by Lyndsey Cole
“Do you worry that someone might follow you?”
Meg put her hands on her hips. “Hannah, spit out what you really want to say. Quit beating around the bush. Why all these questions?”
Hannah faced Meg. “I wasn’t planning to tell you . . . someone knows she’s alive . . . and where she’s staying.”
“Who?” Meg’s eyes bore right through Hannah, forcing her to look away again.
“That stranger, Nate Allen.”
Meg gasped. “How do you know?”
“He told me. Well, threatened to expose the secret if I don’t help him find the missing money.”
Meg sank onto one of Hannah’s kitchen chairs. “That’s not good. Do you know what would happen to old Doc Pratchet who signed her death certificate? And Pam? She’d probably get fired, maybe end up in jail. What is the penalty for faking your own death?”
“I haven’t done it in a while so I really don’t know.” Hannah tried to lighten the tension in the air with a joke. It didn’t help.
Meg pushed herself upright. “We’ll go to Jack’s house and figure out what to do. He’ll have an idea, I’m sure.”
This hadn’t gone the way Hannah imagined. She planned to keep this huge bit of information to herself for as long as possible but Meg saw right through her questions. Lesson to Hannah: keep your mouth shut if you want to keep something to yourself. She opened the door for Meg.
Meg paused before she walked out. “When were you planning to tell us about this? It affects more than you, Hannah. Jack, Pam, and myself all have a stake in this. You weren’t even around when Caroline faked her death. You’re the beneficiary by inheriting her business and property.”
“I know. I thought I was doing everyone a favor. But I just found out myself.”
“Harrumph. This is serious. Pam needs to know, too. As a matter of fact, it might motivate her to pick up Nate Allen and charge him with something. Once Caroline is safely moved, no one will believe him anyway.”
“Unless he shared the information with someone to protect himself. You know—open this letter if I get arrested, or something like that.” Patches and Nellie dashed through the open door. They didn’t have plans to be left out of an adventure.
Meg was already halfway down the path to the parking lot by the time Hannah had the door closed and locked. It was obvious that Meg was on a mission. Hannah jogged to catch up and she matched her pace to Meg’s long strides. They walked to Jack’s house in a tense silence.
Screeching and yipping met Hannah’s ears when she opened Jack’s front door. Olivia chased Maisy around the couch but the small Moodle was clever and took a short cut, jumping up and over instead of going around every time. Olivia scrambled to keep up.
“Jack?” Hannah yelled, trying to make her voice heard above the ruckus.
“In the kitchen. Don’t mind my guests, they’re having a great time.”
Jack stood at the kitchen sink, his arms up to his elbows in soapy water. “We made cinnamon toast for a snack along with the hot chocolate.” He drained the sink, wiped his hands, and turned around. “What do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
Hannah sat on one of Jack’s kitchen chairs and Meg leaned on the doorframe.
Jack’s eyes moved between Hannah and Meg. “Uh-oh, something is up. I can see disaster written all over your grim expressions.”
“Nate Allen somehow discovered that Caroline is alive . . . and he knows where she’s staying,” Hannah told Jack. “He’s using this secret to blackmail me into helping him find the money Al stole ten years ago.”
Jack slumped onto a third chair next to Meg. “I better call Pam. She has the most to lose.”
Seventeen
Hannah took Olivia and the dogs outside so Jack could talk to Pam without any little ears hearing the conversation. They walked across the street, down the path through the boulders, and to the beach.
Maisy ran circles around Nellie. Patches plodded along with Hannah. Olivia dashed and squealed with delight as seagulls flew off and the waves tried to catch her feet.
“The water is cold, Olivia,” Hannah warned. “Try not to get your shoes wet.”
Olivia sat in the sand and pulled off her sneakers. “I’ll go barefoot like you, Aunt Hannah.”
Great. Ruby would kill her for letting Olivia go barefoot in November. But . . . as long as she didn’t get sick, it wouldn’t matter. Hannah didn’t believe that cold feet would bring on a cold, anyway. Her theory was that it made you stronger.
