Murder in the Mix Boxed Set 28-30: Cozy Mystery Addison Moore (the reading strategies book .txt) 📖

“Objection.” Fiona jumps to her feet. “Hearsay.”

“Sustained,” Everett says, and I won’t lie. Watching him in action like this is getting me a little hot under the collar. The baby gives a kick as if he or she were excited to see it, too.

Mr. Wolfe steps forward. “You mentioned having drinks at the bar with Carter. Has Carter ever picked a fight with anyone while the two of you were out? Did he ever display any kind of a temper toward anyone?”

“Never,” the witness is quick to say. “In fact, if anyone was hotheaded, it was me. Carter was always plucking me off some lucky fool before my fist could do its thing. He was a good friend with a good head on his shoulders. The guy volunteered at a homeless shelter, for Pete’s sake.”

Mr. Wolfe takes a breath. “And to your knowledge, what was the timeline of Carter’s relationship with Allison?”

“They met when she came to the dealership looking for a new car—a sedan which he did help her purchase as far as closing out the transaction. She was flirtatious and he was willing. The two of them went out to a fancy meal at a place called Kenicky’s Steakhouse.”

Flo raises her hand. “Oh! Oh! That’s where I want my big to-do! I want the party at Kenicky’s. It’s going to be great, Lot. Oh, you’re gonna love it. You’ll see.”

The witness nods. “I only remember this because he let me know how much he spent on dinner that night,” Riley continues. “I told him I hope she was worth it, and he said she was. He said more than once that she was the one.”

“The one to what?” Mr. Wolfe gives a manufactured grin.

“To marry.” Riley Ellis’ expression turns sour. “Until she wasn’t.”

“What does that mean?” Mr. Wolfe steps forward. “Did things go south for Carter and Allison?”

“Yes, they did. Carter said she was demanding. She wanted an accounting of his time. That she became verbally abusive when he showed any resistance. He wanted out. He said he couldn’t spend his life with a woman like that.”

“Objection, hearsay, again,” Fiona belts it out, and Everett nods her way.

“Overruled”—Everett thunders—“let’s hear what he has to say.”

Mr. Wolfe offers his witness a stony-eyed stare. “Had you ever seen anything negative between the two of them?”

“Yes. About a week before he was killed. Allison came by late one night, and they argued in his office. She was dressed nicely. I heard her say something like how could you? And that’s all I heard. About twenty minutes later, she stormed out of his office and left alone. I went over and asked if he was all right, and he said he couldn’t get rid of her. That she was becoming a real problem in his life, and he didn’t know what to do about it.”

Mr. Wolfe heads back to his seat. “Thank you. I have no further questions.”

Everett looks to Fiona. “Does the defense have any questions?”

Fiona and the strawberry blonde whisper amongst themselves a moment.

“Ooh!” Flo waves my way to garner my attention. “The Dagger just assured her client she was going to bust the lying rat’s cookies. This should be good.”

Fiona steps forward, looking ever so slightly ticked. She’s all business, and Riley Ellis is already tensing up on the stand.

“Mr. Ellis, do you believe it’s okay for a man to strike a woman?”

He stiffens, long pause. “No.”

“But you yourself have been arrested for domestic violence not once but on three different occasions. What happened in those instances?”

The deputy DA stands. “Your Honor, Mr. Ellis is not on trial here. Motion to strike the last question.”

Everett nods. “Sustained.”

Fiona squints over at the man on the stand. “Did Carter ever confess to you that he had struck Allison or that he would like to cause physical harm to her?”

The witness shifts in his seat. His best friend was the victim here. This can’t be easy on him. And, of course, he’s going to want to paint Carter in a good light, especially now that he’s dead.

“Mr. Ellis,” Everett calls him to attention. “Just a reminder, you are under oath. Please answer the question.”

Riley gives Fiona a look that lets her know he’s not all that pleased where she’s taken this.

“Carter never laid a hand on that girl. Did he want to? Yeah, he said he’d like to shake her a time or two, but that was because he couldn’t get her to understand it was over.” He glances our way and takes a moment to glare at us. “And yes, I’ve been in a rough relationship myself. But I never hit my wife. I never did any of that. All of those charges were brought on because we argued and I kicked a trashcan over once, causing the entire neighborhood to freak out. It was nothing. Just like this is nothing.”

Fiona flashes a forced grin. “Did you and Carter ever participate in a dating service called the Elite Entourage?”

An audible gasp escapes me, and all eyes turn my way.

“Sorry,” I say, patting my fingers over my lip. I happen to know firsthand that the Elite Entourage is nothing but a front for call girls—or girls who make the call whether or not they go the full nine yards with the sleazes who pay for their company. Greer Giles, one of the ghosts at my mother’s B&B, worked as one of their girls, and I’m not thrilled to say both of my stepsisters, Aspen and Kelleth, were involved with them at one time.

Mr. Wolfe stands. “Your Honor, it’s clear by juror number twenty-three’s reaction that she has some foreknowledge of the agency, and thus may be prejudiced against the testimony my witness is giving. Motion to strike any reference of the Elite Entourage from this point forward.”

Everett purses his lips as he looks my way. “Motion denied. The juror understands she is to