An arm steadies me, and I gasp all over again.
“Did I scare you?” She blinks those all too familiar blue eyes my way.
Have I mentioned Pastor Gaines has a type? Dear God. Come to think of it, Mitzi did share the same fair skin and hair, same sparkling blue eyes. Wow, Pastor Gaines had to look far and wide to fulfill his fetish for blonde widows with some serious cash in the bank. Little did he know he was about to hit zippo with my mother. She’s not loaded.
“No, actually”—I struggle to catch my breath—“you just look so much like my mom it caught me off guard. I’ve been missing her.” I add that last tidbit in hopes to elicit a bout of sympathy.
“Oh dear.” She clutches at her chest as if the thought touched her—and that’s exactly how my mother would’ve reacted in the very same situation. “Come here.” She pulls us off to the side. “How long has it been since you’ve lost your mother?”
I open my mouth to correct her but decide to go with it.
“It’s very recent. This last summer.” Something tells me I’m going to have to dodge lightning bolts for the rest of my days for pretending that my mother bit the big one.
“That’s not that long ago at all. They say it takes a full year just to get out of that fog grief lands you in.”
“Oh? Are you familiar with it? Have you gone through a similar loss?” Not that she’d grieve someone she killed.
She hooks her powder blue eyes into mine, and my stomach cinches because it really does feel as if I’m with my mother. Elaine and Mitzi might have passed as sisters, but this woman right here is Miranda Lemon’s long-lost twin.
“I’m painfully aware of loss—just not the kind you’re dealing with.” Her lips quiver a moment the same way my mother’s have been prone to do. “I’m not sure if you’re in the know, but it’s no secret my husband walked out on me last year. People actually think I killed him.” She holds up the plastic machete. “Thus the irony in my choice of accouterments. But don’t worry. You’re not speaking with a killer. Although if I found him, I’d gouge his eyes out with my own bare hands. I wouldn’t let him go so easily.”
“No gunshot to the chest, huh?”
“Ha! Not on your life.”
I make a face because I find this Miranda knock-off to feel mighty credible. “Can you tell me about this man? Why would he take off on someone as kind and pretty as you?” I mean that.
“Greed.” She glances over her shoulder. “I’m only telling you this because I think you need to hear about some other people’s troubles. Maybe it’ll help take the edge off your own.” She tilts her head as she softens her gaze over me. “I’m not sure why, but you remind me so much of my own daughter. Anyway, Stephen—that’s my husband. We had a good marriage. He stepped into the picture shortly after my first husband died, and I fell hard for him. It’s as if he knew all the things I needed to hear, and I lapped it up like a kitten to milk. We were so happy—deliriously happy. He had a small church he started up, only about fifty in the entire congregation, but I believed in him. And, of course, I had the equestrian center.” She glances down to the floor, and I can see the shame building in her eyes.
“Had?”
She nods. “People think I sold it because I wanted to, but that louse I married took off with every red cent I had in the bank. I didn’t want to lose my home. It’s the home I shared with my previous husband. That would be another loss I couldn’t have dealt with. So, I decided to sell my share of the equestrian center I inherited along with my sisters. Thankfully, they both bought me out. And with the money, I had enough to pay off my mortgage. With the rest, I bought this place. It was in foreclosure, and I brought it back to life all by my lonesome.” She shrugs. “It was old and rundown, had seen better days, and didn’t have much hope. The last owner took off on it out of the blue. I guess you could say I saw a lot of myself in this place. Stephen took off one day out of the blue himself and left me in a pile of rubble, too.” She sighs deeply.
“Have you ever thought of trying to hunt him down?”
“Are you kidding?” She narrows her brows my way. “Now you listen here, young lady. Any man who walks out on you is not worth chasing.”
“Not even if you plan on prosecuting him?”
She winces. “And eat crow in front of family and friends? I’m too mortified to tell them how much he swindled me for. And I ask you to kindly not repeat a word.”
