Georgie gives a throaty laugh. “Straight to the freaky stuff. That’s why I like you, Biz.”
“All right, ladies.” I take a moment to offer up my discontent. “What’s really going on?”
“Spiders, Bizzy!” Georgie slaps her hands together with glee. “After that freak electrical storm yesterday, I got to thinking maybe the haunted dolls weren’t my best idea yet. But I’m going to make it up to you with these eight-legged wonders. And don’t you worry. I’ve got a couple of taxidermy rats coming, too. Biggest the world has ever seen. Just wait until you feast your eyes on them.”
“I can wait,” I say.
Georgie gasps. “Oh, and before I forget—great news! Annabeth is back in her glass coffin and all is right with the world.”
“I know she is.” I lean in. “I was there when Jasper locked her inside.” I quickly tell them about my bedroom misadventure and that nasty note. “If that doll is going to threaten me, the least she can do is spell my name right.”
Camila shudders. “Creepy. I don’t like dead bodies, and I don’t like dead dolls.”
Juni shakes her head. “Make no mistake about it, she’s very much alive.”
Georgie nods. “I can vouch for that.”
“I’m afraid I can, too,” I mutter, mostly to myself.
“And don’t disparage her spelling skills.” Georgie shakes her head. “Victorian Era dolls didn’t have all the educational opportunities that the dolls of today have.”
Camila nods. “Half of my dolls came with a computer chip in them.”
Juni leans in. “I only went for the male dolls. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the manufacturer lied on the box when they claimed they were anatomically correct. We should have sued, Mama.”
Georgie nods. “The statute of limitations never closes for two things, murder and messing with my baby. Remind me to lawyer up once this gig is over.”
“Anyway”—I take a breath as I attempt to pull us away from this sparkling conversation revolving around lawsuits and less than anatomical plastic body parts— “Jasper had a team come in and dust for prints. It turns out, the electrical storm the night of the murder knocked out the security cameras, so there was no help there. It seems whoever broke into my cottage walked right through the front door. I may have forgotten to lock it.” But in my defense, Jasper and I have been enjoying some very late nights that leave little room for things like sleep or sanity.
And since the aforementioned activities took up most of the night, I never did get around to telling Jasper about the fact I’ve decided to reinsert myself into the case. What can I say? It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.
Juni moans and inadvertently does her best impression of a ghost. “Annabeth strikes again!”
I shake my head. “I don’t think Annabeth had anything to do with it.” I glance to Camila. “More like the killer.”
The three of them gasp so hard I’m half-afraid they’ve vacuumed up a spider into their lungs.
“And that’s where you come in.” I look directly at Camila. “Tell me everything you know about Blair and everything that went on that night.”
She hitches her head to the mother-daughter duo in our midst.
Juni grunts, “Don’t worry about us, sis. We’re a part of Bizzy’s dream team. We’re the best and brightest.”
Georgie nods. “She’s the best and I’m the brightest.”
Camila rolls her eyes. “Oh, for Pete’s sake, I don’t care who knows. Fine.” She takes a breath as she looks my way. “I met Blair while I was in college. I was friends with Raven first, and she’s the one that introduced me to Blair. Raven eventually decided she wanted to go to beauty school instead, but we still kept touch. And over the years, I met Sabrina and Tabitha.”
I step in. “We’re you very close to Blair?”
“Not really.” Camila swallows hard as she gives a quick look around. “She was a little too uptight for me. Boarding school baby, wannabe socialite, the whole nine years. She was also a very successful realtor, which she often brought up whenever the four of us got together.” She gives a sideways glance out at the haunted doll depository. “Anyway, last week, Tabitha called me out of the blue and asked if we could get together. She said she and the other girls were doing something new and she thought I might like it. When I agreed, she mentioned that they were all planning on meeting at the frightmare and asked if I would join them. When I heard it was here at the inn, I wasn’t all that thrilled. I had planned on staying away from this place forever now that you and Jasper made it official.” She takes a moment to frown my way. “But there I was again, right where I didn’t want to be. That explains why I was in a sour mood that night.”
Georgie twitches. “What’s your excuse the rest of the time?”
Camila shoots her the stink eye before reverting her attention back my way.
“As I was saying, things got off on the wrong foot. It didn’t help that Blair openly criticized my costume—and accused me of having an Electra complex.” She wrinkles her nose. “She somehow deduced that me dressing like a young girl equaled me engaging in a psychosexual competition with my mother. Sabrina let me know that Blair was taking psychology classes at the local community college.” She shrugs. “I guess that was her way of flexing her knowledge.”
“And it made you angry?” I tip my head, trying hard to contain my disbelief.
“It was a good start.” Her brows arch. “I asked Tabitha about that conversation we had the week before. I wanted to know what she meant by they were starting something new. A part of me wanted to speed things along. I planned on ditching out early. There was no way I wanted to run into you there—glowing and gloating about your honeymoon with the man who was
