9. Hattie

HATTIE

" O h, Mom, not you, too," Henry groans at my mother's inquisition of the woman who my brother has been spending an awful lot of time with.

The Cottage Grill is filled near capacity as the three of us sit near the entry, and the table just so happens to afford me a killer view of Killion and his mother. And by the looks of it, I'd swear he was reading her the riot act. Albeit rather politely.

Henry nods at my mother. "I'm well aware of Tipper's wild party days, but that was back in college. Yes, she ran into some trouble with the law, but who hasn't?" He lifts a brow my way. "In fact, Hattie here has narrowly evaded arrest for a handful of homicides. It's no wonder Nora is trying to steer her son away from you." He winks my way before sucking the whipped cream off his coffee.

"You're a real comedian today," I say, not one bit amused.

Henry chuckles again. "Don't worry, Hattie. Tipper's a lot of fun, but I know how to handle her."

"Handle her?" Now I'm amused. "That sounds promising."

Rookie nods up at Henry. Just make sure you handle her with plenty of treats.

He is the wisest pooch I know.

Just then Nora stomps past us as she makes a beeline for the exits and Mom gasps at the sight.

"I'd better go and see what has her so upset." Mom collects her purse and jumps to her feet. "You two take care." She hurries off after her just as Killion strides over, looking like a man on a mission.

"Henry." He nods at my brother before bending down and landing a quick kiss on my cheek. "I've got to head to the sheriff's department. Try to keep out of trouble?"

Henry wastes no time in belting out a laugh. "Good luck with that. Hattie and trouble are like peanut butter and jelly."

I roll my eyes. "I'll be fine, Detective. Can I ask what had your mother so upset?"

Killion sighs, giving a quick glance around. "It was about Venetta. My mother isn't all that thrilled that she's a suspect in the most recent homicide. But don't worry. I've got it all under control." He gives Cricket a quick pat.

Don't believe him, Hattie, Cricket gives a sharp meow. The man can't control a thing, least of all that ball of fluff next to your brother.

"Can you watch Rookie for me?" Killion asks while landing a kiss to my lips this time.

See that? Cricket chirps. And he's always pawning the pooch off on us.

"It's my pleasure," I say, giving him a reassuring smile. "And don't worry. We'll be fine."

Killion nods and kisses me again before heading out.

Henry follows suit, giving me a quick hug. "Take care, sis. And try not to uncover any bodies while I'm gone."

"Ha-ha," I say, waving him off. "No promises."

Before I rise from the table myself, my chestnut-haired boss with a demeanor as warm as a glacier, strides over.

"Peyton," I say as I try my hardest to initiate a smile, but alas I can't seem to do it.

"Hattie, we have a situation," she snips. And believe me, snippy is Peyton's go-to emotion when it comes to me. "The Seaview Ballroom has a plumbing leak. It's going to require ripping up the marble flooring. We need a new venue for the Halloween gala. It must be elegant, local, and ritzy to the hilt." She twitches her lips my way while frowning. Oh, for Pete's sake. Do I have to spell it out for her? "Willoughby Hall seems like the perfect fit. Certainly, you can pull some strings. Your sister practically runs the place." At the least, she's sleeping with the owner.

I gasp at the lewd thought.

Hey? Is Winnie sleeping with Fitz? If so, I'm pretty sure I'd be in the know by now—verbally or internally.

"I'll see what I can do," I tell her.

"You'd better," she growls before turning on her heel and striding away.

"Well, isn't she a ray of sunshine," Clarabelle mutters as she and Peggy stride this way wrapped in cardigans with a leaf print motif, making them look like a couple of walking, talking oak trees. Not the best look, but an amusing one at that.

Peggy leans in. "So, what's the scoop on the case?"

"More to the point"—Clarabelle snatches Cricket right out of my lap—"where are we headed, kiddo?"

I take a deep breath. "I think we should start with the number one suspect—Venetta Brandt."

Peggy's eyes widen. "I just knew that redhead was up to no good."

"What gave it away?" Clarabelle elbows her bestie. "Was it the butcher knife she was holding that was covered in blood?"

" No ." Peggy flicks her wrist at Clarabelle as if she was being silly. "It was that gleam in her eye she got while checkin' out Hattie's beau. I bet she killed a man just so she could cozy up to Killion while he investigates her wicked intentions. And you can bet that redheaded snake is gonna let that man investigate every last part of her."

Clarabelle clucks her tongue. "In that case, let's track her down, roll her up in a rug, and toss her down a well. We can blame it on that serial killer that's running around on the loose."

Suddenly, the words serial killer echo around the Cottage Grill in panicked whispers and I quickly escort Clarabelle and Peggy right out to the rotunda.

"Face it, Hattie, it's kill or be killed," Clarabelle continues to riot. "Or in this case, kill or have that redhead steal your boyfriend."

"Let me grab my purse," I say as Cricket, Rookie, and Jolly bounce by my side. "Nobody is stealing anything from me, least of all Venetta."

If she's guilty of killing Silas Moon, the witch is going to fly right into the big house.