Page 12 of Twice Baked Risky Whiskey Cakes

“Have it your way.” My mother wraps her coat tighter around her body. “Come on, Meg. Let’s go.” She begins to scoot my sister in the direction of the community center once again and I pull her back by the elbow.

“Wait. What had the two of you so heated inside?” I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with Sebastian Gallagher’s murder, but my inquiring mind demands to know. This is the exact kind of thing that can rob me of a good night’s sleep, and heaven knows I’ll be losing enough sleep soon enoughtimes two.

Okay, fine, so I don’t sleep these days at all, but it doesn’t change the fact I love to ruminate on all sorts of odd things at all hours of the night. And I would definitely ruminate over what could have worked my mother and sister up in a tizzy. And with my quirky mother, the possibilities are endless.

Meg rolls her eyes. “I was tapped to perform in Las Vegas in a month and I’m going to accept the offer.”

I gasp at the thought. “You mean perform in the ring?” Meg was a pretty famous female wrestler for years. “Are you reprising Madge the Badge?” That was the character she played, and let me tell you, she was so popular that girls still emulate her in costume form each year at Halloween. And I’m super proud of my big sister because of it, too. When Lyla Nell comes of age, she’s so going to be Madge the Badge—and maybe it’s high time I don that costume myself.

“Yup,” Meg says. “And I’m going, too.”

“What about the baby?” I ask.

Mom gives a frenetic nod. “That’s exactly what I said.”

Carlotta belts out a wild whoop. “Who cares about the little yipper. We’re going to Vegas, baby!” She and Meg exchange high-fives.

Mom groans. “And I guess that means I’m going as well. Someone has to watch little Piper back at the room while Mommy is in the ring. I’m sure her daddy will want to be in the audience cheering you on.” She gives a reluctant shrug at my sister.

“Cool beans,” Meg says. “Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate it. It was going to cost me a fortune to kennel her for two weeks.”

“Meg.” Mom swats her, and my sister cackles as if there wasn’t a body less than six feet away.

“Come with us, Lot,” Meg says as my mother begins to drag her inside again.

“I wish,” I call out after them. “I’m guessing I’ll be a bit busy in one month’s time. You guys have fun out there; I’ll have fun right here.”

About ten different people openly glare at me and I suddenly remember where I am and which body I’m standing over. And believe me, there’s nothing fun about these dirty looks.

Noah finishes his call and steps our way. “Lottie, I need to ask you and Carlotta what you saw.”

“What wesaw?” Carlotta gyrates as if she were just electrocuted. “What we saw was Eliza the Ripper trying to perform impromptu open-heart surgery with a cocktail knife. Very innovative approach, but her technique needs work. Patient satisfaction rating is zero stars.”

A round of gasps and screams circles the crowd at her words and I don’t hesitate to swat her.

“Would you stop?” I snip. “We saw no such thing. Noah, we just came outside for some fresh air,” I explain while holding my belly as if it might fall off if I didn’t give it the extra support. “We walked over and found the poor man like this.”

“That’s right.” Carlotta happily corroborates my story, as she should. “And the Country Club Carver was standing over him with blood on her hands.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake.” I glance in Everett and Eliza’s direction, but thankfully it doesn’t seem they heard. Although I can’t say the same for the sixty-plus people pressing up against us with looks of outright horror.

“Did you see anyone else?” Noah asks, and if I’m not mistaken, he has a pleading look on his face.

I know for a fact that the detective in him wants to arrest anyone but Eliza. She was practically a second mother to him in a roundabout way. And with Suze Fox as his primary sourpuss of a maternal figure, I’m sure he really appreciates Eliza.

I shake my head. “Just Eliza,” I confirm, lower than a whisper. “But she says she found him already...well, you know.” I make a vague stabbing gesture that I immediately regret—mostly due to the gasps and screams that ensue because of it.

The entire Ashford Sheriff’s Department seems to arrive in droves with their red and blue lights painting the vicinity in alternating splashes of color. The partygoers are quickly herdedback inside for questioning, and just like that, their festive mood is thoroughly shattered.

Venus catches my eye from the crowd. Her face is pale with shock as she clutches her mother’s arm, and poor Keegan Meryl looks as if she might faint.

Glinda Van Jance stands off to the side, and yet her expression is unreadable as she watches the sheriff’s department secure the scene. The only one who is nowhere to be seen is the other redheaded woman Sebastian was arguing with earlier—Della Crane.

“I should check on Everett and Eliza,” I tell Noah, who nods absently while already coordinating with the arriving officers.

Ivy walks by and just about blocks my path. “Don’t even think of leaving town, Lottie,” she calls after me as she strides on by, not bothering to hide her suspicion in a crowd of thousands—or at least it feels like thousands.

“I’m nine months pregnant with twins,” I call back as she makes her way to the other side of the body. “I couldn’t make a quick getaway if I tried!”

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