Page 62 of Poison Apple Crisp
Ginger and her ghostly new boyfriend, Thirteen, are here as well. They’ve been running back and forth from the Honey Pot and back again until I put a cream pie on the counter for them to decimate.
Carlotta stops sweeping the dining room and sits on her broom as if she expects it to take flight.
“I take it you won’t need a ride home,” I say as I wipe down the counter.
Noah laughs as he steps up beside me. “You walked into that one, Carlotta.” He slides a glass of water my way. “Keep hydrated, Lottie. It helps keep up the production of amniotic fluid.”
“Aw, Noah,” I coo as I take up the glass. “I just love how you’re so interested in every aspect of this. Sugar Cookie and I really appreciate it.” I let Noah in on the nickname this morning because in no way do I want him out of the loop. Although, I might have left out the detail of Everett coming up with it in bed.
His expression sobers. “Where are you with the case? Ginger’s here, so it must be on your mind.”
“You know me well.”
Ginger looks up lazily from the pie and I take up Noah’s hand so he can hear her, too.
She lets out a sharp bark. “Lottie, I never want to leave. And as if Pancake and Waffles weren’t enough, I’ve got Thirteen now. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if another handsome man walked into your life?”
“No,” both Noah and I say in unison before we share a laugh. I let go of Noah’s hand, seeing that the conversation has nothing to do with the case and everything to do with my hormones.
Thirteen yowls. “Dare I say you have your hands full, Lottie Lemon. A bakery and a baby? You won’t have time for men.”
Carlotta chuckles. “Have you met her?” She gives the sparkling onyx cat a wry look. “My Lot Lot would give up a lot of things, but men isn’t one of them.”
“Hear, hear,” I say, rubbing my belly absentmindedly. “But I don’t want to focus on that. I need to think about Evie’s sweet sixteen. It’s coming up, and there’s still so much to do.”
Carlotta huffs, “The kid is still set on having it at her daddy’s place. I told her, for a nominal fee she could hire me to turn that sleeper of a party into akeeper, but she outright refused my services. I think you’re raising her wrong, Lot Lot.”
“I think that’s a perfect example that we’re raising her right.”
A dry laugh pumps from Noah. “I agree.” He sweeps those evergreen eyes over me as he grows serious. “Do you want to talk about the case?”
“Please.” Anything but Carlotta’s efforts to do beer runs for the underage population of Honey Hollow High. And I have no doubt that was on the party-planning agenda.
Noah tips his head back. “So who’s on your suspect list and why, Detective Lemon?”
“Cokie.” I shoot him the side-eye. “And don’t think for a minute I’m not onto that wily redhead’s ways. That woman wants you, and you know it.”
“Aw.” Carlotta zips over. “Now look what you’ve done, Foxy. She’s pouting like a three-year-old. What’s the matter, Lot? Are you finding out the hard way you can’t have your cake and eat it, too? Who do you think you are, a mere mortal? Well, I’m here to tell you it’s not true. You’reLottie Dottie Lemon. You can have your way with the judge with a grudge, then march right across the street and have a sliver of Foxy pie. It’s the Sawyer women way.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s not how this world works, Carlotta. That’s against the rules, not to mention every code of ethics known to man.”
“Since when do the rules apply to you, anyway?” she fires back. “You’re a trailblazer. Other women look up to your floozy ways. It’s inspiring the way you’ve eschewed societal norms and dived right into the deep end of debauchery with two of the most handsome men Honey Hollow has ever seen. You winnowed out the best and said to heck with the rest.”
My hand pats my belly. “And now my wicked ways have come home to roost.”
Noah leans in. “Maybe so, but in the very sweetest way.” He dots a kiss to my cheek. “Do you have anything on Cokie?”
“Just the fact she’skooky.” I shrug. “I couldn’t help it. Her name walked right into that one.” Something comes back to me. “Last night, Martin mentioned that she was a crime buff. He thought maybe Desmond Meadows’ book once belonged to her.”
Carlotta jabs her broom at us as if she was staving off an attack.
“I say we head over to the school and raid her office for clues. That woman spends more time there than she does in her own home. I bet she’s got the place filled with ransom notes she’s dying to use on troublemaking students.”
Ginger lifts her head a notch. “Can we go? Can we?”
Noah shakes his head. “No way. Who’s next?” He steals a cookie from the bakery shelf while awaiting my answer.
“Alyssa Thomas. She’s a weird one. Her husband left her. And to save face, she flipped the script like her therapist suggested and has people believing she might have killed him.”