by Lyndsey Cole
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Samantha spun around on the stool she was perched on.
“Let’s give them a few minutes to enjoy the food. You keep an eye on any activity at her cottage while I help Meg clean up here,” Hannah said.
“Sure, I’ll wait right here with one of those delicious lobster rolls and just put it on my cottage bill, my dear.” Samantha winked at Hannah.
“When do you want to have the meeting with Chef Belair?” Meg asked Hannah after Samantha was busy eating and watching.
“Later this afternoon? Check with Jerry and maybe we could meet at the dock.”
“Let’s have him come here. Wouldn’t that give us the upper hand?” Meg suggested.
Hannah sprayed all the stainless steel surfaces and wiped them clean of the splattered grease. “I don’t care; just let me know when and where.” She wiped her hands on a towel. “You all set? I have to check on one of my guests.”
Meg nodded and flicked her wrist. “Go on. Get out of my way.”
Samantha mopped up every last lobster morsel from her paper plate with the tip of her finger. “Can’t let any of that go to waste.” She crunched up the plate and tossed everything in the trashcan. “Ready?”
Hannah smiled when she saw Olivia playing in the sand outside the office steps. Nellie sat like a statue guarding the little girl. Jack sat in a chair on the porch with his feet on the railing, his head back and his eyes half closed. “Perfect spot for me to follow the doctor’s order and take it easy.”
Hannah raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, Doctor Olivia. She’s got quite a future.”
Samantha squatted next to Olivia. “What are you making today?”
“A hospital.” She looked at Samantha. “In case Jack gets sick again. He won’t have to wait for the ambulance because the hospital will be right here.”
Samantha chuckled and rubbed Olivia’s head. “Good thinking.”
“I saw your guest brought food back to her cottage. Something going on there?” Jack asked.
“Maybe. Who have you seen going inside today?” Hannah asked.
“Only Leah White. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of her husband. There’s something off with that guy if you ask me.”
Hannah considered Jack’s words. “Maybe I should go by myself,” she said to Samantha. “You can stay here and play in the sand with Olivia.”
Hannah didn’t wait for a reply; her mind was already wondering what she’d find behind the door of Cottage Two. If anything. The walk there seemed longer than usual, as she was anxious to find out what was going on.
She knocked; and waited
She jiggled her foot in anticipation.
The door cracked open and terrified eyes peeked through the narrow opening.
“Leah? Could I come in for a minute?”
“Are you alone? Is Matt around?”
Hannah checked the parking lot. “No. I haven’t seen him. What’s wrong?” She felt her heart rate quicken in response to Leah’s nervousness.
Leah pulled the door open enough for Hannah to squeeze inside.
Sally sat huddled on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her head was cradled on her knees. A half-eaten lobster roll was on the floor next to her.
Hannah’s heart pounded.
“What’s wrong?”
“Sally called me to pick her up.” Leah sobbed. “Ever since we got here, she hasn’t said a word.”
Chapter 19
Hannah let herself slide down the wall next to Sally. “How did the lobster roll taste? You didn’t finish. Maybe you’d like something else?”
“It was okay,” Sally mumbled without raising her head. “Do you have any fries? And maybe a soda?”
Hannah took the same position as Sally and turned her head toward the scared girl. “I can certainly fix you up with fries. How about a cold, tangy lemonade to go with them?”
“Okay.”
Hannah stood up, called Meg, put the order in, and told her she would be there shortly to pick it up. It was painfully obvious that Sally couldn’t handle any other people coming inside the cottage.
Leah stood at the window, back a few feet but close enough to get a wide view. Her head swung side to side.
“I’ll walk back to the snack bar and get your food.” Hannah left the mother and daughter alone, hoping that they would talk to each other before she returned.
What happened to that poor girl, Hannah wondered as she walked along the sandy path. Did she hear something? See something? Whatever it was, she wouldn’t be able to hold it in forever.
Meg already had the hot fries in a paper cone with plenty of her homemade ketchup. Hannah grabbed a cold lemonade, changed her mind and decided to take one for Leah, too, and headed back toward Cottage Two. As she approached Olivia and Samantha playing in the sand, she decided to give Nellie a job.
