by Lyndsey Cole
Mia elbowed Annie. “I’m going to get some chicken, do you want one too? It’s Bob and Harry Crowley’s specialty. They only do it once a year on the third of July.”
“Of course.”
“They roped Martha into helping them this year. She made aprons for the twins to wear.”
“Oh yeah? I’ll have to check that out when I get a chance.”
Mia laughed. “Martha found material covered with roosters cock-a-doodle-doing. She said it matched Bob and Harry’s personality. She told her granddaughter to make sure and get a photo for the front page of the paper.”
Leona pushed her way into the conversation. “What’s that slimy Luke Carbone doing here? I’d hoped he’d be out of town by now.”
“The best I can figure out, Hazel is keeping him around for a story idea,” Annie explained.
A crease formed between Leona’s eyes. “What kind of story?”
“She writes murder mysteries. She told me she needs to find out how Robbie’s murder plays out so she can use the idea in the book she’s writing.”
“Seriously? What is wrong with her?”
Annie shrugged.
The band set up in the gazebo and started their concert. Annie relaxed into the background rhythm and reminded herself how lucky she was to be living in Catfish Cove with this holiday tradition of food, music and spectacular fireworks. Even with the extra drama of Robbie’s death, she loved Catfish Cove, especially in the summer.
“Hey. Can I get some ice cream over here?”
Annie swiveled her head to see a smiling Jason. She forced the corners of her mouth to stop twitching into a smile. “I’m still mad at you.”
“About that. I’m happy to spend all the time it takes to apologize.” He gave her his best sorry puppy dog eyes which made her lips twitch even more.
Annie held an apron out to Jason. “Help me in here, and when Mia gets back I’ll let you try to change my mind.” Her mouth finally won and she rewarded him with a smile.
Annie watched Jason scoop ice cream and talk to the customers. He had such an easy way about him it was impossible to stay angry.
A panicked voice interrupted Annie’s thoughts. “Zoe’s missing.”
Chapter 15
Hazel fidgeted as if she couldn’t figure out what to do with her body parts. “I made a mistake coming here. Zoe disappeared into thin air.”
Annie patted her arm. “Tell me exactly what happened. Maybe she wandered off with another dog.”
“Luke kept chattering my ear off about his ridiculous condo plans, and when he handed me some papers to read, I must have let go of Zoe’s leash.”
“Can you remember anyone hanging around where you were sitting?”
Hazel closed her eyes and stood perfectly still. “A teenage boy had been crouching down petting Zoe. He had dark, longish hair, a black t-shirt.” Hazel’s eyes opened but Annie decided she was still recalling the scene. “He had a nose ring. Gold.” She rubbed her own nose.
Jason silently nodded, indicating that he would stay at the ice cream booth. Annie’s fingers tightened on Hazel’s arm. “Come on.”
She walked through the crowd to the north side of the green which was the high point and gave a better view of all the activity. Scanning heads, nothing unusual jumped to her attention and she admitted that it would be hard to see Zoe. “Let’s circle around the outside.”
The head of a dark haired boy caught Annie’s attention. He lounged against a tree. As Annie moved closer, she recognized him as the boy that Bree ran off with and Zoe lay on the ground by his feet, happily chewing on something.
“Stay here,” she told Hazel.
Annie and Roxy approached the boy. “Nice dog.” Zoe leaped up at the familiar voice, jumping on Annie and Roxy. “Where’d she come from?” Annie asked the nervous teenager.
The boy shifted from one foot to the other, obviously not prepared for the question. “What’s it to you?” he mumbled.
Annie pointed to Tyler who was standing about twenty feet away talking to a group of people. “See that police officer over there?”
The boy nodded.
“He’s a very good friend of mine. As a matter of fact, we were engaged at one time.” She paused to let the impact of that information sink in. “How about I ask him to come over and chat with you about this dog?”
“Some guy said it was a practical joke,” he blurted out.
“What guy?”
