“Have it your way, Detective. But I’ll bet you Nessa Crosby had nothing to do with it.”
“A bet?”
I offer a confident nod. “Name it. I’ll win.”
“How about loser has to have the winner over for takeout?”
“That’s destined to happen anyways.” I rock my shoulder to his.
“Then it sounds like a win-win situation.”
I pull him in and a laugh tickles my throat. “It will be. For me.” I glance back toward the café and spot my mother and Georgie getting up to leave. “Can you believe my mother and your brother? He’s the reason she’s so exhausted, by the way.”
“What can I say—Wilder men have very good taste in women.” He pulls back with a mischievous look in his eyes.
“What is it?”
“All right. I’ll tell you, but if word gets around, I’ll deny I ever said it.”
I give his ribs a quick pinch and he bucks with a laugh.
“I give.” He holds up a hand briefly. “I might have another brother who is a bit exhausted today because he spent last night at the hands of a Baker woman.”
My eyes widen in horror as I quickly do the Baker woman math and gasp.
Jasper lands a finger to my lips and shakes his head. “It’s okay. He was more than a willing participant.”
“But—”
Jasper lands a heated kiss right over my lips, and it warms me from the inside out.
Something tells me I’ve already won with Jasper.
All I have to do now is clear Nessa’s name.
And I’m about to spend the rest of my day doing exactly that.
Right after I hunt down that wily Baker woman.
Chapter 10
The sun breaks out through the cloud cover, shining all of its autumn glory over the Haunted Harvest Festival fairgrounds—and the Montgomerys have their farm set up in exactly that way.
This week’s newest addition is a series of tents where local businesses and crafters showcase their wares. And it just so happens to be where I was able to track down a certain quasi-celebrity author and her underling—Ginger King and Scout Pratt.
And knowing that Ginger would be here is the exact reason I decided to bring Peanut along. The tiny black and white puppy leaps and skips with unmitigated joy as he takes in the farm. Okay, so maybe I didn’t exactly tell him we would be bumping into Ginger, but he doesn’t have to worry regardless. There’s no way I’m letting anything happen to him—and he is definitely coming home with me.
I could live here, Bizzy. I love the great outdoors. There’s nothing like a little sunshine on my back to make me feel young again.
A tiny laugh bumps through me. “Peanut, you are a puppy,” I say, giving his leash a playful tug.
I haven’t just brought Peanut along for the ride, I brought my wild-for-the-Wilders sister along as well.
Macy and I hit the hot apple cider booth before we head toward the craft booths and I take a careful sip of my cider before examining my spicy sister. Her blonde hair is stick straight, hitched back behind her ears, and she and I have inadvertently donned matching yellow and black flannels, worn jeans, and cute little suede booties. She’s already pointed out that we’re double the trouble, double the fun.
“How could you sleep with Dalton?” I ask and watch with a smidge of delight as she chokes and gags on her very next sip.
Her eyes widen. “Just cut to the bone, why don’t you.”
“That’s the only way to do things with you, and we both know it.” True as gospel.
“Calm down, Grandma Bizzy. It was no big deal.” Macy makes a face as she stirs the drink in her hand with a cinnamon stick.
“Excuse me? Staying the night is a very big deal. He’s going to think you’re easy.”
“I am easy.” She inches back. “Have you met me?”
“Unfortunately.”
“And before you go spreading rumors to Mom, it wasn’t Dalton. And he didn’t spend the night. It was Jamison, and I slapped him silly until he limped out of my place around three a.m.”
My mouth falls open. “So you chose the attorney? And what is it with you and Mom at three a.m.? It’s like the witching hour with the two of you.”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out. And when are you and Jasper going to lock yourselves in a room until three in the morning? You’re falling woefully behind. Time’s a tickin’.”
My cheeks burn with heat at the thought.
“I don’t know.” I scowl out at the burgeoning crowd. “I told him to talk it out with his ex before we took things further. We’re not even in a real commitment yet.”
