Gunpowder Chowder Read Online Free Page A

the exact time. After they left, I took Nellie for a walk on the beach to think about my next step with the café and cottages.” She paused. “I was trying to sort out if I was up for the task.”
    “Did you figure it out?” Pam offered her first somewhat friendly smile but it looked forced.
    Hannah laughed. “Yesterday I thought I had it figured out, but today?”
    “Today?” Pam prompted.
    “I don’t know anymore.”
    “Did you see anyone else yesterday?”
    Hannah sat forward. “Yes, I almost forgot. Last night, around nine or so, Nellie started to bark so I let her out. A couple of kids were walking from the beach toward the cottages, but when they saw me, they ran off.”
    Hannah noticed Pam’s jaw clench several times. “We’ve had some problems with partying at your place when it was empty. What did you do with the gun after you threatened Vern and Chase?”
    Hannah held her hands up, palms out. “I wouldn’t call it threaten . I told you before, I was holding the gun when I asked them to leave. After they left? I leaned it against the cottage I was staying in and forgot about it until I saw it in your hands earlier.”
    “Did you go into the other cottages?”
    “I walked around and looked in the windows but I didn’t have the energy to deal with anything but getting cottage number one cleaned up enough so I could be comfortable sleeping there.”
    Officer Larson nodded and handed Hannah a business card. “Thank you for coming in. Here’s my contact information if you think of anything else.” She stared at Hannah meaningfully. “Anything.”
    Hannah rose from the chair and turned toward the door, but before she walked out, she pivoted. “There is one more thing I just thought of. It’s probably nothing, but . . .”
    Officer Larson nodded for her to continue.
    “I heard a couple of loud booms this morning. Actually, the first one, more like a crack, woke me up. After I bumped into Cal, he said there was some blasting in town. The first one, the one that woke me up, sounded awfully close and different from the ones I heard when I was talking to Cal.”
    “Did you investigate the noise when you heard it?”
    “I went outside but didn’t see anything, then Nellie ran off and I followed her down the beach. At the time, Cal’s explanation made sense, but now, well, I wonder if it was the gunshot I heard.”
    “What time was that? I can check if there was blasting going on when you heard the noise.”
    Hannah crunched her mouth and looked at her watch. “I didn’t check the time, but working backwards, it’s almost noon now, it must have been around eight when I heard the first crack?”
    “Thank you Ms. Holiday. Please don’t leave town.” Pam opened her laptop and Hannah assumed their meeting was over.
    Cal was waiting in the parking lot, talking on his cell phone. He snapped it shut when he saw Hannah walk outside.
    “All set?”
    She nodded.
    “Pam didn’t eat you for breakfast?” He checked the time. “Or lunch?”
    Hannah smiled. “It was okay. Glad it’s behind me.”
    He opened the passenger door of his pickup for Hannah, then jogged to the driver’s side and climbed in. “How about we stop at my place for some lunch.”
    “Sure,” she answered since she had no idea where else she could go until the police were done investigating her place.
    Cal drove through town and turned into a parking lot.
    Hannah looked at him. “This is a marina.”
    “Yup, it’s the Bayside Marina.” He parked his truck. “That’s my place,” he pointed, “the white boat with a blue top.”
    “You live on a boat?” She tried to hide the shock in her voice but was completely unsuccessful.
    Cal chuckled. “Yeah, I get that reaction all the time. Uh oh, here comes Chase Fuller, the owner, probably not someone you care to bump into after your meeting with him yesterday.”
    “Well, well, well. Look who my least favorite tenant dragged in.” Chase scowled at Hannah. “I hope you left