Red Velvet Vengeance Read online

  “Good catch. I’ll see if there’s any record of Nikki at Ashford.” Noah gets right to pounding over his keyboard.

  My heart thumps wildly as I scroll through the seemingly endless pictures of Greer on my phone, specifically seeking out those with Nikki.

  “Look at this,” I say, pointing to a picture of Greer and Nikki posing over an expansive sushi platter. “Nikki has a sweatshirt on with Greek symbols, and it’s not three triangles, the symbol for Tri Delta.”

  Noah leans in. “Check this out. It’s the symbol for Pi Zeta Ro, a lesser-known sorority with only seven chapters in the United States. Judging by how many schools there are, that’s practically nonexistent.” Noah looks up locations.

  “There’s only one in Vermont. Academy University. It’s in Newton.”

  “Newton?” I gasp. “That’s where Nikki said she was from!”

  Noah moans. “Maybe she didn’t want to go into detail about the sorority she was in? It’s not quite incriminating information.”

  “I’m betting it is.” I plug in Pi Zeta Ro, Academy University, and a million pictures populate the screen. It doesn’t take much digging to find Nikki’s smiling face in the front row of a sorority house picture. Each of the girls is in a pristine white dress against the background of a rolling green lawn. “That’s her.”

  “Let me see.” Noah enlarges the picture and points to a girl holding a sign. “Class of 2008.”

  “That would make her a little older than Greer.” I think on it a moment. “Strange.”

  “That is strange considering she told me they were in the same graduating class when I questioned her. But she might have been talking about grad school.”

  I refine my search to include the year and click into another picture that features a few girls from the sorority, one of them being Nikki, this time with a string of names beneath it.

  “Noah, look”—I can hardly catch my next breath—“They’re not calling her Nikki Spencer. It says Nikki Brandon.”

  His head inches back, and he does another quick search. “There she is, Nikki Brandon, class of 2008, business major.”

  “Brandon. Why does that name sound familiar?” My heart begins to race as that room back in Fallbrook forms in the recesses of my mind. “Wait a minute.” I pull up that picture I took while Noah and I were in that office. “Noah, look, the name at the bottom. Spencer Brandon. His name is crossed out. Nikki Spencer? Spencer Brandon? This isn’t some cosmic coincidence.”

  “No, it’s not. Nikki has a tie to whoever that is.” He pounds into his keyboard, and a quick search for Spencer Brandon brings up hundreds of articles. Noah clicks into one, and we both dip in close to the screen. “Disgraced CEO of Hannover Steel steps down amid controversy. Spencer Brandon, who had previously touted himself as a proud family man with a wife and daughter, has removed himself from his position at the esteemed Fortune 500 company after pictures of him cavorting with a paid escort came to light this Friday. Images sent to the board and shareholders of Brandon in compromising situations have caused stocks to plummet and investors bailing out at an alarming rate. Screenshots were sent along with the salacious photos demonstrating that Brandon pilfered company dollars to fund his dalliances. Since the news initially broke, it is reported that Brandon’s wife has filed for divorce, and he has since moved to Costa Rica indefinitely.”

  “That’s terrible.” I curl in tight to Noah. “Wait a minute. Look at the date. That was almost two years ago. Spencer Brandon has a daughter.” My heart riots against my chest. “And that daughter is Nikki Spencer. Oh my God, she killed Greer for what she did to her family.” My entire body shakes just knowing how easily I stepped into her midst, how safe I felt with her.

  Noah hops up and puts on his jacket. “No wonder she had zero problem throwing Tinsley under the bus. It was a perfect diversion.” He pulls his gun off the counter and buries it into the holster strapped to his back. “Lottie, I have to run to the office and do a few things before I can take this further. Just a few quick confirmations. Whatever you do, please don’t let on that Nikki has been bumped up as a prime suspect.”

  “No, of course not.” I meet him at the door and wrap my arms around him. “I’ll be at the B&B for the comedy event my mother is hosting. Tinsley is performing, and Nikki said she’ll be there.”

