by Lyndsey Cole
Hannah turned around and looked at Laura in the backseat. “Photos?”
“Yeah. Here, take a look.” She handed her phone to Hannah.
Hannah scanned through Laura’s photos of the capsized boat, something floating in the water, Rocky digging holes, and even Hannah climbing through the bathroom window. Some tabloid would blow the photos up and have a field day with them. Great, Hannah groaned. Her butt might end up on the front page of some daily rag. “Did you show these to the police?” Hannah asked Laura.
“Of course not! Sherry told me to keep them secret if I want to make some money off them.” Sherry grabbed the phone back.
Rocky tried to pull into the Pub and Pool Hall parking lot. It was still packed. He had to back up and park on the side of the road leading to the pub. Hannah craned her neck around. Where were Pam and Cal, she wondered. Didn’t they follow Rocky? She really was hoping for some reinforcements, especially once Rocky found out that she hadn’t actually talked to Pearl. Well, with all these people around, at least Hannah felt safer.
“Let’s go, Doll Face. Almost time to pull out that winning raffle ticket. I can feel it. I know I’ve got the winner.” Rocky pumped his fist in the air for emphasis.
“Not so fast, big guy,” Laura said. “I’ve got the winner. Me and Sherry went in on a lot of tickets together.”
“Oh yeah? Where are your tickets?” Rocky asked, his fingers twitching with anticipation.
Laura held up her canvas tote covered with bright red lobsters but Sherry tried to pull it away. “Don’t show him, you fool.”
Too late. Rocky reached for the bag but Laura spun away from him. Sherry grabbed it from Laura and ran toward the pub, clutching the precious bag under her arm. Rocky chased after Sherry, catching her and one strap of the tote that hung down. They each pulled but the stitching on the cloth bag couldn’t handle the stress. Raffle tickets fluttered around Rocky’s and Sherry’s feet. Laura screeched, “All my tickets.”
Ruby, Pam, and Cal caught up with Hannah as she leaned on Rocky’s car. “Where’d the rest of your gang disappear to in such a hurry?” Pam asked.
Hannah pointed to the three stooges just outside the pub door, shoving each other as they tried to scoop up the scattered raffle tickets. “Serves them right,” Hannah said.
A red Mazda Miata with the top down streaked out of the parking lot. “I wonder where Pearl’s going in such a hurry,” Hannah said.
“She won’t get far. I have a roadblock set up to get her for kidnapping Ruby and Olivia,” Pam said.
“What about murder?” Hannah asked.
“Maybe that, too. But if it’s not her, I’m keeping an eye on those others.” Pam took long strides toward the pub.
Suddenly, Hannah grabbed Ruby’s arm. “Where’s Olivia?”
“Jack took her to his house. She was ready for some food and a nap. I wanted to make sure you were all right.” Ruby wrapped her arms around Hannah and squeezed her until she gasped. “Thanks for putting your life on the line for us. I don’t think Rocky was planning to hurt us, but I wasn’t sure about Pearl. She’s crazy.”
Chapter 22
The sound of sirens filled Hannah’s ears like it was music.
“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about Pearl. The police must have that crazy, purple-haired lady in handcuffs.” Hannah’s stomach growled. She pulled out the gift basket from the front seat of Rocky’s car and held it in the air. “Anyone want a snack?”
Cal’s eyes lit up. “Sure, what have you got in there?”
Hannah tipped the basket over onto the hood of Rocky’s car. “I don’t think Laura will mind. Her husband said it was a bunch of stale stuff from Sherry.”
Ruby pushed the pile of snacks around and sorted them—chocolate candy, sugary fruity candy, peppermints, and various packages of crackers. Absentmindedly, she opened a bag of chocolate candies and popped a handful in her mouth. She stuffed a couple more bags in her pocket. “For Olivia,” she explained.
“Sure,” Hannah teased. “I know you and your chocolate addiction.”
“And what about your peanut butter obsession?” Ruby responded as she pushed several packages of peanut butter crackers into Hannah’s pocket.
“Leave some for me,” Cal said. He took something from each pile. “I like it all.”
