by Lyndsey Cole
“Not bad but I’m glad to be back.” He winked and walked away, pausing at the door so Hannah got a good look at his trim back side.
Not bad, she said to herself. She was glad Cal was back, too.
Butter sizzled in her cast iron pan and Cal dropped the bread in, cut out a hole for the egg, and moved the hole to the side as Hannah leaned against the counter and watched him work.
“There was some drama Saturday at the Paradise Inn. Did you hear about it?” she asked as casually as possible.
Cal’s eyebrows shot up as he flipped the bread over and cracked an egg into each bread hole. “Drama? When I fish I avoid the news.”
“Oh. A swimsuit model, Monique Monroe, drowned in the pool.”
“And? I’ve got a sinking feeling that there’s more to this story. A lot more.”
Hannah settled onto one of the chairs at her small kitchen table. “Ruby’s friend, Juliette, is up to her eyeballs as a suspect.”
“And?” The expression on Cal’s face let Hannah know that he didn’t like where this conversation was headed.
“Ruby and Juliette expect me to help get her out of the mess. And protect her dog from her almost-ex-husband, who I think could be the murderer.”
Hannah saw Cal’s shoulders rise and lower with a big intake of air. He didn’t say anything. At first. “You can say no, Hannah. You can say this is a matter for the police.” He slid the eggs onto a plate.
“Two of the suspects are renting one of the cottages—Harold, Juliette’s almost-ex and his other model, Gwen. Plus, the victim’s friend, Vanessa, is here, too, so I plan to keep my distance but also keep an eye on any interactions. Who knows, someone might say or do something that helps to find the killer. I can let Pam know if I see something.”
Cal lifted his eyes to look directly at Hannah. An edge crept into his voice. “Or someone might do something, like kill again. What makes you think that there isn’t more at stake than what meets the eye?”
Hannah popped one of the fried bread holes into her mouth. Partly to avoid answering immediately and partly because the crispy circle was actually her favorite part of an egg in a hole. She swallowed and tapped the end of her fork on the table. “Here’s the thing, Cal. I can at least ask a few questions, you know, as the interested business owner. I’m a good listener, and the model, Gwen, loves to run her mouth. Vanessa, the victim’s friend, might have some insight into Harold’s behavior since she’s been following Monique around through these photoshoots and Monique fancied herself to be Harold’s girlfriend.”
“I know you won’t be able to ignore what seems to have landed on your doorstep, but, please, Hannah.” Cal’s eyes pleaded with her. “Be extra careful. A killer is on the loose and will not want you or anyone else to figure out what he or she did. And, you said that Juliette is up to her eyeballs as a suspect. Don’t let her friendship with your sister sway your judgement.”
And her dog, Maisy, Hannah thought. Maisy was in the middle of a mess which was no fault of hers. “Juliette is a woman scorned. She had a fight with the victim and she was near the scene of the crime. I know all that and will be careful, but the others have motives and no alibis so far.”
Cal reached across the table with his fork and stole the other fried bread circle. “You’re letting my hard work get cold.”
Hannah tried to grab the fork but Cal was too fast and he popped the bread in his mouth.
“Hey, that’s the best part!”
“You’d better get busy on the rest of that breakfast or I’ll take care of it, too. I’m starting to feel kind of hungry.”
“Get another plate. I’ll share.” Hannah relaxed at the change of conversation and tenseness in the room. Cal said what he felt he had to get off his chest and then moved on, which was fine with Hannah.
Cal put a plate close to Hannah’s. She slid the second egg in a hole onto his plate. “You’ll have to come down to The Fishy Dish with me to sample Meg’s latest creations.”
“Oh? You only shared so you could leave room for something better?” Cal put on a pouty, hurt face. “Or are you really trying to let me know that my cooking isn’t up to your standards?”
“No, I shared so I wouldn’t have to stab your hand if you tried to steal more of my breakfast.” She smiled. “Thanks for being my sounding board and helping me keep an open mind.”
“Fair enough.” He finished the egg in a hole in about three bites. “What is Meg creating now?”
