Murder Checks Inn - Tim Myers [16]
Alex sat there staring at his hands, and then a slow smile spread across his face.
Sandra said, “What in the world do you have to smile about?”
Alex chuckled softly. “It just hit me. You read the will yourself, Sandra. Jase gave Tony the money because that’s all he ever cared about. You know how Jase felt about his books! They were his pride and joy. No, I’m satisfied with the will.”
Sandra looked at him a long ten seconds, then said, “Alex, you’re truly something, you know that?”
Alex laughed softly, “Thanks, Sandra, I appreciate that. You don’t have to give me a ride out to Hatteras West, I know how busy you must be. I’ll find a way to get back out there.”
She shuffled a few papers on her desk, then said, “Nonsense, I’d love to take you home. In fact,” she said as she stood, “I’m ready to go, if you are.”
Alex said, “That’s just it. I’d like to spend a little time at Jase’s first, by myself. To be honest with you, it might help me say good-bye in my own way. I’m not sure I’m all that comfortable with the party he’s planned, so I need to do it my way first.”
Sandra sat back down in her chair. “I understand completely. Let’s do this. I’ll give you an hour over there, and then I’ll come by to pick you up, and we’ll eat at Mamma Ravolini’s before we head back to the inn. My treat. What do you say?”
“I say it sounds great, but I have an inn full of people at the moment. I don’t feel right about just leaving them alone.”
Sandra said, “So let Elise take care of them. You deserve a break, Alex. Can you even remember the last time you took a day off, let alone a vacation?”
Alex found himself agreeing, as Sandra handed him a set of keys. “These are to the house. I’m afraid you’ll have to have everything out in five days. The lease is up, and I couldn’t get the landlord to extend it for you. He’s got a hot prospect who’s buying it from him.”
“That’ll be fine. I’m not going to move anything today. I just want to look around a little.”
“See you in an hour then,” Sandra said as Alex headed out.
He stopped at Sandra’s secretary’s desk and asked to borrow the telephone.
Elise answered on the second ring.
“Hatteras West Lighthouse and Inn,” she said. He never tired of hearing her say it.
“Hi, it’s me. Can you handle things there for a while? I’ve got some things in town I need to take care of.”
“How did it go with Sandra?”
Alex took a deep breath, then said, “Tony got the money, but I got Jase’s books.”
Elise said, “Oh Alex, I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not,” he said. “Things couldn’t have gone any better.”
On the way over to Jase’s cottage, Alex realized that his uncle had indeed given him the perfect gift. Long after Tony had spent every dime of his inheritance, and Alex knew that wouldn’t take long, given his brother’s propensity to burn up cash, Alex would have Jase’s presence still with him, in the form of the books they both so loved.
It was worth more to him than ten times what Tony had gotten, and Alex wondered if Tony would ever realize just how much he’d lost today.
Probably not, and that was the saddest part of all.
Chapter 6
The first thing Alex did when he got to Jase’s rental house was to open the windows and let some fresh air in. Jase liked to keep things closed up, but Alex needed the warm breezes and sunshine. Located just two blocks from Sandra’s office, the house was a quaint little cottage that had seen better days, tucked among businesses and houses alike in a mishmash that was much of Elkton Falls. The town had been nearly built by the time the elders got around to thinking about zoning. It made a happy mix, as far as Alex was concerned.
With just four small rooms, the cottage had most likely been perfect for the widower Jase. The elder Winston had rented it furnished with simple but serviceable furniture, and the only real way to tell that Jase had lived there at all was the explosion of books everywhere. Alex had only spent a handful of hours there since his uncle had moved back to Elkton