Innkeeping with Murder - Tim Myers [23]
“They say she thought he was crazy, but secretly delighted with the prospect of the construction. The original Hatteras lighthouse had been dedicated on her fourth birthday, December 16th, 1870. Adlai decided that Hannah’s lighthouse would be finished by her twenty-fourth birthday. The original tower took eighteen months to build, but Hannah’s took only fifteen months, once he managed to assemble a lot of the original construction crew.”
Elise said, “How romantic of Adlai. Did Hannah love the lighthouse? I know, I bet it cured her, and she lived to enjoy being a grandmother herself I can close my eyes and see her up on the observation deck now.”
Alex shook his head sadly. “She died nine days before the tower was finished. It broke Adlai’s heart to lose his wife. He shipped his children off to his sister for her to raise. They say that even the sight of those shining little faces that looked so much like their mother broke his heart all over again. For the rest of his life, the light was only lit one day in December every year, the anniversary of Hannah’s birthday.”
Alex glanced over to see Elise’s eyes tear up. He nodded softly before continuing. “After Adlai died, my grandfather inherited the property. The family fortune was still viable then, but mismanagement of the trust Adlai had set up wiped out everything but the ownership of the lighthouse and the forty-odd acres I have now. By the time Dad took over, he was afraid he’d lose the lighthouse itself. That’s when he decided to turn the place into an inn.”
Elise dried her tears, then said, “If I’m going to work I a full day tomorrow, we’d better get back to the inn. Alex, I had a lovely evening.”
Alex stood up too. “I hope I didn’t bore you with my family history.”
Elise said softly, “Don’t be silly. Thank you for sharing it with me. It makes Hatteras West feel like home to me.
Chapter 7
Alex paid the bill, leaving a more generous tip than usual, and escorted Elise back to the truck.
The weather had changed during their time inside the restaurant. A heavy fog was starting to roll in, giving the air a moisture-laden density that he could almost taste. Though no rain was falling, they were still damp from the mist before they could reach the dry shelter of the truck interior.
In the darkness of the truck cab, Elise said, “We’ve been avoiding the topic all evening, but I think it’s something we need to discuss before we get back to the inn. Alex, who do you think killed Reg Wellington?”
He kept his eyes on the billowing clouds of fog that blanketed the road as he went over his theories. “I suppose Junior is the prime suspect. He claims to have been asleep out on the loop trail when his father was murdered, but I have my doubts. I know from Reg, and by Junior’s own admission today, that he stands to inherit just about everything his father had.”
Elise said, “What do the police think?”
“I’m not sure about Armstrong. He hasn’t even bothered to question anyone yet as far as I know, but Doc Drake seems to trust him, and I have to give him points for that. To be honest with you, before today I never had much cause to think about Calvin’s competency one way or another.”
He saw her nod solemnly in the dim light from the dashboard. “So that’s why you’re trying to come up with the answer on your own. Who else is on your suspect list?”
In his mind, Alex thought about who might have killed Reg before answering. “Joel Grandy got into a big argument with Reg last night over a chess game. I had to step in to keep the two of them from slugging it out. Is it enough reason to kill a man? Still, Junior and Joel seem to be the most obvious suspects so far.”
After a moment of silence, Elise added, “But you’ve got more people on your list, don’t you?”
How in the world could this woman read him so well after only spending a few hours with him? “I admit those are just my favorites so far. Coming in as long shots, we’ve got Sam Finster’s mysterious client who’s trying to buy the lighthouse. Maybe he thought a murder would shut the place down for good. It could be