Mobsters and Lobsters (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) (14 page)

“True, but do you think anyone else in town would have killed Marco and Lenny? No one even knew them. I think the killer will keep an eye on whoever wins the map.”

“I’m going to start working. You’ll need to distract anyone who comes around.” Cal got his shovel and started digging a trench where the last beam needed to go. Hannah busied herself, setting up the new picnic tables with umbrellas.

Aaron and Laura strolled by with a blanket and picnic basket. “It’s kind of quiet around here today,” Aaron said to Hannah as he looked around at the mostly deserted parking lot.

“I imagine most people will be at the Pub and Pool Hall.”

“What’s happening there?”

Hannah slid the last umbrella into its stand. “Today was
supposed
to be the grand opening for my snack bar but, well, I couldn’t have it here.” She grimaced. “For obvious reasons. So, the Pub and Pool Hall is the new location. And I’m not sure if you heard about the raffle?”

Laura’s eyes lit up. “What kind of raffle? I
love
raffles.”

“My Great Aunt Caroline left me a map for a buried treasure.” Hannah watched a quick look pass between Aaron and Laura. “I’m raffling it off this afternoon. All the money will be donated to the Hooks Harbor Library.”

“You’re kidding!” Laura almost shouted. “My dad was always on the lookout for that kind of thing.” She looked at Aaron and grinned. “He was sort of like the original treasure hunter. His friends always made fun of him but I still have all his notes on his research. That’s sort of why we ended up here. He heard rumors about a treasure but died before he could follow up on the leads.” Laura’s eyes filled with tears and she looked away from Hannah.

Hannah’s heart quickened. She hated to admit it, but Pam read those two to a T. Did Laura just spill the beans on something she should have kept secret? Maybe they weren’t even on their honeymoon. Hannah made a mental note to look into that detail.

“Well, that does it then,” Laura said with excitement, a tremble still clear in her voice. “We hadn’t decided what we were going to do today, but the Pub and Pool Hall sounds like the place to be.” Laura pulled Aaron toward their car. He kept glancing back at Hannah, making the hairs on her neck stand up.

Jack parked next to Cal’s truck. He slid out and looked around quickly. “Is the coast clear?”

Hannah nodded. “Aaron and Laura just left. Sherry hasn’t come back, and Pearl is gone, too.” She popped the trunk of Jack’s car. “This is perfect. Some rust, some dents, a lot of scratches in the enamel.”

Jack smiled. “I added a few dents with a hammer. Glad you approve of that touch.” He opened the lid to expose the treasure inside.

Hannah’s eyes widened. “Where did you find all this beautiful glass? It sparkles in the sunshine.” She dug her fingers in the box and sifted through blue and green sea glass mixed with smooth rocks, sand, shells, and a few sand dollars. A slight scent of salty ocean drifted to her nose.

“Caroline and I always gathered something when we walked the beach.” Jack looked at the treasure, his thoughts lost in long ago adventures. “This comes from fifty plus years of collections. I suppose it’s fitting to donate it to this cause even though I’m sad to part with the memories. If it flushes out a killer, Caroline would say I put it to good use.” Jack picked up one piece of green glass and tucked it into his pocket before he gently closed the box and locked it. “Here.” He handed the key to Hannah. “This should go with the map.”

She nodded vigorously. “Nice touch. Makes the map more real.”

Jack grinned. “The map
is
real now. We have to make sure it leads to the snack bar.”

Cal pushed his wheelbarrow to the back of Jack’s car. “I’ll slide this under my tarp and get it into place. The hole is ready for the buried treasure.” He slid the treasure box into the wheelbarrow and it landed with a dull thump. “This is turning into an exciting adventure.”

“Come to my cottage after you get it buried,” Hannah said. “We’ll check the map and make sure it will lead someone to the right spot.”

Jack followed Hannah inside. He opened the map she found several months earlier after she moved in and cleaned out her great aunt’s belongings. “I’ve been studying this map and I think we were right when we first looked at it.” Jack pointed to an X. “This certainly could be under the snack bar. And with Lenny getting stabbed in that spot, people will think he was hot on the trail of the treasure. I’m confident that our buried treasure will be discovered.”

