Room for Murder (Book 4 in the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries) (7 page)

Alex couldn’t hide his grin. “You’re just
not going to believe this. She propositioned me.”

Elise’s head jerked up. “She what?”

“
She wants me to model for
her. She’s an artist, you know.”

Elise began to laugh, softly at first, then
building to a full roar before Alex finally broke in and said,
“Hey, it’s not that funny.”

“
Alex, you know how much I
think of you, but modeling? Please.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, that was my reaction,
too. I’m saying no.”

Elise shook her head. “No, you should do it.
Just think, you don’t want to give up the chance to be in one of
her paintings.”

Alex grabbed a load of sheets from the
dryer. “Believe it or not, I’ll learn to live without that
particular honor.”

As Elise continued folding sheets, she said,
“I am sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed. So what’s new in Elkton
Falls?”

“
You heard that Oxford
Hitchcock disappeared, didn’t you?”

Elise shook her head. “You can’t be serious.
What happened to him?”

“
Nobody knows. Sheriff
Armstrong’s looking into it.”

Elise stacked a few sheets in the basket,
then said, “I wonder if the sheriff’s found anything out about Toby
Sturbridge. Emma is beside herself with worry.”

Alex said, “I don’t blame her. It can’t feel
good, being one of the prime suspects in a murder case.”

Elise paused a moment, then said, “She
thinks the sheriff is convinced of her guilt. It is truly odd that
Toby showed up in Elkton Falls on the day Emma and Mor get
engaged.”

Alex said, “I wonder how long he was in
town. Emma said he’d been hounding her for money, but she didn’t
say how long it had been going on. I can’t help wondering if
there’s anything else she’s not telling us.”

“
Alex Winston, she’s our
friend. Emma could never have had anything to do with Toby’s
death.”

Alex said, “I didn’t say she was
responsible, just that she might not have come completely clean
with us. Besides, she’s not the only one I’m worried about.”

Elise put another sheet in the basket. “I’ve
been wondering about Mor myself. No, it’s impossible.”

Alex shook off the talk. “I’m sure they’re
both innocent,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important for us to
prove Mor and Emma had nothing to do with it.” Alex finished
folding the last sheet, then said, “On a brighter note, Mor and I
are lighting the beacon tonight, and I want you to see it from the
top with us.”

For a moment, Elise’s face lit up with the
joy of a six-year-old. “How in the world did you ever manage that?
I thought you had to get written approval from the Town
Council.”

Alex grinned. “The switch is broken, so
Mor’s coming out tonight to replace it and check the light. He’s
clearing it with Grady Hatch as a part of the allowed
maintenance.”

“
I can’t wait,” Elise said
as they finished their folding.

“
Neither can I,” Alex
replied.

They were carrying the sheets back to the
linen closet when Alex and Elise found the newlyweds waiting on
them at the front desk.

“
There you are. We thought
you’d disappeared,” Sheila said.

Paul said, “Patience is a virtue, my
dear.”

“
So is having a spine,” she
said, then turned to Alex. “We’d like a tour of the
inn.”

Elise said, “I’ll go ahead and put these
away,” as she walked past them.

Great, now he was stuck with the battling
honeymooners. “Well, I’d be glad to show you the grounds. There’s
the lighthouse itself, it’s open during daylight hours only. Then
there are Bear Rocks, they are really worth a visit. We’ve got a
pond just down the road, and canoes are available for a slight
additional fee.”

Sheila said, “That’s all just fine, but what
we’re really interested in are the guestrooms themselves.”

Alex shook his head. “Sorry, those are
off-limits. We respect everyone’s privacy here,” he added
pointedly.

Paul stepped in. “Of course, we understand
completely. I should have explained earlier, my bride and I are
real lighthouse fanatics. Actually, we’re as interested in the two
keepers’ quarters you have here as much as we are in the tower
itself. Your place really caught our attention, and we’d love the
complete tour.” He was trying to shake Alex’s hand again for some
odd reason. Then Alex spotted the folded bill in his hand.

At that moment, Mrs. Nesbitt came
downstairs. Alex said, “You really should speak with our visiting
historian. Mrs. Nesbitt, do you have a moment?”