“Come on girl. I want you to meet someone.”
Nellie sat like a sentinel over Olivia and refused to budge. Olivia hugged the golden colored dog and whispered in her ear. She looked up at Hannah. “I told her I’d be okay here with Samantha and Jack and she could go with you, Hannah.”
“Thanks, Olivia.” Hannah didn’t miss the questioning look from Samantha but she kept her mouth shut. For once.
Nellie followed alongside Hannah as they approached Cottage Two. Hannah rested her hand on Nellie’s soft-as-silk head. “Let’s see if you can work your magic with Sally. She’s desperate for a friend right about now.”
Leah must have been watching through the window because she had the door open as soon as Hannah arrived.
With one hand holding the bag of fries, she patted her side with her other hand for Nellie to follow her into the cottage.
Hannah handed the bag to Sally. She inhaled deeply and plunged her hand inside the bag.
Nellie, with her dog sense able to zero in on someone needing comfort, lay down next to Sally and rested her head on the teen’s leg. The edge of Sally’s mouth twitched slightly as she stroked Nellie’s fur. “Who are you?” she asked as if she actually expected Nellie to answer.
“That’s Nellie, dog extraordinaire. She’s the best listener, and lately she’s added exceptional guard dog to her list of talents.”
“That’s what I need,” Sally mumbled. She leaned close to Nellie’s ear. “Will you protect me?”
Hannah looked at Leah and raised her eyebrows. She wondered what that was about. Who did Sally need protection from? Leah shrugged. They both remained silent and barely breathing, hoping that Sally would spill her guts to the watchful golden retriever.
After she munched on more French fries and shared some with Nellie, Sally began to talk. Haltingly and quietly.
“I shouldn’t have gone there, Nellie. But that’s where Jan said to meet her. I wish I could erase what I saw, especially . . .” Her voice tapered off, lost in her sobs.
Hannah’s blood rain cold.
The color drained from Leah’s face.
Tears streamed down Sally’s cheeks. She didn’t even bother to wipe them away. Nellie licked her wet cheeks and nuzzled her hand. Sally’s arms wrapped around Nellie’s golden furry neck.
Leah squeezed in next to Sally on the floor. She gently stoked her daughter’s hair. “What did you see, honey. Tell us. Let us help you.”
Sally looked at her mother. “It was Dad. I saw Dad.”
“Where, honey? Where did you see Dad?” Leah asked, her voice soft and gentle.
“Coming out of the back of the restaurant. It wasn’t till later that I heard Gavin Abbott was murdered. Did Dad kill him?”
Hannah’s mind raced. Where was Matt? And the way Leah acted so nervous left plenty of room for questions. Did she suspect Matt had something to do with Gavin’s murder? He certainly had a strong motive that festered for years. He was there at the restaurant. There must have been plenty of knives in the kitchen to grab for an easy weapon.
“Think back, Sally. Te
ll us everything you saw,” Hannah suggested calmly.
“Okay.” Her hand never stopped moving over Nellie’s fur. “Jan texted me to meet her behind the restaurant. She said she had a reporter friend that was going to help us.”
“Help you do what, exactly?” Leah asked.
“Mom, I couldn’t stand that Dad refused to talk to his sister. It just wasn’t right. When Jan reached out to me, it sounded like a good plan at the time. She told me to run away. She would find me, bring me back, and Dad would have to forgive her.”
If life’s problems were only that simple and easy to solve, Hannah thought.
“Except your dad’s sister died over a year ago, Sally. You didn’t know that. This woman claiming to be your Aunt Jan was using you.”
Sally buried her face in her hands. “I got suspicious of her. She didn’t know any of the stories from when Dad and Jan were little. I asked her about the story when she broke her arm when she was a kid, really just making conversation, but she looked at me like I had two heads.”
“And that’s when you called your mom’s phone?” Hannah asked.
Sally nodded. “Everything turned into a disaster. Jan wasn’t who she was supposed to be. Gavin was dead. And Dad . . .” She fell apart before she could finish her sentence.
