by Unknown
“Good.” I blow out a breath. “I’ll head to Ashford first thing in the morning and talk to Ivy.”
Evie hops up. “Don’t worry. I won’t say a word. I want that witch to be surprised when she’s handcuffed for tormenting me. Points if I’m there to document it for my Insta account.”
She takes off for her room, and Everett lands on the sofa.
“Tell him,” Lottie says as she looks his way. And judging by that look on her face, whatever it is he’s about to tell me isn’t all that great.
“I said no to the deal.” Everett glares my way as if it was all my fault, and he would be right.
“That’s great,” I say. “That means you’ve got a shot. Now, all we need to do is find a defense that will cast doubt in that jury.”
His jaw clenches as he lets out a sigh. “Let the good times roll.”
“They will,” I tell him.
I don’t know how, but I will lose sleep every night until I come up with something.
There’s no way I’m going to let Everett fry for my boneheaded move.
We call it a night, and I head off to bed.
True to my word, I don’t sleep a wink.
All I can think about is getting to Ashford in the morning to put the wheels into motion for the capture of the person who dared to threaten my niece.
And then there’s Everett, staring me down from the recesses of my mind.
He’s ticked, I get it. He’s not too thrilled with me at the moment. I’m not too thrilled with me either. I’d trade places with him if I could.
But there’s no chance of that happening.
He was spotted at the scene.
His face was captured on tape.
He confessed.
I lied to him last night when I told him he had a shot. Outside of a miracle, he doesn’t have a chance in hell putting doubt into that jury’s mind.
A miracle.
That’s exactly what he needs.
And if it’s one thing I’m not, it’s a miracle worker.
Sleep continues to elude me for the rest of the night. I get up and head for the fridge and pull out some milk.
And just like that, I think I found that miracle.
Lottie
My mother’s B&B has always held a quaint and homey appeal, but tonight, the Rendezvous Luxury Resort is a far cry from the pleasant environment my mother once cultivated here. It’s Valentine’s Day, and I’ve donned my best red dress and comfiest shoes I could find. I’m not quite sure which shoes I actually managed to squeeze my swollen feet into, but Everett assured me they were a match.
It’s wall-to-wall bodies inside the foyer, inside every main artery, and the staircase is filled with couples dripping over one another. Both the library and the dining room are filled to capacity, but the thick of the crowd is in the conservatory.
Raucous music is thumping out of the speakers, the lights are dim, those strange hot pink lights are swirling, and the scent of spiced cologne and sugary perfume clots up my senses. A giant sign reads Welcome to the Love Your Selfie Valentine’s Day Soiree! The only person you need is YOU!
“Figures,” I mumble to myself as I take it in. Cressida and Cormack are experts at loving themselves. It shouldn’t surprise me that the focus of this night is something so self-centered.
But Noah and Everett are two people who are anything but self-centered. Noah is still in Ashford working on the case with Ivy. He says they’re very close to getting all the proper wheels in motion for that impending arrest. In the meantime, they’re trying to figure out if Sugar could also be the killer. I’d like nothing more than to kill two birds with one legal stone.
And Everett is running late because Bear needed him to shore up some details concerning the construction of the new house.
Lily and I just set out platters and platters of nothing but raspberry tarts. I told Cormack and Cressida it was crass to serve the very dessert Verity died eating while devoting this night to her. Although, to be fair, I don’t see any sign that should lead me to believe this is a memorial of any kind.
“Lottie.” Greer Giles flies my way with her dapper ghostly plus one by her side. Greer looks particularly gorgeous tonight with her sparkling dark hair and her lips shining a deep ruby red. “That’s it. We’ve tried everything.”
Winslow nods. “I even enlisted a few feral poltergeists from up north. They’ve worked side by side with us all month to no avail.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “And by the way, happy death day, Greer.” It just so happens to be the anniversary of the day she crossed over to the other side. “I hear the amped-up hauntings around here have been a hit.”
A blonde whirlwind bustles in this direction, and before I know it, Cormack and Cressida are standing before me in all their pink sparkling terror.