“You’ll have to wait and see. But I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.” Hannah cleaned the two plates and silverware. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
“I’ll wait on the porch with the dogs,” Cal said.
Hannah found her comfy plaid Bermuda shorts and her I’d rather be a Mermaid t-shirt. She ran her comb through her hair and slipped her feet into her flip-flops on her way out the door.
Cal sat comfortably with his long tanned legs resting on the porch railing. Nellie sat on one side with her head on his lap and Patches lay at the top of the steps. “I’m thinking,” Cal said as Hannah stopped next to him, “since there’s no stopping you from doing some snooping, I’d like to help.”
“Really?” The shock to Hannah’s system forced her to grab hold of the doorframe.
“Yeah, really. I’m a good listener and I might be able to get that model to loosen her tongue if I invite her to my boat for a drink. What do you think about that idea?” Cal looked up at Hannah, his face a study of innocence.
“It’s a great idea. I’ll bring her over.” Hannah kept her face serious as she called out what she assumed was Cal’s bluff to make her jealous.
“Ah…it might go better if you aren’t there, actually.”
Hannah shook her head. “I don’t agree. After what happened to Monique, any sensible girl wouldn’t go alone to a boat with someone she doesn’t know.” Hannah was impressed with her quick thinking of what actually sounded like a practical argument. “You know, the whole water thing? Monique drowned in a pool and your boat is sitting on a much bigger body of water. I’ll bring the pizza to go with the beer.”
“She might say no anyway.” Cal stuttered through a lame excuse. He pushed himself out of his chair.
Hannah laughed. “You were only trying to make me jealous, weren’t you? Well, I actually think it’s a great idea if Gwen agrees to go. After I saw how she tried to tip toe to the office to avoid getting sand in her open toed sandals, she’ll probably jump at any excuse to leave the cottage. She’s definitely not a nature type of girl.”
“I don’t know about you, Hannah Holiday. You read my plan like a smelly piece of old fish and turned it into a tasty chowder.” He stood and draped his arm over her shoulders. “You weren’t even a tiny bit jealous?”
“For about a half second. Gwen is so not your type.”
“And you are?” He turned his head to get a look at Hannah’s face.
Hannah smiled and put her arm around his waist. “Uh-huh.”
Chapter 13
Meg was bent over, sliding a tray from the oven when Hannah and Cal walked into The Fishy Dish kitchen.
“Somethin’ smells fishy in here.” Cal twitched his nose like Petunia when she got a whiff of ripe apples.
Meg spun around. “What are you talking about? You should be smelling something sweet not fishy.” A few stray tendrils of hair framed her angry eyes. “I haven’t started the chowder yet.”
“That’s exactly what I meant. Fishy, as in no fish smell in this Fishy Dish kitchen.” Cal raised his eyebrows and waited for Meg to laugh. She didn’t. “Sorry, it was supposed to be a joke.”
Hannah shook her head. “Ignore him, Meg. I think his brain is scrambled from too much time at sea. All he has this morning are some lame jokes.” Hannah inhaled near Meg’s tray of yummies. “Whatever you just removed from the oven is making my mouth water with anticipation. Something knew?”
“I’m working on perfecting my grandmother’s lemon square recipe and I think I’ve nail
ed it. Go ahead and let me know what you think.” Meg lifted the parchment paper with the lemon squares onto a plate and sliced the big square into sixteen pieces.
“I’m going to let that cool for a few minutes. I want to enjoy your baking without a burnt tongue.” Hannah helped herself to coffee and offered a cup to Cal. “Any activity from the guests yet this morning?”
“I saw that new guy, the photographer, walking on the beach back and forth with his phone to his ear. It must have been important from the way he waved his free hand around.” Meg put a lemon square on two different plates.
Cal picked his up and nibbled a corner. “Ouch! Still hot.”
“Has Gwen ventured out of the cottage yet?” Hannah asked, ignoring Cal’s impatience.
A scream outside made all three jerk their heads toward the deck overlooking the ocean.
“What the heck?” Meg asked as she wiped her hands on her apron.
