Innkeeping with Murder (6 page)

Alex liked the woman immediately. There were
deep laugh lines around her eyes and the corners of her mouth.
Dressed in brand-new denim jeans and a man’s golf shirt, she exuded
an air of delight with the world around her. The smile on her face
was genuine and inviting.

Alex said, “I’m not trying to discourage you,
but there’s been a murder here today. If you’d like to find other
accommodations, I’d be happy to refund your deposit and see if I
can find another place for you to stay tonight.”

Emma studied him for a moment before
answering. “Alex, I’m from Washington D.C. Something like murder
isn’t going to put me off my rockhounding. Have you had any big gem
strikes around here lately?”

“Not that I’ve heard. You’re a little far
from Hiddenite to be looking for emeralds, aren’t you?”

Emma winked. “I’ve got a theory of my own
about the geologic formations around here, so if you’ll put me up,
I’m willing to take my chances with your bad guy. Over the years
I’ve learned to watch out for myself.” The smile vanished for a
moment. “I lived with Harold Sturbridge for nineteen years, and he
never managed to lay a glove on me in all that time.”

Alex took the bag out of Emma’s hands. “In
that case, I’m pleased to have you stay with us. Welcome to
Hatteras West.”

After they walked inside and picked up Emma’s
key, Alex offered to show her to room 8. She grabbed her suitcase
out of his hands and said, “Just point me in the general direction,
and I’ll find my own way.”

He gestured down the corridor and watched her
easy, loping gate as she headed to her room. Emma Sturbridge’s
warmth and charm would be a welcome addition to the guest list at
Hatteras West.

What was keeping the sheriff? Alex walked out
onto the porch and was rewarded with the view of the ambulance
driving up, Armstrong right behind them in his squad car. At least
they weren’t traveling with their sirens blaring.

Alex walked out to meet them as they parked.
Armstrong pointed the attendants toward the lighthouse, and Alex
saw they were carrying a lightweight aluminum stretcher between
them. A discreet gray blanket was tucked into the frame. They’d be
able to cover Reg’s body on the way out.

The sheriff walked over to Alex. “Anybody
disturb the body?”

Alex said, “Not that I know of. It’s
been—”

One of the attendants yelled from the
lighthouse base, “Hey Sheriff, this place is locked. How are we
supposed to get inside?”

Armstrong turned to Alex and said, “I need
the key, if you don’t mind.”

Alex took the old-fashioned skeleton key off
his ring, handed it over, asking, “Is it a good idea to move the
body before the state police get here?”

“Alex, I don’t call the State Bureau of
Investigation every time something happens in Canawba County. I can
handle it myself. Hold on a second, could you? I want to talk to
you. I’ll be right back.”

After handing the key to the attendants, Alex
heard Armstrong ask, “You’all need any help?”

“No, we can handle it.”

As they disappeared through the doorway,
Armstrong asked, “Have you given any thought as to who could have
done this? I’ve got a feeling one of your guests might be a
murderer.”

“Come on, Sheriff, you know how many folks
from town use the lighthouse as a Stair Master. While you’re naming
suspects, you might as well use the county telephone book.”

The sheriff mopped away a line of
perspiration that had formed on his brow. The man sweated more than
anyone Alex had ever known. Or maybe it wasn’t just the heat; it
could be the pressure he was under to solve the case, and solve it
quickly. He said, “You’ve got a point about it being anybody, but I
figure the only people around here who knew him well enough to want
to kill him were guests, too. It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

When Alex nodded his agreement, the sheriff
continued, “Have you looked around the base of the lighthouse for
the knife?”

“I’ve got an inn to run. I haven’t had time
to play detective,” Alex said abruptly, feeling guilty that he’d
been doing just that.

Armstrong patted Alex on the shoulder. “Take
it easy, Alex, I was just asking. Why don’t you take a walk with me
around the tower, and we’ll have a chance to talk about what really
happened.”

The grass around the tower’s base had just
received its monthly trim two days previously. If Reg’s murder had
occurred three days earlier, they wouldn’t have been able to find
the blade with a metal detector, the weeds had grown so high. Now,
it was simple to walk over the manicured grass and search for the
weapon.

