Chocolate Chip Cookie Conundrum (Murder in the Mix Book 32) Unknown (me reader txt) 📖

the deceased Randy Candy. That’s not nice, Carlotta. And you might still be on the hook for her murder.”

“It’s not my fault that was her nickname, Lot. And believe me, she earned it.”

Lainey winces. “Is that Candace Cottonwood you’re talking about?”

“That’s right,” Carlotta snips. “That woman was one of my worst tormentors.”

Cluck Norris belts out one of his signature four-alarm fire calls for attention and Lyla Nell seizes as she looks in his direction. He floats from one side of my head to the other and she tracks him with her eyes.

Oh my word! I think she sees him!

I shoot Noah and Everett a panicked look, but they’re busy talking to Alex and Meg’s boyfriend, Hook Redwood.

Oh Lord, I thought this supernatural mishap might happen, but I had no idea it would happen so soon! I’d better jot down the name of that psychiatrist Everett saw when he was a kid. We might need to put him on payroll. On second thought, I’d best winnow out a doctor of the transmundane variety.

Poor Lyla Nell.

She’ll never have a normal life thanks to me. If she breathes one word about seeing things that aren’t there, they’ll think she’s crazy. They’re going to make fun of her, too. Life is going to be hard. I’ll have to homeschool her right here in the bakery—and suddenly that doesn’t sound all that bad. Why would I want to send her to school with all those mean people and germs, anyway? Being transmundane is already turning out to be more of a blessing than a curse.

Both Keelie and Lainey give me a nervous laugh.

“Lot?” Keelie’s eyes grow wide. “You don’t really think Everett’s going up the river, do you?”

“No way,” Lainey answers for me. “He was sleepwalking. That feud he and Noah have runs deep. Noah is lucky he hasn’t had an ax sunk into his back just yet.”

“Whoa,” Noah says as both he and Everett pop up. “Why do I get the feeling I need a suit of armor just to listen to the rest of this conversation?”

“Nobody is killing you,” I say as Lyla Nell grabs my lips.

Carlotta cocks a brow. “Except maybe Sexy. Lainey painted a good argument for it. We all know he acts out his darkest desires in his sleep.”

Keelie giggles at the thought. “It’s no wonder you’re not getting any shut-eye, Lottie.”

Noah growls and Carlotta is quick to pat him on the back.

“Easy, Foxy,” she says. “Who do you think is gonna make sure Lot Lot’s darkest desires come true once Sexy gets sent to the big house?” She turns to Everett. “Word to the wise, don’t be a slippery dancer in the shower. Iron City ain’t an easy place to live, but keep up the good work with all that no-smiling stuff. Shave your head, grow out a beard, and you should be fine. If you want, there’s still time to hire one of those prison coaches. I bet you’ve got connections down at the courthouse who can assist with that. They can help toughen you up.”

Now it’s Everett growling.

“All right, all right”—Carlotta lifts a hand his way—“you’re plenty tough. And you’ve got plenty of acquaintances in lockup, too. Think of all the hundreds of men you’ve sent to do hard time.” Her shoulders seize up as if she just realized the ramifications. “Here’s hoping they don’t give you a hard time.”

“They won’t,” I say a little too loud her way. “Because he’s not going. Now”—I cradle Lyla Nell’s head with my hand as I hold her close in an effort to protect her from Carlotta’s lunacy—“we have a suspect to question. Noah, can you find out where we can track down Woody Hawthorne? It’s Sunday, and it’s warm out. Maybe he’s at Honey Lake?”

Okay, so that was mostly wishful thinking on my part. I’ve been having an awfully strong craving to have a picnic on the shoreline. I’m sure Lyla Nell would love it, if she didn’t sleep through the entire experience. But I won’t lie, I might love that.

“Sure thing.” He pulls out his phone and starts in on the detective work. “He might be active on social media. Believe it or not, I used to have fun trying to track people down before everyone started outing their locations on their own.” He frowns at his phone. “It looks like he doesn’t have much of a web presence himself, but his production company sure does, and according to this, they’re shooting right now at the Chili Pepper Festival out in Hollyhock.” He looks up. “I’ll say goodbye to my mother.” He takes off to do just that.

Keelie gasps. “Bear!” she calls out for her other half. “We need to get a sitter. They’re having the Chili Pepper Festival out in Hollyhock today!”

Half the bakery clears out as people scramble to get their mouths singed by way of nature.

“Count me out,” Lainey says. “I’m headed home to put this peanut down for a nap, and then I’m going to curl up and watch TV with Forest. Come to think of it, that happens to be my deepest, darkest fantasy, too.” She takes off and I pull Everett close with Lyla Nell between us.

“Are you ready to have a spicy afternoon with your wife and baby daughter?”

Mom wags a finger my way as she jets over and takes Lyla Nell right out of my arms.

“No way, no how am I letting you take my baby granddaughter to the land of wild chili peppers. What if the wind blows one of those chili seeds into her eye? A chili festival is no place for a baby. And not for you either, young lady,” Mom scolds. “You’re still nursing. And you know the rules. What you eat, the baby eats. You don’t want Lyla Nell up and screaming all night, do you?”

Both Everett and I seize at the thought.

Everett Baxter is not afraid of a lot of things, but this pint-size baby bomb has him more than worried when it comes