Room for Murder (Book 4 in the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries) (2 page)

“
Your speech was even
shorter than mine,” the mayor said. “I’ll make a public speaker out
of you yet.”

Alex said, “That’s going to be tough to do,
Grady. You just witnessed my debut and farewell performance, all
wrapped up into one.”

Grady shook his head. “We’ll just see about
that. Folks around here have a real fondness for you, Alex; you
could do well in politics.”

Alex shook his head in reply. “No Sir, it’s
not going to happen.” He looked all around for Elise, and Alex
finally spotted her greeting folks on their way into the newly
rebuilt Dual Keepers’ Quarters. That was where he belonged, by her
side, instead of up there making speeches, however brief. Alex was
an innkeeper, like his father before him, and his father before
him, and he was proud to be one. Let the politicians have the
limelight; they were welcome to it. The only light he wanted was
the one he had, perched atop the lighthouse.

As Alex started off the stage, Tracy stopped
him. “Alex, thanks again for letting me speak here today. I need
all the exposure I can get.”

He smiled. “You’re very welcome. How’s the
campaign going?”

She looked a little frazzled around the
edges. “I’m definitely the underdog, so it’s a lot harder than I
thought it would be. He’s making it even worse.” Tracy added the
last jab as she stared heatedly at her ex-husband, standing off to
one side in a whispered conference with Oxford.

Alex said, “Don’t look at it that way,
Tracy. Just think how sweet it will be when you beat him.”

“
Do you really think I’ve
got a chance?” she asked.

“
Hey, I’m voting for you,”
Alex said.

Just then Oxford’s booming voice sounded in
his ear. “I hope you give me the opportunity to change your mind,
Alex.”

Alex grinned. “You can try, but I won’t make
any promises.”

Oxford returned the smile. “Then you
wouldn’t go far in politics, my friend.” The big man turned his
attention to Tracy, automatically tucking his thumbs back under his
suspenders. “That was a wonderful speech, Ma’am. I had to stop
myself from jumping up and applauding myself.”

She said sweetly, “If you want to concede
now, Oxford, we can save Elkton Falls the trouble of holding the
election.”

Oxford’s smile dimmed a bit, though he could
clearly see that Tracy was teasing. He said, “Come now, what fun
would that be? I think we’re all looking forward to the battle
ahead. Now if you two will excuse me, I’ve got some meeting and
greeting to do.”

Tracy followed closely on his heels. “Not
without me, you don’t.”

Alex was surprised to find Mor and Emma
standing so close to the chamber group when he got inside. They
were obviously hovering there for some reason. He walked over to
Elise, pointed to their friends, and asked, “What’s going on?”

“
It’s a surprise. I told
them they could make a little announcement of their own today. I
hope that’s all right, Alex.”

“
You run this place, too,
Elise. You can do whatever you like.” Alex was a little hurt that
Mor hadn’t asked him for permission himself, and Elise must have
sensed it.

She explained, “Emma’s been planning this
for a week. Mor just found out himself.”

“
So what’s going
on?”

The musicians stopped, and Elise whispered,
“Wait and see.

As the group took a break, Mor said loudly,
“If I can have your attention, there’s something I’d like to
say.”

Everyone stopped talking and turned to the
big man. Alex could see the flush rising on his friend’s face. He
was no more comfortable talking in front of a crowd than Alex
was.

Once Mor had everyone’s attention, he said,
“Emma and I wanted to share this with everyone. We’re getting
married.” There was more robust applause for Mor’s announcement
than there’d been for any of the politicians earlier. Mor added,
“As a matter of fact, the nuptials will be here, if Alex will have
us.”

Alex smiled broadly from across the room.
“Try to have your wedding anywhere else. Just tell me when.”

“
One month from today, and
everyone’s invited to the party,” Mor said as the crowd roared
again. As people filed past them offering their congratulations,
Alex tapped Elise on the shoulder. He asked, “So you’ve known about
this for a week?”

Elise grinned. “Are you kidding? I’m the
maid of honor.”

Alex said, “I don’t even know which side of
the aisle I’m supposed to sit on.”

Elise started to say something when Mor
joined them. “Alex, got a second?”

