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

those notes to Terri Norris, and that person just might turn out to be the killer, too.

Noah

“The alarm was tripped at Terri Norris’ home last night,” Ivy says as she lands a box of donuts onto my desk. “I know you love crullers, so I saved the last two for you.” She winks my way and oddly it felt platonic.

Although, these last few months, Ivy has let me know she feels anything but platonic toward me.

“Thank you,” I say, flipping open the pink lid to the pastry box and find two rather sad looking partially crushed crullers. They’ll find their way into my belly regardless. “Terri Norris’ home, huh?” I lean back in my chair and bore a hole in the wall with my stare.

So that’s where Lottie went. And she took the duo of destruction along with her. What is she thinking breaking and entering? Did Lyla Nell even cross her mind? I love Lottie too much to watch her hurt herself like this. I’ll have to have a talk with her.

“What do they think happened?” I ask, taking a sip of my coffee.

Ivy shifts on her feet as her lips contort into a sarcastic smile. “A skunk was responsible.”

And just like that, I nearly spit my coffee out.

“A skunk?”

“That’s right. A neighbor heard a ruckus, thought it was a band of thieves, and it turned out they saw a large skunk crawl right out of the doggie door, dragging some clothes along with it. Probably laundry left lying around.”

Lottie’s nearly naked body runs through my mind.

“Probably.” I nod up at her. “Ivy, can I ask if there have been any reports of suspicious men loitering in or around Honey Hollow? Men in dark suits?”

She lifts her nose and frowns my way. “You do realize not one but two crime bosses were on the hook to be your girlfriend’s father just last month. If there were men in dark suits loitering around Honey Hollow, I’d venture to guess they were Canelli’s men protecting Lottie. For as monstrous as Jimmy can be to his enemies, he’s monstrously generous to his family. I suppose she lucked out in the daddy department.” She sighs my way. “So did Lyla Nell for that matter. You have one cute little girl on your hands, Noah.” She stalls a moment, running her finger in a circular pattern over my desk. Her teeth graze over her lower lip and it feels like a calling card. “You should balance out your family. You’ll need a woman in your life eventually. I’m simply throwing my hat in the ring.” Her lips curve into an easy smile. “We fit, Noah. We’re the same person. We like the same things. We do the same things. We are of one mind. And so, if you’re ever inclined, just know I’m here for you.”

“I appreciate that.” Now what would be the kindest way to give her a solid no from here to eternity? “But I’m not ready.”

“You will be one day. And when that moment arrives, I’ll be waiting.” She cinches a short-lived smile. “I’ll see about getting that search warrant moved up for Terri Norris’ home. Let’s just hope that skunk didn’t make off with any pertinent evidence.”

She takes off and I squeeze my eyes shut a moment.

That was no run-of-the-mill mammal running through that house. It was Stinky or Binky or Stinky Binky, whatever the heck that supernatural stinker is going by these days. And I’m betting that laundry lying around belonged to three of the five scantily clad women I found at Lottie’s place last night—Lottie being one of them. And I have no doubt she was the chief instigator, too.

Last night at Smoked and Smothered comes back to me.

Yes, I was short with Lemon—but for two good reasons. One, I just found out Canelli has men tracking Miranda and most likely my father. But my father is far too daft to notice. Things are swinging in a deadly direction and his addiction to losing money is to blame for it.

And two, I knew Lottie was itching to get into Terri’s house. I would have taken her. I should have pulled her aside last night and let her know I would do just that. Instead, I shut her down because I was so incensed with my father for putting Miranda in the line of danger. And let’s be honest, any guest at the B&B can be a casualty if things go wrong as well. God forbid Lottie or Lyla Nell wind up at the wrong place at the wrong time. It makes me want to wring my father’s neck.

Bottom line—dear old Dad owes Jimmy some cold, hard cash. And Jimmy has already made it crystal clear I’m not going to be the one to give it to him.

I lean back and feel my gun butt up against my hip as Jimmy’s own words run through my mind. He said he wants a cop in his back pocket.

I shake my head at the thought of doing his bidding. I have no more power to make a parking ticket go away around here than I do to shut down the mob taskforce.

A thought hits me.

What if I had it all wrong? What if Jimmy wasn’t interested in any sleight of hand happening at the working end of this facility?

Suddenly, it feels as if the truth is unfurling before me like a filthy banner of lies.

My eyes close a moment too long.

If I’m right, Jimmy won’t have to kill my father. I might just do the deed myself.

I hop up, snatch my keys, and head out into the Ashford afternoon sun.

It’s time to head to Leeds and have a real conversation with Jimmy Canelli.

Here’s hoping my hunch is wrong.

It’s never been wrong before, but now would be a darn good time to start.

Turns out, Jimmy Canelli isn’t holing up in Red Satin. As soon as I set foot in there, I spotted Lottie’s sister, Meg, and she let