by Lyndsey Cole
“That’s the million-dollar question, and it looks worse and worse for Rory.”
They turned around and headed back the way they’d come. As they approached the marina, Hannah spotted Karla standing near the dock going out to Cal’s boat. She had her phone to her ear and gestured dramatically.
“Time for a chit chat. Can we get comfy on your boat?” Hannah asked Cal.
“Sure. I’ve got some cold drinks and I might even be able to rustle up some snacks.”
“Karla!” Hannah called and waved to get her attention. Karla turned away from Hannah and tucked her head down. She began walking away from the marina.
Hannah kicked her speed into overdrive. She angled her path toward the entrance to the marina, hoping to cut off Karla’s route before she had time to disappear.
“What’s your hurry?” Hannah asked as she pulled next to Karla.
“Oh. I just got a phone call. Can we talk another time?”
“No. I only need a few minutes of your time. We can have privacy on my friend’s boat.” Hannah pointed down the dock.
“Uh. How about my apartment? It’s not far.”
Hannah nodded. Anywhere would work, but she was surprised to hear that Karla had an apartment. She wasn’t living with Rory?
They walked quickly. Hannah followed Karla up a set of stairs attached to the side of an old house on Main Street. She unlocked the door and waited for Hannah to follow her inside. “It’s not really my apartment. It’s Rory’s, but he gave me a key.”
Hannah nodded.
They stood in a small kitchen with the sink piled high with dirty dishes. Hannah could see a tiny living room beyond and a closed door off the living room.
“I know what you’re thinking. This place isn’t much. That’s why I want to get out of here.” Karla threw the keys on the table. She picked up a small dish but Hannah saw that it was filled with cigarette butts before Karla dumped it in the sink.
Chills ran down Hannah’s spine. Did Rory smoke or was Moe inside this apartment?
Karla twirled around and leaned against the sink. “So. What do you want to know?”
“You found Adele’s body. What exactly did you see this morning?”
Karla tilted her head and sighed. She looked like she was resigned to sharing more than she wanted with Hannah and she started talking, “The mermaid sand sculpture was mostly washed away, but it must have been a barrier for the tide since Adele’s body was away from the water. She looked like she was watching the sky or something, almost as if she lay down for a few minutes to rest. That was the weirdest part.”
“It must have been a terrible shock for you.”
“Yeah, pretty creepy. And then Moe showed up. He took my phone out of my hand and called 911. I turned into a statue but he functioned just fine. He waited with me until the police arrived, and he’s the one who found the shovel. It almost seemed like he knew right where to look for it.” A shiver ran through Karla’s body.
“Did you go to the Pub and Pool Hall last night?” Hannah realized she changed the conversation’s direction but she didn’t know how long Karla would stand still to answer questions. She wanted to find out as much as possible about what Karla knew and where people were Friday night.
“What? That’s an odd question.”
“Is it?” Hannah pulled on her braid, trying to act casual.
“Sort of, but yeah, I was there, along with a pile of other people.”
“It was the hang out after the competition?”
“You could say that.” Karla snuck a peek at a text message on her phone. “Listen, I’m sort of busy.”
A kitten, maybe eight or nine months old, wrapped his skinny body around Hannah’s leg. She bent down, glad for the distraction. “Who’s this cute little guy?”
Karla waved her hand. “That’s Harvey. Rory’s cat. He needs to find a home for him. We can’t take him with us to Boston.”
Hannah picked Harvey up and cradled him in her arms. “When are you leaving?”
Karla sighed. “I said I’m busy. Enough with the million and one questions.” She moved toward the doorway to the living room and Hannah followed.
“Are these all Rory’s sculptures?” Hannah’s eyes moved around the room filled with sculptures made from old recycled materials. “They’re fantastic. Has he tried to sell them? I’d be happy to find a place in my snack bar to display some.” She balanced Harvey in the crook of one arm while she picked up a small metal lobster made from what looked like flattened tin cans.
