Room for Murder (Book 4 in the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries) (6 page)

Alex said, “I’ll be here. You know, it’s
going to be kind of odd doing the rooms alone again.”

“
We’ve both gotten spoiled
with the light workload. I’m afraid that’s about to
end.”

“
I’ve got a feeling you’re
right. Before I get started on my rooms, I’ve got to call
Mor.”

“
Is it about Emma’s
ex-husband?”

Alex admitted sheepishly, “Actually, it’s a
handyman job. I tried to turn on the lens last night and the switch
was broken.”

Elise looked surprised by the admission. “I
thought the Town Council banned you from doing that.”

He said, “I don’t know, all of a sudden I
just had to see the light, fine or no fine.”

Elise nodded. “I’m surprised the urge
doesn’t hit you more often. Do me a favor the next time you get the
yen.”

“
What’s that?”

“
Come get me first. I would
love to see the sky lit up again.”

Alex smiled. “I promise.”

It left things on a much better note as
Elise headed off to start on Dual.

Mor picked up on the third ring when Alex
called. “Mor or Les,” he said automatically.

Alex said, “I thought you usually let Les
answer the phone.”

Mor said, “Believe me, it’s not by choice.
He’s off visiting family in Florida, so for the next four days, I’m
it. Has something happened with the case?”

Alex admitted, “I haven’t heard a thing. How
did your interview with the sheriff go?”

“
Armstrong blustered around
a little, then he set me loose after Sandra quit putting up with
his foolishness. I don’t know if he was just fishing, or if Sandra
intimidated him, but we didn’t cover much ground. I hung around
until he finished with Emma. She was in there less time than I was.
He told us to hang around Elkton Falls, but that was about it.” Mor
sighed. “Like I could just take off any time I wanted to with Les
gone. So if you aren’t calling about the case, what’s
up?”

“
The light switch for the
lens is broken, at least I think that’s the problem, and I’d like
you to take a look at it whenever you get the chance.”

Mor said, “I know you don’t have permission
to fire it up, Alex. What’s going on?”

He explained, “What’s the use of having the
world’s biggest night-light if you can’t turn it on now and
then?”

Mor chuckled. “That’s the spirit. I’ll try
to make it out there this evening.”

“
No hurry, you don’t have
to work at night on my account. I know you’ve got your hands
full.”

Mor said, “Think about it, Alex. You’re
allowed to perform regular testing and maintenance on the light
since it serves as an early warning notice for the county, am I
right? Why don’t I show up tonight and we’ll try out the new switch
when we can enjoy it? I’ll call Grady Hatch and tell him what we’re
doing.”

“
That sounds great,” Alex
said.

Suddenly, Tracy Shook rushed into the inn.
There was a look of urgency on her face that required immediate
attention.

Alex said, “I’ve got to go, Mor. See you
tonight.”

After he hung up with his friend, Alex said,
“Tracy, what’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“
Alex, is the sheriff
here?”

He said, “I haven’t seen him all morning.
You look upset, Tracy. What’s wrong?”

“
It’s Oxford Hitchcock.
He’s disappeared.”

“
Slow down,” Alex said.
“What do you mean, he’s disappeared?”

“
We were supposed to speak
at a dinner together last night for the Sons of the South, but he
never showed up.”

“
So maybe he got his dates
mixed up,” Alex said. “It happens.”

“
That’s his group, Alex,
and he had the perfect opportunity to show me up. There’s not a
chance in the world he forgot about it. I went by his house last
night after the banquet, but nobody was home. Then this morning we
had a breakfast debate scheduled for Hal’s radio show in Hickory,
and I had to do it alone.”

“
I thought you’d be happy
about the lack of competition,” Alex said.

“
This isn’t funny. Oxford
and I are competitors, but we’re buddies too, no matter how much
stress this campaign has put on our friendship. I’m worried
something might have happened to him, so I’ve been looking for the
sheriff. Maybe he can figure out what’s going on.”

“
I’m sure it’s nothing,”
Alex said.

