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

Chapter 3

Noah raises his gun to the ceiling with one hand and hoists his badge in the air with the other.

“Ashford County Sheriff’s Department,” he shouts. “Everybody clear the building in an orderly fashion!”

But it’s too late. People are nearly trampled as they exit through every given orifice at once, and the chorus of screams is ceaseless.

Everett does his best to pull me toward the kitchen—where we happen to be privy to an exit that leads right to where I parked my bakery van, but I dig my heels in before breaking free from his grasp and run toward the body instead.

“Lottie, no,” Noah riots just as a flock of men and women fall over the poor woman checking her vitals. One of those people happens to be my sister Lainey’s husband, Forest Donovan. Forest, a fireman and a first responder, has wavy brown hair and stunning gray eyes. Lainey and Forest just had a baby last August, my sweet niece Josie, and this outing was their first big date night since the event. I’m sure Lainey will board herself up in the house for the next eighteen years after this catastrophe.

Forest checks for a pulse both at Florenza’s wrist and her neck before looking my way and shaking his head. Forest has always seemed perfectly capable of saving the world, but right now he can’t do a thing for that poor woman on the ground.

“She can’t be dead,” I say mostly to myself.

“Big Boss!” an annoying wail comes from behind us as Cormack Featherby runs up with her boobs bouncing to her chin as her body struggles to stay within the confines of that tight blue dress of hers. “I’ve got this! Featherby Sleuths Investigative Services to the rescue!” She trips and falls, landing right over Florenza Canelli’s unresponsive body.

“Everett!” Noah thunders, with his weapon drawn oddly at the rest of the room. “Get them both the hell out of here, now.”

Everett wraps an arm around my waist and plucks Cormack up by the hand, but before he can sail us out of the room, I turn to see a smattering of men in dark suits glaring in this direction. And every last one of them looks livid—livid enough to kill. I recognize two of them. They’re both tall and beefy, and they that just so happen to be glowering at one another at the moment.

The bald one with light eyes and a pointed chin is Luke Lazzari, aka The Butcher, who also happened to date Carlotta once upon a dangerous time. The guy next to him, who looks as if he’s about to shoot a round of bullets straight from his mouth, is Jimmy Canelli. He owns Red Satin Gentlemen’s Club down in Leeds, the very same gentlemen’s club where my sister Meg works teaching dancers their moneymaking moves. Luke and Jimmy are from opposing crime families. A Canelli just so happened to take a bullet tonight. There is no way this is going to end well.

“Your people did this,” Jimmy bellows over at Luke. “You killed my niece and there’s going to be hell to pay.” He storms out of the ballroom, and I catch Luke tipping his head back before cutting a cold glance to the body on the floor.

The next thing I know, Everett has navigated both Cormack and me out into the frozen night where snow covers the ground and the evergreen branches are still weighed down with powder from the storm that blew through last night.

“Essex,” Cormack shouts as she plucks her hand free. “You’re ruining my case! Take care of Linola here. It’s time to cut my teeth on a real whodunnit.” She pokes her finger in my chest. For some reason, both Cormack and Cressida, Evie’s bio mother, refuse to get my name right. “You stay out of my investigation, Limoncello. I’ve gotta prove myself in the crime-fighting world. And I’m doing it tonight.” She stalks off before either Everett or I can get a word in.

Just last month, Cormack’s wealthy father pulled a few strings and greased a few palms to garner his spoiled little angel her very own PI license. He also rented her the very same office space on Main Street where Noah once had his PI office. Cormack has been doing her best to claw her way back into Noah’s life for years now, and I have a feeling this is just another ploy to do just that. The only mystery she’s interested in solving is how to land the latest designer purse in her closet—and perhaps Noah in her bed.

“Lemon, are you okay?” Everett quickly runs his hands over my body, over the baby as if feeling for a gunshot wound.

“I’m fine.” My heart riots in my chest as if calling me a liar. “The baby is fine.” No sooner do I say the word than it gives a swift kick as if to agree with me and right over Everett’s hand to boot.

A short-lived smile curves his lips. “Nothing ever felt so good.” He closes his eyes and lands a kiss to my lips. “I love you, Lemon. I love you both. Nothing can happen to either of you.” He gives a quick glance over his shoulder. “I saw Evie run out the door just before midnight. I’d better go find her.”

“Go ahead,” I tell him. “I see my mother.” I point over to where she’s standing huddled with Carlotta and my sisters. “I’ll be fine.”

“Sounds good.” Everett shuttles me right into their circle before planting a kiss to my lips. “I’ll be right back with Evie. Don’t move a muscle.”

He takes off, shouting her name just as an entire line of patrol cars heads this way.

Sheriff Jack Turner jogs up with his shock of gray hair and sturdy build. Jack is my best friend Keelie’s father, and I’ve known him for as long as I’ve been alive.

“Lottie Lemon, tell me you had nothing to do with this one,” he growls as