  “Good.” His gaze flits out the window. “I’ll be there as soon as I wrap things up in Ashford. Try to avoid her tonight if possible. And whatever you do, stay safe.” He presses a quick kiss to my lips, and I step out onto the porch and watch as Dutch barks at Noah as he gets into his truck and takes off like a bullet.

  Dutch runs out into the street and thunders out all of his vocal aggression as if he were angry, boiling mad, ready for the fight of his life, and it makes me wonder what has him so worked up.

  Maybe, just maybe, he realizes his second go-around on this planet is almost up.

  And I’d be a liar if I didn’t say it broke my heart.

  Just one more night.

  What could possibly go wrong?

  A giant wooden sign sits in front of the B&B with a string of lights surrounding it that reads Welcome to a Night of a Couple of Laughs!

  The B&B itself looks right out of a storybook, white gingerbread trim with a huge wraparound porch. My mother teases that this is her fourth child, and in all honesty, it requires as much attention as a toddler skating around a swimming pool. I pull the bakery van up to the kitchen in the back and start unloading the dozens of boxes filled mostly with my decadent red velvet cupcakes and their melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese frosting. Keelie and Lainey really knocked them out of the park. I should know. I had two or twelve on the way over.

  On my final trip into the kitchen, I spot Bear standing there. “Hey, Lot.” He shoves a cupcake into his mouth and moans. “That’s real good.”

  “Don’t I know it.” I give a quick inspection around the kitchen. “Wait a minute. The last thing I heard, you were tearing this place apart, and it looks—” I tip my head to the side because I’m not quite sure what’s happening here.

  “Your mother chose the same cabinets, the same countertops, the same floor tile she had before.”

  Mom breezes in and waves Bear off. “I can’t help it if I got it right the first time. The important thing is, we’ve ushered out all that bad luck Eve brought in when she died here.”

  I choke on a laugh. “Mother! You’re insane, you know that?” And I hate to break it to her, but I’m the one hauling in the bad luck around here, not poor Eve.

  “Funny”—she hitches a thumb to Bear—“he keeps telling me that, too.” She gives a quick wink as she inspects the baked goods. “My goodness, are these your famous toffee meringue drops? They’re so good, I’m afraid they might upstage your cupcakes.” She pulls out a few glass platters. “Would you mind setting them out for me? The guests are arriving, and I need to help put the finishing touches on the auction. Nicole has offered to help me stage it. She’s just brilliant when it comes to these kinds of things.”

  “That’s great. Go on. I’ll take care of the platters. Oh hey!” I call out just before she leaves the kitchen. “Did Nicole ever have any luck catching up with her daughter?”

  Mom frowns and her upper lip protrudes, and it looks as if she’s pouting. “Not yet. But she mentioned she invited her here tonight. It looks like there’s a family reunion in the works. Here’s hoping they share a laugh together and mend some fences!”

  “I’m sure they will.” I get right to the task of plating the cookies before pulling out a few three-tiered stands to place the cupcakes on.

  Bear comes over and steals a toffee meringue drop for himself. “So, have you met this woman? The one that’s been living at the B&B for the last few weeks?”

  “Several times. She seems nice enough. Have you met her?”

  “Accidentally. I was doing a patch job for your mother upstairs, and I heard her shouting at someone from the other side of the wall. She’s a real firecracker.”


  “Really? She says she’s here to make amends with her daughter. Maybe it was her that she was having a heated conversation with.”

  “I don’t know. She used some pretty colorful language. Said something about leaving for a while.”

  “That’s too bad. I was really hoping things would work out for her. Maybe tonight will be the turning point she hoped for.”

  “Maybe.” He heads for the back door, and I pull him back by the sleeve.

  “Not so fast. I need your muscles.”

  I plate up the cookies and toss all one million cupcakes onto the three-tiered stands and set them in the grand room. The B&B is already wall-to-wall bodies. The palatial dining room is set up with rows and rows of items for the silent auction, and it looks as if the crowd has already started bidding.

