“Plus,” she announces when they finally come up for air, “now we don’t have to sneak around anymore!”
She gives a whoop that probably registers on seismic equipment and drags Conrad toward the dance floor where the LED robot is still doing whatever nine-foot robots do to keep parties alive.
“Watch out, world,” Charlotte calls over her shoulder while holding Truffle close, “I’ve got a new man, a tiny new BFF, and a fresh start!”
Did she just publicly announce her affair at her husband’s arrest?Fish asks, sounding impressed despite herself.
She’s either completely honest or totally shameless,Sherlock says with a soft woof.
I like her,Truffle declares from Charlotte’s arms.She smells like expensive shampoo and possibilities.And I think she might be the type of person who gives really good treats and belly rubs, and did I mention she smells like POSSIBILITIES, which is my favorite smell after bacon!
The crowd on the dance floor parts for Charlotte and Conrad as if they were A-list celebrities, and within seconds, they’redancing together while the robot pulses around them with his synchronized lights. The whole scene looks like a music video directed by someone with questionable judgment and an unlimited budget for special effects.
“Should we arrest her for making poor decisions?” Leo asks, appearing beside us with his handcuffs in tow and an expression of pure bewilderment.
“She declared herself single as of thirty minutes ago,” Jasper points out. “Technically, she’s free to make spectacularly poor life choices.”
“Plus,” I add, watching Charlotte and Conrad basically recreate their secret affair for the entire internet, “at least we know she’ll handle the divorce well. Hard to claim emotional distress when you’re making out with the best man.”
The LED robot chooses this moment to point directly at our little group and flash his lights in what I can only interpret as an invitation to join the dance floor chaos—or else.
Mom appears at my elbow, looking flushed and happy from dancing with Ben. Rose petals cling to her hair, and there’s champagne in her hand. “Are you just going to stand there analyzing everyone’s questionable decisions, or are you going to celebrate the fact you solved another murder?”
“I was leaning toward the analyzing option,” I admit.
Georgie materializes next to Mom, her sequined dress somehow still sparkling despite the fact that it looks as if she shed half the sequins. Sand clings to her heels, and her lipstick is slightly smudged from what I can only assume was enthusiastic celebrating. “Come on, Bizzy! Life’s too short to spend it watching other people have fun. Besides, Huxley’s over there doing something that might charitably be called dancing, and Mackenzie’s trying to convince Emmie to run for city council. This might be our only chance to see the mayor campaign while intoxicated.”
The furry among us are having a beach race,Sherlockannounces, perking up as Skittles bounds past us with sand flying from her paws.Want to join them, Fish? I bet we can beat them.
Let’s show them how it’s done,Fish replies, hopping down from her table.Although my money is on Gatsby. Golden retrievers are surprisingly fast when cake is involved.
Someone dropped a load of leftover wedding cake by the tide pools,Skittles calls out as she races by.Last one there gets the fondant flowers!
All three pets take off like furry missiles toward the shoreline, leaving a trail of sand and pure joy in their wake.
Jasper nudges my shoulder and nods toward the dance floor, where our entire extended family has somehow congregated under the swaying chandeliers and twinkle lights. “When in Rome, dance with the Romans?”
“When in Cider Cove,” I reply, letting him pull me toward the pulsing lights and heart-thumping music choices, “dance with the criminals, their accomplices, and anyone else who’s had too much champagne to question their motives.”
We join the crowd just as the robot dancer launches into what can only be described as interpretive dance meets laser light show. Mom and Ben sway together near the ice sculptures, Georgie flirts shamelessly with a server who clearly didn’t sign up for this level of personal attention, and Huxley attempts something that might be called dancing while Mackenzie shouts municipal policy suggestions over the music.
Emmie, Leo, and Buffy dance nearby, looking like the only three people at this reception who have their lives figured out, while Charlotte and Conrad continue their public display of affection with the enthusiasm of people who’ve been waiting months to stop hiding.
The tiki torches flicker in the ocean breeze, flickering shadows across the most bizarre wedding reception in the history of the state of Maine, while somewhere in the distance, I can hear petsbarking and yowling with joy and waves crashing against rocks that have witnessed more confessions than I care to count.
And as Jasper spins me under twinkling lights while a murder suspect’s wife makes out with his best man twenty feet away from where he got arrested, I realize that nothing says case closed quite like dancing to music alongside a nine-foot robot while a cute little Chihuahua gets adopted by a socialite who thinks drama is a lifestyle choice.
Because at the end of the day, there’s nothing more satisfying than watching handcuffs close on someone who thought they were too clever to get caught.
And when all the champagne is gone and the lights come down, justice is the only party favor that really matters.
CHAPTER 23
“Igive Charlotte and Conrad six weeks,” Emmie says, settling baby Elliot in his high chair while Leo helps arrange his toys. “Long enough for the novelty to wear off, short enough to avoid any real commitment.”
There’s something beautifully ironic about eating leftover wedding cake for breakfast while the cleanup crew dismantles the crime scene where you caught a killer.
The morning sun beats down on the patio just outside the Country Cottage Café with an intensity that promises another scorching summer day, while the scent of bacon mingles with leftover roses and the faint smell of champagne that someone definitely spilled on the deck last night.
