Murder Checks Inn (Book 3 in the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries) (4 page)

“
You’re more than
welcome.”

Elise didn’t follow Julie down but instead
lingered at the top of the observation platform, as if waiting for
him.

He was surprised to find himself explaining,
“She was crying, so I offered her what comfort I could.”

Elise shook her head. “That’s not why I came
looking for you. Alex, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m
sorry about the timing, but I can’t do anything about it.”

“
You’re leaving, aren’t
you,” he said woodenly. The thought had been constantly in the back
of his mind since Elise had first come to Hatteras West. She was
more qualified than he was to run the inn, with her degree in hotel
management from a major university. It was just a matter of time
before she got bored with the drudge work at Hatteras
West.

She looked genuinely surprised by the
notion. “No, I’ll stay here as long as you want me. I thought you
knew that. I love this place.”

Alex couldn’t hide the relief that swept
through him. “So what’s on your mind?”

Elise bit her lip, then said, “It’s Peter
Asheford. He’s coming to Elkton Falls.”

Alex felt a wrenching in his gut. He’d
always hoped that as long as Elise and Peter stayed apart, there
might be a chance for him someday. It looked like that chance was
gone.

“
How can he do that? I
thought he ran some great company he owned and couldn’t afford to
leave it.”

Elise said, “It was just a toy for him, and
he got bored with it, so he sold the business. Peter’s family has
serious money, Alex.”

An unpleasant thought struck him. “Is he
staying with us at the inn when he comes?”

She shook her head. “You don’t understand.
Alex, he’s not visiting. Peter is moving to Elkton Falls to be
closer to me.” She held his gaze a moment, then added, “I just
thought it was something you should know.”

Before Alex could say another word, Elise
left him alone on the observation deck with nothing but his
thoughts. Just when he thought life couldn’t get any more
complicated, it had managed to throw him another curve, and this
one was a real dinger.

Elise had originally moved to Elkton Falls
to get away from her job and her fiancé, to find time to decide
what she really wanted out of life. A part of him had been hoping
the new plan would include him.

But with Peter Asheford on the scene again,
Alex realized that was probably never going to happen. Most likely,
Peter would persuade her to leave, and that would be the end of
that.

It was time to move on with his life. Alex
knew he couldn’t wait around for Elise forever. He’d have to accept
the fact that they’d most likely be nothing more than friends.
Besides, romance should be the last thing on his mind at the
moment. He had a murderer to catch, and Alex had a sneaking
suspicion that the killer was lurking somewhere near Hatteras
West.

Chapter 4

“
The place looks great,”
Tony said as he walked into the lobby of the Dual Keepers’ Quarters
the next day, the only part of the inn fit for guests at the
moment. “I can’t believe you’re rebuilding the main quarters. It
must be costing you a fortune.”

Alex looked at his brother and smiled.
“There are more things in life than money, Tony. It’s really
important to me to restore the place to all its glory.”

“
And you actually got
someone to loan you the money for the reconstruction? I know your
insurance couldn’t have covered all you lost in the fire. Smiley
O’Reilly is still using actuarial charts from the
1950s.”

Alex couldn’t deny that. The money from his
insurance policy had barely covered some of the new furniture he’d
needed, but Alex wasn’t about to admit to his brother that there
was the possibility of an emerald-rich vein somewhere on the
property. He knew what Tony’s reaction would be without even
asking; dump the inn and sell the land for all he could get. He’d
never felt the pull Alex did for Hatteras West.

Tony looked out the nearest window and said,
“Some homeless guy’s out there, Alex. You really should run him off
before he drives your guests away.”

Alex laughed. “That’s my arborist. His name
is Vernum, and he’s a whiz at landscaping, too.”

“
You never could resist
taking in strays, could you? You’re just as soft as Mom
was.”

“
Thanks, that’s nice of you
to say,” Alex replied, intentionally misinterpreting the jab in the
comment.

Elise walked in with an armful of fresh
towels. She put them on one corner of the check-in desk as Tony
moved toward her. “You must be Elise Danton. I’ve heard so many
wonderful things about you, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” For
a second, Alex thought Tony was going to kiss her hand, but he
somehow managed to restrain himself.

