A dull laugh bleats from me. “You know me well.”
“Tell me you’ve hit all the bases with that man, Bizzy, or I just might eat all these brownies myself.”
I wrinkle my nose at her. “We’re moving cautiously, but we’re content. Really, really content.”
Her mouth rounds out. “Bizzy Baker, you really think he’s the one, don’t you?”
I bite down on my lip and nod.
“Oh, I knew it!” She gives me a quick embrace. “You’re going to make a beautiful bride.”
I shrink in her arms. “I’m going to make a lying bride. There’s no way I can marry Jasper without telling him about my quirk.”
Georgie sighs. “If you really think he’s the one, then I think you know what you have to do.”
A choking sound emits from me as I shake my head.
“I think I’ll focus on getting these brownies back to my cottage for now.” We say goodnight as Sherlock, Fish, and I head back home.
I can’t think of outing myself just yet. Instead, I choose to focus on something far more relaxing like who could have killed Siena Thompson. I may not be able to solve my own problems, but I can try to solve hers.
And that’s exactly what I’m about to do.
Jasper and I finally congregate in my living room, where we sit on the couch indulging in takeout from Thiam for Thai, our favorite Thai restaurant—the only Thai restaurant in Cider Cove, but evidently the only one we need. Fish and Sherlock are passed out in front of the fire, and if I wasn’t so hungry for the food and Jasper’s company, I’d be envious of their current oblivious state.
“Wow,” I say, setting down yet another empty carton onto the coffee table and leaning against Jasper. “That was amazing. I didn’t think I was that hungry. I was practically rabid.”
“Tell me about it,” he teases. “I was worried I’d lose a hand.”
“Ha-ha.” I swat him with a pillow. “And to think I broke into the café to bring you dessert.”
“Do you have a spare of yourself in the kitchen?” He pulls my lips to his. “Because you’re all the dessert I need. But if you’ve got those rocky road brownies, I’ll help winnow down the pile.”
“Oh, you’re taking one for the team, are you?” I pull them off the coffee table and land them between us. “How about we talk shop for a moment?”
His cheek curls up on one side and those beacons of light he calls eyes latch onto mine.
“You do realize you send me places when you want to talk shop.”
“It’s your love language,” I say, feeding him a brownie, and I watch as his lids flutter and he moans right through it.
Talking shop and brownies? Bizzy Baker is the perfect woman. Bizzy Wilder. I wonder if she’d take my name if we married? I suppose it wouldn’t matter. She’s the prize. My ego can take a back seat.
My cheeks heat just listening to his private musings.
“How is the investigation with the crime ring going?” I ask.
“Not well. This Darren person is a ghost. But we’re still plugging away.”
“Okay, let’s focus on Siena then. We’ll go suspect by suspect. Where should we start?”
“Lady’s choice.” He lifts a brow as if he were trying to seduce me, and I think it’s working.
“Then let’s start with someone who doesn’t quite know how to act like a lady. Mariah Stafford, wealthy socialite, didn’t hide her feelings of disdain for Siena. She openly threatened Siena that day at the Chadwick mansion.”
Jasper pulls the brownie from his mouth. “She did?”
“Yup. She said, ‘Oh, honey. Kiss your daddy’s millions goodbye because I will most certainly end you.’” Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure that was an internal rant. “Anyway, Winnie told me this afternoon that Mariah was having an affair with Siena’s father, Murphy. And that it was Siena who essentially told her dad to knock it off, and apparently he did. Mariah was pretty steamed.”
“Anger—revenge is most certainly a motive. Murphy Thompson, huh? I bet Mariah appreciated his millions as much as she did him. When I spoke to her at the casino, she mentioned her trust fund wouldn’t last forever.”
“Interesting. Money and revenge. Two strikes against Mariah. Speaking of revenge, how about Lucy Miller? She’s worked at the rescue house diligently. And when it was her time to be promoted, the position was given to Siena just because she was Murphy’s daughter. Lucy let me know she felt as if she was pushed out. That management position should have been hers. Instead, she felt as if she got demoted.”
