30. Lottie

LOTTIE

I t's finally here, Christmas Eve at the Evergreen Manor, and all of Honey Hollow has shown up dressed to the holiday nines.

Well, almost all of Honey Hollow. Lainey stayed back since Forest had to work and she offered to watch the little ones for Keelie and me. Although the way the twins have been kicking up a storm in my belly, it's a stark reminder that I very much have a couple of little ones along for the ride.

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" bellows over the speakers as young and old alike dance their Christmas socks off right here in the ballroom of the Evergreen Manor. The entire ballroom is a dazzling sea of festive attire and twinkle lights as the residents of Honey Hollow gather for our annual Christmas Eve party.

A crowd has amassed around the glitzy tall tree near the front, and there's an equally impressive crowd gathered around the tables where the silent auction is being held. There's a buffet of the savory fare donated from local restaurants, and all of the sweet treats here were catered by yours truly. Lots of cookies, cakes, and pies, and enough plum pudding to build a stairway to Heaven and back.

My mother and her cohorts are scattered about, and with those purple Santa hats they've donned, it's basically a calling card as to where to find them.

Meg is here with Hook, and Sam is here with Jed Silver, who looks as if he's already eyeing the exit. Noah's father is pawing all over my mother, although who could blame him? She does look like quite the seductress in her red glittering gown.

I glance down at my own gown and, I'll admit, it's a stunner that, oddly enough, I was lucky enough to pick up this morning on my way to the bakery.

I stepped into the Scarlet Sage Boutique to deliver the Christmas cookies they ordered and Scarlet herself pulled an adorable number from the back just for me.

It's a red velvet gown with white faux fur trim around the neckline that makes me feel every bit like Mrs. Claus—if Mrs. Claus were a million months pregnant with half a dozen elves. Some days it feels as if I have half a dozen elves swimming around in my belly—elves that never ever sleep.

Evie, Everett, and Noah are all here as well. In fact, Everett went off to help dig Conner's truck out of the snow. He thought he'd show off his four-wheeling capabilities to Evie and got stuck in a big pile of testosterone—of the white fluffy variety. Evie went with them.

Last I saw Noah, he was chatting away with Alex and Hook, who happen to own a finance business together. Noah is always looking for a sound way to invest his money, even though he hardly has two nickels to rub together—his words, not mine. But he wants to be prudent with his funds for Lyla Nell's sake. Noah is an amazing father in every respect.

Suze and I are standing at attention next to the dessert buffet, helping whoever we can by dishing out slices of my plum pudding, or one of my pies or cakes.

Suze, of course, is wearing the requisite purple Santa hat for the evening. And she's paired it with a red terrycloth wrap dress that looks as if it could double as a bathrobe. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure it is a bathrobe.

Oh my word, is Suze losing her mind?

On second thought, I'm not sure she ever had it.

I force myself to look away and take a nice, deep breath as I take in the festivities.

The aroma of roasted chestnuts and mulled cider fills the air, mingling with the scents of cookies, pies, and gingerbread. And layered beneath that is the scent of glazed ham, spiced meatballs, and savory potato casseroles, most of which were brought in from the Honey Pot Diner. Every restaurant in Honey Hollow chipped in to ensure no one would leave without their bellies full of yummy goodness.

I'm about to make an attempt at small talk with Suze just as Carlotta runs this way and rescues me by proxy. As it stands, either Suze killed poor Glenda or Eudora did it. Either way, it's going to be a dark day at the homicide department as one of the detectives has to gift their own mother a pair of silver bracelets for the holidays.

"Hide me, Lot!" Carlotta runs around to the same side of the table where Suze and I are holding court. "Your pointy-eared friend is turning out to be a pointy-eared fiend! That naughty hottie has more stamina than Santa on Christmas Eve."

"Well, this is Christmas Eve," Suze points out. "And I'm hoping Santa stops by my place later and leaves a little treat in my stocking." A little smile dances on her lips and I can't help but grimace.

"Santa?" Carlotta narrows her eyes on Suze. "Or Mr. Diggins ? And what exactly is he digging for when he comes to see you, Suzie Q?"

Suze's mouth falls open.

How did Carlotta know that?

I'd like to know the answer to what Mr. Diggins is digging for myself.

Or do I?

"Well?" I give Suze a knowing look and she gasps my way.

"I don't know what either of you heard, but I can assure you the rumors are?—"

"True," Carlotta says. " Ha! And all along you've been parading around acting as if you were better than the rest of us—when all this time you've been the other woman. The bad woman that a good woman might be moved to kill." She sucks in a lungful of air as if she just had an epiphany. "I bet you-know-who got ahold of the rumor, and that's why you picked up those knitting needles!"

"Oh, good grief," I groan at the woman. "Is that why you killed Glenda?"

Suze's eyes bug out the size of my peppermint pinwheels.

"That is why I sought to have a discussion with her that night," Suze begins. "But not because I was having an affair. We were just caught having a rather intimate conversation." She brings her fingers to her lips. "I'm afraid he wanted more, but I couldn't go through with it."

"I could," Carlotta says. "Where's he at?" She cranes her neck into the crowd. "I've got a few hours to spare before midnight and I've still got a wild oat or two in me to sow."

"Save it for Thimblewick," I snip her way. "Mr. Diggins is married."

Carlotta scoffs at the thought. "That's never stopped me before. How do you think I landed the mayor, to begin with?"

"She's got you there," Suze practically sings. "And anyhow, I've ended it with Diggins." She glowers into the crowd as if she were moved to kill, again. "And before either of you go off half- cocked, I'll have you know, I didn't kill that woman. But I wasn't exactly mourning her either. She was set to ruin me."

"Well, that only leaves one suspect," I groan once again because the prospect isn't much better.

"Who's that?" Suze scuttles in close, suddenly vested in getting someone else arrested for the deed.

"Eudora," I say, lackluster.

After all these years of Ivy badgering me, you'd think I'd have a sliver of delight at the thought of rocking her world. But I don't have an ounce of pleasure at the thought of having her mother arrested for murder.

Why couldn't she have stolen a pie? Now that I could have derived some pleasure from—after Noah busted her, of course.

"Eudora killed the woman?" Suze says as if she were gobbling down a scrumptious dessert. At least someone is enjoying it. "I knew it. I knew the second she told me that she added Glenda's name to all of her businesses that things were going to go south quickly."

"What did you say?" I tip my ear her way. "Eudora added Glenda's name to her business?"

Suze rolls her eyes. "How else do you think she got Eudora to bail her out of debt? Glenda was no fool. She wasn't giving it away for free, you know." She glowers at someone out on the dance floor. "Unlike some people wanted me to do."

"Glenda wasn't giving it away for free," I mutter just as I spot a certain member of the Purple Santa Hat Society walking right out of the main entrance to the ballroom. "Pardon me, ladies," I say, gripping my belly. "Nature calls." I speed my way through the crowd as I head for the main entrance to the ballroom myself.

Nature might be calling, but before I hit the little girls' room, I've got a suspect to question one more time.

My only suspect and her name is Eudora Fairbanks.