by Tim Myers
Two minutes later she came out with a towel under her arm, and that’s when Alex stepped out of the closet.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said as he switched on a light. Enough had come through the windows before from the moon to give the space some illumination, but the fresh and direct light hurt his eyes. Alex was sorry that Jackson had gotten away. He would have liked to ask the man a few questions, but that was too bad.
“What are you doing here?” he asked Monique.
Before she had a chance to answer, Jackson came back, with Mor right on his heels.
“I thought you could use a little backup,” Mor said.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Jackson said.
“He’s got a knife,” Alex said.
“I’ve got it,” Mor said with a smile.
“Let me go,” Jackson said, a look of hate in his eyes.
Mor put a hand on his shoulder and clamped down. As tough as Jackson was, Alex knew that it had to have hurt. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Actually, she’s the one you need to watch,” Alex said as he pointed at Monique.
Chapter 10
“But he’s the one who took the coins,” Monique said in protest as Mor grabbed her as well. “I distracted you all so he could sneak in here and steal them. He was supposed to split them with me, but he was taking off. That’s why I came over here to see what was going on.”
Alex shook his head. “Don’t you ever get tired of lying, Monique?”
“He killed Tony,” she screamed. Mor’s grip tightened on Monique’s shoulder, and she stopped talking, at least for the moment.
“He might be a thief, but he didn’t kill my brother,” Alex said. “The coins weren’t what were important here. You didn’t care that Jackson took the coins. Well, maybe you cared, but it wasn’t your top priority. Getting this was.”
Alex reached down and picked up the tightly wrapped towel at his feet. As he opened it, the missing bathmat tumbled out onto the floor. “You got scratched during the argument with Tony, didn’t you? Were you afraid your blood was on it, too?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Monique said as she tried to cover one hand with another.
Alex continued. “I already saw your band-aid. Sure, we all thought the coins were the driving motive, but honestly, both of you had the opportunity and the motivation to steal from Tony. But only one of you had a reason to kill him.” He turned to Jackson. “I’m not sure if the police can even arrest you with the evidence we’ve uncovered. After all, the fake coins Tony had and the ones we made up are all worthless.”
Jackson looked surprised, and a little relieved, but then Mor added, “Don’t forget about the real coin.”
Jackson laughed, a cold and hard sound. “According to you people, I never had it. If had to guess, I’m willing to bet that it’s in a safe somewhere around the inn, probably in your office.”
It was clear to Alex that Jackson knew all about his safe, and what it held, including the piece of paper he and Mor had found, which Alex had brought along with him, just in case he needed it. The last thing Alex wanted was for Jackson and his boss to ever come back to the Hatteras West Inn. He took the paper from his pocket, and then handed it to Jackson.
“What do you get out of this?” Jackson asked suspiciously before he took the paper.
“I want you and your people to forget we ever existed.”
Jackson seemed to take that in. “What about the money we lost, and the coin you still have?”
“Don’t push your luck,” Mor said.
Alex spoke up. “The coin was here, but it’s on its way to the state museum in Raleigh. I donated it in my brother’s name.” It wasn’t exactly true, but it soon would be. Alex didn’t want any profit from the coin that had been a part of his brother’s last con, and donating it in the Winston name was somehow fitting. “As for the rest of the fake coins, you can have them if you want them.” He took the original bag of counterfeit coins from Elise and handed them to Jackson. “That should convince your boss that you were conned. As for the money, I don’t have a clue what Tony did with it, but I can tell you this. It’s not here.”
“Good enough,” Jackson said, and then started to walk away. Mor looked at Alex, and he shook his head. Alex was focused on one thing right now; the woman who had killed Tony.
“You’re not going to just let him go, are you?” Monique cried out.
Alex didn’t even have to answer. A squad car drove up the lane, its lights flashing and siren wailing. Jackson turned back and looked hard at Alex. “Did you set me up?”
“It wasn’t us,” Alex said.
Jackson shrugged, and then ate the piece of paper Alex had just given him. “They don’t have a thing on me.” He tossed the coins back to Elise, and then wiped his hands on his pants. “We’re good now.”
As the sheriff got out of his car, Alex opened a window and called him over to them. Once he joined them in the Main Keeper’s Quarters, Armstrong said, “There’s a pile up on Old 70, but I got the call and came running. I was told there might be another murder here.”
“Who called you?” Alex asked. He was amazed by how quickly the sheriff had shown up.
“It was anonymous,” the sheriff admitted.
“Man or woman?” Alex asked.
“It was a woman.”
“I made the call,” Monique admitted. “I thought Jackson was going to kill me if I didn’t turn the gold coins over to him.”
“Why would I do that?” he asked. “I don’t even know you, and we both know that the coins are counterfeit.”
“Alex?” the sheriff asked. “You want to explain this to me?” He looked over at Mor. “I’m guessing you have a good reason to hold onto both of them.”
“She killed my brother,” Alex said.
