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

We’re about to take off when Lorena pulls me back by the wrist.

“I’m your point person, Lottie. Florenza was my best girl and nobody gets away with this without answering to me. We’ll track down Nicky Knuckles together.”

Donata nods my way. “Rocky, too.”

“I appreciate that. We’ll do it soon, too!” I give a little wave as I pull Carlotta toward the snowy woods.

“Where are we going, Lot? You don’t need to squat in the woods. They’ll let you back inside to use the restroom. Just tell ’em you’ve got a baby Fox kicking in your belly. Once Noah hears his baby mama has potty duty, he’ll roll out the red carpet—right over the body if he has to.”

She’s not wrong.

“I don’t have to go to the bathroom,” I hiss. “I saw something spooktacular heading in this direction.”

“Lemon.” I turn to find Everett trotting this way as he runs up winded. “Evie’s safe. Your mother offered to give her a ride home.” His brows furrow as he looks from Carlotta to me then the dark woods that lie ahead. “Where are you going?”

“I think I saw something,” I say. “I have a feeling the ghost is just a little late on its arrival, but I saw an entire constellation of shimmering hot pink stars right over there.” I point that way, and sure enough, there’s a tornado of stardust touching down over the earth. I take up both Everett’s hand and Carlotta’s as we rush that way.

“What’s happening, Lot?” Carlotta shouts as that tornado of stars picks up speed and creates a supernatural gust that sends Everett’s tie flying over his shoulder.

“Lemon?” His voice hikes with concern just as a loud, thunderous clap evicts from the hot pink flurry.

A few years back we found out that I act as a conduit for anyone who’s holding my hand, and not only can I hear the dead among us, they can, too.

The noise ramps up, and the wind feels as if it’s about to blow us all right back to Honey Hollow and then with a loud snap the stars fall to the ground.

Standing where that funnel of chaos was a moment ago is a dark-haired beauty sporting long waves, not an eyelash out of place, snapping her gum and laughing while wearing that glittery pink dress with a fresh bullet wound through her chest.

“Angel Face Flo,” I say in disbelief. “You’re back?”

“That’s right,” she snips. “And I’m gonna get the bastard that did this myself.”

With that she up and disappears in a ball of hot pink smoke.

Chapter 4

“Waffles. We want lots of waffles.” Evie gives me a wink as she takes off to a corner table right here in the Cutie Pie Bakery and Cakery. It’s the very next day after last night’s murderous fiasco at the Chanterelle Hotel. It’s snowy and dark, and all around morose. So much for getting the year off to a great start. And have I mentioned the ghost?

But there’s no ghost in my bakery at the moment. I give a quick look around my quaint little bakeshop. The walls are painted a butter yellow, the furniture is mix and match in every shade of pastel, and there’s an opening to the left that leads right into the Honey Pot Diner—my diner if you want to get technical.

When my Grandma Nell died, she felt so bad for keeping my true identity as her granddaughter a secret, she left me all of her land and most of her holdings. Of course, she made sure her children and other grandchildren were well taken care of, but I seemed to get the lion’s share of the real estate, which included the land under my bakery as well. But it was the Honey Pot that was Nell’s baby.

She loved the place so much she had a life-size resin oak tree installed in the middle of the restaurant with its branches crawling over the ceiling, and now they bleed across the ceiling of my bakery as well. And each of those branches just so happens to be wrapped in twinkle lights.

It looks just as magical as Grandma Nell was—and still is. She’s given me more than a few posthumous visits, and I have cherished each and every one.

And at the moment, I’m cherishing the fact my entire bakery holds the heavenly fresh scent of those lemon Bundt cakes I’ve got baking in the oven, not to mention the fact my shelves are filled with every sweet treat I could cram them with.

I’ve got brownies and blondies, croissants, and Danishes, éclairs, and crullers, raspberry tarts, and enough pies and cakes to furnish just about every celebratory occasion this town has to offer.

Carlotta has been here at the counter with me for the last few hours working on her book in which she tackles both love and romance. Evie is here, too, along with her blonde bestie, Dash, and Evie’s two—yes, two—self-proclaimed boyfriends, Kyle and Conner.

Lily comes out of the kitchen with four plates brimming with waffles.

“I’ll take care of Evie and her friends,” she says, snapping up a couple of bottles of syrup with her fingers. “Believe me, I know how embarrassing it can be to have your mother hovering over the table while you’re on a date with a couple of hot guys. And Evie’s boyfriends really are super cute.”

“Cougar,” I tease as she takes off with a giggle.

Carlotta chuckles as well. “Would you look at that, Lot Lot? Mr. Sexy’s apple didn’t fall far from the tree. She’s just sixteen and she’s already roping them in two at a time. And they’re both on the basketball team. Or is it the football team?”

I groan just thinking about it. “Kyle is the dark-haired, lanky kid who plays on the basketball team. Conner is the blond built like a brick wall. He’s on varsity football.”

Carlotta gives a wistful shake of the head. “It’s no wonder our little Evie Stevie went out for