Macy scoffs. “So what? I’m definitely not in a real commitment.” Her phone chirps and she laughs like a woodpecker as she reads the text. “Jamison is coming by tonight at eight. He’s got a long day at the office, but he’s bringing takeout.” She sings that last bit.
“Takeout?” I give a wistful shake of the head. “Rumor has it, sharing late night Chinese is the road to a solid commitment. You’re moving awful fast, you know.”
“That’s because I haven’t done anything stupid like asking him to hash things out with his ex. Maybe you really do need a copy of Ginger King’s book on how to snag a man. Did you take notes during that seminar? Mom and I were riveted students and we’ve already netted a Wilder apiece.”
“To be fair, she had one in the hand going in. And please refrain from joking about what she might be holding. I can only take so much.”
We come upon the craft booths that sit under a massive tent with a sign up above that reads Happy Falloween! and I quickly spot a small crowd around Ginger. Scout isn’t anywhere to be seen at the moment, but Nessa assured me they were both here. It was Nessa whom I enlisted to help track them down. Of course, I didn’t mention that it was her hide I was looking to save.
I pick up Peanut, and once he spots Ginger, his entire body goes rigid.
No, Bizzy, no! I’ll do anything not to go with her again. I promise I’ll stop nipping at Sherlock’s tail. I’ll even stop sneaking bites of Fish’s Fancy Beast cat food. Just let me live, Bizzy. Let me live!
I tuck a quick kiss between his ears. “I promise that no matter what happens, you’re coming right back home with me today. You were her link to Shelby. You might elicit some incriminating thoughts. I just want to see how she’ll respond to you.”
Peanut whimpers and hides his face in my flannel. She’ll eat me is how she’ll respond. She’s already licking her lips, readying for her afternoon snack.
“That’s because you look adorably delicious.”
Macy leans in. “Stop talking to the dog and tell me what you want me to do.”
“I don’t know. Tell her you’re here looking into renting a booth for Lather and Light? Come to think of it, why aren’t you renting a booth for your shop? This would be perfect for you.”
Macy grunts, “Because then I would actually have to show up and work. Not all of us have an inn we can ignore, Bizzy.” She threads her arm through mine as we stride boldly in Ginger’s direction.
I make a face. “You do realize what you just said makes zero sense.”
“Only to you, my sweet little sister. Only to you. Now, if you could stay up partying with a Wilder boy until the wee hours of the morning like your mother and me—you’d be far more enlightened.”
Peanut squirms in my arms. That’s a great idea, Bizzy. If you played more with Jasper at night, I could play more with Sherlock. Fish doesn’t care for games as much as he does.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say as I seriously consider taking one for the team.
We step into the booth just as the small crowd disperses.
Ginger does a quick double take at the cute puppy in my arms and her eyes widen, and her expression turns to stone before she jumps to her feet. Her red hair is wild in loose waves, and she’s heavily dusted her eyelids with bright green frosted eye shadow. She’s pretty, stunningly so, and yet there’s a slight plastic element ab
out her overall that I can’t quite put my finger on.
“Hey, I recognize you.” She snaps her finger in my direction.
“I’m the manager at the Country Cottage Inn, and this is my sister, Macy.”
Macy leans in. “I’m looking into a booth for her shop. I mean, my shop. The one I hate to love. I mean, love to hate.” She tosses her hand in the air. “I really just need a copy of your book for my sister. She’s got a good man, but she keeps trying to give him away.”
Ginger laughs. “Help yourself. In fact, I’ll gift you both a copy.”
“Great.” Macy takes off to peruse the merchandise on the shelves set up in the back.
Ginger twists her lips while looking at Peanut. “Funny—I haven’t missed you.”
Peanut glances my way. At least she doesn’t mince words.
“Don’t worry,” I’m quick to tell her. “Peanut is welcome to stay with me as long as he needs to. Do you happen to know if Shelby has any family asking about him?”
He whines and buries his face in my flannel once again.
“Nope.” Ginger digs her fists into her hips. “The little twerp is all yours for the taking. So, have they arrested Nessa yet?”
