by Lyndsey Cole
“Sally White’s parents, Matt and Leah, are staying in Cottage Two. She’s mousey and he’s a volcano about to explode. Sean Payne—”
Cal interrupted, “Payne? Are you serious? Let me guess.” He chuckled. “I picture anyone with that last name wearing glasses, is a know it all, and hates the beach.”
Hannah laughed. “That’s good. I don’t know about hating the beach, but his skin is so pasty white that he would burn to a crisp in five minutes on the beaches of Hooks Harbor. He’s in Cottage Four.” Hannah admired Cal’s tanned skin, which contrasted nicely with his sun-bleached hair.
“How about Cottage Three?”
Hannah leaned forward. “An old friend of Great Aunt Caroline’s. Can you believe it?”
“Of course. Seems fitting that your great aunt manages to show up in some form every time there’s anything interesting going on.”
“Her name’s Samantha Featherstone. But get this; she was a private eye and went by the name of Sam Stone.”
Cal slapped his leg. “Huh. That sounds somewhat far-fetched. What’s she doing here?”
“She’s trying to find Sally White. Don’t blow her cover.”
Cal nodded. “A missing girl’s devastated parents. A private eye. And what’s the deal with Mr. Payne in the neck?”
Hannah laughed. “I never said that.”
“Right. But you also didn’t deny it. What’s his story?”
“He’s writing a series for the paper on missing children. Sally White is his last case.”
Cal rubbed the stubble on his chin. Hannah’s mind wandered as she wondered how scratchy it would feel on her face.
“And you are involved . . . how?”
“I’m not involved. Well, maybe a little. I’m intrigued to see how Samantha puts everything together. Without pissing Deputy Pam Larson off.”
Cal stretched his arms over his head and arched his back. “I better get over to your sister’s place. I promised Ruby I’d get her addition done before Olivia was out of school for the summer. I’ve missed that deadline and she is not happy with me at the moment.”
“Promise to take Olivia on your boat and Ruby will forgive you. By the way, if you come back for lunch, don’t be surprised if you have to wait in line. I’m expecting a crowd.”
“And how is Meg handling all the customers at The Fishy Dish?”
Hannah rolled her eyes in answer.
“That bad?”
Hannah leaned forward. “And I just discovered, by accident, that Meg and Jerry Sewall, you know the guy that has the wholesale fish business?”
Cal nodded.
“They’re dating.”
“Is that creating a conflict for you?”
“Not yet. As a matter of fact, it sounds like it’s helping. Meg told me that Jerry gives me a ten percent discount.”
Cal finally pushed himself off the sofa. “I’m surprised to hear that. The scuttlebutt around town is that Jerry is in a bit of financial trouble. He over invested on his new truck and warehouse. No harm in keeping a close eye on his invoices to catch any mistakes. Either intentional or not, you don’t want to be throwing money away.”
“Thanks for the advice, but not something I’ll mention to Meg. He seems like a nice enough guy. I can sympathize with his problem; it’s not easy for us small business owners. I hope he gets his finances straightened out.”
“Hey,” Cal playfully punched Hannah’s shoulder, “I hope you aren’t implying that I overcharge you for my work?”
Hannah’s thumb and forefinger stroked her chin. “Now that you mention it . . .” She couldn’t keep a straight face. “No, I wouldn’t even be open for business if it wasn’t for all your hard work.”
Their eyes met and Hannah’s heart fluttered like a seagull’s wings in a storm.
“Thanks. Dinner on my boat tonight?”
“Sure, before the vigil for Sally White.”
They walked out of Hannah’s cottage with her shoulder brushing against his arm. “Ask Ruby if she could start helping out in The Fishy Dish. Jack and Nellie will keep an eye on Olivia. At least, I’m assuming Jack will say yes after I ask him.”
Cal laughed. “I’ll tell Ruby that The Fishy Dish is the perfect place to meet someone tall, dark, and handsome.”
Samantha stopped in front of Hannah’s cottage, interrupting their conversation. A wide-brimmed straw sunhat shaded her face, and bright blue capris poked from beneath a Hawaiian style man’s shirt.
