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

here before Pearl shows up. I don’t want to scare her off before I convince her to help me.”
    “With what?” Meg narrowed her eyes and studied Hannah’s face.
    “I want to know who that first victim is.” Hannah filled Meg in on Ruby’s background with Lenny. “Maybe the short, fat, now-dead guy is the connection between Lenny and the killer.”
    “You better be careful. How do you know you can trust Pearl?”
    “I saved Petunia from being shot by one of the detectives this morning. She owes me.”
    Meg shook her head. “You are treading into dangerous waters, Hannah. I hope your Great Aunt Caroline doesn’t regret starting her little joke about the buried treasure.”
    “It’s a bit late for her to regret much of anything. Unfortunately. And I have to clean up the damage. Somehow.”

Chapter 12
     
    With Meg helping Jack find the original map that he had stored someplace, Hannah brought her attention back to Ruby’s iPad and the images from Lenny’s camera.
    Something caught her eye in the photo. A set of knives, with one missing, rested on a table in the photo of the short fat guy. Hannah zoomed in on it. Was the missing knife the murder weapon?
    She cropped the photo and printed the image of the short fat guy so she’d have something to show Pearl. The knife would have to wait. Hannah was positive that Officer Pam Larson would not miss that detail.
    The sound of little feet trotting up her porch steps spurred Hannah to close the iPad and move it out of the way. Pearl, with a tiny bit less bravado than was her usual manner, tapped on the door. “Hellooo? Hannah?”
    “Come on in, Pearl. Are you hungry? I have a delicious lobster roll for you if you’re interested. It’s supposed to be my signature food at the snack bar grand opening, but . . .” She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “That’s not happening on schedule.”
    “Oh dear.” Pearl made herself comfortable at Hannah’s table. Petunia rooted around the room, digging in Nellie’s dog bed. “How can I help?”
    Hannah placed the lobster roll in front of Pearl. Even though she didn’t say she wanted it, who could resist? Tender chunks of fresh lobster meat, without all the work of cracking open the shell of the whole crustacean was a win-win. Hannah also had treats on hand for Petunia—a couple of grapes for her, and a homemade dog biscuit for Nellie.
    “I’d love a cup of coffee too, dear. If it’s no trouble.”
    Hannah poured two mugs and joined Pearl at the table. “I’m hoping you can help me.” Hannah slid the image of the short fat guy across the table toward Pearl. “Any idea how to find out who this is?”
    Pearl took a big bite of the lobster roll as she studied the image. “I’ve seen this guy before.” She set the paper down, tilted her head, and looked up at Hannah. “But I’m not sure where. Why?”
    Hannah sensed that Pearl was hiding something. Did she know who the short fat guy was? “How did you really get that map from Caroline, Pearl? And why did you show up in Hooks Harbor now? A year after Caroline died?”
    Pearl sputtered and coughed, pretending her coffee went down her windpipe but Hannah could tell it was all for show. “You know, Hannah, you remind me a lot of your Great Aunt Caroline. No beating around the bush, just straight for the jugular. Let me tell you something you probably don’t know about her.”
    Hannah leaned back, wondering if what Pearl was about to tell her was fact or fiction.
    “I was always in Caroline’s shadow.” She fluffed her hair. “You might find that hard to believe, but it’s true. Caroline had all the self-confidence in the world and I was always filled with self-doubt. She didn’t need a red sports car to get attention. Or a cute potbelly pig to keep her company. Caroline knew what she wanted and she got it. Always.”
    “What does all that have to do with the guy in the photo?”
    “I’m getting to that. It was maybe a year and a half ago, or a little