Murder Checks Inn (Book 3 in the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries) (11 page)

truth be told. Maybe he’d been wrong about
his brother. Perhaps Tony had grown some in the years since they’d
talked last.

There was a knock on the door, and Mor
walked in. “Is this a bad time?”

“
There don’t seem to be
many good ones lately, so come on in,” Alex said.

Mor started to edge out of the office.
“We’ll catch up later.”

Alex stood. “Listen, I’m sorry. I’m just
having a hard time with all that’s been going on around here the
past few days.”

Mor said, “I just came by to see if you
wanted to go get Jase’s stuff, but we can do it another time.”

Alex looked at the latest bills still to
pay, then said, “Now’s as good a time as any. Let me tell Elise,
then we can go.”

Alex found Elise starting her rounds
upstairs. “I need an hour or two in town. Can you cover here?”

Elise said, “Absolutely. Are you getting
things set up for tonight?”

“
No, Jase took care of all
the arrangements before he died. It’s weird, almost as if he knew
something was going to happen.”

Elise said, “Alex, he wasn’t a young
man.”

“
He was still too young to
die,” Alex replied.

“
I didn’t mean anything by
it, Alex, just that he wanted to be ready.”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.
Listen, if you need me for anything, Mor’s going to help me pack up
Jase’s things at his cottage.”

Elise said, “I wish I could help, but
somebody has to be here for our guests.”

“
Thanks anyway,” he said as
he left her in the hallway.

Downstairs, Mor asked, “Is everything
okay?”

“
No, but it will be,” Alex
said as they walked out of Hatteras West.

Chapter 10

“
So how’s your life going?”
Alex asked Mor as they loaded up another box of books. “Have you
made up your mind about what you’re going to do with Les’s
offer?”

“
Not yet,” Mor said. With a
grin, he added, “I’m kind of hoping if I put it off long enough,
Les will change his mind.” “Any chance of that happening?” Mor
shook his head. “I don’t think so. The man’s in love. He’s leaving,
and I’m tired of trying to convince him to stay” Mor taped up the
box he was working on, then picked it up. Alex grabbed another box,
and the two men walked out to Mor’s truck. Alex had wondered if he
should have brought his truck as well, but Mor convinced him that
they could get everything into the back of his long-bed
pickup.

Sadly, it looked like there was going to be
room left over. Mor said, “How are you holding up?” “It’s tough, I
won’t deny it, but I’m finally starting to accept the fact that
Jase is gone.”

Mor nodded. “Elise’s fiancé picked a bang-up
time to come to town, didn’t he? That can’t be helping
matters.”

Alex said stiffly, “It’s none of my
business. I figured he’d be here sooner or later.”

“
Come on, Alex, this is
your old buddy you’re talking to. I know it’s killing you to see
her with somebody else.”

Alex said, “I’ll get over it. She made her
choice a long time ago, and I’m just going to have to live with
it.”

“
Did she, though? Elise
didn’t know you when she said yes to him.”

Alex said, “I’ve got to face facts and get
on with my life. Elise and I just weren’t meant to be.”

As the two men walked back inside, Mor
nodded as he surveyed the cottage’s small rooms. “That looks to be
the last of Jase’s personal stuff in here. Alex, should we head
over to the law office and do the job right, or do you want to save
it for another day?”

“
Let’s just get it over
with. If you don’t mind, why don’t you go ahead and get in the
truck? I’ll be out in a bit. I just need a minute or two
alone.”

“
Take your time,” Mor said.
“I decided to take the whole morning off. I figure I won’t get the
chance after Les retires. If I buy him out, that is.”

After his friend was gone, Alex walked
around the cottage alone, trying to capture the last essence of his
uncle there. It was odd, but with the books gone and Jase’s clothes
sent off to the Salvation Army, the place was just an empty shell,
not the home Jase had made for himself. There was nothing of the
man left there. Alex wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but
there was no trace of Jase’s quick laugh or his bright smile in the
walls around him. The essence of his uncle, what made him special,
was long gone in one sense, and in another very real way buried
deep in Alex’s heart.

