by Tim Myers
“Take it easy, Rachel. They’re in my office. I just spoke with Sandra. She’s agreed to talk to your boyfriend, but he’s refusing his right to a lawyer.”
“We’ll just see about that,” Rachel said as she pounded on Alex’s office door.
As the door opened, Rachel tried to push past Armstrong, but the sheriff wouldn’t budge.
Nearly out of breath, Rachel said, “Sheriff, you can’t talk to him without his lawyer present.”
“I offered; he declined. Besides, no charges have been filed. Now, you’re interrupting an official investigation here.”
Rachel shouted, “Bill, don’t say a word. Alex called a lawyer for you.”
“I don’t need a lawyer. I didn’t kill him,” Yadkin snapped.
Rachel said fiercely, “You idiot, that’s why you need someone to protect you.”
Yadkin said strongly, “I can handle this myself, Rachel. I don’t need you meddling.”
Instead of backing down this time, Rachel said firmly, “If you do this on your own, we’re through! I mean it, Bill. You of all people should know I don’t make idle threats.”
Alex wondered how much effect the ultimatum would have on the young man. Finally, just as the sheriff smiled at the silence, the blacksmith said, “Okay, you win. I guess we’d better wait for this lawyer fella.”
“It’s a woman, and she’ll be here any minute,” Rachel explained, the relief thick in her voice.
Armstrong looked like he was ready to spit nails. “Alex, I want to talk to you. Now!” He pulled Alex by the arm into the lobby, away from everyone else. “Now, why did you go and do that? He was almost ready to confess!”
“Sheriff, how can you be so sure he did it? I was afraid he’d say something to you he couldn’t take back.”
“That’s why I was pushing him!”
Alex matched his tone. “And that’s why I called Sandra!”
“Listen up, Alex, I’m not going to put up with you sticking your nose in this case, you hear me?” Armstrong took a deep breath, then said in an easier tone, “I’m the first one to admit you’ve helped me a time or two in the past, but that doesn’t give you the right to interfere. Do I make myself clear?”
Alex nodded. “I hear what you’re saying, but you can’t expect me to stand by and just watch, can you?”
“You’d better believe it,” Armstrong said. “Now, I’ll thank you to stick to running your inn, and I’ll handle the investigations around here.”
Chapter 4
Alex watched as the sheriff stormed back into the office. He was probably right. Investigating crime was a job for the sheriff, not for an innkeeper. But there was no way Alex could just stand around and watch the young blacksmith hang himself!
Armstrong suddenly pulled out of Alex’s office with Bill Yadkin in tow.
“Out of the way, Alex,” the sheriff said as he led the young blacksmith to the door.
“Where are you taking him, Sheriff Armstrong?” Rachel demanded. “You can’t arrest him until his lawyer gets here.”
“Tell Sandra we’ll be over at the jail. I’m finishing this interview downtown, where there will be less interruptions.” He looked pointedly at Alex as he said the last.
Rachel blocked their way. “You’re not taking him anywhere until Sandra arrives.”
Armstrong said, “Rachel Seabock, I’ve known you most of my life, but don’t you believe for one second that I won’t arrest you for obstructing justice if you don’t back off, and I mean right now.”
Rachel was sobered by the thought of going to jail, but she wasn’t about to give up. “I’m going with you then,” she said resolutely.
“You can follow me into town, but you can’t have a ride. I’m sorry, Rachel, but it has to be that way.”
She pointedly ignored the sheriff and said, “Bill, don’t say a word until your attorney gets there.”
It looked like the young man was finally beginning to realize just how precarious a position he was in. Alex couldn’t really blame Armstrong for his enthusiasm in going after Bill. After all, the young blacksmith had the means to commit the murder as well as a pretty strong motive. As to opportunity, Alex had to admit that just about anyone staying at The Hatteras West Inn could have killed Jefferson Lee. In Alex’s mind, the most damaging piece of evidence was the metal spear used to stab the blacksmith; there was little doubt that Bill Yadkin had forged the skewer used to kill Jefferson Lee.