As they walked, the sheriff discussed the
possibilities. “We’ve got several ways we can look at this, Alex.
If it was just some random killing, you and your guests are in just
as much danger as anybody in town.” Alex tried to say something,
but Armstrong held up his hands. “Slow down. I don’t believe this
is random for a second. What else have we got? Greed is always an
awfully strong motive. I imagine Wellington’s son could have a
stake there. If he’s the killer, there shouldn’t be any further
threat. Other reasons? How about sex, blackmail gone bad, hell, who
knows, maybe he saw something he shouldn’t have seen.”

There was a hitch in the sheriff’s words, and
Alex said, “There’s something you’re not saying, isn’t there?”

Armstrong stopped his search for a second to
look at Alex carefully, then the sheriff admitted, “You could have
a crazy killer on your hands who’s just getting his first taste of
blood. It doesn’t feel right, though. I don’t think anybody else is
going to get killed.”

“What if you’re wrong? Is there anybody you
can station out here until you figure out who killed Reg?”

“Alex, I wish to heaven I could, but with my
budget, I can barely keep two cruisers on the road. What with Bobby
James on vacation and all, I don’t see how I can help you there.”
He slapped Alex on the shoulder. “But don’t you worry now. I’m
going to keep my eyes and ears on this place. We’ll get this
killer, you mark my words.”

Alex shrugged. “Sheriff, I’ve got to tell my
guests what’s been happening. At least that way they’ll have the
option of leaving if they’re not comfortable staying at the
inn.”

“I understand that. I just wish I could keep
them all here. I know the killer could be long gone, but I can’t
help thinking he’s still around.”

Alex shrugged. “If you can keep them here on
your own, fine, but they have a right to know what’s going on.”

Armstrong pulled at his chin and frowned as
he kicked at the grass. “It’s too bad we didn’t find anything
here.”

They walked back out front and the sheriff
got into his cruiser and drove away.

Alex peered up at the lighthouse, and for
just a moment it felt as though the tower was looking back down at
him. The structure had always been a comfort to him, but as an
errant cloud scudded across the sun, the lighthouse was bathed in
muted darkness; there was an almost sinister shadow enveloping it
until the sun broke free again.

Alex prayed the killer was long gone from
Hatteras West, but he had a sneaking suspicion that just wasn’t the
case.

He could only hope that there would be no
more murders at Hatteras West.

Chapter 6

“I finished the occupied rooms, Alex. Is
there anything else you need done this evening?”

Alex looked up from his seat on the porch to
see Elise standing directly in front of him. He’d forgotten all
about her, and it took him a second to react.

She must have caught the vacant look in his
eyes. “Funny, I thought I was more memorable than that.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex said as he sighed. “I’ve
been sitting here since they took Reg’s body away. I must be in
some kind of funk. We were really close.” He shook his head, then
added, “I’m having a tough time with it.”

A look of concern swept over her face. “I’m
sorry you lost your friend.” She added, “You’d probably prefer to
be alone. If that’s all for today, I’m going to go into town and
get something to eat.”

Alex realized that in his haste to hire
Elise, they hadn’t even discussed salary. He got up from his seat
abruptly and said, “Why don’t we go together? Dinner’s on me. It’ll
give us a chance to talk, plus I can write the meal off on my taxes
as a job interview.”

“I don’t see how you can interview me if I’ve
already got the job.” There was a sudden coolness to her words, and
ordinarily Alex would have taken the rebuff in stride and moved
on.

Instead, he said sternly, “I’m not making a
pass, Elise; I’ve already got a girlfriend, but she’s out of town
on business and I just don’t want to eat by myself tonight. You’re
certainly under no obligation to eat with me.

Elise’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Alex, I
overreacted. I guess I’m kind of defensive.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not a problem,”
Alex said as he stayed in his chair.

Elise stood there a moment, then said gently,
“If the dinner invitation is still open, I’d be happy to join you
tonight.”

Alex said with a slight smile, “Maybe you
should buy, then. That way there won’t be any doubt in your mind
that it’s not a date.”

Elise laughed for the first time since Alex
had met her. It was a rich throaty sound that instantly warmed the
air between them. “I’ll be glad to, if you’ll pay me for today’s
work.”