Cal was already halfway to the front of The Fishy Dish by the time Hannah heard his deep laugh. She looked around him to see a sight that was new but familiar.
Gwen stood frozen in place as Petunia grunted and snorted at her sandaled feet. The potbelly pig had an attraction to feet. Gwen’s unnaturally tanned face had turned a shade of dirty ocean foam and her open mouth let out another shriek. “Is this pig going to eat my toes?”
“Only if they are smothered with nail polish,” Hannah said with the straightest face she could manage.
Gwen’s face changed from dirty foam to white seagull in color. Fortunately for her, Petunia lost interest in Gwen’s toes and trotted through the snack bar toward the kitchen door.
“Oh no you don’t,” Meg said as she barricaded the kitchen door with her body. “You need to go to the back door like the dogs do.”
Hannah helped Gwen move to one of the bar stools before her shaky legs dropped her tiny butt in the sand. “Harold told me I could find coffee down here. Do pigs roam free around this place?”
“Only this pig. You saw her yesterday at the photoshoot. That’s Petunia and she’s harmless.”
“Unless she takes a liking to my nail polish?” Gwen’s eyes were still as round as the sun climbing in the sky but her face had regained a bit of color.
“I was only teasing. Stay right where you are and I’ll get you some coffee.” Hannah disappeared into the kitchen where Cal and Meg were bent over double trying to control their laughing.
“How did Petunia know to make such a grand entrance at that moment?” Meg snorted through her laughter.
“Did you see her face?” Cal whispered. “I was afraid she was about to wet herself.”
“Are you talking about Gwen or Petunia?” Meg asked.
Cal and Meg doubled over again, clutching their sides and laughing.
“Poor Petunia,” Hannah said. “That shrieking would frighten any creature. See if you can find her a treat before I have to round her up and get her back to Ruby’s house.”
Hannah fixed a tray with coffee, cream, sugar, and a lemon square. “Any bets if this pencil-thin woman will eat the lemon square?”
“She will,” Meg said. “Most don’t stay thin by not eating, if you get my drift. Besides, if she doesn’t eat it, I’ll send Petunia back out there.”
“I’ll be sure to mention that for extra motivation.” Hannah used her hip to push through the door.
Gwen still sat at the counter, her feet balanced his high as possible on the stool’s rung. “There you are. I was going to try to make a mad dash back to the cottage and call for someone to deliver coffee to me.”
“We aren’t in the city so that’s not an option.”
Gwen hugged her arms around herself. “I can’t believe Harold thought this was a good idea.”
Hannah set the tray in front of Gwen and made herself comfortable on the stool next to her. “What’s not a good idea?”
“This whole swimsuit photoshoot here in this rinky-dink town. He could have set it up anywhere, but no, he had to come here.”
Hannah tried to hide her anger at the insult to Hooks Harbor being a rinky-dink town. That was one of the main attractions as far as she was concerned. And, she didn’t correct Gwen about Harold setting up the photoshoot since Juliette had done that. Why Hooks Harbor, Hannah wondered.
Gwen poured about two drops of cream in her coffee, picked up the sugar but sighed and put it back down. “What’s that?” She pointed to the lemon square.
“A complimentary lemon square. Try it. My baker said that if you don’t, she’ll send Petunia back out.”
Gwen quickly picked up the lemon square and popped the whole thing in her mouth. Her eyes widened, closed, and a long sigh escaped through her lips. “Oh. My. Goodness. This is the best thing I’ve tasted for weeks.” She licked off the tips of her fingers. “Don’t tell Harold I gave in to a moment of weakness. He doesn’t allow his models to eat anything much while we’re working.”
Hannah touched Gwen’s arm in a gesture of friendship. “You’re kidding. He tells you what to eat?”
“Not so much with words, but he gets the message across loud and clear with his expressions.”
Hannah recalled Monique’s order of a fish sandwich with no mayo or bread and her nervous laugh. “Do you like working for him?”