“I suppose you have proof of that, right?”
“We do,” Alex said.
“Then let’s hear it.”
Alex held the mat up. “If you send this to the crime lab, I’m willing to bet they’ll find Tony’s blood, and Monique’s as well. They struggled during an argument, and she got scratched. Look at her hand if you don’t believe me.”
Monique said, “I caught it on a rusty nail somewhere around here. I should sue.”
Alex shook his head, but the sheriff asked, “Is that all?”
“There are scuff marks in the room where Tony was killed. Whoever dumped him in the tub wasn’t strong enough to pick him up, so they must have dragged him across the room. I noticed it the first time I was up there, but I didn’t put it together with Tony’s murder. If Jackson had killed him, he’d had no problem putting my brother over his shoulder and carrying him. The fact that Monique wasn’t as strong made me suspect that she might have done it. Lastly, think about how Tony was killed. He was stabbed in the heart. What professional killer do you know that would use a knife to the heart? I’ve watched a lot of news and read quite a few mysteries my guests have left behind over the years. It sounds more like a crime of passion than of greed.”
“Where’d the knife come from?” Armstrong asked, intently following Alex’s words.
“I’d check her place if I were you,” Alex said.
“Surely she’s not that stupid,” the sheriff answered.
“It’s worth a shot, and it would tie it all up nicely if it turns out to be true, but I think you’ve got enough to arrest her.”
“You meddling jerk,” Monique said as she jerked away from Mor, reached into her jacket, and pulled out a gun. “I killed your brother, and now I’m going to get rid of all of you. What can they do, hang me more than once? I’ve already got Tony’s blood on me. What’s a little more going to hurt? I’ve got enough bullets to go around. Give me your gun, sheriff,” she said as she trained it on him.
Alex could see true madness in Monique’s eyes. “Don’t do it, sheriff.”
Armstrong looked at him as though he’d lost his mind. “Alex, I don’t have any ch
oice.”
Alex knew that if Monique had the sheriff’s gun, they would all be dead. He just had one option, and before he could talk himself out of it, he stepped forward towards Monique. Alex was willing to bet his life on the fact that Monique hadn’t reloaded the gun. After all, he’d searched everywhere in her room and her purse. Where would she have gotten more ammunition?
Still, he felt his spine tingle as she turned the weapon on him and pulled the trigger as he rushed her.
Click.
Click.
Monique never got to pull it a third time.
Alex took it from her and handed it to the sheriff.
As Monique and Jackson were led away, Mor looked at his best friend and said, “I can’t believe you pulled that off. You might have told me you took her bullets.”
“There was no time,” Alex explained. “Besides, I might have been wrong.”
“You took one wail of a chance,” Mor said.
“I had everything to lose if I let her have the sheriff’s gun.” He took Elise’s hand in his, got down on one knee, and then said, “Elise, will you marry me?”
She threw herself onto him, knocking them both to the ground.
Alex laughed, and then asked, “Is that a yes?”
As she helped him up, Elise said, “I’m going to call my parents right now. As soon as they can get here, we’re having that wedding.”
Emma frowned. “There is no way we can pull this off without a week’s notice, and that’s pushing it.”
Elise hugged Emma and said, “Don’t get me wrong, I love what you did for our first wedding, but this one is going to be simple and clean. I just need my folks, you and Mor, and a preacher, and I’m fine.”
“What about me?” Alex asked with a smile.
“You aren’t getting out of my sight until we’re married,” Elise said. “I’m not about to take any more chances with us getting married.”
“If you’re waiting for me to protest, you’re got a long wait.”
“Then let’s throw an impromptu wedding, shall we?” Elise asked.
She was answered by a chorus of yeses, and Alex was thrilled with the prospect of marrying Elise as soon as they could manage it.
The Last Chapter
The next afternoon offered them a beautiful day for their wedding.
Alex stood at the base of the lighthouse with Mor by his side. This wasn’t the big affair that Alex and Elise had planned, but everyone who was important to them was there. Elise’s parents had made it back to town, though just barely. Emma was with Elise in the inn, and the two men stood alone as the preacher was lost in his own thoughts.
“Nervous?” Mor asked Alex.
“I feel as though I’ve waited my entire life for this moment,” Alex said. “I’ve found the love of my life, and I’m finally going to marry her.”
Mor touched Alex’s shoulder lightly. “Who would have believed in an hour that we’ll both be married, two confirmed bachelors who used to take night cooking classes so they could meet women?”
“Are you happy?” Alex asked him.
He wasn’t sure what kind of answer he was expecting, but most likely it would be housed in some type of joke. Mor surprised him, though.
“Alex, I know Emma and I might look like an odd match from the outside, but we’re a perfect fit. The woman is crazy in all the right places, you know what I mean?”
“I get it,” Alex said. “When I’m with Elise, it’s like I’ve known her forever. Before she came to the inn, I never would have said that I believed in destiny, but I don’t know how else to explain it.”