“Tell you what, I’ll buy dinner tonight after
all. We haven’t even discussed your salary yet.”

Alex considered their choices for dinner.

Elkton Falls had only two decent restaurants,
Buck’s Grill and Mamma Ravolini’s. Buck’s was basically a diner
with booths and a front bar, while Mamma’s as the townsfolk
referred to the latter, was a sit-down restaurant run by an older
woman named Irma Bean.

The closest Irma had ever been to Italy was
watching a documentary on Public Television, but she believed the
name Mamma Ravolini’s sounded more appropriate for her
pasta-oriented menu than Bean’s Family Restaurant. Alex’s
girlfriend, Sandra, was always dragging him to Charlotte to try the
Queen’s City’s latest and greatest, but Alex preferred the food in
Elkton Falls.

Their choice was narrowed even more since
Buck’s only served breakfast and lunch. “How’s Italian sound?”

Elise smiled. “Mamma Ravolini’s it is. I’ve
been in town two weeks, and I still haven’t had a chance to eat
there. The local branch of Dantons isn’t schooled in the fine art
of food preparation. They’ve been taking advantage of my background
and keeping me in the kitchen since I arrived.” Elise added, “If
we’ve got hot water now I’d like to grab a shower before we
go.”

“According to my handyman, we should have
plenty of hot water, so help yourself.” He glanced at his watch and
grinned. “But I thought you were starving.”

Elise said, “If I’m not ready in fifteen
minutes, you have my permission to go on without me.”

Alex didn’t believe her, but he figured he
might as well use his time productively and pay some bills. He was
writing the third check when Elsie joined him.

She was dressed in a floral print dress that
fell just below her knees. Her hair had been brushed out and was
pulled back away from her face. In short, she looked
delightful.

He got up from his chair. “I think I’d better
change, too. I’ll be ready to go in a minute.”

Elise said, “Nonsense. You look fine.”

“Okay.” They walked out to Alex’s battered
gray

Ford pickup after Alex posted a “Back After
Supper” sign at the front desk. He winced slightly, wondering what
Elise would think of his transportation. Gamely, he opened the
passenger door and held it for her. Too late, Alex remembered that
many modern woman considered gallant behavior offensive. But Elise
smiled at the courtesy, and Alex had to hide his own grin in
return. If his truck put her off, she didn’t show it. She slid onto
the vinyl seat as if she’d grown up riding around in a long-bed
pickup.

As he drove down Point Road toward town, Alex
asked, “What kind of background do you have that makes you such a
fine cook? I can’t imagine Mrs. Danton turning her kitchen over to
just anyone.”

“Don’t kid yourself. She thought it was
wonderful having someone else feed her clan. I didn’t really mind,
though. Cooking has always been a hobby of mine. I got my degree in
hotel/motel management from West Virginia University, and I picked
up some tips from a Marriott chef I worked with in Greensboro.”

Alex looked over at his passenger. In the
fading light of the day, he studied her face for a moment to see if
she was pulling his leg. But she returned his glance with a steady
look that told him she was telling the truth.

Alex laughed deeply. “I’ve hired someone to
be my maid who has better qualifications to run my inn than I do!
You must think I’m an idiot.”

Elise said, “I think nothing of the sort. You
didn’t have time to ask, and it didn’t seem important to tell you.
I would have done just about anything to get out of that house
anyway.”

Alex heard Elise sigh heavily beside him.
They drove in silence for a few moments. She finally broke the
quiet. “I grew up in a little hotel in the West Virginia mountains.
We had nine rooms and a restaurant. It wasn’t much, but my folks
and I were happy. I decided that someday I was going to run one of
the big chains single-handedly, so I got my degree from WVU and
headed out into the cold cruel world two years ago. I landed a job
at Marriott and discovered that corporate life wasn’t for me. There
were too many forms, too much paper work, and not enough
interaction with people. I was getting to the point where I wasn’t
even seeing the guests anymore, so I quit.”

“And you ended up as a house guest of the
Dantons? That’s a pretty far fall.”

Elise said softly, “I wouldn’t say I was a
guest; I was more like a cook and a maid. It didn’t matter, though;
I just needed some time away from everything. Now I’m so grateful
to get out of that house I should be paying you for this job.”