Read Online The Maine Mutiny by Jessica Fletcher - Free Book Online Page A

lady, want a comment from me?” Holland said. He stood with a small knot of his friends, who grinned at his cheekiness. I was sorry to see Evan Carver among them.
    “I’ll give you a comment,” Maynard said, rocking his pelvis at her.
    “Aren’t you a scurvy-looking group?” Evelyn said, her pen poised above her pad. “But I’ll bet you know where to find rotten bait, don’t you, boys?”
    “I smell something rotten in here right now,” Holland said, sniffing at her.
    “What’re you talking about, Brady?” Maynard said. “This lady’s a honker. You like ’em big, don’t you?” He put his arms out to Evelyn. “Want to go to a party? We could party some with you.”
    “Knock it off, sonny, or I’ll tell your mother,” Evelyn shot back. “And don’t think I don’t know who she is.”
    “C’mon, Maynard, let’s get out of here,” Evan said.
    “Don’t be so spleeny, Carver,” Maynard said to him. “She’s not gonna hit you.”
    “Suit yourself,” Evan said, and headed for the door.
    Confident Evelyn could handle herself with the young toughs, I followed Evan and made my way through the crowd of lobstermen outside to the dock. I didn’t see where Evan went, but Levi was waiting for me.
    “I’m very grateful—” I began.
    Tapping the crystal on his watch, he interrupted, “We’ll meet here at five A.M. tomorrow. The forecast looks good. Bring lunch for yourself. You have any waterproof gear?”
    “I do,” I said. “And thank you.”
    “Don’t thank me. It’s Mary deserves the thanks.”
    “I’ll remember that.”
    “I have to find someone inside. I’ll see you at first light.”
    “I’ll be here,” I said.
    “We’ll leave if you aren’t,” he said, and pushed back into Nudd’s, past the men exiting the meeting.
    Spencer stepped to the side to let Levi pass, just as Brady Holland and his friend Maynard came out the door. Holland put his shoulder into the old man and knocked him to his knees. The contact was a deliberate attempt to humiliate Spencer Durkee. Outraged, I stepped forward, prepared to give Holland a piece of my mind and to assist Spencer to his feet, but a hard look from Benjamin Press stopped me where I was. This was not my business, his eyes said. He looped a hand under Spencer’s arm and hauled him to his feet. “You okay, Spencer?” he asked.
    “Sure, Ben. Thanks.”
    “Can’t even keep your legs on land. How ya gonna stay upright to fish?” Holland said over his shoulder as he passed the men.
    “Clumsy kids,” Ben said, steadying Spencer.
    “They’re more’n that,” Spencer said, dusting off his trousers. “Don’t think I don’t know what you done,” he called after them. “You better watch your step. I’ve got friends, too. I’ll get even. You’ll find yourselves facedown in a barrel of bait. And I’ll be there to whack your bottoms.”
    Maynard turned and walked backward. “You never shoulda been on that committee,” he said. “You fub everything you put a hand to.” He turned back to Holland, elbowing his buddy and chuckling as the pair swaggered toward the parking lot. “Told him good, didn’t I, Brady?”
    Spencer started to go after the young men, but Ben held him back. “Don’t bother,” he said. “They’re lackin’ the wits they were born with. Next time they ask one of us for advice, they’ll find out what we think of them.”
    “I didn’t screw up,” Spencer said. “Pettie, that sanctimonious pen pusher, he tricked me. I’m gonna get even with him, too.”
    “Yeah, yeah, not here. We’ll talk about it later.” Ben put his hand on Spencer’s shoulder and they walked away.
    “What’d I miss?” Evelyn said coming up behind me.
    I turned to her. “Holland knocked Spencer over,” I said, “and it wasn’t accidental.”
    “Stupid punk!” she said. “You didn’t try to help him up, did you?”
    “No,” I said, “but I wanted to.”
    “They’d think the cure was worse than the disease,” she