Room for Murder (Book 4 in the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries) (11 page)

“
She’s my friend too, Alex.
Tell her I’ll be by later to see her myself.”

“
Sheriff, you can’t keep
her locked away from everybody who cares about her,” Alex said,
fighting to keep his voice steady. He’d been battling Armstrong for
ten minutes, trying to get the sheriff to allow him in to see
Emma.

“
Alex, I keep telling you,
I can’t do anything about it. She’s made it pretty clear she
doesn’t want to see anybody. If you ask me, she’s ashamed of what
she did, and I can’t say that I blame her. Murder’s a bad business,
no matter how nice the killer might be.”

Alex asked, “How did she say she killed him?
There wasn’t a mark on him.”

Armstrong stroked his chin. “She walked in
first thing this morning and confessed. Emma said she did him in,
and after that, I haven’t heard another word out of her.”

Alex said, “She didn’t tell you because she
doesn’t know how he died.”

“
Alex, Emma’s not the type
to come in here and confess to something she didn’t do. We get
those crackpots now and then, but she’s not one of
them.”

“
I can’t believe she could
kill anybody. Now are you going to go ask her if she’ll see me, or
do I have to come back in ten minutes with Sandra?”

It was the threat of returning with the
lawyer that finally worked; there was no doubt in Alex’s mind about
that.

“
Okay, I’ll ask, but we’re
both wasting our time. She’s not going to talk to you.”

Alex waited outside the detention area while
Armstrong went to ask Emma. Looking out the window, he could see
storm clouds building on the horizon. They were in the middle of a
drought, and any rain would be welcome, but the blackness of the
sky matched his mood. It was surreal, visiting one of his best
friends in the Elkton Falls jail.

Armstrong came back rubbing his chin. “I
guess you’re more special than I thought you were, Alex. She’s
agreed to see you.”

As Alex started for the door, Armstrong
said, “Listen, you’re not her lawyer and these aren’t regular
visiting hours.” Alex started to protest as Armstrong finished,
“But I’m making an exception for you. I can give you five minutes,
but that’s it. Go on in the interrogation room and I’ll bring her
to you.”

“
Thanks, Sheriff,” Alex
said, glad for any time he could get with Emma.

Alex expected Emma Sturbridge to be wilted
by the ordeal, so he was a little surprised to see her head held
high as she came into the interrogation room.

Alex started to get up to hug her when
Armstrong said, “No physical contact, Alex. I’m sorry, but those
are the rules.”

“
I understand,” Alex said.
“Emma, how are you?”

She waited until the door closed, then said,
“I’m fine, Alex. The sheriff’s been truly nice. He even ran down to
Shantara’s and picked up a few magazines for me to read while I’m
in here.”

Alex took a deep breath, then said, “Do you
mind telling me what this is all about?”

Emma shook her head. “Sorry, I’m not in the
mood to talk.”

“
Then why did you agree to
see me, blast it all,” Alex said, letting some of his frustration
seep through.

Emma smiled briefly, a flicker that was gone
in a heartbeat. “I want you to tell Mor to stop trying to visit me.
How is he, Alex?”

“
He’s fine, but then again,
he’s not the one who just confessed to murder.”

Emma sighed. “I did what I had to do,
Alex.”

He said, “I can’t believe you’re in
here.”

“
Oh, don’t let that bother
you another minute. It’s not so bad.”

Alex shook his head. “It’s worse than you
think. When you pulled this little stunt of yours, Armstrong
stopped looking for the real killer.”

Emma tipped her head to one side. “I didn’t
have any choice, Alex.”

It suddenly hit him why she had put herself
in that position. “You think Mor killed him, don’t you?”

For the first time since she’d been ushered
in, Emma broke eye contact with him.

Alex pushed on. “You confessed so Armstrong
would quit hounding Mor. Admit it.”

Emma, her gaze still on her hands, said,
“Don’t be foolish, Alex. I don’t know what you’re talking
about.”

“
Emma Sturbridge, if you
think I’m going to stand by and watch you throw yourself on your
sword, you’re out of your mind. Have some faith in Mor. He didn’t
kill Toby any more than you did.”

