by Tim Myers
He started to leave the room, then hesitated at the door. ‘If you’re right and the thief didn’t find what he was looking for, how am I going to secure the room in the meantime? I’ve got at least a hundred people out there I need to talk to.”
“Tell you what. Why don’t I stay while you make your rounds? I’m not in much of a partying mood right now.”
Alex said, “I’m not leaving you here alone.”
Mor wandered in and saw the splintered door frame immediately. “Geez, Alex, maybe you should have tried your key first.”
“It looks like somebody’s still after Jase’s things,” Alex aid.
Mor nodded. “I can fix that for tonight, but you’re going o have to replace the door frame in the morning. It’s not going to be pretty, but it should work just fine.”
“What did you have in mind?” Elise asked.
“I can patch the splintered part with new wood, reinforce the whole thing with longer screws, and tighten it up in heartbeat. Alex, do you still keep your tools under the reservation desk?”
“Yes, but I don’t want you to have to work tonight.”
Mor shrugged. “Nobody’s dancing with me; I think they’re all afraid of Emma, even if she is a couple of hundred miles away. This won’t take long.”
Alex nodded. “Let me grab my tools, and we can fix it together.”
Mor said, “I can handle this, buddy. Go on out there. Everybody’s wondering where you moseyed off to.”
“Thanks,” Alex said.
“All part of Mor or Les’s service, Alex. You and Elise go on now. I’ve got this covered.”
Alex and Elise walked out onto the porch and watched the crowd spinning around on the makeshift dance floor. He looked up at the lighthouse and watched as the beacon spun silently around again. It would be lit for another half hour, and there were no signs the party would break up any time soon after that. Whoever had broken into Alex’s room had soiled his inheritance by pawing through it, but Alex wasn’t going to let the burglary spoil Jase’s farewell. The lighthouse, shining in all its glory, seemed to cleanse the anger from his heart. This wasn’t the time to track down thieves and killers.
This was Alex’s last chance to say good-bye to a man who had meant the world to him.
Alex considered asking Elise to dance as the music started up again, then changed his mind when he thought about how hard it would be for him to hold her in his arms, especially if it was for just one dance. Most likely it wouldn’t mean anything special to her, regardless of what Tony had said, but he couldn’t say the same thing about his own heart.
Shantara was by the punch bowl, so Alex excused himself from Elise’s presence and walked over to her. “Can I cash that rain check for a dance?”
Shantara smiled, “I’d be delighted.”
As the two of them danced, Alex asked, “You aren’t even going to give me a hard time about saying no before?”
“I figure you’ve got enough on your mind,” she said. “Besides, I knew you couldn’t resist my charms all night.”
Alex laughed, in spite of the way he felt. He and Shatara had been friends since kindergarten, and she was the closest thing to a sister that he’d ever had. She always knew how to make him laugh.
After the song was over, Sandra came over and joined them. “Since the self-imposed ban on dancing seems to have lifted, I believe you owe me a dance, sir.”
Alex nodded. “You’re absolutely right.”
As Alex and Sandra started dancing to the next song, Shantara caught his attention and gestured to the porch. Elise was there, watching every move. Maybe he’d ask her to dance after this one was finished, despite the rumblings in his heart.
Sandra asked, “How are you holding up?”
“I’ll be okay. It’s tough going, though.”
Sandra rubbed his shoulder gently. “If you need me, my offer still stands. You know you can call me anytime.”
“Thanks. I might just take you up on that.”
Though the music kept playing, Sandra suddenly stopped dancing and said, “I can’t believe it.”
“What’s wrong?” Alex asked. “I didn’t step on your foot, did I?”
Sandra gestured toward one edge of the crowd. “Julie and Amy are here. I told her to stay away from Hatteras West until we cleared this mess up.”
“You can blame me, Sandra. I invited them myself,” Alex said.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Alex, and they never should have accepted. I’m going to take care of this right now.”