Karla flicked her wrist. “Rory’s problem is that he only cares about creating and can’t…” She rolled her eyes and used her fingers to make air quotes. “‘Lower himself to do any marketing’. How does he expect to make a living?”
The kitchen door opened. Karla’s eyes darted around the room.
“Karla?”
Hannah recognized the voice but it made no sense. Until she remembered the dish filled with cigarette butts.
Moe stomped through the kitchen into the living room. “Well, fancy meeting Ms. Save-The-Beaches here. Not exactly who I was expecting. Are you ready to go, Karla?”
“Um, not yet. I haven’t packed anything.” She picked up a backpack from the couch and stuffed a sweatshirt inside. What will I need?”
“We’re going to Florida, not the North Pole. Bring your bikini and some sandals.”
Hannah couldn’t believe her ears. She grabbed Karla’s arm. “What about Rory? You’re abandoning him when he needs you more than ever?”
“Rory’s a loser. Karla finally saw the light.” Moe leaned against the kitchen doorway, smoking. Ashes fell on the floor. He blew smoke rings. “Hurry up before that cranky police woman decides we can’t leave town.”
“I’m not sure, Moe. Hannah’s right. Rory needs me.” Her fingers stroked a pendant hanging around her neck. As she moved it back and forth, light reflected off it, catching Hannah’s eye.
“Where did you get that?” Hannah asked.
“This?” Karla pulled the silver mermaid out as far as it would go and looked at it. “Moe gave it to me.”
Hannah turned around, only to hear the kitchen door slam and Moe gone. She called Jack on the phone she hadn’t even realized she’d pulled from her bag. “Call Pam, tell her to find Moe Meyer before he leaves town. She’ll listen to you.” Hannah looked at Karla. “What kind of car does Moe drive?”
Her eyes were wide saucers. “A Jeep Wrangler. Black.”
Hannah gave Jack that information and hung up. “Sit down Karla. You have a lot more explaining to do.”
Karla’s face drained of color. She sat at the kitchen table. “What’s with this necklace? Why did Moe run off after you asked about it?”
“When did Moe give it to you?”
“After we found Adele’s body. He walked me back here, asked me to go to Florida with him, and gave me the necklace. He told me I was his mermaid.”
Hannah leaned close to Karla. “Didn’t that seem odd? You barely know him. And a mermaid? Like Adele’s sand sculpture?”
She shrugged. “I guess so. Now it sounds strange, but at the time he made everything sound romantic and exciting.” She looked at Hannah. “And possible. He said Rory was a dead end.”
Hannah covered Karla’s hand with her own. “What about last night—at the Pub and Pool Hall?”
“It was pretty wild. Adele was taunting Rory about her sculpture winning the competition, and Rory lost it. He usually doesn’t pay attention to anything like that but she knew exactly how to push his buttons.”
“What about Moe? He lost, too. Didn’t it bother him?”
“Oh yeah. He was seething. Now I suspect that’s probably why he started to flirt with me. To bug Rory and Adele.” Karla dropped her head into her hands. “What did I get myself in the middle of?”
Hannah’s phone rang. “Hi Jack.” She listened to him go on and on about Pam looking for Moe, barely taking in his words. Finally, he paused for a moment and she said, “Okay,
I’ll bring her to the police station and meet you there.”
Hannah stood. “Before we leave, where’s the cat food? It looks like Harvey could use a fresh bowl of water and food.”
“I have no idea where Rory kept it.” She waved her hand around the small kitchen. “Look in the cupboards. I have to go to the bathroom.”
It didn’t take long to find half a bag of dry cat food but there wasn’t a clean bowl anywhere. Hannah rinsed two small bowls, filling one with water and the other with dry food. “There you go, Harvey. I’ll make sure you aren’t forgotten here.”
“Karla? Ready to go?” Hannah peered into the living room, not even sure which door led to the bathroom. She pushed one door open to find a bedroom that barely fit a twin bed. The only other door had to be the bathroom. Hannah knocked.
Silence.
She tried the doorknob. Locked. “Karla! Open up.”
Hannah rattled the door.