“Mariah mentioned that Lucy never vocalized her disappointment to Murphy.”
“Mariah mentioned it? It sounds like you did a suspect circle with Mariah in the casino.”
His brows meet in the middle. “We came close. She brought up the event happening this Saturday and I did what I do best. I probed her.”
I bite down on a smile. “I can attest to your expertise.”
A dark laugh rumbles in his chest. “Who else is on your suspect list? I’m very close to switching subjects.”
“Why do I sense a probing on the horizon?”
“Because you’re intuitive?”
“I think it’s because I’m lucky.” I give the stubble on his cheek a quick scratch. “Jackson Wellington.” My brows hike at the mention of his name. “Mariah said she saw him head upstairs with Siena that night. And Jackson mentioned there was something he could fess up about, but he didn’t want to open a whole new can of worms for Siena from beyond the grave.”
Jasper narrows his eyes over mine. “You really have a way of making people open up to you. It’s almost scary.”
“It’s a talent.” I shrug. “And I will never forget the good time we had in his office.” A thought hits me. “Which reminds me…” I quickly retrieve that paper from my purse. “Check this out.” I wave it before him and he gingerly takes it.
“Bizzy? Tell me you didn’t steal this from his office.”
My mouth opens and closes. “I didn’t mean to. And you practically made me. You showed up just as I was about to read it. Anyway, it matches up with what I found on the accounting software at the rescue center today.”
“At the rescue center?” His voice hikes with worry. “Bizzy, tell me you didn’t break into the rescue center to invade their accounting software.”
“What? No! Winnie gave me the key.” My lips twitch side to side because I’m half-afraid to laugh.
Jasper closes his eyes a moment. “Tell me what you got.”
I pull out my phone and we juxtapose the breakdown of utilities from Jackson’s office to the pictures I took from the computer this afternoon.
“Geez,” he muses. “Where is the rescue center getting all that dough to give to Winnie? And why Winnie?”
“It’s a donation marked as MCH. Only, I don’t exactly know who MCH is.”
“Fishy,” he says.
Fish lifts her head a notch before plopping onto Sherlock again and using his belly as a pillow. It’s an adorable sight, one that I’ve already snapped three covert pictures of with my phone.
“Fishy is right,” I whisper, lest my poor cat rouses from the dead once again. “We can come back to that. How about Harry Dillinger? Rumor at the rescue house is that he did it. He said he and Siena could have had everything. He went as far as suggesting it was Siena who ruined everything because she couldn’t leave well enough alone. He also mentioned that something new cropped up just before Siena died and the two of them were arguing over it. He made it sound as if Winnie knew what it was. Hey? I bet she does know. Anyway, he said Siena took most of the problem with her to the grave, but that he would work the rest out once he got ahold of the financials.”
“And we’re right back to the financials.” He gives the paper in his hand a quick flick. “What about his sister, Molly?”
“Molly Dillinger?” I try to reflect back on the thoughts she had. “I don’t remember her saying too much. She seemed to get along with Siena. Sh
e did say something about Winnie being the last to apologize for anything. And that Siena just might still be alive if she were.”
“Winnie Capris? What else do we have on her?”
I take a quick breath. “She’s nice. I like her.”
“Killers can be nice. Very, very nice.”
“Well, Winnie wasn’t so nice when it came to Siena. She admitted she doesn’t miss her and implied she was relieved that Siena was gone. That’s pretty brutal if you ask me. And then, there’s this money trail. It’s so odd.”
Jasper and I stare at the financials from the Bow Wow Rescue House for an inordinate amount of time.
Then as if a light bulb goes off in both our minds at once, we say at the very same time, “Murphy Hotel and Casino.”
And that’s exactly who the big donor known as MHC is.
Now to figure out why.
I know just the person to ask tomorrow at that doggie fashion show.
And once they tell me the answer, I have a feeling the answer of who killed Siena Thompson won’t be far behind.
Chapter 17
The ballroom at the Country Cottage Inn is brimming with bodies, both human and canine alike—and one tiny feline named Fish.
