MURDER ON THE BEACH a gripping cozy crime mystery full of twists by ADAMS JANE

Author:ADAMS, JANE
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thriller and cozy mystery
Published: 2021-12-07T00:00:00+00:00

SIXTEEN

Billy Tigh wasn’t talking. He sat at one of the tables in the visiting room they had previously used to interview Rains, nursing a cup of coffee and staring at nothing. His behaviour was puzzling everyone, including the on-call psychiatrist who sat beside him. Prison guards stood by, but Billy Tigh was not restrained now; he had been handcuffed immediately after the stabbing and confined to a cell, but it was soon evident that he was a threat to no one else. Alec and Mac had been told that, after the stabbing, Tigh had dropped the shiv and then stood totally still, waiting for the excrement to hit the proverbial fan. It had—three officers jumping him and wrestling him to the ground—but he had offered no resistance then or later.

He hadn’t spoken since, had barely even looked at anyone. It seemed that his anger was spent and he had no fight or even will left in him.

‘Billy,’ the psychiatrist spoke quietly, ‘these officers are here to ask you some questions.’

Alec sat down, Mac drawing up a chair beside him. The table was small—they practically touched elbows. Billy Tigh did not look up.

‘What did you have against Rains?’ Alec asked. ‘You’d only been here ten days—barely enough time to find out his name, never mind build enough resentment to kill a man. So?’

Tigh said nothing. He seemed to recall that he had a cup of coffee. He lifted it to his mouth, but did not drink, just peered into the cup as though not quite sure what it was. He was not a big man, stockily built with close-cropped hair and a square-jawed face, currently expressionless, dead-eyed.

‘What did Rains do to piss you off, then?’ Alec asked. He glanced at the psychiatrist, then looked at Mac. The doctor shrugged.

‘Can we talk?’ Mac said. He got up and wandered over to the coffee machine, wondering if it could be persuaded to produce something even vaguely drinkable. Alec and the psychiatrist joined him.

‘Is this for real?’ Alec said bluntly. ‘Or just an act to get him off the hook?’

‘I couldn’t say. The guards reckon he just stood there, didn’t do a thing to defend himself or excuse himself or explain. Rains had just come from the showers; he was crossing the recreation area. Tigh walked up to him, stabbed him, Rains hit the deck and Tigh just stood there. He’s said nothing.’

‘Great,’ Alec muttered. ‘Prior associations?’

‘None on record. As far as we know, Tigh and Rains met ten days ago, but . . .’

‘But—’ Alec said. Mac’s phone rang. He looked at the caller display and frowned. ‘Alec, I’d better take this. It’s Calum, Emily’s boyfriend.’ He stepped away from the others and listened. Minutes later they were leaving the prison and heading south.

* * *

‘We’re OK,’ Emily told him. ‘We’re not hurt and Mr Macintyre, our neighbour, he’s OK too. We were in his yard, trying to get away. Mr Macintyre opened the back door and we were just about to go inside and then .

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