Mobsters and Lobsters (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) by Lyndsey Cole Read Free Book Online Page A

where her potbelly pig is,” Hannah told Olivia.
    They all turned back to the trail. Petunia pulled Olivia off the path with her persistent rooting in the sandy dirt.
    “It’s better for her to root here than in front of the cottages,” Hannah said as she took the leash from Olivia. “I’ll try to guide her in the right direction while she’s having her fun.”
    Petunia would have none of it. She wanted what she wanted and she pulled Hannah farther off the trail.
    “What’s that?” Hannah bent down to see what Petunia was after. “Someone buried some peanut butter cracker wrappers here.” Hannah stuffed the trash in her pocket. “Petunia has a good nose.”
    Petunia kept working in the same area. “What’s this?” She grabbed the sleeve of a turquoise colored t-shirt and pulled it free of the dirt. Hannah gasped. “This looks like the shirt Lenny wore the day he came to rent the cottage. Before he went to the marina.” She held it up to show Ruby.
    Ruby’s face drained of color. “I told you. He’s still alive.”

Chapter 7
     
    Ruby sagged into Hannah’s comfy chair when they returned to Hannah’s cottage. She begged off going to Cal’s boat for dinner even though Olivia was thrilled with the plan and sat down to draw Cal a picture while she waited for Hannah to get ready to leave.
    Pearl babied Petunia as if she had been gone for weeks instead of an hour. “Did you have a nice walk?” Pearl asked in a high pitched baby voice as she scratched Petunia’s back. Petunia grunted with pleasure as she twisted her little body one way, then the other, before Pearl led her out of Hannah’s cottage.
    “I’ll get caught up with some of your paperwork,” Ruby said as she walked toward the door to Hannah’s office. “I need to keep my mind busy.”
    Hannah nodded. “And study the photos?”
    Ruby nodded. Grim-faced.
    Hannah stashed the turquoise shirt in the back of her closet. She didn’t have a plan. Yet.
    “Okay, Olivia. Ready to roll?” Hannah tried to sound upbeat. She wanted to distract her from Ruby’s problems.
    Hannah and Olivia picked up pizza—a small cheese for Olivia and a large eggplant, mushroom, and onion for Cal and herself. Olivia was uncharacteristically quiet in the car, just gazing out the window and jiggling her feet.
    Finally she turned to look at Hannah. “Is Mom going to move again?”
    Hannah’s antenna went up. This could be an innocent question since moving often was all that Olivia had ever known, or she might have picked up on something Ruby and Hannah talked about. “I don’t think so, honey, why are you asking?”
    “I like it here. With you and Cal and Petunia and Nellie. And Theodore.”
    “You know what Cal told me?” Olivia had just given Hannah the perfect opening to change the subject away from moving.
    Olivia shook her head.
    “He thinks Theodore misses you. Cal has been busy and hasn’t had much time for him lately.”
    A tear slid down Olivia’s cheek. “Poor Theodore. It’s no fun to be lonely. Maybe Theodore could visit with me for a while. We could keep each other company,” she said hopefully.
    “I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Hannah pulled into the Bayside Marina parking lot. “Ask Cal. I bet he’ll say it’s okay.”
    Hannah carried the pizza boxes with one arm and held Olivia’s hand with the other as they walked down the dock to Cal’s boat. Olivia pointed to the back of one boat and worked out the words— “On the Rocks ,” she proudly read.
    “I didn’t know you could read already,” Hannah said. “How about this next boat?” She pointed to the back of the boat next to Cal’s before she even looked at the words.
    “ Sink or Swim ,” Olivia slowly sounded out. She looked up at Hannah. “Why would anyone choose to sink instead of swim?” Her five year old logic couldn’t make any sense of those words.
    The words gave Hannah a chill. “Kind of silly, isn’t it?” Hannah said, moving Olivia forward. There was