Leah cradled Sally’s face in her hands. “Did you see anyone else when you were waiting for Jan?”
“Yeah. Chef Belair left the restaurant and talked to the wholesale fish guy.”
“Jerry Sewall,” Hannah filled in. “Jerry said Gavin called for a last minute order.”
“Anyway,” Sally continued, “I stayed behind the dumpster figuring Jan wouldn’t show up with so much going on.”
“But she did?” Hannah asked.
“Yes, and we cut through someone’s yard to avoid all the people on the street, got in her car, and she drove me to a small house in the middle of nowhere.”
Footsteps clumping on the cottage porch made everyone freeze.
Except Nellie. She charged the door, ears forward, barking like mad.
Several loud knocks only got Nellie more riled up. “Leah White? I need to talk to you.”
“It’s Deputy Pam Larson,” Hannah told Leah. “You have to talk to her; let her know that Sally is safe.”
“But is she? What if she saw the murderer? She could be in danger.”
Hannah couldn’t help but notice that Leah didn’t mention her husband’s name but only said the murderer.
Sally stood up and quickly wiped the wetness from her cheeks. “I’ll talk to her. Now that I’ve told the two of you, it will be easier to face the police. It was stupid what I did and I don’t want to hide anymore.”
Hannah was impressed with Sally’s composure even if she had no clue what mess she faced. Maybe not knowing made it easier.
Leah opened the door.
Pam didn’t wait for an invitation inside. She glared at Hannah as she passed her. “You’re in on this, too, Ms. Holiday?”
“In on what? I’m only trying—”
Pam held her hand up, cutting Hannah’s words off like a bad haircut. Her gaze bore into Sally. “Sally White I assume?”
Sally nodded. Her earlier composure sagged as fast as a punctured balloon.
“What kind of game are you playing? And you?” Pam pointed at Leah, her voice harsh and loud. “When were you planning to let us know Sally was safe and not dead in some ditch on the side of the road? Do you know how many people are searching for her?”
“Listen, Pam.” Hannah put her arm around Sally’s shoulders. “She wasn’t able to talk. She needed some food, some time, some comfort. Yes, she’s safe but she’s scared.”
Pam’s jaw clenched. “Who wants to explain what’s going on?”
“I will,” Sally said. “It’s my mess.”
“Something we can agree on. First, how about you start with why you were in the kitchen of The Chowder House at the time of Gavin Abbott’s murder?”
Leah gasped.
Hannah squeezed Sally’s shoulders tighter.
“I . . . I wanted to ask him what he and my father talked about.” She didn’t look at her mother or at Hannah. “The kitchen was deserted.”
“I’m moving this conversation to the police station. Sally and Leah White, you both need to come with me.”
“But—”
“But what, Ms. Holiday? This has nothing to do with you unless you want to explain why you’ve been hiding Sally White here in one of your cottages?” Pam stood with her hands on her hips. “No comment? I’ll deal with you at a later date.”
Pam took hold of Sally’s arm and led her from the cottage. More roughly than needed, Hannah thought.
Leah followed, heavy-footed and biting her lip.
Nellie looked at Hannah, waiting for instructions on how to help. Hannah patted her side. “You did all you could for now, Nellie. Sally has to face the music by herself. But maybe we can get some more information in the meantime.”
Hannah returned to her office. Jack and Samantha both fired questions at her simultaneously.
“What happened? When did Sally show up? Why did Pam take Leah and Sally?”
Hannah held up her hands. She glanced at Olivia who had stopped building her sand hospital to stare at the three grownups with a worried expression.
“How about we go see if your mom has some time to take you for an ice cream?” Hannah held her hand out for Olivia.
Olivia’s concern flipped to joy and she was too busy jumping up and down and clapping to bother with the offered hand. “Are we all going?”
“Not this time. I have to catch up on some work.”
They all walked to The Fishy Dish. A few customers were lounging at the outside tables, enjoying an afternoon meal along with the sunshine and ocean view.
Olivia saw Ruby and sprinted to her. “Mommy! Hannah said you’d take me for an ice cream.”
