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LOTTIE
“She’s dead,” I wail just as someone bumps into me from behind and a shrill scream evicts from my throat.
“Lottie,” a woman howls in my ear before spinning me around, only to reveal it’s Charlie.
“Boy, you’re jumpy,” she says. “What the heck has gotten into you? The kitchen staff let me know you were looking for me.”
“I was,” I pant while nodding back to the body on the ground behind me. “And that’s what’s got me so jumpy.”
Charlie freezes solid, her eyes bulge at the grisly sight, as her fingers dig into my flesh.
Charlie belts out a scream that makes the one that just escaped me sound like a whisper, and within seconds both Noah and Everett run through the door.
“Lottie.” Noah pulls Charlie into his arms. “What’s the matter? What happened? Are you hurt?”
Everett pulls me into his strong arms as his spiced cologne envelops me. I’m not sure why, but even the hint of Everett’s cologne has the power to make me feel safe and loved.
“Lemon, what’s happening?”
“It’s nice to know one of you can tell us apart,” I quip without meaning to.
I can’t help it. My sarcastic superpowers tend to come out when my nerves are jangled.
Carlotta jumps out the door as if she were playing a game of leapfrog and lands inches from the body.
“You did it again, Lot,” she calls out. “You got another one.”
“Carlotta,” Charlie snips. “Lottie did not get another one. Please do not liken the fact she stumbled upon another body to fishing.”
Noah looks to the ground just past me. “Geez,” he says before dropping to his knees in front of the poor woman and checking for a pulse. “She’s gone.” He pulls out his phone and quickly calls it into the station.
“Lemon.” Everett tightens his grip over me. “What happened?”
“I heard a horrible noise, everyone did. People started to applaud because they thought someone dropped a stack of dishes in the kitchen, I’m guessing. But I had my suspicions.”
“I did, too,” Everett growls as he looks at Noah. “I told you it sounded like a gunshot.”
Noah cringes as he stands. “You were right. But in my defense, Cormack was making me insane at the moment. I was seconds from bolting from the place. I’m sorry, Lot. I was just looking for you to say goodnight.”
Everett nods. “And I was looking for you to make sure you weren’t at the working end of where that gun went off.”
Noah steps in close and looks right at me. “You didn’t do this, did you?”
“Noah Fox,” I snap his name out so loud, an owl flies out of a neighboring evergreen. “How dare you even insinuate it.”
“I’m sorry, Lot. But I’m a homicide investigator, and I know you carry a weapon. I’m legally obligated to ask.”
“I don’t have Ethel with me.” Thankfully.
Ethel is the Glock handgun Noah and Everett teamed up to buy me a few years back, and even though I carry her with me whenever I can, I’ll admit, I’ve been feeling a little too safe as of late to strap her to me or tuck her in my purse.
Obviously, things have changed—or more to the point, haven’t changed.
Riotous barking breaks out somewhere near my feet, and I look down to see that little ghostly dachshund barking up a storm as it dances around Bella’s lifeless body.
“Oh my word, it’s that little sweetheart,” I say, and both Carlotta and Charlie coo right along with me at the sight.
“What sweetheart?” Everett asks.
