Grifters & Gingerbread by Morgan C. Talbot

Author:Morgan C. Talbot
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy, cozy mystery, authors, writing, seaside, oceanside, inn
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Published: 2022-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

14

“Quiche is just a poison vector moonlighting as an entrée. Get me a steak.”

Raymond Moore, 1967

TWELVE MINUTES LATER, I dropped into a folding chair in Emily’s kitchen, surrounded by almost all my Glaze & Gossip friends, although Tyleen had texted back and refused to show up. I guessed I didn’t blame her.

The air in the kitchen smelled like heaven and Christmas rolled together. While we nabbed fresh, warm gingerbread muffins from the sunshine-yellow platter Emily had set in the middle of the table, I filled everyone in on the Hothouse situation with Geneva and how I’d conscripted Chloe to delicately investigate with her father.

“So, Geneva wanted Mort dead because she thinks he was some kind of greengrocer pimp.” Naoma, as usual, got straight to the point.

“And Chloe’s dad might have been a customer?” Wallis asked.

“Whatever Mercer’s connection to the Hothouse, I’m very certain it’s not that,” I said.

“What’s the deal with Tyleen?” Lori asked as she eased into a chair. “Is she really just sitting on a bench across from the police station?”

Jordan sipped a dark-roast coffee she’d made in the front of Emily’s pastry shop before entering the kitchen. “That’s one way to stay out of trouble.”

“It’s December. She’ll freeze to death,” Wallis protested.

Naoma tapped a fuchsia nail on the tabletop. “No, Sebastian’s bringing her thermoses of soup and coffee.”

“I should take her something,” Emily said. “And maybe we should go sit with her as a sign of solidarity.”

“She already refused my company,” Lori replied. “Said I needed to share with you guys everything I learned from typing up Doc’s notes on Mort’s autopsy. As if I couldn’t do that in a text.”

“Texts don’t come with free gingerbread muffins, though,” I said then took a big bite of mine. “And I hate to say it, but how are we going to prove she and Sebastian are innocent of Mort’s murder if we’re all jammed onto a bench where Mallory and Vic can keep an eye on us?”

“That’s a good point,” Wallis said. “We should all be investigating, and Tyleen should just surrender herself so she can stay in a nice, warm cell.”

Jordan and I exchanged amused glances. Wallis’s suggestion was far from the worst idea she’d ever had and definitely a step up from the time she accidentally trapped herself in a coffin at the mortuary because she hoped to learn whether the dead actually felt peaceful.

Naoma thumped her muffin on the tabletop in a muffled attempt to call our meeting to order. “I know we all want to hear Lori’s info on Mort’s death, but let’s start with Pippa’s curiosity, since it’s the reason she called this meeting.”

Everyone turned to me. “As I said, I was just at Geneva Laine’s house. As we were talking, Maude brought in a little package. Its return address was Laine Manor, but the handwriting was unfamiliar. It had no postage, and inside was a really expensive jeweled bracelet, so Geneva had Maude call the police. Then Wallis called me, saying she’d received a similar package.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.