by Tim Myers
Alex asked, “Ashley, do you have any valuables with you, like expensive pieces of jewelry or anything like that?”
Ashley showed Alex a sizable emerald that hung from a
chain around her neck as she said, “Just this, but I was wearing it all day. I never take it off.”
“Still, the thief might not have realized that when he broke in here.”
Cynthia said, “So you suspect this shadow was after my daughter’s necklace? Alex, you surely don’t believe you have a burglar loose in your inn, do you?”
Admitting that was the last thing Alex wanted to do, but he didn’t have much choice, given the circumstances. He believed Ashley had really seen someone, even if her mother didn’t. “It’s a possibility worth considering, Cynthia. Ashley, do you have any idea what the necklace is worth?”
She shook her head as she toyed with the stone. “It belonged to my father’s mother. I’ve never had it appraised, but I understand it’s quite valuable. Oh, Alex, do you think that’s what the intruder was after? I suddenly don’t feel safe here.”
Alex said, “Elise, let’s move her into Room 7. Ashley, it’s at the back of the inn, and there’s no easy way to get up there, since the porch just comes around the front of the building.” Cynthia started to say something when Alex held up his hand and continued. “Honestly, I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but I imagine you’ll sleep better in another room. What do you say?”
“I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right. Thank you, Alex.”
“My pleasure. Elise, would you mind making sure she gets moved and settled in?”
“Absolutely,” Elise said as she stepped up. “I’ll even help her pack.”
Alex said, “Cynthia, may I speak to you a moment?”
“Whatever about?”
Alex motioned outside. “Please. It won’t take long.”
Cynthia nodded and joined him in the hallway. Once the door was closed, Alex said, “Why don’t you see if you can
convince Ashley to keep her necklace in our safe? That should ease her mind while she’s here.”
“Alex, in the first place, I doubt anyone could persuade her to take that emerald off her neck. She has an inordinate attachment to it. And in the second place, I honestly think it was nothing more than the wind. My daughter has a tendency to overreact, and I can’t help believing this is just another instance in a long line of histrionics. She hasn’t always been well, if you must know.”
Steven came bounding up the stairs. “What’s all the fuss about? Someone downstairs said they heard a scream. It wasn’t Ashley, was it?”
Cynthia “said, “She thought she saw someone outside her room. Where were you, young man?”
Steven admitted, “I was with Sandra in town. We had a cup of coffee at a place called Mama Ravolini’s.”
Cynthia said, “You actually consorted with that turncoat?”
“It’s not like that, Mother. We didn’t discuss the case at all. As a matter of fact, we were catching up on old times. We went to school together, remember?”
“Oh, I remember, all right,” Cynthia said, making it sound like some kind of accusation. It was clear to Alex that she didn’t approve of her son keeping company with the opposing counsel at all.
Alex said, “Did you see anything suspicious on your way in?”
“I’m sorry, everything was quiet when I came back. Listen, I want to check on Ashley, just to be sure she’s okay.”
He started toward her room, but Cynthia said, “Steven, there’s really no need to get worked up over this. She’s making a great fuss over nothing.”
Steven said, “I’ll feel better once I’m sure she’s all right myself.”
After he was gone, Cynthia said, “Honestly, sometimes I
wonder how my children manage without me. Do you have any of your own, Alex?”
“No,” he answered.
“Sometimes I envy single people that.” Cynthia added, “Don’t misunderstand me, I love my children, but they can be so difficult at times.”
Tony came up the stairs and said, “Hey Alex, got a second?”
“We’re in the middle of something right now,” Alex said.
Cynthia said, “Go on, Alex, I can handle this situation well enough. Goodness knows I’ve done it enough in the past.”
“I’d really rather stay,” Alex said firmly.
“You heard the lady; she can handle it.” Tony paused, then said, “Handle what?”
Alex said, “One of my guests spotted an intruder in her room.”
Cynthia said, “Alex, I’m certain my daughter was mistaken.”
Tony tugged at his sleeve. “Come on, Alex, this can’t wait.”
Alex reluctantly followed Tony downstairs after telling Cynthia he’d be right back. “What’s so urgent?”
“There’s been a change in plans. I’m leaving Hatteras West tonight. Let’s face it, Alex, chances are I won’t be back. I just thought you’d want to say good-bye one last time.”
Tony couldn’t leave, not while he was still a suspect. Alex didn’t even want to think about what it would mean to him on a more personal level. Though the two of them had never been close, if Tony left now, while Alex still hadn’t resolved his suspicions, the chasm would stay between them forever.
“You can’t go now,” Alex said.
“Why not? We held the send-off, and Sandra read the will; no offense, but there’s nothing left in Elkton Falls for
me. We didn’t get along as kids, and I don’t see that changing now.”
“Are you ready to give up the last chance we’ve probably got to make peace between us?” Alex asked softly. It was his trump card, the last thing he could say to keep Tony there.
Tony looked at his brother carefully, then said, “You really want me to stay?”
“I do,” Alex said sincerely.
“Okay, then, but I’m still leaving tomorrow night. No matter what. Alex, you’re a hard man to figure.”
Alex said, “Thanks for staying.”