“I don’t know. He was dressed kind of fancy and he gave me twenty dollars to take the dog and give her a marrow bone. I wasn’t going to keep her. Here.” He pulled a twenty dollar bill from his pocket and stuffed it into Annie’s hand along with Zoe’s leash. “Apologize to the lady for me.”
He tried to hurry away but Annie grabbed his arm. “Apologize yourself.” She wasn’t going to let this punk get away that easily. Maybe if he had to look Hazel in the eye, he’d understand the full weight of what he had done.
Annie pulled him to Hazel. The boy kicked his toe in the grass. Annie elbowed him in the side.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
“Sorry for what?” Annie demanded.
Finally, he looked at Hazel. “Sorry for taking your dog. I didn’t mean any harm.”
Annie released his arm and he disappeared like a puff of smoke. “Someone dressed in fancy clothes paid him twenty dollars to take Zoe.” Annie handed the twenty to Hazel.
They both looked toward the bench where Hazel had been sitting with Luke Carbone. He was nowhere in sight.
“Do you think it was Luke?” Hazel whispered.
“I don’t know for sure, but that would be my guess.”
As Annie kept her eyes on Hazel, she saw her mouth turn down into a frown. Following Hazel’s focus, Annie saw Jillian laughing with Peter Hayworth.
They both had the same odd crooked smile.
“Does she know?” Annie asked Hazel.
Hazel quickly turned back toward Annie. “What are you talking about?”
Annie moved her eyes from Hazel to Jillian. “Jillian and Peter.”
“Is it that obvious?”
Yes, she thought, but replied, “Probably not to everyone.” Most people weren’t searching for clues to Robbie’s death.
“Once Robbie figured out Peter was Jillian’s father, he wanted revenge. He hated Peter. I think that was his motivation to sell the land.”
Annie steered Hazel back to the edge of the green, a quieter place to talk. “Robbie still needed you to sign the papers.”
“He was certain I would agree so I could have Jillian back in my life.” Her shoulders sagged.
Jillian put her arm around Hazel’s shoulders. “Mom, I’m surprised to see you here. You never come to these events.”
“I’m turning over a new leaf.” They walked off, arm in arm, with Zoe happily trotting next to Hazel.
Annie felt the presence of someone next to her.
“I saw you watching us. You figured it out, didn’t you?”
“I did. When did Robbie figure it out?” Annie asked Peter.
Peter chewed on his lower lip. “I’m not sure. My guess is right around when he started looking for a buyer for his land. I had made him offers over the years and he knew I was dead set against having that good farmland developed. And condos? That made my blood boil.”
There was a lot of anger hidden beneath Peter’s easy going manner, Annie realized. Enough to make him a killer? Probably, if the opportunity was presented.
“I didn’t kill Robbie,” Peter said, as if he had read Annie’s thoughts.
Maybe yes, maybe no. He was in the house that day. “What do you think Hazel will do with the land now?”
His eyes softened. “She’ll keep it for Jillian.”
“You would like having Jillian living next door.” Annie didn’t ask this as a question, but made a logical statement. “No condos and your daughter nearby, a win-win for you.”
Peter cleared his throat. “I know what you’re thinking, Anni
e, and I don’t like it. Why don’t you let the police do the investigating before you discover something you don’t want to know?”
“Are you threatening me, Peter?”
He stared at her for several long seconds before walking away.
Peter’s true colors were revealed when he had to deal with a conflict. Annie filed those comments away.
“Hey, what happened to Hazel and Zoe?” Jason rested his arm on Annie’s shoulder.
“Jillian found them.”
Jason turned Annie to face him. “Something’s on your mind. Spit it out.”
Bits and pieces of conversation floated through her mind but nothing fit together into a neat, tidy package. Yet. She smiled at Jason. “I’m starving. Is there delicious barbequed chicken waiting for me?”
“Sorry, I ate it.” He took her hand. “I’ll get you some hot chicken, fresh off the grill.”