“Ooo, you are a ruggedly handsome sight for these old eyes. Did you just arrive in town for the vigil?” Samantha asked. Her eyes twinkled with delightful playfulness at Cal.
“And you, young lady, look like you’re ready for an outing,” Cal said with his arm cocked for Samantha to hold onto. “I can escort you to your car, if you’d like.”
Samantha wiggled her shoulders and giggled like a schoolgirl. “Hannah, this one’s a keeper.”
“Samantha, meet my . . . friend, Cal Murphy. And you want to know something else about Cal?” Hannah asked Samantha. “He lives on a boat. At the Bayside Marina, right here in Hooks Harbor.”
Samantha’s free hand covered her bosom. “How romantic is that?”
Cal actually had a blush peeking over his tanned cheeks. “You could join us—me and Hannah—for dinner tonight if you’d like.”
“That sounds wonderful but I’d hate to butt in,” Samantha politely replied.
Hannah suspected Samantha would love to butt in. “No problem. We’ll go to the vigil after. Maybe figure out a strategy?”
“Perfect.” Samantha patted the hood of a royal blue Mini Cooper with racing stripes. “This is Mini May. We’re off to check out the town.”
Sean Payne, coming out of nowhere, pushed his way between Hannah and Cal.
Really, thought Hannah. Did this guy have no clue about boundaries?
“Hey,” he said to Hannah, keeping his back to Cal. “Come to the vigil with me tonight?”
“Sorry, no, I’ve got other plans.” She looked at Cal and moved away from Sean. It wasn’t exactly a date kind of event. Or did Sean have no sympathy for Sally’s parents?
Cal stepped in front of Sean. “See you tonight, Hannah. Six-ish works?”
Hannah nodded.
Sean scowled but didn’t get the hint that he was intruding into their space. He obviously wasn’t going anywhere soon enough for Hannah’s liking. What had Cal referred to Sean as? Pain in the neck? She told herself it was more likely a pain in a different body part—quite a bit lower than her neck.
Cal told Hannah he’d be back for lunch before he walked to the window of The Fishy Dish. She watched Meg and Cal look at her and laugh. Grrrr. Hannah had to fend for herself with Sean. And make the best of a bad situation.
She put her hand on Sean’s arm. His smile spread from ear to ear.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Cal frown. A little bit of jealousy never hurt. Especially if he wasn’t going to rescue her from these unwanted advances.
“How about we sit and talk for a bit?” Hannah asked Sean. “I’ll bring over a couple of coffees.”
Sean took a seat under a red canvas umbrella at one of the snack bar’s hexagonal cedar tables. Hannah poured two coffees under Meg’s and Cal’s watchful eyes.
Who was laughing now?
Chapter 8
Sean had his black ballpoint pen and notebook out when Hannah returned with the coffees.
“Working on your article?” Hannah asked, with what she hoped was just the right amount of interest—not too nosy, just a casual topic of conversation.
He reached for the offered coffee.
Hannah sat opposite Sean and she tried to decipher the upside down writing while he was busy adding three packets of sugar and a couple of creams to his coffee. What she managed to read made her cheeks heat up—beautiful long braid, eyes that sparkle in the sunshine.
Yuck. Was he describing her?
Sean flipped the notebook closed.
She had to fig
ure out how to move the conversation to Sally White, Sally’s parents, Gavin Abbott, and what, if anything, Sean might share with her. Or else she needed to extract herself from his leering eyes.
Luck showed up before Sean even opened his mouth.
Leah White approached Hannah. Her eyes flitted like a trapped sparrow and her fingers nervously pushed some stray hairs behind her ear. “Can I talk to you?” she asked Hannah, eyes darting to Sean and back again. “In private?”
Hannah gave Sean her best so sorry look and escorted Leah to her office. “We can talk here. Is there a problem with the cottage?”
“What? Oh, no.” Leah’s back was to Hannah as she stood in front of the window with an unobstructed view of the ocean. “The cottage is fine. It’s Matt.” She paused for what felt like an eternity but Hannah bit her tongue and waited. “He wouldn’t tell me where he went last night after he left me here and now he’s gone again. I can’t face the vigil tonight by myself. And . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“And what, Leah?” Hannah prompted.