Tony headed back upstairs to his room. “I was going to grab my bag and go after we talked. I guess I’ll go unpack.”
After Tony was gone, Alex felt a tremor of relief. At least he’d bought another twenty-four hours to find out if his brother was a murderer and hopefully clear the air between them if he wasn’t.
It wasn’t much time, but it would have to do.
First thing in the morning, Alex was going to have to push in several different directions and see which one pushed back.
Elise was already sweeping the lobby floor when Alex walked in the next morning.
“You’re getting an early start on things,” he said.
She said, “Alex, I need a favor.”
“You’ve got it,” Alex answered.
Elise stopped sweeping and studied him for a moment. “Don’t you even want to know what it is?”
“Elise, you wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important to you. Just tell me how I can help.”
She said, “I need to take off around ten this morning, and I won’t be back until sometime after five. I can still do the rooms before I go, at least the ones that are clear of guests.”
Alex asked, “Would it help to go now? I can take care of the rooms by myself today. Goodness knows you’ve covered enough for me lately.”
Elise said, “Why are you being so nice?”
Alex answered, “You’ve been running this place the last few days without any help from me. I figure you’re entitled to some time off. Do you want to borrow the truck?” Elise often did that when she wanted to run errands around Elkton Falls and beyond, since she didn’t have transportation of her own.
“No, Peter’s coming by to pick me up. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Alex wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of her disappearing with Peter, but she was a grown woman, engaged to the man, for goodness sake. She could do whatever she wanted. ‘Take all the time you need.”
She p
ut the broom away and said, “Then I’ll call him now.” As she passed Alex, she said, “Thanks, I really do appreciate this.”
Alex nodded, and less than ten minutes later, Peter was at the door. It was a trend he wasn’t going to be all that thrilled about, the fact that Asheford was now only a quick phone call away.
Alex said, “Elise asked me to tell you she’ll be down in a minute or two.”
He tried to go back to his list, figuring out what order to attack it in since he was working solo today. The main thing, in all actuality, was avoiding conversation with Peter.
It wasn’t going to happen though, with the man hovering nearby.
Peter coughed once, and when Alex looked up, Elise’s fiancé said, “Interesting place you’ve got here, Alex.”
“You mean the lighthouse and the keepers’ quarters? Thanks, I think Hatteras West is kind of special myself.”
Peter smiled. “No, I didn’t mean that in particular, though it is rather magnificent. I was referring to all of Elkton Falls. How did the name come about, do you know? There must have been a great many elk here at one time, I imagine.”
Every school kid in town had cut their teeth on the story. Alex said, “In all of this area’s recorded history, there has never been a single elk spotted within twenty miles of the place.”
Peter raised one eyebrow. “And I suppose there are no waterfalls nearby, either.”
“Not a one,” Alex said truthfully.
“Then how do you explain the name?” Peter said, a shortness in his tone that showed his frustration with being wrong.
“The man in charge of updating and recording the names for cities in North Carolina back in the 1800s was not very happy about his stay here on his way through town. Evidently the man woke up in a bad mood the day he rode in, and it proceeded to get worse as his time here wore on. When he found the tavern was completely full, he was forced to sleep outside in the cold rain. The next morning, he ran into a grizzled old man who offered him the worst breakfast he’d ever had in his life, a cold porridge that could glue boards together. The government man asked the codger what the name of the town was, and the old fellow replied it was Elkton, which happened to be the old man’s name and not the name the city fathers had chosen at all. The young man looked around the town in disgust and said, ‘Well, all I can say is I hope that someday soon, Elkton Falls!’ With that he rode off, and in a fit of anger, he recorded Elkton Falls in his book, hoping that his prediction would come true someday. It’s the honest truth that there’s never been an elk spotted in town, and the closest waterfall, if you can call it that, is all the way over in Granite.”
Peter wasn’t buying any of it, but the story was true, as far as Alex or anyone else in town knew.
Elise came over as Alex finished his story, but Peter wasn’t ready to let it go. “So what was the town’s original name?”
“Canawba Valley. To be honest with you, I like Elkton Falls a lot better, myself.”
Elise said to Peter, “You asked him about the origin of the town’s name, didn’t you?”
“Don’t tell me you actually believe his story, Elise.”
She said, “I’ve heard it a dozen times around town; he’s not making it up.”
Peter shook his head as they walked out the door. “Utterly amazing,” he said a few times before they made it out.
And then he was gone, with Elise by his side.
Alex had been happy enough to let Elise go before he’d discovered Peter was involved, but there was another, ulterior motive that made him even happier he’d sent her off early.
Cleaning the guest rooms by himself would give Alex the opportunity to search for whatever clues he could find that might point to Jase’s killer. In Alex’s opinion, every suspect involved with the case, with the exception of Julie Hart, was staying at Hatteras West, at least until that night. As he finished straightening up the lobby, Alex realized that Julie had access to the inn herself, being so close to Hatteras West. Certainly, it was a long drive from Amy’s to the inn, but if Julie cut through the woods, she only had two miles to cover, and the young woman certainly looked fit enough to make that round trip easily.
