by Tim Myers
If it did, no one admitted it, but Greg might have flinched just a little when he heard it.
Alex took that in, and then returned his attention to the wallet. Inside it were three business cards, identical, and the name on them matched the driver’s license. “It appears that Mr. Danvers wasn’t here by accident. He was a private detective.”
Michelle looked surprised by the news, but Jackson didn’t seem nearly so shocked. The Morrisons were all hard to read, but Alex had a feeling that Greg knew the name before he’d spoken it aloud.
Alex didn’t want to ask the next obvious question, but he really had no choice. “Could there be a reason Danvers has been following both of you?” he asked Jackson and Michelle.
She might have said something, but Jackson spoke before she could. “There’s no reason that we know of.”
Elise asked, “Michelle, is that true?”
She wouldn’t make eye contact; she just shook her head.
“How about you?” he asked, looking at the Morrison clan now.
“Our lives are open books,” Elizabeth said. “We had no reason to come into contact with him before we came here.”
“Dutch?” Alex asked.
The handyman just laughed. “My net worth is just over forty-seven dollars. It’s in a shoe box under my bed. I’ve got nothing that’s valuable to anyone else.” He paused, and then looked hard at first Alex, and then Elise. “No offense, but how about you two? I don’t know you any more than you know me, and I can’t exactly call Harry and ask him about you. Have you two done anything that might merit the attention of a PI? You two aren’t married, at least to each other. How about to someone else, though?”
Alex was about to protest when he saw Michelle’s face go pale. “Elise and I aren’t married, to each other or anyone else.” He turned to Michelle. “Can you say the same thing?”
“I’m not really married to Malcolm anymore, at least not in my heart,” she said. “Jackson and I are married in spirit, and that’s all that counts.”
“You just had to tell them, didn’t you?” Jackson shouted at her.
“Keep your voice down,” Elise commanded. “Michelle, are you separated from your husband, at least?”
“Of course I am. We’ve been apart nearly a year. As a matter of fact, the divorce will be final in two days. I can’t believe it takes a year in North Carolina before a divorce becomes official.”
Alex thought about that, and then asked, “Is there any money involved in the settlement?”
“How did you know?” Michelle asked.
Elizabeth answered for him. “It’s a lucky guess. How much are we talking about here?”
“That’s not why we’re together,” Jackson insisted, raising his voice again. “We’re in love.”
“So then, you’re saying that the money’s not a factor.” Elizabeth looked as though she didn’t believe him.
“Of course not,” he snapped.
“Is it over a hundred thousand, or under?” John asked.
Before Jackson could stop her, Michelle admitted, “Oh, it’s a lot more than that.”
John nodded. “And I’m willing to bet that if your husband could prove you were having an affair, you’d get a lot less.”
“I’ve already been warned about that. That’s why we’ve been so careful,” Michelle said.
“Apparently not careful enough,” Dutch said, chiming in when it really wasn’t needed.
Elizabeth frowned. “It’s simple, then. One of them did it. They didn’t want to lose the money from the settlement, and when the PI showed up, they knew they had to do something to stop him from reporting back before the divorce becomes final.”
Jackson snapped, “I don’t like your tone or the implication of what you’re saying, lady.”
John moved in close to him. “Watch yourself.”
Jackson backed up a step. “She’s the one who’d better be careful. I don’t like being accused of murder.”
“But you’re fine with adultery.”
“A year is insane,” Jackson snapped. “It’s too long to wait for true love.”
“Some might argue that’s not true, but while that might be up for debate, the money is a tangible fact,” Elizabeth said.
“I’m done talking about it,” Jackson said. “Come on, Michelle. We’re getting out of here.”
“There’s no way out,” Michelle said. “You heard what Dutch said.”
“He could be lying, or he could be wrong. Either way, I’m not hanging around here. Are you coming with me?”
She was about to answer when Elise said, “You don’t have to, you know. You can stay here with us.”
“Can you keep me safe?” Michelle asked.
Elise couldn’t meet her eyes, and Alex couldn’t promise Michelle anything. He wasn’t even certain he’d be able to keep he and Elise alive.
“That’s what I thought,” Michelle said. “I’ll take my chances with Jackson.”
There was nothing Alex could do to stop them. After all, they weren’t his captives, and he had no authority to make them stay. All he had was reason on his side.
“Think about how this will look to the police when they get here,” Alex said. “Do you really want that spotlight on you by running away?”
“We’re not running,” Jackson said. “We all know about the PI now, so staying here doesn’t help us at all. The only way we’ll be safe is by getting away from this inn.”
Jackson opened the back door, and Alex realized that the rain and wind had picked up again. It appeared that they were in for another round of storms. He wouldn’t want to take the hike that Jackson and Michelle were about to, but then again, it wasn’t his decision.
“Good luck, then,” he said.
Elise asked him, “Alex, you have to stop them.”
“I can’t, unless we lock them up in one of the cottages.”
Elizabeth said, “That’s not a bad idea. We can’t just let a killer go free. They might never be found again.”
Alex looked steadily at her. “We still can’t be sure one of them is the murderer.”