Cressida cackles like the witch she is. “You’re darn right those hauntings were a hit, Libra. It just goes to show those ghosts are happier than ever. Don’t worry. Your mama is still a valued employee. And we plan on keeping her around for a very long time.” She gives Cormack a sour look. “Unless she doesn’t shape up when it comes to making up the guests’ bedrooms. I couldn’t bounce a quarter off the sheets this morning. She keeps this up, and she’ll be let go by noon tomorrow.”
A growl emits from me. “Cressida, why is my mother doing the housekeeping around here? I thought she was keeping her role as guest relations and working the registration desk?”
Cressida’s lips pucker. “Oh, she does that, too. But now that Macky and I are businesswomen, we need to save a dollar where we can, so we’ve let the rest of the staff go.”
Greer’s aura takes on a fiery hue. “It’s true, Lottie. They’ve fired everyone. The only people left are your mother and Wiley.”
Winslow snorts. “Wiley’s too preoccupied with his publishing company to deal with the B&B. And by preoccupied, I mean napping. He claims his best marketing ideas come to him in his dreams.”
I make a face at the idea just as Cormack cranes her neck into the crowd.
“Where’s Big Boss?” she snips. “I’ve got a bead on who the killer is.” Her thin lips twist like a pretzel. “And don’t think I’m blowing the killer’s cover to you, Landry. I worked hard all month slicing and dicing this case to pieces until I had all the pieces to put together, and put them together I did.” She gives a cheeky wink before waving to someone in the crowd, and both blonde ditzes do a disappearing act as they dive into the sea of bodies.
Little Lea stalks up with her hair combed over her eyes as she floats up toward me, that machete still firmly embedded in her hand.
“Shall I kill them in their sleep?” she offers.
Thirteen, their friendly, albeit long since deceased black cat, hops to the top of Lea’s head.
“I’ve been sharpening my claws.” He twitches his whiskers as he says it. “A scratch across the cheek is just the trauma they deserve.”
“You might be right,” I say. “In fact, any blemish to their complexion might be cause for them not to get out of bed. But something tells me not even that would shoo them from the B&B. I’m afraid we’ll just have to live with them until we can figure out what to do.”
Greer lets out a ghostly growl that sends the chandelier up above rattling away.
She shrugs over to Winslow. “If we can’t get them to give up the B&B, the least we can do is ruin their party.” The four of them take flight, and within seconds the tarts are flying, the music is skipping, and the lights cut out intermittently, and sadly no one seems all that concerned.
Perfect.
Every aspect of my life is falling apart, and there’s nothing I can do about any of it. I wrap my arms around my enormous belly as if that could somehow protect my sweet little sugar cookie from the ills of this world.
Across the way I spot Evie and her friends as they dance to the music, laughing, and snapping pictures of the crowd around them.
Everett and I were ambivalent about letting her come, but since
we knew we would both be here, we figured it might just be the safest place for Evie.
Carlotta bops up wearing a tight red dress with giant heart-shaped earrings. Her hair is teased to the ceiling. In one hand she has a glowing pink drink, and in the other she’s cradling Teddy as the sweet little specter swings from her neck.
“We spotted the killer,” Carlotta says as she takes a sip of that concoction she’s holding.
Teddy nods my way. “I knew Carlotta would get to the bottom of this sooner than later. It’s just a shame that my sweet Sugar was involved. She must have had a hard time of it once I was taken from her. I dare say she’s lost her mind.”
“Someone has lost their mind, all right,” I say to Carlotta. “Please don’t even whisper anything about the killer. If she gets wind that we’re onto her, she could take off and live to torment Evie another day. We need to play it cool.”
The music hikes up and the crowd shakes its limbs with a little more vigor, and I narrowly escape getting my belly bumped as Carlotta does her best to shuffle us off to the side.
“We need to get you an iron dress, Lot,” she says, dusting off my bulging tummy.
“Carlotta always has the best ideas.” Teddy chortles.