Hannah’s phone rang just as Cal entered and she answered before the second ring. “Ruby?”

The blood in Hannah’s veins ran cold. It was not Ruby’s voice that answered. “Sorry, she can’t come to the phone right now, dear.”

“Pearl, put Ruby on,” Hannah demanded.

“Hold your horses, dear. There’s plenty of time for you to talk to your sister after you listen to what I need.”

“The map?”

Pearl laughed a deep belly laugh. “Oh, Hannah. Again, you disappoint me. The Hooks Harbor folks can beat themselves to death over that silly map. No, I want Caroline’s property in exchange for your sister and your adorable niece. Olivia, right? Doesn’t that sound like a fair trade?”

The phone slipped from Hannah’s fingers. Cal caught her as her legs buckled and he helped her to the couch. “What is it?” he asked, panic in his eyes.

Jack picked up the phone. “Pearl? Are you still there?”

“Yes, love,” her voice, on speaker phone, filled the room. “What was that horrible crash? Is Hannah all right? She can’t fall apart now or who knows what will happen to Ruby.” The phone went dead.

Chapter 18

“She’s bluffing,” Jack said. “She won’t hurt Ruby or Olivia. The last thing Pearl wants is to end up in jail where she would have to share a cell with someone. She doesn’t share well.”

“I know you’re trying to make me feel better but it’s not working,” Hannah said, her elbows on her knees and her head resting on her hands. “Desperate people aren’t predictable. Pearl showed up with an agenda and her cute potbelly pig as a distraction. I completely overlooked the possibility of another plan. The map was her way to connect with Great Aunt Caroline, or a sideshow to keep her grandson occupied. I never suspected she was after Great Aunt Caroline’s property.”

“
Your
property,” Cal corrected. “It’s yours now, Hannah, and Pearl’s not going to take it away.”

Jack was at the door. “I’m going to find Pam and make sure she’s right on this. Pearl won’t get far.”

“Pam already told me someone was keeping an eye on Ruby and Olivia. Pam screwed up and somehow Pearl got by.” Hannah’s voice betrayed her fear.

“Don’t count on it. Pam probably knows exactly what’s going on,” Jack said, trying to reassure Hannah before he left.

Hannah pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Jack has way more confidence in his daughter than I do. At the moment.”

“At least he’s on it. Let’s get over to the Pub and Pool Hall. You have a grand opening to attend. This will be your chance to woo everyone in town with your beautiful smile, Meg’s delicious lobster rolls, Caroline’s clam chowder, and a buried treasure.”

“Is the treasure buried under the snack bar?”

“Uh huh. And the last beam is in place, too. I didn’t want to make it too easy for someone to squeeze under, but it’s possible. A tight fit, and not for anyone with claustrophobia.”

“I’ll lock everything up good and tight and grab the map. Be right out.”

Hannah found an old envelope from a box full of Caroline’s papers that she had saved. She slid the map and key inside, licked it, and pressed it until the glue stuck. She scrunched it, dropped it on the floor, and stepped on it a couple of times to dirty it up.

“This will have to do. Sorry Nellie. You’ll have to stay here and guard everything. No dogs allowed in the pub.” She slammed and locked the door, double checked to be sure it was secure, and joined Cal in his truck.

After passing through town, they bumped down the dirt road and passed Meg’s car which was still stranded on the side of the road with its blown out tire. Cars spilled out of the Pub and Pool Hall parking lot, filling every possible spot. Cal swerved between two small cars, his truck only inches from each car.

“How will we get out?” Hannah asked.

Cal slid the back window open and extended his hand. “Ladies first.”

Hannah looked at Cal, then the rectangle of open window. “Are you serious?”

He grinned. “Yup. You’ll have an easier time fitting through than I will. I locked myself out once and had to force the window open to get in. It was a tight fit.”

“Head first or feet first?”

“Never mind. I’ll go first so I can catch you when you push yourself through.”

