by Lois Winston
SLEUTHING WOMEN II: 10 MYSTERY NOVELLAS
Sleuthing Women II: 10 Mystery Novellas is a collection of ten mysteries featuring murder and assorted mayhem by ten critically acclaimed, award-winning, and bestselling authors. Each novella in this set is a tie-in to an established multi-book series—a total of over 800 pages of reading pleasure for lovers of amateur sleuth, caper, cozy, and female P.I. mysteries.
Table of Contents
Copyrights
FROSTED
CREWEL INTENTIONS
NO QUARTER
WHAT THE WIDOW KNEW
THE MAGNESIUM MURDER
HONEYMOONS CAN BE MURDER
SMOKED MEAT
A DEADLY FUNDRAISER
THE COLOR OF FEAR
PAPA’S GHOST
Copyrights
Frosted
©2015 Allison Brennan and Laura Griffin
Crewel Intentions
©2012 Lois Winston
No Quarter
©2017 Maggie Toussaint
What the Widow Knew
©2017 Jonnie Jacobs
The Magnesium Murder
©2017 Camille Minichino
Honeymoons Can Be Murder
©2017 Heather Haven
Smoked Meat
©2017 Vinnie Hansen
A Deadly Fundraiser
©2017 Mary Kennedy
The Color of Fear
©2017 Judy Alter
Papa’s Ghost
©2017 Rita Lakin
All rights reserved. Except for contributors’ use of their individual submissions, no part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
These stories are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locations, or events is coincidental or fictionalized.
Cover design by L. Winston from original artwork by Filitova and Binkski
FROSTED
A Moreno & Hart Mystery Novella
By Allison Brennan and Laura Griffin
New York Times bestselling authors Allison Brennan and Laura Griffin return with a novella featuring private investigators Scarlet Moreno and Krista Hart!
Adam Brock is the hot, up-and-coming actor of a hit movie ... and the ex-husband of Krista Hart, partner in Moreno & Hart Investigations. He cheated on her weeks after their wedding and Krista swore she’d never see him again ... but when he wants to hire her to find out who’s stalking him, she takes the case ... against her better judgment.
Krista and her partner Scarlet Moreno drive up to an exclusive Bear Mountain resort only to learn that there’s no room reserved for them—and they’re forced to stay in Adam’s suite. The entourage that follows Adam thinks he’s overreacting, and all Adam wants to do is play; he’s not acting like the scared over-grown kid Krista had spoken to on the phone. She wants to leave ... until someone breaks into Adam’s suite.
Scarlet has her own troubles, including her obsession with the ambush that nearly killed her and Krista three years ago—and a boyfriend who has suddenly become distant and moody. But the one thing she never has a problem with is getting the truth out of dirtbags, and while Krista digs around into Adam’s life and background to find out if there is a genuine threat, Scarlet interrogates everyone who might have information—when she’s not protecting Adam from his own stupidity.
Is Adam’s alleged stalker just a publicity stunt to gain him press before his big movie premiere? Or is someone really out to get him? Who’s lying ... and who’s telling the truth? It’s up to Scarlet and Krista to not only find answers but stop a violent plot with far-reaching consequences.
ONE
“I cannot believe that I’m doing this,” Krista mumbled for the hundredth time as her partner and best friend Scarlet Moreno drove up Bear Mountain in the brand new 4X4 Jeep they’d rented for the weekend.
“I love this Jeep,” Scarlet said. “The job is totally worth it.”
“You’re letting me sell my soul to the devil for a car you don’t even get to keep?”
“You exaggerate.”
“You haven’t met Adam. You don’t know what a sacrifice this is. I don’t know if I’m going to survive. You should have taken the case alone. Slow down!”
Krista was damn near hyperventilating, and it wasn’t because of the winding road. But Scarlet slowed down. She’d switched into four-wheel drive fifteen minutes ago. The snow had been plowed leading to the lodge, but there was a crunchy layer of ice that made driving difficult. Krista liked driving, but she’d been happy to let Scarlet win the coin toss. She couldn’t concentrate on anything besides seeing her ex-husband again.
“I’d never leave you alone the weekend before Christmas,” Scarlet said. “Your parents are in Florida for the winter. You and that damn parakeet were going to have Christmas turkey together.”
“Ham for Christmas,” Krista muttered. “And Spencer is a macaw, not a parakeet. That’s why he doesn’t like you. You insult him.”
“You’re in a shitty mood.”
“You think?”
“A three-day, all-expense paid trip to the most exclusive resort in SoCal and all you have to do is see your ex-husband. We’ve been private investigators for nearly three years and have never had a cool gig like this.”
“Seeing him isn’t the problem. It’s talking to him. Being in the same room with him.”
Scarlet didn’t get it, and Krista didn’t know how to explain. Krista had been married and divorced before Scarlet had been assigned as her training officer when they’d both been cops in the Los Angeles Police Department. All Scarlet knew was that her ex-husband was Adam Brock, who had surprisingly landed a role as the lead actor’s sidekick in the upcoming summer blockbuster. If Moon Drop did as well as everyone thought it would, then Adam would be able to write his ticket. He’d been a soap opera star as a teen-ager then had a couple small roles after Krista met him during college. Now he was on the verge of being huge, a breakout star because of this one big movie.