After Armstrong had taken Bill Yadkin away, with Rachel close on their heels, Alex looked around the suddenly deserted inn. The place was eerily quiet. Alex stepped outside for some fresh air. Springtime in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains could be delightful, but it could also be a fickle friend. He’d seen it balmy and warm one day, only to have violent ice storms the next. Fortunately, for the fair’s sake, the weather looked like it would be cooperating over the next two days.
On the wide, expansive porch at the front of the inn, Alex stood beside the half-dozen rocking chairs and surveyed the grounds. People were just beginning to file in, and with the murder on the grounds, it could easily turn out to be a record crowd. Shantara had had the foresight to sell daily tickets to the event, and from the number of people already drifting in, she’d easily earn her investment in the fair back today, leaving the next day for pure profit. His gaze automatically took in the new construction site, where one of Armstrong’s deputies now stood guard.
Alex suddenly felt a meaty paw slap him on the back. “You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?”
Alex smiled brightly at Mor Pendleton. “You can’t blame this one on me,” Alex said as he looked at his friend. He and Alex had played football together, though Mor had been the star, while Alex had played more of a supporting role. A bad hit in college had wiped out Mor’s knees, and the man had been forced to drop out of college and come back to Elkton Falls to join Lester Williamson in the handyman business. The two men were vital to keeping Hatteras West up and running, and Mor or Les was a welcome fixture to all of Elkton Falls.
“Where’s Emma?” Alex asked lightly. His resident gem expert and his best friend had become quite an item around Elkton Falls lately.
Mor shrugged. “She’s around here somewhere. That woman can surely be exasperating.”
Alex laughed. “I’ve heard her say the exact same thing about you.”
“I’ll just bet you have,” Mor said.
As Emma Sturbridge joined them on the porch, she said, “My ears were burning fiercely. Were you gentlemen by any chance talking about me?” Emma was a large, attractive woman with a sharp gleam in her eyes and a confident tone in her voice.
“What did you buy?” Mor asked, looking at the bundle under her arm and ignoring her question completely.
“I found the most delightful sweater. That Jenny can really weave, can’t she?” Emma took her new acquisition out of the bag and held it up in front of her. The sweater sported a bright splash of colors that seemed to melt together in a most unusual pattern, but it suited her.
Emma Sturbridge had come to the inn as a guest searching for some of the emeralds the area was famous for, and she’d ended up staying in Elkton Falls. The town had that effect on some people, drawing them in like bees to fresh blossoms. Emma now owned a crisply kept little cottage in town, and Alex believed that its proximity to Mor or Les’s repair shop was anything but an accident. She’d been delighted to announce to Mor that she fancied him, and to Alex’s surprise, it hadn’t taken Mor long to reciprocate.
Mor said, “Emma, I’ve got to get back to town. I have a full schedule today.” He laughed at Alex. “Believe it or not, you’re not even on my list.”
“The new boiler’s running as calm and quiet as a whisper,” Alex said.
Mor nodded. “I’m glad you took some of the money from the new construction budget to replace it, but I kind of miss hanging around, Alex.” The old boiler had been a nightmare for both men, and Alex wondered which of them had been more relieved to see
it go. It now resided, in various pieces, at Amy Lang’s studio, destined to be wed with other discards to become another piece of her modern sculpture. Amy was fairly new to Elkton Falls, though her people had come from the Foothills several generations before. Once the fair was over, Alex promised himself to make it a point to visit her studio. After all, she was one of his closest neighbors, though their respective businesses kept them busy at their own tasks.
“Are you heading back with me?” Mor asked.
Emma said, “I think I’ll stay and catch up with Elise. I haven’t seen her in days. I’ll see you tonight.” She kissed Mor soundly, and he laughed brightly when Emma stepped back.
“You’re good for me, woman,” he said, still smiling.
“It’s nice to be appreciated, but you’re going to be late.”