“I couldn’t move in an iron dress,” I grunt. “In fact—” I hold out my arms to display the long crimson velvet number I’ve donned and accidentally smack my arm over someone’s chest. “Oh! I’m sorry,” I say as I turn to find Juliet blinking back as her hands rise a moment to protect herself.
“Lottie, hold your fire.” Juliet laughs as she adjusts her purse over her shoulder. She’s donned a white cardigan with pink and red hearts, and it looks perfectly scrumptious for this heart-shaped night.
“Juliet, did you make this cute sweater?” I ask, giving her arm a quick pat.
“I did.” She wrinkles her nose as she looks down at it. “It was my very first attempt at a cardigan all those years ago. Good thing the lighting in here is so poor, or you’d see all of the mistakes.”
“Well, it’s gorgeous and it looks sweet enough to eat,” I say.
Carlotta chuckles. “I’d watch that sweater if I were you,” she tells her. “Once my Lot gets a craving, there are no lengths she’ll go to procure that cotton candy cutie for her belly.”
Juliet chuckles right alongside her. “Funny you should mention that, but it’s actually why I went into knitting.”
I lean in. “You had a craving for a cardigan?”
“My doctor told me to add more fiber to my diet, so I took up knitting.”
The four of us share a warm laugh.
“I’m teasing.” She flicks her wrist. “But I could go for one of your raspberry tarts. It looks as if everyone here has one in their hand.”
“They’re right over on the refreshment table.” I point over to the tempting display. “Help yourself to as many as you like.”
“I will,” she says. “I’m a sucker for a good preserve.”
“It’s baker’s jam, actually,” I’m quick to confess. “Raspberries won’t be in season until summer, but well, Verity had requested them.”
“I can’t blame her. They are delicious.” She takes off just as Teddy floats my way.
“Oh dear, there’s Sugar.” The tiny specter points her razor-sharp nails toward the foyer, and sure enough, Sugar is standing there in a little pink dress, having it out with Chad Harris, of all people. Chad has his hair slicked back and a black leather jacket on, looking like the bad boy he is.
“Say, Lot”—Carlotta pulls my elbow toward her—“isn’t that Verity’s old stinker of a boyfriend?”
“It sure is,” I say just as Sugar stalks off in the direction of the library, and Chad walks straight for us, looking a little miffed by the exchange.
“Lottie.” He nods my way, and just as he’s about to push past me, I jump in front of him. “Whoa.” He comes shy of patting my belly. “It’s as if you’ve got a missile shooting out of your dress. I’d hate to bump into you.”
“I’m fine,” I assure him. “You look tense. Is everything all right?”
He smacks his lips. “Let’s just say I gave love a shot, but Cupid wasn’t in agreement with me. And in her defense, it was more lust on my part than it was love. But a guy’s gotta try, right?”
“You keep on truckin’, honey,” Carlotta is quick to encourage him with a pat to the back. “If one fish spits in your face, you just jump right back into that barrel and shoot another.”
“Carlotta,” I scold her before turning his way once again. “What she’s trying to say is there are other fish in the sea.” My lips crimp. “I guess that means you’re getting over Verity.”
“I’ll never get over her.” His face contorts with a look of grief. “But I’m not against finding someone to take the sting away either. Sugar and I go way back. She’s the one that introduced me to Verity. But it’s not happening, at least not at this moment in time. Have a great night, ladies.” He takes off, and Carlotta watches him go with her eyes bulging.
“Woo-wee, Lot. A couple of more strikes and that young stud will be primed for a cougar like me.”
“Ooh,” Teddy muses. “You’re quite the go-getter, Carlotta. Solving crimes and livening up your love life all at the very same time.”
“More like robbing the cradle,” I mutter. “Carlotta, it’s Valentine’s Day. Shouldn’t you be spending it with Mayor Nash?”
“Oh, I am,” she hisses. “But he won’t be breaking into the house until two in the morning. It’s up to me to keep myself occupied until them.”
