Catch of the Dead (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 5)

by Lyndsey Cole

  Rory worked with a focus that Hannah envied. Nothing distracted him while he worked. Not even his gorgeous girlfriend, Karla Vaughn, who stood with Jack and her grandmother.

  Jack introduced Hannah to Shelly and Karla. Hannah knew the two women from around town but had never formally met them.

  “Spectacular work,” Hannah said to Jack.

  “He has to win unless this competition is rigged.” Karla pulled her long hair into a pony tail to keep it from blowing in her face. “We’re planning to move to Boston with the prize money. Rory wants to set up a studio and sell his work to a gallery. I’ll waitress or something like that to pay the bills. Anything to get out of this town.”

  Shelly frowned at her granddaughter but remained quiet. Hannah suspected that Shelly wasn’t crazy about her granddaughter running after a sculptor with little money even if he had talent. But Hannah also knew it was easier to follow a dream when you were young and naïve. And, who knew, maybe it would work out for Rory. He had to try and let the chips fall where they may. But, it was also foolish to make extravagant plans with money that was not in their hand yet. Home boy or not, the judges would choose the best sand sculpture.

  Cal tugged gently on Hannah’s arm. “There’s another artist farther down that has quite a reputation. Let’s wander along and check him out.”

  As they walked along the water’s edge, Hannah’s eyes scanned the crowd for her parents. She’d rather see them first instead of having them surprise her.

  “This guy’s name is Moe Meyer,” Cal explained when they stopped in front of a stunning scene. “He’s from Florida and I heard he and Adele have a relationship of sorts.”

  Hannah’s eyebrows shot up. “Adele has a boyfriend? Now Moe’s got my attention. He has no idea what he’s in for with Adele.”

  The scene before them looked life-like. A shaggy-haired young man balanced on a surfboard on top of a big curling wave, all sculpted from sand. Hannah looked at the artist and saw the resemblance to the sand figure. The big difference was the real person had a cigarette hanging from his lips as he worked.

  Moe stopped carving for a second to flick his cigarette in the sand.

  “Hey, that’s littering,” Hannah said.

  Moe slowly turned to look at her. “The ocean will wash it away.”

  “You’re kidding, right? Pick it up.” Hannah glared at the jerk. “Here in Hooks Harbor, we take pride in keeping our beaches clean.”

  Moe rolled his eyes but he did bend over and pick up the butt, shoving it in the pocket of his cut-off denim shorts. “Any more rules I should know about?” His sarcastic tone was impossible to miss.

  Cal put his hand on Hannah’s arm. “The most important rule is to enjoy your visit,” he said before Hannah could throw out an insult.

  Moe laughed. “That’s my plan—enjoy my visit and win this competition. Your hometown boy doesn’t have a chance.”

  Hannah felt her blood boil but she clamped her jaw. No point in getting into an argument with him. Instead, she’d wait to congratulate him when he lost to Rory. She smiled at the thought of rubbing his loss in his face.

  They walked to the end of the sand sculptures before turning around and heading back toward the marina. Cal needed to stop at his boat for a shower and change of clothes before meeting Hannah at her new cottage for pizza and the sleepover.

  Hannah watched Cal disappear down the ramp to his boat and she knew she had to quit procrastinating. She had to find her parents before they barged in on her evening.

  With thoughts of Great Aunt Caroline’s letter about her father, she dug deep inside to find the strength she needed to face whatever agenda he might arrive with. Would he try to kill her with kindness or injure her with insults? He was a charmer with words and Hannah was thankful for the warning from Caroline. At least she knew to be prepared for something.

  “Hannah! We’ve been searching all over for you.” A familiar voice surrounded her.

  “Mom.” Hannah accepted the hug. The pressure of her mother’s arms gave her strength and she realized how much she had missed the comforting embrace. Joanna Holiday had always been the parent offering unconditional support even when Hannah faced conflicts with her father. Unfortunately, she couldn’t have one parent without the other.

  And the other was right behind Joanna. “Hannah. We’ve been wondering when you would show up to see Adele’s work. Isn’t it fabulous?” Luke Holiday didn’t offer a hug or even eye contact. His focus was one hundred percent engrossed with Adele and her sand sculpture.

