Reservations for Murder (12 page)

Her bags were packed, and her door stood
open. Alex was relieved that she was leaving. He’d had a secret
fear she’d decide to stay on, and then he wasn’t sure what he would
do with her. Alex stripped the sheets and cleaned the room, then
set everything right again for the next guest. Though he could
barely tell the room had been occupied, he still gave it his
normal, thorough cleaning. Alex prided himself on running a
first-rate inn, something he shared with Elise, and he was
determined not to let their high standards slip while she was
away.

Rachel’s bags were by the door as well, but
it was obvious she hadn’t even slept in her bed the night before.
The towels were still fresh, and the seals in the bathroom were all
still in place. She had indeed gone back into town, waiting on Bill
Yadkin all night.

When he got to the room Craig and Marilynn
shared, he knocked twice before using his passkey to open the door.
Alex stood there in the doorway staring at the feminine shape lying
motionless on the bed.

After all his earlier searching, he’d found
Marilynn Baxter at last.

But was he too late?

Chapter 14

Alex rushed to the bed. Had the killer struck
again? If his pounding on the door hadn’t stirred Marilynn, Alex
knew she could be in serious trouble. He tried to shake her awake.
“Marilynn, are you all right? Marilynn!” As Alex leaned over the
bed beside her, he found a prescription bottle, now empty, near one
hand.

“Marilynn,” he shouted. Her eyelids seemed to
flutter for a second before they stopped again. She was still
alive!

Alex rushed to the telephone and called Doc
Drake’s office. He knew Doc usually liked to get an early start on
the day.

“He’s not here, Alex,” Madge the nurse told
him. “As a matter of fact, he said he was going to check out the
fair before he started work today. I expect he’s already out at
your place. I’ll be glad to beep him if you want.”

Alex slammed the phone down before she could
say another word.

He tore down the stairs and nearly knocked
Evans Graile down. “Evans, go up to room number seven. Marilynn
Baxter’s overdosed on something.”

The man looked shocked by the news. “What can
I do for her?”

“Sit with her until I can get Doc Drake,”
Alex commanded. The older man was startled by Alex’s urgent tone,
but he hurried up the stairs as Alex ran out onto the front
porch.

“Doc! Doc Drake,” he called out over the
crowd.

The smallish doctor appeared before him as if
by magic. He even had his black medical kit with him. “What is it,
Alex? Tabby Hilston sprained her ankle, and I promised her I’d take
a look at it.”

“Marilynn Baxter overdosed on something
upstairs.”

Doc’s face went white. “Which room?”

“Number seven.”

As he rushed past Alex, the doctor said,
“There’s an EMS van at the front gate. Go get them. Alex, do you
know what she took?”

“I have no idea,” Alex said frantically,
“there was a bottle by her hand, but the label’s been torn
off.”

“Okay, I’ll handle it. Go get the EMS crew.
I’ll be upstairs with her.”

Alex tore through the crowd, ignoring a dozen
hails and greetings. He didn’t have time for niceties, not with
Marilynn Baxter’s life hanging in the balance.

The EMS team, a youngish man and a
middle-aged woman, were standing around drinking coffee near the
front gate.

“There’s an emergency at the inn! The doctor
needs you there right now.”

Both cups hit the ground as the workers piled
into the van.

Alex said, “Cut through the field. You can
get to the back entrance of the inn without running anyone
down.”

As the emergency rig raced off toward the
inn, Tom Lane, the young money collector for the day, grabbed Alex.
“What’s happened? Is Shantara all right?”

It was obvious the young man had a huge crush
on the shopkeeper. “She’s fine, Tom. It’s one of my guests.”

Tom shook his head in wonder. “Man, you
surely do have a lot of stuff happen around here don’t you, Mr.
Winston?”

“More than you can imagine,” Alex said as he
hurried back to the inn.

The EMS crew was carrying Marilynn out on a
stretcher as Alex approached the back porch. There was a clear
plastic mask over her face, and Doc Drake was by her side.

“Is she going to be all right?” Alex
asked.

Doc shot out, “It’s too soon to tell,” as he
jumped into the back of the vehicle.

With the siren wailing and lights flashing,
the EMS van left Hatteras West, racing toward the hospital to save
the potter’s life.