Alex followed closely behind. Before he could welcome them, Sandra said, “Julie, I told you yesterday, this isn’t a good idea.”
Julie said, “Sandra, I’m not going to bury my head in the
sand because of the way other people act. I have every right to be here, certainly as much as they do.” Though she was speaking to her attorney, her glare was locked on the Trask: clan, hovering near the punchbowl and as yet unaware of her presence.
Sandra said, “I still don’t think—”
Alex interrupted, “That you should be standing here while there’s music playing. Julie, may I have this dance?”
She agreed with a grim smile as she followed Alex out onto the makeshift dance floor. The only problem was that the second he took her in his arms, the music stopped.
“That was the shortest dance in recorded history,” she said with a smile.
Alex said, “That wasn’t the real thing; it was just the warm-up.”
Then Harley Stouffers, the man who owned Quality Garage and doubled as the quartet’s keyboardist, announced, “We’re taking a short break now, folks, but we’ll be back in ten minutes for more of your listening pleasure.”
Alex smiled. “I just can’t win.”
Julie laughed, then said, “Tell you what. Let’s stand right here, and when the band starts up again, we’ll be ready.” She looked up at the lighthouse and said, “It’s quite lovely, isn’t it?”
“I wasn’t sure you were going to be able to make it,” Alex said.
“Between Amy and Sandra, I didn’t think I was coming myself, but the second I saw that beam, I knew I had to come. I’m surprised you don’t light it every night, Alex.”
He grinned. “I would if I could, but I have to pay a fine every time I fire it up unless the town council approves it ahead of time.”
“So you’re breaking the rules in your uncle’s memory? That’s so gallant.”
Alex admitted, “Don’t give me too much credit, Julie. Jase got the town council to approve this before he died. I couldn’t believe he got them to grant over an hour of operation in writing.”
Julie watched the beam spin around again before saying, “Jase was a special man, wasn’t he? How many of us have the foresight to plan our good-byes thoroughly and so well?”
“It’s a real loss to everyone in Elkton Falls,” Alex said, glad that someone had actually said something to him about Jase. Certainly the party was being thrown in his honor, but a part of Alex wished that others would be a little more forthright in recalling why they were gathered at Hatteras West. Alex supposed it was Jase’s own fault; he hadn’t wanted a testimonial, but a party, instead.
Well, he was certainly getting what he wished for. It was just too bad Jase wasn’t around to enjoy it himself.
Soon the music started up again, and Julie glided into Alex’s arms. As they danced, he saw that Elise wasn’t on the porch anymore. Instead, she was dancing with Mor, so the door must have been repaired to the handyman’s satisfaction. No doubt it was stronger, if not prettier, than it had been before. Alex wondered what Emma Sturbridge would think of Mor and Elise dancing, smiling at the thought.
When the song was over, Julie stepped out of Alex’s arms. “Thank you for the dance, kind sir.”
“Thank you,” Alex said. He saw a cloud cross Julie’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t believe she’s actually coming over here.”
Alex turned to find Cy
nthia Shays-Trask storming toward them. He had to give Julie credit; she wasn’t backing down.
Before Cynthia could get to them through the crowd of people, Sandra joined them and took Julie’s arm. “I’m getting you out of here right now, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“I’m not afraid to face her down,” Julie said.
Amy approached. “Julie, this isn’t the time or the place for a confrontation. Out of respect,” she added as she gestured toward Alex.
Julie nodded, “I didn’t consider that. Alex, I’m sorry. Everyone else was right; I shouldn’t have come.”
He said, “Nonsense. Then we never would have had our dance. Thanks for your presence and your condolences. I greatly appreciate the gesture.”
“You’re very welcome, Alex.”
As Julie turned away, Cynthia called out, “Young lady, I need to have a word with you.”
Sandra told Amy, “Take her back to your house. I’ll be over a little later.”