Hannah sat in the sand and watched the activity. She wiggled her toes until they were buried.
Her mind raced with questions. How would she find this missing money, if it even still existed? Would she simply turn it over to Nate with the hope that he’d disappear from Hooks Harbor, and her life? Could she trust anything he told her?
With Jack calling Pam, Hannah had to decide how much to tell her from her conversations with Nate. Maybe knowing that he had come back to find Al and get the missing money would help Pam keep pressure on Nate and keep him away from Hannah.
“Look at this, Aunt Hannah.” Olivia plopped down on the sand next to Hannah. She held a piece of green sea glass in her hand. “Another treasure for the treasure box Cal made for me. Isn’t it pretty?”
Hannah took the glass from Olivia’s hand, rubbed it between her fingers, and wished it could grant her a wish. “It is. Is that box full yet?”
“No. Sometimes I take something old out to make room for something new.” Olivia sprang to her feet and ran back toward the water’s edge.
Olivia’s comment gave Hannah an idea—replacing old for new. Rochelle had mentioned to Mack about moving money. Maybe an old hiding spot for a new one? But where?
A shadow made Hannah turn around. “Hi Ruby. How was shopping?”
Ruby took the spot where Olivia had been. “So much easier by myself. No, Mommy, can I have this or Mommy, buy that for me.” She laughed. “Who ever knew that going to the grocery store could be so relaxing? I suppose you don’t get it since you don’t have any kids.”
“True. I’ve missed out on that treat so far.” She looked at her sister.
Ruby’s eyes opened wide. “So far? Is there something I should know about?”
Hannah laughed. “Nope. Nothing new in the romance or parenting department.” She dug her toes deeper in the sand. “I don’t know where Cal and I are headed. Sometimes I get the impression he’s chaffing at the bit for a big adventure. Like Hooks Harbor is holding him back from his life mission.”
“And you’re settled here for the long haul,” Ruby added.
“That’s right, and I’d never want to be the reason he gave up on a dream.”
Ruby patted Hannah’s leg. “It will sort itself out. Cal’s a great guy, you should let him know how you feel.”
“What do you mean? Tell him I don’t want him to leave?”
“If that’s how you feel. Let him know. He’s crazy about you, everyone can see it but you. If he doesn’t think you feel the same way, he might make a decision you’d both regret.”
Hannah scrunched her lips to the side. This wasn’t exactly what she wanted to think about at the moment so she shoved it to the back of her thoughts. “How about that ice cream?”
Ruby snickered. “Nice diverting from your personal life. Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to Cal, but promise me you’ll think about what I said. I don’t want you to come crying on my shoulder if he decides to take a trip around the world. Without you.”
Hannah nodded and stood. She brushed the sand off the seat of her pants. Would Cal do that? Up and leave?
Ruby called Olivia and they all headed back to Jack’s house. With Pam’s car in Jack’s driveway, all thoughts of Cal left Hannah’s brain.
“I don’t want to get in the middle of whatever Pam is here for,” Ruby said. “I’ll take Olivia home. Come over whenever you want to.”
Ruby, Olivia, and Maisy walked toward their house. Olivia held her mom’s hand, swinging
it back and forth. Ruby looked down at Olivia’s face and nodded. A sweet trio, Hannah thought before she entered Jack’s house.
Jack had a pot of his strong coffee on the kitchen table with one empty mug in front of the one empty chair.
“Have a seat, Hannah,” Pam said. “Jack tells me there’s a problem.”
Silence fell over the table as Hannah felt three pairs of eyes on her. She cleared her throat. “Nate Allen knows that Great Aunt Caroline is alive and living in Meg’s brother’s cottage.”
Pam let out a loud puff of air. “I suppose this was bound to happen at some point. I did some research into the consequences of faking your own death.”
“I never thought of researching it.” Hannah leaned forward. “What did you find?”
