Christmas Fudge Fatality Read online

  “Why are we doing this again?” Keelie asks as she struggles to take her thick down jacket off.

  “Because we care about Tamara,” I whisper as the rest of the class files into the small boxy gym filled with a smattering of dumbbells and elliptical equipment.

  Noel appears, gliding through the air like the fantastic phantasm he is.

  “I’m so lucky I’ll never need to torment myself that way. Might I add, it’s a delight to be floating as effortlessly as a cloud.”

  “Showoff,” I hiss and a couple of women running on nearby treadmills glance my way, affronted.

  Joyce strides in with her dark hair swept up into a bun, skintight yoga pants, and a matching tank top despite the deep freeze going on outside. Keelie and I donned our sweats, and evidently nothing screams novice at the gym like elastic lined fleece.

  “Keelie? Lottie?” Joyce wraps her arms around us both. “I’m so thrilled to see you here! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Oh”—I look to Keelie in a mild panic—“we’ve decided not to wait until after the new year to start working on our bikini bodies.”

  “That’s right.” Keelie pushes up the sleeves on her old Honey Hollow High sweatshirt. “Lottie keeps shoveling those delicious desserts she bakes into both of our mouths—and we’ve got waistlines to preserve, judges and homicide detectives to attract.”

  I make a face at her for that one.

  Noel howls a laugh. “She’s got you there, Lottie!”

  Joyce chortles at the thought herself. “From what I hear, Lottie already has their attention. Sure wish I had two hotties at my side whenever I wanted them. What’s your secret?”

  Keelie nods. “It’s the cookies.”

  Both Keelie and Joyce break out into a fit of laughter, leaving Joyce in tears over it.

  “I knew I should have opened up a bakery instead.” She dabs her eyes with her pinkies.

  Perfect segue, so I go with it.

  “What made you open this place? It’s great, by the way.”

  “Thanks.” Joyce waves a hand around the room. “It’s my baby and I’ve got three more just like it. It’s been my dream my whole life to open up a place like this.”

  Keelie gives a slight nod my way as if to say I’ve got this. I filled her in on everything Bonnie said on the way over.

  Keelie cocks her head. “What made you wait so long?”

  “Money,” Joyce is quick to answer. “I finally had a financial fairy step in and save the day.” She wrinkles her nose. “It was Tamara. And now that she’s gone, I’ll have to figure out how to remove her name from the lease.”

  “What about the loans? You know, for the equipment and the start-up costs?” I ask and Noel glides in close as if he were anxious to hear this, too.

  Joyce glances out the window a moment. “Thanks to Tamara, there are no loans. She wanted to start debt-free. And with the money she was getting from the farm, she could afford to do it. But she doesn’t have any kids. And her parents have both passed away—I guess I own the businesses free and clear. With the exception of the ground leases, of course. But the gyms are in the black, so there shouldn’t be a problem with that.”

  Keelie nods. “And now I guess you don’t have to split the profits with anyone either.”

  Noel huffs, “She’s our killer, Lottie. I can see it in her greedy eyes.”

  I’m wondering if I can, too. In the least I can see a decent motive starting to form.

  Joyce takes a quick look around the box-shaped room. “I’ll admit, it is a bit of a relief to know I can make all of the decisions on my own. And if I’m honest, taking the whole profit—well, that’s something I can get used to, I suppose.”

  “Bingo!” Noel lights up as blue as a flame. “Lock her up and throw away the key, Lottie! She’s living high off of my sweet Tamara’s hog.”

  “Maybe,” I say a touch too loud and both Keelie and Joyce look my way. “Maybe Scott didn’t push Tamara off that embankment.” I shrug. “I mean, he says he didn’t do it.”

  Joyce’s mouth falls open. “What are you implying?”

  “Oh no, not that.” I try to laugh it off while making a mental note to ignore every ghost in the vicinity for a year.

  Noel swims through the air and gets right in her face. “That’s exactly what we’re implying!”

  I shake my head at him. “I mean, maybe she slipped.”

  “Oh.” Joyce tips her head to the side as if considering this. “No, I don’t think so. Anyone else, maybe—but Tamara? She had enemies.”