  “Well, I’m here now. Your postcard didn’t arrive until today. I couldn’t just put my life on hold at the last minute.” Hannah didn’t hug her father. Why bother? Luke Holiday was already spouting about Adele this and Adele that, leaving Hannah on the back burner of his attention.

  “Oh yes, your life. So wrapped up with Caroline’s business. What a weight around your neck. She didn’t do you any favor, did she?” He finally looked at Hannah, his piercing dark eyes prying into her thoughts.

  Hannah ignored her father’s comments but the hairs on her neck stood up with the mention of Great Aunt Caroline’s cottages and snack bar. Luke didn’t waste any time revealing the direction his visit would take.

  He laid a heavy hand on her shoulder. “You’ve reserved one of those little cottages for us, I hope. Your mother and I are counting on staying close to you, Ruby, and Olivia.”

  “Yes. I’ll get you settled in, but we have plans tonight that I couldn’t cancel at the last minute so you’ll be on your own.”

  “No problem.” Luke glanced at Adele. “We’ve got plans, too. We’re taking Adele out for a celebratory dinner after she wins the competition. Of course, we hoped that you and Ruby would join us.” He shrugged. “But if you can’t, we’ll catch up tomorrow.”

  “Yes, dear,” Joanna said. “I can’t wait to tell you all about our travels.”

  Hannah smiled on the outside. Inside, she cringed. It was always all about their travels. What about Hannah for a change? Whatever. She refused to let herself be disappointed by their lack of interest in her life. After all, it was nothing new. She would get through this visit and get back to her life which had settled into a busy but satisfying rhythm around her business and her new friends that supported and encouraged her. Unlike her parents.

  Hannah couldn’t miss Adele’s satisfied grin as she stood behind Luke and stared at Hannah. She smiled back, hoping Adele couldn’t sense the hurt Hannah was feeling. Of course it was difficult no matter how much she prepared herself for their visit.

  “It sounds like you have a busy evening planned, so how about I get you settled into your cottage while I have some free time,” Hannah suggested.

  “Joanna, you go with Hannah and get the key. I think I’ll wander around here to make sure Adele doesn’t have any real competition. I heard there are two other talented sculptors but I can’t imagine their work can even hold a candle to Adele’s.”

  “What are your plans, Dad? Sabotage the other work?” Hannah couldn’t resist the dig.

  A shadow passed over his face before he addressed Hannah’s comment. “I doubt anything like that would be necessary. Adele will win without any interference.”

  Luke turned his back on Hannah and she knew the conversation was finished. She was fine with that. “Come on, Mom. I’m sure you’ll want to get back here as soon as possible.”

  Joanna followed Hannah to the Holiday Hideaway Cottages, pulling her rental car next to Hannah’s old Volvo station wagon she’d inherited from her Great Aunt Caroline along with the cottages and snack bar.

  They stood together looking at the view. Having her mother alone might give Hannah a chance to find out if her father had an ulterior motive during this visit, as Great Aunt Caroline’s letter predicted.

  “What do you think?” Hannah asked her mom. “Isn’t this about the loveliest spot you could imagine?”

  “It’s very nice, dear. But isn’t it too much work for you?” Joanna tilted
her head and looked at Hannah. “Wouldn’t you rather sell and use the money to travel?”

  “Absolutely not! Great Aunt Caroline left this to me because she knew I would cherish it as much as she did.”

  “Oh, pish-posh. Caroline is dead. What can she do now? Your dad would love to help you make some real money from this property.”

  Hannah’s stomach twisted into a knot the size of one of the bowls of chowder from her snack bar. She didn’t have to wonder anymore. Caroline was right; Hannah had to be on guard to protect her piece of paradise. And not just from her father.

  “I’ll get the key for you.” Joanna followed Hannah to the office and waited outside while Hannah got the key. They walked together, silently, along the path to Something’s Fishy. Something certainly was fishy and Hannah was worried to find out what.