The country music that had been blaring through the outside speakers suddenly went quiet. Cal pushed both Hannah and Ruby away from the junk food. “We’d better get inside. It’s almost time for the drawing.”
“If nothing else, I hope we raised a lot of money for the library,” Hannah said on their way inside.
“And, here she is, Hannah Holiday.” Michael’s voice raised above all the chatter in the pub. “Our own keeper of the buried treasure map. Will you do the honors?” Michael held up a huge clear jug stuffed full of the raffle tickets.
As Hannah moved through the crowd, Rocky quickly leaned toward her and whispered, “No funny stuff, Doll Face.”
Hannah shot him a glare and kept walking to the bar. Michael pointed to a stool for her to stand on so everyone could see what was happening. Hoots and hollers erupted from around the pub. “Most excitement in Hooks Harbor since Caroline accidentally, as she said, ran into Chase Fuller’s pride and joy with her little dinghy.” Someone else laughed. “Yeah, she put a hole right through the back and it sank so fast Chase had to swim to shore. Lucky for him, she didn’t run him over.” A group of locals laughed so hard Hannah thought they might spray their beer all over everyone standing near them.
“Okay, then.” Hannah tried to get the attention of the crowd back on the raffle tickets. She stuck her hand into the jug and stirred it around until she felt one ticket that she decided should be the winner. She pulled it out and held it over her head. “Is everyone ready?”
She paused before reading the number. “The winning ticket is 312268.”
From the back of the pub, one of the locals held his arm up. “I don’t believe it,” he yelled. “I’ve never won anything before.”
Hannah recognized Pete, Michael’s friend, who rescued them after Meg’s tire blew out. She smiled to herself, glad that one of the locals was the winner. And, someone big and bulky enough to intimidate Rocky if he got any crooked ideas about taking the map for himself.
Meg handed Hannah a slip of paper. Hannah held her hand up. “Don’t leave yet. Thank you all for helping raise twenty five hundred dollars for the Hooks Harbor Library. In addition to a generous one thousand dollar donation,” Hannah glanced quickly at Rocky’s scowling face, “the raffle raised an additional fifteen hundred dollars.”
Cal climbed up next to Hannah. “Don’t forget about the delicious food you all enjoyed here today. Hannah’s snack bar should be open for business as soon as the final inspection is done. Today was a tease for your taste buds. Make sure to stop by and see what else she’ll be serving.”
The floor was littered with discarded raffle tickets. The crowd got back to their conversations, pool playing, drinking, and eating.
Pete approached Hannah. He timidly gave her a big bear hug. She pulled the map from where it was still tucked under her shirt and the waist band of her jeans, chuckling that Rocky never even looked for it when he found her after she snuck through the bathroom window.
Pete refused to take the map from Hannah. “Nope. I don’t even want the map. I like the idea of a buried treasure. It’s much more exciting to wonder what it is. I bet Caroline buried a bunch of old shells or something like that anyway.”
Hannah was speechless. After all the drama, greed, and murder connected to the map, here was someone who couldn’t care less about it. She shook her head and squeezed Pete’s arm. “Maybe we’ll raffle it off again next year. I’m sure the library can always use donations.”
Hannah checked the time. She was tired. She scanned the room looking for Cal or someone to give her a ride back to her cottages.
“That was exciting,” Sherry said, sidling up next to Hannah. “And th
e best part? You still have the map. What a generous guy the winner is.” She stood quietly next to Hannah for a minute. “Are you looking for someone?”
Hannah sighed. “I am. Suddenly I’m exhausted and I need a ride back to my cottages.”
“I’m heading that way myself. I’d be happy to give you a ride.” Sherry smiled.
Hannah followed Sherry to her car. She wondered where Cal and Ruby disappeared to. Oh well, they’d figure out that she left. Sherry moved her backpack and another box from the passenger seat to the backseat to make room for Hannah. “There you go. Make yourself comfortable.”
Sherry chatted away as they drove. Hannah tuned out the words, responding with a yes or a nod at, what she hoped, were the appropriate places. She pulled out one of the packages of crackers and idly munched on them, wishing she had eaten more of Meg’s delicious food instead of this stale peanut butter cracker.