“Absolutely not.” How interesting that the common bond between poor Julia here and Elaine Gilmore is that their pride stands in their way of reporting his crime. I bet he played on that as well. Stephen Gaines is a master manipulator, and he knew exactly who he was targeting. “I’m sorry you went through all that. You wouldn’t mind if I gave you a hug, would you?”
She presses out a sweet smile. “I think it might make both of us feel better.”
I offer her a warm embrace, and she squeezes me hard just the way my mother has a propensity to do.
“Take care,” she says, rolling away backward. “And don’t be a stranger!” She takes off like a bullet, and I spot Noah and Thirteen up by the café and swim upstream like a salmon trying to get to them.
“How was it?” Noah asks.
Thirteen hops off his shoulder and lands smack onto the pizza. “Yes, what juicy morsels did the reaper have to share with you?”
“It’s the same story we’ve heard before.” I shake my head. “And none of those women wanted to report him in fear of the social consequences that would befall them of all people. This is just heartbreaking to witness. I wish there was some way to go back in time and wring his neck.”
Thirteen lowers his head. “I’m so disappointed,” he growls it out in sorrow before dissolving in a vat of sparks and stars.
Noah and I take our time finishing up the pizza.
We head over to the front desk and return our gently used skates, and the girl with the shocking pink hair doesn’t even bother looking up from her phone.
Noah wraps an arm around me as we make our way into the brisk autumn air.
“I’ve never had an investigation with so little leads, so few suspects that I actually want to pursue.” I pull him in and look up into those brilliant green eyes. “What are your thoughts, detective?”
Noah hardens his gaze at the roller rink. “I’m starting to think we’re heading in the wrong direction entirely.”
“Can we search his office? His home, maybe?”
“I can get a search warrant for both, but it’s against protocol for me to bring you.”
I bite down hard over my lip. “What if I broke in? You can be my lookout. Come on, Noah. I’m good. I could put this together—we could put this together.” I don’t want to say it out loud, but depending on who killed Pastor Gaines, I might not want to turn them in.
“I could lose everything, Lottie.”
“You won’t. I promise. If it looks as if someone is coming, feel free to arrest me. I won’t protest.”
He closes his eyes at the thought. “I’m not arresting you.” He opens the right side of his jacket, revealing the tip of a silver cuff partially tucked in a pocket sewn into the lining. “Not for real anyway.”
“Ooh. Does that mean this bad baker is about to get put into restraints?”
“I show. I don’t tell.”
“Fine. I’d much rather you take me back to Honey Hollow than to anywhere Pastor Gaines might have gone. I’m not sure I’m that interested in digging around in this investigation any longer.” A thought comes to me. “Listen up. I’m about to give you a hot tip, detective.” I think I’m about to break and enter into the cabin across the street from my home.”
“And I’ll be right there to arrest you.” His dimples dig in.
“I knew you had a naughty streak in you.”
“What can I say? You bring out the beast in me.”
We hop into his truck, and Noah takes off for Honey Hollow as if he were on the chase for a common street criminal.
The
truth is, we’re both on the chase, and whoever did this to Pastor Gaines is about to have their luck run out on them. As much as I’d like to submerge the case, my thirst for justice keeps corking it up to the top.
But when the killer’s luck does run out on them, something tells me I’ll have a hard time turning them in for their crimes.
Once we get back to Country Cottage Road, I end up keeping my end of the bargain and breaking into Noah’s cabin. And Noah ends up keeping his end of the bawdy bargain and lands me in handcuffs.
“I’ve always thought you were arrestingly handsome,” I pant as he bolts the door behind us. “Cheesy, I know.”
A crooked grin flickers on his lips. “I suppose this is a good time to tell you I’m also an FBI agent—Female Body Inspector.” He winces. “Cheesy, I know.”
“It looks like I’m at your cheesy mercy, detective. I suppose you’ll have to inspect away.”
And inspect away he does.
Suffice it to say, a perfectly legal lusty time is had by all.
Chapter 17
A lemon-yellow glimmer of sunshine, the first light of day, greets me as I get to the bakery in the morning.