Hannah liked the sound of that. She didn’t mind one bit falling into Cal’s arms, even if it was in such an unromantic situation.

“What are you smiling about?” Cal grinned at Hannah.

“I can’t wait to see how you do this. The window doesn’t look big enough. I might have to give you a shove.”

Cal put his arms and head through the window and wiggled his chest through. With a kick off the seat, the rest of his body slid through like a seal in the water. He turned toward the window and smiled at Hannah. “Your turn.”

Hannah tucked her envelope with the map and key into the waistband of her jeans and under her shirt. She copied Cal’s technique, and as her body started to fall toward the bed of the truck, his strong arms caught her and pulled her the rest of the way through. He slid the window shut and jumped off the bed of his truck. “That wasn’t too bad. Maybe by the time we come back, one of these other cars will be gone and we won’t have to go through the window again.”

Hannah looked at the two cars on either side of Cal’s truck. Fortunately, only one side of each car was blocked in by his truck so the door on the far side could still be opened and
they
wouldn’t have to climb in through their trunk.

Country music blared from speakers on the roof. “Michael went all out for this event,” Cal noted. “He even fixed the lights in his sign.”

With his hand on the small of Hannah’s back, Cal guided her to the door of the pub. The closer they got, the louder the mix of music, talking, and the crack of pool balls sounded. The scent of clam chowder drifted out the door making Hannah’s mouth water.

Moving from the bright sunshine to the dim lighting inside the pub took her eyes several seconds to adjust. The crowd inside made her pause with anxiety but she pushed through and took another step forward. Someone walked by and bumped into her, knocking her against Cal. “Hey Doll Face, I gave up on you showing up for your own party. Grub’s decent.”

“Rocky. Where’s your Nana? Is she coming too?” Hannah decided a bit of civility toward Rocky might get her the information she needed to find Ruby.

“Naw. She said she had something to do and I’m supposed to buy the raffle tickets for the map.” He winked at Hannah. “All of them.”

Hannah’s right eyebrow shot up. “How are you going to manage that?”

Rocky pulled out a wad of bills. “Money talks, right Doll Face? I’m planning to offer to buy any raffle ticket for twenty bucks. Smart, huh?”

“Do you have any idea what the buried treasure is?” Hannah was intrigued with Rocky’s strategy and extremely curious why he was willing to shell out so much money for something that might or might not even exist.

“Ha, nice try Doll Face. Lenny said you’d be asking a lot of questions. He was convinced that old lady Caroline buried something valuable. Maybe leaving a nice surprise for you or your sister.”

Hannah pulled away from Cal, nodding for him to help Meg with the food. She inched closer to Rocky, knowing flattery was his drug in a conversation. “You certainly are a sharp planner, Rocky. Your nana must be pleased with your plan.”

He waved that comment off with a quick flick of his wrist. “Nana doesn’t have a clue. She’s off chasing your sister, but that’s not where the dough is.” He tapped the side of his head with his finger. “I’ve got it all figgered out. She doesn’t know I was pumping poor Lenny for information.”

“Clever,” Hannah gushed. “When did you last see Lenny? Alive?”

Rocky’s eyes darkened. “What are you thinking, Doll Face. I didn’t kill that creep.”

Hannah gently placed her hand on his arm, cringing inside but keeping her face soft and friendly. “Of course not. I’m only trying to get the timeline straight.”

“Oh, yeah, the timeline. Well, let me think. I followed your sister to a house and went in after she left. Lenny and that real slime ball, Marco, were having an argument when I walked in. No knocking, I just barged in and surprised them. Smart, huh? Caught ‘em off guard.”

Hannah nodded. “Very smart. You knew Marco?” Hannah had managed to slowly maneuver Rocky to a corner away from the crowd. She loved pumping him for information and figured no one gave him the attention he craved. In her mind, Hannah likened him to a needy puppy; eager to please in exchange for a coveted pat on his shaggy head.

“Sure. Nana used him for all sorts of stuff. Not anything I can share with you, though.”

“What about Lenny? How well did you know him?”