My eyes flash to hers.
Great. She shoots a quick glance out at the crowd. She probably wonders how I know about Nessa.
Ginger leans in. “It’s no secret Nessa was out to get her. In fact, we all heard her threaten Shelby just minutes before she died.”
“I know,” I say it low. “So, is that who you think did it?”
Her glossy pink lips twist in a knot. “I’m positive Nessa did it. I’d bet money on it anyway.”
Poor Nessa. If this went to Vegas, I have a feeling the odds would be against her.
Ginger rides her eyes over me as if sizing me up. She’s too close to Nessa to think anything bad about her.
She frowns my way. “You don’t think Nessa did it.” She shakes her head. “I get it. She’s your subordinate. She does what you tell her and she’s gained your trust. But you’ll see. This will all come down to Nessa in the end.” You can take that all the way to the bank.
I wrinkle my nose without meaning to. “Well, outside of Nessa, who do you think could have done something so terrible?”
Here we go. She folds her arms across her chest.
Peanut perks to life and opens a single eye in her direction. She’s guilty, isn’t she, Bizzy? Call Jasper and have him cuff her. I’ll be the first to cheer him on.
A quiet laugh bounces through me.
Ginger gives a quick glance around. “Just between you and me, there was some shady stuff going on between Shelby and Scout.”
“Scout?” I practically mouth her name.
She nods. “Did Nessa tell you about their dealings?”
“The meet and greet nightmare?”
A dark brow anchors itself far into her forehead. “Is that all you know?”
I give a quick nod, half-afraid I’ll spook her if I speak.
Her lips swim with a greedy grin. “That’s not all that happened before Shel and Chelsea decided to detonate her influencer career.”
“What?”
Gingers nods as she steps in close. “It has to do with Scout’s cousin. She’s a successful realtor out in Sheffield.”
I avert my eyes at the name of the town. That’s where Camila hails from and works. That’s where Jasper lived before moving to Cider Cove to get away from her.
I lean in. “Why do I get the feeling nothing good happened in Sheffield?”
She tips her head my way. “Because you’re intuitive, Bizzy.” She crimps her lips. “Before Scout’s foray into the deep end of social media, she was working a summer internship for her cousin.”
“The realtor.” I nod.
“Yup. She did a lot of open houses for her cousin. It’s sort of the grunge work in that field. And a lot of those homes were still being lived in. Scout found it creepy standing around in someone else’s living room all day with hardly anyone coming by but one or two people. Once, she had a guy show up and she couldn’t get him to leave. After that, she didn’t feel safe. So, being the sensible girl she is, she started asking her friends to stay with her and the only taker was Shelby.” She leans in. “Can you guess how Shelby entertained herself while the two of them were stuck inside a stranger’s house for hours at a time?”
I glance over my shoulder just as a row of maple trees rain down their fiery red leaves.
“No,” I say, stepping in closer to her. “How?”
“She stole.” A satisfied smile cinches across Ginger’s face.
“She stole?” My eyes widen in horror.
Ginger gives a hearty nod. “Mostly jewelry. Small trinkets no one would suspect were missing right away. Shelby told me they found some money tucked in the back of a closet once. Stole that wad of cash, too. Shelby didn’t need it, of course. It was the thrill of it all. But it gave her something other than a thrill.” She hikes a shoulder my way. “Control. She had Scout in her back pocket.”
I shake my head as I try to wrap my mind around it. “That’s terrible. And why did she want to control Scout to begin with?”
“Who didn’t she want to control? All Shelby’s life she didn’t have a say in anything. Her parents made sure she was well taken care of, but she didn’t have a say in the details of her life, the minutia. I guess you could chalk it up to a poor little rich girl crisis. And Shelby seemed to have every crisis known to man. But as far as controlling Scout, let’s just say she was her pet project. Eventually, though, Scout was confronted by her cousin about the thefts. She thought it was an awful coincidence that every house Scout was assigned to was reporting a robbery. When push came to shove, Scout ratted Shelby out. Scout’s cousin threatened to call the police. Of course, Shelby put that fire out right away. She made it clear that she would find a way to ruin her if she did, and she made an example of Scout to be sure she got the message.”