Mor grinned at Alex. “She’s a worse slave driver than Les is.”
“Oh, go on with you,” Emma said.
After Mor was gone, Emma said, “Where’s Elise? I want to show her my new sweater.”
“She’s somewhere inside,” Alex said.
Emma patted his shoulder. “I’m so sorry about the murder. It’s not your fault, Alex. You know that, don’t you?”
Alex smiled sadly. “In my heart I know you’re right. I’m sorry he’s dead, but I realize this kind of thing happens all the time. I just wish it hadn’t happened here.”
As he watched more people stream into the fair, Alex saw Sandra’s BMW cut through the crowd and make its way to the front steps of the inn.
She got out of the car, showing a flash of her long legs as she did. Sandra always wore the shortest skirts she could get away with in court. There was no doubt she got the male jurors’ attention that way, but she held it with her persuasive arguments. When the two of them had been dating, Alex had sat in on one of her closing statements just to see her in action, and he’d been overwhelmed by her presence in court. Sandra
was remarkably good at what she did, and Alex began to realize that she had won most of their arguments for a reason. That had been one of their problems. Sandra could convince him of just about anything when they were together. Only afterward did he realize that he’d been played expertly to come to the conclusions she’d wanted him to reach.
“Alex, it’s good to be back at Hatteras West. I’ve missed this place.”
Alex said, “I’m afraid you’re too late, Sandra. The sheriff’s already taken Bill into town.”
“He hasn’t arrested him, has he?”
Alex said, “No, but he said to tell you that he was taking Bill to jail so he could interrogate him without being interrupted.”
“We’ll just see about that,” Sandra said.
Alex added, “Sandra, I’m not sure how he’s set financially. I probably shouldn’t have brought you in on this, but I didn’t know who else to call.”
She touched his arm lightly. “Don’t worry about it, Alex. You did the right thing. I can always write it off as my contribution to the arts.”
“One thing, Sandra. Bill Yadkin’s got a real temper. It’s not going to be easy representing him.”
Sandra offered a smile. “Well, you know me, Alex. I always did like a challenge.”
As she drove away, Alex wondered if he’d sent her on an impossible mission.
He had to admit that there was a very real chance Bill Yadkin had done exactly what it appeared, that the young blacksmith had killed off his main competition.
Chapter 5
Alex knew it was pointless wading through the bills he’d thrown in his desk drawer. Just the thought of reorganizing them again was enough to kill the desire to work. His mind was on other things.
Murder had come back to The Hatteras West Inn, and it was a most unwelcome guest.
Alex decided that more than anything else, he needed some time on Bear Rocks. Slipping away to the top of the lighthouse gave him perspective on his problems when he needed a place to think, but touching the sun-warmed boulders always offered an overwhelming comfort he couldn’t explain. The formation of weathered boulders, eroded into passageways, slides and bridges, had always had a calming influence on him. As a boy, Alex had memorized every twist and turn to the paths, and he prided himself on the fact that he knew the rocks better than anyone alive.
Cutting through the crowds at the fair, Alex ducked into the trees and soon found himself mostly away from the noise of their presence. He curled up into a cradle of warm stone and stared up at the sky. He hadn’t been there long before a voice called out to him.
“I thought I saw you slipping away through the trees,” Alex heard.
He looked up to find Shantara Robinson standing at the base of his rock.
Alex said, “To tell you the truth, I needed to get away from the world for a few minutes.”
“I can relate to that,” she said as she deftly climbed up beside him.
“Shouldn’t you be at the fair?”
She shook her head. “I had to catch my breath, too. We’ve got a huge crowd, that’s for sure. Only I don’t think they came to see the artisans at work; they’re more interested in seeing the crime scene. People can be such ghouls.”
“So why are you up here hiding from the world?” She paused a second, then added, “As if I have to even ask. Alex, I’m so sorry I brought all this onto you and your place.”
“Listen to me, Shantara, it’s not your fault any more than it is mine. I just hate that it had to happen at all.”
