A Fishy Dish (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) (14 page)

“Yeah, it’s Leah’s phone,” Hannah said.

“And? Spit it
out
, Ms. Holiday,” Pam demanded.

“Sally just called.”

A small screech escaped through Leah’s lips. Her hand covered her mouth.

Matt snatched the phone from Hannah’s outstretched hand. “Did she leave a message?”

“No. I answered the call. I didn’t know whose phone it was.” Hannah really hoped that Pam never discovered
that
lie. “All she said was, ‘Mom? Just listen. Jan is acting weird. I’m scared’.”

“
Jan
?” Matt’s face twisted into a tortured grimace. He looked around the group of people staring at him. His fists clenched tighter than a bank vault. “
Jan
? My sister? Sally is with
Jan
?” Each time he said his sister’s name it came out like venom from a rattler.

“Sally knew you would be angry, Matt.” Leah rubbed her husband’s arm, obviously trying to ease his anger. “She didn’t want me to tell you that Jan contacted her about a year ago. But you should be happy. This is fantastic news.”

He flinched as if her touch scorched his skin.

“Sally can’t be with Jan.” His face went from a healthy glow to pale-as-a-ghost in less time than it took for a lightning bug’s flash of light to flicker off.

“I know you don’t like it, but Jan is trying to help Sally,” Leah explained.

The veins on Matt’s neck bulged and throbbed. “Jan is dead.”

It was Leah’s turn to be shocked. “You never told me.” She turned to look at Hannah. “I didn’t believe you.” She finally stared at Pam. “Who is this Jan person?” Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper. “What does she want?”

“I don’t know yet but, believe me,” Pam looked into each person’s eyes but lingered the longest on Matt, “we’ll find her.”

Chapter 16

Hannah tossed and turned, spinning her sheets into a twisted mess. The black car that had come so close to hitting her, if she had not stopped walking when she did, haunted her sleep. The only difference between her dream and her reality was that Sally White stared through the back window as the car sped by. Her terrified eyes met Hannah’s before the car evaporated into the darkness of her dream.

With sleep an impossibility, Hannah did what usually helped to still her jangled nerves.

She called Nellie and they headed to the beach for an early morning walk. The surf calmed her thoughts with its gentle rolling, in and out. The salty breeze and gliding gulls helped to distract her for a few minutes at least.

She cut up through the well-worn path back toward her home. Each time she walked that path, she etched her life into Hooks Harbor a little bit deeper.

Jack’s house stood like a beacon, calling to her. A safe haven with a dear friend; someone who behaved like a tolerant father. Jack had the canny ability to keep her focused on what was important with his own unique gruff manner.

But with Pam’s car in his driveway, she hesitated.

“Come on, Nellie. We can’t let Pam scare us away. I’m sure Jack will be happy for a distraction from her lectures. We can do that for him, right?”

Nellie woofed and wagged her tail.

Hannah lifted her hand to knock at the same time the door opened.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Pam said. The bags under her eyes and her stringy hair revealed she had seen better days. The lack of sleep had definitely sapped her energy.

“How’s Jack?” Hannah asked.

“Come in and quit talking about me behind my back. I’m not dead and I’m not deaf.”

Hannah grinned. “I can tell he’s about back to normal.”

Nellie streaked passed Pam and made a beeline toward Jack’s voice.

“Pam. Put some coffee on before you leave.”

Pam managed a small smile. “Yeah, he’s better, as you can tell. I’ll get the coffee going.”

Hannah joined Jack in the living room. He lounged on the couch, barely visible under all his blankets and pillows. Hannah smiled, but the sight of Jack looking small and vulnerable, made her pause with concern for his health.

“She,” he gestured toward the kitchen where Pam poured water into the coffee maker, “won’t let me get up.”

“Does she have you tied down under all those covers?” Hannah joked as she plopped down onto a chair across from Jack.

“Don’t tell Pam, but as soon as she leaves, I’ll be up and I’ll come over to hang out in your office. Ruby needs me to watch Olivia so she can help Meg in The Fishy Dish.”

“Sounds like Olivia was the one watching
you
yesterday,” Hannah teased. She lifted her eyebrows for emphasis. “She’s the one that got you help.”

“I know. That one’s a smart little cookie for sure.” His hand dangled over the edge of the couch and stroked Nellie. “And Nellie never left Olivia’s side. What a duo.”

Pam entered with a tray of mugs, coffee, sugar, and cream. She poured a mug for Hannah and helped herself to another one.

“What about me?” Jack asked. He tried to push himself higher on the couch.

Pam hurried over to help him. She tucked several pillows behind his back while he held himself up. “How’s that?”

“Perfect. I’ll take some coffee, too, please. And what about food? I haven’t had anything decent since early yesterday. I won’t even count the dry toast and tasteless eggs they tried to feed me at the hospital.” Jack grimaced and stuck his tongue out for emphasis.

Hannah laughed. “I’ll be happy to fix you eggs and toast. How does that sound?” She set her coffee down and stood, waiting for Jack’s answer.

“As long as you burn the toast, I’ll think I’m eating my own cooking.”

“I can manage that,” Hannah replied on her way to the kitchen.

Pam joined Hannah. She sat at the table, her coffee forgotten in front of her.

Hannah opened cupboards and moved around Jack’s kitchen, feeling self-conscious with Pam following her moves.

“Have you been up all night?” Hannah asked, trying to fill the awkward silence.

“We didn’t find her,” Pam said, her fingers wrapped around her mug. Her body looked defeated.

Hannah froze. She wanted to know if Leah’s phone helped the police locate Sally but Pam’s comment wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Her dream of seeing Sally whiz by in the back of Sean’s car flashed before her eyes. Not something to share with Pam unless she wanted to be ridiculed. She would find a way to get information from Sean on her own time.