There was nothing left behind to savor, to
grasp, to love.

Peter was welcome to all that was left
behind.

It was quick work packing the few personal
things of Jase’s in his office. Sandra had agreed to take care of
the law books and his pending files, a dealer was taking all the
furniture on consignment, and what little was left fit into three
packing boxes.

Nadine hovered over them as they worked. As
Mor carried a box downstairs, Alex finished packing up the last
bits of his uncle’s life and found the companion book to The
Treasure Below, Treasure in the Hills, on his desktop. Alex added
it to his stack as Nadine said, “I swear I meant to do this myself.
I just didn’t realize you’d want it done so quickly.”

Alex said, “I don’t mind, Nadine. I hope you
don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m surprised you’re still here.
I can’t pay you anything for your work. I wish I could.”

Nadine said, “Your brother’s taken care of
it till the end of the week, Alex. He said it was the least he
could do.”

Alex nodded. So Tony had done the right
thing after all. “That was good of him. You know I would have done
it myself, but...”

Nadine touched his shoulder lightly. “Alex,
you don’t have to explain anything to me. I knew what Jase was
going to do, though I tried to talk him out of it till I was blue
in the face. He said his books would mean more to you than any
stocks or bonds ever could. I’m afraid he might have seen your
construction out there as a sign that you were doing well enough on
your own financially.” She paused, then said, “You know how worried
he was about your brother.”

“
No, I didn’t know anything
about that. What are you talking about, Nadine?”

She looked flustered. “Oh, dear. I’m afraid
I’ve already said too much.”

Alex wasn’t about to let it go that easily.
“Not enough, in my opinion. What’s going on?”

“
Alex, I really shouldn’t
say.”

He was in no mood for games. “Then I’ll just
have to ask Tony myself.”

“
No, you can’t do that,”
she pleaded.

“
One way or the other, I’m
going to find out.”

Nadine nodded. “I know you, Alex, you’re
like a dog with an old bone when you’re trying to get to the truth
about something. All right, I’ll tell you, but you must swear never
to let your brother know you’re aware of his situation. Tony’s in
trouble financially. He came to Jase a few months ago and asked him
for a loan. Your uncle gave him something, but Tony kept saying it
wasn’t enough. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the two of them had
words. The walls here aren’t that thick.”

“
Why didn’t he come to me
if he was in trouble?”

“
Alex, Tony knew you
couldn’t give him the kind of help he needed. From what I gathered
before, Jase’s inheritance will just barely get him out of trouble.
That’s why he got so much of the stock.” She looked as if she was
going to cry. “Oh Alex, please don’t tell him I told you about
this. Your brother has a lot of pride, more than is good for him,
I’ll wager.”

“
I won’t say a word,” Alex
promised.

Nadine said, “I’ve got to get some fresh
air,” as she dabbed at her cheeks. “If you wouldn’t mind, could you
lock up when you leave?”

As soon as Alex was alone, he walked to the
safe where Jase’s body was found. There was no chalk outline on the
floor, just a single stain on the carpet where he’d died.

A horrible thought suddenly struck Alex.

What if they were all on the wrong track
about Jase’s murder?

What if Mathias’s will wasn’t the real
reason Jase had been killed? Was it possible, the unthinkable
thought floating around in his mind? Could Jase’s murder have been
committed because of greed closer to home? He couldn’t imagine Tony
actually murdering their uncle, but Nadine had said he was in dire
financial trouble, and people had killed for a lot less than a
hundred thousand dollars.

As much as he hated to admit it, Alex
realized that if he looked at his uncle’s murder objectively, Tony
had to be considered a suspect.

“
Hey Alex, are you all right?”

Alex looked up from the box he’d been
staring at to find Mor a few feet away. He’d been so lost in his
thoughts that he hadn’t even heard his friend come back in. “Sorry,
I must have zoned out.”

“
You’re entitled to, buddy.
This has got to be hard for you.” Mor looked around the room. “So
what happens to all this? Do we pack it all?”