“Me, too, Alex.” There were a few moments of shared silence, then Shantara stood up and brushed her slacks off. “Why don’t we head back to the fair? People are probably wondering where we slipped off to.”
Alex joined her as she deftly jumped off the rocks. He said, “Let them wonder. It will give them something to talk about besides the murder.”
As they walked through the trees on the path that led back to the inn, Shantara asked soberly, “Alex, do you think Bill actually killed Jefferson Lee?”
“Well, he had motive enough. I’ve heard Jefferson was trying to drive him out of business by stealing all of his customers. I don’t have to tell you about Yadkin’s temper, either.”
“So you think he did it?” Shantara asked.
Alex took a few steps, then stopped as he said, “No, I don’t think he killed the man, but I could be wrong. I couldn’t tell you why, it’s just something in my gut.”
Shantara said, “So, if Bill Yadkin didn’t kill him, who did?”
“I wish I knew,” Alex admitted. “Give Armstrong a chance, Shantara. He’ll uncover the truth.”
“Not without you helping him, Alex. Everybody in town knows how much he leans on you.”
Alex held up his hands. “Shantara, I’m staying out of this. I’m just an innkeeper, remember?”
“You’re a lot more than that,” Shantara said as she stepped closer. “Alex, you can’t just let this drop.” There was a catch in her voice as she added, “Don’t you understand? This is all my fault.”
“You’re not responsible for Jefferson Lee’s murder, Shantara.”
“I just wish that were true,” Shantara said, tears creeping from her velvety brown eyes.
“Let it go, Shantara.”
She shook her head. “I wish I could.” Shantara took a deep breath, then let it out slowly before she added, “Alex, how long have we been friends?”
Alex said softly, “Since kindergarten. You used to steal my sleep mat during naptime.”
“That was the only way I could get your attention. Alex, in all the years we’ve known each other, how many times have I asked you for a favor?”
He started to answer when Shantara continued, “I mean besides having the fair here at Hatteras West.”
“Never,” Alex admitted.
Shantara looked gravely into his eyes, then said, “Well, they’re coming in a flood, because this is going to be the second thing I’ve ever asked you to do for me. Alex, you’ve got to find out who really killed Jefferson Lee. The only thi
ng is, you can’t ask why it’s so important to me. Just believe me when I tell you it is, more than you’ll ever know.”
Alex protested, “I’m not a cop, Shantara, I’m not even some fancy private detective. What makes you think I can find out who killed Jefferson Lee?”
“You were always good with puzzles, Alex, and you’ve got a way of making people talk to you. You really listen! Do you know how rare that is in this world? Will you do this, Alex? For me?”
“I don’t know what I can do,” Alex said, then added quickly, “but I’ll try my best. For you.”
Shantara gave Alex one of her rare hugs, then released him just as quickly as she’d embraced him.
Despite his best intentions to stay out of the murder investigation, Alex suddenly found himself right back in the middle of things.
And he still didn’t have a clue why Shantara was convinced that Jefferson Lee’s murder had anything to do with her.
Shantara had persuaded Alex to let her exhibitors stay at the inn during the two days of the fair at a greatly reduced rate long before the festivities had moved to Hatteras West’s grounds. Elise hadn’t even been able to disagree, since it was an extremely slow time for them anyway, and it did manage to fill up the rooms. The only room they had reserved for the weekend was #7, where Evans Graile was staying while his house was being renovated. Evans was an agreeable old man with a sharp eye and a soft voice; he never missed a thing and wasn’t reticent at all about sharing his newfound information. Most days, he watched the outside world in one of the lobby’s comfortable chairs from early morning till late into the night, and honestly, Alex had grown accustomed to his presence, but he’d been noticeably absent over the past few hours. Alex wondered where in the world the man could be.
Jefferson Lee had demanded the inn’s nicest suite for himself, but Alex had refused to move Evans from his room. Jefferson had insisted that he was the fair s biggest draw, and Alex realized ironically that he’d turned out to be just that.