“We’re lucky men,” Alex said.
“Gentlemen,” Kyle said, “here they come.”
Alex looked back toward the inn and saw Emma holding the door open for Elise. Emma started toward them, and then Elise came out, flanked by her father on one side and her mother on the other. He barely noticed them, though.
Elise was a beautiful woman, and Alex was very aware of it, but at that moment in time, she was nothing short of perfection. The white dress she wore flowed perfectly around her, and while he was no expert on these kinds of things, he could appreciate how wonderful she looked.
He thought he was seeing her at her most beautiful, but he was wrong.
When their gazes met, he saw her smile, warmly and broadly and full of love, and that’s when he knew truly just how lovely she was.
Elise’s parents walked with her, Emma leading the way, and as they approached the steps, Emma moved to be with Mor, while Elise’s parents took the other side.
Elise put her hand on his, and Alex said softly, “Hey there.”
“Hi yourself,” she said as they turned to Kyle.
“Dearly beloved,” the preacher began, but most of his words were lost on Alex.
And finally, the best question he’d ever been asked in his life was spoken aloud.
“Do you, Alex, take Elise, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, from this day forward?”
“I do,” he said.
“And do you, Elise, take Alex, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, from this day forward?”
He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until he heard her say, “I do.”
“Then by the authority of the state of North Carolina, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Kyle said. “You may kiss the bride.”
Alex turned to her, took her in his arms, and before he kissed her, he said, “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she answered, tears of joy tracking down her cheeks.
He kissed her then, and at that moment, Alex and Elise Winston, husband and wife, started the rest of their lives together, with the lighthouse forever looking benignly over them.
Afterword
And that’s it.
At least I think it is.
I’ve long wanted to write this book, and the one before it, Key to Murder. When I found out from my publisher that they wouldn’t be renewing the lighthouse inn mystery series for books 6 and 7, I was more than a little taken aback. You see, in my mind, Alex and Elise always ended up together, married, and happily running the Hatteras West Inn long into their sunset years. It was an image I’d had from the very beginning, and I’d even written the first book with them ending up getting married on the spot. My editor didn’t want that though, hoping for more of a Moonlighting feel, the old tv show where the viewers were constantly wondering whether the leads would get together or not in the end.
I most definitely wanted Alex and Elise together. It took a great amount of creativity to keep them apart over the first five books, and I wasn’t the only one getting frustrated by the lack of their romantic progress. With just a little more time, I knew I could make my case to my editor.
But suddenly, the rug was pulled out from under me, and I was told that would be it. I asked if I could add a small section to the last book, Booked for Murder, and was told that it would be possible. It was a gracious move on Penguin’s part allowing me to do it, one that I will be eternally grateful for.
Here is the section I added even as the manuscript was going off to be converted into a book.
Elise said, “Before we go in, there’s something we need to talk about.”
Alex asked, “Is it about us?”
“It is,” Elise said solemnly. “I’m ready to answer your question.”
Alex found himself holding his breath in anticipation as he waited for his fate to be decided.
“Go ahead, I’m ready.”
Elise said, “Alex, you’ve been the best friend I’ve ever had, and the thought of losing what we have right now is more than I can take.”
He started to say something, but she held up one hand. “Please, just hear me out.”
He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
“I love Hatteras West almost as much as you do, and the thought
of being forced to leave because something has broken between us is unbearable. And let’s face it; my track record with relationships isn’t all that sterling. I’m sorry, but I know this is true about me. All the signs point to us staying friends. There’s just too much to risk losing.”
Alex felt his heart explode in his chest, but he fought to keep from showing his devastation. He knew on one level that what she said was true, all of it; it still didn’t make it any easier to accept.
Elise took a deep breath, then added, “That said, if you’re willing to risk everything, then so am I.”
It took him a second to realize that he’d just heard what she said. “Excuse me?”
She laughed slightly. “I said I’d love to pursue a relationship with you, starting right now.”
Alex said, “Are you sure?”
“Oh, Alex, I think we’ve talked this to death. Let’s just take a chance.”
And then she kissed him.
It was the best I could do, given the state of things at the time.
I left the lighthouse inn behind, not by choice, and moved on to mystery series about candles, cards, soap, and several other things.
And then the playing field changed. I’d had the rights to my earlier books reverted to me as they went out of print, not sure what I was going to do with them, but happy to have them back in my hands. As ebook publishing began to take off, I saw that some folks were putting their backlists for sale, and I thought, why not? It would be nice to have copies available online, as I’d been asked time and time again for paperbacks that were now out of print. To my delight, the books began to sell. I started getting request from readers, and they were so similar it was eerie.
They all wanted to know the same thing. “What happens next with Alex and Elise?”
I’d been wondering that myself, actually. I’d alluded to a lighthouse swap with another couple in Booked for Murder, and had planned to make that the sixth book, but the end of the contract meant the end of the series.