“
Absolutely, Alex. What can
I do for you?”

Alex said, “Mrs. Nesbitt, I’d like you to
meet Paul and Sheila Jones. They’ve come to the inn on their
honeymoon, and they’re lighthouse enthusiasts as well.”

Mrs. Nesbitt’s face lit up. “Oh, that’s
simply outstanding. We must talk,” she said as she took a hand of
each of them.

“
Well, we’re really not all
that well versed,” Sheila said, trying to extricate her
hand.

“
Then I’d be delighted to
educate you, my dear. My great-great-grandfather was an assistant
keeper at the Body Island Lighthouse on the Outer Banks, you
know.”

“
Really,” Sheila said
blandly.

If Mrs. Nesbitt caught her lukewarm tone,
she didn’t let on. “Why don’t we climb to the top of the tower and
I’ll tell you about him. Old Jerab was a crusty fellow, let me tell
you.”

As they were led away to the lighthouse,
Alex fought to hide his smile. It looked as though the newlyweds
were going to get a thorough tour after all. And the best thing
was, he didn’t have to lead it.

Alex spotted them again over an hour later
coming out of the lighthouse itself, heading for the utility shed
next to it, no doubt to be regaled with more of Great
great-grandfather Jerab’s adventures. Though the couple continued
to try to break away, Mrs. Nesbitt was in no hurry to rid herself
of her new charges until she’d imparted every ounce of her
lighthouse lore to them.

Chapter 6

Alex was happy to see Mor drive up in his
truck as dusk approached Hatteras West.

After the handyman got out, Alex said, “I
bet it feels good to get your truck back.”

Mor slapped the hood. “Yeah, Irene said it
was clean. She even had the boys run it through the car wash after
they were finished with it. They did a good job, inside and
out.”

“
Have you had any problem
riding around in it after what happened?” Alex asked.

Mor said, “It was kind of creepy at first,
but after half an hour I kind of forgot all about it. Life goes on,
you know?”

“
It does indeed. So where’s
Emma? I figured she’d be coming out with you.”

Mor put on his tool belt more out of habit
than need as he explained, “She was right behind me, so she should
be here any minute. Is Elise coming, too?”

Alex said, “She wouldn’t miss it for the
world.”

Mor grinned. “Then let’s get to it.”

They walked up the steel steps in single
file, Mor’s tool belt clanking a little each time as he moved. When
they got to the top landing, the handyman said, “Now let me take a
look at this.”

Mor killed the circuit breaker tucked over
by the door going up to the lens itself, then unscrewed the switch
and hooked it up to a meter secured onto his belt.

“
Is that the problem?” Alex
asked.

Mor studied the readings for a second,
handed the old switch to Alex, then said, “It’s deader than a
doornail.” Alex had dreaded changing the button to a modern switch,
so he was delighted when Mor pulled a replica out of his shirt
pocket.

Alex asked, “Where’d you find that?”

“
You know Les, he
subscribes to every magazine he can find, and his name must be on a
list for all the catalogue folks, too. A couple of months ago I
spotted one that handled old-house reproductions. I knew this thing
would wear out sooner or later, so I wanted to be ready when you
needed it.”

Alex slapped the big man’s shoulder.
“Thanks, I really appreciate that. That’s one bill I’ll be glad to
pay.”

Mor shrugged. “Hey, you’ve done your best to
keep us in business. This one’s on the house.”

After making up the new connections, Mor
screwed the plate back in place and flipped the breaker. “You ready
to try it?” he asked Alex.

“
Without Elise and Emma?
They’d both have my hide. No thanks.”

“
So let’s go take in the
view while we wait on them,” Mor said.

The two men walked out onto the observation
platform and leaned on the outer rail, taking in the growing
twilight and the fresh breeze of the night air.

There was an easy, comfortable silence
between them that was broken only by a police siren echoing in the
distance.

Mor shook his head. “It sounds like old
Strong Arms is on another bad guy’s trail.”

“
He does like his light and
siren. Has he said anything else to you about
Sturbridge?”

