Wicked Whoopie Pies Addison Moore (the false prince series TXT) 📖

whispers. “Isn’t that the olive tree you came looking to perch in its branches?” She nods past me and I follow her gaze right to the bar where a familiar woman with a caramel-colored bun and a powder blue suit sits all by her lonesome nursing what looks to be a glass of white wine.

Huh. I bet she’s still waiting for her party to show.

Binky rises off my sister’s shoulders. “Let’s go, Lottie. Charlie and I have plans later. She’s promised she’d take me patrolling the streets looking for a skunky scallywag or two. How I miss cavorting with the bad boys.”

“You and me both, sister,” Charlie says under her breath.

“Excuse me,” I say as I follow that poltergeist, and we bolt for the bar before Noah can show a little more of his ornery prowess. I’d ask what’s gotten into him tonight, but I have it on good authority that his name is Wiley Fox.

“Two strawberry daiquiris,” I say to the bartender as I fall into the seat next to Olive and the bartender takes off to oblige me with them.

Olive does a quick double take in my direction. “Lottie, is that you?”

“Oh.” I pretend to startle. “Olive! Fancy meeting you here.” I force a little laugh. “I’m here for a party. It’s Noah’s father’s birthday. Noah is the father of my daughter, the one I was dedicating,” I tell her. “How are things going with you? How are your colleagues doing?”

“It’s still tough.” Her lips turn downward. “Sad all the way around, I tell you.” There’s a heaviness about her words, about the expression on her face that accompanied them that lets me know she means it.

“And are you okay?”

Binky curls around the woman’s shoulders and gives her neck a quick sniff.

“This one smells honest, Lottie.” Binky fans the woman with her tail and I can feel the supernatural breeze from here.

Olive nods. “I’m still doing the best I can. We all are down at the church. Terri was one of our faithful volunteers along with being an elder. She left big shoes to fill.”

“I’m sure she did. I’m sorry for your loss. Although I guess it was everyone’s loss.” I bite down on my lip a moment. I have no idea how long it will be before her party arrives, and I’m sensing I don’t have time to gently glide into this conversation the way I’d like to. “Olive, I have a slight confession to make. That afternoon before Terri was killed. She showed me a threatening note someone left her.”

“Oh?” She straightens a moment as her fingers clutch the stem of her wine glass. “What did it say?”

Binky sniffs her neck again. “Her body temperature just went up a notch. I think she’s actually fibbing, Lottie.”

My lips twist to the side. “It’s okay, Olive. You don’t have to pretend you don’t know about the notes. I suspect she told you everything. Terri mentioned she had a drawer full of them at home.”

Her eyes close a moment too long. “I’m afraid she did share those notes with me. They were disturbing.” She shudders. “And I suppose whoever was sending her those notes was responsible for her death as well. Rumor has it she was poisoned.” She shrugs. “I spoke to one of the medics that examined her that afternoon, and he said he suspected the same thing.”

“It’s true,” I tell her. “Noah, my daughter’s father, he’s the lead homicide investigator on the case,” I say just as the bartender lands two fruity cocktails before me. “One for me and one for my sister.” And for a moment I can’t remember if I asked for virgins or not. Wonderful. In that case, it’s one for my sister and one for Carlotta. The last thing I want to do is get Lyla Nell tipsy. She’s fun enough as it is.

I wince over at the woman before me. “Olive, did Terri ever say who she suspected sent her those threats?”

She tips her chin up before glancing back to the table where Noah and the rest of our party are seated.

Her lips turn down once again. “I don’t want to cause any trouble for someone, but it’s public knowledge that a certain man came to the church one afternoon a few months back and had a rather nasty confrontation with her.”

Binky hisses, “I never cared for people who were rude to my Terri. There were a few neighbor girls that taunted her, called her Scary Terri because she kept me as a pet. Can you imagine? Well, I sprayed them and their little dog, too. That’s when Mrs. Norris said it was my stink box or me. I think we both know which one went on the chopping block.”

My lips part as I look to Olive. “If it’s public knowledge, you can tell me, right? I mean, technically, that wouldn’t be impeding on your client’s confidentiality.”

She tips her head to the side. “I suppose you’re right.” Her shoulders hike a notch. “And you probably don’t even know the man. I think he’s from Ashford, goes by the name Nelson something or other I think, Stalwart. That’s it. Nelson Stalwart. He works with dogs.”

A breath hitches in my throat. Nelson Stalwart is Noah’s buddy down at the station. The one that’s in charge of the canine unit—the one who had an argument with Terri right before she took the stage for the business meeting.

Binky shakes out her fur as if she were incensed. “Why in the world would a man who works with dogs want to kill my Terri?”

“Yeah,” I say without meaning to. “Why would a man who works with dogs want to kill, or in the least threaten, Terri?”

Olive blows out a breath. “I guess I don’t know. I suppose you could always ask him. The day they were having their big blowout, I came into it about midway, but they seemed to be arguing about the dogs. Or at least he was shouting something at her regarding them. And