She dashed from the apartment, down the stairs and around to the other side of the house. A small window was open where Hannah guessed the bathroom should be. She kicked a pile of leaves in frustration and called Jack.
“Karla’s gone. She must have jumped out the bathroom window.”
“Don’t worry. Pam has Moe so Karla won’t be leaving with him if that was her plan. What a mess. Go home if you want and I’ll call when I have some information.”
Hannah had to walk back to the green to find her car. She texted Cal on her way, careful not to walk into anything. Going home, she wrote.
One dead mermaid.
Two jealous boyfriends.
And three too many suspects.
Hannah couldn’t wait to get to her new cottage and sit on the porch to let the ocean breeze blow away the problems swirling around.
She trudged up the path to Slo N EZ. Each step lightened her mood and left some worries behind. Nellie woofed from inside the cottage. Nellie, her best medicine.
Hannah opened the door, expecting her quiet sanctuary, but instead a voice surprised her.
“It’s about time you got here.”
Hannah held onto the door to keep from falling down.
In her wildest dream, this was the last person she ever expected to see.
8
Great Aunt Caroline sat propped against a pile of sleeping bags under the pink tent in the middle of Hannah’s living room.
Hannah closed her eyes and shook her head. Sure, she had a lot on her mind and she was overtired from barely sleeping the night before, but this had to be, what, a hallucination? A ghost?
“I know what you’re thinking. Sit down here next to me and I’ll catch you up to speed.” Great Aunt Caroline patted a spot on Olivia’s sleeping bag next to where she sat. “And for crying out loud, close the door before someone else sees me.”
Hannah sat with Nellie’s head in her lap. She touched her great aunt.
Caroline laughed. “Yes, honey, I’m as real as the sand outside your door. Sorry to show up like this, but drastic times mean drastic measures, and Jack said I had to help you out in person this time.”
“But—”
Caroline patted Hannah’s knee. “All you need to know is that I had to die in order to save you and my property from your father’s plans. But with him here now, well, the danger is far too close for comfort.”
“Who else knows?” Part of Hannah felt betrayed by the lie and whoever else was involved.
“About me? Jack, Pam, and Meg all worked together with me to come up with the plan. And old Doc Pratchet came out of retirement for one last important task of declaring me dead. We never expected it to go so smoothly, but, sometimes, life surprises us.” She smiled at her great niece. “You can’t imagine how wonderful it is to finally be able to sit here face-to-face with you. You’re doing a fantastic job, you know. I’m incredibly proud of you.”
Hannah’s mouth opened but no sound came out. She focused on Nellie’s soft fur under her fingers. Finally, she managed a question. “What was my father going to do?”
Caroline sighed. “Your father is a complicated man. Unfortunately, he always puts himself first and stops at nothing to fulfill his dreams. Do you remember the car accident you were in about six months before I ‘died?’” She used her fingers for air quotes around her fake death.
Hannah nodded. “My brakes failed but I was barely scratched.”
“I think it was a warning to me from your father to let me know what he was capable of. If he was willing to risk his own daughter’s life to make a point, he would stop at nothing to take this piece of property from me.”
Hannah’s jaw fell to her chest. “No.” How could she manage to wrap her head around the possibility of her father sabotaging her car’s brakes?
“I don’t have proof, but I wasn’t willing to take a chance. If it meant giving up my life to save yours, it was a small price to pay.” She shrugged. “Actually, it was by far the easiest decision of my life. I’m an old woman already, and being able to watch my death from the sidelines has been extremely interesting, to say the least.”
Hannah wrapped her arms around herself to try to stop the internal shaking. Her own father? Could it be true?
Caroline stood but stayed well away from the window. “I can’t stay here any longer. It’s too risky.” She pulled a shawl over her head and partly covered her face. “You had to hear what you are up against so anything out of the ordinary becomes a warning.”
“Like Adele’s death?” Hannah whispered.
“Yes. Treat that as part of your father’s plan. I don’t know how it fits in but I don’t doubt he will use it to his advantage. He always does.”
“How will you get out of here without being seen?”