She looked surprised by the comment. “What possible motive would any of us have to kill the man? He wasn’t following any of us.”
“There are more motives to kill than that,” Alex said.
“Such as?” John asked.
“There are a great many reasons people kill, from protecting someone, or a secret, to revenge, to wanting something someone else has. The list goes on and on.”
“We don’t have any of those motives,” Elizabeth said, “and I won’t allow you to accuse us of things we didn’t do. Come on, boys, let’s go to our room.”
After they were gone, Dutch asked, “Any chance I could get a bite to eat? I’m starving.”
Alex was going to tell him no, that he’d lost his opportunity to eat, but Elise was too kind hearted for that. “We’re having sandwiches for lunch, but I could heat up a couple of biscuits and some coffee for you in the meantime, if you’d like. It won’t take a minute.”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate that.”
As Elise put the pan of leftover biscuits back in the oven to reheat, Dutch said, “Listen, I didn’t mean anything by what I said before. I don’t think you killed anybody.”
“Thanks,” Alex said.
It was clear that Dutch was waiting for something else. When Alex didn’t respond in kind, Dutch asked, “Does that mean you think I might have done it myself?”
Alex just shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, everyone but Elise and I are suspects in my mind. We all had the opportunity, and the means was right there in his room.”
“But motive’s a little trickier, isn’t it? I’ve read enough mysteries to know that not many folks kill for no reason at all.”
“There might be something there for everyone as well; we just don’t know what it is yet.”
“You don’t trust anybody, do you?”
“I’d put my life in Elise’s hands, a
nd you met the other person I trust with everything I have; he just left yesterday. Mor is my best friend after Elise, and I’d stake my life on either one of them.”
“It must be nice to have that,” Dutch said.
Alex realized that the handyman must not have had many friends. He was about to say something when Elise presented him with two warmed biscuits and jelly, along with a cup of coffee.
Dutch took it all gratefully from her and said, “If you don’t mind, I’ll have this out on the porch. I want to see what this storm’s doing.”
“You need to grab a few things so you can come stay with us here,” Alex said.
Dutch shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m fine right where I am.”
“Dutch, it isn’t safe being alone.”
He seemed to chew that over. “I’ll think about it. Now, do you care if I go?”
“Don’t silly. We don’t mind at all,” Elise answered.
After they were alone, Elise moved quickly into his arms. “Would you mind holding me again, Alex?”
He didn’t need to be asked twice. As he put his arms around her, Alex felt her shiver against him. She was shaken by the murder, and what they’d learned since, more than she’d shown. Only when they were alone did Elise trust herself to let it out. She cried, for just a moment, but quickly stopped it. As she pulled away, Elise used her hand to wipe away her tears. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with being human.”
“I just wish there was something we could do. Alex, I hate feeling so helpless.”
“I do, too, but we’re just going to have to ride this out.” He looked out the window and saw the rain was picking up, coming down in sheets now. There was no way Jackson and Michelle were going to make it anywhere. He just hoped they found their way back to the inn.
Then again, maybe getting rid of two suspects wasn’t a bad idea after all.
Chapter 7
Twenty minutes later, just before they were going to serve lunch, there was a pounding on the kitchen door.
Alex held it open, and Michelle and Jackson stumbled in, soaking wet. Elise grabbed a handful of towels from the closet and handed them to the soaked pair.
“Have any luck?” Alex asked, not able to resist the jab.
“We didn’t go far,” Jackson admitted. “It’s getting brutal out there. The wind is whipping the sand up, and it kept getting in our eyes.”
“At least you left your bags,” Elise said. “Your spare clothes will be dry.” They’d abandoned their luggage, so they had that going for them.
“I’m afraid the water heater is electric, so the shower is going to be cold,” Elise said.
“We’ll take it,” Michelle said. “I’m so sorry we ran off like that.”
“No worries,” Elise said. “I’m glad you’re back, and safe.”
Michelle took another step into the kitchen, and then realized that she was dripping all over the floor. “We’ll come back and clean that up.” She looked immediately at Jackson, who was obviously about to protest. “Right, Jackson?” she asked.
“Right,” he answered grumpily.
After the pair walked through the dining room and into the lobby, Alex grabbed a mop. Elise smiled at him as he started working on the floor. “You have a good heart, you know that, don’t you?”
“I just don’t want to see the floors ruined,” he answered.
“Alex Winston, that heart pine will last longer than any of us will. Admit it. You’re just a big softie.”
“Fine, believe whatever you want to believe,” he said with a grin as he mopped the floor. As he started to disappear out of the dining room, Elise asked, “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to follow their trail,” Alex replied.
“I’ll go with you,” she answered, and Alex nodded.
“That’s what the buddy system is all about. Is lunch ready?”
“It will be as soon as we serve it. I’m afraid there are going to be some grumbles. In order to have a decent dinner tonight, lunch is going to be bare minimum, and that means peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”
“I have a feeling you won’t get any complaints from them,” Alex said.
“Wanna bet?” she asked.
“No chance,” Alex answered with a smile.