“Everyone will be whispering that Matt killed Gavin Abbott. Oh, I know how people are,” she added quickly when Hannah tried to object. “They’ll keep their voices low and will assume I can’t hear them, but I’ll see the quick glances and notice the sudden silences when I’m nearby. It’s what I’ve had to endure ever since Sally disappeared. Everyone has a theory, of course, and they all think Matt is to blame.” She turned to face Hannah. Tears leaked from the edge of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand.
“Do you think Matt did kill Gavin Abbott?”
Leah’s eyes blinked rapidly as if that might stop the floodgates. “I don’t think anymore. My mind is numb.”
Hannah took Leah’s arm, helping her to sit. She faced her with their knees almost touching. “Can I ask you a question?”
Leah nodded.
“What happened between Gavin and Matt? Not last night at the restaurant, but in the past?”
Leah let out a long sigh. “A long time ago, before Matt and I got married, Gavin dated Matt’s sister. Something happened. There was some kind of financial settlement and she left town. He never shared the details.”
Was that the story Sean referred to last night, Hannah wondered.
“Gavin also left town and, to be completely honest, I wish he never came back to Hooks Harbor.”
Hannah felt her heart lurch. Was Gavin in the wrong place at the wrong time last night? Or was he involved with Sally’s disappearance and someone planned his murder? “But Sally took a job at the restaurant. Did she know the history?”
Leah shook her head. “Matt would never talk about his sister. Ever. As far as I know, he’s never heard from her in all these years. But he never forgot about her.” She stared into Hannah’s eyes. “He almost lost it when Sally took the job working for Gavin. It was all I could do to keep him from confronting Gavin then.” She flicked her hand. “I told him Sally was old enough to make her own decisions. I didn’t really believe it myself but I had to try anything to convince Matt to stay away from Gavin. Besides, forbidding her to work at The Chowder House would only push her farther away from us. Gavin agreed but maybe he was only biding his time.”
The office door opened. “Just who I’m looking for,” Deputy Pam Larson said in a not particularly friendly tone.
Hannah stood up and placed herself between Leah and Pam.
Pam pushed Hannah aside. “No. I’m not looking for you, believe it or not. I’d like a word with Mrs. White. And Mr. White if he’s here, too?”
Hannah glanced at Leah. Her body was rigid in the chair. Her hands were clasped together so tightly, her knuckles drained of color.
“Well?” Pam said, her eyebrows raised in question.
Leah straightened. “Matt isn’t here,” her voice squeaked a response.
“Where is he?” Pam demanded.
Leah shrugged. “He left this morning.”
“What about last night? After you two left The Chowder House?”
“We came here.” Hannah knew it wasn’t the complete answer but, technically, Leah did answer Pam’s question.
“Is that so? I have a witness that says they saw your husband in his car behind The Chowder House. Before Gavin Abbott’s body was found.”
Leah gasped. Her hand covered her mouth. “He left me here. I don’t know where he went.”
Pam checked her notebook, flipped some pages, and jotted down some new information. “When he comes back, tell him to see me at the police station.” Pam handed a card to Leah. “It’s in his best interested to come in voluntarily.”
“What are you insinuating, Pam?” Hannah blurted out.
“I’m not insinuating anything, Ms. Holiday. I work with facts, and be thankful we didn’t find your prints on the murder weapon.”
“Matt’s fingerprints were on the murder weapon?” Leah asked in one exhale of words.
“I didn’t say that, either. Please,” Pam softened her tone slightly, “ask him to come talk to me.”
“Aunt Hannah! Where’s Nellie?” The excited voice of Hannah’s six-year-old niece interrupted the adults as she ran into the office.
Jack entered right behind Olivia. “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t know we were interrupting something. Good morning, Pam. How’s Chef Belair holding up in jail? Are you sure you have the right guy?”
Pam shot death rays at her father. “I’m on my way out,” Pam said. She brushed past her father without another word.