It’s Saturday, the day that Noah, Everett, and I agreed to head to counseling together later this afternoon. And then after that trauma is over with—tonight my mother is entertaining an entire hoard of horny gray panthers and silver foxes at the big senior soirée her new boy toy Topper Blakley talked her into.
Not that they’re official.
After he got wind of the homicide charges pending, he took a full step back from any kind of a commitment. Something tells me he draws a hard line at assassins. Not that my mother is an assassin. Although it does sound rather impressive. And considering her first victim was a bona fide louse, I’m profoundly dazzled by her marksmanship abilities.
I hop out of my car and head to the back of the bakery. No sooner do I get the key into the door than an enormous cracking sound emits from my right, and I look up just in time to see a weathered old oak tree crashing down in my direction.
A viral scream gets lodged in my throat just as I press myself up against the building and a couple of branches graze my backside—but, for the most part, I’m no worse for wear.
I turn around, only to find the bulk of the trunk smashed over the top of my beat-up Honda.
“No, no, no!” Great. As if people don’t think I’m cursed enough, I almost got crushed to death by a tree of all things. My God, if I had just been a foot back, I would have gotten clobbered right into eternity!
I take in a ragged breath before heading into the bakery and sending a group text to both Noah and Everett.
And as I suspected, they both arrive in record time. What I didn’t expect was for them to arrive together. I let them in the front, and Noah wraps his arms around me while Everett takes off to inspect the damage.
“Geez, Lemon.” Everett can hardly squeeze his way out the door. “It’s like the tree was coming for you.” Once he’s through to the other side, Noah and I join him. They take off to inspect the tree at the base, and I hop over an entire obstacle of branches and leaves to get to them.
“Well?” I carefully navigate my way in their direction. “What’s the verdict? Termite rot?” Wow, if it is, it’ll be up to me to tent all of Honey Hollow since Nell practically gifted me the neighborhood.
Everett and Noah exchange a glance.
“What? What is it?” I say, trying to get a better look.
Noah takes a step back, and I look to where Everett is crouching with his hand over a flat stump.
“What is that?” I say as I inspect the seemingly clean break.
Everett gives a quick look around. “Someone took a saw to it,” he says, getting back on his feet.
“A saw? You mean someone was out here? They deliberately tried to kill me?”
Noah shakes his head. “They most likely sawed it last night. And—if we’re going to go the sinister route, they waited for you to show and kicked it over.”
“Oh my God.” My adrenaline spikes all over again. I press my hand to my chest, only to feel my heart trying to kick its way out. “Cormack,” I pant. “She did this.”
Noah’s eyes grow wild with disbelief. “What makes you think that?”
“Because she threatened me. You saw the note, Everett. The woman is dangerous. Noah, I demand you arrest her.”
“Lottie.” His brows narrow as he pleads with me to reconsider with this tone.
“Don’t you Lottie me. That nutcase almost did me in.”
He whips out his phone. “I’ll ask where she is.”
“She’s obviously hiding in the bushes.” I shiver as I struggle to warm my arms with my hands.
Everett wraps an arm around me, and immediately I’m heated by his body.
He sighs. “Noah, you call your girlfriend. I’ll get Lemon out of the cold.”
Noah scowls up at him as Everett and I hightail it back inside the bakery.
“Everett, you believe me, don’t you?” I ask as he wraps his arms around me once again. His blue eyes are the only color in this monochromatic early morning world.
“Lemon,” he says it sweetly enough. “I’m not sure she has the dedication to come out in the middle of the night in the freezing cold to saw an oak tree in half.”
“You’d be surprised what a great motivator hate can be—and she does hate me.” I make a face at him. “All right, traitor. I’ll go make you some coffee.”
And I do. I make both Noah and Everett my special pumpkin spiced lattés and pull out an array of cookies left over from yesterday while I go bake a fresh batch of everything. As much as I tried to convince them that I was fine and that they could certainly go back to bed, neither dared to leave the bakery.
