Poison Apple Crisp - Addison Moore Page 0,80
pup out, I might be able to work with you. Once I have you cut carbs, you’ll instantly bounce back into shape. I’ll have an entire regiment for you to adhere to, free of charge. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some bidding to do.”
An exasperated huff bursts from me as I look to Rachelle. “I happen to cut carbs every day—with a pizza cutter.”
Rachelle bucks with a laugh just as a sprinkling of tiny orange stars emits from my left, and sure enough, Ginger appears barking up a yippy storm right into my ear.
“Oh, Lottie, come quickly. Thirteen and I were, well, you, know, trying to populate the spiritual world, and things got out of hand. The next thing I knew, books were falling to the ground and now we’ve done it!” She yaps and yips herself into a doggy conniption.
Rachelle shakes her head with a curious look. “Are you okay? You look stunned for a lack of a better word.”
I glance back at the crowd that seems to have swallowed my too hot to handle neighbor.
“I’m fine. I was just a little thrown. Hannah just moved in next door to me. And let’s just say she’s whipped the entire neighborhood into a frenzy with her early morning singles mingle.”
Rachelle belts out another laugh. “Well, at least you’re apprised of her wicked ways. I’d keep an eye out on her around your husband. She’s already mentioned how delicious he looks. There’s a detective she says she’s got in her sight, though. Maybe he can take her on?”
Ginger lets out another serious riotous barks. “Lottie Lemon! You must come now.”
“Maybe,” I say to Rachelle. “But if the detective is smart, he’ll steer clear, too.”
Rachelle’s pale lips spread into a thin line. “I’ve met him. He seems a bit clueless to me.”
“Now!” Ginger pleads, and I don’t have a second more to set Rachelle straight about Noah.
“Excuse me,” I say. “My bladder is calling.”
“You’d better hurry. There’s a line for the restroom.” She squints to the hall straight ahead. “On second thought, head into the administration building. It’s just a few more steps, but there’s a restroom near the attendance office that I promise you is empty.”
Ginger leads the charge, thankfully in that direction, and her fluffy cinnamon-colored fur is wafting in her wake like down waves of grain.
The administration building is just through that dark corridor and to the left. The halls are cooler here, empty and dimly lit. Now that the back-to-school portion of the evening is over, they’re doing their best to herd everyone into the gym in hopes they’ll crack open their checkbooks.
Ginger barks and trots as fast as she can right past the restroom Rachelle was telling me about. And for the life of me, I’m thankful that for once I don’t have the urge to sit on the nearest toilet.
Ginger slides to a stop before darting right into the door marked Principal.
“Great,” I say. Carlotta’s not around to pick the lock, and I’m not exactly a whiz with a bobby pin. Not that I have one to prove that theory. I give the doorknob a jiggle, and it opens right up. Huh. That’s a pleasant surprise.
“Hello?” I say as I poke my head in just in case Cokie is here primping herself before she does her best to seduce Noah again. For the love of all things holy and right, I wish she’d get back together with Martin for just that reason. But there’s not a soul in the room. Not a living one at least.
“Thirteen,” I say as I spot the glowing black cat sitting on top of a rather huge pile of books that look as if they’ve been knocked off the shelf. The lights are off, but Thirteen’s aura casts a purple hue around the room and Ginger glows like a pumpkin herself.
“Oh goodness, Lottie.” Thirteen’s cute little fuzzy head twitches to and fro. “Ginger and I were engaged in a rather heated game of cat and cutie.” He yowls over at her flirtatiously while swiping the air with his paw. “When cat-astrophe struck, and I nearly lost another life in an avalanche of books.”
Ginger lets out a few spastic barks. “Look, Lottie! Look!”
“Good grief,” I say at the pile of hardbacks and paperbacks littering the floor. “Well, it looks like a good time was had by all. But I’m afraid I’m not playing the part of the cleanup committee. I wouldn’t worry your pretty little furry heads about it. Let’s