Elise smiled lightly. “It’s nice meeting
you, Tony.”

Tony said smoothly, “Alex was just going to
show me to my room, but if you’ve got a second, I’d much rather
have you take me.”

Elise retrieved the towels, then said
levelly, “I think you should go with Alex. I know you two have a
lot to discuss.”

Alex tried to hide his smile. Sometimes he
forgot how stunning Elise was, with her long chestnut hair and
gentle green eyes. She was an old hand at rebuffing advances, and
she’d sized Tony up in a heartbeat.

As she walked away, Tony said, “I’m starting
to see why the inn life is so appealing to you, Alex.”

Alex brushed his brother’s comment off with
a wave of his hand. “You’re out of your league, Tony. Her fiancé’s
just moved to Elkton Falls, and he’s got more money and charm than
either one of us will ever manage in a lifetime.”

Tony smiled broadly. “Ah, but she’s not
married yet, now is she? You know how I love a challenge. I’m not
giving up that easily.”

“
You never did,” Alex said,
shaking his head. Some things never changed, and his brother was at
the top of the list. There was no denying Tony could be charming
when it suited him, but he doubted his brother could make an
impression on Elise. It might even be fun to watch, Alex thought as
he showed his brother to his room. Though Tony knew the place as
well as Alex did, the innkeeper’s instinct in him demanded he
escort his brother.

Alex asked, “Do you want to get settled
first, or should we go into town and take care of the arrangements
for Jase’s funeral now?”

“
I didn’t think you could
leave the inn,” Tony said as he started unpacking his
bag.

Alex said, “Elise can handle things while
I’m gone. If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to get this over
with as quickly as we can.”

Tony agreed. “It’s probably the best thing
to do. Uncle Jase never was fond of drawing things out. Let me grab
a quick shower, and I’ll be ready to go in twenty minutes.”

“
I’ll meet you in my office
downstairs. I’ve got some work I need to do before we
go.”

Tony smiled. “That’s my little brother, ever
diligent. See you soon.”

Before Alex could get within a hundred feet
of his office, Cynthia Shays-Trask cornered him in the lobby “Mr.
Winston, I need to speak with you. It’s rather urgent.”

“
What can I do for you, Ms.
Trask?”

“
I don’t know how to put
this delicately, but this is the time for boldness. I saw you with
your arms around that imposter at the top of your odd little
lighthouse earlier today, and I want you to know that I won’t stand
for any foolishness from you butting into my family’s business. Do
you understand me?”

If there was one thing Alex was generally
good at, it was dealing with people. He had learned long ago that
there were as many types of guests at Hatteras West as there were
people in the outside world. Some thrived on rudeness, even seemed
to demand it in return, while others had to be soothed and coddled
over the course of their entire stay, calling for attention
relentlessly. Others came up with the oddest requests,
expecting—no, demanding—that they be met or the world would end.
One of the first skills Alex had acquired as an innkeeper was how
to handle just about everyone who passed through his doors.

With Cynthia Shays-Trask, he didn’t really
care which group she belonged to; all he knew was that she could
have had something to do with his uncle’s death.

“
What I do here at Hatteras
West is my business,” he said briskly, trying to skate past
her.

“
When it concerns my
family, it becomes my business,” she said forcefully.

Alex said, “You heard Sandra; Julie is a
part of your family now. Your son and daughter have a half sister,
whether any of you have the decency to acknowledge it or not.”

Cynthia’s eyes flared. “So you don’t deny
it? You are in league with that tart?”

Alex said flatly, “The only thing I care
about is who killed my uncle. Not that it’s any of your business,
but Julie needed someone to talk to today, and I happily obliged. I
don’t have the slightest interest in getting involved in your
family’s problems. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to
do.”

Alex tried to get around her, but Cynthia
put a hand lightly on his arm. There was a look of repentance on
her face, though Alex couldn’t help wondering if it was rehearsed.
There was even something that rang false about the woman’s
indignation.

