18. Lottie
LOTTIE
C arlotta leads me past the sea of pink tents, red balloons, and cherub-adorned booths until we arrive at the heart of the action—and it’s an over-the-top delight if ever there was one.
A glitzy gold banner strewn across the booth reads, Parisian Kiss Patisserie, and no sooner do we step inside than we’re transported straight to a Parisian bakery.
There are enough shimmering pink fairy lights strung overhead to cast a rosy spell over the place.
And the aroma! Oh my. The scent of sweet, rich, and positively decadent desserts intoxicates me within seconds. It’s enough to make me start drooling before I even see the lineup of delectable desserts. And then my eyes land on all things delicious, and it’s all I can do not to go on the attack.
Every imaginable over-the-top indulgent treat sits piled high on delicate gold-tiered trays. We’re talking red velvet lava cakes drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with edible gold flakes, strawberry cheesecake profiteroles topped with pink chocolate ganache, giant heart-shaped macarons stuffed with layers of fresh whipped cream and raspberries, not to mention chocolate fondue fountains with all kinds of goodies ready for dipping— marshmallows, brownie bites, fruit, cookies, and more cookies galore.
And, for the pièce de résistance, they have a colossal Cupid’s kiss croquembouche tower—a sculpture made of cream-filled puffs and encased in a spun sugar web, shimmering in pink and gold. It’s almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
I’m about to head in that direction and lay down some cold, hard cash so I can start in on the tower of creamy goodness when a spray of tiny pink and red stars blocks my path.
“Sweetheart,” I say as the sassy pooch appears before us. “You have impeccable timing. Wait until you get a load of this place.”
She floats up a notch and takes in the sights. “How is it that after I leave the planet things got a whole lot more delicious?”
Carlotta hangs her head. “That’s exactly how I felt after I committed myself to Harry. No sooner did I say goodbye to my fancy and footloose ways—emphasis on the loose —than an entire slew of hot men finds their way into town.” She looks my way. “I really should have headed to the dog park sooner. There are more than a few delicious snacks out there.”
“Speaking of delicious snacks…” Sweetheart cranes her neck past me. “Oh boy, have I got my eyes on those puffy little things covered in pink fluff,” Sweetheart says with her eyes glinting with gluttony. “I bet I could eat twenty of them. Oh, what the heck, I’ll eat them all.” She zips off, leaving a trail of tiny pink stars in her wake.
I’m about to suggest that Carlotta chases after her when she taps her elbow to my tummy.
“There’s the Sticky Fingers Shelly,” she says, nodding dead ahead, and sure enough, I spot Shelly Everly with her dark maroon hair pinned up on one side. She’s wrapped in a matching maroon coat and her dark-framed glasses look as if they take up half her face.
Shelly, aka Sticky Fingers—according to Carlotta—is here in all her food-loving glory, with a determined look on her face as she dives into what looks like a plate of toffee pudding. Sticky indeed, and, oh my heart, I need to have a plate full of that sticky goodness myself. Moist sponge cake, finely chopped dates smothered in toffee sauce, and served with a dollop of vanilla custard—who can resist? Not me.
I practically elbow check my way to the front of the line, and soon I’ve garnered a plate for both Carlotta and me.
Thankfully, Sweetheart is busy bulldozing her way through to the front herself, so I won’t have to share.
I try my best to step out of the path of the crowd and bump right into Shelly Everly.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say, resting my plate on top of my stomach and giving my belly a pat. “You can’t take me anywhere these days.”
“Lottie Lemon.” She laughs. “I see you found Carlotta, and possibly the best dessert they have at the festival.” She holds up her own plate of sticky toffee pudding. Her hazel eyes are so clear, I’m mesmerized by them. But not mesmerized enough to eschew my dessert over them.
“I’ve been sampling my way through this heavenly nightmare—all in the name of research, of course,” she says with a playful wink.
“Same here,” I say as we share a laugh. “I’m actually baking the sweet treats for a double wedding that’s coming up on Valentine’s Day. My sister and my sister-in-law are both tying the knot to their long-time beaus.”
Not so long on Sam and Jed’s part, but that’s not the point so I don’t bother correcting my inadvertent blunder. I’m just glad that the single brain cell the twins have left allowed me to get their names right.
“Research, huh?” Sweetheart floats this way and lands before us. “If eating enough sugar to put down an elephant counts as research, I’m a scientist.”
“Same here,” I mutter under my breath.
“What’s that?” Shelly leans in looking mildly concerned.
“Oh, I was just saying that I stopped by Venus’ bake shop, and boy was I impressed. I guess I missed Carlotta and you by a hair.”
“That’s my Lot Lot.” Carlotta slaps me over the back and leaves a sting in her wake. “She can’t stand being away from me for too long. That’s why I had to move in with her.” She rolls her eyes as if the act somehow impinged on her life. “And you might say I even influenced her when it comes to men. It turns out, Lot here likes a variety, too. How else do you think she ended up with twins who have two different daddies?”
Shelly gasps—and oddly, so does Sweetheart.
The gobsmacked ghost floats over to me. “I was in the exact same predicament with my second litter. And third, come to think of it. But oh, how I loved those men.”
I make a face at the sappy specter before reverting my attention to the purple-haired woman of the hour—and honestly, I’m sort of digging that ornery shade of eggplant. I wonder if I could rock it?
“Venus let me know that I could find Carlotta here.” My lips invert for a moment. “How are you holding up after the other night?” I wince as I ask, because pricking the topic of death is never easy, especially when the suspect at hand was friends with the deceased. And to be honest, I don’t consider either Venus or Shelly much of a suspect.
“I’m doing my best.” She gives a heavy sigh.
“Would you mind if I asked you a few questions about them?”
Shelly lifts her chin and casts a dark glance at the frozen gray sky.
“Ask me anything you want,” she says with a vacant look in her eyes. “I will tell you everything.”