by Tim Myers
Finster wolfed down the last bite of his doughnut. To Alex’s disappointment, the man didn’t choke. “My buyer has upped the offer for the inn. Why don’t you grab it before my client finds out about what happened at Bear Rocks? You might avoid a lawsuit that way.”
“Finster, I’m not going to sell the place unless the creditors are knocking down the door.”
Finster’s smile became predatory. “You think guests will flock to the Murder Inn next season? Come on, Alex, wise up and sell the white elephant while you can still get a good penny for it.”
Alex had given that very option a great deal of consideration lately, but the Winstons had a stubborn streak, and Alex had inherited more than his share in the bargain. The nagging thought that a sale would no doubt give Finster a whopping commission steeled his resolve not to give the lighthouse up.
Getting up from the booth, he said, “Tell your buyer no sale.” Alex nodded softly to Sally Anne, who was standing just inside the kitchen. According to his plan, the door was propped open, but Sally blocked the view. When she began speaking, it was loud enough for the two men to hear.
“I’m telling you, Dad, he tries to grope me all the time. I’m not waiting on him anymore. If you want his money, you serve him. I’m tired of him pinching my butt.”
There was a pause, and Alex looked over at Finster. The man’s face was completely white. Everyone in town knew that it took a lot to anger Buck, but one sure sign you had managed it was when he lowered his voice to a deadly whisper. The fact that Sally’s pleas were going without response wasn’t lost on Finster.
They heard Sally Anne’s voice again, this time with a heartfelt plea in it. “Please don’t get so angry, Daddy. If he so much as looks at me again, I’ll tell you, I promise. Give Mr. Finster one more chance. You’d have an awful time explaining it to the jury, what with your temper and all.”
Finster didn’t wait around for a response. He mumbled something to Alex, then threw a twenty-dollar bill down on the counter as he raced for the door. As the weasel scurried down the sidewalk, Alex burst into a laughing fit.
Sally Anne joined him at the window as Finster sped away in his Cherokee.
She threw her arms around Alex. “I swear, I could kiss you for getting that leach off my tail.” Sally Anne did just that, sliding into Alex’s arms and planting a happy kiss on his cheek.
The sight of Finster’s twenty on the counter brought the laughter back into her voice. “Looks like the movies are on me tonight. I hope Eric can skip curfew. You know Coach, he doesn’t like his boys hanging out with the girls.”
Alex grinned. “If Eric has any spunk at all, he won’t let Coach’s rules stop him. I know I wouldn’t.”
“How sweet of you. Tell you what, any time you get the craving for doughnuts, come on by. Your money’s no good here as long as I’m waitressing.”
Alex offered his thanks, then added, “If Finster ever does try to grab you again, you really should tell your father.”
Sally Anne laughed. “You saw him run. I think he got the message.”
When Alex got back to the inn, he was surprised to see Elise standing on the front porch of the annex. It was almost as if she were waiting for him.
He just hoped she didn’t have any more bad news. He wasn’t all that sure he could take it.
Chapter 11
As he got closer, it appeared that Alex had worried for nothing. Elise looked happy to see him, until he made it to the front porch.
She frowned a moment, then said, “I see Sandra made it safely back to town.”
“Not that I know of. Why do you say that?”
Elise gingerly pulled an ironed white linen handkerchief out of the front pocket of her blue jeans and dabbed the edge of it with her tongue. Alex felt sheepish as she rubbed at his cheek vigorously, displaying the unmistakable hint of lipstick now on the cloth.
Elise said, “It looks like some woman was trying to mark her territory with glossy red lipstick.”
He stammered. “There’s really a very simple explanation how that lipstick got on my cheek.”
Elise suddenly turned away. “It’s none of my business. Save your breath, Alex.”
Alex was still trying to explain what had happened when Sheriff Armstrong’s patrol car pulled up in front of the inn. There was another man in uniform with the sheriff, and from the look of his outfit, he worked for the state police. Alex thought now maybe somebody would believe him when he suggested that Reg’s murder and Emma’s fall were somehow related. He only hoped the two men’s presence didn’t signal another murder.
