Murder Checks Inn (Book 3 in the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries)

by Tim Myers

  Alex smiled. “Compared to a lot of my guests, you’re a neat freak. You weren’t able to spend much time at Bear Rocks, were you?”

  “I decided to climb the steps of the lighthouse instead, so I came back for my running shoes. Care to join me?”

  Alex said, “I wish I could, but I’ve got a lot of work still ahead of me.”

  “A rain check, then.” She tucked the book in her travel bag, then said, “If you’ll excuse me?”

  “Of course. I’m finished up in here.”

  After Alex was out in the hallway, he headed straight for his room. Locking the door behind him, Alex looked up

  Hannah Parsons’s number in the phone book. She ran Hannah’s Book Shoppe, the only bookstore in Elkton Falls.

  Hannah, a happy octogenarian, answered on the first ring. “Why Alex Winston, how are you? I’m sorry about Jase. He was one of my best customers. Sorry I couldn’t make it out there, but I saw the light from my bedroom window! My, what a glorious sight!”

  “Glad you liked it. Hannah, I’ve got a question. Do you remember a book titled Treasure of the West? It’s a hardback.”

  “Oh, yes, I remember it well. I sold it to a lovely young woman heading out your way for her stay at the inn. Are you looking to acquire a copy of your own? I’m on the Internet now, you know; I could do a search for you.”

  “No, thanks. I was just wondering.” So Ashley really had come by a copy of it legitimately.

  Hannah added, “Jase bought a few of the books in that series himself. The Treasure Below and The Treasure in the Hills, if memory serves. That man loved to surround himself with books.”

  So that mystery was solved. “Thanks Hannah, sorry to bother you.”

  “No bother at all, Alex. Come see me next time you’re in town. I’ve got another lighthouse history book I’m holding for you, and there’s a new bed-and-breakfast mystery series I’ve found that’s quite nice.” Alex kept a great variety of lighthouse-themed books in his inn library, along with mystery series set in small inns. It seemed his guests loved those books almost equally.

  “Okay, I’ll swing by next time I’m in town. Thanks again, Hannah.”

  “You’re welcome, dear.”

  So that was a dead end. For the moment, Ashley was in the clear.

  For the moment.

  Steven was ringing the small bell at the front desk as Alex started out of his own room. “Can I help you?” Alex asked.

  Steven said, “Hi, Alex. Mother and I are going into town, and I was wondering if you could have your maid clean our rooms while we’re gone.”

  “I’ll see to it,” Alex said.

  “Good enough. I’ve got to run; she’s already waiting for ne in the car.”

  After they were gone, Alex grabbed his ring of keys and did a quick sweep and cleanup of Steven’s room first. As ilex unlocked the door, he had to fight the urge not to sneak inside. He had every right to be there, had even been invited by Steven himself. That didn’t stop him from feeling guilty as he scanned the room while he cleaned, searching for any sign that Steven was not what he seemed. In the bathroom, Alex found a medication he wasn’t familiar with. There were a few pills in the bottom of the small brown description bottle with Steven Trask’s name on it. After a quick check with Doc Drake’s wife and nurse, Madge, Alex discovered it was indeed meant for the treatment of depression. There had been no similar bottle in Ashley’s room. So, was that proof that Ashley had been telling the truth, or that Steven had? If Ashley was undergoing treatment for depression, she was skipping her doses at Hatteras West, and if Steven had his medication with him, wouldn’t that imply that he was level and steady? In the end, Alex wasn’t sure what the presence or absence of medications meant.

  The only other thing Alex found in the room was an open book about famous forgeries in history. Alex studied the legal pad beside it for a few minutes, then decided the notes were simply different methods of attacking Julie Hart’s claim on Mathias’s fortune by trying to disprove the letter that served as the only proof that Mathias had believed he was his own. Perhaps Steven wasn’t as welcoming as he wanted the world to believe.