Mor shook his head. “Truth be told, I’ve
been doing my best to avoid him, and he hasn’t come looking for
me.”

Alex said, “I guess that’s a good sign.”

From below, Alex saw Elise come out onto the
porch and wave to them. She had a picnic basket tucked under one
arm, and a blanket draped across her shoulders. From the other
direction up Point Road, they saw Emma driving toward them.

Mor said, “Looks like the party’s about to
get started.”

“
I’m ready.”

As the two women disappeared together into
the base of the lighthouse, Mor said, “So the big day’s finally
here.”

Alex asked, “Changing the switch? It’s not
that big a deal.”

Mor said, “I’m talking about your date with
Elise. It’s about time, if you ask me.”

Alex smiled. “If you ask me, it’s past time.
Tomorrow night’s been a long time coming.”

“
Are you taking her to
Charlotte for some fancy dinner?”

Alex said, “No, we can’t afford the time
away, not with an inn full of guests.”

Mor said, “I hope you’re at least going to
Hickory. They’ve got some pretty nice places there.”

Alex answered, “We’re going to Mama
Ravolini’s. It’s the best I could manage with the time we’ve got.
Irma’s promised me the best table in the house, though.”

Mor shook his head. “Alex my friend, after
all these years studying at my feet, I thought you’d be able to
come up with something better than that for your first date with
Elise.”

Alex laughed. “You must not be half the
teacher you thought you were.”

Mor pretended to consider that for a moment,
then said, “No, even a brilliant teacher can’t do anything with a
backward student.”

Alex couldn’t help the laugh that escaped
just as the ladies joined them.

“
What’s so funny?’ Elise
asked.

Mor said, “Just some man talk.”

Emma smiled briefly. “Discussing curtains
and manicures again, boys?”

Mor said, “Enough guff, woman.” He gestured
to Elise. “What’s in that basket?”

“
I made some baloney
sandwiches and brought some warm milk. I thought a picnic snack
might be fun,” she said, though it was apparent to all from the
delightful aroma emanating from die basket that she’d fried chicken
for their impromptu picnic dinner.

“
That’s too bad,” Mor said.
“What I really had a hankering for was some fried
chicken.”

Alex said, “Should we eat first or go ahead
and light the beacon?” He was getting those butterflies again,
eager to light the lens. The air was charged with electricity; it
was almost as if the lighthouse itself sensed what was coming, and
Alex fed off it.

Emma said, “Why don’t we eat first? That way
we can enjoy the light without worrying about attracting every moth
in seven counties.”

Mor put an arm around her. “That’s why I
love this woman. She’s so practical.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “And that’s why I love
you, you big moose. I just adore the way you sweet-talk me.”

Elise laughed as she started to spread the
blanket out on the platform. Alex grabbed the other end and they
soon had it down, though the tug of the wind threatened to displace
it. Mor said, “I can take care of that,” and promptly sat down in
the middle of everything.

“
That’s fine, but now
there’s no room for the rest of us,” Emma said.

He moved over, and the four of them anchored
their respective comers. Elise made a show of peeking inside the
basket, then said, “Shoot.”

“
Forget something?” Alex
asked. “I’ll be glad to go back down for it.”

Elise said, “No, it’s too late for that. I
meant to put a baloney sandwich in here to tease Mor with, but I
must have left it on the counter.”

Emma said, “Knowing him, he found it and
already ate

it.”

Elise passed out plates, cups, and
silverware, then started pulling food out of the hamper at a
surprising rate.

Mor asked, “Any sweet tea in there?” as he
reached for a peek into the basket.

Emma slapped his hand. “You just wait and
see, you choosy beggar.”

Elise pulled out a container of tea. “I
wouldn’t forget that. Alex, would you mind pouring?”

Alex opened the jar of tea, poured a little
into his cup, and treated it like a fine wine. “It’s got a robust
flavor with a hint of playfulness; an unpretentious little
vintage.”

“
Give me that, you big
goofball,” Mor said as he swiped the tea.

After dining on fried chicken, potato salad,
and homemade rolls, Mor said, “I don’t suppose you have any pie in
there, do you?”