Jason and Annie waited in line for Bob and Harry Crowley’s world famous barbequed chicken. Maybe not world famous, but Catfish Cove famous at least. With their colorful aprons on and Martha bossing them around, the trio made an entertaining show.
“Those chicken legs are burning!” Martha scolded.
“No they aren’t. We’ve been doing this for fifty years. Watch out,” one of the twins cautioned as he stepped around Martha.
Martha put her hands on her ample hips. “Do you want my help or not?”
“Not really,” they both chimed in at the same time.
Martha stared with her mouth hanging open. She tore off her apron and stomped away from the grill. “I never,” she muttered under her breath.
Annie nudged Jason and they both giggled behind their hands. “She had steam coming out of her ears. Those twins will regret treating Martha like that.”
“Two grilled chickens please,” Jason said to Harry Crowley who stared in disbelief at Martha’s retreating figure.
“What just happened?” he said, mostly to himself, while he handed two plates to Jason.
“Maybe you should go and apologize,” Jason suggested.
As if that thought never occurred to Harry, he turned his gaze to Jason and nodded. Without a word to his brother, he dashed after Martha.
“She’s going to tell him a thing or two,” Annie said as she and Jason walked away from the grilling area. “Let’s find a spot to sit and eat this delicious chicken before they light the bonfire.”
The green overlooked Heron Lake and every year on the third of July, the fire department constructed a huge bonfire in the sand at the edge of the lake. Kids of all ages danced around with red, white and blue paraphernalia, star shaped glasses, sparklers, and outrageous costumes.
Jason spread a blanket away from the biggest crowds and they settled down comfortably together.
“What’s the secret ingredient in the chicken marinade?” Annie asked between bites. “Maybe Martha can bribe it out of Harry in exchange for getting back in his good graces.”
They finished the chicken, down to every finger licking drip, seconds before the bonfire lit up the sky. Oohs and ahhs filled the air.
Annie scanned the crowd, enjoying all the happiness until her eyes settled on two figures exposed by the bonfire. Luke and Peter’s son, Kirk, stood in what had been the shadows, seriously discussing something and completely ignoring the excitement all around them.
Chapter 16
The sun promised to be bright and hot when it peaked over the mountain early Saturday morning. Annie stretched under her cool cotton sheet and smiled at the memory of Jason’s company the previous night.
Until she heard a soft thunk in her living room.
Roxy growled and rushed into the other room. Annie’s heart raced, but not with fear this time. It was more from a shot of adrenalin mixed with anger that some cowardly person kept sending her anonymous messages inside of books.
Picking the book off the floor, she was shocked to see it was a book written by Summer Spring. Inside, the message said, Annie, you’re getting closer. Don’t give up.
Was it Hazel sending her these messages? Or did someone want her to think it was Hazel?
“Come on Roxy, we need a walk.”
Slipping quickly into comfy shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops, Annie grabbed her camera and quietly left her apartment with Roxy. At this early hour, she hoped she would have the Lake Trail to herself. Roxy ran ahead, sniffing the scents from all the overnight visitors.
Annie walked with a purpose, stopping occasionally to take photos. Having her camera in front of her eye helped her tune out the rest of the world so she missed the sound of jogging footsteps coming closer until a voice spooked her.
“You’re an early bird.”
Annie felt her hands tighten on her camera. “Yes, in the hopes of having the trail to myself,” she answered brusquely.
Luke put his hand on her shoulder and she tensed. Was he the one to slip the book through her cat door as he jogged by her apartment? Hazel had a stack of books in her kitchen, anyone could have taken one.
“Hazel seems to like you. Can you help me talk some sense into her?”
Annie finally lowered her camera and turned to face him. “Why would I do that?”
“Well, for one, she’d make a ton of money and condos would be good for Catfish Cove. More people would mean more money flowing into local businesses. I like it here and would like to make it my home.”
Annie smiled but inside she told herself Luke was the last person she wanted to move to Catfish Cove. His fancy car and fancy shoes didn’t fit in at all. Although, she did admit to herself, he looked casually decent in his jogging clothes. She shook that thought from her head.
