“Maybe. I guess we can’t rule it out.”
“We? Boy, you really know how to make a girl swoon. Tell me I’m your favorite homicide-solving sidekick and you’ve got me for life.”
“You’re my favorite sidekick in every single capacity. Are you still in for life?”
“I’m not only in for life, I’m in for the afterlife, too.”
“I always knew you were an overachiever.” He gives my ribs a quick squeeze, and I jump with a laugh. “I like that.”
“The overachiever part or the jumping and laughing part?”
“Both.” He dots a kiss to my forehead. “The jumping and laughing is a good look on you, by the way. But then, what isn’t?”
“An unsolved homicide that just so happened to take place at my inn—right before my wedding.”
He sighs a moment. “You’re not going to let this one go, are you?”
I shake my head.
His lips purse. “There are better ways to spend your time before the wedding.”
“Name one.”
“I’ll do better than that.” He takes a gentle bite out of my neck. “I’ll show you.”
Sherlock gives a half-hearted bark. I think he’s sniffing her again.
Fish bleats out a soft meow. Can’t say I blame him. Bizzy is the sweetest girl I know. She smells like sugar.
Sherlock grunts. She must taste sweet, too. Look at the way he’s nibbling on her neck.
Fish mewls. He did say he was hungry.
Jasper and I feast off our kisses until all thoughts of killers and sting operations are chased right out of our minds.
Jasper is right. I’ve got a wedding to focus on. I should let him tackle this killer and the monster responsible for those missing girls alone.
Surely I have a million better things to do, like finding something to wear to my wedding.
A vision of Julian Fletcher’s body lying in the ballroom blinks through my mind.
Let’s hope Jasper catches the killer before our big day. I don’t want this lingering over either of our heads.
Maybe I should help facilitate things along—you know, for the sake of the wedding.
Just this once and no more.
Julian Fletcher’s killer needs to be apprehended, and I have less than a few weeks to do it.
Chapter 12
“Maybe I should head back to Minty’s and confront Michaela about her connection to the Collective?”
Emmie shakes her head my way. “Eat another blondie bar.” She slides the platter my way. “You’re not thinking clearly. You just told Jasper you’d focus on your wedding, remember?”
Emmie and I stand in the lobby of the Country Cottage Inn as the brisk autumn breeze fills the entry. It’s the very next day after my debacle at the Magic Castle, and I just filled Emmie in on just about everything I know regarding the case.
She narrows her eyes over mine. Emmie looks adorable today with her hair in a messy bun, a black and white checkered flannel, and jeans. She and Leo are taking the day off to go apple picking, and I couldn’t be more envious.
“Bizzy?” She eyes me with an air of suspicion. “What makes you think Michaela has any connection to some prostitution ring? I mean, that’s a pretty big accusation Zeke made.”
All right. I may have stretched the truth and made her believe that Zeke actually offered up that info verbally. But I wasn’t about to tell her that I pried into the depths of his mind to get it. One of my biggest fears is that one day Emmie is going to find out I can read minds and that she’ll hate me forever because of it. Let’s face it, I’ve tapped into her private thoughts more than a time or two—even if I didn’t mean to do it.
“I guess you’re right. He could have made it up or mistaken her for someone else. I should probably explore it a little more.”
“Bizzy.” She groans as she picks up another blondie. “It doesn’t sound like you’re leaving this case alone.”
I open my mouth in an effort to reassure her, but not a single sound emits from my vocal cords. Lucky for me, Leo Granger enters the inn carrying Fish in his arms while Sherlock wags dutifully by his side.
“Hello, girls.” He gives a flirtatious wink to Emmie. Mmm, don’t you look ripe for the picking. He lands a kiss over her lips and I avert my eyes.
I heard that, I say as I pretend to straighten the paperwork in front of me.
Nessa stepped away from the desk to check on her sweet dog, Peanut, who is hanging out in the back at Critter Corner today, but as soon as Leo and Emmie take off for their apple picking rendezvous, and Nessa comes back, I plan on heading over to Minty’s and getting to the bottom of this Collective mystery surrounding Michaela.
Leo leans in. “A little birdie just told me you’re heading to Minty’s this afternoon.” He lifts a brow as if this amused him.
This does amuse me, he says. Especially after the fact I just spoke to Jasper and he briefed me on the fact you were stepping away from the investigation. And by the way, the little birdie’s name is Bizzy. He gives a sly wink my way.
Emmie gasps. “No, Bizzy. I’m putting my bestie foot down. Don’t make me cancel my apple picking date to stay here and babysit you.”
Fish lets out a sharp meow. Don’t ruin her apple picking date, Bizzy. I’ll babysit you. It’s what I was born to do.
I nod over to the feisty little feline because she’s not wrong.
“Fine, Emmie. I won’t go to Minty’s and try on my dream dress one more time. It’s probably for the best anyway. I’d have to mortgage the inn, and I don’t even own the inn. The earl who does own this place would get word and I’d lose my job and my housing, and my entire life would