Hannah pointed. “Watch out for the pothole.”
Sherry swerved but it was too late and her little car jerked to one side as everything on her back seat slid to the floor. Hannah turned around to rescue Sherry’s things. The box had tipped over, spilling its contents behind Hannah’s seat.
Hannah reached back and the cracker wrapper slipped from her fingers, landing next to a set of knives. One was missing. Hannah’s heart flipped and flopped. Where had she seen them before?
“Oh dear,” Sherry said. “I’d better clean that mess up.” She pulled over to the side of the road. Hannah didn’t wipe the fear from her face quickly enough. Sherry looked at Hannah’s face, then at the items on the floor.
“Well, well, well. That wasn’t part of my plan,” Sherry said matter-of-factly, losing her chatty, friendly voice. She reached back and picked up one of the knives. “Now, what will I do?” She flicked her fingernail over the point of the knife blade. “Such a shame to waste another one of these.”
“You murdered Marco and Lenny? Why?”
“Oh, Hannah. You haven’t figured it out yet? No, of course you haven’t. You kept looking in the wrong direction. Pearl and her grandson gave you enough drama to make you suspect them, didn’t they?”
“You’ll never get away with it, Sherry.”
“Why not? A retired school teacher? Besides, I heard the police have Pearl in custody and she’ll probably blame her grandson to save her own skin. By the time anyone finds you, I’ll be long gone. Oh, that reminds me, hand over the map. After all, that is what this was all about.”
Hannah pulled the map from her pocket. “It’s a hoax. There isn’t a treasure.”
Sherry scowled. “What are you talking about?”
“The map. It was a scheme to get tourists to come to Hooks Harbor.” Hannah shrugged. “It worked. People came, spent their money at the local restaurants and other businesses. Turns out it was a treasure for the whole town.”
Sherry ripped the map from Hannah’s hand. “I don’t believe you. Marco and Lenny planned this for months.”
“How did you fit into the picture, Sherry?” Hannah was surprised at how calm her voice sounded to her own ears while her brain raced through every escape avenue she could think of.
“I convinced Lenny I would help him once Marco was out of the way. He wasn’t keen on me helping but he did need someone. I brought Lenny dry clothes and snacks after he made it to shore. He hid in the woods until the coast was clear and,” she shrugged her shoulders, “the rest is history. He was an easy target when he tried to sneak under your snack bar when he thought I was asleep.”
“Clever.”
“Yup. Now get out,” Sherry ordered as she stood by the driver’s side of the car. “My side of the car. Time to get this show on the road.” She kept the knife pointed at Hannah only inches away from her neck.
Hannah slowly slid by the steering wheel. She took the keys, thinking they might be useful as a weapon if Sherry let her guard down. Sherry backed up just enough to make room for Hannah to slide out the door. With the knife blade pressed against Hannah’s neck, Sherry grabbed Hannah’s arm and twisted it behind her back. “There, just in case you were thinking of taking off.”
Now Hannah was beginning to panic. Sherry’s grip was like an iron vice and the knife was beginning to dig deeper into her skin.
“Move. Into the woods.” Sherry pushed Hannah from behind.
Hannah planted her feet but Sherry poked the knife deeper into her neck. Hannah felt a sharp pain and a trickle of something warm ran down her neck and under her shirt.
She could hear a truck approaching. She had to stay in sight. Sherry poked her again and whispered in her ear. “Move, or I’ll push the knife all the way in right now.”
Hannah jabbed her free elbow around and connected with Sherry’s chest. She raked the keys across Sherry’s face. Sherry screamed and covered her face with her arms. The knife flew away into the road just as Pete’s truck, with Cal and Ruby crushed in the passenger seat, stopped next to them. Pete sprang into action. He pulled Sherry away from Hannah. Before Hannah could even turn around, Pete had Sherry on the ground with his knee on her back. It all happened in seconds.
Ruby had her arms around her sister, and Cal embraced them both.