  “Enemies?” Keelie winces. “That’s a strong word, don’t you think?”

  “No.” Joyce shakes her head emphatically. “And I’m not talking about Scott—

  that’s a given.”

  Keelie leans in. “You mean Stacy?”

  Ugh. A part of me wants to swat my bestie for feeding Joyce an option, but then it’s the only other logical one.

  Noel growls over at Keelie, “Someone needs a muzzle. Don’t you think, Lottie?”

  Joyce shakes her head. “Stacy didn’t want to make any more waves than she already did. She had Scott and they seemed pretty happy together.”

  Now it’s my mouth falling open. “So who could have done it? What other enemies did Tamara Gray have?”

  Joyce pins those dark eyes right over mine. “Bonnie,” she says it plain as day and my mouth is right back to falling open again. “I know what you’re thinking. Who in their right mind would implicate Bonnie in a murder investigation of all things, but I don’t think it needs to be that dramatic. Bonnie and Tamara were having it out on the car ride over to the lot. I should know. We drove out together. In fact, I had to tell them to settle down.” She holds herself as if reliving a bad memory. “You probably don’t know this, but Bonnie is a compulsive gambler. Scott and Tamara found out two weeks ago that she was pilfering funds from the farm to support her habit.”

  Both Noel and I suck in an audible breath.

  Keelie clasps her neck. “That’s terrible!”

  “It is.” Joyce looks out at the rest of the women in the room. “We had no idea it had gotten that bad. As soon as Scott and Tamara discovered what was happening, they suspended her. It didn’t help that Tamara threatened her in the car that day.”

  A threat?

  I take a step in. “What did she say?”

  Joyce nods my way. “She said as soon as the holidays were over, it was prison for Bonnie.”

  “Prison?” I gasp. “That’s terrifying. I can see why Bonnie would feel threatened. They were such good friends. I would guess Bonnie was hoping to maybe pay them back or something along those lines.”

  “It wasn’t going to happen.” Joyce looks from Keelie to me. “The weird thing is, the only reason I left Bonnie in the woods with Tamara that night was because I thought you were with them.”

  “Me?” I bury a finger in my chest and she’s quick to nod.

  “I heard her talking to you, Lottie.”

  Keelie looks equally baffled. “Maybe she was mentioning Lottie? Like in a conversation?”

  “No.” Joyce shakes her head. “I specifically heard her carrying on a conversation with you. Trust me. Her tone was a lot curter when dealing with Bonnie these days. And with you, she was perky and chipper.” A slew of women walk through the door and Joyce greets them. “I’d better start up the class. Oh, and if you can’t keep up, don’t worry. No one thinks much of the first-timers.” She gives a sly wink, leaving Keelie and me to huff in her wake.

  “I’m not a first-timer in a gym,” I say. “I just delivered a platter of sugar cookies to Boom Fitness in Ashford for their holiday party.”

  Keelie bucks with a laugh. But as soon as the class begins, neither of us is laughing.

  Afterwards, I invite Joyce to my mother’s speed dating party before Keelie and I hobble on out of there and straight back to Honey Hollow.

  Joyce could have been the one to push Tamara off the embankment that day.

  And
for that matter, it could have been Bonnie.

  But one thing is for sure—it wasn’t me.

  Chapter 7

  There is something special about living in a cozy small town, especially at the holidays—especially when everyone you know comes out to partake in the tree lighting ceremony in the town square.

  All of Main Street is bustling with bodies as townspeople and tourists alike congregate in the park that houses the behemoth evergreen that gets lit up like the glorious wonder it is every single year. The snow has stopped falling as if taking a respite just for the event at hand, and the air is permeated with the scent of fresh baked cookies and melted chocolate from the hot cocoa stand.

  My mother is here with her friends, and my sisters, Lainey and Meg, stand bundled in wool coats, sipping on hot cocoa. The Cutie Pie Bakery and Cakery has a booth set up right next to the cider and cocoa stand, and already we’re selling out of iced sugar cookies and my walnut chocolate fudge.

