or I could claim bankruptcy or something. The Americans offered me a bonus if I could get rid of two-thirds of the payroll. So I started feeding Mason information. I would have him believe that I was going to log in different areas and give him time to get his barricades in place. It was working too.”

“How did you get the information to him?” Jim asked.

Joe dropped his head. “I paid someone.”

“Brian?” Jim asked, although Andi knew that Jim was leading Joe through a story he had already figured out.

“Yes.”

“Joe!” Tara let go of the arm she’d been rubbing and stood up. “Why does this matter now? Stop, Joe,” she said urgently.

He waved his hand. “It doesn’t matter now, Tara. Can’t you see that? I have no life. You have no life, just watching me piss the rest of mine away. I’m tired. I want this to be over. I want to see my Sarah again.” He started to weep.

“Joe,” Jim said impatiently. “What happened? What happened to Sarah?”

Joe wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

“She was so mad with me about the hatchery. I was doing it for her, I was selling because of her! I thought she would take my money if I was out of the logging business and go to university! Get out of Coffin Cove and make something of her life. I didn’t even care when she joined the protest. But one evening she overheard me talking to Brian. She heard everything.” Joe buried his head in his hands.

“She said I was destroying the town. She said . . . she said . . .” he faltered. “She said many terrible things to me. Brian was mocking her. He always hated Sarah, he was jealous. I was furious, and I’d been drinking . . .” He stopped and his breathing quickened.

“Go on, Joe.” Jim’s voice was soft. “Get it out, man, you’ve been carrying this too long.”

“I don’t remember exactly what happened.” Joe’s voice was almost a whisper, and Andi moved nearer to catch everything he was saying.

“I know that Sarah screamed at Brian and threw something, I think. She said that she had suspected all along and would tell Mason and everyone. Brian just lost it. He grabbed hold of her, and I tried to pull them apart . . . I don’t know, I don’t know.” Joe’s voice rose and he cried, “I pushed her, I pushed her so hard and she fell, and . . . and . . .” He collapsed in sobs again.

Andi closed her eyes, feeling her emotions well up, as Joe cried like a baby.

“It was an accident, Joe. You didn’t mean it,” Harry said, his voice thick, and Andi could tell he was grief-stricken.

“Brian said he could sort it. He would put her in the hatchery, everyone would think it was an accident. And it was an accident,” he said fiercely. “I didn’t know . . . I didn’t know . . . she was still alive . . .” He was forcing each word out now. “Not until they found her all tied up. They said she drowned!” he wailed. “My little girl, she must have been so frightened . . .”

“Why didn’t you go to the police?” Harry asked in disbelief. “Why didn’t you turn that fucker in? Why did you protect him all these years?”

“He’d already told some story about Sarah and Mason to the police. He told me that Mason was suspicious, and that he did it to help me. He threatened me too. Said that if he went down, so would I. I threw him off the property, told him that if I ever saw him again, I’d turn him in, I didn’t care anymore.”

“You let us all feel so fucking sorry for you.” Harry practically spat the words out. “We searched for your little girl. My sister cried tears for you. You even told us that Sue was a madwoman.” Harry shook his head. “You’re pathetic, Joe. Pathetic. I looked up to you, man.” He turned away in disgust. “I’ve heard enough — let’s go to Vega, Jim. He needs to hear this.”

Joe rocked back and forth, crying. Tara stood by his side, with a hand on his shoulder. She didn’t protest.

Jim sighed. “I’m sorry, Joe . . .”

“Hey!” Harry shouted suddenly. At the same time, Andi saw a movement in the undergrowth near the deck. Harry ran, taking the steps off the deck in one bound, and dove into the shadows. A moment later and he dragged Brian McIntosh into the light.

“He’s been here all the time?” Harry shouted angrily at Joe. “You’re still protecting this shit? What’s the matter with you, man?”

“It’s all fucking lies,” Brian whined. “Joe killed her, not me. I was just tryin’ to help my bro, it’s not fuckin’ fair.”

Harry shook him. “Shut the fuck up.”

In the distance, Andi heard a truck rumbling up the track. She could see the headlights glinting through the trees.

“Is that Vega?” she asked Jim. “Did you call him?”

“I—” Jim started to say, but at that moment, Brian McIntosh twisted out of Harry’s grasp and took off running into the dark. Harry ran after him, and as the truck rounded the corner into the yard, Andi saw Harry tackle Brian McIntosh to the ground and pin him there easily.

The headlights of the truck blinded her. She expected Vega to call out, to have brought his officers, but only one figure got out of the truck. The engine was still running, and the lights were on full beam. Andi shielded her eyes.

“Inspector?” she called above the growl of the diesel engine.

The figure didn’t answer. Instead, he held his arm out straight. A gun, Andi thought, not comprehending, and at the same moment she realized it wasn’t Vega, the man pulled the trigger and fired at Harry and McIntosh.

“Harry!” Andi screamed.

“Get down!”