Gwen’s hand flapped back and forth. “Well.” She lowered her voice to barely above a whisper and peeked over her shoulder as if she suspected someone was eavesdropping. “Now that Monique is, um, out of the picture, I’m hoping Harold will help me move my career to the next level.” She tapped her long red nails on the counter. “Or, I wouldn’t mind being his girlfriend. There’s lots of perks with that.”
Like ending up at the bottom of a pool, Hannah thought as the image of Monique’s body flashed through her brain. “So, Gwen, what do you think happened to Monique?”
“Seriously? That gold digging wife of his probably pushed her in, wiped her hands, and put on a worried face. We all saw how she attacked Monique after the dog incident. There was hatred in her eyes. And,” Gwen checked behind her again, “Monique is the reason that marriage went down the drain. I’d want revenge if I was Juliette. Heck, she did me a favor. Harold’s fair game now.”
“You do realize how bad that sounds, don’t you?” Hannah asked.
“I never pretended to like Monique. Why should I care if Juliette pushed her in the pool?” Gwen sipped her coffee.
“And you told all that to the police yesterday?”
“Of course. Why?”
Was she just plain dumb or brilliant? “The comments give you a motive. Do you have an alibi?”
Gwen blinked several times. “I didn’t kill Monique. I was on break having a cigarette.”
“Were you with anyone?”
She tilted her head in thought. “No, I guess I wasn’t. Harold said I could take a break while he finished setting up. So I stood outside for a few minutes.”
“The door close to the pool?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes popped. “You think the police think that I followed Monique and pushed her in the pool?”
“It sure sounds like a possibility at the moment,” Hannah informed her.
Gwen slid off the stool. “That guy at the Inn might have seen me when I was on my break. He more or less stalked me while I was there.” She mumbled to herself as she walked away. “Calvin? Coolidge? What was his name? Colin! I’ll find him and tell him to give me an alibi.”
Hannah shook her head as she watched Gwen converse with herself. Was she for real? Deputy Pam Larson must have had a field day while she questioned her.
Gwen left the snack bar and checked around the outside area before scooting as quickly as possible toward her cottage.
Hannah sensed someone behind her. “That was interesting.”
“How so?” Cal asked. He held an extra-large piece of Meg’s lemon square and offered a bite to Hannah.
“Gwen basically bragged about how great it is that Monique is, ‘out of the picture,’ her words. And I think s
he’s going to work on an employee at the Paradise Inn to give her an alibi.” She bit off a corner of the pastry. “Oh my. This is so delicious.” She tried for a second bite but Cal pulled it out of her reach at the last moment before he laughed and let her have more.
“Does Gwen have any sense at all?” Cal asked. “Drumming up an alibi out of thin air is bound to backfire.” He finished what was left of the lemon square.
“I don’t know. She either has no sense or she’s playing the dumb card for all it’s worth.” Hannah picked up the plate and cup that Gwen left on the counter.
“I’m going to rake the sand around the tables. Meg said to stop back in the kitchen before you get sidetracked with anything else. I’ll be around for an hour or so if you have anything else you need help with.” Cal wiggled his eyebrows. “Maybe we could rendezvous in your cottage?”
“Keep dreaming, Romeo.” Hannah laughed and pushed her way through the kitchen door. Cal was one of the first people she met after she moved to Hooks Harbor and their friendship had blossomed into something special. Really special.
Meg had her pastries cut and arranged on a platter for guests and customers when Hannah walked back into the kitchen. Her clam chowder simmered on the stove and she was busy chopping a mountain of potatoes for her hand cut fries that were in huge demand.
“You haven’t done anything about Jack yet. Caroline expects you to find out what’s going on with him. Why he’s avoiding her.”
“I’ve been thinking about it. Now that I’m paying more attention, he does seem to be more tired than normal. Do you think there’s some medical thing going on?”
“Heck if I know. I’ve known Jack for a long time but he never admits to any weakness to me. Maybe Pam would know.” Meg pushed her cut potatoes into ice water to keep them fresh.
“I don’t even dare ask her because if she doesn’t know, she’ll barge in and confront Jack and guess who will be on the short end of that stick?”
“Right. You. I guess you’ll have to use your sleuthing tricks to figure it out.”