  My father would be so humbled by all of this. But he wouldn’t be a bit surprised that his wife could pull it off. My mother can host a party for the masses with the best of them. It’s her gift of hospitality that makes staying at the B&B so special.

  Nikki and Tinsley walk in looking every bit the stunning beauties they are, both in short black dresses and sky-high heels. Nikki waves my way, and I freeze, unsure of what to do.

  “Hey there,” I call out as cheery as possible. Noah may have asked me to lay low, but I don’t see what a quick hello could hurt.

  They head this way, and upon closer inspection, I’m nearly blinded by all the glittery makeup Tinsley has on her cheeks and eyelids.

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she bubbles. “My hands are shaking, and my stomach is filled with butterflies—scratch that, it’s filled with bats. But I’ve done stand-up a time or two in college, and I’ve been itching to hit the stage again.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do great,” I say. “It’s all in fun, and no one is judging you.”

  Nikki leans in. “I’m judging you.” She giggles. “Kidding. You’ll do great.” Her large, stunning eyes glisten with tears. “I’m really proud of you. You’re a good friend, Tins. We may have had a bumpy start, but you’ve been a real rock to me.” Nikki wraps an arm around her. “You’re nothing but the best.” Something catches her eye, and she cranes her neck over Tinsley’s shoulder. “I think I see someone I need to talk to. Excuse me.”

  She takes off, and I step in close to Tinsley, taking in her sugary perfume.

  “So, the two of you had a bumpy start?” I cut right to the chase. The show is about to begin, and I know Tinsley probably wants to practice her routine.

  “Bumpy start is right.” She tips her head back, and it’s then I notice the dark glitter in her hair. Black on black and it’s beautiful. Like an entire galaxy of onyx stars tangled in her locks. “I guess you could say I was suspicious of her. She just came out of nowhere and glued herself to Greer’s side as if she were a woman on a mission. Of course, Greer lived to be worshipped and didn’t think anything of it. I mean, wouldn’t you think it were strange if some girl just popped up out of the blue and hijacked your best friend? And to make it worse, she supposedly had everything in common with her. I thought she had to be faking it.”

  “That would be strange. I can see why you’d be upset. Hey, does Nikki ever mention her family?”

  “She seems to really miss her dad. She says he’s working in the Caribbean. And I think her mom is a realtor somewhere nearby.” She shrugs. “Wish me luck!” She takes off, and I try to pick through our conversation for anything new and come up empty.

  I’m about to head back to the kitchen and spot a dozen cuddly little specters barking and nipping at any and every ankle within reach. Come to think of it, Greer did mention that she trained them to nip at the frat boys. I guess in a world without Greer, we’re all a bunch of frat boys to this feisty loyal brood.

  One of the cute, fuzzy furballs hobbles toward Bear as he does his best to scoop up another red velvet cupcake—but it’s not Bear or his cupcake moves that catch my eye, it’s the tiny Chihuahua’s right front paw that has me doing a double take. There’s something slender and silver strapped to it. I head over and pick up the tiny tot and inspect that silver object glinting in the light.

  “Oh my God,” I gasp as I run my thumb over it. Firmly attached to this tiny pooch’s paw is a silver hoop earring—the exact silver hoop earring I saw the night of Greer’s murder.

  Holy heck. A breath hitches in my throat as I do my best to pluck the earring off this otherworldly beast.

  Not only are they capable of affecting the material world, but they’re interfering in my investigation!

  Okay, so I may have sounded a bit like Noah, but in this case, Noah would be right. I set the barking baby down and inspect the earring in the light. It’s as thick as my smallest fingernail and as round as a quarter, and there’s a floral etching on the outer rim that makes it unique. This belongs to the killer.

  I glance out at the crowd and spot Lily and Everett heading into the grand room to take their seats. Lainey and Forest come in after that looking every bit the regal couple they are. Just past them I spot Nikki in her short little black dress. Her arms flail a moment, and it looks as if she’s having an animated conversation. A crowd moves between us, and I take a step to the left to get a better look at who she might be speaking with and freeze when I see her. Nicole Brand.

