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

He points his gavel to Mr. Wolfe. “Proceed.”

Mr. Wolfe starts in on his questions just as a spray of hot pink stars appears next to him and Florenza Canelli materializes in all of her glory.

“Lottie, Lottie!” she howls as she spins in a circle and her hot pink aura spins right along with her in the shape of a tornado. “Great news! I was sitting in the bakery noshing on a stack of your delicious waffles—I must get the recipe…” She swats her hand my way. “And guess who came in to have a little chitchat with you? Lorena and Donata. You weren’t there, so they chatted up Lily. And you’ll never guess what they wanted. Go ahead and guess!” I shake my head her way as I do my best to turn my attention back to the witness, but Flo promptly jumps in front of me. “Okay, fine. I get it. The girls came in to place the official order for the desserts for my big day. Lorena really dug deep and thought that I would have loved to have the shindig at Kenicky’s Steakhouse!” She belts out a hearty whoop. “It’s not for another few weeks, but what can we do? The place is nonstop busy. With Kenicky’s, you get what you get. And Donata mentioned they’ve chosen the gold leaf casket with the champagne satin lining! I’m going out in style, Lottie. I knew they’d come to their senses. They just needed a minute to get away from Cat and Connie and catch their breath. You know what I mean?” She flashes her inch-long nails my way. “Anyways, Lily asked what kind of desserts they had in mind, and at the time I happened to be noshing on one of those ah-mazing waffles with just the right amount of crunch but soft in the middle just the way I like it, so I plopped it on the counter between them.”

My eyes bug out at the thought. The last thing I need is for the fine residents of Honey Hollow to think my bakery is haunted.

“Don’t worry.” She flicks her wrist my way. “Lily accused one of the bakers of chucking it like a Frisbee, but Lorena—she’s the smart one—she said it was a sign. So waffles it is. Now come on.” She motions for me to get up. “It’s time to get my body back to the morgue. Thank God I’m under a pile of snow, but you never, never know what’s down there with me. And I need my hair to look good for the big day. Donata said they had lined up Prissy Carlina, my old hairdresser, to do me up, but since there was no body, they were going to use a picture from one of my pageants.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m sorry, but I come from a long line of people who believe the only way to hold a funeral is with the deceased lying right there in front of you for all to see. Now the only detail ready to shore up is what to wear.” She rubs her hands together. “I’m thinking something formal, low-cut, sparkly heels.”

“Does the defense have another witness?” Everett poses the question to Fiona as the coroner leaves the stand and I scoff.

I missed the entire line of questioning. My goodness, what if he has something vital to add to the case?

Fiona calls a psychologist who specializes in domestic violence, and as soon as the woman is sworn in, Fiona starts in on her.

“Oh!” Flo blocks my view of the witness once again. “I almost forgot. I eavesdropped on Lorena and Donata while they shared coffee and a couple of Napoleons. Donata said something strange. She said now that I was gone they had their shot and they shouldn’t blow it.”

I inch back. Their shot at what?

“Beats me.” Flo shrugs as if she could hear me. “But get this. They’re both wearing pink on my big day in my honor. And Lorena said that when she gets married one day, she’s going to have a single pink rose in the pom of white roses as a symbol of her love for me.” She cocks her head to the side. “Not that the girl has any prospects, but hey? One can dream, right?”

Everett clears his throat, and my attention shoots that way as he gives a subtle nod to the witness as if asking me to pay attention. Little does he know I’d love to, but my attention has been otherwise hijacked.

The psychologist leaves the stand, and here I’ve missed everything from start to finish once again.

Great. How am I supposed to give a fully informed verdict? I wonder if seeing through to the other side during proceedings is grounds for a mistrial? I’m thinking it’s not.

Fiona stands and walks to the front. “Your Honor, the defense would like to call another witness.” She turns to the jury and smiles. “I’d like to call Allison Gray to the stand.”

A slight gasp emits from the visitors in the observation area.

Everett raises his brows as if this surprised him, too, on some level.

Allison Gray makes her way to the stand, offering a shy smile our way. Her gait is quickened and her cheeks are picking up color.

Dillard leans my way. “Did you see that?” he whispers. “She looked right at me. I think maybe there’s a connection there.”

I can’t help but make a face at him. “She’s on trial. I doubt she’s trying to connect with you,” I whisper back.

Annie leans in. “She could be,” she hisses. “I’m this close to getting the number to the People’s Wolfe.”

I avert my eyes just as Everett slams his gavel and the three of us look his way in fear.

“That’s enough,” he says it firmly yet slowly. “There will be no whispering amongst yourselves for the duration of this trial. Should it happen again I’ll be forced to find you both in contempt.”

“Sorry,” I mouth, and his brows dip as