Innkeeping with Murder - Tim Myers [36]
Armstrong ignored Elise, an officious look on his face. “Alex, I’ve got someone here I’d like you to meet.”
When the state policeman joined them, Alex introduced Elise, then himself, as he offered his right hand to the patrolman.
The state policeman took it in a grip as firm as Alex’s. The fellow, somewhere in his mid-twenties, sported a blond fuzzy crewcut and crystal blue eyes. His uniform looked freshly pressed, and Alex was nearly blinded by the shine on the officer’s shoes. He was a large powerful man, almost too handsome, but the officer’s open sincere smile made Alex feel at ease until he offered a tip of his hat to Elise. There was no doubt about it; Alex was startled to find that he was jealous.
The officer said, “I’m Sergeant Hicking with the State Bureau of Investigation. I understand you’ve had some activity out here in the past few days.”
Alex offered a deep frown. “A bit too much for me. I’m glad the sheriff called for some help.”
Armstrong stepped up and said, “It’s my prerogative to call for assistance whenever I feel it’s warranted. I asked the SBI to send somebody over to give me an opinion or two about the Wellington case.”
The SBI officer said, “We function as an advisory
agency. Sometimes another set of eyes can see something in an investigation that others may have overlooked.”
From the look on Armstrong’s face, Alex knew the sheriff must have had mixed emotions about calling in the SBI. The sheriff had to be concerned that even if the case was solved now, his opponent in the election would claim Armstrong couldn’t have done it alone. That didn’t matter one bit to Alex. Solving Reg’s murder was all that counted, and Armstrong’s stock went up with Alex the moment he had called for reinforcements.
Alex asked, “So do you agree the two incidents are connected?”
Hicking’s eyes perked up like a hawk spying fresh prey. “There’s been another murder?”
Armstrong waved off Alex’s words. “No, sir. Mr. Winston has the firm belief that one of his other guests was pushed off a rock this morning.”
Elise surprised Alex when she stepped in. “I believe it too, Sheriff. Emma Sturbridge looked to be as surefooted as a mountain goat. I can’t imagine her falling.”
That got Hicking’s attention back to Elise, just where Alex didn’t want it.
“Are you a guest here, or are you Mr. Winston’s girlfriend, by any chance?”
Alex saw Elise frown at the suggestion. “I work here. I’m the maid.”
Hicking trotted out that huge grin again and offered Elise his hand. “That’s hard for me to believe, Ma’am. Someone as pretty as you shouldn’t be scrubbing floors.”
Elise coolly withdrew her hand from the policeman’s, and Alex saw her features frosting over. “What I look like has nothing to do with who I am, Sergeant. The work is honest, and it needs to be done.”
Hicking realized he’d taken a misstep, but he didn’t quite know how to atone for it. Suddenly all business again, he turned to Alex. “If you’ve got the key to the lighthouse, I’d like to see the murder scene.”
“Oh, it’s not locked. The sheriff let me reopen the lighthouse after his cousin came by.”
Armstrong started blustering. “Come on, Alex, you know Irene’s more than family. She’s taken all the required classes. I didn’t release the crime scene until she went over everything with her kit. We’ve got photographs and everything else we need down at the station.”
Hicking said, “Settle down, Sheriff, nobody’s saying your technician isn’t fully competent. I’d like to see her after we leave here. Now, do you mind showing me where the body was found?”
Armstrong led the state policeman to the lighthouse door while Alex and Elise headed for the front porch of the inn.
Hicking stopped. “Aren’t you two coming with us?”
Alex shook his head. “We’ve got an inn to run. If you need us, we’ll be around.”
Hicking headed up the lighthouse’s front steps without another word.
Alex glanced over at Elise and