A Fishy Dish (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) (12 page)

“Why would Sean Payne invite you along to an exclusive interview?”

Hannah felt her cheeks get hot. Why indeed? “He said Jan was wary of men and he thought if I was with him, she’d be a little more comfortable talking.”

“It looks as though your reporter friend has either, one, also been duped by this imposter; or two, he’s working with her for some reason.”

“A juicier story. It has to be,” Hannah said.

“I think we’re on the same page. Now, about your other friend, Samantha Featherstone? Did you find out any more about her background like I suggested?” Pam tilted her head and waited for Hannah’s response.

Hannah’s face burned. How stupid could she be? First to be taken in by Samantha’s story of working for Jan, and then to let Sean entice her with his drawing and promise of an interview of Jan.

“The look on your face is all I need. You have discovered that Samantha Featherstone is not, in fact, a retired private investigator but only someone who likes to pretend to be one. And what I find remarkable is that Samantha Featherstone, Sean Payne,
and
Sally White’s parents are all staying in your cottages. How did that happen?”

“Just lucky?” Hannah replied, unable to come up with a better explanation.

“Exactly!” Pam sat forward in her chair. “I’m glad you see how convenient your situation is.”

“I’m not following your train of thought, Pam.” Hannah was afraid she put herself into a no-win situation and playing dumb seemed like the safest strategy.

Pam dropped her pen. “Okay, here’s what you’re going to do. You already appear to have some sort of bond started with Sean Payne. Find out as much as possible about this imposter Janice Jones. And as far as Samantha Featherstone is concerned, confront her with her lies and see how she reacts. Last, keep an eye on Matt White. I doubt he’ll talk to you, but maybe you can get some details from his wife. She’s desperate for a friend.”

“You’re the policewoman. Shouldn’t you be using your intimidation and power to get all that information?” Hannah asked, appalled at what Pam expected her to do.

“I’ve already questioned every one of them and they are as tight-lipped as a lobster claw holding its own fish dinner. But you, on the other hand, already have their trust, or at least they’ve assumed they can bamboozle you. You have access as the owner of the cottages they’re renting.” Pam waffled her hands back and forth. “You might have to play up the naïve innocent female bit, but you shouldn’t have any trouble with that.” She placed her hands on the desk and leaned toward Hannah. “All I want is information. No heroic meeting-in-the-dark kind of stuff. Understand?”

Hannah nodded. Her brain buzzed, trying to figure out how this would work.

“You can give any information you gather to my dad.”

“Is Jack home?” Hannah was glad for a change of subject.

“Yes. He won’t be going to the vigil tonight though. He has orders to rest.”

Pam stood up and ushered Hannah out the door. “Thanks. I’m so glad you volunteered to do this for me.”

Hannah walked out of Pam’s office and wondered how she let herself get into this position. A more difficult question was, how would she ever get
out
of this tangled web.

Hannah had about fifteen minutes before she was due to pick Samantha and Olivia up for dinner on Cal’s boat. She decided Samantha would be the first task on her growing to-do list.

And probably the easiest.

She liked Samantha even if she was some kind of an imposter.

Chapter 14

Olivia was jumping from one foot to the other when Hannah arrived at Ruby’s house.

“Finally,” Ruby said. “I was afraid Olivia was about to set out on foot to find Cal’s boat by herself. Where have you been?”

Hannah checked the time. “I’m not late,” she answered, avoiding the actual question. “See you at the vigil?”

“I’ll find you there.” Ruby blew a kiss to Olivia. “Have fun and don’t fall in the water.”

“Wait,” Olivia ran into her bedroom and returned with Theodore, her favorite stuffed bear that was a gift from Cal. “Theo wants to visit the boat.”

Hannah held her hand out for the little girl. “Of course. I’m sure Cal would like to see Theo again, too.”

When Hannah and Olivia arrived back at the cottages, Samantha was waiting outside next to Mini May. “I’ll drive.”