Ruby looked over Olivia’s head at her sister. “She did, did she? Well, I suppose Meg could live without me helping here while I take a short break.” Besides her spoken words, she sent Hannah an unspoken look, wondering what the heck was going on.
Samantha took Olivia’s hand. “I’ll drive you both. Come with me to my car. Did you know I named it Mini May?”
And just like that, Samantha distracted Olivia so Hannah had a minute to explain to Ruby and Meg about Sally and the latest update about what Sally saw at the restaurant.
“You’re kidding! She thinks her own father killed Gavin?” Meg shook her head. “The good news is, I have a meeting with Chef Belair. He thinks I want his expert opinion on how to improve my clam chowder. Right.” She rolled her eyes. “As if I’d ask him. Someone who single handedly shut down Gavin’s restaurant because his fried fish platter was so bad.”
“Here.” Hannah stuffed some money in Ruby’s pocket. “My treat for the ice cream. It’s the first thing I could come up with when Olivia heard all the questions about Pam taking Leah and Sally to the police station. She was worried and I needed a distraction.”
“As long as it’s not a regular promise. I try to keep ice cream for emergencies only,” Ruby explained.
Hannah nodded. “This was an emergency in my opinion.”
The blue Mini Cooper with a black racing stripe left the parking lot just as a dark Honda Civic pulled in.
“What the heck?” Hannah stared. “I thought those two would be locked up by now.”
Sean and his imposter accomplice, Jan, approached the snack bar. Sean was all smiles. “You look positively as green as seaweed, Hannah. What’s wrong? Is your fried fish not agreeing with you?”
“To be perfectly honest, you’re not agreeing with me, Mr. Payne.”
“Now, now. Where did all that hostility come from?” Sean and Jan slid onto two stools at the counter. “How about, hmmm, let’s see,” he scanned the menu hanging above the snack bar kitchen, “a couple of fried fish platters to enjoy here in this gorgeous setting. I hope yours don’t have the same prob
lem that The Chowder House experienced. I did overhear some talk at the police station about further testing on those dinners.”
Hannah didn’t budge from her spot. “Why are you here?”
“Did you forget that I’ve got your cozy Cottage Four rented for one more night?”
“Okay, play cute. How come the two of you aren’t locked up for kidnapping Sally White?”
“Funny thing about that.” Sean flicked a crumb off the counter. “No one is pressing charges. Do you know why?” He stared at Hannah with his head cocked and a sneaky smile distorting his face.
Hannah shook her head and had a sinking feeling she wasn’t going to like his explanation.
“You see, Ms. Sally White went with Jan of her own free will. She wasn’t kidnapped and she was free to leave whenever she chose. The fact that she left through a window in the middle of the night looks dramatic but doesn’t mean a thing.” He raised his shoulders and flicked both wrists in a what-can-you-do-about-it gesture. “Try as hard as your Deputy Larson did, she couldn’t arrest us for lying to the gullible girl. Now, we’re hungry.” He clapped his hands and settled in for a meal. “Are the two fish platters about ready yet?”
Chapter 20
“Why do you think that piece of slime is still hanging around?” Hannah asked Meg as they worked together making the fried fish platters.
“He smells a story. That guy would sell his own mother if it meant he’d get a story out of it. He came here with a goal and the path changed but he’s still working toward his pathetic money-grubbing prize of a sleazy story.” Meg slapped a piece of perfectly golden fried haddock on a plate. “I’d love to sprinkle hot pepper or something like that on here but he’d even manage to turn that to his advantage.”
Hannah spread her hands apart as if she was unveiling a banner. She read her invisible headline to Meg. “Head cook at The Fishy Dish sprinkles cayenne pepper on customer’s fried fish. Accident costs owner Hannah Holiday tens of thousands of dollars in settlement.”
They both managed to burst out laughing at the thought even though it would most likely be the second worst-case scenario for a restaurant owner. Just behind someone dropping dead after eating at her establishment. The funny part was imagining Sean Payne-with–a-Y choking, clutching his throat, and begging for a cold drink after eating the scorching hot, spicy fish.