Tears crept down her cheeks. “Alex, you
didn’t see him last night. He was so angry, about Toby and
everything else.”

“
Emma, he wouldn’t kill
anybody, certainly not in his own truck. Even if Mor’s temper got
the better of him, don’t you think he would have done something
pretty obvious, like beating the man up? You saw Toby yourself.
There wasn’t a mark on him. They don’t even have an official cause
of death yet.”

“
Oh dear,” Emma said, the
enormity of what she’d done obviously sinking in at last. “Alex,
I’ve made a dreadful mistake. How is Mor ever going to forgive
me?”

Alex said, “Mor’s the least of your
problems. How are we going to get you out of here?”

“
Never mind that. Call Mor.
I’ve got to do something before it’s too late.”

Alex said, “I’m calling Sandra. After she
gets you out, you can deal with Mor yourself.”

“
This is
dreadful.”

Alex took a chance on breaking Armstrong’s
rule and reached over to pat Emma’s hand. “Sandra will straighten
this out. In the meantime, don’t say anything else. Okay?”

“
I promise.”

Armstrong tapped once on the door, then
opened it. ‘Time’s up. Sorry.”

“
We were just finished,”
Alex said.

“
Make both those calls,
Alex. Promise me,” Emma said.

“
As long as I can do it in
the order I want to,” Alex said with a slight grin.

“
You’re as stubborn as I
am, Alex Winston.”

“
Talk to you soon,
Emma.”

After Armstrong took Emma back to her cell,
he was surprised to find Alex on his telephone.

Alex hung up as the sheriff walked back in.
“That’s for official business only, Alex.”

“
Sorry, I couldn’t wait.
Sheriff, you know as well as I do that confession’s
worthless.”

Armstrong huffed. “Alex, don’t go meddling
in my business. You’re just an innkeeper, remember?”

“
I’m also Emma’s
friend.”

Armstrong pointed to the telephone. “Who
were you calling?”

“
Sandra Beckett,” Alex
admitted. “She’s on her way over here.”

“
Wonderful. That’s just
what I need.”

Alex said, “Sorry. I know you didn’t cause
this yourself.”

“
I guess that’s as much
sympathy as I can hope for, isn’t it? Now do me a favor and kindly
get your carcass out of my office.”

“
I’m on my way,” Alex
said.

Alex knew Emma’s confession had stirred up a
hornet’s nest. Sandra was a great attorney, but that didn’t mean
Emma would be sleeping in her own bed tonight These things took
time, and it was going to be hard to un-ring that particular bell.
How matters would stand between Emma and Mor after she finally did
get out was anyone’s guess. One thing he was certain of: Mor
wouldn’t be thrilled that Emma had thought him capable of killing
her ex-husband.

Alex knew in his heart that Emma’s instincts
were way off base. Mor himself could confess the crime on the news
and Alex wouldn’t believe it of his friend.

So if Mor hadn’t killed the man, and Emma
hadn’t either, who or what exactly had ended Toby Sturbridge’s
life?

Since Alex was already in town, he decided
to go by Shantara’s General Store and see how things were going
with Tracy Shook and her campaign against her ex-husband.

Shantara was with a customer in the craft
section of her store, showing some of Bill Yadkin’s blacksmith work
to a sharp-eyed woman in an expensive suit.

The woman said, “Eleven hundred dollars for
that piece? You’ve got to be kidding. You must be able to do better
than that.”

Shantara said, “No, Ma’am. This fellow’s had
offers all over the country for his work. He sells some of his
creations here only as a favor to me because he’s local.”

When the woman saw that Shantara wasn’t
going to budge, she said, “Okay, you win. I’ll take
everything.”

Shantara nodded as she began collecting a
dozen forged hooks, a mirror with twining steel tendrils, and a
gate with swirls of iron wrapped with black vines. Alex pretended
to browse as he watched the register display light up. The total
was staggering.

After the buyer made a trip to her car with
her first load, Alex said, “Whew, I hope Bill appreciates your
sales acumen.”

Shantara laughed. “He does, but all I really
need is the way my commission says thanks.”