He’d cheated on her, and Scarlet was happy to hate him for that simple reason. Krista loved her for it. But Scarlet had never met Adam. She didn’t understand that he had a look. He had a way about him that convinced even the smartest, most self-confident women to do stupid things. Like spontaneously getting married after a weekend of the most amazing sex Krista had ever had.
“Do you regret it?” Scarlet asked.
“Worst mistake of my life.”
Scarlet bit her lip. Krista knew that look.
“Oh my God, no. I do not regret divorcing that slimy, cheating scumbag.”
“Of course you don’t.”
Krista wanted to scream. “You’re impossible.”
“I’m teasing. Lighten up.”
Maybe she was teasing, but Krista didn’t like it. Her marriage to Adam had been a mistake from day one, just as taking this job had been a mistake. Why had she even answered the phone yesterday morning? She didn’t know why she’d let Scarlet talk her into this assignment.
Okay, she did know. For the last three months Scarlet had been obsessed with investigating the Vartarian family. She was certain that the Vartarians had something to do with the ambush three years ago when they’d both been cops–Krista the rookie, Scarlet her trainer. Scarlet had been shot three times and nearly died. Afterward, they’d both left L.A.P.D. and started their P.I. business in neighboring Orange County, and for a while Krista thought Scarlet had put the ambush and subsequent fallout firmly in the past.
Then three months ago, they got wrapped up in an L.A.P.D. corruption
investigation while helping a friend. The case gave Scarlet a few pieces of the puzzle about what had happened when they were still with L.A.P.D. and now she was more than a little obsessed. Their P.I. business had been slow lately and Scarlet was spending all her free time—ample that it was—investigating the Vartarians. Even her brother John, who was working on an undercover investigation into police corruption, couldn’t get her to stand down. Scarlet was a dog with a bone. Worse. She was a starving dog with a meaty bone. Krista was worried.
So when Adam had called Krista to say he was being stalked and needed her help, she’d agreed—though her natural inclination had been to tell him to go to hell.
Scarlet drove the Jeep around a hairpin corner and slowed. “Wow,” she said. “This is better than the website.”
The Gold Rush Lodge was nestled among towering Ponderosa pines covered with a blanket of fresh snow. The sprawling, multi-level resort looked like a fairy tale. It wasn’t as large or populated as the biggest hotel in the area, but it was by far the most beautiful. And they had a spa. Maybe a facial and pedicure would help Krista relax.
She doubted it.
“Gold Rush,” Scarlet said with a snicker. “I don’t think anyone discovered gold within two hundred miles of this spot.”
A valet met them at the covered roundabout. “Welcome to Gold Rush,” he said, flashing an over-whitened smile. He was young and attractive and probably was paid to flirt with them. Krista knew his type. She wasn’t amused.
Scarlet, on the other hand, was acting totally out of character by flirting back.
What was going on with her? Come to think of it, she hadn’t been hanging with her boyfriend much these last few weeks. Krista hoped Scarlet hadn’t dumped Alex. He’d been very good for her.
Krista got out of the Jeep before the valet could open her door. He gave her a warm smile, and Krista read his nametag: Chad.
“Happy to be at your service,” he said in a voice loaded with innuendo.
Krista ignored the comment as a bellhop—as young and attractive as Chad—rushed over to the car to collect their bags.
“We’ve got them,” Krista told him.
Scarlet rolled her eyes and winked—winked!—at the bellhop. “Let him do his job, Krista. We’re on an expense account.” She handed both Chad and the bellhop ten dollars. “Thanks, boys.”
Krista followed Scarlet into a lobby with two-story ceilings and a wall of windows that looked out at a valley dotted with cross-country skiers. For a moment, Krista let the beautiful atmosphere wrap around her. If her life was in order and she had a serious boyfriend, this was a place she’d enjoy. But they weren’t here to relax.
“What’s with you?” Krista asked Scarlet.
“Nothing.”
“You’re acting weird.”
“You’re acting weird.”
“Don’t turn the tables on me.” Something was definitely up with Scarlet, and Krista would find out. She’d rather focus on her best friend than think about her ex-husband.
Scarlet ignored her and walked up to the registration desk. “Scarlet Moreno and Krista Hart. We have a reservation.”
The registrar typed rapidly on the computer. “I’m sorry. I don’t see a reservation under either name. Would it be under a different name perhaps? A company?”
“Moreno and Hart, Inc.,” Scarlet said.
Click click click. “No, I’m sorry. Do you have a confirmation number? Perhaps there was a typo in the reservation system.”
“No,” Scarlet snapped, “there is no typo.”
Krista intervened, though she was secretly pleased that the old Scarlet was beginning to make an appearance. “Sir—” She looked at his nametag. “Mr. Oliver.” She smiled. “Adam Brock made the reservation for us.”
He pursed his lips. “Oh.”
Krista’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
He raised an eyebrow and looked down his nose. “He called down and said two ladies would be joining him in his suite.”