Armstrong ignored Elise, an officious look on his face. “Alex, I’ve got someone here I’d like you to meet.”
When the state policeman joined them, Alex introduced Elise, then himself, as he offered his right hand to the patrolman.
The state policeman took it in a grip as firm as Alex’s. The fellow, somewhere in his mid-twenties, sported a blond fuzzy crewcut and crystal blue eyes. His uniform looked freshly pressed, and Alex was nearly blinded by the shine on the officer’s shoes. He was a large powerful man, almost too handsome, but the officer’s open sincere smile made Alex feel at ease until he offered a tip of his hat to Elise. There was no doubt about it; Alex was startled to find that he was jealous.
The officer said, “I’m Sergeant Hicking with the State Bureau of Investigation. I understand you’ve had some activity out here in the past few days.”
Alex offered a deep frown. “A bit too much for me. I’m glad the sheriff called for some help.”
Armstrong stepped up and said, “It’s my prerogative to call for assistance whenever I feel it’s warranted. I asked the SBI to send somebody over to give me an opinion or two about the Wellington case.”
The SBI officer said, “We function as an advisory
agency. Sometimes another set of eyes can see something in an investigation that others may have overlooked.”
From the look on Armstrong’s face, Alex knew the sheriff must have had mixed emotions about calling in the SBI. The sheriff had to be concerned that even if the case was solved now, his opponent in the election would claim Armstrong couldn’t have done it alone. That didn’t matter one bit to Alex. Solving Reg’s murder was all that counted, and Armstrong’s stock went up with Alex the moment he had called for reinforcements.
Alex asked, “So do you agree the two incidents are connected?”
Hicking’s eyes perked up like a hawk spying fresh prey. “There’s been another murder?”
Armstrong waved off Alex’s words. “No, sir. Mr. Winston has the firm belief that one of his other guests was pushed off a rock this morning.”
Elise surprised Alex when she stepped in. “I believe it too, Sheriff. Emma Sturbridge looked to be as surefooted as a mountain goat. I can’t imagine her falling.”
That got Hicking’s attention back to Elise, just where Alex didn’t want it.
“Are you a guest here, or are you Mr. Winston’s girlfriend, by any chance?”
Alex saw Elise frown at the suggestion. “I work here. I’m the maid.”
Hicking trotted out that huge grin again and offered Elise his hand. “That’s hard for me to believe, Ma’am. Someone as pretty as you shouldn’t be scrubbing floors.”
Elise coolly withdrew her hand from the policeman’s, and Alex saw her features frosting over. “What I look like has nothing to do with who I am, Sergeant. The work is honest, and it needs to be done.”
Hicking realized he’d taken a misstep, but he didn’t quite know how to atone for it. Suddenly all business again, he turned to Alex. “If you’ve got the key to the lighthouse, I’d like to see the murder scene.”
“Oh, it’s not locked. The sheriff let me reopen the lighthouse after his cousin came by.”
Armstrong started blustering. “Come on, Alex, you know Irene’s more than family. She’s taken all the required classes. I didn’t release the crime scene until she went over everything with her kit. We’ve got photographs
and everything else we need down at the station.”
Hicking said, “Settle down, Sheriff, nobody’s saying your technician isn’t fully competent. I’d like to see her after we leave here. Now, do you mind showing me where the body was found?”
Armstrong led the state policeman to the lighthouse door while Alex and Elise headed for the front porch of the inn.
Hicking stopped. “Aren’t you two coming with us?”
Alex shook his head. “We’ve got an inn to run. If you need us, we’ll be around.”
Hicking headed up the lighthouse’s front steps without another word.
Alex glanced over at Elise and found her staring thoughtfully after the state policeman.
With a great deal less calm than he felt, Alex said, “I still want to explain about the lipstick.”
