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

her favorite night.” She takes off back to the table, which has been returned to its upright position, while Cat sits cradling the Pope’s head as if it was a baby.

Flo squints her eyes at her bestie. “I think she got it mixed up. My twenty-first birthday party was my favorite night.”

“She’s grieving,” I tell her. “If my bestie bit the big one, I wouldn’t even remember my current age, let alone what happened when I was twenty-one.”

“You’re right. Lorena loves me like a sister. With me gone, it’s as if a bomb has gone off in her life. It’s as if someone swiped her beating heart.” She wraps her ghostly arm around my shoulders. “Now let’s go see about swiping my unbeating heart from the morgue. What do you say, Lottie? Are you going to save the entire state of Vermont from a turf war the likes of which hasn’t been heard of since the famed bloodbaths of Sicily? Think of your baby. Is that the kind of world you want for him or her? One filled with turf wars that can take down its potential daddy? And don’t think I’ve forgotten about Sexy.” A sinister grin crawls up her face. “I’ll have him unseated, disbarred, and most likely divorced. You don’t want that, do you, Lottie?”

My heart breaks as I look across the way to the two men I love. Noah can save all of Vermont with the information Flo can provide. And there’s no way in heck I’m letting Everett fry.

Carlotta comes back and hooks her arm through mine. “Well, Lot? What’s it gonna be? Are we dancing with the dead tonight? Or do I need to wake up Harry to do that?”

“Come on,” I say as I navigate us over to where Noah and Everett stand and Flo beats us there, that malevolent look on her face only growing sharper by the second.

“Well?” her voice goes off like a gong as she waits in anticipation herself.

Noah and Everett look my way with stern expressions.

“Everett, I know how you feel,” I wince as I say it. “And Noah, are you sure this could save lives? If you say it will, then we’ll do it. I leave this in your hands, and I trust you. Are we doing this? Are we breaking into the morgue to steal Flo’s body?”

He offers a mournful smile that says it all.

“Then I guess we’re doing it,” I hear myself say as I look back at Flo. “Just don’t touch Everett’s career—or the bakery.” I glare right at the pesky poltergeist. “And give Noah every last bit of information he needs.” I look to Everett and Noah. “For that alone, it’s worth it. If we can save one life, we’ve done the right thing.”

Noah nods, but Everett simply purses his lips, his eyes hardening over mine like stone.

Something tells me we’re in for a very long night indeed.

Chapter 8

“Lottie, please go home,” Noah says as he presses those evergreen eyes of his to mine. “There’s no way I’m letting you get tangled up in any of this.”

“No,” I hiss without meaning to as Noah, Everett, Carlotta, and I stand in the parking lot of Gia’s House with our feet firmly embedded in the snow. It’s pitch-dark save for the streetlamp as shadows haunt us from every angle. “I’m going to that morgue, and there’s not a thing either of you can do to stop me.”

Everett closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Both of you need to go home. Carlotta, I’ll give you a thousand dollars to babysit them.”

“Sold to the highest bidder.” Carlotta slaps her hands together. “Come on, Foxy. I’ll lock the two of you kids up in your very own bedroom. It’ll be a dream come true for both of us. You can play seven minutes in heaven with Lot, while Flo and I pet the pooch and clean your fridge out for you.” She pats her belly, letting us know exactly how she was planning to clean out the fridge. And by pooch, she means Noah’s golden retriever, Toby. He’s nothing but a gentle giant who lets my cats use him as a furry redheaded pillow whenever he comes over.

Flo groans, “There’s no way you’re keeping me out of this one. I’m going with you, Sexy.”

Everett gives my hand a squeeze. “All right, Angel Face, it’s you and me.” His lips twitch as he looks my way. “Don’t worry, Lemon. I’ve got this.” His words come out slow, and he studies my face long after he says them. There’s a question in his eyes as if maybe he doesn’t recognize me, or perhaps he’s seeing who I really am for the very first time, how dangerous I could be to someone like him. Sadly, he would be right.

Noah gives Everett a hard shove in the chest before bringing him in close. “You listen to me, you self-righteous bastard. You almost lost your life a few months back because of me, and you were lucky all you came away with was a broken arm. You don’t have much of a horse in this race. That mob war that’s about to break out could cost me my friends down at the force. It could cost me my life, the safety of that unborn child. You go home, Everett.” He pushes him away with force. “Take care of your wife.” He says wife as if it were a nefarious four-letter word as he heads for his truck, but Everett yanks him back by the shoulder.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do or how to do it, or even with whom.”

“Ooh.” Carlotta scoots in close and warms herself with her hands. “This is getting good. Try not to ruin his face, Foxy. We don’t want to get too carried away here.”

“Fine.” Noah takes a breath and steam blows from his nostrils. “Have it your way, Everett. But just know this is my deal. You’re following me.”

“I’m not following anybody,”