Innkeeping with Murder - Tim Myers [56]
Alex asked Armstrong, “Do you have any other leads on what’s been happening at the inn? Somebody killed Reg and Finster, and that building didn’t burn down by itself.”
“Take it easy, Alex. Hicking’s requested a full team to look into it. They should be out later on today. I’m in over my head, I admit it. If Hiram Blankenship wants to say I folded under pressure, so be it.”
“What are we supposed to do in the meantime, Sheriff? There’s a killer on the loose.”
“Alex, those SBI guys are the best. They’ll catch him; just give them a chance.”
Alex left the jail and headed toward his truck in a sudden downpour of rain. After a quick stop at the hospital, he had to get back to the inn. Alex hated leaving Elise alone with a murderer still on the loose, no matter what she said. Maybe he could get someone out there to look after her while he was gone. Who could he call? He couldn’t trust the only men he could ask for help; they were all suspects. He could go back and ask Armstrong, but he knew the sheriff would plead his manpower shortage again. Maybe he should try to find Elise’s fiancé. No, from the look on her face last night, that subject was off-limits between them. Besides, Alex had no idea how to find the man, even if he was staying nearby.
Alex would just have to hurry through his list of errands and get back to Hatteras West. When it came right down to it, he didn’t trust anybody else to make sure Elise remained safe.
The rain had tapered off to a fine mist by the time Alex drove the three miles to the hospital, but the overhead clouds were still filled with dark, ominous shades of black. It looked like they were in for one whale of a storm.
Alex pulled into the hospital parking lot and hurried inside. The hallway leading to the Intensive Care Unit was crawling with kids and adults. Alex overheard someone mumbling about a drive-by shooting, and realized that the victims must have been brought in sometime last night. He looked around, but didn’t see Sergeant Hicking anywhere. It was just as well; Alex was in no mood to talk to the SBI agent. He tried looking into the IC unit for Emma, but the curtains had all been fully drawn.
An older nurse stood guard at the desk, and Alex approached her through the crowd of people. “Excuse me, I’d like to check on the status of one of your patients. Her name is Emma Sturbridge.”
The nurse looked at him silently, then down at a list posted at the desk. “There’s no Sturbridge here.”
A trickle of dread danced down Alex’s spine. “What exactly does that mean?”
The nurse, having gone back to her paperwork, said, “She’s not here. I can say it slower for you if you’d like me to.”
“She didn’t die, did she?”
Alex couldn’t bear the thought of another guest dying.
From behind him, Alex heard someone calling his name. It was Theresa DeAngelis, the nurse he’d talked to the day before. She said, “It looks like your friend is going to be just fine. I called the inn and spoke with a young woman there. She assured me she’d pass the massage along to you.”
“Where’s Emma now?”
“She woke up a few hours ago complaining of a headache and being hungry. Her doctor decided she was well enough to move to a semiprivate room. It looks like there’s a good chance she’s going to recover completely.”
Alex thanked her for the good news, then hurried off toward the front desk. Emma Sturbridge was awake! He hadn’t expected such great news today, and suddenly he’d gotten two positive pieces of information: Emma’s improvement coupled with Junior’s release. Now if he could just figure out who killed Reg Wellington, maybe he would complete the run. Alex believed that Sam Finster’s killer was the same man who’d cut Reg down, but if he started digging into reasons the real estate man might have been murdered he’d be busy until well into the next decade just interviewing the suspects.
After tracking down Emma’s room number from the front desk, Alex knocked gently on the door and heard a muffled voice inviting him in.
Emma Sturbridge was sitting up in her bed, looking better than Alex had