Tied With a Bow and No Place to Go (Tizzy/Ridge Trilogy Book 3) by Ann Everett Page A

all
copacetic.”
    Synola sat next to Tizzy. “We brought Jinx with us and he’ll
copa-your-cetic. You better be glad Dan’s not here. He would arrest your ass.”
Synola tugged at the neck of her shirt and undid the first button. “Man, it’s
hot in here.”
    Tizzy’s head lolled to one side. She sputtered and wagged a
finger in Om’s face. “We’ve got to get rid of this stuff.” The smoke got
thicker, heavier, and she weaved back and forth trying to get a better view of
Om. “All of it.” Tizzy reached into the air and tried to catch smoke swirls.
    Synola bobbed her head, hypnotized by Tizzy’s motion.
    Om’s eyes crossed. “I was just beginning to purify. Chant
with me, girls. Ay-ee-ay-ay, Ay-ee-ay-ay, Ay-ee-ay-ee-ay.”
    Tizzy faced Synola and extended her palms. Synola slapped
hers against Tizzy’s as if playing Eenie Meanie Sassaleeny, then chanted.
“e-i-e-i-o.”
    Tizzy joined in. “e-i-e-i-o.”
    “What the hell?” Jinx said, from behind them.
    “We’re getting purified,” Tizzy said.
    “All you have to do is chant to Chief Old McDonald.
e-i-e-i-o,” Synola said. “C’mon. Join us.”
    Jinx clasped Tizzy and Synola by the arms and hauled them
out of the hut. Once outside, he said, “God, I can’t leave you two alone for a
single minute. Take deep breaths.” He led them to the porch and pushed them
onto the top step. “Stay right there. Don’t move. I’ll talk to Om.”
    Thirty minutes later with her head clear again, Tizzy said
to Jinx, “So you have someone coming to get rid of the pot, and you’ve warned
Om not to grow any more, right?”
    Jinx nodded. “Right. By this time tomorrow, the
incriminating evidence will vanish. I’m not sure Om will. You may have to
accept the fact Nana plans to keep him.”
    “Oh man. Everything will be gone?” Synola whined, pupils still
glazed. “Are y’all sure we don’t want to take those brownies with us? I mean,
what could it hurt? They’d be sooo good with tequila shots.”
    “I’m way ahead of you, Sweet Cakes. I already had Nana sack
them up along with the herbs she had in the house,” Jinx said. “Hell! That’s
prime weed and after she went to the trouble of baking them, it’s a shame to
let them go to waste.”
    “Oh, Lord. Who says life in a small town is dull?” Tizzy
said. “We got little old ladies cooking with pot and mushrooms and men tying
ribbons around their wee-wees.”
     
    ~~*~~
     
    Back in town, on the way to the station, Ridge recited his
to-do list. Even though nine former classmates attended the luncheon, six more
arrived today. Two members from Jay Roy’s class weren’t attending, but to cover
his bases, he’d add them to the list. A timeline needed to be established to
make sure none of them slipped in early, offed Jay Roy, and slipped out again.
The killer didn’t have to be a woman from his class, but until the
investigation lead in another direction, Ridge planned to concentrate his
efforts on them.
    Then there were the husbands to consider. If anymore of the
women were having an affair with Jay Roy and a spouse found out, the
investigation could swing down a different path.
    Both cruisers, along with Sheriff McAlister’s car, were
parked out front. Ridge angled next to them. When he pushed open the door, Rita
spun around in her chair. Her pink eye patch made her look like the pirate
spokesperson for Susan G. Komen. She pointed a finger at him and gave a
warning. “Don’t say it.”
    “Say what?”
    “Whatever pirate talk you had ready.”
    Ridge grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it. If you don’t mind I
have some things for you to do today.”
    “Sure. Shoot.”
    “Set up separate interview appointments with the mayor and
her husband. Oh, and see if you can get wife number one and wife number three
in today. That’d be . . .” his voice faded as he flipped through his spiral.
    Rita finished his sentence. “Kassie and Deborah.”
    “Right. You may as well work on the rest of the list