Read A Fishy Dish (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) Online
Authors: Lyndsey Cole
Tags: #General Fiction
A Fishy Dish (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) (21 page)
Sirens screamed into the parking lot. A wave of relief flooded through Hannah’s body. Her muscles relaxed and the bat fell to the floor as the office door crashed completely open. Light streamed in, along with Deputy Larson.
Chapter 24
Hannah slumped into a chair. She felt weak, exhausted, and emotionally drained.
Deputy Pam Larson led her out of Jerry’s office. Nellie stuck to her side like Velcro.
Cal’s truck screeched in behind all the police cars. He raced to Hannah’s side. “What happened? I heard the sirens. I knew you were here and couldn’t imagine what happened.” Concern filled his eyes.
Hannah kept her hand on Nellie’s head. “Somehow she figured it out. Nellie’s the hero tonight.”
“Figured—”
A police officer led Jerry out of his office in handcuffs, head down, unintentionally answering Cal’s unfinished question.
Another officer had the boots in an evidence bag. “These are the boots, Ms. Holiday?”
Hannah nodded. “Those boots belonged to Gavin Abbott.” She pointed to the chewed part. “That’s where his dog did some damage. He told me about it Thursday morning.”
“Jerry was wearing them tonight when you were in his office?” Pam asked.
“Yes. When I went the first time, he had them on but I didn’t pay any attention. Everyone wears those tall boots down here on the pier. When I went back to look for Nellie, he had them off. That’s when I noticed the boot that had been chewed by a dog. Gavin’s dog. I think Jerry was planning to dispose of them but Nellie had him cornered. Jerry told me his shoes got covered in blood after Gavin fell on the knife. He panicked and took the boots.”
“There must be blood on these, too, the way your dog went after them,” the officer said as he held up the bag and looked closely.
“Nellie knew something was wrong with those boots,” Hannah said. “I thought it was the fishy smell she was after.”
Nellie wagged her tail and woofed when she heard her name.
All the commotion of the police cars attracted attention, and townspeople milled around along the edge of the cars.
After Pam told Hannah she could leave, Cal walked her to his truck and told her she could get her car another time. Hannah was in no mood to drive, even if it was only five minutes to Cal’s boat.
Leah approached Hannah before she had time to get in the truck. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Hannah couldn’t imagine what Leah was thanking her for.
Sally and Matt appeared behind Leah. Matt had his arm around Sally’s shoulders. He was smiling. The first smile Hannah ever saw on his face.
“It’s Nellie you need to thank.”
Sally wrapped her arms around Nellie’s neck and whispered, “Thank you, Dog Extraordinaire.”
“Is everything all right?” Hannah asked Leah.
“It will be. That dark cloud is beginning to blow away.” Leah looked at her daughter and her husband and smiled. “It will be,” she repeated.
By the time Cal managed to get through the onlookers and drive Hannah to the marina, a few other people were crowded inside his boat.
Jack handed Hannah the glass of wine that had been waiting for her. “Pam called me and told me the short version. She asked me to tell you, ‘nice work’.”
Hannah smiled. That was a big compliment coming from Pam.
“We couldn’t stay away,” Meg said.
“We had to find out what happened,” Samantha explained.
“I was so worried.” Ruby could barely manage to get the words out as she hugged her sister.
“Do you have more ice cream?” Olivia asked Cal as she leaned over the edge of the bunk.
Cal laughed. “Ice cream for Olivia, and you can eat it up there. But don’t make a mess in my bed,” he warned as he handed her a chocolate covered ice cream bar.
Hannah sipped her wine and let its magic sooth her body. Nellie leaned against her leg, sending Hannah a different kind of magic—a feeling of contentment and safety.
“So,
Jerry
?” Meg finally asked. She shook her head. “I can’t believe it was him all along. I thought he was distracted because he lost The Chowder House account, but all along he must have been worried about being discovered for what he had done.”
“He said it was an accident. If it hadn’t been for those boots, and Nellie, he might have gotten away with murder.” Hannah set her glass down.
“Nice work, Hannah,” Samantha said as she held her glass up for a toast. “But
next
time, let me come along with you. I was supposed to have your back.
Okay
?”
“
Next
time?” everyone said at once.
A Note from Lyndsey
Thank you for reading my cozy mystery,
A Fishy Dish.
If you enjoyed this book in the Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series, be sure to stay up to date with all my latest work and sign up for my newsletter here —
http://LyndseyColeBooks.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lyndsey Cole lives in New England in a small rural town with her husband who puts up with all the characters in her head, her dog who hogs the couch, her cat who is the boss, and 3 chickens that would like to move into the house. She surrounds herself with gardens full of beautiful perennials. Sitting among the flowers with the scent of lilac, peonies, lily of the valley, or whatever is in bloom, stimulates her imagination about who will die next!
OTHER BOOKS BY LYNDSEY COLE
The
Hooked & Cooked Series
The Black Cat Café Series
The Lily Bloom Series