Evans met Alex at the back door.

Alex said, “Listen, I’m sorry I was so abrupt
with you earlier. I didn’t mean to snap like that.”

“Nonsense, Alex, you did the right thing. I
do hope she’ll be all right. I’m afraid I wasn’t much help up
there.”

“You were with her, Evans, that’s what
matters.”

“I suppose you’re right. Alex, if you don’t
mind, I think I’ll leave the inn a little earlier than I’d planned.
I’d like to check out today if it won’t inconvenience you too
much.”

“I understand how you feel, but where will
you stay until your trip?”

Evans grinned slightly. “I’m sure Harry will
put me up. To be honest with you, he was a bit miffed when I opted
to stay with you instead of him during my renovations. I thought it
would be more peaceful here, if you can believe that.”

There was nothing Alex could say to that. He
couldn’t blame Evans Graile a bit.

There was entirely too much excitement at The
Hatteras West Inn for his taste, too.

Shantara found Alex a few minutes later.
“Alex, did I just see the EMS people leave?”

“Marilynn Baxter just overdosed on something.
I found her up in her room while I was cleaning.”

Shantara started weeping gently. “Alex, this
has turned into the biggest nightmare of my life. Why did I ever
start this?”

Alex took her by the shoulders. “Shantara,
this isn’t your fault. Jefferson Lee would be dead even if there’d
never been a Golden Days Fair. Marilynn must have had more problems
than any of us realized to try to take her own life like that.
You’re not to blame for any of it.”

His words seemed to soothe her. She hugged
him gently, then said, “Oh, Alex, I couldn’t have pulled this off
without you, and I end up repaying you with nothing but
trouble.”

He shook his head. “Shantara, you’ve got to
accept that none of this is your fault. By tonight, the fair will
be over, and you can start putting it behind you.”

“I can’t wait” she said. “I feel like I’m
taking blood money.”

Before Alex could say anything else to calm
her, Tabby Hilston limped in, one arm draped around Mor Pendleton’s
neck.

Mor said, “Alex, did you happen to see Doc
Drake? He disappeared on us.”

“He had an emergency,” Alex explained, not
wanting to go into the details of Doc’s absence. Tabby didn’t look
the least put off. In fact, she seemed to enjoy Mor’s
proximity.

Emma suddenly crashed through the door.
“There you are. Mor, I’m sure the lady needs to sit down and take a
load off that ankle. There’s no need for you to keep supporting
her.” Emma’s face was stern as Mor lowered Tabby into a chair.

Tabby looked unhappy with the new
arrangement. She said, “If Doc’s not here, how am I going to get to
his office? I can’t drive with this injury.”

She looked expectantly at Mor, but Emma
stepped in before he could say a word. “I’ll be glad to take you,
dear. Mor, would you be so kind as to bring the car around back?
I’ll have Tabby there when you do, and I can run her into town
myself.”

“I’d be glad to go with you,” Mor said, and
Tabby beamed.

Emma wasn’t about to give up that easily.
“That’s sweet of you to offer, but I can handle her all by myself.
Why don’t you stay here with Alex? We won’t be long.”

Alex could see Mor clouding up, but the truth
was, he really would like his friend’s company. “Why don’t you hang
around, Mor? You can help me change the sheets upstairs.”

“Oh, that sounds like pure joy,” Mor said,
rolling his eyes at Alex.

Emma purposefully ignored the sarcasm. “Good,
it’s settled then.”

Mor knew when he was up against an unmovable
force, so he went for his car as Emma had requested. Alex had known
his friend too long not to recognize a storm on the horizon between
the two of them.

After Tabby was safely loaded into the car
and the two women had driven away, Mor followed Alex upstairs.

As Alex stripped Marilynn Baxter’s bed, Mor
said, “Why do some women get so possessive, Alex? It’s not like
Emma and I have anything exclusive going on. Sure, we have a great
time together, she’s a wonderful woman, but my word, I can’t even
talk to another woman without looking over my shoulder first. It’s
worse than being married.”

Alex said, “If you’re asking for my advice
about women, you’re talking to the wrong man. I don’t have a
clue.”

Mor started laughing in agreement. “We’re a
real pair, my friend. Have you heard from Elise today?”