“
Sandra’s handling the
cases Jase was working on, except where they were going against
each other, so she’s getting a lot of the files. A lawyer from
Hickory’s coming over to handle the rest. He hinted to Sandra that
he might be interested in buying the entire practice.”

“
So you might see something
out of this after all?” Mor asked.

“
From all accounts, there’s
not much to buy. Jase ran this law office as a hobby more than
anything else. I’m glad he did; he was happiest when he was working
on a case. I’ve got his personal books. That’s all I care
about.”

Mor said, “I understand how you feel, but
you’ve got to be pragmatic, too. I know what Hatteras West costs
you to operate. If this guy makes an offer, I’d get what I could
out of it.”

“
We’ll worry about that
when the time comes.” He looked around once more, then said, “Let’s
go. There’s nothing else here for me.”

As they stowed the last box in the truck,
Mor said, “Well, that’s one way to burn a morning. Let’s go over to
Buck’s and grab some lunch.”

Alex said, “I don’t know if I should. I’ve
left Elise alone all morning.”

“
So what’s another half
hour going to hurt?” Mor hesitated, then said, “Tell you what, I’ll
even buy. You’re not going to get a better deal than that. What do
you say?”

“
I say we go before you
change your mind,” Alex said. “Why don’t we walk over? It’s a
pretty day, and I could use the fresh air.”

“
Why not,” Mor agreed, so
they headed over to Buck’s on foot.

Buck’s Grill was jammed, nearly overflowing
with the noonday crowd. Sally Anne, Buck’s daughter, barely had
time to nod toward them as she hustled past with a tray heavily
loaded with food.

Irene Wilkins, the beautician/criminologist,
called them over to her booth. “Would you two gentlemen care to
share a table with me? It’s the only way you’ll eat sitting down
today.”

Alex slid in beside her and said, “Now how
can we turn down such a gracious offer? But Irene, are you sure
your reputation can handle being seen with the two of us?”

Mor winked at her as he added, “I’m not sure
anyone’s name could survive that particular blow. Just don’t tell
Emma about this when she gets back. She has a tendency to get
jealous when I pay too much attention to another woman.”

Irene laughed heartily, catching the other
diners’ attention for a moment before they went back to their
discussions. Though the food was good enough, Alex believed most of
the customers were there as much for the conversation as they were
for the meal.

Irene asked, “So how’s life at the inn,
Alex?”

“
Never a dull moment. We’re
trying to get everything ready for tonight.” He glanced at his
watch. “In fact, I should be there right now, but Mor offered to
buy lunch, and I wasn’t about to pass that up.”

Mor said, “Keep your voice down, will you? I
have a reputation to uphold.” He glanced at the crowd and said,
“Tell you what, why don’t I go ahead and order for us at the
counter? Sally Anne’s really hopping, and I’m hungry enough to eat
a moose.”

“
How do you know what I
want?” Alex asked.

“
Come on, anybody in Elkton
Falls could order for you, Alex. Club sandwich, no tomato, fries,
and iced tea. Now tell me I’m wrong.”

“
You’re wrong,” Alex said.
“Since you’re buying, I think I’ll start with the filet mignon,
maybe a chocolate mousse and a bottle of Buck’s finest
champagne.”

Mor laughed. “Right. I’ll go place that
order right away, sir.”

After he was gone, Irene said somberly,
“Alex, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about,
but I didn’t know how to go about it.”

“
Is it about my uncle?”
Alex asked.

“
Yes, but not in the way
you think. It’s ... well... it’s all rather personal.”

Alex said, “I swear I won’t breathe a word.
What are you holding back?”

Irene lowered her voice. “It’s not about the
case, Alex. Jase and I, well, we were friends. I don’t know if
you’ve heard, but we had a habit of sharing our Thursday evenings
together. He’d come over and I’d cook us a big meal, then we’d sit
in the parlor and play a few games of chess.” Irene said, “Don’t
look so surprised. Beauticians can play chess, too.”

“
It’s not that. I know
you’re one of the smartest folks in Elkton Falls. I just didn’t
realize you were dating my uncle.”

Alex had to look hard to believe what he was
seeing. The