She had her clean jeans on with her favorite burgundy fleece and hoped the cook off wasn’t some sort of fancy affair or she’d stick out like a sore thumb. Oh well, nothing to do about that. She even dug out warm socks and sneakers, admitting to herself that it was too cold for flip flops.
The parking lot at the Paradise Inn was packed. Hannah parked her Volvo on the dirt at the end of the lot and hoped she wouldn’t get towed, or worse, slide over the edge. Her passenger tires were dangerously close to the drop-off with nothing more than a row of granite blocks to keep her car where it was.
She looked around at all the people piling into the Inn and had a panic attack. She wasn’t exactly fond of crowds but she took a deep breath and forced herself to head toward the front entryway. Jack was just arriving, carrying a small bag under his arm.
“Here. Take this.” Jack stuffed his paper bag into Hannah’s sling bag before she could protest or even ask what it was. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing that will get you arrested.”
“Good to know. But now I
am
worried since I wasn’t even thinking along those lines.”
Jack whispered in Hannah’s ear, “It’s just a surprise for our favorite reporter. Sort of pay back from Caroline.” He winked.
Before Hannah’s brain had time to process that tidbit of information, the momentum of the crowd behind Hannah and Jack carried them inside like a school of fish. The lobby was decorated with greens, lights, and a beautiful Christmas tree. Tables were covered with every imaginable ocean trinket, from jewelry to paintings, pottery to handmade quilted items and baked goods that made Hannah’s mouth water. This, obviously, was not the space for the Clam Chowder Cook Off.
Jack guided Hannah through the lobby to a big event room in the back. The seafood aroma met Hannah’s nose and her stomach rumbled. Each cook had an area with a table for preparation and a portable electric burner. Meg waved them to her space.
The pot on her burner was erupting like a bubbling volcano.
“I thought you’d never get here,” Meg hissed between tight lips. “I need all the moral support I can get with Kelley running the show this year. I can’t believe the judges didn’t disqualify her after Vern was murdered. It’s a definite conflict of interest if you ask me. How can the judge be impartial to the person running the contest when she also has
her
clam chowder entered?”
Hannah looked around the room at the other tables. She counted twelve with Meg at one end and Kelley at the other side. Missy looked to be interviewing Kelley with her microphone moving back and forth between Missy’s mouth and Kelley’s mouth. The camera followed the microphone.
“Did Missy interview you yet?” Hannah asked Meg.
Meg snorted. “No. Kelley is getting all the attention.”
Jack patted Meg’s arm. “Don’t worry about it. I have a plan. You just make sure your clam chowder is as good as ever and I guarantee you’ll win again.”
Ruby materialized next to Hannah. “I can’t stay long but I wanted to tell you what Missy said to me.”
Olivia pulled on Ruby’s hand. “I’m bored,” she announced, drawing out ‘bored’ until she ran out of air.
“Okay. Just a minute,” Ruby answered before turning back to Hannah. “Missy predicted that Kelley would win the coveted clamshell bowl this year.”
Hannah nodded her head in Kelley and Missy’s direction. “It’s pretty obvious that Missy is fawning all over Kelley, but Jack just assured Meg that she would win again this year.”
Ruby looked around the room. “Is Cal coming?”
“I don’t know. He left my cottage in a huff when I sort of implied I thought his sister might be Vern’s murderer.”
“Monica? Really?”
“That was before Noah showed up and told us that he saw Tasha running away from cottage number four right after the gunshot.”
“Tasha? Kelley’s daughter? I saw her here not too long ago. She was helping Kelley set up.”
“I suppose Pam will be looking for her soon enough.”
Olivia finally managed to get Ruby’s attention and convince her to go back into the lobby where it was more interesting, at least to a five year old.
Meg handed Hannah a small bowl of her clam chowder to sample. “Does it need anything? I’m really nervous this year.”