  “Lottie,” Meg moans through a bite. Meg is gorgeous with her jet-black hair and icy blue eyes. One might think that Meg’s days as a female wrestler might have toughened her up, but the truth is, she came out of the womb as tough as a nail. She’s never been one to shy away from conflict, nor does she shy away from what she’s really thinking. “This fudge is amazing. What are you putting in it to make it so addictive? I’m betting it’s not legal.”

  I laugh at the thought. “That’s one bet you’ll lose,” I say, stealing a cube of fudge out of her bag and popping it into my mouth. “Mmm. I can vouch for the addictive part. Each night when I head home, I bring a box of fudge along with me.”

  Lainey giggles at the thought. “I bet you share them with your handsome neighbors, too.”

  Meg howls, “Among other things she freely gives away.”

  “Would the two of you stop?” I swat them both on the arm. “Yes, it’s a plus living near both Everett and Noah, but believe me, I’m not giving anything away.”

  “That’s right.” Keelie comes up and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Lottie makes them work for any affection she doles out.”

  “As it should be!” Lily shouts from behind.

  Lily Swanson offered to help man the booth for me tonight along with a few other employees from the bakery. I told her there was a certain man I wanted to question about Tamara’s death, and rumor has it he’ll be here tonight.

  Scott Gray hasn’t been formally charged, but from what Noah says, it’s just a matter of time.

  Lainey spoke with Stacy this morning, and she mentioned that both she and Scott would be here tonight. Some might say it’s crass to come to such a festive event just days after Tamara’s death, but I’m not against it in the least. I remember after my father died I tried desperately to erase the grief, if only for a moment. Not that either Stacy or Scott is truly grieving her—especially not if one of them is responsible for her death to begin with.

  Meg takes a sip of her cocoa. “So who’s going to Mom’s one-stop jingle hop?”

  “Are you talking about that speed dating thing?” I glance over my shoulder to find Mom and Chrissy Nash cavorting with Mayor Nash near the tree we’re all here to set ablaze with a million white-hot twinkle lights. “I don’t know what she’s thinking.”

  Lainey huffs, “She’s thinking she’s going to get lucky—in love.”

  Meg snarls, “More like dumped a hundred times in a single night.”

  “Meg!” I say her name in protest with a laugh in my mouth. “We would be so lucky. The sad truth is, all one hundred creeps will want her number. Every man she meets seems to magnetize to her, and they’ll be wanting a conversation in the least.”

  Lainey nods at something behind me. “Speaking of wanting to have a conversation with someone. Here’s your chance.”

  I look back and a breath hitches in my throat. “They’re here.” Scott and Stacy hold hands near the forty-foot noble just as if they were any other couple. “So weird. Why are they holding hands? I’m not even sure why Stacy is here with him to begin with. She made it sound as if they were over.” Stacy glances this way and does a double take once she spots me staring. “I’d better go say hello.”

  Lainey latches onto my arm. “I’ll go with you.”

  We head on over as an icy breeze picks up, causing everyone to pull their coats just a little bit tighter. It’s dark out, save for the streetlamps, and each one of them is entwined in garland and dotted with a big red bow. The holidays are the most festive times of the year, and it saddens me that Tamara isn’t around to enjoy them.

  “Stacy, Scott,” I say as we come upon them.

  Scott offers a meager smile but Stacy all out scowls.

  “Lainey, I could use some cocoa. Would you mind coming with me?” Stacy speeds off with my sister before I can blink, and soon enough it’s just Scott and me standing here awkwardly.

  I wince over at him. I’ve known Scott forever it seems. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m not holding up, Lottie.” He lifts his chin toward the overgrown tree in our midst, and I can see the scruff on his cheeks. Scott has always been clean-shaven, so I suppose this isn’t a purposeful disheveled look, more like a genuine one. “It’s been hell.” He cranes his neck just past me. “And something tells me it’s about to get a little bit hotter in my corner of the universe.”

  I glance back, only to find Noah popping up in our midst. “Lottie.” His voice is curt, and that wide look in his eyes lets me know he’s not pleased with the fact I’m standing here with a suspect he’s about to book for murder. “Hello, Scott.”