Hannah was more than happy to oblige and left her own car at home. She directed Samantha to the Bayside Marina while Olivia chattered in the back of the car to Theodore. “You used to live here with Cal. Remember?”

Like usual, at the marina, Olivia was interested in the words on the back of the boats along the dock leading to Cal’s boat. “What does that one say, Hannah?”

“
Off da hook
”.

Olivia saw Cal waiting by his boat,
Seas the Day,
and she ran ahead to jump into his arms.

Hannah slowed her pace and held Samantha back with her. “What about that name?” Hannah pointed to a boat named
Killer’s Secret.
“Do you have a secret you should tell me, Samantha?”

Samantha’s eyes popped open wide and her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “
I
didn’t kill Gavin Abbott.”

Hannah blocked any forward motion with her back to Cal and faced Samantha. “What about your private investigator secret. Or should I call it an out and out lie?”

Samantha looked down at her feet. “It’s true; I’ve exaggerated about my investigations in the past, and I suppose you could even call it a lie, but this time,” she held Hannah’s arm and stared into her eyes. “This time, I really do have a job. I’m working for Janice Jones. Everything I told you is the truth.” She crossed her finger on her chest. “Cross my heart.”

“
If
you actually have a client, it’s
not
Janice Jones,” Hannah told Samantha.

Samantha’s face showed absolute confusion. “Who is it then?”

“We have to find out. Janice Jones died a year and a half ago. Tonight, we figure out who is pretending to be a dead woman.”

Samantha smiled. “I’ve always dreamed about solving an important case. Maybe my dream is about to come true.”

Or you die trying. Hannah kept that comment to herself.

“Hey, you two. The pizza’s getting cold and I have a hungry bear and a starving six-year-old running out of patience. Hurry up,” Cal hollered from the back of his boat.

Samantha picked up her pace. Her eyes twinkled. “Your life is so exciting, Hannah. I might just have to stay in Hooks Harbor.” She jumped across the small bit of water to the back of Cal’s boat, making an elegant landing that even someone sixty years younger would be proud of.

Hannah mentally checked one task off the list Pam gave her. She believed what Samantha told her. She was working for someone and there was a strong possibility that someone knew where Sally White was. At least, that’s what Hannah wanted to believe.

Desperately.

Cal had a large pizza on the table in the cozy cabin of his boat.

“This is
perfect
,” Samantha gushed. “Everything you need and it’s all so efficient.” Her eyes traveled to a ladder to the sleeping loft where Olivia was nestled with Theodore. “Adorable.”

“Slide around the table and make yourself at home,” Cal told Samantha and Hannah. “I hope you like vegetarian, I got the special—eggplant with cheese, onions, garlic, and tomato.” He sliced through the pizza and set three bottles of beer on the table.

Samantha sniffed the air. “This aroma is making me drool. I smell oregano. Fantastic. By the way, Hannah did tell me you make a mean gourmet pizza.”

Cal smiled at Hannah. “She did, did she? I’m glad she is aware of my best quality.”

“That and your sexy smile. It makes her forget what she’s even putting in her mouth,” Samantha added.

Hannah kicked Samantha under the table.

“Ouch. I’m only telling the truth,” she said as she reached down to rub her leg.

“My secret weapon.” Cal rewarded both women with a dazzling smile as he slid next to Hannah. “Fill me in on the vigil tonight. Are there any new developments?”

Hannah felt hot cheese drip onto her chin. “A few,” she mumbled as she fanned her burning mouth.

She let her pizza cool off while she filled Cal in about Sally White’s imposter aunt. She left out her little chat with Samantha and her private investigative embellishments. At this point, it didn’t seem important.

Cal leaned back and stretched his arms along the back of the seat. He rubbed Hannah’s shoulder. “What’s the plan? Do you expect this imposter person to come tonight? Or maybe Sally will show up.”