As they disappeared into the crowd, Cynthia came on with fire in her eyes.
Sandra stepped in front of her in a neat blocking maneuver and said, “She has nothing to say to you.”
Cynthia snapped, “Out of my way. She doesn’t have to say a word, but she’s going to hear me out. I won’t stand for this.”
Sandra said coolly, “I’m afraid you don’t have any choice.”
Cynthia snapped, “You just try to stop me.”
“I’d be delighted.” Alex recognized the tone in Sandra’s voice and didn’t envy Cynthia. The iron there was unmistakable.
“Don’t think I’m going to just roll over and play dead for you people,” Cynthia said when she realized that Julie was gone.
“I would be disappointed in you if you did,” Sandra said.
Cynthia clearly didn’t know how to react to that. She turned and headed back to the inn, and only then did Alex see Ashley and Steven on the porch, waiting in the shadows for their mother.
Cynthia had lost the battle, but it was clear to all who’d just witnessed the confrontation that the war was still far from over.
After the guests were finally gone, Shantara’s famous teenage cleaning crew swept through the grounds like human vacuums, picking up every piece of litter in sight. In order to see well enough to collect the trash, they had parked their cars and trucks with the headlights pointing inward, lighting up the land around the lighthouse like broad daylight.
Sandra handled the payment; as Alex had suspected, Jase had provided for it in his will. The attorney was the last one to leave. As she was getting into her BMW, she said, “I’m going to miss him, Alex. It was one fine send-off.”
“He would have approved, wouldn’t he?”
Sandra said, “Oh, yes. He told me once that his only regret setting this up was that he wouldn’t be around to see it.” Sandra looked up at the extinguished light above them, always a very real presence on the grounds. “He truly loved your lighthouse, Alex.”
Alex stared up at the structure. “So why didn’t he ask to see it lit when he could enjoy it? All this doesn’t make sense. We should have had this party while he could still be a part of it.”
Sandra touched his shoulder lightly. “You’re right, but in a very real way, he was here tonight. It was exactly the good-bye he wanted. Good night, Alex.”
Alex said, “Good night, Sandra. Thanks again for handling everything.”
She shook her head. “Don’t thank me. Jase did all the work. All I had to do was follow his instructions.”
After she was gone, Alex was finally alone. He wanted to forget, just for a few moments, how his uncle had died and focus instead on how the man had lived. He was just settling back into a rocker on the dark porch when he heard someone approach. “Mind if I join you?”
He was so startled he nearly fell off his chair. It was Vernum, and for the first time Alex could remember, the man
had engaged him in conversation, instead of the other way around.
“Pull up a chair,” Alex said.
Vernum settled instead on the bottom step, resting his back against the rail. “I just wanted to say that your uncle was a fine man, Alex.”
“Did you know him?” Alex asked, wondering what could have possibly brought the two men together.
“Our paths crossed a lifetime ago.” Vernum started to explain when the door to the inn opened. Before Alex could turn to see who was coming out, Vernum was gone. What an odd fellow he was, but no more unusual than most of the other inhabitants in and around Elkton Falls. They seemed to be drawn to the place like magnets, not resting till they settled there.
“Hello,” Alex said as the front door closed. His vision had adjusted to the darkness, and he had no trouble making out his guest.
Ashley Trask-Cooper looked startled to find Alex sitting alone in the darkness. “Alex, is that you? Why are you out here all alone?”
“To be honest with you, it’s the first chance I’ve had today to get away by myself.”
Ashley turned back to the door. “Then I’ll leave you to your solitude.”
Alex said, “Don’t rush off. Actually, I could use the company.”
Ashley leaned against the railing and stared at the darkened lighthouse. “Why did you turn it off?”
“It ran its course, one minute for every year of Jase’s life,” Alex explained. “That’s all the time the town council would allow.”
Ashley said wistfully, “Your uncle must have been a true romantic. It sounds like something Donald would do. He’s my husband.”