“That’s the least of my problems. Jack and Meg have a plan. And remember—” Caroline stared deep into Hannah’s eyes as she held both of Hannah’s hands in hers; the two sets of eyes so similar except for the many years that separated them. “I’m never far away. Jack can always get in touch with me if necessary. You need to leave now. Pam is having a little chat with your parents to keep them occupied and away from this cottage.”
Caroline pushed Hannah toward the door. Nellie stood but stayed between the two women.
“Go on, Nellie.” Caroline flicked her fingers toward Hannah. “You need to keep an eye on Hannah.”
“You know Nellie?”
Caroline laughed. “I wanted you to have company and another set of eyes on your back. Jack did a good job convincing you to take her, didn’t he? He has a lot of tricks up his old sleeves. And Hannah?”
Hannah turned around before she opened the door.
“Keep a very close eye on Olivia.”
Hannah and Nellie left. She had a renewed sense of mission to find out the truth about Adele’s death, but the warning about Olivia made her shudder. Maybe she should tell Ruby to leave with her until this was over. Did her father stop at nothing to get what he wanted?
She stumbled down the path, not at all sure of anything anymore. Who could she trust? Who could she depend on to help her? Was her life in danger? The last question seemed obvious if she believed anything Great Aunt Caroline told her. Her life must be in danger, but what direction would the threat come from?
“Are you okay?” Cal’s concerned voice broke through her thoughts. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
If he only knew, Hannah thought.
He took her arm. “I came as soon as I could after I got your text message. What happened with Karla?”
Cal’s questions brought Hannah totally back to Earth. “She was planning to run off to Florida with Moe. Can you believe it?”
“And?”
“Moe gave her Adele’s mermaid necklace. When I pointed it out, Moe fled. Pam caught him, but Karla ran off too. I don’t know where she is. So, the question is, how did Moe get the necklace?”
“You think he’s the murderer?”
“At this point nothing is clear, but something happened at the Pub and Poo
l Hall last night that might clear everything up. Or get us one step closer. Rory, Moe, Karla, and Adele were all there. Adele won’t be giving us any clues, but I think the other three all know more than they are saying.”
“How about a bowl of chowder while we ponder the situation. I’m ravenous.” Cal steered Hannah toward The Fishy Dish.
She glanced at the parking lot and was glad to see that Pam’s cruiser was still parked front and center. She hoped that meant the coast was clear for Great Aunt Caroline to escape unnoticed.
“There goes Jack’s truck,” Cal pointed to the exit of The Fishy Dish parking lot. “Where’s he off to in such a hurry?”
Hannah shrugged, but inside she let out a sigh of relief. Great Aunt Caroline must be with him and off to wherever she would be safely hidden. “I’ll get the chowder. You grab us a couple of seats outside and iced tea from the cooler.”
“Don’t forget some extra packages of those oyster crackers. Please.” Cal raised his eyebrows in a cute puppy dog manner which Hannah found to be completely irresistible.
Meg entered the back door of the kitchen at the same time Hannah walked in from the small seating area of The Fishy Dish. She put her hands on Hannah’s shoulders. “Has your brain settled down yet?”
“I think so. I saw Jack’s truck leave. Can I assume everything is all set?” Hannah asked. She searched Meg’s face for any clues to what just happened.
“Almost. He still has to get through town.” She smiled at Hannah. “I’m glad you finally know. That makes it a little easier for me and Jack now.” She kept her eyes on Hannah for a few more seconds before she moved away. She tied an apron around her waist and pulled a large bowl of coleslaw from the refrigerator. “Back to work. One good thing about a murder in town is that business picks up.”
And plenty of unexpected surprises, Hannah said to herself. She filled two bowls with Meg’s clam chowder and heaped a pile of oyster cracker packets on a tray next to the bowls.
“Speaking about the murder, do you want to make a trip to your brother’s Pub and Pool Hall with me after work? From what Karla Vaughn told me, it sounds like that’s where all the problems started last night. Maybe Michael can give us some more details about what happened.”