“
I wish I could believe
that.” She sighed, then added, “I’ve been putting it off, but I
guess I’m going to have to call the snake and see if he knows where
Oxford is.”

Alex knew she must be really worried if she
was willing to call her ex-husband. “What’s his number? I’ll give
him a call for you. “

Tracy said, “Thanks. Alex. I’d really
appreciate that.”

Alex dialed Conner’s number, but after two
rings, he got the answering machine.

After he hung up, Alex said. “He wasn’t
there, so I left a message for him to call me.”

Tracy said. “Something’s not right, Alex.
His calls are forwarded to his cell phone when his home number
doesn’t answer. How many times did it ring before you got the
machine?”

“
Twice,” Alex said.
“Why?”

Tracy picked up the phone, and as she
punched in the number, she said, “I just hope he hasn’t changed the
access code.”

Her face went white as she listened
intently.

“
What was it?” Alex
asked.

“
Listen to this.” Tracy
punched another number, and Alex heard Oxford’s voice in a near
whisper on the recording. “Conner, I’m in real trouble here. I
need…”

And then the message died before he had the
chance to say another word.

Chapter 5

Alex had her replay the message. After
listening to it intently, he said, “Tracy, we both should probably
forget we ever listened to this.”

Tracy said, “Come on, you heard him, Alex.
He’s in trouble, and Conner wasn’t there to help him. Not that I’m
surprised, he was never there when I needed him either, but I can’t
ignore what I just heard.”

Alex said, “We need to think about this
before we do anything rash. What can the sheriff do, based on what
we just heard?” A sudden thought crossed his mind. “Tracy, you
could get in serious trouble if Armstrong finds out you checked
your ex-husband’s messages. It’s invading his privacy. Even if you
get away with it, the voters aren’t going to be happy about
it.”

“
I don’t care about any of
that. Oxford is in trouble.”

Alex thought about it a full minute, then
said, “Tracy, let me try to get the sheriff into this without
involving you. And do me a favor, stay away from Conner’s answering
machine from now on. I can’t see any way it’s a good thing for you
to be doing it.”

She ignored his chiding and shook the
receiver at him. “Call the sheriff, Alex.”

He agreed, and dialed the sheriff’s office.
“He’s at Buck’s,” Alex was told, so he called the Grill.

Armstrong came to the phone and said,
“What’s up, Alex? I was just getting a bowl of oatmeal, but it can
wait. Find another body out there?”

“
Bite your tongue,” Alex
said. “I was wondering if you might have seen Oxford Hitchcock
around. He was supposed to come out by the inn this morning, but he
never showed up,” Alex lied.

“
Hang on a second, Alex,”
Armstrong said. He must have put his hand over the phone to muffle
his voice, but Alex could still hear as the sheriff asked the crowd
at Buck’s if anyone had seen the missing mayoral
candidate.

Armstrong came back on the line a few
seconds later and said, “Nope, he missed a meeting last night and
one this morning, too. I wonder what he’s up to.”

Alex had to handle the next part delicately.
“I wonder who else might know where he’s at. Listen, if you see
Oxford, give me a call, would you?”

The sheriff said, “Sure thing, Alex. Hey,
hang on a second. Here comes Conner Shook. If anybody knows where
Oxford is, he’ll be the one.”

Alex heard Armstrong ask, “Conner, you seen
your candidate lately? He’s missing appointments all over
town.”

Conner swore in the background, and Alex
heard Buck say loudly, “I don’t care if I am supporting your guy,
there’s no swearing allowed in here.”

He heard Conner quickly apologize, then the
campaign manager said, “I went to Charlotte on one overnight
business trip and the man falls apart on me. Let me check my
messages. The battery on my cell phone was nearly dead last night,
so I had to recharge it on the road this morning.”

There was a pause, and Alex knew what was
coming next.

He heard Conner say, “Sheriff, you’d better
listen to this.”

Armstrong said, “Alex, I’ve got to go. I’ll
call you later.”

When he hung up the telephone, Alex told
Tracy, “Conner just showed up at the diner, and he checked his
messages while I was on the line. Armstrong’s right there, so
they’ll know what we know in a minute.”