“It’s none of my business, Alex.”
He said, “I don’t want you thinking I’m some kind of Romeo. I helped a waitress in town get rid of a problem, and she kissed my cheek in thanks. There was nothing else to it.”
Elise said, “It’s perfectly fine with me, Alex.”
Did she believe him? Suddenly, it was very important to Alex that she did.
He said, “Hicking’s a good-looking man, isn’t he?”
Elise shook her head. “I suppose so, if you like that type. His attitude towards women needs a little work, if you ask me.”
Alex laughed. “You gave him something to think about. Be nice, Elise. I know you can’t help it, but you are attractive.” Alex thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life, but he kept that to himself.
As the two of them walked up the porch steps, Elise answered with a slightly vexed tone in her voice. “I had no control over what you see on the outside. I picked the right parents, that’s all. People should care a little more about what’s on the inside.”
And that closed the discussion.
Alex went to the desk and looked at the work schedule Elise had drawn up. He saw that she had checked off each room on her morning rounds. As far as he could remember, Marisa had never made it all the way through the rooms in the course of a single working day.
When Elise returned to the front, Alex said, “I’ve got to work on the books. If you want to get started on the lobby floor, it needs a coat of wax desperately.” He smiled, then added, “If you hadn’t done such a good job mopping it, I never would have noticed.”
They walked over to the storage closet and retrieved the buffer and wax.
Elise looked through the closet. “How about a couple of ‘Slippery Floor’ signs?”
“I never thought of that. Guess we’ll have to pick some up.”
“I swear, Alex. This place is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Have you ever had any trouble before from any of your guests?”
“Besides them stealing towels? None that I can think of. People didn’t used to be so lawsuit happy. It makes me wish for the good old days.”
Elise frowned. “No electricity, no indoor plumbing and no penicillin? No thank you. I’ll keep the modern conveniences.”
Alex said, “I guess you’re right. I’m not even going to ask you if you need any help.”
“That’s a wise decision. I’ve handled a lot worse than this. My dad said I was the best worker he ever had at his hotel, and he wasn’t just saying that.”
“Wonderful. When you’re done in here, you can rebuild the boiler.”
Elise started rolling up the lobby’s rugs, and Alex naturally joined in. “I took a peek at your heating and cooling system. I can’t believe it’s still running.”
“That’s what Mor keeps telling me. Give me a hand with this sofa, will you?”
Elise motioned to a large armoire that took up one corner of the lobby. “That piece is beautiful.”
“You’re not planning on moving it, too, are you?”
Elise said, “No, I can work around it. But the craftsmanship is wonderful.”
Alex let a little pride slip into his voice. “Thanks. I helped my dad build it when I was fifteen.”
“I’m impressed. There’s certainly more to you than meets the eye, Alex.”
“I’d like to think so.”
In a few minutes, they had everything ready for Elise to begin.
Alex planned to work at his desk and started to wade through his financial records when Sergeant Hicking and the sheriff walked in.
Alex asked, “Have any luck?”
Armstrong started to say something when the state policeman shook his head. “We’re not answering questions, Mr. Winston, we’re asking them.”
Alex persisted despite the obvious rebuff. “Do you know yet if the autopsy revealed anything unusual?”
Hicking looked at Alex closely. “Now why would you care about that?”
The question was blunt, so Alex made his answer match. “Reg Wellington was not just another guest to me. I’ve known him all my life, and counted him as one of my best friends in the world. I want to know who killed him, even if I have to step on a few toes to find out.”
“Just make sure they’re not the wrong toes. Okay, I don’t see what it can hurt by telling you. The report said the wound was similar to one an ice pick would make.”
Alex asked, “So what happens now?”
Hicking glanced down at his watch. “I’ve got a little time. Why don’t you show me the spot where your other guest fell.”
Armstrong said, “It’s a waste of time. It was an accident, pure and simple.”