  In Cynthia’s room, Alex found another mess. As an apple, Ashley hadn’t fallen far from her mother’s tree. As Alex cleaned, he found one of the Hatteras West Inn’s notepads, stocked in every room, now filled with scribbles, telephone numbers, and exclamation points peppered throughout. No doubt it represented her search for legal representation outside the confines of Elkton Falls. Alex also found a curious item that had rolled under the bed. It was a complete envelope with Jase’s return address across the back flap. Alex grabbed the paper and turned it over. Cynthia’s name and address were typed there, but the envelope itself was empty. The postmark was blurred, and Alex couldn’t make out a date other than the current year. So what could it mean? Was it from the letter that had brought the Trasks to Hatteras West, or was it a different, perhaps newer communication from Jase? Alex started to put it back where he’d found it, but he had the right, even the obligation to take it in his role as housekeeper. After all, anyone else would have considered it nothing more than trash.

  He tucked the envelope into his shirt pocket, then rapidly finished cleaning the room.

  Alex had found a number of things in the rooms of the Trask family, but he’d be whipped if he knew what they meant. Analyzing his finds would have to wait for another, less frantic time.

  For the moment, Alex had one more place to snoop.

  Alex retrieved the suitcase key collection from the front desk and headed back to Tony’s room. It took Alex just two minutes to find the proper key to Tony’s suitcase; he’d become rather adept at it over the years, and it didn’t hurt that most luggage keys were well-marked. As the lock clicked open, Alex decided to hurry his examination of the contents of his brother’s bag. Ashley’s early entrance had startled him, and he couldn’t just explain away breaking into his own brother’s bag.

  Alex didn’t need much time to find something in his brother’s room after all. Hidden among Tony’s clothes was Jase’s personal journal, a book that by all rights belonged to Alex, given the contents of the will. But what should he do about it? He certainly didn’t have time to read it all, and if he took it, Tony would know Alex had been in his bag. Alex scanned the last few entries, but Jase’s handwriting was worse than a doctor’s. It would take time to decipher the scrawls.

  Alex tucked the book under his arm, then headed back downstairs. He’d make a copy of the last few weeks’ worth of entries, then return the book to Tony’s bag. That way his brother would never know he’d been in there.

  Alex was just copying the last page when a familiar voice behind him said, “What’s up, Brother?”

  Tony was back!

  Alex turned to Tony, making sure the copies were out of his line of sight. “Catching up on my records. You wouldn’t believe the forms I have to fill out around here. You’re back early. What happened to Hiddenite?”

  “I decided it wouldn’t be any fun by myself. Tell you what, why don’t I help you finish up the rooms, then we can go to Buck’s together and grab something to eat.”

  Alex said, “You don’t want to spend your last day here cleaning, do you?”

  Tony said, “Just let me change, and I’ll be right with you.”

  Ashley came downstairs, and Alex called her over. “Still going up to the top of the lighthouse?”

  “I am,” she said. “Did you change your mind about the tour? I’d love to learn more about the history of this charming place.” Ashley had certainly done an about-face regarding Hatteras West.

  Alex said, “I’m really jammed, but my brother Tony knows almost as much about Hatteras West as I do. He grew up here, too. I’m sure he could tell you some fascinating stories about our history.”

  Ashley was a pretty woman, away from her husband and children, and just as Alex had guessed, Tony rose to the bait. “I know more than you’ve forgotten, little Brother. I’ll be glad to take y
ou, Ashley.”

  “Are you sure it’s not too much trouble?”

  Tony said, “Part of the Winston service, ma’am.”

  Alex whispered, “Thanks, this will really help me out.”

  “No problem.” Tony turned to Ashley. “Are you ready for the grand lighthouse tour?”

  “Absolutely.”

  As soon as he was sure they were well on their way, Alex folded the copies and tucked them into his back pocket. His hands didn’t stop shaking until the journal was safely back in Tony’s bag upstairs in his room. Alex did a perfunctory sweep of the place, straightening a few things as he searched, but he didn’t come across anything else that looked out of the ordinary.

  Alex decided to lock himself in his own room downstairs and see if he could come up with a way of breaking the code of Jase’s handwriting, but after ten frustrating minutes, he decided he was going to have to call in an expert.