  He reaches over and shakes his hand. Noah has on his dark wool jacket and his hands covered in thick leather gloves. His green eyes catch the light and look as if someone turned a flashlight on in his skull—they’re just that bright tonight. Too bad they’re not liking what they see.

  Scott frowns over at him. “What’s going on? Did you bring those silver bracelets everyone in town thinks I should be wearing?”

  Noah gives a long blink. “No, Scott. I’m here for the tree lighting with everyone else.”

  “Sorry.” He takes a step back. “I probably shouldn’t be here at all. Stacy talked me into it.”

  Something doesn’t settle well with me about that. “How are you and Stacy doing, anyway?”

  “Not good,” he’s quick to answer. “But then, things aren’t generally good in my life, so I don’t see why that would be any different. She thinks I pushed Tamara. She wants me to confess. She thinks I can cut a deal with the prosecutor or something.” He ticks his head back in a fit of frustration. “But I don’t want a deal. Heck, I don’t want to be prosecuted for something I didn’t do.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I say, pained by his palpable agony. “Scott, can I ask what happened that night in the woods?”

  He inches back and stares at me as if I just sprouted another head. “You shouldn’t have to ask. You were the last to speak with her.” He looks to Noah. “Sorry, Lottie. I don’t mean to out you in front of the homicide detective. My head is all over the place, and I just want to get to the truth.”

  Noah shoots me a look. “Lottie? Did you speak with her in the woods that night?” His forehead creases, thick with worry.

  “No. It’s news to me. I saw Bonnie and Joyce head in that direction.” I look to Scott. “And you and Stacy, of course.” A thought comes to me. “But you know what? You’re not that first person to tell me that.” My mouth falls open as I look to Noah. “Joyce mentioned it the other day.” My fingers fly to my lips as Noah gives me an accusatory look. “Keelie and I happened to try out her new gym. We’re looking to stay ahead of the caloric curve this holiday season. Anyway, Joyce said she distinctly heard Tamara having a conversation with me.” I shrug. “I don’t get it.”

  Noah sighs as he looks to Scott. “You don’t have to answer without an attorney present, but I am curious as to what you saw.”

  “I don’t need an attorney, Detective. Tamara and I exchanged a few m
ore words regarding the land we share. I told Stacy I needed to get out of there before my blood boiled over and I left.”

  I nod. “You and Stacy left.”

  “No, just me. Stacy said she has something she needed to discuss with her, and I didn’t want anything to do with it.”

  Noah and I exchange a quick glance.

  “That’s right,” I say. “I remember Stacy pulling Tamara away to talk to her earlier as well. I bet she was trying to have a conversation with her about something. Lainey was with them.” I shrug up at Noah.

  Scott waves it off. “Just ask Stacy herself. She’ll tell you. Anyway, I took off and the next thing I knew Tamara was dead.”

  “Scott”—I lean in—“what made you think Tamara was talking to me?”

  “I saw a couple of girls headed toward her. It was dark. The next thing I knew she was saying your name like she was having a conversation with you.”

  I can’t help but grimace. “I think it was Bonnie and Joyce with her—and, of course, Stacy. But oddly enough, it wasn’t me.”

  Mayor Nash’s voice booms over the speakers, and soon our attention is drawn to the oversized evergreen in the center of the square.

  “Welcome one and all to the Honey Hollow annual tree lighting ceremony! On behalf of our little town we want to wish each and every one of you a happy and safe Christmas season. Let’s count down from ten, and start this holiday season off with an illuminating bang!”

  We do just that, and at once a burst of light ignites over our world in one shocking fit of splendor. A couple of overgrown sparklers go off on either side of the tree, much to the delight of the crowd, and an applause breaks out at the sight.

  “That was spectacular.” I clap while looking over at Scott and Noah, but Scott is nowhere to be seen. “I guess he left. I hope I didn’t offend him.”

  Noah wraps an arm around me, and I warm myself next to him.

  “I think you’re the least of his worries, Lottie.” Noah takes a deep breath. “Lottie, you did speak with Tamara that night?”