  With chit chat at a minimum, Hannah showed the cottage and watched as her mother returned to her car and left.

  Hannah gathered a few items from Cottage One, called to Nellie, and retreated to her new sanctuary. Cal arrived shortly after, surrounded by an aroma of tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and cheese. Hannah’s stomach rumbled.

  By the time Olivia dashed toward Hannah’s new cottage, followed by Ruby, Hannah and Cal were comfortable on the porch swing, enjoying a cold beer.

  Nellie barked a greeting to Olivia but the little girl only had eyes to see inside Hannah’s cottage.

  “OOOOH,” Olivia said. Her eyes were round as she took in the scene. The lights on the ceiling twinkled and threw little star shadows over the pink sheets. “OOOOH,” she repeated after she stuck her head inside the tent. “Can you keep your cottage just like this forever and ever, Aunt Hannah?”

  The adults laughed. “Not forever, but maybe for the rest of the weekend.”

  Ruby hugged Olivia. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She thanked her sister for a night off from mom-duty and headed back to her house.

  The evening went well, especially if you were six and the center of attention. After eating too many roasted marshmallows, when Olivia’s eyes could barely stay open, Hannah read her a story about a little girl named Sal and her adventure picking blueberries. Olivia never heard the end of the story.

  Hannah and Cal talked for a while after Olivia was fast asleep. It was mostly Hannah discussing her parents’ visit.

  She yawned and stretched. “Let’s figure it out tomorrow. I don’t want to ruin this pleasant evening.” She lay on her back and looked at the lights shining through the pink sheets as she tried to drift off to sleep.

  She tossed and turned and finally gave up. A short walk under the stars to the beach helped Hannah clear her brain. Once she returned to the makeshift tent and closed her eyes, it felt like only minutes before the first rays of the new day peeked through Hannah’s window early on Saturday morning.

  Her back was stiff when she rolled over. The pad on the floor helped cushion her body about as much as a piece of plywood.

  The sound of thumps on the few steps leading to her porch caught her attention and she pushed herself up on her elbows. If it was her father, she’d burrow back inside her sleeping bag until he left.

  It was Jack. He didn’t knock but he cupped his hands around his face and peeked through the window of the door. When his eyes met Hannah’s, he motioned for her to come outside.

  If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. What was Jack doing on her porch so early in the morning? The plan was for them to meet at eight for coffee and cinnamon buns. It was barely even six yet.

  Hannah slid from the tent as quietly as possible. Olivia had her arm around Theodore, her mouth was partly open, and her eyes moved in her dream under her closed lids. Cal opened one eye, then the other, and raised his eyebrows. “Where are you going?” he whispered.

  Hannah pointed to the porch. Cal soundlessly followed.

  Jack paced back and forth on the porch. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. His normally-groomed white hair stuck out in every direction. “There’s been a murder,” he said as soon as Hannah stepped onto the porch.

  She shook her head, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. “A murder?”

  “Yeah. One of the sand sculptors is dead. Shelly’s granddaughter found her when she was running on the beach this morning.”

  “A her? Adele Bailey?”

  Jack nodded.

  “Murdered?” Hannah couldn’t get her head wrapped around what she just heard. Adele—tan, beautiful, and annoying—dead?

  5

  Hannah and Cal sat on the porch swing and Jack took a seat next to Hannah. She couldn’t go anywhere with Olivia still asleep, not that there was anywhere to go anyway. But it was hard to sit and wait for more news.

  “How did you hear about Adele already?” Hannah asked Jack.

  “Karla called 911 when she discovered the body, then she called her grandmother, and Shelly called me. She thought I might know more since Pam was the first officer on the scene, but even though Pam’s my daughter,” Jack shrugged, “she hasn’t shared anything with me.”

  “Of course not. She can’t.”

  “There’s more,” Jack said.

  Hannah and Cal looked at Jack. “More?” they asked at the same time.

  “Pam took Rory to the police station. Now, Karla is a complete wreck thinking it’s all her fault for finding the body and calling the police.”

