Chocolate Chip Cookie Conundrum (Murder in the Mix Book 32) by Unknown (the lemonade war series .TXT) 📕

away from Carlotta. “I’m taking off in a few minutes, but I’ll see you both at the taping this Friday. I bet on both Noah and Everett, so either way I come out a winner.”

Carlotta ticks her head. “The pool is growing. You’re going to be a rich woman either way, Meg.”

“Cha-ching!” Meg pretends to shoot me before doing a disappearing act.

“Would you stop with the pool?” I hiss over at Carlotta.

“Don’t worry, Lot. I’ll make sure you get a piece of the pie. People are loving it. I started a new pool last week. Let’s just say a lot of people are interested in what happens to Sexy tomorrow.”

“You are deplorable.”

“Aw, thanks, Lot. And since you look just like me, I guess you’re deplorable, too. So is Lyla Nell now that she’s got some meat on her bones.”

“Deplorable and adorable do not mean the same thing,” I say as I crane my neck to get a better look at Burt Walker, and sure enough, Cluck Norris has planted himself right on top of our suspect’s head. Not sure why that’s his preferred position, but I’m guessing it’s his way of asserting his dominance. He is a cocky rooster after all.

Burt sits staring vacantly at a one-armed bandit, just tossing in coin after coin as if it were a robotic move on his part, and I’m betting it is. He’s wearing a suit that looks a touch baggy on him as if he’s lost weight recently. His long face and droopy eyes are focused completely on the task in front of him—losing his money. At least he’s a willing participant in this robbery.

“The seats are empty on either side of him,” I whisper. “You know what to do.”

“You shank him. I’ll steal his money.”

“No, not that. Take a seat on his left. We’re going to grill him into tomorrow. Woody mentioned that Candace had a thing for him.”

“Candace had a thing for him?” Her brows hike a notch as if suddenly she has a thing for him, too. “I bet she couldn’t land a man like that. Randy Candy never had what it took to get the job done. A man like that needs a real woman. Watch and learn, Lot.”

Carlotta and I quickly land ourselves on either side of the poor man. Even if he is the killer, I feel bad for the guy, considering Carlotta just put her target on his back.

“Spot me some cheese, would you, good looking?” She holds a hand out his way as if that is ever going to work.

“Well hello, beautiful.” Burt is quick to part with more than a few shiny quarters—or pieces of cheddar as it were.

Go figure.

It’s Carlotta’s cheesy world, and the rest of us are just living in it.

“Hey, Burt?” I say, hiking my voice to the right level of surprise. “Fancy meeting you here. It’s me, Lottie Lemon. We’re taping the paternity episode this Friday.”

He blinks my way. “How about that. Excuse the cheesy line that follows, but what are a couple of nice girls like you doing in a place like this?”

“Not cheesy at all.” I laugh as I lean in his way. “And word to the wise”—I say, pointing to Carlotta—“she likes cheese.”

“Lot’s sister works here,” Carlotta says, getting right to work dumping in coin after coin into the hungry machine.

Cluck Norris crows, “Lottie, why are all these whirly gigs herded in such a confined area, and can I free them?”

Perfect. We’ve got a real free-range advocate on our hands.

Hey? If Everett does go to prison, maybe Cluck Norris could free him? We’d have to spend the rest of our lives on the lam, but I hear Starry Falls, which is just a hop and a skip away, is a popular destination for folks on the run.

I shake my head at him. “These machines can’t fend for themselves.”

Burt bounces with a laugh. “That’s why I’m here. Just doing my part, feeding the metal pigeons.”

“A collection of metal fowl?” Cluck Norris pecks at one of the machines. “Interesting. I guess I really did live a sheltered life on the farm. Some of those ponies were furious with me at the fairgrounds the other day. They accused me of being a natural movement elitist. Can you imagine? A creature that prefers confinement?”

“Can’t blame ’em.” Carlotta shrugs as she dutifully continues to lose Burt’s money for him. “There’s something to be said for getting three hots and a cot.”

“What’s that?” Burt looks offended by the unwarranted diatribe. If that bugs him, wait until he learns about the diaper.

Carlotta sags. “It looks as if Mr. Sexy might be otherwise detained and miss the taping this Friday. He’s got the slammer on his mind and his body might be soon to follow.”

“He’s not going to prison,” I tell them rather sternly.

Cluck Norris chirps, “Oh dear, Lottie. I denied the fact Mr. Cottonwood was going to turn me into dinner. And well, let’s just say when he picked me up and said it’s time to eat, it wasn’t my stomach he was looking to fill.”

“I’m sorry to hear it, Lottie.” Burt looks genuinely distressed for Everett before his features brighten. “As soon as you find out which prison he’s headed to, give me a heads-up and I’ll send a film crew out that way. Our ratings will go through the roof with that one. We’ll need a lift like that. That will be our first episode without Candace, God rest her soul. And that blonde I hired has no TV experience. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I know what he was thinking,” Cluck Norris says. “I’ve let more than one hen into my coop when I shouldn’t have.”

I nod his way because he’s right about Burt. Cormack used the casting couch to land herself on the talk-show couch.

“I bet you miss Candace like crazy,” I say. “She was the life breath of that show.”

“She sure was a powerhouse of a woman,” he agrees.

Carlotta grunts, “She was a turkey who deserved to