Tracy said, “Alex, I’ve got a bad feeling
about this. It’s just not like Oxford to vanish like this.”

“
Don’t borrow trouble,”
Alex said. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

“
I hope so,” Tracy said as
she started for the door. “Call me if you hear
anything.”

He said, “Only if you’ll promise to do the
same.”

After Tracy was gone, Alex got out his cart
and started cleaning the rooms. With all the interruptions, he was
going to have to hustle if he was going to make his lunch date with
Lenora, and as much as Alex was worried about what might have
happened to Oxford Hitchcock, he could worry just as easily while
he cleaned the rooms on his list.

“
This is quite nice,”
Lenora said as they finished their lunch at Buck’s. She’d carefully
avoided all talk of the favor she wanted to ask him, and Alex was
glad to leave it alone for the moment. There were more than a few
raised eyebrows when folks around town saw him eating with a
mysterious stranger, but no one said a word to him. Alex knew as
soon as he and Lenora left, the rumors would start flying. It was
part of living in a small town, putting up with the gossip of the
lightning-quick kudzu vine.

Sally Anne brought the check to their table,
and Lenora reached for it. As the inn’s guest meted out the money,
Sally Anne told Alex, “It’s been quiet around here today since your
phone call,” the grin obvious on her face.

“
I’ve got a feeling that’s
all about to change,” Alex said.

Sally Anne took the money, winked at Alex,
then walked away.

“
Are you two involved in
some way?” Lenora asked.

“
Do you mean Sally Anne?
No, we’re just friends.”

Lenora said softly, “Perhaps on your part.
With her, it’s not as clear.”

Alex said, “You just don’t know her. We’ve
been joking around with each other since she was in braces and
pigtails.” Alex took a last sip of his sweet tea, then said, “We’ve
had our lunch, and you still haven’t asked your favor.”

Lenora, sensing that Alex had shifted the
conversation intentionally, acquiesced. “Very well. Alex, I want
you to model for me.”

Alex couldn’t entirely bite back his laugh,
and he looked sheepishly around as conversations all through Buck’s
paused to see what might happen next. “Sorry,” Alex said in a
lowered voice. “You caught me off guard with that one. Nobody’s
ever confused me with a model before.”

Lenora said, “And why not? You have rich
cheekbones, a noble nose, and a profile worth capturing on
paper.”

Alex didn’t know what to say to that. “I
thought you did landscapes. You were sketching at the top of the
lighthouse yesterday, weren’t you?”

“
I work in my many mediums
with a host of subjects, Alex. I would be most grateful if you
would allow me to sketch you.”

Alex said, “Lenora, I’m not sure I’m the
right man for the job. There are a lot of better-looking folks in
this world.” He gestured around the room. “You probably wouldn’t
have a hard time finding one eating right here in Buck’s.”

Lenora shook her head. “Let me be the judge
of that, Alex. It’s you I want for my subject.”

“
Tell you what, let me
sleep on it, okay?”

“
I’ll await your answer
tomorrow morning,” she agreed.

As Alex stood, he said, “Well, I have to get
back to the inn if you’re ready to go. Elise and I still have some
laundry to do.”

Lenora said, “I believe I’ll stay here in
town, if it’s all the same to you. I’d like to get a feel for
Elkton Falls.

Don’t worry about my transportation back to
the inn. I’ll take a taxi.”

Alex said, “Rebecca Gray has the only cab in
town, but don’t expect much. She uses her dad’s pickup truck, and
it’s almost in worse shape than mine is. It’s great for hauling
luggage, but there’s not a lot of passenger room up front.”

Lenora just smiled. “This is why I love
small towns.”

“
We have our moments,” Alex
said.

On the way back to Hatteras West, Alex
thought about Lenora’s offer. He considered himself passable in the
looks department, but a model? No, it was too outlandish to even
consider.

If he hurried, he’d be able to make it back
to the inn before Elise got started on that laundry.

She was already at work when he got
there.

Alex said, “Hey, you started without
me.”

“
I wasn’t sure when you’d
get back,” Elise said curtly. “So, how was lunch?”