“Come on, hot stuff!” Carlotta shouts up at the unsuspecting painting. “It’s time to rock and roll all night. There are a couple of moves in that kinky mama pamphlet we’ve yet to hit up.”
Greer huffs, “Two can play at that game.” She yanks open that white ruched dress she’s been stuck in ever since the day she was shot dead, and sure enough, there are far too many bare chests within a four-foot vicinity.
“Enough with the rocky mountains,” I say, tossing a throw pillow to Carlotta. “Cover—” A thought comes to me and sends me reeling to get ahold of my phone. “I forgot all about Plum Creek!”
Once I snatch up my phone, I find there’s a text from Everett waiting for me, sent around the time I saw him leave with that mystery lady tonight.
I’m ready for dinner. Can’t wait. Wicked Wok?
My heart breaks just seeing it. But I decide to push that to the side for a moment as I quickly look up Plum Creek, Colorado. The screen populates, and I add Gloria Abner’s name to the mix. A sharp gasp emits from me.
“What do you see?” Greer zips over, as does Carlotta, both of them jiggling far too much flesh for me to look their way, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t take my eyes off the screen.
“Nothing for Gloria Abner, but something for Gloria Markus.” I hold the phone out for the three of us to see as Gloria Abner’s face appears on the screen. “Oh my word. Gloria did this.” I look up at the painting on the wall, right into those dark eyes that look as if they’re penetrating mine. “Gloria killed you, didn’t she?”
The room fills with lightning as the man flies right out of that painting and swoops down toward the three of us with an ear-splitting roar. And just like that, he disappears.
Gloria had a secret—a body—and now I know exactly who that body belonged to.
Chapter 16
Lemon.
I spent all day staring at that text Everett sent this morning. Everything in me aches to respond, but there are no words, not enough letters in the alphabet to convey how broken I am. How hopelessly in love I am with Essex Everett Baxter despite the fact. This is a mortal wound to everything I thought we were. And in the light of day, everything I thought we were is the sharpest kind of lie.
Lily and I spent the afternoon making deliveries to the Evergreen Manor. We went home and changed for the Jingle Hop Ball, and I took extra time doing my hair and face, and putting on a gorgeous black lace and crimson dress I picked up from the Scarlet Sage Boutique. I have no doubt Everett will be here tonight, and I intend on making him sorry he ever thought to step out on me.
My chest bucks at the thought, and I do my best to sniff back tears.
How dare he.
How could he?
Could he?
I shake my head in disbelief as I look around the room, already teeming with bodies. The buffet is set out, and the dessert tables are laden down with every sweet holiday treat I had in my arsenal, but the gingerbread men and the eggnog trifle are the stars of the show.
A rock and roll version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” blares from the speakers, and it seems as if all of Honey Hollow is on the dance floor doing just that—dancing.
“Come on, Lot.” Noah takes my hand and hitches his head to that crowd of twitching bodies. He’s donned a gray suit and a silver tie and looks strikingly handsome with his hair slicked back and his eyes as green as those decorated evergreens dotting the room.
“I can’t.” I shake my head. “I should be here, doling out more trifle. Or see if the coffee needs to be refreshed.”
Lily scoffs as she hands out plates of trifle in her cute silver dress. “I’m getting paid overtime for a reason, Lottie. Go dance with Noah. The odds are good he’s the baby’s father. You might as well play nice. Lord knows your specialty is playing with him. You can’t resist his dimples.”
Noah twitches his brows, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Fine, but I’m going to look like a zombie doing it.”
“A zombie?” Carlotta crops up dressed in a black dress with red and green plumes of some sort dusting it. She looks as if she’s been tarred and feathered, but I’ll be the last to point it out. However, knowing Carlotta, that’s the look she was going for. “I bet Foxy would like to take you out back and smooth out your zombie moves.”
Noah’s phone chirps before he can say a word, and he lets out a deep sigh.
“Shoot.”
“Noah?” I lean toward his phone. “Everything okay?”
“It’s just great. Ivy says she has enough evidence to arrest my mother, and she wants to talk to me.” He squeezes his eyes shut. “I’m sorry, Lottie. Rain check on the dance?” He lands a kiss to my temple and quickly dissolves into the crowd.