Hannah closed her eyes and slurped the chowder. “The only thing missing is more in my bowl,” she kidded. “It’s better than the chowder you made last night.”
“Yeah, that was the practice run.” Meg put the lid on her pot and wiped her hands on her apron. “What the devil is Jack doing now?”
Hannah looked to the other side of the room where Officer Pam Larson had pulled Kelley off to one side. Missy had her eyes on Kelley and no one was watching Kelley’s pot of clam chowder as Jack lifted the lid and poured something into the pot.
Hannah patted her sling bag and realized the bag Jack asked her to carry was gone. As Jack hurried away, he knocked into the small table holding Kelley’s bowls and spoons and everything crashed to the floor.
That got some attention.
“You clumsy old fool,” Kelley scolded.
“Sorry Kelley. At least it wasn’t your delicious clam chowder that tipped over.” He bent down to help pick up the mess but Kelley pushed him away.
“You’ve done enough damage. Go harass someone else.”
Jack moved back to Meg’s table, barely containing his laughter. “Did you see her face? And that’s just the beginning.”
Hannah raised her eyebrows and looked at Meg. Meg shrugged.
Kelley raised her hands and asked the crowd for quiet. “It’s time for the judge,” she nodded toward Missy, “to sample the chowders. Everyone stand away from your pots. Once the judge has declared the winner, everyone else can have a taste.”
Missy, wearing an ocean blue apron covered with clams, lifted the cover from Kelley’s clam chowder first and ladled some into a bowl.
With great fanfare, Missy dipped her spoon into the chowder, blew on it, and swallowed. She smiled and took another big spoonful. Her eyes blinked several times before her mouth turned into a frown, she dropped the bowl, her hand went to her mouth, and she ran from the room.
Kelley’s mouth fell open. Jack chuckled and the rest of the room erupted in laughter.
“I hope you got that on camera,” Jack yelled to the cameraman who gave a thumbs up sign in response.
Kelley, her face red and contorted with rage, marched over to Jack, her finger wagging in his face. “It was you. You sabotaged my clam chowder.”
Jack raised both eyebrows and held out his hands, palms up. “Me? I don’t know what you could be talking about. I thought I saw Caroline drift through earlier. It must have been her.”
Kelley put on her business smile and tried to calm everyone in the room. “I’m sure Missy will be right back and we’ll be able to continue the judging. She was feeling a little under the weather all morning.”
“Probably feeling under the weather in anticipation of tasting your clam chowder, Kelley,” Jack said when there was finally a lull in the chatter. “I’d say she has a touch of food poisoning.”
Kelley’s nose flared and her jaw clenched but she had enough sense to keep quiet. She turned toward the door, smacking right into Officer Pam Larson.
“Oh. I’m glad to see you’re back. I think someone sabotaged my clam chowder. Take a sample to your lab before anyone else gets sick.”
Pam held onto Kelley’s arm. “I’m here on some other business. I’ve just finished an interesting chat with your daughter, Tasha. Apparently, she lied to me about her whereabouts the morning Vern was shot.”
Kelley tried to pull her arm away but Pam held her firmly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We were both making chocolates at Simply Sweets Saturday morning. I arrived at six and Tasha arrived shortly after.”
The room was dead silent. All eyes focused on Pam and Kelley.
Pam nodded. “Yes, that’s what Tasha told me, but she also said you weren’t feeling well and left about an hour later. Where did you go?”
Kelley’s eyes darted around the room. “I went home to get some medicine for my stomach. I’ve had some indigestion lately,” she added dramatically. “Then I had to make a stop at the Inn before I went back to the shop.”
Tasha entered the room with Noah at her side. Jack leaned toward Hannah. “Do you know what’s going on?”
Hannah shook her head. “No, but I have a feeling it’s not going to end well for someone.”
“Tasha! Tell Officer Larson that I came back to help you finish up with the chocolates. It’s such a busy time of year for Simply Sweets and Paradise Inn. I don’t have good help and, unfortunately, I can’t be in two places at once. I have to run between the two businesses constantly. Tell her, Tasha.”
