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

“Doesn’t matter,” Carlotta says. “We’re still throwing him a last supper get-together. Be there or go hungry, Foxy. We’re on our way to pick up the goods right now.”

“I’ll be there in a bit. I just need to run in. I’m working on a little business for the department.”

Carlotta reaches into Lottie’s purse. “Here you go, Foxy.” She lands a fistful of dollar bills in my hand. “Make it rain while you’re in there. Those girls work hard for the money.”

Lottie makes a face at her. “Noah, if you’re looking for Jimmy, he’s in the casino with Luke Lazzari. I’ll make sure I have a box of chocolate chip cookies waiting for you at home. Don’t be long.” She gives me a quick embrace. “I know what you’re doing here,” she whispers. “You want Jimmy to call off that hit. Just know I appreciate it.”

They take off and I duck inside. I bypass the girls shaking their goods and say a quick hello to Meg as I make a beeline to the underground casino, past the slot machines and bingo.

“Jimmy, Luke.” I nod their way. “Plotting the demise of the Morrettis, I take it?”

Jimmy leans back and gives me his hand and I shake it, then Luke’s.

“I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” Jimmy chuckles, but I’m not laughing.

I have a feeling he might just go for the deadly gold anyway.

“What’s going on, Detective?” Luke is suddenly pensive. He looks weary as if he’s well aware he’s getting too old for this junk.

“What’s Manny Moretti doing in Vermont?” I ask, getting right to the point.

Jimmy shrugs. “We think he’s gunning for us. The Morettis are greedy. They want a war. Just like your father.”

“My father.” I inch back and it takes less than a second for the facts to shake out in front of me. “He borrowed money from you, didn’t he?”

Jimmy gives a slow nod. “You don’t think the dead simply roll into town without a little financial help, do you? He said he’d pay it back with interest within a year and we’ve bypassed that deadline and then some. He owes me cash. Lots of it.”

“He had Miranda sell the B&B. That must have covered it.”

“It put a nice dent in things, but you know, interest tends to add up.”

Luke bumps his shoulder to Jimmy’s. “Especially when you’re charging thirty percent.”

The two of them share a dark laugh.

“Great.” Leave it to my father to jump right into the deep end of the shark tank. “So what did he say he was doing with this money, anyway?”

“Food, drink.” Jimmy nods to his left at the rest of the blackjack tables. “He found a clever way to repay me early but in ways that don’t count.”

“So he’s got a gambling problem,” I mutter mostly to myself.

Luke shakes his head with dismay. “Why is it when a man wants to relax with a game or two he has a problem. And yet when a woman blows enough dough on a designer purse—enough dough that could have bought her a house in Idaho—she’s a collector?”

Jimmy nods. “It’s a double standard, I tell you.”

“All right, how much does my father owe you?” I ask. “I need to know what I’m up against.” I’ve got some money socked away. And what I can’t handle I’ll ask Everett. I’d rather give him thirty percent interest than someone capable of busting my father’s kneecaps—or worse, putting a hit on him. If anything happened to Miranda because of my father’s foolishness, I’d never forgive myself. Lottie wouldn’t either.

“More than a cop can afford.” Jimmy taps his fingers over the table. “Besides, I don’t like collecting from the kids. The father pays for the father’s sins.”

“Wonderful. How much? He’ll be by in the morning with a check in hand.”

“I’ve said too much.” He leans in a notch. “What else, Detective? We’ve got a meeting to get to.”

“Tell me where to find Manny, and I’ll get out of your hair.”

He glances to Luke. “Some janky motel on the border of Leeds and Honey Hollow.”

“The Caspian,” I say. “I know it well. I stayed there a night or two while looking for a place to live in Honey Hollow.” I hop out of my seat.

“We’ll see you Friday at the taping,” Jimmy says. “Luke and I are in the running for your honey’s daddy. Mother Nature plays her cards right and I just might be your new father-in-law.”

Luke elbows him. “She’s married to the other one. Don’t you keep up? Your mind’s going or something.”

“Wonderful,” I say as I take off.

Here’s hoping Mayor Nash holds his own in the genetics department.

Here’s hoping I do, too.

I jump into my truck and drive by my old stomping grounds and slow down as I pass the large blue no-tell motel with its signage that boasts of pay by the hour.

I’m about to take off when I spot a dark truck with Jersey plates pull into the lot.

I pull over, killing the lights and the engine as I watch the show.

Sure as heck, there he is, Manny Moretti looking tough in a dark suit to match that dark heart of his.

He goes around to the other side of the car and a woman appears by his side, wavy dark blonde hair, killer smile.

Wait a minute…

I squint into the night just as they step under the streetlamp before heading upstairs and my heart ratchets up a couple notches.

Holy heck, it’s her.

My adrenaline courses through me and thumps through my ears like a heartbeat. For a brief second I thought it was Lottie. But that woman—that’s got to be the same woman who’s been stalking us at every turn. She works for the Morettis?

Hold on… Everett asked me to track Manny down.

Everett.

I shake my head. Always one dangerous step ahead.

My truck roars back to life, and I head for Honey Hollow.

Everett has a little explaining to do.

But there’s no way I’m breathing a word of this