A Frightening Fangs-giving

of those.”
Macy groans. “I hate to break it to you, but we share the same landlord. You’re on the hook for the next eleven or they’ll ruin you financially in an effort to get what’s theirs.”
Georgie raises her hand and nearly gags on the food in her mouth.
“I’ll take it!” she squawks. “I’ll take over the lease. I’ll open a wonky quilt shop, and I can sell my mosaics there, too. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to fall into my lap and here it is. And it would figure a sassy redhead and a dubious murderer would open the door to my good fortune. Well-played, universe. Well-played.” She glances down at the trio of cuteness. “Hear that, kids? We’re getting the band back together and going into business!”
“Georgie.” I shake my head. “We should probably run some numbers before you commit to anything.” And I’m not exactly sure who that band consists of either.
She frowns my way. “I’m crunching numbers as we speak, sister, and I like what they’re saying.” She looks to Willow while hitching her thumb my way. “We’ll talk when the killjoy is nowhere in sight. Word to the wise: keep your dreams to yourself around this one or she’ll take the hammer of her opinion and shatter them to pieces.”
“Pfft,” Macy huffs. “Try growing up with her.”
“Try living with her.” Georgie sighs. “And I’m not even in the same cottage. I’m sorry, Bizzy, but I predict Jasper will be giving you the heave-ho by Christmas. The man can only take so much.”
“Georgie.” A laugh gets caught in my throat, but I refuse to give it because it’s so not funny.
Fish yowls, Ignore them, Bizzy. We’ve got a suspect at hand.
Who’s the killer? one of the kittens mewls, and I’d like to know the answer to that myself.
Willow shudders. “Anyway, I stepped into Suds and Illuminations this morning and everything in that shop was turned upside down.”
“What?” I all but spin her my way. “What do you think happened? Do you think someone broke in?”
She shakes her head. “Oh no. It was definitely Ember. She came back. As in her ghost was the one responsible for the destruction.”
Georgie slaps her hand down over the table. “And I bet she flew over to your storefront Macy and wrote the word killer in red lipstick onto your window! It all makes sense now. Case closed.” She comes shy of winking at Macy. “You’ve got a ghost on your hands, Toots. I’d sleep with one eye open if I were you. And maybe bathe in holy water. Better yet, find a cute priest and bring him to bed with you just as a precaution. You throw a ghost into the mix and things are bound to get freaky. What I wouldn’t pay to see that.”
Willow nods. “I’m convinced Ember wrote those words, too, Macy. She really had it in for you. Haunting you from the great beyond isn’t a total shocker. Ember was determined in this life. I can only imagine what she’s capable of in the next.”
“This is terrifying,” I mutter to myself. And it has nothing to do with a supposed ghost. Mostly it has to do with the fact Macy might just take Georgie up on her blasphemous advice.
“Willow, who did you last see Ember with?” I try my hardest to steer this conversation back to solid ground.
Good direction, Fish meows. It’s not as if she was about to admit to doing the murderous deed herself.
“Myself, but I didn’t kill her.” Willow rolls her eyes. “Believe me, I wanted to. Ember and I were like sisters. We fought like cats and dogs.” Mostly rabid dogs ready to take one another down.
Fish mewls again, That’s a fantasy propagated by a silly euphemism. Sherlock and I get along whenever we want to. Mostly I don’t want to, but he insists.
“You fought?” I shrug, trying to come off casual and not hungry to shake her down for answers. “About what?”
“The usual—clothes, men.” That witch had such a stranglehold over my life that I don’t even recognize myself when I look in the mirror. I like Macy Baker, for Pete’s sake. When Ember was bent on destroying someone, she knew exactly which buttons to push. And that’s exactly why she pushed mine. And how I hated her. Macy hated her, too. “You know what, Macy? I’m going to buy you a drink. Actually, I’m feeling generous. I’ll buy you all a round.” She whistles as a waitress heads this way, and soon we’ve all put in orders for the same fruity concoction Willow is holding.
Georgie points over at me. “Make Ms. Priss’ a virgin. She’s got a stuffy and uptight reputation to uphold.” She leans toward Macy. “Let’s hope her husband doesn’t have a stiffy.”
Macy shrugs. “He’ll be a pro at cold showers by New Year’s.”
I take a moment to scowl at them both before forcing a smile at the waitress.
“I’m sensitive to alcohol.” I nod as she takes off with a wink. It’s true. Liquor might be quicker, but for someone endowed with telesensual powers, it’s the quickest way to lose my mind—by way of reading a thousand others all at once. “Willow was anyone angry with Ember? Outside of Macy, of course.” I shoot a look to my sister.
Macy certainly knows how to make herself look guilty.
“Who was angry with her? Lots of people.” Willow takes a breath. Me for one. I was furious, but that’s thankfully in the past now. “Let’s see, Marigold and Ember were pretty close, but you could sense some tension there. Obviously Hunter. He was about to blow a hole through the roof just a few days before we opened.”
“Who’s Hunter?” I ask, trying to place the name with a face, but I’m coming up empty. “I thought her boyfriend’s name was Flint?”
“It is.” She nods. “Hunter was her ex. They dated on and off for a few years, and things sort of came to an end about six months ago. He was