  After making sure Nadine was still in the office wrapping

  things up, Alex put a sign on the desk that said, ‘Gone into town. Back Soon’, and left.

  Tony was shouting something from the top of the lighthouse as he drove by, but Alex pretended not to hear. “Oh, Alex, I’m thrilled you found Jase’s journal.”

  Alex handed Nadine the photocopied pages, and she asked, “Don’t you have the original?”

  Alex said, “It’s still at the inn.” He didn’t bother explaining. He wasn’t ready to share his suspicions with anyone yet about exactly what Jase may have written in his journal.

  “Very well.” Nadine retrieved a pair of reading glasses and tackled the sheets. After a few moments, she said, “Oh, my. Are you certain you want to hear this, Alex?”

  “I’m a grown man, Nadine, I can take whatever Jase had co say. Give it to me straight from what he wrote.”

  Nadine said, “Very well,” then she started to read. “‘Alex seems happy enough fighting to keep his inn alive, it’s hopeless going it alone, but his heart’s in the right place. That boy needs a good woman by his side. Elise Danton? No, she’s already got someone. I must see if there’s anyone in town I can interest him in. That boy deserves some happiness in his life.’ Alex, there’s more, but it’s along the same lines. Shall I continue?”

  “No, you can skip ahead.” He’d thought he recognized his name a few places in the pages, but that was all he’d been able to decipher. He’d deal with Jase’s feelings later; right now, he was looking for clues.

  Nadine continued, “‘Tony is in desperate need of money again. I wish I could say it was a surprise, but I’d been expecting it. There was a new twist though, an ugly one at that. He came to me today demanding his inheritance! The impudence of that boy! I’m drafting a new will as soon as I get the chance! He’s out! Alex can use it all to prop up that inn, if he so chooses, or he can sell everything and make himself a fresh start! I’m finished with Tony, that’s the only thing I know without hesitation or reservation. I made a mistake not giving Alex half of everything before, and I mean to correct it, and soon!’” Nadine looked up. “It gets kind of blurry here; he was clearly upset when he wrote this.”

  “When was it dated?” Alex asked.

  Nadine looked at the entry, then said, “Right after Tony’s last visit.” She stared at the paper, refusing to meet his gaze is she added, “Less than a week ago.”

  Alex had so many questions ripping through his head, he wasn’t sure which one to ask first. “Obviously Jase didn’t get the opportunity to write a new will. Nadine, I thought you said that the last time Tony was here was over a month ago.”

  Nadine kept studying the papers in front of her, refusing to meet his gaze, and Alex knew she wasn’t telling him everything. “What is it? What are you holding back?”

  Nadine sighed, then said, “Alex, I’m afraid I haven’t been exactly forthright with you. Your brother came to see Jase four days before the murder. It was late at night, and I was already halfway down the street when I realized I’d left my purse on my desk. I started back toward the office, but then I saw that your uncle wasn’t alone anymore. He and Tony were arguing about money, and something told me those two men needed some time alone. Alex, I didn’t mean for you to know just how persistent Tony was about demanding his ‘share’ of your Uncle’s money. It was breaking Jase’s heart.”

  Alex asked, “Did you tell Sheriff Armstrong about any of this?”

  Nadine said, “I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Now I think I’ve done something horribly wrong.” Her voice was barely a whisper as she added, “Alex, I think your brother killed him.”

  “This is too important to keep to yourself.”

  “What are you suggesting, Alex? Do you honestly expect me to turn your brother over to the police?”

  Alex said, “Nadine, do you think I want to believe he’s capable of this for one minute? It’s a nightmare for me, thinking that my brother could have killed Uncle Jase. But I can’t turn my back on the possibility that he did it. And if Tony killed him, he deserves to be punished for it, brother or not.”

  Nadine looked as if she was about to cry. “Alex, you’re good at solving these things. Talk to your brother and poke around some more. Don’t just turn your back on him. He’s the only family you have left.”

  “I can’t shield him if he’s a murderer,” Alex said.