Nellie bolted from her dog bed in the corner of the office at the sound of Olivia’s voice. Her tail smacked one side of her body, then the other. The two—dog and girl—were obviously best buddies.
“Cal said I get to play here with Nellie until he takes me to his boat for dinner. After he’s done working at my house.”
And just as quick as a click of her fingers, Olivia’s innocence dispersed the heavy mood hanging in Hannah’s office. Leah White even managed a small smile as she watched Olivia’s enthusiastic dog hug and Nellie’s happy little girl face lick.
“Come on, Nellie, let’s look for shells in the sand.”
“Only as far as the bottom of the porch,” Jack reminded Olivia. “I need to be able to see you at all times.”
“Thanks, Jack.” Hannah kissed his wrinkled cheek. “Meg will be happy to have Ruby helping out today.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jack rubbed his cheek with his shoulder. “Shoo now. Go get something important done.”
Leah walked out and headed in the direction of Cottage Two.
Hannah lingered with Jack. “Chef Belair is their suspect? Thanks for letting that tidbit drop.”
“Not a big deal. Everyone probably knows by now. They can’t keep him without real evidence.”
“What about Samantha? Do you think—”
“I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is a definite, no,” Jack interrupted.
“But Jack. Samantha was alone in the kitchen at The Chowder House, well, apparently not alone, but she went in first. When I went in with her, that’s when we found Gavin dead in the freezer. How can you be so positive she didn’t stab Gavin?”
“For one, Hannah, I would have been splattered with blood,” Samantha said.
Hannah spun around. “I didn’t hear you.” Her face burned with embarrassment.
“Obviously. Listen, my dear, why didn’t you ask me to my face? That’s the best way to get information, you know.” She waved her arm expansively. “Of course, you approach the subject from some side road, but if you watch body language plus listen to the words, you’ll learn a lot.” She brushed off imaginary dust before she settled in the office chair. “For example, your face is telling me you feel like a complete idiot and you’ll probably offer to buy me breakfast as some kind of apology.” One side of Samantha’s lips curled into a grin.
Jack laughed.
Hannah picked up her sling bag. “Let’s go. You’ve got plenty to teach me.”
“I’m just messing
with you. I already had a delicious breakfast—stuffed French toast with a mountain of strawberries.” She smacked her lips. “Now, I could use a walk on the beach.” She stood in the doorway. “Coming?”
Hannah checked the time. “Sure, a half hour walk would do me good. You’re all set here, Jack?”
“I certainly am. I’ve got my helper outside.”
“Yeah, don’t let her wander off.”
Samantha looped her arm through Hannah’s. “Not too fast, my legs aren’t as long as yours. Or as young.”
“Something tells me that if push comes to shove, you’d manage to talk down, glare down—”
“Or shoot down.” Samantha patted her left side and whispered, “I have a concealed carry permit. And I’m not afraid to use this. You know, if push comes to shove.”
They walked in silence for several minutes. Hannah mulled over this person, Samantha Featherstone, also known as Sam Stone. She held more intrigue in that silver hair covered head than anyone Hannah knew.
“Tell me about your conversation with our mealy little friend, Sean Payne,” Samantha said, breaking into Hannah’s thoughts.
“How do you know about that? You left in Mini May before Sean was even out of bed.”
Samantha tapped her finger on her head. “I know stuff.” She laughed. “And it helps that Meg told me you and our Mr. Payne had your heads together over a cup of coffee.” She stopped walking. “What does your friend who lives on a boat think about that?”
Hannah harrumphed. “He’s the one who abandoned me with Mr. Payne this morning. He’s got no one to blame but himself when Mr. Payne sweeps me off my feet.” Hannah couldn’t maintain even the pretense of a serious face.
They both burst out laughing.
“Yeah, right.” Samantha chortled. “No competition betwixt,” she held up her right hand, “Mr. tall, suntanned, and handsome or,” she held up her left hand, “Mr. well, pain in the patootie.”
More laughing ensued while they continued their walk along the part of the beach where the sand was wet and hard packed from the never-ending crashing of waves.
“We were interrupted before Sean told me anything,” Hannah said. “Leah White asked to talk to me in private.”