Page 19 of Christmas Fudge Fatality

“The fact that I’m moving up the suspect list in Tamara’s murder investigation.” I don’t mind saying it so freely since it’s just Lily and me in the bakery. We closed an hour ago and the rest of the staff already left to get ready for my mother’s mass dating debacle in the making. Apparently, all of Honey Hollow is invited, and every lastsinglesoul has accepted her invitation.

“Youare a suspect?” Noel lets out an egregiously bark—so loud I’m shocked Lily didn’t hear it.

“But”—I hold up a hand—“I didn’t do it. I just need to know why two different people thought they heard Tamara talking to me that night. And they both claim I was the last person they heard doing so.”

Lily strides in while taking off her apron. “I’ll tell you why.”

I take a quick breath.

Okay, so I may not have counted on the fact Lily might have been listening in on my private, personal conversation—very personal if you count the fact I was basically talking to myself.

“What do you mean you can tell me why? Don’t tell me you heard Tamara talking to me, too.”

I know for a fact Lily was nowhere near the vicinity of the woods when Tamara was pushed to her death.

“I sure did.”

Noel barks up a storm. “Are you the killer, Lottie? Did you do this?” His mouth latches onto my heel and I quickly lift my foot.

“Lily, explain yourself before the dead themselves come back to haunt me—not that they haven’t already.” I make a face at the adorable pooch.

“Well, here, I’ll show you.” Lily leads me into the office and clicks on the ancient answering machine I keep around, only because I haven’t gotten around to switching to a digital service just yet. But in truth this is so much easier. “She called that night. I figured you knew. I heard her mention she just talked to you about it, so I went back to the registers.”

“Oh my gosh!” I dash over to the answering machine, but she beats me to it.

The sound of white noise rushing in the background fills the room with its static and sizzle.

“Hi, Lottie! It’s Tamara. I just spoke to you, but I thought it was best I call before I forget. I wanted to put in an order for enough of your chocolate walnut fudge to feed at least two dozen people. I have—” The sound of a muffled voice shouts something from a distance. Tamara says something unintelligible. It sounds as if the static increases. “I don’t have it, I said.” Tamara’s voice sounds strained as if she were pushing something—like an attacker away maybe? The sound of a female comes in clear, saying something at a quickened clip, her voice filled with annoyance.

Lily and I exchange a quick glance.

Noel leaps and pants. “It’s a woman, Lottie!”

I nod over to him just as both Tamara and the female speaking to her dive into a heated unintelligible exchange.

“Look wherever you want.” Tamara’s voice comes in clear. “You won’t find them because I don’t have them.”

The female with her says something garbled then something that sounds likedid he sell our?

Tamara protests again, and the female shrieks and Tamara screams.

The sound of the phone dropping with a thunk takes over, and then it sounds as if it’s tumbling down the embankment right along with her before the line goes dead.

“Oh my God.” I can hardly breathe.

Lily plays it again for me, and this time I record it with my own phone. Both Noah and Everett are waiting for me at my mother’s, and I need them to hear every word.

Lily shivers. “Who do you think did this, Lottie? Who was she?”

“I don’t know, but whoever she is—I’m fairly certain she’ll be at my mother’s shindig tonight.” My own body shivers at the prospect.

Whoever killed Tamara is a woman.

I guess you could say it’s Scott Gray’s lucky day.

Chapter 9

My mother’s bed and breakfast is lit up like a frosted gingerbread house with the twinkle lights woven in soft waves around the eaves.