Tasha’s arms were clenched tight across her chest. Her eyes swam with tears. “No, Mom. I can’t keep lying for you, especially not when you tried to ruin Noah’s life by making everyone believe he did something wrong. The only thing he’s done is be my best friend, especially when I couldn’t count on
you
. You almost had me believing your lies until you tried to blame him for robbing the safe. I saw
you
take that money out.”
Tears streamed down Tasha’s cheeks. Noah put his arm around her shoulders and supported her sagging body.
“Lies! It’s all lies,” Kelley shouted, as if it was more believable at a louder decibel. “Don’t believe a word she’s saying. Tasha was at the cottage when Vern was shot. I saw her.” With that statement, Kelley’s hand went to cover her mouth.
“That’s right, Mom, I
was
at the cottage. You saw me right after you shot your husband in the chest.
You
saw me run away—but I saw
you
kill Vern.”
Chapter 22
Officer Pam Larson escorted Kelley from the Clam Chowder Cook Off room. Everyone started talking at once.
Jack hugged his grandson, leading him and Tasha to the side of the room next to Meg’s clam chowder table. Hannah ladled clam chowder into bowls for everyone standing nearby, assuming the competition was done for the day.
One voice asking for a bowl made the corners of Hannah’s lips curve into a smile. She handed chowder to Cal. “You missed all the excitement.”
“I watched Kelley try to maintain her dignity as she was stuffed into the back of the police cruiser. What happened?”
Hannah filled Cal in on the details as they enjoyed Meg’s delicious clam chowder. “There is one thing that I haven’t figured out yet.” She hesitated. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but why was Monica sneaking through the path, spying on the cottages?”
Cal shrugged. “Monica told me she was obsessed with spying on Vern after the accident. She could never forgive him. Not because of how it changed her life, but because I dropped out of med school to help her. When she saw his car parked by that path to your cottages, she made regular trips with her new wheelchair to find out what he was up to. I hope she can finally put it all behind her, especially since I think I’ve convinced her that I’m happy being a carpenter.”
Jack, with a wide grin across his face, set his empty bowl of chowder on Meg’s table. “Kelley was darn close to getting away with murder. Good thing Caroline came back to help get the truth out!”
Ruby and Olivia appeared next to Hannah. “I just got a call from Missy’s boss. Apparently they fired her for believing all that malarkey about Caroline being the murderer. It hurt the credibility of the station. He said he’d be in touch when they replace Missy.” Ruby hugged Hannah. “Can you believe it? If he offers me a job, we’ll be able to stay here in Hooks Harbor with you.”
Cal grinned. “I better get another cottage all fixed up for you and Olivia, or will you be sharing cottage number one with Hannah?”
Hannah rolled her eyes in Cal’s direction.
“No.” Ruby stepped back. “I’ll find something in town, close to the elementary school and the shops. Olivia can visit the beach but I think we need a bit of space between us.” Ruby put her hand on Hannah’s arm, her eyes filled with concern. “You’re okay with that, aren’t you?”
Hannah picked up Olivia. “Your plan sounds perfect.”
Meg looked at her table piled with empty bowls of clam chowder. “No clamshell bowl to add to Caroline’s collection, but it was worth it to see Missy’s green face as she ran for the bathroom.”
Hannah scraped every last bit of clam chowder from her bowl. “As far as I’m concerned, Great Aunt Caroline’s clam chowder will always be the best in Hooks Harbor!”
The End
A Note from Lyndsey
Thank you for reading my cozy mystery,
Gunpowder Chowder
.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lyndsey Cole lives in New England in a small rural town with her husband, dogs, cats and chickens. She has plenty of space to grow lots of beautiful perennials. Sitting in the garden with the scent of lilac, peonies, lily of the valley or whatever is in bloom, stimulates her imagination about mysteries and romance.