Page 32 of Covert Chaos

They had all been involved, but Bert was delighted to testify against them to save himself. He was already talking as fast as he could.

Devlin had recovered the gun from the lake, and they were expecting a match to the one that had killed Beckwith, and, apparently, Charles. Death by bullet, decoration by corkscrew.

Grisly, but over. And we'd survived.

As we sat there, a sky-blue Jeep pulled into my parking lot.

We all sat up. It was too early for it to be a customer.

"Anyone have a hairdryer?" Hattie asked.

"Did we miss someone? Or something?" Lucy said warily.

King Tut jumped up on the railing, his tail switching as the Jeep circled around and parked right next to the deck.

I stood up as the door opened, and Chef Felicia got out.

We all went silent.

Chef Felicia had been declared innocent by all involved, but we were definitely responsible for the fact that cops had dragged her out of her kitchen and interrogated her. And broken into her car.

She leaned against her Jeep and folded her arms across her chest. In the dawn light, she looked as gorgeous and radiant as she had in the kitchen. Felicia was a woman who carried vibrance wherever she went. "Well, that was quite a night."

"It was," I said cautiously. "Look, sorry about setting the cops on you."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Are you?"

Crud. "I am?—"

She suddenly burst out laughing. "I can't fake being mad! Damn, ladies, that was quite a night! Who knew I had all these murderers in my kitchen? Pies, Hattie. Pies! People killing over pies!"

I relaxed, as Hattie let out a whoop. "Girl, people will be killing over my recipes until the end of time!"

Chef Felicia threw up her arms. "I concede defeat, Hattie. I've never had anyone kill over my recipes. You win, and honestly, as much as I like adventure, I'm happy to give that title to you."

Hattie grinned. "You want to join us for a cup of coffee?"

She grinned. "I'd love to, thanks!" She shut her door and trotted up the steps. "By the way, Mia, is it true that you're running a drug empire?"

I stiffened. "No, I was undercover against my ex-husband for two years to put him in prison for the drug empire he was running."

She studied me. "Really?"

"Yes." I lifted my chin, waiting for the questions. Like why had I married him if I knew he was a drug dealer, as if I hadn't run to the feds the minute I realized what he was up to. Like?—

"I bet that was scary and stressful," Felicia said as she sat down next to me.

"I was scared every minute of every day that he'd find out and kill me," I admitted.

Felicia smiled. "No wonder you, Hattie, and Lucy figured out what was going on tonight. You're a hero, Mia Murphy. I'm honored to meet you."

I felt the truth in her voice, and my throat tightened.

Hattie and Lucy beamed at me, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Maybe they were right.

Maybe there really were people out there who were my people, who would see me for who I was, if I stopped hiding it.

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