A throaty chuckle escapes Carlotta. “Looks as if good old Suze is about to get herself a couple of roommates. That ought to put you in a good mood, Lot.”
“Yeah.” Lily laughs. “I bet you can dance a jig all night long knowing she won’t be around to torment you.” She shudders. “I just can’t believe Suze Fox is a killer.”
“She’s not.” I try my hardest to sound convinced of this. “Or at least I hope she isn’t.” A thought comes to me, and I take in a deep breath.
I forgot to mention to Noah what I gleaned last night about Gloria’s murderous past. It turns out, Gloria Abner was once Gloria Markus, the very woman who killed her husband. She claims the gun went off while he was trying to teach her to use it. She was charged with negligent homicide, was forced to pay a fine, and served a mere thirty days in jail. Once she was released, she came to Vermont and started a brand-new life right here in Honey Hollow. I bet that’s the secret Elodie was in on.
I spot Elodie across the room talking to Candy Brighton, and both of them have on red shimmering dresses.
I’m about to head in that direction when Mom and Wiley dash this way.
“Lottie!” Mom takes in my dress before pulling me close for a warm embrace. My mother dazzles in an emerald gown with rhinestones dotting her neckline. Her vanilla blonde hair is coiffed to perfection, and her cherry red lips show off her perfect smile. “Oh, you look simply stunning, Lottie!”
Wiley nods with an affable smile, and his dimples dip in deep just like his son’s. He’s wearing an odd looking country western-inspired suit with black and white whip stitching and a shoestring for a tie, but he’s handsome to a fault regardless. It’s easy to see why my mother is under his spell—and why Elodie Frost keeps stealing glances in this direction.
“You’re looking great, Lottie,” he says. “How’s my grandchild doing?”
Mom shrugs. “The man is with me, Lottie. This baby is his grandchild either way.”
“Sugar Cookie is doing great. I’ve met all of its odd culinary requests today. And that includes a croissant filled with chocolate and anchovies, but just one anchovy.”
The entire lot of them gags and waves their hands over their faces as if I just let an offensive odor fly.
“What?” I balk. “It added just the right amount of salt.”
“Ooh.” Mom lifts a finger. “Speaking of salty, guess who signed on for a three book publishing deal with Wiley Rose Press?”
I try hard not to roll my eyes because I can see how happy my mother is.
“Was it me?” Carlotta asks a touch too loud as if this were a genuine possibility.
“It was me.” Mom waves her off. “I agreed to the publisher’s demands and I’ll be writing beachy romances with bits of friendship intertwined. Oh, it’s going to be wonderful. Lottie, we must go to that beach house Nell left you in Nantucket for inspiration.”
“That sounds great,” I say. “We should go in the spring.”
Mom and Carlotta start in on an aria of laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
Mom shakes her head in disbelief. “You’re going to have an infant, Lottie. You can’t just pick up and go on vacation. Oh, it’ll be years before you enjoy life again.” She cringes as if reflecting on her own m
emories.
“Tell it to her, sis.” Carlotta elbows her. “That kid is gonna cramp your style, Lot Lot. You’ll be in baby jail for at least a year.”
“Pfft.” My mother laughs. “Try eighteen. And good luck launching them into adulthood in this financial climate. I’d expect a lifelong basement dweller if I were you.”
Carlotta ticks her head to the side. “And it’s gonna have to be the basement. I’m in the spare bedroom.”
“I’m putting you in the basement,” I say to Carlotta and she gasps.
“We don’t have a basement, Lot.”
I nod. “I wondered how long it would be until you caught on.”
Mayor Nash trots up doing a little dance move, and that Santa hat with a bell on the tip jingles right along with him.
“Ho, ho, ho,” he bleats. “You look stunning, Lottie. Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m feeling great.”
“Good.” He leans into my ear. “Try to keep out of danger. You worry your old man.”
My lips press tightly at the warm sentiment. Mayor Nash and I are still pretty new at this father-daughter thing.