When they finished mopping the floors and got back into the dining room, they found the Morrisons already waiting on them.
“We’re hungry,” John said.
Elizabeth added, “But take your time. We can wait.”
She said the last bit to John, and though it was clear he wasn’t all that happy about the prospect of waiting to eat, he clearly didn’t want to cross his sister, either.
“It’ll just be a minute,” Elise assured them as she and Alex went into the kitchen.
There were a few puddles in there as well that he’d missed, but it was too late to get them now. Alex had left the mop by the door of the bedroom where Michelle and Jackson were cleaning up. As an innkeeper, he frowned on folks who shared a room without the benefit of a marriage license, but he was in no position to evict them now. He’d just have to deal with it.
After the Morrisons were served their lunches and Dutch grabbed more food and left for the porch again, Alex asked Elise, “Are you ready to eat?”
“I am if you are.”
The allotted lunch hour was nearly over when Michelle and Jackson finally joined them. They each took a plate and grabbed a sandwich apiece, along with cups of coffee. There were chips as well, and cookies for dessert, though they were store-bought. Alex knew that Elise prided herself on her cooking, but there wasn’t much she could do with the supplies she had on hand. He was sure she’d manage to feed them all somehow until someone came along and rescued them.
In the meantime, they’d just make do. Alex’s only goal now was to keep everyone alive.
He just wished he had a clue on how to go about it.
After lunch, everyone reconvened in the lobby of the main quarters. The rain was starting to really pick up again, and Alex regretted not being able to get more information about the storm. Surely there had to be some kind of weather-band radio somewhere, but Harry had failed to mention it, and Alex wished he could call his friend. It was amazing how isolated he felt without power and communication.
Elizabeth asked, “What are we all supposed to do now?”
Alex answered, “To be honest with you, I have no idea.”
“You’re an innkeeper, even if you’re not at your own inn. Surely you have some ideas.”
Alex looked around and saw the shelf housing many popular board games. “It’s a little wet outside for a nature walk,” he said.
As Elizabeth Morrison began to cloud up, Alex quickly added, “We could always pass the time playing games.”
Jackson looked at the shelf. “Should we play Clue? If you’re game, I’ve already got a guess. I think it was Elizabeth Morrison in the cottage with the lighthouse. I’m joking, of course,” he added when he saw the dirty looks all three Morrisons were giving him.
“Not funny, Mr. Benning,” Elizabeth said with a frown. “Anyone care for a game of chess?”
Both of her brothers shook their heads silently in unison, but if Jackson saw it, he chose to ignore it. “Sure, I’ll be happy to thump you.”
A gleam entered Elizabeth’s eyes. “We’ll just see about that.”
Greg and John Morrison looked at each other wearily. “Checkers?” Greg asked.
“Why not?” John replied.
That left Alex, Elise, Dutch, and Michelle. “I suppose we could play Bridge,” Michelle said.
“Never learned the game,” Dutch said. “Poker?”
“How about Hearts?” Elise suggested. “If you don’t know how to play, it’s an easy game to learn.”
“I play,” Dutch admitted.
Alex turned to Michelle. Jackson and Elizabeth were already setting up the chess board. She smiled softly. “That would be
a nice distraction from all of this.”
They all played their individual games, and Alex paid more attention to his guests than he did the competitions. It seemed that Elizabeth Morrison was quite good at chess, but to everyone’s surprise, Jackson Benning might have been just a shade better. From the way the chess pieces were being slammed down on the board, Alex was glad the set didn’t belong to him. The brothers, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the simpler strategy of Checkers, and Alex wondered if they were secretly enjoying their sister’s battle. As for Hearts, Dutch showed a surprising acuity for the game, making Alex realize something he should have known anyway. It was important not to judge people by the way they looked or dressed. He had a new friend back in Elkton Falls with more money than he could dream of who dressed like a field hand most days. So then, who was the murderer? It was clear that Michelle and Jackson had motives. Holding onto a windfall of money would be motive enough for a great many people, and he doubted these two were the exception. He liked Michelle, though he wasn’t all that fond of Jackson. Still, that didn’t make either one of them innocent or guilty. As to the Morrisons, Alex suspected they knew more than they were letting on. Greg had visibly flinched when he’d seen Brown’s picture, and Elizabeth had been a little too calculating in his cottage, taking charge of the search herself and practically climbing over the body in search of clues. Then she’d hidden the one item they had found, though Alex still had no idea what it meant.
M w/ B. M 2?
What could it mean? Could the M stand for Michelle, or even Morrison? Why the 2? Was w/B with Benning? Michelle was with Benning. That fit. Then again, it could have meant Meet with Brown. Could the PI have taken the name of another subject of investigation when pressed for a name? It wouldn’t surprise him. Another thought occurred to him. What if it meant Meet with Dutch? Dutch was a nickname, and for all Alex knew, his real name could be Mortimer. Could the inn’s handyman be involved with this somehow? Dutch came and went as he pleased, and Alex wondered if he had a master key himself. That would have let him creep into the PI’s room and kill him in his sleep. But what motive could he have had?
And what about M2? There were three Morrisons, so which two made the list?