Page 14 of Deep Waters

“Have you seen the south pier today? Police all over it. I heard that’s where the first fella was stabbed and shoved into the water. They must be looking for evidence.”

Idle chit-chat. No one seemed to know anything for certain, but they wouldn’t let that spoil their fun. It was human nature whenever there had been any kind of violent act in a community. The residents picked over every detail and formed their own opinions. Still, if the police were examining the pier, it would be worth his time to investigate…later. Right now, instinct told him to head back to the lifeboat station.

Christian took his coffee outside and wandered to the edge of the marina. The early drizzle had stopped, though the sky was a bleak shade of grey. After yesterday’s storm, it was surprisingly mild, and he unzipped his jacket as he walked along the front.

This was indeed a beautiful place. Dominic hadn’t been kidding when he’d suggested it would make a great backdrop for a novel. He wanted to write something in the style of the Nordic noir’s he devoured, only with a British twist. This rugged area of the north-east coast seemed perfect for what he had in mind. He wondered whether his fiction could be as intriguing as what was happening for real.

When he reached the open doors of the lifeboat station, he was pleased to spot Dominic and the old man, Jacob, among the people working around the boat. Jacob saw him first and nudged Dominic. They both came towards him.

“Good morning,” Jacob said. “How are you doing?”

“Not bad. Better than expected. I slept well, too.”

“Glad to hear it,” Dominic said.

“You do look brightener than when I last saw you,” Jacob said. Without the fisherman’s cap he’d previously worn, Christian saw he had a thick head of luxurious grey and white hair and the sharpest blue eyes. He must be somewhere in his mid-seventies, not that it was obvious in the sprightly way he moved. “Tea? Coffee?”

Christian raised his takeaway cup. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“Well, I’m ready for one, and I bet you are too, Dominic. Go and have yourselves a break, and I’ll bring them out.” He headed to the crew room.

“He’s quite a character,” Christian said.

“He’s the lifeblood of this place. He’s been volunteering at the station for over fifty years.”

Dominic led him around the corner to a wooden bench overlooking the harbour. A sailing boat glided towards the mouth of the river as they sat. Christian looked across to the other side, hoping to spot Harry andThe North Star, but there were still too many vessels tied up. He didn’t know enough about boats to tell them apart.

“Are you really all right?” Dominic asked.

“I think so. Maybe still a little shocked, but it’s wearing off.”

“I take it you’ve heard about the other murder?”

“Impossible not to. It’s all anyone seems to be talking about. I was in that pub over there when we heard about it. It’s shocking, isn’t it?”

Dominic gave a little snort through his nostrils and stared at the water. “One time, yes, I might have been shocked, but I’ve lived here for too long to be surprised by much anymore. After what happened to Arnie and AJ when we first met…” He sighed. “Well, there’s not much that shocks me these days.”

“Is this place really that bad?”

“No worse than anywhere else, I suppose. Every town has its share of tragedy and violence. And I guess volunteering for the lifeboat has exposed me to more of it than I would have otherwise known about. Still, this is a nice town. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. And if Arnie had wanted to leave after what happened to him, I would have gone with him in a heartbeat. But I’m also glad we’re still here.”

“I can’t wait to see Arnie and AJ tonight,” Christian said. “I’m sorry I knocked you back yesterday. I just didn’t feel very sociable.”

Dominic patted his thigh. “Nor would I have been if I were you. The guys are looking forward to meeting you, though.”

Christian sipped his coffee. “So, what have you heard about the second murder? It seems no one is really clear about the facts.”

“Speak to Jacob. He knows everything. Don’t ask me how, because I don’t have a clue, but he’s always the one with information. Nine times out of ten, he’s right, too. It’s a kid from the Moor Estate. Ike, I think his name was. I don’t know him, myself. There’s a huge supermarket outside of town and he worked there, so the chances are I’ll have seen him around. I don’t think the police have released any images yet. But he’s young, about twenty-seven, I believe.”

“Is there any connection between Ike and Niko?”

Dominic shook his head. “I don’t have a clue. This is a small town. The chances are high that they knew each other. But if there’s more to it, I don’t know.”

“Two stabbings, though…in one day. That must be out of the ordinary, even in Nyemouth.”

“I’d say. A friend of mine was stabbed to death a few years back by the same bastard who came for Arnie, but he is behind bars. I’m not aware of anything that bad since then.”

Christian stared at him incredulously. “Bloody hell, Dominic. Is that true? This town sounds like the modern equivalent of the wild west. How many bodies are there piled up?”

---