Alex said, “Come on, you were laying it on a
little thick, weren’t you? Bill Yadkin’s good, but in demand all
over the country?”

Shantara said, “Hey, it’s true. A man came
in the store from Foggy Bottom yesterday and bought a hook. If
that’s not out in the country, I don’t know what is.”

Their conversation was interrupted as the
woman came back in. After gathering up the last of her purchases,
she handed Shantara a business card. “Give this to the artisan,

would you? I’d like to commission a matching
piece for that sculpture.”

Shantara said. “What exactly did you have in
mind?”

“
A complementary piece to
the wall hanging, of course.” It was all the woman could do to keep
from rolling her eyes.

After she was gone. Shantara said. “And here
I thought it was just a gate. Bill made it for Trinity Sloane, but
when it came time to pay, the old coot stiffed him I convinced Bill
to let me sell it for him, but he swore up and down I was wasting
my time.”

“
Hey, it looked like art to
me.” Alex said

“
So what brings you out
here when you have an inn full of guests? I know you don’t have
time for social calls.”

Alex said, “I’m worried about Tracy. How is
the campaign going?”

Shantara said, “Oxford Hitchcock was bad
enough, but running against Conner is turning out to be a real
nightmare. Have you seen his latest stunt?”

When Alex said he hadn’t,
Shantara reached behind the counter and pulled out a poster. All it
said was
shook
in
bold white letters with a green background.

“
So? That’s one of Tracy’s,
isn’t it?”

Shantara said, “Don’t I wish. No, we used
red on our first run. He went to the same printer over in Hickory,
used everything we did, but he changed the color. Folks around here
are going to be voting for the Red Shook or the Green one.”

“
I don’t see how it can
help him, since it doesn’t say which Shook to vote for.”

“
Alex, he’s been telling
everybody that Green means Go for Connor, and Red means stop Tracy
from ruining Elkton Falls.”

A sudden thought struck Alex. “Okay, here’s
a way to turn it around on him. Green also means untried and
inexperienced. Use that against Conner.”

Shantara smiled. “I knew there was a reason
I kept you around. We’ll do just that Maybe we’ll switch to a gold
background for Tracy and throw his whole attack plan off.”

Alex asked, “Whatever happened to the
issues, or to a candidate’s qualifications? Doesn’t anybody even
have a platform anymore?”

“
Alex, they still do, but
that’s not what gets the voters excited. We’re trying to come up
with some flair to get their attention. Once they know we’re out
there, then they’ll listen to what we stand for.”

“
If you say so,” he
said.

Shantara said, “Just leave it to me, Alex.
I’ll teach Conner Shook not to come after us.”

As Alex drove back to the inn, he marveled
at the different hues of Shook posters around town.

No matter what color the poster was, there
was no doubt in his mind; Tracy was the only Shook he’d be voting
for come Election Day.

Chapter 10

Alex found Lenora MacLeod waiting for him in
the lobby when he got back to Hatteras West. She had her sketch pad
tucked under one arm and an expectant expression on her face.

Up until that moment, he’d forgotten
completely about their earlier discussion. “Hi, Lenora. Is there
something I can help you with?”

“
Alex, I hope your answer
is yes. I would love for you to pose for me. It shan’t take long, I
promise.”

Alex said, “I’m kind of busy right now. Why
don’t you get Corki and Jan to pose for you? I bet they’d love to
do it.”

Lenora said, “It’s you I’m interested in,
Alex.”

“
Sorry, I didn’t mean to
interrupt,” Elise said as she came up behind him.

“
You’re not interrupting
anything,” Alex said hastily. “If you’ll excuse me,” he added to
Lenora as he followed Elise to the laundry area.

She said, “Alex, you don’t have to curtail
your conversations around here on my account.”

Alex said with a smile, “She just wants me
for my body.”

Elise shook her head. “That’s not
funny.”

“
Hey, I was just teasing.”
Elise had already run one batch of sheets through the wash and had
popped them in the dryer earlier. It was a constant job, washing
and folding sheets and towels for their guests. As they worked, he
added, “Aren’t you going to ask about Emma?”