“
Sure thing.
Congratulations.” He slapped the big man on the back.

“
Thanks. Listen, sorry to
spring it on you like that, but Emma and Elise cooked this all up.
You don’t mind having the wedding here, do you?”

“
I couldn’t think of a
better place for you to have it,” Alex said. “I’m
honored.”

“
That’s great. While I’m on
a roll, let me push my luck a little more, then. How about being my
best man?”

Alex grinned. “I’d be happy to.” A cloud
crossed his face as he added softly, “Oh, no.”

“
What’s wrong?” Mor asked.
“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

“
It’s not that, I’m honored
you want me. I just realized I’ll have to make another speech if
I’m going to be your best man.”

Mor pounded him gamely on the shoulder.
“You’ll do fine. Look at all the practice you’ve been getting
lately.”

After the reception was over, Mor and Emma
were the last ones to leave. Alex marveled that his two good
friends had actually decided to get married. Here he was, waiting
for his first promised date with Elise, and Mor and Emma were
already tying the knot. His much-anticipated first date with his
housekeeper wasn’t far away, though; it was set for that coming
Saturday night. Alex and Elise were free of their encumbrances and
entanglements, so finally they were going to be able to see if
there was anything more to their relationship than just
friendship.

After the betrothed pair left, Alex and
Elise began to clean up the mess left behind.

“
The wedding’s going to be
beautiful,” Elise said as she finished sweeping the lobby
floor.

Alex said, “It looks like I’ll be a part of
it after all. Mor just asked me to be his best man.”

Elise’s budding smile froze as Mor and Emma
walked back into the lobby. It was obvious from one look at their
faces that something was desperately wrong.

“
What happened?” Alex
asked, afraid that the engagement was already off.

Mor said, “You’d better call Sheriff
Armstrong. Somebody’s slouched over in the front seat of my
truck.”

Alex felt an icy fist clench his heart.
“Passed out or dead?”

“
Dead,” Mor said simply,
and Emma started sobbing softly beside him, collapsing against Mor
for support.

As Mor reached for the telephone, Alex
asked, “Any idea who it is?”

Mor nodded, looking grim as he dialed the
sheriff’s number. “I’d never seen him before in my life, but Emma
recognized him right away. Hang on a second, I only want to have to
say this once.” Mor turned his attention back to the telephone.
“Sheriff, this is Mor Pendleton. You’d better get out to Hatteras
West. I just found a body in my truck.”

There was a pause, then Mor added grimly,
“Yes, we know who it is. Somebody just killed Emma Sturbridge’s
ex-husband.”

Chapter 2

After Mor hung up the telephone, Alex said,
“This is incredible. Any idea what happened?”

Mor snapped, “What makes you think I would
know? I’ve heard enough horror stories about the man to want to
beat the daylights out of him myself, but I wouldn’t kill him. He
was a brute and a bully, Alex, but I swear, I never saw him before
today in my life.”

Elise guided Emma over to one side of the
lobby, one arm around the woman’s shoulders. The two of them talked
in whispered murmurs.

Alex asked Mor softly, “What did Emma have
to say?”

Mor said, “She was just as stunned as I was.
What was he doing here, Alex? And how did he end up in my truck?
This looks bad, I know that, but I swear, somebody’s trying to set
me up.”

Alex said, “Don’t worry, Sheriff Armstrong
will be here soon.”

Mor snorted. “And that’s supposed to make me
feel better? Alex, how would you like to have your fate in his
hands? You know we don’t get along, we never have. And now Strong
Arms is going to be messing around in my life, butting into things
that aren’t any of his business.”

“
He’s better than you give
him credit for,” Alex said. “The man’s come a long way.”

Mor put both hands on his friend’s
shoulders. “Listen, you’ve got to promise me you’ll look into this.
Armstrong depends on you, Alex. He’ll listen to your suggestions;
he’s done it in the past. Don’t let him railroad me.”

Alex had never seen his friend so intense.
“I’ll do what I can,” Alex promised, wondering how he always seemed
to get sucked into the sheriff’s investigations. This was
different, though; there was no way he could say no to his best
friend in the world. If Mor needed him, Alex would be there, no
questions asked.

