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

wasn’t true, was it? He wasn’t going to show because he was dead. Your brother passed away three and a half years ago.”

A croaking sound comes from her, and Binky swirls around the two of us like a black and white tornado.

“Time to go!” Binky leashes her tail around my wrist and does her best to tug me away, but I prove immovable. “Carlotta says you always come close to winding up on the other side yourself, Lottie. Think of little Lyla Nell. Think of your two husbands.”

I take a moment to frown over at the cute little ghost before settling my full attention back on Olive.

“It was Miles Brogan,” I say a little louder than a whisper. “He was that brother, wasn’t he?”

Her eyes close at the mention of his name. “Yes, Lottie. He was.”

“And you wanted revenge for his death, didn’t you?”

Her eyes flit back my way. “My brother was everything to me.” Her chest bucks a moment. “He was all the family I had. I loved him so much.”

“And that’s how you were able to justify everything you did. You befriended Terri. My guess is that you coerced her into therapy.”

A dull laugh rattles in her chest. “I hardly had to do that. Terri needed therapy long before I ever came to town.”

“You were stalking her. She was your prey.”

“Here we go.” Binky moans before gliding around my shoulders once again. “On the bright side, if you do end up in paradise, your bakery will be a hit.”

But I don’t respond. I can’t take my eyes off of Olive. “You’ve been counseling at the church for three years now. Terri was your mark. And because you listened to her troubles, you knew exactly who to set up to make them look guilty. You wrote those nasty notes she was getting. You left those threats for her, didn’t you?”

“No.” She backs up a notch. “No, Lottie. Don’t do this. Let’s go back inside. It’s a very important night here. We don’t want to miss it.”

“You broke into Terri’s home and you stole those same notes from her desk. I must have set you in a panic that night we met at the restaurant down in Leeds. Because you ran right over to Terri’s home. In fact, that wasn’t the first time you broke into her house, was it? You broke in three years ago and stole a few things—a gold watch and cufflinks.”

Her face bleaches out.

“That’s right.” I nod. “You orchestrated that event in advance. You knew Nelson Stalwart was doing some landscaping for her at the time of the break-in. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you were the one that referred Nelson’s landscaping services to Terri. You knew he had access to the house and you took advantage of that.”

Her lips twitch. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Terri had a picture of your brother in her home. Her lip prints were all over it. She really cared for him.”

“That’s a lie. The only person Terri Norris cared about was herself.”

“In that picture, Miles wore the same gold watch and cufflinks Terri accused Nelson of stealing.”

“She stole them!” her voice hikes a notch. “Those belonged to my father. She never deserved to keep them. She didn’t deserve my brother either.”

“Nelson wasn’t the only one you worked tirelessly to set up. That day at my bakery, you told me that Clem’s husband was having an affair with Terri. That wasn’t true, was it? In fact, I know it’s not. Clem said if that ever materialized, she would have packed his bags. You lied to me that day, just like you’re lying now. You were just tossing another red herring my way hoping to send me down another rabbit hole, just like you did with Nelson. He never had an explosive argument with Terri at the church. You made that up to make him look like a viable suspect. You knew the meds Clem’s husband was taking, and you made sure that was the exact concoction that killed Terri. You were meticulous in your manipulation.”

“I was. And they were all viable suspects, Lottie.” Her cheeks hike a notch. “You just had to insert yourself where you didn’t belong. But I suspected you would. If it were the sheriff’s department, I could have evaded them. However, you, Lottie, provided to be a formidable opponent. Once you began solving one homicide after another, right here in Honey Hollow, I knew it was you I’d really be up against. Terri was a terrible woman. I’m sorry, but I’m not going down for this. She killed my brother. She killed my unborn niece or nephew. She blew apart a marriage that should have lasted a lifetime.”

“It takes two to tango.” I shake my head at her. “You have to know Miles takes half the blame of what happened to his marriage.”

“No!” she riots the word so loud over my face, it ripples over my skin. “How dare you!” She gives me a hard shove to the chest, and I land in the bushes. She tries to bolt and I grab ahold of her ankle, knocking her to the ground.

Binky flies over and takes a seat on her head. “I can take it from here.”

A loud zipping noise fills the air as a green glowing aura appears around them.

“Dear Lord!” Olive screams. “What is that smell?”

“You’ve just been skunked,” I say, landing over her back with my knee.

Binky floats into the air as a swarm of miniature green stars ignites around her.

“It looks as if Terri gets justice after all,” she trills. “And it’s all because of you, Lottie Lemon. I’ll be waiting for you on the other side. Do bring some whoopie pies when you arrive!”

“Goodbye, Binky!” I shout into the great expanse of the navy night as that green glowing hue dissipates to nothing.

“Lemon?” Everett riots as he runs into the alcove with Noah on his heels.

Within moments, Noah has Olive in handcuffs and I’m safe