Ruby sobbed. “When Meg told me she saw you leave with Sherry, I got a flashback of the peanut butter cracker wrappers.” She stared into Hannah’s eyes. “It was Sherry all along, wasn’t it? Clever-friendly-chatty-afraid-of-Petunia, Sherry.”
Hannah nodded.
Cal pulled the braid away from Hannah’s neck and stared at the blood. “What happened?”
“She held a knife to my neck to make me walk into the woods so she could finish me off. Pete got here just in time.”
Pam’s cruiser screeched to a stop in the middle of the road. “Nice work, Pete. I’ll take her from here.” She looked at Hannah and shook her head. “Was this part of your plan, too? I’m not sure I would have played it so close to the edge.”
Cal helped Hannah into the back seat of Pete’s truck. “Ready to go home?”
Hannah leaned her head on his shoulder. “Yes.”
Jack and Olivia were waiting for them to arrive. Olivia was beside herself with excitement. “Pearl left and didn’t take Petunia.” Her eyes were big and round. “I already told her she could stay here with Hannah and Nellie.”
Hannah smiled. “Of course she can.” After all, there was no way Petunia could take that cruise by herself since Pearl had reservations in jail now.
Chapter 23
Laura and Aaron stopped in to say goodbye. Laura couldn’t believe she had befriended a killer. “I guess that’s a good ending seeing as I didn’t win the treasure map,” she said to Aaron as they walked to their car. “My friends aren’t going to believe what happened on our honeymoon.”
Meg arrived with clam chowder, cole slaw, and lobster salad. “In case anyone is hungry,” she said as she covered Hannah’s table with food.
Finally, Hannah thought, delicious food and a chance to relax. Pearl and Rocky were locked up for kidnapping and Sherry wouldn’t be seeing the light of day for a long time.
She groaned when she heard a knock on her door.
Jack opened it. A man in a business suit holding a packet of papers said he was looking for Olivia Holiday.
Ruby and Hannah shared their look.
“Can I come in?” he asked politely.
Ruby nodded, Jack moved aside, and the man entered. “Olivia Holiday is the sole heir of Lenny DiMarco’s estate.”
Olivia was sitting on Ruby’s lap. “This is Olivia. I’m her mother, Ruby. I don’t understand what this is all about.”
The man handed Ruby a sheet of paper. She skimmed it. Caroline Holiday’s signature jumped off the page as the witness for the Last Will and Testament of Lenny DiMarco.
“I don’t believe this, Hannah.” Ruby waved the paper through the air. “This is the real treasure. Caroline found Lenny and made sure he did the right thing for his daughter.” Ruby looked at the man. “What will she get?”
/> “A lot. Here’s my card. Come to my office next week and I’ll show you everything. Lenny DiMarco was a very wealthy man.”
Hannah’s grin spread across her face. She looked at Ruby who sat with her arms around Olivia, her eyes blinking, and tears streaming down her cheeks.
The End
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A Note from Lyndsey
Thank you for reading my cozy mystery, Mobsters and Lobsters.
If you enjoyed this book in the Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series, be sure to join my FREE COZY MYSTERY BOOK CLUB! Be in the know for new releases, promotions, sales, and the possibility to receive advanced reader copies. Join the club here—http://LyndseyColeBooks.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lyndsey Cole lives in New England in a small rural town with her husband who puts up with all the characters in her head, her dog who hogs the couch, her cat who is the boss, and 3 chickens that would like to move into the house. She surrounds herself with gardens full of beautiful perennials. Sitting among the flowers with the scent of lilac, peonies, lily of the valley, or whatever is in bloom, stimulates her imagination about who will die next!
OTHER BOOKS BY LYNDSEY COLE
The Hooked & Cooked Series
Gunpowder Chowder
The Black Cat Café Series
BlueBuried Muffins
StrawBuried in Chocolate
BlackBuried Pie
Very Buried Cheesecake
RaspBuried Torte
PoisonBuried Punch
CranBuried Coffee Cake
The Lily Bloom Series
Begonias Mean Beware
Queen of Poison
Roses are Dead
Drowning in Dahlias
Hidden by the Hydrangeas
Christmas Tree Catastrophe