Lenore:You’re delusional if you think he’s going to stay with you.
Lenore:Jonah wants to leave you. He told me so himself.
Then a few days later:
Taylor Grace:You killed him! I know you killed him!
Lenore:No, you killed him.
Taylor Grace:I have proof!
“Damn.” I sit back.
“Lenore needs to be top of the suspect list,” Willow says quietly.
“What about Lydia?” Josie asks.
“Hmm.” I type in Lydia’s name.
The messages between her and Taylor Grace are eerily simliar to the ones between her and me—lots of long-winded lectures passive-aggressively telling her she’s a bad mother, that Taylor Grace doesn’t agree with the minutiae of how Lydia handled some particular incident that most people would just brush off as kids being kids but triggered Taylor Grace into writing a dissertation of criticism.
“Damn. My sister or not, I’d block her.”
“Yeah.” Josie grimaces. “Lydia told me that she was thinking of cutting Taylor Grace off.”
“Likeoffoff?” I mime slitting my throat.
“I don’t know about that, but she said that Taylor Grace made her drag herself and her whole family into a therapy session. Her husband was pretty pissed about it because, you know, he’s got a stressful job, and Taylor Grace would invite herself over to their house then, like, not leave for hours, just hold Lydia hostage,” Josie whispers.
“Look at this.” I frown. “There’s a phone call from Lydia fifteen minutes before Taylor Grace went to your shop.”
“Okay, we have two suspects to investigate. Not for long, though, because the Christmas Bake-Off is tonight, and I cannot just dump all that on poor Hollis. I’d be no better than Taylor Grace.” Willow takes out a notepad. “First thing is those herbs. And I know just the witch to ask.”
The bell over the door jingles as Hollis comes in with a guinea pig in a basket, munching on lettuce leaves.
“Oh, my little baby!” Willow coos. “Thank you, Hollis, for babysitting. I’m having housing issues right now.”
“My pleasure. He’s such a cutie.” Hollis looks between Hughes and me. “And I see that you two are next in the pipeline for getting married. Willow, you didn’t even catch the bouquet at Sandra’s wedding last month.” She laughs. “That was quick, but I guess when you know, you know!”
“I’ll take him from you.” Willow picks up the guinea pig. “He can’t stay here. Gran thinks the police chief is sleeping with the health inspector, or at least that’s what she’s spreading around town in retaliation for the arrest of my poor boyfriend here, and we really can’t afford to get shut down.”
“Yeah, not after our prayers were answered, and we got rid of Taylor Grace,” Rose says with a snicker from the counter.
“Did you sayboyfriend?” Josie squeals then covers her mouth before clapping her hands. “Hollis and I have to be your bridesmaids, Willow!”
“Well, you’d be matron of honor, and I’d be maid of honor, if you want, of course,” Hollis corrects. “I love weddings!”
“Oh, also,” Willow tells her, “Maris wants to bring by some smoked turkey. Maybe we could branch into pastries? What do you think?”
“Oh, you and Maris are friends? I thought she was the murderer,” Hollis says, wide-eyed.
“Well, it seems like that’s not quite it.” Willow grimaces.
“I’m actually wondering if I should ask her if she wants to work here a little bit?” Willow jokes. “You know, lighten your load. Bond over our collective trauma?”
“Oh, I’m fine, don’t you worry about me. I’ve got it all under control,” Hollis trills. “You just go solve that case! I’m going to work on bakery treats for the baking competition tonight.”
“Oh my god, thank you for remembering!” Willow hugs her. “You are a lifesaver.”