Hicking’s stare at Armstrong wilted the man. “It’s my time to waste, and I’d like to see it. Do you have some urgent business elsewhere, Sheriff?”
“Nothing as important as this.”
Hicking leaned near Armstrong and lowered his voice, though Alex was still able to make out the SBI man’s words. “Find something.”
Armstrong nodded. “On second thought, I think I’ll stay here and monitor the radio.”
Alex remained silent as he and Hicking walked down the path toward the rocks. Having the SBI man on the premises made Alex suddenly feel an odd loyalty to the sheriff. Elkton Falls was all the family Alex really had besides a brother he hardly ever saw, and while Alex himself had questioned Armstrong’s competence on several occasions, he wasn’t sure how he felt about an outsider coming in.
As the two men walked, Hicking said, “Is Miss Danton seeing anyone special right now?”
Alex felt the hair bristle on the back of his neck. So that’s why the patrolman had wanted a few moments alone with Alex. He wanted to ask about Elise.
Stiffly, Alex replied, “I understand she’s engaged, but it’s really none of my business.”
Hicking accepted Alex’s statement. “I figured she was too pretty to be free.” After a moment, he added, “Where are these rocks, anyway?”
“They’re just up around the bend.”
As Alex and Hicking turned the corner through a stand of thick trees, they got their first glimpse of Bear Rocks.
The rock formation was solid granite, worn away by the elements until the area was nothing but two acres of
intriguing gray stone shapes. The formation was pocketed with holes and slides worn into the rocks, making it a spectacular playground for the young and agile. Alex had grown up on the rocks, dodging in and out of formations like a mountain goat. The stones became Indian forts, tree houses and deserted islands for Alex. He looked at the formations as a set of good friends, each one having its own shape and personality.
The state trooper whistled under his breath. “My God, it’s no wonder someone fell off one of these stones. It’s a miracle she didn’t kill herself doing it.”
Alex turned to Hicking. “Emma Sturbridge is a seasoned rockhound. She’s used to terrain a great deal rougher than this. I can’t imagine her falling.”
Hicking turned away and headed back down the path toward the inn. “Unless you turn up a witness or Mrs. Sturbridge wakes up, I’ve seen enough. It was an accident, Mr. Winston, nothing more. Tak
e my advice, don’t borrow trouble.”
Alex walked silently with the patrolmen back to the waiting cruiser. He still couldn’t believe Emma could have fallen from the rocks, but he was getting tired of trying to convince everyone else.
They had just cleared the path when Alex heard a car horn. He spotted Armstrong leaning inside the cruiser with his hand on the center of the steering wheel.
Armstrong said, “Sorry to interrupt, but there’s an accident out on Highway 321. I’ve got to handle it.”
Hicking merely nodded. He offered his hand to Alex. “I’m sorry I can’t stay, but we’re overwhelmed with work due to the department budget cuts. The sheriff will let you know if we find out anything else.”
Hicking moved around to the patrol car’s passenger
side and got in. As the two law officers drove away, Alex realized that he’d received all the cooperation he was going to get out of the police. It looked like he was going to have to find Reg Worthington’s killer himself. Why did everyone choose to discount Emma’s fall as accidental? Sure, Bear Rocks could be treacherous at times, especially during a rainstorm, but the rocks had been dry when Emma had fallen. What could she have seen or known that would have been worth killing her for? It just didn’t make any sense, and Alex couldn’t begin to hazard a guess without more information.
He only hoped no one else got hurt before the murderer could be caught.
Chapter 12
Alex started to walk back into the annex, but found the door locked. A few sharp raps on the frame brought Elise to the front.
As she freed the bolt, Elise said, “Take off your shoes. I hope your socks are clean, because the floor’s not completely dry yet.”
Alex smiled. “You sound just like my mother.” He slipped off his shoes and walked into the lobby. A quick inspection of the floor showed it to be in the best shape Alex had ever seen it. Alex asked, “Have you seen Junior Wellington today?”