Bizzy, Fish hisses and surprisingly manages to say my name with shocking accuracy. I thought I made it clear last Halloween that I wouldn’t be forced into another one of those costume contraptions.
It’s true. Last Halloween I dressed Fish as a pirate, and boy was she ever cute. But she didn’t exactly see it that way.
“You look amazing!” I say, picking her up and dotting her forehead with a kiss. “Besides, if I recall, you willingly let Lucy place this on your head.”
Lucy, much like everyone else, has completely fallen in love with Fish and had the perfect accouterment for Fish to display—a fuzzy lion’s mane that goes on like a hat and secures itself under her neck.
“Fish, you look every bit like the adorable lion you are at heart. And just between you and me, you’re stealing the show. Mind yourself today. Everyone here will want to pick you up and take you home. You’re just that cute. If you feel the need, head back to the front counter for cover.” I give her an affectionate squeeze before landing her back to the floor.
Sherlock is here as well, but seeing that he’ll be a header in the show, he’s backstage getting all dolled up—or more appropriately, dappered up. Lucy found a tuxedo in her collection that fits him perfectly, and I’ve already sent an entire montage of pictures to Jasper. Since the show doesn’t start for another half hour, Jasper still has time to make it here from Seaview. He had to run to his office this morning to work on a few things regarding that crime ring. Apparently, they struck again at an estate in Rose Glen, where a few choice pieces of antique jewelry were stolen from a wealthy couple’s home.
I push all thoughts of jewel thieves out of my head for now. Instead, I take in the sights and sounds before me and marvel at the fact that twenty-nine dogs just might find their forever homes today.
The ballroom at the Country Cottage Inn is a large cavernous room. A heavy carpet with a paisley pattern eats up the floor, and there are a bevy of chandeliers that skirt across the ceiling.
Winnie decided we should have a genuine runway, and Jordy, being the handyman he is, was able to build one quickly over the span of the week. There’s a large glittering banner that hangs over the top of the makeshift stage that reads, Welcome to the Bow Wow Rescue Center adoption fair and fundraiser!
Rows of white ladderback chairs line either side of the long runway, and just about every seat is occupied. There’s still a bit of time before the actual show begins, and I’ve helped Emmie and the kitchen staff set up the refreshment tables along the back wall. The entire room is lit up with the scent of fresh brewed coffee and hot out of the oven rocky road brownies. The sweet treats have been disappearing at record speed, but the more coffee and sugar people ingest, the happier and more energized they seem to become. Hopefully, all that excitement will translate into increased donations to the rescue house.
Georgie jumps in front of me and holds out her arms, and I can’t help but give a little gasp at the sight of her kaftan.
“Wow.” It’s truly the only word I have to describe this.
Georgie’s hair is wild and free—some might say scraggly—but I say it’s adorably so. She’s put on just the right amount of cosmetics and chunky jewelry, but it’s that pooch-printed kaftan that’s stealing the spotlight. It’s a black drape with pictures of every dog you can think of from dachshunds to Dobermans.
“You don’t even need to ask.” She snaps her fingers my way. “I’ll have one made up for your birthday.”
Mom pops up beside us and giggles.
“Don’t forget me, Georgie,” she says as she wraps an arm around her. “I’ll take two. One for Macy and me. Nothing says I like living alone than a couple of pit bulls on your tatas.”
Georgie slaps her hands together. “And you’ll be thanking me for something far more interesting very, very soon. I made a profile for you on the Dependable dating app. Correction: Elvis helped me make a snazzy profile for you. Don’t worry. I fluffed up the details to make you more enticing to an interesting group of men.”
Mom’s eyes bug out in horror, and I think this is a good time to stage a brownie intervention on my sister who stands to our left freely loading up on carbs.
“Don’t look at me.” Macy continues piling the goodies onto her plate. “I can feel your judgment, ladies. If I’m going to be gifted a kaftan, I want to make sure I have the body for it. And Georgie, I want in on that app.”
I’m about to say something when I spot Leo and Mackenzie entering the room.