“That does sound exciting,” Teddy coos. “Fighting crime and making time for love. You should really take a page out of Carlotta’s book, Lottie. She has it all together.”
A choking sound emits from me, but before I can say a word, Bambi Bailey spins her way over like a tornado.
“Great party!” she shouts above the music. “Verity would have loved it!”
“I’d like to think so.” I shrug. “Technically, it’s in her honor.”
Bambi smirks. “As long as she didn’t have to pay for it.”
“That cheap, huh?” Carlotta asks.
“She wasn’t just cheap, she was barely squeaking by,” Bambi tells us. “Things were about to take off for her, but she was smart enough to keep her gig at the Craft Emporium. Can’t blame her. Judging by the way she was living, they paid her pretty darn well. Who knew all the real money was in arts and crafts?” She cranes her neck toward the crowd. “I see Evie. Believe it or not, that kid is turning into a real celebrity. Now let’s see how much it’ll cost me to get a little dirt on her. Her friends look ripe for the picking.” She takes off, and Carlotta scoffs in her wake.
“Are you just going to stand there and let her get away with that, Lot Lot? She’s about to get the lowdown on your baby girl.”
I shake my head. “All she’s going to do is lose some cash and maybe a bit of her sanity. Evie doesn’t have any secrets.”
“Yeah, but what about my secrets?” She tosses Teddy my way as she struggles to find Evie in the crowd. “I’d best go keep an eye on things. Bambi is hungry for secrets, Lot. And those kids are hungry for dollar bills. It’s one thing for a handful of kids from Honey Hollow to be let in on my mastermind schemes, but it’s a whole other beast to have them published online. Before we know it, women the world over will be nailing my dating commandments to the wall, and then it’ll be curtains for me. I’ll be just like everybody else.”
She stalks off, and I shake my head at Teddy. “Believe me, I know nothing about Carlotta’s dating commandments.”
Sugar comes up, and both Teddy and I gasp. That little pink dress seems to show off quite a bit of skin, and that armful of gold bangles jingles with her every move. The exact same bracelets that she wore the night of the murder, just like the one she dropped in the snow as she was poisoning Verity to death by way of one of my innocent desserts.
“Here she is, Lottie.” Teddy’s voice trembles. “The woman
who’s been threatening Evie. And she might just be the killer, too. I always knew Sugar was a go-getter herself.”
I take a moment to shoot the fuzzball in my hands a look. Teddy is forever the cheerleader, and always cheering on the wrong person, too.
“Sugar.” I tip my head to the side as I shed a sad smile. “It’s nice to see you here tonight.” And oddly, I mean it.
“It’s nice to see you, too.” She gives a mournful look into the conservatory behind me. “I’m not sure I can go in there. As much as Verity and I weren’t getting along, this place only makes me miss her all that much more.”
“She stole your pet. She bullied you,” I point out. “She’s the reason your grand opening was a no-go. I can’t imagine you’d miss her all that much.” I can’t bring myself to smile at her. Not after the way she’s treated Evie. This woman is clearly a psychotic.
“Aw,” Teddy coos. “Isn’t she the sweetest? My Sugar always did have the biggest heart.”
I shake my head at the mixed-up marsupial. Clearly, she’s only been trained to see the best in people, and often gets the details wrong.
“And there’s Evie,” Sugar marvels. “Look at all those people mobbing her. She’s quite the popular girl, isn’t she?” Her eyes cut to my belly and I gasp.
“Is that a threat?” I hiss the words out without meaning to. Okay, fine. I very much meant it.
“Excuse me?” She blinks as she takes a step back.
“You heard me.” My voice is tight as I step in her direction. My hormones are surging, and a rage burns within me like I have never felt before.
“Lottie, are you okay?” She squints over at me as if trying to solve the riddle that I’ve become.
I’d better pull it together before she skips town.
Noah and Ivy will most likely be here soon, and I’d hate to ruin everything.
My hands rise over my belly. “I’m teasing. You’ll have to excuse my sense of humor.” I swallow hard. “My hormones are all over the place.”