Read Online Trawling for Trouble by Shelley Freydont - Free Book Online

Who
you
found. And my guess is there’s a good chance that it is.”
    â€œSo shouldn’t we radio to Bill or something and tell him to be on the lookout for other mafia guys?”
    â€œWe will, but I’m giving Harvey his hour.”
    â€œMouse’s real name is Harvey?”

Chapter 8
    Chaz extricated the peanut butter sandwiches from Liv’s pocket and grimaced. “Sandwiches
pressé
. My fave.” He handed one to Liv.
    It might be smushed, but it looked pretty good to Liv. The slice of pizza she’d eaten at the Zimmerman’s was nothing but a dim memory.
    â€œSo tell me about Mouse. Then tell me what that was all about.”
    Chaz poured coffee into two plastic mugs. Sat down beside her.
    â€œWe played football together in high school. We went to college. I finished and went to LA. He ran out of money, and instead of becoming an engineer, turned to a life of crime. Petty crime. He also works at a garage.” He sighed. “Sucks.”
    â€œYou like him.”
    â€œWell, I liked him in high school. I haven’t had much to do with him since. We run in different circles.”
    â€œBut you knew who to call when you needed information about the body.”
    â€œI thought he was as good a bet as any around here.”
    â€œDid you tell Bill what you were doing?”
    â€œHell no. I didn’t know if it would yield any information at all. And I certainly wouldn’t risk Harve getting involved. Besides I didn’t know that it was going to turn into a big mafia deal.”
    â€œBut you had your suspicions?”
    â€œLet’s just say I had a bad feeling.”
    â€œReporter’s instinct?”
    Chaz didn’t answer, since he’d bitten into his sandwich and his mouth was full of peanut butter. They ate their sandwiches and washed them down with coffee.
    Chaz took their cups back to the sink and looked at his watch. “Well that took twenty minutes. I don’t guess you brought a pack of cards.”
    Liv shook her head. “Tell me what you know about Jimmy the Snail.”
    Chaz began rummaging around the cabinets. “Don’t know anything about him. But if Mouse is right and the corpse was him, and Seamus and Gus are involved, we’ve got some big trouble. If they’re not involved, but the corpse is still Jimmy the Snail . . .” He shook his head. “We’re still in big trouble. What a hell of a nickname.”
    â€œBecause he was slimy or slow?” Liv wondered aloud.
    â€œBoth, probably. Anyway. If it is him and his people think he had something that belongs to them, things could get dicey.”
    â€œAnd Celebration Bay being the gossip capital that it is, it’s bound to slip that we found the body, and that Seamus and Gus were taken in for questioning, so those same people might come after us, or them.”
    â€œNot to mention come after the Marlton-Crosbys, who own the camp, or Manny the manager, or—”
    â€œOh, no!” Liv cried.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œOr the sisters. I left Manny a note to say that I’d taken the fish to the Zimmermans. We have to get back. What if they come and find it? Would they follow it to the sisters?”
    â€œI don’t know. This is all conjecture so far. It might not be Jimmy the Snail. It might be some victim of a bar fight or domestic violence.”
    â€œDid Bill say there had been any reports of local killings?”
    â€œNo, but I didn’t ask him.”
    â€œWe need to get back.”
    â€œYou need not to lose your head. But . . .”
    He took out his cell phone.
    â€œAre you calling Bill?”
    â€œNo, our hour’s almost up. I’m texting Mouse to let him know we need to leave.”
    He sent the text and waited.
    â€œYou know the cops can trace that.”
    He pulled out a second cell phone. “They can trace this.” He held up the one he’d texted from. “But not