Both Jasper and Leo wince in perfect synchronicity, their hands drifting protectively toward their laps in an instinctive male defense mechanism that’s probably encoded in their DNA.
“Okay.” Jasper raises his hands in surrender. “Since the topic is athand, let’s talk suspects. Detective Baker Wilder?” He nods my way, and I sigh with all the weight of someone who’s found way too many bodies in one lifetime. “Why don’t you lead with your suspects.”
“I don’t know if I have any real suspects other than Macy, but I did get a chance to speak to a few of the members who belonged to the same club as Heath,” I say, mentally organizing my very short list of people with motives to murder a ghost-hunting real estate developer. And truth be told, I just said that bit about Macy to take a sisterly pot-shot at her. Of course, I’ve got suspects—one of which might just be my other sister.
“What club?” Macy snips as if she’s had about enough of everything.
“The Beyond Belief Paranormal Club,” Emmie tells her. “You know, the group you just joined? The ones that caught the inn’s ghost on camera.”
“Oh right,thatghost.” Macy rolls her eyes. “The one that looks exactly like my dear sister here. What a convenient coincidence.” She fixes me with a knowing smirk. “Really, Bizzy? Hosting a homicide once a month wasn’t bringing in enough guests, so now you’re staging ghostly appearances? Very entrepreneurial of you.”I knew I shouldn’t have bought that condo so close to Bizzy’s reign of deadly terror. Now she’s adding fake supernatural marketing to the mix. The property values are tanking by the minute.
I shoot her a look for even thinking it. “I am not staging ghostly appearances, Macy.”
“Sure, you’re not,” she says with exaggerated skepticism. “Because it’s totally normal for a ghost to show up looking exactly like the inn’s owner. What’s next, spectral room service? A haunted concierge desk?” She looks to the rest of the table as if seeking co-conspirators. “I’d swear on my life she’s been able to read my mind for years. She’s a weirdo with capital everything! This is probably just her latest scheme involving smoke, mirrors, and a really good makeup artist.”
I bite back a smile. “I’d say none of that makes sense, but actually most of it does.” With the exception of why that ghost might be my look-alike. Although knowing my family’s track record with secrets, there’s probably a perfectly logical explanation thatinvolves a scandal and poor decision-making on some male relative’s part.
Bizzy is such the village idiot.Macy sighs hard with the thought.Of course, everything I say makes sense. I’ve told her a hundred times. Elegant spa retreats and wine tastings bring in real money, not this carnival atmosphere she insists on creating. But does she listen?No.
Everyone at this table knows I can read minds sans my saucy sister. Not that her thoughts would change if she knew. I suspect they’d only get saucier.
“First suspect,” I press on without concern that Macy just called me the village idiot. “Buffy Butterwick. According to Hazel and Hammie Mae, she was seeing the deceased, things went south, and Heath started harassing her. I did see them going at each other’s throats the night of his murder.”
“She’s guilty, throw the book at her. I’m too busy for all this nonsense.” Macy nods to Jasper as if she’s just solved the case and might expect a medal for her brilliant detective work. “My sales have been down ten percent because of all this murder business.”
“A compelling motive for you to kill the next person who hurts your sales.” Leo points out with a grin. “Should we be worried about the seasonal pop-up shops?”
He knows my sister all too well.
Macy scoffs. “If I killed everyone who negatively impacted my sales, half of Cider Cove would be floating face-down in the harbor,” she shoots back. “And yes, I would start with those seasonal pop-up shops that sell knockoffs of my products every holiday season. And I’m not above taking down Two Old Broads either.”Speaking of which, Christmas is coming up. I should probably restock my bullets. Mom and Georgie had better watch their wonky quilted backs.
My eyes widen her way and she growls in response.
Jasper offers me a pained smile that suggests he’s mentally noting to never get on Macy’s bad side—or her business competition list. “Anyone else?”
“There’s Hazel Hershey,” I say, recalling Hammie Mae’s revelations at the farm—before we got permanently banned from chocolate establishments. “Hammie Mae revealed that Heath caught Hazelfaking paranormal evidence and was threatening to expose her, which would ruin her YouTube channel and reputation.”
“I wouldn’t kill because of a YouTube channel,” Leo says, reaching for a piece of toffee.
“I would,” Macy is quick to say. “Most YouTube channels are monetized. He was trying to get her where it hurts—right in the analytics.”
“Could be, but she works in pharmaceuticals,” I say. “I don’t think money is a problem for her.”
“Yes, but pride is universal,” Emmie points out with the wisdom of someone who’s seen enough Food Network drama to understand that reputation is everything. “And from what I’ve seen of Hazel, she’s got that in spades.”
Jasper purses his lips as if he’s mentally reviewing evidence and finding it slightly less substantial than he’d like. “And Hammie Mae?”
I press my lips tight and glance at Macy because this is where things get complicated. I haven’t told her we might have another sister, or that I’m almost convinced it might be Hammie Mae. That particular bombshell deserves its own special delivery system, preferably one that includes restraints and tranquilizers for Macy’s inevitable reaction.
“She had motive.” I sigh hard, knowing full well I might be throwing one sister under the bus to save another. “Heath was a realtor and he wanted to buy up her farm and develop it into condos or something. He was trying to force her hand. He said things could get very uncomfortable for her family if she didn’t reconsider.”
“Arrest them all,” Macy says as she rises to her feet and belts out a whistle that could summon dogs from three counties. Candy runs up and, before we know it, they both disappear into the night like a blond hurricane and her fluffy familiar.
“Macy Baker, prosecutor, judge, and jury,” Leo says, watching her go. “Defense attorneys tremble before her harsh but efficient justice system.”
“How’s the hunt for your sister going?” Jasper asks, steering us back to my laptop exploration.
“Like this,” I say, opening my laptop once again and turning my screen so that the rest of the table can see it. “I’ve spent the last hourscrolling through pictures.” I press a key and the page refreshes, drawing a gasp from the three of them. “What?” I say, turning the screen my way and gasping myself.