“Tell me, Luke, what did you and Robbie Benson discuss the morning before he was murdered?” Yes, she said murdered, hoping it would shock Luke enough to tell her something useful.
His jaw clenched. “Fair enough. I’m asking for your help so I’ll answer your question. I got to his house mid to late morning. He had promised to sign the papers to sell me his land, but when I found him in his living room, he was acting odd.”
“Odd?”
“He didn’t make much sense when he talked to me, like he was confused. I was angry and left.”
“Did you see Hazel?”
“No. She always avoided me. I depended completely on Robbie to get her to sign the papers.”
“Did you see anyone?”
Luke gazed out over the lake. “It’s beautiful here. Were you up early enough to see the sunrise?”
Annie nodded, keeping quiet to give him time to tell the rest of the story. She knew he had more to share if he wanted to, even though she wasn’t positive she believed his version of events.
“I did see someone else. Two someones, as a matter of fact.”
Annie felt herself flinch. She hadn’t seen that coming.
“When I drove out, I checked my rear view mirror and Peter Hayworth was lurking by the side of the house with a young woman. She looked to be twentyish, attractive, with a long braid over one shoulder.”
“Jillian,” Annie blurted out before she could stop herself. “Are you positive?”
“Yes. Peter headed toward the house but the woman stayed by the side of the house. Who’s Jillian?”
“Hazel’s daughter.” Annie touched Luke’s arm. “Thank you for the information. I have to get to work.”
“Wait. Will you help me?”
“I’ll let you know. I have some things to figure out first.”
By the time Annie and Roxy were back in front of Cobblestone Cottage, mouthwatering aromas seeped from Jason’s window and she bolted through his door.
“That’s a graceful entrance.” Jason grinned as Annie leaned on his counter to catch her breath.
“I had an interesting chat with Luke Carbone.”
Jason raised one eyebrow as he folded his omelet. “How about I share my delicious pepper and cheese omelet with you while you fill me in on your conversation with the enemy.”
He took ano
ther plate from the cupboard, sliced his spatula through the omelet and slid half on a plate for Annie and half for himself, handing her both plates to carry to the table. Jason brought toast, coffee and orange juice.
“Okay. Eat first?” He laughed when he realized Annie’s fork was already in her mouth.
After she wolfed down about half of the food, Annie set her fork on the plate. “I found another book with a message on my floor this morning.”
“Never a dull moment in your life, is there? Are you going to keep me in suspense, or share the words of wisdom?”
“This one said, Annie, you’re getting closer, don’t give up.” Her shoulders did a little forward roll. “Closer to what? I get the feeling all the messages are just a wild goose chase. And—”
“There’s more?” Jason interrupted.
“And, the message was written in a book by Summer Spring.”
“Who? What kind of name is that?”
“It’s Hazel’s penname.”
Jason put his fork down. “Do you think Hazel left you all these messages?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
He chuckled. “You’re right, it has to be one or the other. What about your chat with Luke Carbone, your favorite tourist in Catfish Cove? Did he share anything of significance with you?” Jason’s eyes twinkled with amusement.
“Luke said Robbie was confused and talking nonsense when he was at the house on Wednesday morning. And,” she paused, “he saw two people lurking by the side of the house when he drove out.”
Jason leaned forward. “That’s something. Another suspect?”
“It was Jillian with Peter.”
Jason rested his chin on his left hand and let that information sink in. “What does it all mean?”
Annie gobbled down the rest of her omelet, then pushed herself up from the table. “I don’t know, but someone knows what happened and I think Hazel knows more than she has told me.”
“Where are you going?”
“To the café. Leona’s going to eat me alive for being so late. I’m only working through the morning because Roxy and I are in the pet parade at noon along with Karen and a bunch of the shelter dogs. Want to help us?” Annie leveled her best pleading eyes on Jason until he had to laugh at her pathetic attempt to make him feel guilty.