  I suck in a quick breath. Nicole Brand—as in Brandon. Spencer Brandon’s wife! I’m not sure if I should be horrified or excited by the discovery. Of course. It makes total sense. Her estranged daughter is Nikki Spencer—Nikki Brandon. Funny that neither of them wanted to use their real names. Either they’re still traumatized by their association to Spencer Brandon or they both have sinister motives. I take a step closer, and my eyes widen when I see those large hoop earrings Nicole has on. Hoop earrings. I’m betting she’s a fan.

  Nikki said she was from Newton, and Nicole said she was from Basset Ville. Newton is a subdivision of Basset Ville. It looks as if they weren’t hiding all the facts.

  The silver hoop in my hand heats against my palm like an ironing brand.

  A thought comes to me, and I don’t meditate on it. I act.

  “Bear?” I come up next to him and manufacture my sweetest smile. “My mother said you had a master key you could lend me.”

  “Sure thing.” He plucks it out and hands it over without questioning my authority. “Need anything else?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  Bear stands guard at the base of the stairs as I head on up. Bear let me know the patch job he did was in the far corner, and there’s only one room at the end of the hall, so I make a beeline for it and let myself in. It’s dark inside, and the thick scent of a floral perfume lingers in the air as if she just left and I’m betting she did. I close the door and flick on the lights. The bed is neatly made, and there’s an opened suitcase next to it on a luggage rack. It’s filled with neatly folded clothes, shoes tucked in the corner, and a bag of cosmetics sits over it.

  Bear is right. It looks as if she’s leaving soon—tonight more like it, tomorrow in the least.

  A couple of rings sit by the nightstand and a passport next to that. I pick it up and, sure enough, her picture stares back at me from the inside, Nicole Anne Brandon. My heart sinks for the poor woman. She’s been through hell these last few years. It’s enough to drive anyone insane to have your life upturned that way. But is it enough to drive you to kill?

  I place the passport back where I found it, and a breath hitches in my throat when I spot a leaflet from Greer Giles’ funeral. I pick it up, and a glint of silver catches my eye from underneath it. A silver hoop earring with delicate floral etching. I hold it out to the earring in my hand, and it’s a perfect match.

  Chapter 19

  The B&B is brimming with bodies, all of them jovial, and each person present has an ear-to-ear grin on their face.

  The first set is well underway as I make my way to the grand room. Suffice it to say, Bear was not amused when I gave him his keys back. I believe the word
s felon and orange jumpsuit spewed from his angry lips, but I assured him I’d have a big box of my red velvet wonders delivered to his home come Monday, and that put a smug smile back on his face. I’ll have Lily deliver them. Maybe they can fall in love, and that will free poor Everett from Lily’s tyranny. I make a face as I step into the grand room. Whatever it is that Lily Swanson is doling out, Everett seems to be coming back for more.

  It’s standing room only as the crowd breaks out into regular intervals of laughter. Scooter McPhee, chief of the fire department, has taken the stage, and he’s tearing the crowd up intermittently as if on a timer. But I can’t focus in on anything he’s saying. All I can think about is Nicole Brand—Brandon and that hoop earring.

  Is that enough to implicate her? I mean, what if she had a conversation with Greer and she turned her head suddenly? It could have fallen off and attached itself to Greer’s dress, couldn’t it? Or what if she witnessed Nikki killing Greer and she went over to inspect her after the fact?

  I spot Nikki sitting up front with Tinsley, and they both have a pleasant smile on their faces as they listen to the set attentively.

  Noah said he’d be here by now. If I text him, he won’t get it until he arrives anyhow. If I call, he might try to speed, and God knows it’s icy out there. Dutch and those loveable minions of his take the stage, barking as if they were about to take over the world, and a dull laugh strums from me, first one all night. But it just so happens it was during a lull in the set and half the room turns to look my way. Perfect. Way to cause a scene when I’m trying to lay low.