“Surprisingly, in and of itself, it’s not illegal. Of course, some people choose that route so they can collect on life insurance or some other illegal reason. As far as I can tell, Caroline didn’t do anything illegal, yet. She left her property to you, Hannah, which could become a problem. However, you weren’t involved in the cover-up and since she doesn’t want it back, lawyers could straighten out any problems. The rest of her money was in a joint account with Jack so that’s not a problem, either. She’s living her life out of everyone’s eyes except the four of us.”
“And Doc Pratchet,” Meg added. “Don’t forget that he signed her death certificate.”
Pam waved her hand dismissively. “He’s retired and enjoying his last years in Florida. He knew what he was getting into and insisted he didn’t care at all about any possible consequences.”
Hannah relaxed her shoulders. “Okay, so Nate doesn’t have much to hold over me.”
Pam pushed her chair back and stood. “Oh, don’t be so sure of that. He’s up to something, and I guarantee you that it’s not baking cookies and planning a party. For some reason he’s got his sights on you, Hannah. If he can’t get to you through Caroline, he’ll try something else.”
“Before we move away from the topic of Caroline,” Jack said, “don’t we need to warn her? And consider moving her to another location? Unless, of course, she doesn’t care about this guy knowing where she is.” He chuckled. “Who wants to put money on Caroline staying put?”
Meg nodded in agreement. “She’s a tough old bird. She loves that view and she won’t let anyone intimidate her into running scared and hiding.”
Great, Hannah thought. Now she’d be worrying and feeling responsible for Caroline’s safety on top of everything else. Cal was a sitting duck at the horse barn apartment. Joey was meeting with Nate and expecting him to help invest the hidden money. Once he found it. Rochelle and Mack were in Nate’s crosshair as Al’s alibi. And Nate expected Hannah to sift through the old stories to find the stolen five hundred thousand dollars.
“Hannah?” Meg touched Hannah’s arm. “Did you hear what Jack said?”
“I guess I didn’t.”
“He wants to bring the pie to Caroline. Are you coming?”
“I’m driving,” Jack added.
Hannah grinned. “Well, in that case, I’m definitely coming with you. Maybe between the three of us we can talk some sense into her.”
“Don’t count on it,” Pam said. “Let me know how it goes. I have a date with Nate after lunch. If he shows up.”
Hannah grabbed the wicker pie basket and followed Meg and Jack to his car. From the back seat she said, “Caroline’s going to dig her feet in and stay put, isn’t she?”
“Probably. I wouldn’t be surprised if she invited Nate over for tea.”
“Wonderful,” Hannah said, her voice full of sarcasm.
Jack turned into the secluded cottage spot. Hannah wondered how Nate had ever discovered the location.
When they entered the cottage, Caroline sat with her legs folded next to her body, covered by a warm wool blanket and with Fred curled next to her. She smiled when they all walked in.
“Oh my. Something must be up with all of you coming. Don’t tell me that someone has discovered my secret.”
Jack shook his head. “Are you a mind reader now?”
Caroline set her book down. “Really, Jack, did you think this day would never come?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I did think that.”
“And I always thought you were the pessimistic one,” Caroline teased. “Let’s not talk about whatever bad news you have just yet. Hannah, what’s in your basket? I hope it’s what I’m craving.”
Hannah set the basket on the small table. “Are you craving a roasted turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and lettuce?” She tried to hide the teasing tone from her voice.
“Nope. I already ate my sandwich. I’m ready for a piece of that apple raspberry pie you promised to make. Since Jack is here, too, I kind of put two and two together.” Caroline lowered her head and looked at Hannah over the rim of her glasses. “Please don’t disappoint me.”
Meg got four plates and forks from the cupboard in the kitchen. “Remember not to be too hard on Hannah when you taste her creation. She followed your recipe, after all.”
“It’s the crust that makes or breaks a pie. Who made that?” Caroline asked with an impish grin on her face.
Hannah laughed. “The pressure is on you, Meg.”
Meg didn’t laugh as she cut the pie.
The first piece went to Caroline, then Jack. They both waited for Hannah and Meg to sit with their pieces. Caroline cut into the flaky crust and slipped a small bite into her mouth. She closed her eyes and smiled.
Hannah let out her breath. “Does it pass the Caroline Taste Test?”