  “No, but if he’s not, you’re going to ruin him. You know that, don’t you? Alex, don’t do this for your uncle. Don’t even do it for Tony. Find the truth for yourself. It’s the only way you’ll be able to live with the outcome, no matter what it is. Keep digging,” she said with a fiery burst. “I have faith in you, Alex.”

  “I’m glad somebody does.” Alex shoved the copies toward Nadine. “Put these somewhere safe, okay? And don’t mention this conversation to anyone else. I don’t want Tony to know you saw him coming back here after hours.”

  Nadine looked taken aback. “Alex, you honestly don’t think I’m in danger from your brother, do you? My goodness, I was his teacher, too!”

  “Just don’t take any chances, Nadine. I’ll call you later if I find anything else.”

  She took his hand in hers and squeezed. “Alex, you’ll do the right thing. I know it in my heart.”

  “I just wish I knew what the right thing was,” Alex answered.

  “When you find it, you’ll know it. Good luck.”

  He frowned, then answered, “I’ll need it. Lock your door after I’m gone, Nadine.”

  “Oh, Alex, you worry too much.”

  Still, he waited outside the office door until he heard the meaty click of the door locking behind him before he left.

  Chapter 16

  As Alex headed back to Hatteras West, he kept considering the possibility that his brother had killed their uncle. Could his greed have driven him to it? Sandra couldn’t have known anything about Jase’s intention to draft a new will; she would have said something to him. Could Jase have drafted a new document himself? Alex wondered if there had been more than one will in Jase’s safe the morning he was murdered. If his uncle told Tony about the change during a confrontation between the two men, Tony could have clubbed Jase and destroyed the new will, knowing that the previous one left him all that money. Alex’s guts were roiling by the time he pulled up Point Road.

  Alex had to find Tony and talk to him. The possibility that his brother was a murderer couldn’t stop him.

  He had to know the truth.

  Alex was surprised to find Elise on the front porch, sitting on one of the rockers facing the lighthouse.

  “I thought you were going to be gone all day,” he said.

  “Plans change,” Elise answered. “You did a nice job on the rooms.”

  “Thanks,” he said absently.

  “What’s wrong, Alex?” Elise said levelly.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve just got something I have to take care of. Elise, do me a favor, would you? If I’m in any ‘accidents’ over the next few days, tell Armstrong to check into it, no matter what
it looks like.”

  He started to brush past her when she leapt from the chair. “What’s going on?”

  “Never mind. Forget it, Elise, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “But you did. Alex, I’m worried.”

  He said evenly, “I am, too. That’s why I need to talk to Tony.”

  Elise wouldn’t get out of his way. “Why don’t we take a walk, and you can tell me about it before you do whatever’s on your mind.”

  “I’m sorry, I have to do this now,” he said.

  She put her hand on his and said, “Sometimes it helps to talk it through first, Alex. What have you got to lose, five minutes of your life? It might help you sort out how you feel. It’s worked before.”

  That was true enough. Alex had often used Elise as his sounding board in the past. Maybe he was too close to Tony and Jase to look at things rationally.

  “Okay, you’ve convinced me.”

  Elise smiled. “Good. Why don’t we go up to the top of the lighthouse? You always seem to think better up there.”

  Alex looked up and saw two figures at the top. Tony and Ashley were still up there. “How about Bear Rocks instead?”

  Elise followed his gaze up, then said, “Bear Rocks it is.”

  As the two of them walked down the path to the rock formations, Elise said, “Talk to me, Alex.”

  “I think my brother might have killed Jase,” he said in a

  burst of words. Somehow voicing them made it all seem real.

  Elise said, “I know you well enough to realize you’ve got some evidence to back that up. What makes you think Tony might have killed your uncle?”

  After Alex explained Tony’s late-night visit to Jase, the angry journal entry, Tony’s strong financial motive, and the possibility of his being written out of a new will, Elise said, “You’ve certainly built a strong case against him. Are you saying you’re discounting the disappearance of Mathias Trask’s will completely? It still looks like a strong motive to me.”