The Haunted Shipwreck (A Lin Coffin Mystery Book 18) by J A Whiting

Author:J A Whiting [Whiting, J A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J A Whiting Books and Whitemark Publishing
Published: 2024-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

14

It was early evening when Anton, Lin, and Viv huddled around Lin’s kitchen table, their eyes fixed on the scattered papers and documents before them. The lingering aroma of the coffee long-since grown cold in their mugs and the scent of old books floated on the air around them. The ticking of the antique clock on the mantle marked the passing of time as they delved deeper into the mystery that had consumed their thoughts for days.

For hours, they had been looking through the boxes of old records and journals that Amanda Hollis had so generously provided, searching for any clues that might shed light on the mystery of the wrecked schooner and its crew.

They’d also spent time searching the online archives, their fingers flying over the keys as they looked for any mention of the ship or its passengers. The glow of their laptop screens cast a bluish hue on their faces as they scrolled through countless pages of information.

"I think I've found something," Anton said suddenly, his voice cutting through the quiet concentration that had settled over the room. "Take a look at this."

Lin and Viv scooted closer, their eyes scanning the faded document that Anton had pulled up on his laptop screen. It was a police report, dated just a few weeks before the Sawyer Lincoln had set sail on its final voyage. The yellowed paper looked old and crinkled as they carefully examined the handwritten notes and official stamps.

"Jackson Miles," Viv read aloud, her eyes widening. "It says here that he was a police officer, assigned to investigate a smuggling operation that was believed to be operating out of several ships in the area."

Lin's heart skipped a beat at the revelation. "A police officer? But the reports we found earlier never mentioned anything about that. They just said he was a fisherman who had signed on as a crew member for the first time."

Anton nodded, his expression thoughtful. "That's because law enforcement didn't want it to get out," he said, his voice low and serious. "I imagine they were worried that if other ships’ crews found out that investigations were underway, it would tip off the smugglers and make it harder to catch them in the act."

Viv shook her head, with a look of disbelief on her face. "So Jackson Miles wasn't just a young man who wanted to sail schooners caught up in the tragedy of the Sawyer Lincoln. He was actively investigating the very smuggling operation that we believe may have led to the ship's demise."

Lin felt a sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach. "But why would he sign on as a crew member? Wouldn't that have been too risky, putting himself right in the middle of the very operation he was trying to expose?"

Anton leaned back in his chair, his gaze distant as he considered the question. "He was probably working undercover," he said slowly. "By posing as a crew member, he would have been in a prime position to gather evidence and intelligence on the smugglers without arousing suspicion.

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