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

Once I snatch up my phone, I find there’s a text from Everett waiting for me, sent around the time I saw him leave with that mystery lady tonight.

I’m ready for dinner. Can’t wait. Wicked Wok?

My heart breaks just seeing it. But I decide to push that to the side for a moment as I quickly look up Plum Creek, Colorado. The screen populates, and I add Gloria Abner’s name to the mix. A sharp gasp emits from me.

“What do you see?” Greer zips over, as does Carlotta, both of them jiggling far too much flesh for me to look their way, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t take my eyes off the screen.

“Nothing for Gloria Abner, but something for Gloria Markus.” I hold the phone out for the three of us to see as Gloria Abner’s face appears on the screen. “Oh my word. Gloria did this.” I look up at the painting on the wall, right into those dark eyes that look as if they’re penetrating mine. “Gloria killed you, didn’t she?”

The room fills with lightning as the man flies right out of that painting and swoops down toward the three of us with an ear-splitting roar. And just like that, he disappears.

Gloria had a secret—a body—and now I know exactly who that body belonged to.

Chapter 16

Lemon.

I spent all day staring at that text Everett sent this morning. Everything in me aches to respond, but there are no words, not enough letters in the alphabet to convey how broken I am. How hopelessly in love I am with Essex Everett Baxter despite the fact. This is a mortal wound to everything I thought we were. And in the light of day, everything I thought we were is the sharpest kind of lie.

Lily and I spent the afternoon making deliveries to the Evergreen Manor. We went home and changed for the Jingle Hop Ball, and I took extra time doing my hair and face, and putting on a gorgeous black lace and crimson dress I picked up from the Scarlet Sage Boutique. I have no doubt Everett will be here tonight, and I intend on making him sorry he ever thought to step out on me.

My chest bucks at the thought, and I do my best to sniff back tears.

How dare he.

How could he?

Could he?

I shake my head in disbelief as I look around the room, already teeming with bodies. The buffet is set out, and the dessert tables are laden down with every sweet holiday treat I had in my arsenal, but the gingerbread men and the eggnog trifle are the stars of the show.

A rock and roll version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” blares from the speakers, and it seems as if all of Honey Hollow is on the dance floor doing just that—dancing.

“Come on, Lot.” Noah takes my hand and hitches his head to that crowd of twitching bodies. He’s donned a gray suit and a silver tie and looks strikingly handsome with his hair slicked back and his eyes as green as those decorated evergreens dotting the room.

“I can’t.” I shake my head. “I should be here, doling out more trifle. Or see if the coffee needs to be refreshed.”

Lily scoffs as she hands out plates of trifle in her cute silver dress. “I’m getting paid overtime for a reason, Lottie. Go dance with Noah. The odds are good he’s the baby’s father. You might as well play nice. Lord knows your specialty is playing with him. You can’t resist his dimples.”

Noah twitches his brows, and I can’t help but laugh.

“Fine, but I’m going to look like a zombie doing it.”

“A zombie?” Carlotta crops up dressed in a black dress with red and green plumes of some sort dusting it. She looks as if she’s been tarred and feathered, but I’ll be the last to point it out. However, knowing Carlotta, that’s the look she was going for. “I bet Foxy would like to take you out back and smooth out your zombie moves.”

Noah’s phone chirps before he can say a word, and he lets out a deep sigh.

“Shoot.”

“Noah?” I lean toward his phone. “Everything okay?”

“It’s just great. Ivy says she has enough evidence to arrest my mother, and she wants to talk to me.” He squeezes his eyes shut. “I’m sorry, Lottie. Rain check on the dance?” He lands a kiss to my temple and quickly dissolves into the crowd.

A throaty chuckle escapes Carlotta. “Looks as if good old Suze is about to get herself a couple of roommates. That ought to put you in a good mood, Lot.”

“Yeah.” Lily laughs. “I bet you can dance a jig all night long knowing she won’t be around to torment you.” She shudders. “I just can’t believe Suze Fox is a killer.”

“She’s not.” I try my hardest to sound convinced of this. “Or at least I hope she isn’t.” A thought comes to me, and I take in a deep breath.

I forgot to mention to Noah what I gleaned last night about Gloria’s murderous past. It turns out, Gloria Abner was once Gloria Markus, the very woman who killed her husband. She claims the gun went off while he was trying to teach her to use it. She was charged with negligent homicide, was forced to pay a fine, and served a mere thirty days in jail. Once she was released, she came to Vermont and started a brand-new life right here in Honey Hollow. I bet that’s the secret Elodie was in on.

I spot Elodie across the room talking to Candy Brighton, and both of them have on red shimmering dresses.

I’m about to head in that direction when Mom and Wiley dash this way.

“Lottie!” Mom takes in my dress before pulling me close for a warm embrace. My mother dazzles in an emerald gown with rhinestones dotting her neckline. Her vanilla blonde hair is coiffed to perfection, and her cherry red lips show off her perfect smile.