Page 5 of A Whisker in the Night

“Verity Westoff—thelatestMrs. Westoff,” Emmie whispers back.

Emmie, much like my mother, is always in the know.

The woman in pink smirks at the entire lot of us, and I can hear her thoughts loud and clear.Little inn, quaint festival... how... provincial.

Fish’s tail bristles like a pipe cleaner.I don’t think I care for her one bit.

“Verity.” Matilda’s voice drops to arctic temperatures. “Shouldn’t you be at your restaurant? Or has it already shuttered its doors?”A week sooner than I predicted.

“Actually, we’re doing better than ever.” Verity’s smile is sharp as she hooks her arm through Hamish’s. “Unlike some people, I know how to keep a business and amarriagethriving.” She tugs at her husband. “Come on, honey,” she coos. “I want you to see the new display at the Blueberry and Chocolate Heaven booth before it gets picked over by all these...enthusiasticfestival-goers.”

The way she says “enthusiastic” makes it sound like a disease.

I swear I can see steam coming out of Matilda’s ears.

“Still marking your territory, I see,” she growls at the blonde. “How predictable and desperate of you.”

Georgie ticks her head to the side. “Well, this escalated quickly.”

I nod in agreement. “I’m beginning to think this festival needs a referee,” I mutter to myself and Emmie gives a quick nod in agreement.

“Bizzy,” Georgie says, nudging me. “Ten bucks says Matilda smacks them both with her purse.”

“I’m not taking that bet,” I whisper back. “It’s practically a guarantee.”

Before things can escalate further, Jasper and Leo return with drinks in hand, and thankfully so. Their timing is impeccable.

“What did we miss?” Jasper asks, handing me a glass of creamy chocolate milk.

“Just a little family drama,” I whisper, taking a sip.

Leo raises a brow. “Should we intervene?”

“Not unless someone starts swinging or slinging chocolate,” Georgie says under her breath while popping the last bite of her chocolate bunny into her mouth.

As if on cue, Matilda takes a step closer to her ex and her eyes are blazing. “You’ve overstayed your welcome, Hamish. Leave.Now.”

That devilish grin on his face begins to falter, but just for a moment. “Fine. I’ll leave.” He straightens. “But don’t think for a second that this is over.” He nods her way.I’m not above sharing what I know,he muses to himself.Or at least I want her to think that.

With that, he turns on his heel and both he and Verity scuttle off into the crowd.

“Well”—Georgie says, clapping her hands together—“that was fun. What’s next? An egg toss? Maybe a pie-eating contest? Or should we just skip to the part where someone gets murdered?”

I shoot her a look. “Don’t you even joke about that.”

“Who’s joking?” she says with a grin.

And just like that, I can’t shake the feeling that Georgie might be onto something. After all, this is Cider Cove. If history is any indication, indeed it’s not a matter ofifsomeone ends up dead—it’s a matter ofwhen.

“As much as I hate to admit it”—Jasper says before knocking back the rest of his chocolate milk—“Georgie has a point. Leo, what do you say we do a quick patrol of the grounds?”

Leo nods, already scanning the crowd. “Better safe than sorry, especially with that kind of tension in the air.”

“I should get back to the kitchen,” Emmie says, rubbing her beach ball of a belly. “Those chocolate cream puffs won’t frost themselves.”

“Ooh!Speaking of chocolate—” Georgie loops her arm through my mother’s. “I hear there’s a chocolate fountain we haven’t checked out yet. I say we run a couple of coffee mugs underneath it. Or we can cut out the middleman and dive in headfirst.”

“Now you’re talking.” Mom pulls her close. “Lead the way!”

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