He just hoped he would be able to help.

Alex walked over to Emma and Elise, with Mor
close behind him. Alex said, “Emma, I know this isn’t the greatest
time to ask you questions, but did you have any idea your
ex-husband was coming to Elkton Falls?”

“
I never dreamed he’d come
here,” Emma said. “That part of my life was over.” Did she avert
her eyes as she answered him?

Alex pushed her harder. “Emma, this is
important. You’ve got to tell me the truth.”

Mor said firmly, “Alex, she’s just had the
shock of her life. Take it easy on her.”

Alex said, “The sheriff is going to ask her
the same questions I’m asking. I’m just trying to get to the bottom
of this before he gets here.”

Elise said, “She didn’t kill him, Alex.”

Emma put a hand on her arm. “It’s all right,
Elise, I know Alex just wants to help.” She dabbed at her eyes with
a handkerchief, then said, “The way I’m carrying on, you’d think I
still loved the man, but I stopped being anything but afraid of
Toby Sturbridge a long time ago. He was a horrid husband, and it
wasn’t just the violence, though that was bad enough. Toby gambled
our money away faster than I could earn it, and he owed some really
bad people. It’s hard to say who I was more frightened of during
the last years of our marriage, my husband or the loan sharks who
used to come around to the house looking for him.” She waved her
handkerchief in the air like a white flag, then added, “It was just
the shock of seeing him like that. I know I must sound like a
monster, but truth be told, I’m glad he’s gone. The man’s been
haunting my nightmares for years. All his bad karma finally came
back for him, and I can’t honestly say I’m sorry.”

Alex said, “Emma, the sheriff’s going to ask
you about your relationship with him, things you thought were
buried in your past. Be ready for his questions.”

She seemed to stiffen her spine. “Alex, I’ve
done nothing wrong. The only fault I had was staying with a man
like that as long as I did.”

Alex said, “You know Armstrong. He’s going
to stay after you until he’s satisfied you’re telling the
truth.”

He saw Emma flinch, and on a hunch, Alex
asked again, “You didn’t know he was here, did you, Emma?”

“
Alex, that’s enough,”
Elise snapped as Mor started to speak himself. There was a
thunderous expression on the big man’s face that Alex knew was a
precursor to the storm sure to follow.

Before he could say anything, Emma said in a
hoarse voice, “I’m sorry. You’re right, I knew he was here. He
asked me for money, demanded it from me, and threatened me if I
didn’t give it to him.” She turned to her brand-new fiancé and
said, “Mor, I didn’t tell you because I was hoping he’d just go
away.” She turned back to Alex and said, “Is there a chance in the
world the sheriff’s going to believe me?”

Alex said, “I honestly don’t know, but you
have to tell him the truth. All of it.”

Sheriff Armstrong was going to have a field
day with Emma’s blunt honesty and her confession that she knew her
ex-husband was in town. Alex knew who Armstrong’s two prime
suspects were going to be: the battered ex-wife and her fiancé. It
was going to take his best efforts to stop the sheriff from
focusing on Emma and Mor and persuade him to look for the real
killer.

The thought, however brief, flickered
through his mind that maybe one of them had in fact had something
to do with Sturbridge’s death. Emma had every right to wish ill of
the man, he had been a nasty bully from all accounts, and Alex knew
from past experience how protective Mor was of anyone and anything
he loved. Was it possible one of his friends could have committed
murder?

If Mor thought he was protecting Emma, Alex
was afraid the answer to that question wasn’t going to be all that
easy to uncover.

Sheriff Armstrong came flying up Point Road
in his cruiser with the siren blaring and lights flashing. More
than anything in the world, the sheriff loved to show the folks of
Elkton Falls that he was on the job. Armstrong had nearly lost his
last election for sheriff, and Alex had been surprised to find the
man taking his work much more seriously, though the sheriff hadn’t
been able to break his ingrained habit of announcing his presence
whenever there was a crime. Armstrong was actually turning into a
pretty decent law enforcement officer, but he still needed a nudge
in the right direction now and then, and Fate had appointed Alex to
push.