“Well?” Mayor Nash gives Carlotta a tap to the bottom. “It’s time to get merry. Who’s hitting the dance floor with me?”
Mom raises Wiley’s hand. “We’re in! Let’s show these kids how it’s done.”
Carlotta links an arm to both Mayor Nash and Wiley. “Say, Foxy Senior, what did you think of my book idea?’
The four of them waltz off into the crowd before I could hear the rest of that conversation.
“Carlotta is writing a book?” I muse just as Lainey and Meg come up.
“I heard.” Meg smirks.
Meg looks like a punk rock princess with her dark hair teased to the ceiling, a black leather dress on, and long earrings that look as if they’re comprised solely of silver tinsel. And Lainey—wow, her figure has snapped back, and she’s letting everyone know it in a hip-hugging green sweater dress.
“Well?” Lainey bumps her hip to Meg’s. “Don’t keep us in suspense. What’s this book about?”
I glance to the ceiling. “I bet it’s a steamy read that can rival any of Mom’s reckless romances.”
Meg shakes her head. “It’s a how-to book. How to hook a man.”
Lainey and I groan.
“She can write that one in her sleep,” I say as I spot Everett from across the room, and my heart leaps right out of my chest. He’s donned a black suit with a gold tie, and my dear God, if every woman in the room didn’t just stop breathing in his honor. But Everett isn’t looking in my direction. His gaze is dead set to the right of the room before he begins to speed that way with a purpose in his step.
“What if she’s here?” I whisper without meaning to.
“What if who’s here?” Lainey looks around as Lily hops over.
“Essex is stepping out on Lottie,” Lily is quick to spill the cheating beans.
“Would you shush?” I swat her on the arm before scanning the room and spotting Evie dancing with her friends. God forbid she hears it like this. “It’s unconfirmed—mostly.”
Lainey takes in a never-ending breath and Meg—well, I’m pretty sure I see fire in her eyes.
“Excuse me,” Meg says, pulling her keys out of her purse. “I’ve got a set of brass knuckles I need to get out of my trunk. Don’t worry, Lot. I’ll start off with a few of my old wrestling moves first when I confront him. I’ve been getting rusty.” She takes off before I can stop her.
Lainey yanks me in by the arm. “I don’t care if he is the father of your child. That man will be missing teeth by the end of the night. How is Noah letting him continue to breathe?” She stalks off in a rage.
“Now look what you did,” I say to Lily as a genuine panic fills me.
“I didn’t do it, Lot.” She sighs as she heads back to her station. “Essex did. Honestly, I don’t know what we were expecting from him. The man has the word sex in his name.”
She’s not wrong.
A million thoughts sail through my mind at once, and my feet just start moving without my permission. I see Keelie over by the buffet and suddenly have a mean craving for my best friend, but before I can get there, Santa crosses my path, ringing a bell, shouting out his husky ho ho hos to garner the attention of the entire room.
He pauses a moment as he spots me and yanks down his beard a notch.
“Lottie, how’s it going?”
“It’s going great, Ebenezer, and you look every bit the head elf you’re supposed to be.”
He purses his lips. “I’ll admit, it feels different doing this without Gloria at the helm, but I’m determined to give it all I’ve got.”
“You’re going to do great.”
A sprinkling of red and green stars lights up just over his shoulder as Kringle blinks to life and glides down Ebenezer’s arm like a luge.
“Weeee!” the happy little mouse shouts as Ebenezer heads off for his throne. “I’ve got a good feeling about tonight, Lottie. You’re going to catch the killer.”
“What makes you so sure?” A part of me is wondering if this has something to do with Suze and her imminent arrest.
Kringle slinks up next to me. “Because we’ve got an unexpected guest.” He points a forepaw to the ceiling, and I glance up to see a phantom dressed in a dark suit soaring over the ballroom.
Ethan Lionel Markus has shown up for the festivities, and he lets out a menacing roar as he rises past the dozens of mammoth chandeliers, shaking the crystal on each one and causing the lights in the room to flicker. His death date was October fifteenth, the exact date Gloria drew the black heart on and the letters RIP.