“
Alex, forgive my outburst.
I forgot how you must be grieving. It’s just that when my
children’s welfare is at stake, I can be a bit of a mother bear.
Again, please forgive me.

“
There’s nothing to
forgive,” Alex said, trying to keep his tone level. “Now, if you’ll
excuse me, I really must get to work. I’ve got a funeral to
plan.”

Was that a glimmer of real guilt peeking
through Cynthia’s carefully constructed facade? It happened too
quickly to tell, gone as fast as it had appeared. She said, “I am
truly sorry for your loss.”

“
Thanks,” Alex muttered as
he finally escaped and headed for the refuge of his tiny
office.

Alex found Mor Pendleton sitting behind his
desk, his feet propped up on top of a stack of paperwork and
leaning back in his chair.

Mor stood up abruptly when Alex came in.
“Sorry to hear about Jase. Anything I can do?”

Alex said, “Thanks, but Tony’s helping me
with everything. He’s up in room ten now, unpacking.”

“
And how is he? I was
surprised when I saw him in town last week. At least I thought it
was him.” There was still a hint of steel in Mor’s voice whenever
he talked about Tony.

“
He’s the same as always,
but you’ve got to be wrong about Tony being in Elkton Falls. It
would take an act of Congress to get him back here. I’m just sorry
it took Jase’s murder. Enough of that. How’s bachelor life treating
you now that Emma has deserted you?” Mor had been dating Alex’s
resident gem hunter, Emma Sturbridge, since she’d moved to town.
They’d come close to breaking it off earlier but had somehow
managed to patch things back together well enough to continue their
relationship.

“
Emma called yesterday. She
got to Georgia just fine. Why she has to go prospecting for gold
all the way over there when we’ve got gold in North Carolina is
beyond me. That lady’s actions defy all logic. I just don’t
understand women.”

Alex smiled slightly. “Well, if you ever do,
be sure to share your wisdom with me.”

Mor laughed. “You’ll be the second to know.”
His expression turned somber as he asked, “You want me to call her
back home, what with all that’s going on here?”

As comforting as it would be to have Emma
Sturbridge nearby, Alex decided it wouldn’t be fair to bring her
back from her first vacation since she’d moved to Elkton Falls.
“No, I’ll be okay.”

Mor glanced at his watch. “Just thought I’d
ask. Well, I’d better take off. Les wants to talk about something
over lunch. It’s got to be serious; he even offered to pay.” Lester
Williamson was the other half of Mor or Les, the handyman duo that
kept Elkton Falls up and running.

Alex asked, “You sure you aren’t just
ducking out before Tony gets downstairs?”

Mor grinned. “That, too.”
The smile disappeared as he added, “Listen, if there’s anything I
can do, you just let me know.” He hugged Alex fiercely, then
released him just as quickly. It was the way of the true Southern
men he knew, mostly uncomfortable with embraces, but offering them
when they were needed. Mor was one of the small circle of Alex’s
true friends, someone he could call at three
a.m
. and know that the man would come
running without a single question why.

Just like a real brother should do.

Alex was still staring at the papers spread
out on his desk, not really seeing them, as he was lost in his
thoughts of Jase, when Tony walked in.

“
This can wait if you’ve
got work to do, Alex. Believe me, I know what it’s like to be stuck
behind a wall of paperwork.”

Alex looked up and said, “No, we need to
take care of this today. Sandra’s expecting us at her office, and
we’ve got to swing by the funeral home, too.”

Outside, Alex headed for his old Ford
pickup, but Tony pointed to his BMW. “Why don’t we take my car? To
be honest with you, I’m not sure I want to ride around in that
truck of yours.”

Alex reluctantly slid into the passenger
seat of the silver sportster. It was close enough to Sandra’s to be
its twin, and he marveled that she’d ever ended up dating him
instead of his older brother. Truth be told, the two of them had a
lot more in common than she and Alex ever had.

Tony said, “Now this is what I call a smooth
ride. It beats that old jalopy of yours, doesn’t it?”