Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

V irginia and Noel step into the lobby of the Country Cottage Inn, tugging their winter coats tight around their waists as snowflakes pepper their hair and shoulders.

Virginia’s blonde locks are pulled back into a chignon, and she’s clad in black and carrying a small potted poinsettia. It looks so festive and lively, that I suddenly have a craving to festoon the inn with the perky little plant.

Note to self: buy poinsettias in bulk—and maybe buy a red dress to match. It’s safe to say I’m still traumatized from my stint dressed as an elf.

Noel looks cozy in a dark wool coat, and peeking from underneath is essentially the same power suit Mackenzie has on, save for the fact it’s navy, and her red tresses are neatly curled under, hugging her neck.

“Hello, ladies,” I say, placing my hand over my stomach out of habit, a brand-new habit that I don’t plan on breaking until sometime next summer. “What can I do for you today?”

Emmie excuses herself to the kitchen where she says she has a pan of cinnamon rolls ready to be iced.

And you can bet your britches I’ll be sampling those before the day is done.

Virginia steps up and nods. “We were just on our way back from the sheriff’s station and we wanted you to know that we’re fully cooperating with the homicide detective. Your husband.” She nods again.

“That’s good to hear,” I tell her. “I’m so very sorry for your loss.”

“We are, too,” Noel says. “But we also wanted to extend our apologies for any trouble we might have caused the inn.”

“Please, no need to apologize,” I say. “In fact, if there’s anything at all we can do, we want to help.”

The door to the inn opens with a start and in strides my saucy sister, clad in red, her signature color in and out of season.

Noel turns around. “Macy?”

My sister’s mouth rounds out with surprise. “Perfect timing,” she says. “I was about to grab coffee in the café. You should come with. We have so much to discuss before tomorrow.”

Noel glances at Virginia. “I’ll be right back,” she says, following Macy in the hot pursuit of hot java.

Perfect. Now that I have Virginia all to myself, I can get to the nitty-gritty. And who knows? I might even get her opinion on a few baby names. I have a feeling I’m going to work my newest quest into just about every conversation—even if that conversation happens to involve murder.

“Virginia,” I practically hiss the woman’s name without meaning to. “What do you think happened last night? Was there anyone at the party who Nick Bell had a disagreement with?”

“Disagreement?” She averts her eyes for a moment. “Try at least half the company. Nick wasn’t exactly the easiest person to get along with.”

“That’s too bad.” I bite down on my lip as Fish jumps up onto the counter.

Ask her why she left the party early, she mewls. Guilty people always flee the scene of the crime. And then be done with it, Bizzy. You shouldn’t have to burden yourself with the stress of a homicide on top of every other thing on your holiday list. Let the oaf you married do his job for once. Stress isn’t good for the baby. I heard Grandma say those exact words.

She’s not wrong and neither is my mother.

I may have briefed Fish, Sherlock, and Jingle on everything I knew once we got back to the cottage last night.

Since there was no one able to take Jingle, I took him home myself, and he’ll stay with me until we get his living situation sorted out. Although he’s so adorable I wouldn’t mind sorting out his living situation right there in my cottage. Jasper and I are already smitten with him.

Fish might pretend to dislike the canines among us, but she gets along with Sherlock just fine.

Mostly.

“Virginia,” I whisper this time. “I didn’t see you after the incident. Was there something wrong that you had to leave so quickly?”

She blinks back. Get right to the point, why don’t you.

She takes a moment to glower at me. “My stomach was off all night. I had just eaten here at the café. Perhaps the pizza was bad.”

Both Fish and I gasp at the slight.

“Now if you’ll excuse me”—Virginia hugs the poinsettia in her arms—“I think I’ll go set this out in the courtyard as a memorial to my friend.”

She stalks off just as Macy and Noel return, a touch too jovial, each with a coffee cup in hand.

So much for catching a killer before breakfast.