  “If it wasn’t Karla, it would have been someone else. But why take Rory in?” Hannah had a sinking feeling. She knew Rory expected to win the competition. Did he take matters into his own hands and kill Adele? Did Karla help so they wouldn’t lose the prize money for their escape from Hooks Harbor?

  “Rory and Adele had a terrible argument after she was declared the winner of the sculpting competition last night. He came in second and he went ballistic. In front of everyone.”

  “So Pam thinks Rory killed Adele to get her out of the way? That seems way too obvious.”

  “I know. But Rory’s shovel was found next to Adele’s body.” Jack leaned on the railing. His knuckles turned white as his hands gripped the board. “It’s the murder weapon. Shelly begged me to help Rory but I don’t know what I can do.” He turned around and looked at Hannah. “Can you think of anything?”

  “Let’s wait and see how this develops. Maybe Pam is only questioning Rory. There must be other suspects. What about the other top sculptor?” Hannah looked at Cal. “What was his name? The guy I yelled at for throwing his cigarette butt on the beach.”

  “Moe Meyer. But I heard he and Adele were dating.”

  Hannah shrugged. “Maybe something went wrong. Adele was never particularly faithful when I knew her. She liked to toy with her boyfriends, make them squirm, push them away and reel them back in. It was all about control to her. If she did that to Moe, maybe he had enough and snapped.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and start accusing innocent people,” Cal said. “Talking and being organized about who has a motive and opportunity is a good place to start.”

  “I hate to say this, Jack, but what about Karla? She already had plans to move to Boston with that prize money. Maybe she decided to take matters into her own hands and get Adele out of the way so Rory would get the prize money.” Hannah remembered Karla’s excitement and passion when she talked about moving out of Hooks Harbor.

  Jack scrunched his mouth to one side. “Shelly thought of that, too. I think that’s why she’s so frantic. Karla can be head strong and she doesn’t always think things through before she jumps in with both feet.”

  “A definite quality that young people have,” Hannah said. It wasn’t very long ago that she packed her bags and moved from California to Hooks Harbor, to take over the business her Great Aunt Caroline left to her. When you’re young, you don’t know what you don’t know which can be a good thing. But in Karla’s situation? Maybe it turned into something deadly.

  It was low tide. The sun glistened on the ocean. From her porch, Hannah watched a few early risers as the
y ambled along the beach at the water’s edge, bending down now and then to pick up a shell or sand dollar or smooth sea glass. It never got old to search for treasures in the sand. Sandpipers skittered away from the walkers, racing toward the water and away again.

  Hannah sighed. “I have to spend time with my folks today. They were having dinner with Adele last night, so maybe they’ll know something that could help shed light on all of this. Adele was a talker—well, bragger—so everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but maybe she told my folks her plans for the rest of the night. If we can make a timeline of her activities, we’ll know who had the opportunity to kill her. Motive is another thing.”

  Jack looked at Hannah, his eyes dull with worry. “Thanks, Hannah. Anything to help. I have a feeling Pam will barely talk to me since she’s not crazy about my friendship with Shelly. Now, with this problem? I think she’ll be gloating with an I-told-you-so attitude. I need to keep my distance.”

  Hannah nodded. “You know Pam and I have never been particularly close, either, but I’ll keep my ears open and let you know what I hear.”

  “I’m going to Shelly’s house now if you need to get in touch. She doesn’t know where Karla is and she’s afraid her granddaughter might disappear into thin air if Rory ends up being charged with murder.”

  “Karla is supposed to help my sister, Monica, at the library book sale today. This weekend is always a big fundraiser for them with the sculpting competition, and Monica can’t handle the crowd by herself. I don’t think Karla will back out of that commitment.” Cal ran his fingers through his sandy blond hair. “Karla is depending on Monica for a reference when she moves.”

  Olivia wandered onto the porch, holding Theodore by one paw, which effectively put an end to the conversation about Adele’s murder. “I don’t feel good.” Her eyes drooped and her shoulders sagged. “Can I go home?”

  Hannah crouched next to her niece and pulled her close. “Sure, Olivia. Too much pizza last night?”

  “I think so. I ate Theodore’s piece, too.”