I frown a little because, as a woman who has also been brutally cheated on myself, I’m ashamed to say I would have found a touch of poetic justice in it, too. That is, had one of Stanton’s floozies offed me by way of a runaway chandelier.
“Did you see anything the night she died?” I press on. “Any suspicious activity around the lounge?”
Marlie’s body suddenly flares with an intense green light. “What I saw,” she says, her voice distorting with supernatural fury, and dropping an octave to boot, “was the woman who stole my life finally getting what she deserved! Maybe now she’ll know how it feels to watch from the sidelines while someone else takes everything you worked for!”
Marlie explodes into a thousand tiny gold stars with the sound of shattering glass before she and those stars disappear out of sight.
“Victoria?” I call softly. “Marlie?”
Nothing but an icy breeze answers me.
It’s clear Marlie doesn’t care for Madison, but ironically, the ghost that comes back to help me on my cases is always one that the victim loved most. But knowing what I do about Madison, I venture to say her affection toward Marlie was more of an unhealthy obsession. Marlie is right, Madison wanted tobecomeher. And well, seeing that both women are dead, I guess you can say she achieved her goal in spades.
I turn back toward the commotion just as the rescue operation reaches its dramatic conclusion. Nettie is now seated in a cushioned director’s chair that someone has dragged up the mountain, surrounded by attentive soap hunks offering her water, chocolate, and what appears to be an impromptu script reading.
Bess catches my eye and shrugs as if to say,What can you do?or maybe it’s more like,She’s waited her whole life for this moment. Let’s let her have it.
Ransom makes his way back to me with an eyebrow raised. “How did it go?” He wraps his arms around me before landing a kiss on my lips.
“I just had a very illuminating conversation with our resident ghost,” I tell him. “And by illuminating, I mean she literally lit up like a supernatural firecracker before disappearing.”
His brows knit at the thought. “Was it productive?”
“Let’s just say the plot thickens faster than my mother’s gravy at Thanksgiving dinner.”
In the world of soap opera justice, revenge is a dish best served with a side of ghostly special effects.
Between the scenes ofGuiding CrimesandGeneral Heartbreak, the stars ofOne Knife to Liveare discovering that some cliffhangers are fatal.
CHAPTER 10
Suddenly Hitched—What a Trip!
Dear Trixie,
I’m obsessed with the desserts on cruise ships, but always feel guilty about indulging. On my upcoming Norwegian fjords cruise, I want to try everything without abandon! I’ve heard rumors about a legendary midnight chocolate buffet on theEmerald Queenthat features some sort of Norwegian specialty dessert that’s so good it once caused a soap opera star to faint dramatically. Is this true? And do you have any strategies for sampling all the sweet treasures without completely derailing my wellness goals?
Sweet Tooth in Stavanger
Dear Sweet Tooth,
The midnight chocolate buffet aboard theEmerald Queenis indeed the stuff of legends! I happen to know that this time around the centerpiece will be a Norwegian skillingsboller—cinnamonbuns that are so light and perfectly spiced they’re basically edible clouds.
As for the fainting soap star incident—let’s just say that Santino DiAngelo has a flair for the dramatic both on and off screen. Was it really the chocolate soufflé that overwhelmed him, or was it the fact that his ex-wife, from seasons twelve to seventeen, happened to be reaching for the same dessert? The mystery remains, though I can confirm our pastry chef now lists that soufflé on the menu as “The DiAngelo Delight.”
As for enjoying cruise desserts without regret, I’ve perfected a three-part strategy:
The one new dessert per day rule makes each choice special.
The share with a friend approach—half the calories, double the gossip!
