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

killed. She said she wanted to do a tribute episode to him involving water safety techniques, but Candace wouldn’t have it. Candace said she didn’t want to reopen old wounds, and Kit countered that it had been a long time since the incident. She said she wanted to help save other people since she couldn’t go back and save her brother. But Candace, being the stubborn person she was, wouldn’t hear of it. Once she stormed out of the room, Kit said the only reason Candace didn’t want to reopen the case was most likely because she pushed him.”

Carlotta clucks her tongue. “I knew she was a pusher. Hear that, Lot? Kit did it to avenge her brother’s death. I bet she went into Candace’s office to pitch the show again and accused Candace of doing the deed once she said no.”

“BUGAW!” Cluck Norris riots. “I saw her! I saw that woman looking for Candace just before Candace found herself on the chopping block.”

“I saw something, too,” I say and close my eyes as soon as the words leave my lips. It’s becoming clear I’m malfunctioning.

“What did you see?” Burt asks, genuinely interested.

“Well, when we got there and I met Kit, she was wearing a white T-shirt. And then when we left, she was wearing a blue one. I just thought that was odd.”

“That’s it!” Carlotta snaps her fingers in front of her face and ends up thumping herself on the forehead from the inertia. “She had to change her top because she got blood all over it.”

Burt growls, “We’ve got to call the sheriff’s department.”

“No, no,” I say. “We don’t have all the evidence we need. And if she gets tipped off, she might skip town. I bet she’s already burned the T-shirt.”

Burt lets out a breath. “At least she’ll be available for production tomorrow. It’s going to take a lot of work to replace her.” He looks my way. “Got any cute friends looking to work their way up the ladder in showbiz?”

Carlotta leans in. “Just the one.” She bats her lashes at him and he tickles her chin as if she were a kitten.

“Hon, if you’re looking to work eighty hours a week with no overtime or paid breaks, you’re my gal.”

She makes a face. “Keep on truckin’, buster. There’s not enough cheese in the world to make me stand on my tired dogs all day. Come on, Lot. This case against Kit is open and shut. We should leave right now and meet up with Foxy so he can get the investigative ball rolling in her direction. I can’t wait to clear my name.”

“We’ll see you Friday, Burt,” I say as Carlotta and I head for mobster pastures.

“Wait!” Burt calls out while pointing to Carlotta. “What if I sweetened the pot? I’ll let you give me a massage in my private office twice a day!”

“Keep walking,” I say to Carlotta in the event he’s successful in wooing her.

“But the massages!” She tries to head back, and I pull her along. “Never mind groping his greedy body. We’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

Cluck Norris flaps his wings as he floats before us. “And I’ve got a couple of cats to free. Pancake and Waffles promise to stay nearby, Lottie. They just want to stretch their furry little legs once in a while.” The plucky poltergeist begins to dissipate.

“What? Wait, stop! Leave my sweet cats out of this!” But it’s too late. He’s as good as gone.

“Don’t worry, Lot,” Carlotta says as she links her arm to mine. “I got the name of that breeder Nell used to pick up those cats to begin with. I can get you a couple more once those fuzzballs run off. You’ll have to pay for them, of course. They cost more than my first car. Hey, wait a minute. All we need is a couple of little girl cats to get the procreation party started. You breed the humans, and I’ll get us into the kitty goldmine business. I’ll give you a percent for use of your studs.”

“My studs have been stunted in the procreation department. You’ll have to dig for gold elsewhere. Although rumors are, Toby isn’t fixed.”

“Hon, I didn’t need to hear a rumor to know that. I’m shocked Foxy hasn’t put a jock strap on that poor boy.” She sucks in a quick breath and pulls me back a notch just as we’re about to crest an aisle’s worth of slot machines. “Speaking of men who are hung, there they are.” She slaps me on the arm. “Right there at that empty blackjack table.”

Sure enough, both Jimmy and Luke are present and accounted for, and best of all, there’s not another soul around.

“Hello there,” I say, leading Carlotta to the paternal slaughter with me, and both Jimmy and Luke look up and rise to their feet. They might be cold-blooded killers, but I have to admit, I find their old-world charm appealing despite the fact.

“Carlotta.” Jimmy picks up her hand and kisses it. “Carlotta Junior.” He quickly does the same to me.

“Come here, kid.” Luke pulls me into a firm embrace, and If I’m not mistaken, I’m pretty sure I felt the butt of his gun against my hip. “We could be family.” He pulls back and beams with pride.

Jimmy has a head full of silver hair and large dark eyes, while Luke is nearly bald with a pointy chin. Both men are tall and fit for their ages, which I’m guessing is somewhere around mix-sixties to early seventies, and they’re both equally dangerous.

Jimmy plucks Luke right off of me. “If the kid belongs to anyone, it’s me.”

“Hey, hey”—Luke gives him a shove to the chest—“Carlotta was my girl back in the day.”

Jimmy’s chest blows up like a balloon. “Who do you think her sidepiece was? The girl is my kid, and it’s settled.”

Luke does his best impersonation of a baboon about to go on a rampage, chest out, chin up, and that deranged look in his eyes.

“She’s