“Enjoy the show, girls,” I say and I speed on over to say hello. In the past, I would have run the other way from Mackenzie Woods, but now that she’s been hanging around Leo, I find her a twinge more tolerable. Just a twinge.
“Leo, Mayor Woods.” I offer a polite nod their way. “Any chance the two of you will leave with a puppy to call your own today?”
Mack wastes no time in scoffing at the thought. Her dark hair is swept into a bun and she’s donned a navy power suit accentuated with red heels.
“I’m not pet tolerant,” Mack is quick to inform us. There’s an air of a threat in there somewhere.
She’s not people tolerant either.
I shrug over at Leo. “At least she’s honest.”
Mack gives Leo a peck on the cheek. “That I am. I’ll see you both after the show.” She looks my way. “Try not to stumble upon a body. Your cute little party trick is growing as cold as a corpse at the morgue.” She heads for the front like a demon on heels. Mackenzie is the emcee of the event. Winnie thought having her here would lend some extra credibility to the afternoon, but I say all she needed was the dogs. And if she’s classifying Mackenzie in the same department, well then, she wouldn’t be the first person to draw that similarity.
I lean in. “Any news on Camila and the MRD?”
Leo takes a cautious breath. “I guess we’ll know more soon enough. They’re in the lobby speaking with her now.”
I suck in a giant breath. “Oh my God, Leo!” It takes a lot to fight the urge to shake him. “I’d like to say—let’s hope this goes well, but I don’t even know what that would be.”
He smirks. “Let’s just say Camila is getting a dose of her own medicine.”
A mean shudder rides through me. “It’s bad medicine all the way around, Leo. So many things can go wrong with this. I have a feeling there will be hell to pay.”
Speaking of hell to pay, I spot Jackson Wellington entering the room with Mariah Stafford. It’s not until Jackson turns this way do I see he’s holding that precious gray cat I met at his offices that day.
I excuse myself and head over.
“Griffin,” I sing in a cheery voice as Jackson’s eyes enlarge my way.
“It appears my cat’s fame precedes him,” he says playfully to Mariah.
; Shoot. I probably shouldn’t have known that tidbit.
Griffin mewls my way, Don’t worry, Bizzy. Just let him know you’ve seen me around the rescue house. I’m a regular visitor there.
“Oh, I—uh, have seen him around the rescue house a time or two. He’s a prince.” I give the fuzzy kitty a quick scratch and mouth the words thank you.
Mariah gives a polite hello before craning her neck across the room and excusing herself, causing Jackson to grunt.
“Don’t mind her.” He narrows his gaze in the direction she went. “She’s got a boiling pot to tend to.”
I follow his gaze, and as soon as I spot who Mariah is chatting with, I freeze solid. It’s the man with the tan suit from the casino. Darren, I think she called him. And he has, in fact, reprised the cheesy tan suit. Wow, I wonder if he’s here with his burglar buddies? I bet they’re casing the joint for ice to steal. Okay, so I may have seen my fair share of B movies that centered on a heist or two, but it warranted the thought.
Jackson gives a wistful shake of his head to the crowd.
“This is going to be great,” he says. “I just know Siena is smiling down at us today.” I’m not entirely sure that’s true, but it felt right to say. I’d like to believe it was true and I’m sure Bizzy would, too.
I offer him a sideways glance. “Well, the rescue house was her baby.”
He takes a breath. “Actually, it was Lucy’s baby. Siena sort of barreled her way to the top.” He shrugs. “Her father reduced the amount of her trust fund and told her she needed to do something with her life.”
“And she chose the rescue house? That’s admirable.” I think.
He lets out a soft laugh and Griffin closes his eyes as if he were being lulled to sleep.
“I’m not sure how admirable it was.” Jackson stares ahead as if he were drifting to another time and place himself. “She wanted to do something in retail that didn’t entail the labor that retail brings. Once Siena realized she was actually going to have to work for a living, Winnie suggested she join her at the shelter.”
“I’m sure her father loved that. I mean, he does own the rescue house.”
Bow Wow Big House Page 12
