Page 6 of Christmas Fudge Fatality
“Lainey.” I dash over to my sister and pull her into an embrace with Waffles sandwiched between us.
Bonnie, Joyce, and Stacy all let out a morbid howl at the very same time and it sounds like a horrid aria.
“He’s done it!” Stacy cries. “Oh my God.” She’s quick to bury her head in her hands and Lainey speeds over to help her old friend.
I shake my head at the sight as tears come to my eyes. “It’s an open and shut case.” I look to Noah and Ivy. “Find Scott. I think you’ll have your killer.”
A set of heavy footsteps stomps in this direction and the entire lot of us turns to find Scott barreling this way,
“What’s happening?” he bellows. “Is it true? Is Tamara dead?” He stops just shy of the broken fence and looks down at the scene, his face contorting into a genuine look of terror. “My God. Did she jump?”
“No!” Joyce riots in his face just as Noah jumps in and pulls her away from him. “You did this! You pushed her to her death! And now you’re going to pay.” She shoves Noah off of her as she backs away, her eyes still pinned with hatred over Scott. “I’ll make sure justice is done. You’re going away for a long time, mister. I’m hoping forever.” She takes off for the tree lot once again and Bonnie is slow to follow.
Scott turns to the crowd of onlookers, his eyes growing wider by the moment.
“I didn’t do this.” He raises his hands as if it were a stick-up. “I’m innocent. I don’t know how she got to the bottom of that ravine. But it wasn’t me who put her there.”
Noah nods as he and Ivy shuffle Scott off to the side and begin their interrogation.
I shudder as I lean against Everett. “Boy, that was ugly.”
“I’d have to agree with you. Hopefully, this will get straightened out quickly.”
“Straightened out?” I balk up at him. “Everett, I don’t care how much he protests. The man is clearly guilty.”
Everett pulls his lips back, no smile. “Lemon, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in all my years in law, it’s that no one is guilty until proven so.”
I don’t need proof. But I don’t dare say that out loud either.
Before we know it, an entire legion of deputies shuffles us all out of the woods as they block the area off with bright yellow caution tape.
The crowds at the tree lot scamper in every direction at record pace, and yet somehow in the melee I spot Mom and her best friend, Chrissy Nash.
“Mother!” I speed over, dragging poor Everett along with me. “Mom, I need you to do a huge favor. Please take Pancake and Waffles home for me.” I hand her Pancake and she pulls him close to her.
“Lottie? What’s happening?” She cranes her neck past me. “Hello, Judge Baxter.” She gives a playful wink. My mother, Miranda Lemon, is a bona fide tease and a flirt. She’s also an all-around joyously wonderful person. Both she and Chrissy share the same shoulder-length blonde waves, the same porcelain complexion, and open features.
“Ladies.” Everett nods to my mother and Chrissy. “I’m afraid there’s been a homicide.”
They both let out a yelp at once.
“Oh my goodness.” My mother pulls me in by the collar of my parka. “Please tell me you did not find the body.”
I wince because, let’s face it, we both know I did.
At this point, it’s sort of my thing.
“Oh, Lottie!” She stomps her foot into the snow as if disappointed in me.
Chrissy leans in, her bright red lips forming a perfect O. “Who was it? Was it someone we know? My God, it wasn’t Harry, was it?”
Harry—as in Mayor Harry Nash is Chrissy’s ex-husband. They finally divorced after years of poor Chrissy tolerating his philandering ways. But they have three grown children about my age, and I’m sure she wouldn’t wish anything so grisly upon him.
I think.
I’m just about to answer when a spark of light erupts from behind them, and sure as Christmas snow, that supernatural pooch makes his ghostly reprisal for the evening.
“Noel!” I hiss so loud half the panicked masses turn my way.