Page 4 of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

“Fuck you,” Colt spat out.

A grin spread across Mo’s face. “I thought you were screwing Magnolia.” She didn’t wait for an answer before she asked me, “Is it true that you and Tripp planned your father’s murder together?”

Colt started shouting at her, but I didn’t hear the words. This was too much, all too much. I’d tried to bury my guilt and horror over killing my father, but it wouldn’t go down easily. Or, rather, it wouldn’t stay down. He wasn’t the only one who’d died that night—the final wisps of the man I’d loved as a child, the man I’d thought he was, had dissipated into nothingness. My hand dropped to my side. I didn’t have the energy to fight anymore.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on out here?” Tilly cried out, hustling over to us. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders, nudging Colt to the side and effectively cutting him off. “Maggie Mae, you’re white as a sheet.” Her gaze narrowed on the woman in front of us. “She’s not giving interviews to the press.”

Colt looked like he wanted to physically escort Mo to Timbuktu, but Tilly gave him a warning glare, and he backed down.

“I’m not a reporter,” Mo said, and I was surprised at the respectful tone she used with Tilly. “I’m Mo Barker, one of the hosts ofThe C-Mark Serial Killer Podcast, and all I want is to give Magnolia the chance to tell her side of the story. There are a lot of rumors floating around.”

And most of them were coming from their show.

Tilly squeezed my arm. “As I already stated, Magnolia’s not givin’ interviews.”

She started to turn me around when Mo pointed her free hand at her. “Hey, you’re Tilly Bartok, aren’t you? You’re the co-owner of Southern Belles Catering.”

Tilly normally would have been beaming with pride, but she didn’t so much as crack a smile. “That’s right.”

“I’d love to talk to you too. To get Lila’s side of the story.”

“I’m not sure why you think I’d know Lila’s side of the story,” Tilly said. “She took what she knows to the grave.”

“Maybe so,” Mo said, “but rumor has it you and Lila were close.”

Tilly steered me toward the back door, pushing Colt in front of her. “We’ve got nothing to say to you, Ms. Barker. You have a good night.”

“I heard you wereveryclose to Lila Steele,” Mo called after us. “Wouldn’t you prefer to tell the world your own version rather than let us speculate on the podcast?”

Tilly paused a beat, then continued inside and slammed the door behind us.

“What were you thinkin’, Magnolia?” she demanded in a harsh tone she’d never once used on me before. “Why would you go out there by yourself?”

I gaped at her in disbelief. “I’m a grown-ass woman, Tilly. I don’t need a babysitter. I don’t have a serial killer after me anymore.”

“No, but you’ve got people like that after you instead! You just froze up out there!” she shouted, which was so unlike her I wasn’t sure how to react.

“Now, Tilly,” Colt drawled, trying to appease her.

“And you!” She pointed her finger at him. “What in the Sam Hill did you think you were doin’? Instead of takin’ care of Maggie, you were makin’ things worse!”

“I was defending her honor!”

“You were givin’ that fool fodder for her stupid radio show.”

“Podcast,” Colt said.

“Same damn difference,” she snapped. Then she cast a glance toward the door to the dining room. Several of the dinner guests were staring at us through the window. Horror filled her eyes and the fight bled out of her. “Magnolia. Go home.”

“But Tilly…” I protested.

Tears filled her eyes. “I’m not mad at ya, girl. I just think it would be better if you went home.”

Colt glanced from me to Tilly. “I’ll take her.”

I shook my head, feeling sick that I was causing trouble for Southern Belles. Business was already hurting because of all the drama, and now I was bringing even more. “No, you stay. Tilly needs you.”

“How’re you gonna get home?” he asked.

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