My mouth falls open. “And that’s why she pulled that stunt with her followers? Wow, she was cunning.”
Peanut cowers and nuzzles close. I can’t listen to this anymore. Wake me when it’s over.
“She was cunning,” Ginger agrees. “Book smart, too.” Her eyes harden as she gazes back out at the crowds. And that’s exactly why I needed her.
I blink over at her. “And what was your relationship with Shelby like?”
Ginger takes a quick breath. “That little beast in your hand was about the extent of it. Scout thought it would be good PR to have something to soften me. She thinks I’m a little rough around the edges. Personally, I think people respect that. More importantly, men respect that.” She leans in, her hand pressed to her chest. “Speaking of which, did you happen to catch a glimpse of that hot homicide detective? That boy can do a full body search on me anytime he wishes.” A sultry laugh gurgles from her. “Don’t say a word, but I’m planning to stop by the Seaview Sheriff’s Department sometime this week with the pretense of checking up on the case.” She jolts back. “Hey? The inn baked those fabulous pumpkin muffins, right? I might stop by and pick up a dozen or so and take them with me. Everyone knows the true blue way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” It takes everything in me not to scowl at her.
A girl staggers in next to me and we turn to find Scout with her arms laden down with cups of steaming cider, a couple of churros, and a funnel cake.
“I got all the food you wanted, Ginger.” She does a double take in my direction. “Hey!” She gives an easy smile. “You’re the girl from the inn. Nessa’s friend, right?”
“That’s me. My sister is looking into getting a booth here at the festival.”
Macy clears her throat. “I’m looking to help my sister land a man. A little honesty goes a long way, Bizzy. And men happen to like it.”
Ginger laughs. “Only on occasion.” She winks my way. “I’ll go sign those books for you.”
She takes
off and Scout heads my way. “Any word on who could have done this?” She gives Peanut a quick scratch between the ears and he slowly lifts his head out of his slumber. Peanut, by far, is the easiest dog to take care of.
“Not yet. But I hear the sheriff’s department is running a forensic test on some evidence they found.” I shrug. “I’m not sure what, though.” I’m not about to sell the farm.
Scout’s mouth rounds out as she glances to Ginger. So they must know.
A breath hitches in my throat. What must they know? That it was Nessa’s gun? Or that Scout herself had reason enough to kill.
She offers a weak smile my way. “Any word on when they’ll be making an arrest?” She swallows hard, and I can’t help but think she’s looking guilty.
“No. I don’t have any idea if they’re at that point yet.”
Poor Nessa. She shakes her head as she glances back to Ginger. She will never know what hit her.
My stomach churns just hearing it. Another strike for Nessa. But in my heart, I can’t seem to agree with any of them.
Macy and I collect our signed copies and thank Ginger profusely. We say goodbye to the two of them and filter our way back into the crowd with Peanut still cradled in my arms.
And all the way back to the inn, those cryptic words ring out in my mind.
Poor Nessa.
Chapter 11
Once or twice a season, my mother and Georgie will unite unlikely forces in the ballroom right here at the inn and host an afternoon craft festival of their own. The two of them each bring the supplies for a relatively easy craft—and any and every guest of the inn is invited to participate. Judging by the turnout, most have decided to do just that. Even Gwyneth and Camila have joined the ranks of the crafty this morning. Not that it should surprise me. They already have the cunning part down pat.
I head into the ballroom and set down another couple of platters of the café’s pumpkin spice mini muffins. I do a quick inspection of the hot apple cider carafes to make sure the refreshment table is amply supplied, and all is well on that front.
Georgie has everyone making adorable pumpkins made out of old flannels she picked up at the secondhand store, and a brand new roll of toilet paper. Yes, toilet paper.
Dog Days of Murder (Country Cottage Mysteries Book 2) Page 11