By the time I pull out a fresh batch of pumpkin spiced muffins for us all, the morning crew rolls in.
Both Lily and Keelie step up and examine the three of us.
Keelie starts in on an obnoxious string of giggles. “Why does it look like Noah and Everett just rolled out of bed and had a rigorous workout?”
Lily smacks her on the arm. “Why do you think?”
“Oh!” I shake my head as I do my best to swallow a mouthful of muffin. “No, they were moving a tree out back just a little while ago. I thought it smashed my Honda in half, but it turns out there’s just a tiny dent over the top of the car.”
“Moving a tree?” Keelie’s voice drops an obnoxious octave. “Is that what they’re calling a threesome these days?”
Lily’s lips cinch a devious smile. “If there was a tree involved, I guess it was a foursome.”
My mouth falls open. “I’m awfully close to pelting you both with muffins. And Keelie, the reason I asked if you could help out at the bakery tonight is because I have a huge order of cupcakes and cookie platters that I need delivered to my mother’s senior soirée.”
“Ooh.” Lily bucks. “I almost forgot to tell you. She called last night before we closed and doubled the order. She wants to have some treats for the guests of the haunted house she’s hosting as well.”
“Great,” I say. “It looks like there will be a fright in every nook and cranny of the B&B tonight.”
Lily zeros in on Noah. “So when are you arresting Miranda? Or is she getting a pass because she’s your wife’s mother?”
Noah glances to Everett, and I wonder if they’ve already discussed the dicey legal waters we’ve ventured into.
“I don’t see her as a flight risk.” Noah glances my way. “And I don’t have all the necessary evidence to make the arrest.”
“You will.” Lily nods. “Sorry, Lot, but face it, your mom has a propensity for offing her boyfriends. I think Mayor Nash escaped a fire.”
“Or dodged a bullet,” Keelie adds.
I shake my head at Noah and Everett. But I don’t say a word that might protect my mother’s questionable honor.
Do I think that my mother had it in her to kill a man in cold blood?
/> I don’t think I want to answer the question.
Soon enough it’s afternoon, and both Noah and Everett have come back to the bakery after leaving a couple of hours ago. They’re both showered and dressed to impress—our therapist. Okay, so maybe a tiny bit of their hard work was for me.
The three of us drive out to Fallbrook and straight to Dr. Frankie Allen’s office where we head right in, single file.
She turns around, her hair in a messy bun, her merlot-colored leather jacket is fitted, and she’s wearing a pair of crocodile textured heels in a matching shade of burgundy. Her smile quickly morphs into a gasp.
“Well, as I live and breathe. Essex, you dirty, dirty dog!” She holds her arms open and he falls right in.
Noah leans over. “Did she just say Essex?”
Mother of all things holy.
How is this possible? I mean, I realize that Everett got around, but really? Our therapist, too?
She’s rocking him in her arms like a baby, her fingers wandering up and down his back like she’s conducting some kind of tactical assault.
“Everett,” I hiss without meaning to. Oh heck, I meant it.
He pulls back and nods her way before taking a seat next to me in the big comfy chairs she has set out three in a row.
“Well”—her cheeks are ruby with color as she takes her seat in her enormous leather chair—“I was not expecting this surprise.” She looks to Noah. “You neglected to tell me your stepbrother was the infamous Judge Bed ’Em and Leave ’Em Baxter.”
So she does know him—in that way.
I shoot him a look for amassing such a reputation to begin with, and his lips flicker like flames too stubborn to give a real smile.
“Yes,” Noah muses. “That would be him. And he is, in fact, the man who decided to interject himself between Lottie and me.”
Everett leans in to get a better look at him. “Lemon chose me.”
“Lemon?” Dr. Allen all but swoons as she wrinkles her nose my way. “Isn’t that just adorable? Oh, how I miss your nicknames, Essex.” A hearty giggle rips from her and she sounds like a donkey braying. “Of course, my nickname was for behind closed doors only.” More braying.
Killer Cupcakes (MURDER IN THE MIX Book 14) Page 13