A round of gasps and screams fills the ballroom as the lights continue to blink in and out, and it takes a few good seconds before the crowd gets right back to the merriment.
“Wonderful,” I grouse. As if this night couldn’t get any worse.
Candy Brighton heads my way. “Did you see that?” She glances up as the chandeliers slow their rhythmic swaying. “Of all things, an earthquake in Honey Hollow. And tonight of all nights.” She squeezes her eyes shut. She has her hair fluffed and curled around her shoulders, and she’s wearing a simple black dress. But she’s jazzed up the look with a necklace comprised of blinking colorful lights, and it adds just the right festive appeal to her accouterment.
“I wouldn’t worry about that.” My lips twitch. “You have so many people here tonight. No matter what happens, the Christmas Angels are going to make some needy families very happy.”
“I sure hope so.” There’s a gleam in her eye that can’t be denied. “Did you hear the news? I mean, you must have.” Her expression irons out. “I’m sorry, Lottie.”
“Sorry? About what? Oh my word, is this about my husband?”
“Your husband?” Her brows pinch. “Are you married to Detective Fox? I thought you were married to someone else?”
“The judge.” I nod with a bit of aggression. “But what were you going to say?”
“I heard a rumor about Suze.” She cringes. “You know, that there’s a real connection between her and Gloria’s murder.”
Kringle gasps. “Let’s go get her, Lottie! We’ll drown her in your eggnog trifle. It’s a pleasant way to go when you think about it. The battle-axe has it coming.”
My lips shift from side to side as I try to decipher whether or not Kringle heard me refer to Suze as a battle-axe, or if he came to that conclusion on his own. It’s pretty much a toss-up.
“I hadn’t heard that.” I take a breath.
“Really?” Candy wrinkles her nose. “Chris and I had a feeling she was stealing from the organization. But there was no way to prove it.”
A part of me wants to pipe up and say that there is a definitive way to prove it, but I don’t. A part of me actually wants to protect that battle-axe.
“I’m sure the Ashford Sheriff’s Department will figure it out. And no need to apologize.” I make a face. “Suze and I have had a
rocky relationship.”
She nods. “Cormack and Cressida told me as much. That’s when I knew you’d really wrap this one up quickly.” She glances to her phone. “Speaking of which, I have to wrangle up the elves. Santa is taking to his throne, and without Mrs. Claus there to greet the crowd, we’ll need an elf or two to step in.”
“No Mrs. Claus?” I grimace as I say it. “Oops, I just realized that Gloria was Mrs. Claus.”
“Oh, we’ve got one. Suze is wearing the costume tonight. Isn’t that ironic? Our first Mrs. Claus was murdered and her replacement is the killer.” She rolls her eyes. “I can’t wait until we get on the other side of the holidays. I’m going straight to Vail.” She takes off, and Kringle takes me by the hand as he pulls and tugs at me with all of his supernatural might.
“Come on, Lottie, before Ethan decides to huff and puff and blow this entire town down. We must find Suze and detain her.”
“Ethan obviously loved Gloria very much to come back and make sure her killer was captured. I mean, Gloria did kill him—even if it was inadvertently. You’d think he might have turned a blind eye to this one.”
Kringle lifts his head a notch. “It is strange, isn’t it? Do you suppose there’s another purpose in him being here?”
“I can’t imagine what it would be.”
The lights in the ballroom dim to pitch a moment before drifting back to where they were, much to the crowd’s delight.
Naomi Turner lets out an aggravated huff as she stalks on by me. No doubt as the manager, she feels responsible for the electrical glitches on such an important night.
“Lottie,” a familiar deep voice calls from my right, and I turn to see Chris Holiday holding up a plate of my eggnog trifle. “It’s excellent. I didn’t get a chance to try it the day of the—well, you know. But now that I’ve tasted this culinary perfection, I’m sorry I missed a month’s worth of eating.”
A laugh bumps from me. “Don’t worry. I keep the holiday desserts around until mid-January. You’ve got a ways to go.”
“Good to know. I saw you talking to Candy. She didn’t bring up anything about Suze, did she?”
Murder in the Mix Boxed Set 28-30: Cozy Mystery Page 19
