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

her that has lived to tell about it. She’s the little ghoul that Greer and Winslow have adopted as their own. They’re sort of the poltergeist power couple of this place.

A menacing giggle bounces from Lea. “It seems Mommy Dearest has reunited with an old foe of hers. I’m sort of partial to this new snarky spook, but don’t tell her. I like to keep them guessing.”

I speed past her to find both Greer and Flo going at it like a couple alley cats—we’re talking salty language, hair pulling, insults to their boob jobs, the works. And standing off to the side with his arms folded across his chest is Winslow Decker.

“Winslow,” I hiss at the two hundred-year-old man who looks not a day over thirty. Winslow has dirty blond hair, dimples, light eyes, and is dressed in a pair of dingy overalls. He ran a pig farm over the land here at the B&B and apparently has never left.

I’m not quite sure why these ghosts in particular get an all-access pass to the here and now. The ghosts that help me solve homicides usually are zapped back to paradise once the case is wrapped up. But I’m not contesting the rules either.

This fight, however, I’m putting an end to right now.

“Stop!” I shout so loud there’s a moment of silence throughout the entire B&B in my honor.

“Flo!” I hiss. “Why are you attacking Greer?”

“I didn’t attack her,” Flo huffs as she backs up, her fists still balled up ready to give Greer a wallop. “She attacked me.”

Greer Giles is a pretty brunette with long, flowing, dark hair and eyes that glow like jack-o’-lanterns. She’s still wearing that white ruched dress she was gunned down in a couple of years back on Valentine’s Day, and she’s still as sassy and apparently volatile as ever.

“Greer?” I lean in. “Why in the world would you attack Flo?”

“She came after my man!” Greer butts her chest to Flo’s as if she were raring and ready to go another round. “And don’t think I didn’t know you were sniffing around my men while I was still alive, too. I’ve never forgiven you for stealing Billy Hollins away from me.”

“Billy Hollins was nothing but a wannabe mobster, and you know it,” Flo shouts back. “And I didn’t steal him. That boy begged to have me!”

“Whoa.” I stick my hands between the two of them and end up gliding right though their ghostly forms. “You two really knew each other on the right side of the soil?”

Greer gives a frenetic nod, her eyes never leaving the spook in front of her.

“That’s right, Lottie,” Greer hisses. “And you don’t know the half of how dangerous this woman can be. I’d steer clear. In fact, I’d steer clear of her case altogether. You think the Hearst curse was bad? Getting tangled up with this nitwit is what got me killed to begin with. A false friendship led to a life of crime, led to the grave. You’ll be lucky if you don’t lose the bakery, Noah, and Everett. And Noah and Everett will probably lose their jobs. She’s a real walking-talking time bomb. The longer you hold her close, the quicker your life implodes around you.”

My mouth falls open, because honestly? I think I’m already starting to feel the ramifications of that.

“All right, enough bickering,” I say. “Winslow and Greer are a couple, Flo. He’s off-limits. And if you want to catch your killer, I suggest playing nice. I’ll see what I can do about tracking down Rocky Romero tonight after I get out of jury duty.”

Greer sucks in a lungful of air she doesn’t necessarily need. “Rocky Romero? Hubba hubba!”

“Good grief,” I say. “Winslow is standing right here.”

“Relax.” She waves me off. “I’m not buying, Lottie, I’m just admiring the view. I haven’t seen Rocky in years. I’d love to tag along. I wonder what he’s been up to? I bet he’s aged well.”

“Oh, he has.” Flo fans herself with her fingers. “And we won’t have to track him down. He’ll be at the same place he spends every other night—Red Satin.”

Winslow gives a dark chuckle. “Well then, it looks as if I’ll be tagging along for the ride, too.” He inserts his thumbs through the tops of his overalls.

Greer swats him. “Oh, you. Never mind, Flo. I won’t be tagging along. I need to keep my man close to my side, if you know what I mean.”

“Smart move,” I tell her. I’d better get back out there. My mother wants me to give a lecture on how to juggle men.”

Flo and Greer eye one another before racing off for the conservatory.

“Don’t worry, Winslow,” I tell him. “Greer is just trying to keep up with Flo.”

“Speaking of Flo.” He dips his chin a notch. “Heed the warning Greer gave you. I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

“Neither do I.”

By the time I get back to the conservatory, the room is humming with lively conversations, and everyone has a plateful of my brunch offerings in front of them.

Mom quickly shuffles me to the front of the room and furnishes me with a chair and a glass of water.

“Go on, Lottie. Introduce yourself.” She motions for me to get to it, and I’m about to do just that when I spot an odd sight near the refreshment table. “Just one minute.”

I take off for the breakfast bar and reach between two familiar women.

“Don’t mind me,” I say. “Just sneaking a quick cruller.” I pull back and do my best to look shocked. “Lorena and Donata? Is it you?”

Flo pops up next to me and smirks. “You know darn well it’s them. But what are they doing here?”

They both have on yoga pants and a coat wrapped around them. Lorena’s dark locks are pulled into a ponytail, as are Donata’s red tresses.

“Lottie Lemon?” Lorena blinks back. “What a coincidence. We just finished up at Swift Cycle and a couple of the women we met suggested we swing by for