“No, but that’s understandable. Her father’s
undergoing surgery today, so I don’t expect to hear from her
anytime soon.”

Mor, in a rare serious mood, said, “You
really miss her, don’t you?”

“More than I probably should,” Alex said as
he spread the new sheets out on the bed. Despite his earlier
theatrical objections, Mor helped him tuck the corners in.

“So why don’t you get off your duff and do
something about it?” Mor suggested.

“It’s not that simple. She’s got a fiance,
remember? In fact, she’s with him right now.”

“They’re engaged, Alex, they’re not married.
If you ask me, there’s a world of difference between the two.”

“I don’t know,” Alex said.

They were just finishing the room when Craig
Monroe burst in. His face was white with shock. “Is it true? Is
Marilynn dead?”

Alex said. “Craig, she’s still alive. In
fact, she should be at the hospital by now. I looked for you at
your booth to tell you I’d found her, but you weren’t there.”

Was there an instant of surprise on Craig’s
face when Alex told him his wife was still alive? Alex wasn’t sure,
it had flashed past so quickly.

“I was still out searching for her. I’ve got
to get over there,” Craig said, rushing back out the door.

Alex called out, “Do you want one of us to
drive you?” but Craig was already gone.

“Now what do you make of that?” Alex
asked.

“He’s pretty upset, but he’s got every right
to be, doesn’t he? It doesn’t speak well of his marriage when his
wife tries to commit suicide.”

Alex said, “Did you see the look on his face
the instant I told him she was still alive?”

“What are you getting at?” Mor asked.

“I could swear the only thing that surprised
him was the fact that she wasn’t dead.”

Mor patted Alex’s shoulder. “My friend, your
overactive imagination is at work again. The guy’s in shock. Give
him a break.”

“I guess you’re right. I probably read it
wrong.”

Mor sighed. “But you don’t think so for a
second, do you?”

Alex didn’t answer. Had he truly seen what he
thought he had, or was Mor right? One thing was certain. He’d feel
a great deal better once Marilynn was conscious again and could
tell them if she’d really tried to kill herself, or if someone had
goaded her into it.

Chapter 15

The evening came at last, and the Golden Days
Fair was officially history. Shantara stood on the steps leading
into the lighthouse and used it as an impromptu stage as dusk
started to fall. She had planned all along to announce the end of
the festival by holding the giveaway drawings visitors had
registered for when they’d bought their tickets at the gate, and
Alex had convinced her that she needed to follow it through all the
way to the end.

Alex walked out onto the front porch in an
effort to block anyone from coming into the inn as much as to watch
the prize drawings. He’d had his fill of walk-ins, and he didn’t
care how much future business he might lose by turning people
away.

Each of the crafters had donated one item
from their wares for the drawings. On the first day of the fair,
Alex had bought a ticket himself, though Shantara had scolded him
for doing it. It was hard to believe now, looking at the crowd
gathered there, but he’d actually been afraid Shantara wouldn’t
even make back her expenses.

“Thanks for coming,” she said to the crowd as
they settled down. “We’ve all seen some wonderful artisans at work
over the past two days, and our giveaways are a testimony to their
skills. I’d like us all to observe a moment of silence for
Jefferson Lee before we announce the prizewinners.”

The crowd quieted, and Alex could hear the
whispering of the wind through the trees near the lighthouse. After
a few seconds, Shantara looked up and said, “Thank you. Now let’s
get right to the prizes. First up is this wonderful handmade piece
by Jenny Harris.” Shantara held up Jenny’s contribution, a shawl
sparkling with velvet blues and purples.

Shantara reached down into a barrel holding
all of the entry tickets and announced, “The winner of this lovely
shawl is ... Mor Pendleton.”

There were wild hoots from the audience as
Mor stepped forward to collect his prize. It looked to Alex like
his friend regretted having entered the drawing as he collected the
shawl and hastily made his way back into the crowd.

Next she held up a beautiful oak chair Rachel
had created. It was the real reason Alex had even entered his
ticket into the drawing. He could just barely afford one of
Rachel’s pieces, but Alex couldn’t justify spending the money to
buy one for himself, not with the costs of the new construction
going higher and higher.