But Alex couldn’t worry about her now. At the moment, he had to focus on the guests staying with him at Hatteras West. If nothing came of his in-house investigation, then he could turn to Julie as a suspect. Besides, the sheriff was probably covering that ground himself.
It was time for Alex to look where no one else was searching.
Tony was the first one up. He met Alex in the lobby. , “Hey Alex, do you have any interest in going to Hiddenite with me today? Since I’ve got the time, I thought it might: be a fun trip.”
The two had gone there countless times searching for gems as boys. It had been one of the few times Tony and Alex had actually gotten along.
“I wish I could, but Elise is off for most of the day, and I’ve got to hang around here and run things.”
Tony said, “That’s fine, I’ll stay with you, then.”
The last thing Alex wanted was Tony hanging around the inn, especially when he wanted to search his brother’s room.
Alex said, “Tell you what. Why don’t you go on to Hiddenite, then pick something up at Buck’s for lunch for us on your way back, and we’ll eat out on the porch. I should have a lot more time this afternoon.”
Tony said, “I suppose I could do that. See, Alex, this is why I’ve been telling you to sell this white elephant. You’re as tied to this place as if you were married to it.”
“I love being an innkeeper, Tony. What else would I do with myself if I weren’t running Hatteras West? Listen, have a good time. I’ll see you around lunchtime.”
Tony agreed, and after Alex was certain the BMW was long gone, he headed up to his brother’s room.
It was time to do a little spying.
Tony had made his own bed, and his suitcase was at the foot of it, packed and ready to go. There was a lock on it, and ordinarily, Alex wouldn’t dream of prying it open. However, the issue of personal privacy didn’t concern him all that much at the moment, not when he was looking for a possible clue about Jase’s murder. Alex tried to convince himself that he was looking for proof Tony didn’t do it as much as evidence that he might have. In his heart, no matter their past differences, Alex didn’t want his brother to be guilty, but logically, he couldn’t dismiss him, either.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to do anything as drastic as breaking into the luggage. Alex locked the door and headed down to the main desk. In a drawer there, he had a ring filled with master keys to just about every suitcase brand made, all except the custom lock jobs. Too many of his guests had locked themselves out of their own luggage over the years, and Alex had bought the keys from a friend in NewCon who ran a locksmith service.
Alex was just opening the drawer when Ashley came downstairs.
“What are doing, Alex?”
“Just looking for a lost key,” he said.
Ashley asked gently, “Do you have a minute?”
He nodded. Tony should be gone for a while. “What’s on your mind?”
“I want to apologize for last night. Mother’s probably right; I do have an overactive imagination at times. Nothing seems to have been taken. I must’ve been mistaken. Sorry for all the trouble.”
“No trouble at all,” Alex said. He wasn’t so sure she was right. With all that was going on at the inn, it was too easy to believe that someone had indeed crept into Ashley’s room without her knowledge. He didn’t have the slightest desire to tell her that, though.
Alex said, “So, where are you off to today?”
“I thought I’d check out Bear Rocks. Steven told me they were really quite fascinating.”
Alex nodded. “Enjoy yourself, but be careful. Some of those rocks are tough to climb if you’re not used to them.”
Alex slid the master key ring back into the drawer. Tony’s room would have to wait, since he’d be gone most of the morning, tied up i
n Hiddenite.
Alex was going to search Ashley’s room while he had the chance and see if anything turned up there.
Chapter 15
Ashley Trask-Cooper wasn’t nearly as neat as Alex would have expected. Clothes were thrown everywhere, as if she’d worked for hours putting together the perfect outfit from everything she’d brought with her for her week’s stay at Hatteras West. He neatly folded all her clothes and put them in the bureau drawers, all the time searching for some sign of evidence that Ashley had been involved with Jase’s murder or the burglary of his room the night before.
After putting her clothes away, changing the sheets, and cleaning the bathroom, the room was neat, but there was no evidence that Ashley had been the one who’d gone through Jase’s things.
He was nearly finished with the room when he noticed a book on the edge of Ashley’s nightstand. For a moment he thought it was the title he’d taken from Jase’s cottage, but when he looked closer, he saw that it was Treasure of the West, not The Treasure Below title he’d picked up there, or The Treasure in the Hills from Jase’s office. What was remarkable was that the three books came from the same series! What were the odds of that? Could this one have come from Jase’s library? Alex couldn’t remember if he’d handled the book himself; the titles had blurred after a while. It might even have been one that Mor packed.
Alex picked up the book and leafed through it, but there was no indication that it had ever belonged to Jase. His uncle didn’t go in for bookplates or inscriptions.
Alex was just setting it back down when a key turned the lock and the door opened.
Ashley said abruptly, “Alex, what are you doing in my room?”
Alex said smoothly, “Elise has the morning off, so I’m cleaning the rooms myself today. I was dusting the night-stand, and I accidentally knocked your book off. I’m afraid I lost your place.”
Ashley took the book from his hands as she said, “Oh, it’s some dreary thing I picked up at a dusty little bookshop in town to help me sleep. I’ve got to read something, or I can’t nod off at night.” She looked around the room. “I’m sorry it was such a mess before. I meant to clean it up myself before you got to it.”