A Frightening Fangs-giving

he was arguing with earlier. It looks a little less volatile than it was before but twice as heated.
Huh. Flint looks far more angry than he does upset over the fact the woman he loves is lying dead in an alley. The two men look equally frustrated, but neither of them is grieving. But then again, people show their grief in different ways. And it’s still so new, I’m sure they’re both in shock.
Willow steps out again and muscles her way to the front of the crowd as she gets as close as she can to Ember’s body without crossing the caution tape Leo just set up. I can’t help but note that from the back she looks just like Ember, just like Macy.
I inch my way toward her.
“Willow?” I cringe a little as she turns around because I’d hate to see that heated exchange she just had with my sister spill my way. “If there’s anything I can do to help you, please let me know. I’m the manager at the inn. Just ask for Bizzy.”
“The business is so new.” She shakes her head. “Ember was doing everything.” Partially because she was a bossy control freak. “I’m not sure what to do. If I close the doors, I’ll have nothing.” But I do have something right now, and that’s relief. I never thought I’d say this, but a part of me is exhilarated at the thought of having my life back. Ember is gone. It’s as if a nightmare has come to a conclusion, and I can breathe freely again. She pushes out a deep breath. “Thank you, Bizzy. I’m not really all that business-minded, so I’m guessing I’ll have my hands full.”
“It’ll come to you, I’m sure.”
“We’ll see.”
Leo creates a bigger barrier, forcing us to step away from one another, and the crowd moves between us.
She’s dead, a voice says with perfect calm as it comes to me clearly. And now all of my troubles are gone forever. Goodnight, Ember. Sleep tight. I’m sorry I had to do it, but you left me no choice.
I crane my neck. The voice seems to be coming from across the way, but I can’t tell if it was a man or a woman.
My feet carry me in that direction, and I stop cold once I spot four familiar faces staring down at Ember. Flint, the blond man, Marigold, and Willow stand almost shoulder to shoulder as the crowd presses in against them.
And I have a feeling one of them is the killer.

Chapter 4
The Country Cottage Inn is perfectly enchanting any time of the year, but fall makes this overgrown mansion with its ivy covered-walls look every bit as cozy on the outside than it does on the inside.
The entry to the inn has been festooned with a garland of silk fall leaves, and a pair of twin wreaths made out of maple leaves hangs on each of the stately doors that lead inside. To the right of the entry there’s a large cornucopia with squash and pumpkins spilling from it, and next to that there’s a life-size turkey carved out of wood with an adorable expression on its cartoon face. Pumpkins and amber mums fill the pots out front, and there’s a scarecrow staked next to the three-tiered fountain that sits to the left.
There’s a blue cobblestone path that leads to and around the inn, all the way to the right where the Country Cottage Café is located in the rear of the building. The café has an expansive patio that overlooks the majestic Atlantic as well as the sandy beach that lines the cove. To the left of the inn and dotting the acreage around it sit more than thirty cottages that are available for lease or as nightly rentals. Jasper and I happen to live in one, and Emmie and Georgie live on the grounds as well.
And way off to the left-hand side, the inn has its very own pet daycare center called Critter Corner. The inn is listed as one of the most pet-friendly resorts in all of Maine, and that’s a title we wear proudly.
The interior of the inn is cavernous with its gray wooden floors and dark wooden paneling along the walls. There’s a grand staircase that sweeps up to the second floor where the guest rooms are, and just about every one of those is booked straight through January. The holidays are the busiest time of the year for the inn since so many people choose to stay here while they visit with relatives. And as much as I love the holidays, a part of me can’t wait to ring in the new year.
Fish sleeps at her usual post, right up front on the marble reception counter, while Sherlock is curled in a ball by my feet. Usually, he’s up front and center, taking his duties as the official welcoming committee very seriously, but he’s so enamored with the sweet kittens he hasn’t left their side once.
And seeing that Nessa, one of my employees, and I are holding the little cutie pies, he hasn’t taken his eyes off of us either.
“I’m in love with them,” Nessa coos. Nessa is a dark-haired beauty who happens to be related to Emmie. She’s also a recent college grad who views her time at the inn as nothing more than a stepping-stone, but believe me, I’m thrilled she isn’t stepping away any time soon. “I wish I could take them all, but I have Peanut, and the only cat he cares for is Fish.” Last year Nessa adopted Peanut, a tiny black and white pug mix that is as cute as his name suggests.
Grady glances our way.
Grady Pennington is an Irish looker who also just so happens to be a recent college grad who keeps threatening to fly the coop.
“I can’t take them either,” he says. “But I’m sure if you put up a sign that reads free cats, they’ll be gone in a hot minute. Maybe