Free Heather Horrocks - Who-Dun-Him Inn 01 - Snowed Inn by Heather Horrocks

never tasted better.”
    Garrett speared a bite, chewed it, and nodded at Grandma. “You are absolutely right.” Setting down his fork, he unfolded the paper containing his next clue. “And,” he said, “speaking of sex change operations—”
    Bonnie laughed.
    “—Did I mention I’m having one next month?”
    “Smooth, Garrett. You missed your calling as an actor.” Bonnie looked at her own paper. “Hey, I need a new roommate and I want to make sure I get a female one this time. Perhaps we could work something out.” She was ad libbing.
    “I have to ask,” Martha said. “What will be the name of the murderously decadent dessert I’m sure you’ll be serving?”
    “My grandmother’s delicious Death by Chocolate.”
    Dr. Ray looked at my grandmother with a gaze reminiscent of my father admiring his prize-winning tomato plants, and said, “I’m sure it will be to die for , too.” I didn’t think I could watch much more of this senior courtship. Glancing into the mirror, I wondered if Liz was catching all this.
    Grandma looked at Clark Harmon’s paper and giggled. “Well, as you all know, I’m such a famous male baseball player, I have women in every town. And there’s a woman at this table whom I plan on getting to know better tonight.” The others laughed, and Grandma looked like she was having great fun.
    “Anything else I can get for you folks?” asked Stephanie.
    “I’d like some water, please,” Calabria said.
    Stephanie immediately looked away as much as she could while taking Calabria’s cup. It was obvious there was something wrong between Calabria and her, and I knew that was all part of the play.
    “I do not bite, bella ,” Calabria joked. “No woman has ever found me distasteful.”
    Stephanie glanced at him and then away. “Yes, sir.” She took the water glass and refilled it from the pitcher on the sideboard, then asked me to take it back to him, which I did.
    He looked at me strangely. “What is wrong?”
    “Oh, sir, I’m sure there’s nothing wrong. She’s just shy around men. Her husband is quite jealous, you know.”
    “Oh,” Calabria said, clearly understanding that concept.
    “May I have a bourbon?” Martha held up her goblet of punch.
    “Be careful, my dear. You never could hold your liquor.”
    “Please don’t open your mouth, Gregorio.” Martha said sweetly. “When you do, something stupid invariably falls out.”
    I started to answer Martha’s question— no bourbon— but Stephanie moved the cart toward the door, and an empty platter clattered onto the floor. Just as planned.
    Everyone jumped. Also as planned.
    From just outside the door, Lonny winked at me to show me he knew his cue. Taking a deep breath, he settled into character, and the man who entered the room was not cute Lonny, but an angry, older captain whose wife had cheated on him.
    “You. Maxwell.” He stopped inside the door and pointed at Calabria, who was playing the part of Maxwell. “I’ve discovered everything. And now you will pay.”
    Calabria looked at his paper for the piece of information he was supposed to share, shrugged, and said, “Maria? I’ve been having an affair with a woman, but she told me she was separated from her husband.”
    Lonny turned to Stephanie. “You told him what?”
    Stephanie acted flustered as she replaced the platter clumsily on the cart. “I never had an affair with him.”
    “Like you didn’t have an affair in Singapore?”
    “Oh, no, Steven, don’t make the same mistake you did in Singapore. I can’t change my name again and start over.”
    “What did he do in Singapore?” Garrett called out.
    Stephanie looked terrified. “He killed a man in a jealous rage. But I thought we were past that now.”
    The guests watched closely while Lonny stalked menacingly around the table. Past the empty seat saved for Clark Harmon. “I never thought the SOB who’s been cheating with my wife would be sitting at my own table.”
    Martha laughed. “Oh,