Pam slowly rose from her chair. “I’m heading over to talk to the Whites now. It will be a difficult conversation.”

“I can imagine,” Hannah sympathized. “Matt White won’t give you any slack.”

Pam raised her eyes and looked at Hannah. “What’s your opinion on a connection between Sally’s disappearance and Gavin Abbott’s murder?”

Hannah was slightly taken aback at Pam’s question. Was she asking as a mother or a police deputy? Was her normal abrasiveness merely a hat she wore when she was doing her job?

“I think they are connected, but I don’t think Matt White is the killer,” Hannah offered.

Pam nodded. “I agree.” She rose from the chair. “Thanks for being here for him.” She tilted her head toward the living room.

Hannah smiled. They had Jack’s well-being in common, if nothing else.

The front door closed.

Jack hollered. “Where are those eggs you promised me?”

Hannah pushed the toaster down a second time to be sure the bread was good and burnt. “Hold your horses. It’ll be ready when the alarm goes off.”

“Are you kidding? You have to time the eggs?”

The smoke alarm shrieked and she laughed right along with it.

Hannah brought a tray with eggs, juice, and black toast to the table next to Jack after she pulled the battery on the smoke alarm.

“Just wanted to be sure the toast was done to your perfection.”

They both laughed.

Jack dug into the food like a sailor who had been lost at sea. “Not bad, but I think you might need a bit more practice. Tomorrow morning work for you?”

Hannah pointed her finger at the old man. “I know exactly what you’re doing. You’ll be perfectly capable of making your own breakfast tomorrow morning. How about I come over and keep you company though?”

“Deal,” Jack replied, spraying toast crumbs over the blankets. He took a few more bites and then set his plate on the coffee table. “So, tell me about you and Pam bonding in the kitchen.”

Hannah sipped her coffee, pursed her lips, and said, “It’s complicated with her. One minute she’s throwing me in the dirt and stomping on me for good measure. And then she does a one eighty and asks for my opinion. I’m not sure where I stand with her.”

Jack nodded. “
She
doesn’t know where she stands with herself. That’s what I think. And until she figures it out, well, I try to keep her going in as straight a line as possible.”

Hannah stacked the empty dishes on the tray and brought everything into the kitchen. It only took her a few minutes to clean up, bring Jack a big glass of water, and help him get comfortable on the couch.

“I’ll be over after a nap. Eating sapped my energy.”

“Take your time. We’ll manage. No one is checking in or out of the cottages today, so, with some luck, I’ll be able to help Meg.”

Hannah fluffed his pillow one more time before she and Nellie quietly left.

“Okay Nellie, now to find Sean Payne. He has some explaining to do.”

Nellie trotted alongside Hannah, her tongue out, and her attention focused on the snack bar.

Sean Payne was camped out at the same table he occupied the day before. Now or never, Hannah decided.

Without a hello or an invitation, she slid in across from Sean. “Where is she?”

The space between Sean’s brows wrinkled. He sat up straight and stared at Hannah. “Good morning to you, too. Who are you referring to?”

Hannah leaned across the table and continued her bluff. “You know
exactly
who I’m referring to. You tipped your partner off before the police could find Sally. She’s scared. She wants to come home. Where is she?”

The color drained from Sean’s face. His shoulders sagged. “I don’t know. Something went horribly wrong.”

“Isn’t this a cozy duo?”

Hannah kept her eyes on Sean but his gaze moved to the figure behind her.

She didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Pam’s presence was obvious from her angry, no nonsense, and the determined-to-get-answers tone in her voice. It was all business, Deputy Pam Larson, not worried daughter, Pam.

Fortunately, Pam’s portable radio called her. Before she left, she pointed at Sean. “Don’t disappear. I’m not finished with you.”

Hannah snickered, glad someone else was the recipient of Pam’s
don’t even think about hiding from me
order.

“So, Sean, how about you come clean with me and I’ll put in a good word for you with Deputy Larson. It might save your career, although I doubt I can do anything about Deputy Larson’s plan to eat you alive.”

He slowly finished his bagel loaded with cream cheese and smoked salmon. He chewed slowly and swallowed with difficulty. He needed a big swig of coffee to wash it all down before he could make his voice work.

Hannah knew her offer was a big fat bluff, but Sean had to weigh his choices—have Hannah help him deflect some of his troubles, or face Pam alone.

He chose plan number one. “I’ll level with you. I could use someone on my side, but you have to promise to make me look good.”

Ha, Hannah thought, there wasn’t enough magic to make Sean Payne look good, but she knew he wasn’t thinking of
that
kind of look anyway. He had a career as a newspaper reporter, and if Hannah’s hunch was correct, he gambled on it with the wrong person.

“Sure,” she answered, knowing she had absolutely no clout with Deputy Larson.

Chapter 17

“Someone did not look happy a few minutes ago when she was chatting with the two of you. Was Deputy Larson having a bit of a bad day?” Samantha smirked as she stepped over the picnic table bench and sat down next to Hannah. “There’s something in the breeze today.” She lifted her head and sniffed the air. “Smells a little like a rotten fish, Sean. But I have some information you might find useful.”

That comment put some color back in Sean’s cheeks. He waited.

“How about the two of you join me in my lovely cottage.” Samantha looked around at the customers enjoying their morning coffee. “I don’t want to risk my news hitting the wrong ears.”

Hannah was curious about the bait Samantha threw at Sean. Did she actually have information or was she on a fishing trip? Maybe both. Whatever it was, together they should be able to squeeze something useful out of him.

“Great.” Hannah looked at Sean. “Are you coming?”

He stood slowly, his eyes squinted, full of suspicion. “What kind of tag team are you two?”

Hannah and Samantha looked at each other—eyebrows raised, palms up, and mouths turned down. The look of complete innocence.