“Why isn’t he with you?” Alex asked softly.
“Father specified in his will that it was to be just the three of us here this week, our original little family. I’m sure he had no idea what was going to happen.” She sighed, then added, “I’ve been so mad at him for so long, my heart goes cold whenever I think about him.”
“Surely he wasn’t all bad,” Alex said.
“I know he was only human, but he abandoned us, Alex, and I doubt I can ever forgive him, certainly not as quickly as Steven has.”
Alex looked into the night, then said, “Siblings don’t always agree, do they?”
Ashley said, “Not in my house they didn’t.” She brushed her hands together, as if freeing them of crumbs. “Let’s change the subject,” she said, “to something more pleasant.” She looked around the grounds and said, “It must be quite wonderful running your own business. You don’t have to answer to anyone.”
Alex laughed. “Don’t you believe it for one minute. As an innkeeper, I’m working for a new boss every time another guest checks in. I do everything in my power to make everyone’s stay a good one, but it’s not always easy. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, but it can be a real challenge at times.”
“I suppose,” she said. “Still, the place has grown on me.”
Alex remembered Ashley’s remarks when she first came to Hatteras West. Had she truly undergone a change of heart, or was she trying to get on Alex’s good side for some unknown reason?
“Well, it’s been a long day,” Ashley said as she moved toward the door.
“Good night,” Alex called to her.
After she was gone, Alex stayed on the porch, taking in the sweet sounds of the night, wondering what tomorrow would bring.
A sharp scream came from inside, shattering the calm he was just beginning to feel.
“Help! Someone help me!”
Alex rushed inside, fearful of what he was about to find. The voice, though distorted by the scream, was one he’d just heard.
Ashley was in trouble.
Chapter 14
Alex found Cynthia already in Ashley’s room by the time he got up there.
“What happened?” he asked, slightly out of breath as he searched the room with a quick glance.
“Someone ... someone was up here,” Ashley said as she pointed to the open window.
The curtains fluttered in the breeze, and Cynthia said, “Now, now, Ashley, it
was most likely just the wind.”
Ashley said fiercely, “I’m telling you, mother, when I unlocked my door, I heard someone scrambling around inside. By the time I got the door open, they were gone.” She looked fiercely at her mother. “I closed that window before I came downstairs for the wake.”
Cynthia said, “Perhaps Alex or his cleaning lady opened it.”
Alex shook his head. “I was tied up outside during the festivities, and Elise wouldn’t go into a guest’s room after five p.m. unless she was invited to do so. We don’t turn down the covers at Hatteras West unless it’s requested ahead of time.”
Elise joined them and said, “I heard a scream. What happened?”
Alex ignored her question for the moment. “Elise, did you open this window today?”
She shook her head. “Absolutely not. I haven’t been in this room since eleven this morning. Now, will someone please tell me what happened?”
Cynthia explained, “Ashley thinks someone was in her room tonight.”
“Mother, why don’t you believe me? What possible reason would I have to lie?”
Cynthia said, “No one’s accusing you of lying, dear, but you could be mistaken.”
Alex walked over to the window. He looked outside but couldn’t see anyone on the roof. It was possible, though, that someone really had been there. The porch roof was just below Ashley’s room, and someone determined enough could climb up and gain access. So why hadn’t he heard anyone climbing up? Alex had been sitting there quietly for some time. Surely he would have heard something. Unless the trespasser had gone in through the room door, then made their escape when Ashley had suddenly reappeared. Once again, whoever had broken in had real guts; either that, or a complete disregard for being caught. A thought suddenly struck him. The boldness required to climb out Ashley’s window was the same kind of fearlessness needed to break into Alex’s room. But what did Ashley have that the burglar could want? Was it possible that whoever had wrecked Alex’s room had just been looking for something tangible to steal, like cash or jewelry? Another idea blossomed. Could the thief have been the prowler Steven thought he saw earlier?