“I’ve been thinking about the possibilities.” Hannah wrapped her hand around the ice-cold beer bottle. “Why did this woman go to all the trouble to contact Sally and pretend to be her aunt? Somehow, Sean Payne guessed who she was at The Chowder House. I’m suspicious about that coincidence. What do you think, Samantha?” Hannah sipped her beer.

“Well, to be perfectly honest with the two of you, I’m trying to figure out why she hired me to find Sally in the first place. Especially now that I know she’s not the real aunt.” Samantha finished the last bite of her pizza. “This is hard for me to admit, but I think this Jan person contacted me because I’m not really an investigator and she must have figured I wouldn’t have a clue how to find Sally
or
figure out that she wasn’t who she said she was.”

“Back up a minute. You’re not really a private eye?” Cal leaned forward to look around Hannah.

“Nope. And it was kind of Hannah to try to keep it a secret, but what’s the point? I mean, I am who I am, and if she hired me for the wrong reasons, it doesn’t mean I can’t do the right thing. Does that make sense?”

“Perfect sense.” Hannah tapped her fingers on the table. “We’ll use it to our advantage, Samantha. You need to send this fake Jan an email update and we need to think very carefully what to say. How about you tell her you’ve been watching the reporter, Sean Payne, and he’s gotten pretty cozy with Deputy Pam Larson. You’re convinced he knows where Sally is.”

“I like where you’re going.” Samantha sat up straight and pulled her phone from her bag.

“If those two—Sean and fake Jan—are working together, that should cause some fireworks. Fake Jan will think Sean is double-crossing her. And if they aren’t connected, fake Jan will be worried about what Sean is telling the police.”

“I’m impressed,” Cal said. “Between the two of you, you’re a good team. How does all this tie in with Gavin Abbott’s murder? Or maybe it doesn’t.”

Hannah tapped her chin. “I haven’t figured that out yet. If Chef Belair isn’t the murderer, I’m positive he knows something. It was odd how Gavin accused him of ruining the fish last night. We hadn’t ordered yet so I don’t know what the problem was, but Leah White told me hers tasted old. Whatever that means.” Hannah shrugged. “But, at this point, I’m more concerned about finding Sally.”

“Hey,” Samantha interrupted as she looked at her phone. “I already got a response from fake Jan—
very concerning. Find out more. J.
” She looked up at Hannah and Cal. “What should we do now?”

“Let her sweat and we’ll keep an eye out for her at the vigil. But I doubt she’ll show up if she’s worried the police are on to her,” Hannah said. “And speaking of the vigil, we should get a move on.”

“Olivia? Ready to go?” Hannah stacked the plates and piled everything on the empty pizza dish.

Olivia climbed down the ladder with Theodore securely tucked under her arm.

“Did you forget something?” Hannah asked as she reached out to hold the teddy bear.

Olivia scurried back up the ladder and handed Hannah her plate before she climbed back down.

“And?”

“Thank you Cal for dinner. It was yummy.” Olivia recited the phrase Ruby drilled into her. “Can I have dessert now?”

Cal chuckled. “Sure thing. Guess what I have?”

“Ice cream! You already told me before Hannah got on the boat.”

“Shhh. That was supposed to be a secret.” Cal opened his little freezer and handed a chocolate covered ice cream bar to Olivia.

“What about me?” Samantha asked.

“Sorry.” Cal pulled the whole box out and handed ice cream around to everyone. “We can eat it while we walk to the center of town.”

Olivia skipped off the dock with Samantha following close behind.

Cal and Hannah lingered.

Hannah leaned against Cal’s strong arm. Their fingers found each other. They walked in a comfortable silence, ate their ice cream, and watched Samantha skip like a six-year-old.

“Do you think it matters that she lied to me about being a private investigator?” Hannah asked Cal. “It was her dream so she pretended. Is that so bad?”

“No harm done. Look at it this way. She finally landed a real client and maybe she’ll be able to solve a mystery. With your help, of course. A dream come true.”

“That’s what I was thinking, too.”