“Oh no,” Krista said. “We’re not in his room. We have our own room. He promised me.” He had, hadn’t he? What exactly had he said? “I’ve got you covered, KayKay.” KayKay—what stupid kind of nickname was that? She hated it. Hated it.
“Ladies?” Scarlet said. “Does that mean what I think that means?”
Mr. Oliver didn’t comment, but stuck his chin out even farther.
Krista said, “We’ll need another room.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible. We have a wedding here this weekend, and every room is occupied.”
“I’m going to kill him,” Krista said. “We’re leaving.” She turned away from the desk.
Scarlet grabbed her arm. “No. He’s paying us three times our rate because we came all the way out here with one day’s notice, so we’re seeing this through.”
The registrar cleared his throat. Krista felt her skin heat and knew she looked like a cooked lobster.
Scarlet glared at the jerk behind the counter. “Find us another room now or—”
The threat was interrupted by a deep, sexy voice that Krista remembered all too well. “Krista? KayKay!” and suddenly her feet were inches off the ground and Adam’s arms were wrapped around her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Adam. Put me down. Now.”
Krista was acutely aware that Adam was not alone. A man and a woman stood several feet away watching, glaring at her as if she were a crazed fan.
And he was the one who’d grabbed her.
Adam squeezed her again before he set her on her feet.
“You look great, KayKay.”
“Krista. My name is Krista.”
Adam smiled wider, revealing perfect teeth she knew were capped. Par for the course, what she said didn’t register. But he hadn’t changed. He was still the sexy, sweet, naive, two-timing ass she’d fallen for. His blond hair was a little blonder and streaky, cut shorter than normal—maybe for his movie. His blue eyes were framed by lashes that any woman would kill for. And his dimples ... What was it with dimples on a guy that made women melt? Not her. Not again.
Adam glanced at Scarlet and gave her the same blinding grin. “You’re Scarlet, right?” He extended his hand and shook Scarlet’s up and down. “It’s great to meet you. Wow.” He looked at Krista again. “A private investigator? I’m thinking about auditioning for a role as a private investigator next month. A pilot. Prime time. If we can shoot around Moon Drop 2. You can help me get into character.”
“No,” Krista said. She glanced around. Terrific. If they’d had a cover, they didn’t have one anymore. Any number of people could have heard Adam announce that they were private investigators. “Adam, they don’t have a room for us.”
“Of course I do! I told you I got you covered. My suite is huge. We have the whole top floor.”
That must have cost a fortune. Adam wasn’t that big yet. But his spendthrift personality had been one of the problems early on in their marriage. Like, on their wedding night when he’d booked a penthouse suite at the Ritz-Carlton. And their honeymoon on Catalina Island. How much money had he thrown around those first few weeks? Krista was frugal. Adam was not. She didn’t want to think about how frivolous he was now that he’d actually landed a good part.
“No,” Krista said. “We need our own space.”
“You have it. You have a room and Scarlet has a room. Hey—Scarlet—like Scarlett O’Hara, right?”
“No,” Scarlet said.
He stared at her blankly. Scarlet glanced at Krista, eyes wide. Finally, her partner understood.
Adam turned to Mr. Oliver. “My girls want their own room. Can you do that for me?”
Mr. Oliver’s tone changed, but his expression didn’t. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Brock, but we’re completely booked this weekend. Had I known earlier, I might have been able to work something out, but with the Harrison-McKinley wedding and all their guests staying for the weekend, we simply do not have any other rooms available.�
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Adam frowned. “I’m sorry, Kay. But I swear you have your own room. I heard you loud and clear. Hands off.” Then his smile was back and he put his arm around her. He steered her to face his two-person entourage. “Dave, Trina, this is Krista. I told you about her.” Krista shrugged out of his arm, and Adam put his other arm around Scarlet. “And her partner, Scarlet. Like Scarlett O’Hara, you know?”
Krista pulled Scarlet away before she kneed Adam in the balls. “Okay, Adam, take us upstairs. We need to talk. Alone.” She was never, never, never listening to Scarlet again.
“Sure!” he said happily. He motioned to Dave and Trina. “Let’s go.”
“I said alone,” she repeated.
“But they’re with me,” he said. “Dave is my manager and Trina is my acting coach.”
Manager. Acting coach. Oh, God, Adam, what have you gotten yourself into?
“Adam,” she said in her sweetest voice, “come here.” She crooked her finger and walked across the lobby. Adam followed like a puppy. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Scarlet sidestep to prevent Dave and Trina from following.
“You look great, Kay. Just great.” He reached out and touched her chin.
She batted his hand away. “Adam, listen to me. Scarlet and I are here because you said you had a stalker and needed help.” When he’d called, he’d actually sounded scared. Maybe that—more than Scarlet reminding her that he was paying well above their usual rate—had convinced her to take the case. “We need more information.”
“What do you want to know? I told you everything on the phone.”
“You told me nothing. You said that someone was stalking you. That you were worried.” That also had bothered Krista. Adam never worried about anything. He was always the hang-loose, don’t-worry-be-happy guy.