“Oh, yes. I couldn’t have done better myself, dear. You now hold the official blue ribbon for apple raspberry pie.”
“What about me?” Meg’s indignant voice rang out. “I made the crust.”
“It’s a tad tough. You best keep practicing.” Caroline kept her expression serious.
Meg’s mouth dropped and her eyes popped wide.
“Oh, Meg. I’m only kidding. You’ve done me proud with your crust. It’s perfect.”
Jack snickered behind his hand.
“And you.” Caroline pointed her finger at Jack. “You get the blue ribbon for requesting this delectable treat and delivering it in person.” Caroline focused her attention back to the pie until it was devoured. “Okay.” She patted her mouth with a cotton hankie. “That was delicious, but now it’s time to tell me what you all really came here for.”
Meg and Jack looked at Hannah, waiting for her to take the lead. She felt a trickle of sweat slide down her side. “Nate Allen knows you are alive and that you’re living here.” She hated letting the words hit Caroline’s ears but it was only fair that she knew her predicament.
She flicked her delicate wrist. “Is that all? We can surely devise a plan to deal with Mr. Allen. Let’s put our heads together and outsmart that criminal.”
Eighteen
Hannah and Meg made quick work cleaning up the dirty dishes.
“This was a mistake getting Caroline involved,” Meg whispered to Hannah. “She’s exposed now and could be a target but she acts as if it’s nothing more serious than a dropped fork at Thanksgiving dinner. Doesn’t she understand the danger?”
“Of course she does, and her actions are saying that she couldn’t care less. If she can help, she will. It’s as simple as that. Isn’t that what she’s always done?”
“I suppose you’re right. But I don’t like it.” Meg slid the clean, dry dishes in the cupboard.
Jack’s and Caroline’s voices drifted into the small kitchen. They gabbed away and laughed, as if there wasn’t a care in the world.
Carrying a fresh pot of tea, Meg and Hannah joined Jack and Caroline.
Caroline stroked Fred with one hand. “Here’s what we’ll do.” Her clear blue eyes moved from person to person, pausing for several seconds before she continued. “Nothing.”
“What?” Jack blurted out.
“You heard me right, Jack. What do you think th
is guy will do? Kill me? He doesn’t want attention brought to himself, he’s only trying to rattle Hannah. He wants to uncover that money and he’ll try any tactic.”
“Including murder?” Hannah asked. “Do you think Nate murdered Al?”
Caroline gazed out her window that faced a sparkling ocean view. “Probably not, unless it was in self-defense. Remember, he served ten years because Al didn’t get caught. I think he wanted to make Al’s life miserable, keep him wondering what might happen, but more than anything, Nate wants that money.”
“So, just do nothing about protecting your secret? Give Nate this power?” Hannah asked.
“It’s only power if I care, and I don’t; and it’s only power until he reveals the secret. So, let’s say he tells someone,” Caroline shrugged. “Then what will he use to brow beat you?”
Hannah scratched her head. “I’d hate to play poker opposite you. And I’m a good poker player.”
Caroline laughed. “Don’t forget that we are related, Hannah, and you seem to have inherited all my best qualities—your beautiful long brown hair,” Caroline touched her now white braid, “your ability to make the most delicious apple raspberry pie, and your unflappable demeanor under pressure.” She focused her stare at Hannah over the rim of her glasses, a habit of hers when she really wanted to make a point. “Don’t forget that last quality, it will be your ace in the hole in this current situation.”
Caroline leaned her head back. “Are we done? Because I’m tired. I’d like to take a nap now.”
Jack and Meg said their goodbyes and walked toward the door.
Hannah hung back so she had some privacy with Caroline. She hugged her great aunt and whispered, “Thank you. You always know what to say to keep me on track.”
Caroline patted Hannah’s back. “You are too hard on yourself sometimes, Hannah. Try to listen to your instincts; they will serve you well.”
“Hey, look at this,” Meg stood in the open door, craning her neck toward the sea. “Doesn’t that look like Nate Allen out there?”
Hannah rushed to the door.
