Murder Checks Inn - Tim Myers [22]
“Don’t, Elise, at least not on my account. I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got to get through this on my own.”
“Okay, but I’m here if you need me,” Elise said as she paused at the door.
Alex said, “I know that, and I greatly appreciate it. Believe me, I really do.”
As he finished folding the towels, Alex pondered all that had gone on so recently. The loss of Jase, plus the added pressure of running an inn with too few rooms, was all starting to get to him.
Suddenly Alex felt some of the claustrophobia Mor had mentioned. If he was strictly honest with himself, at times he felt trapped by the responsibilities of running the inn. So why not take a few hours off? They were mostly caught up on their work, and what they hadn’t done together, Elise could surely manage on her own. Since he was going to be inn-bound for the evening, there was time to go into town and see what he could learn about Jase’s death. After telling Elise his plans, Alex got into his truck without a single glance back at the inn or the lighthouse above him as he headed into town.
Alex found Nadine Crowley working at her desk in Jase’s office as if nothing had happened to the elder Winston. Then he saw the shredded tissue in one hand as she tried to file with the other. Jase Winston, a most conservative man, had obviously carried his tastes to his office more than his home, filling the law practice with somber emerald carpets, heavy woolen drapes and fine leather furniture.
“Hi, Mrs. Crowley ... Nadine,” he added quickly. She’d been his teacher in elementary school, and it had been nearly impossible to break the habit of calling her by her last name, no matter how much she insisted.
“Hello, Alex. I’m so sorry about your uncle. I know how close you two were.”
Alex said, “Thanks. What are you going to do with yourself now?” Nadine’s husband had dropped dead at her retirement party a few years earlier, and she’d been forced to go to work for a shady realtor. When he passed away as well, Nadine had ended up working for Jase.
“I’m afraid to think about it right now. I haven’t had much luck working in the private sector. I may just face it and retire in earnest.”
Alex tried to buoy her with his words. “Come on, you’ve got a lot still to contribute to the world. Don’t give up now.”
She patted his hand. “You always were such a sweet boy. Now, what brings you here, Alex? Oh, that’s right. You’ve inherited your uncle’s possessions, haven’t you?”
Alex said, “That’s what Sandra said, but I’m not here to take an inventory. I wanted to ask you about what happened the other day.”
Nadine selected a fresh tissue after discarding the shredded mess in her hand, then said, “Alex, I’ve been over this a dozen times with Sheriff Armstrong. Must I go through it all again with you?”
Alex said, “Of course not. I know you’ve been through a lot. I won’t add to your grief.”
Nadine’s gaze sharpened suddenly. “You’re trying to solve this yourself, aren’t you?”
“To be honest with you, the thought had crossed my mind. Nadine, Jase wasn’t just my uncle; he was a lot more than that to me.”
Nadine nodded. “Alex, of course I’ll help you. Jase was a good man and the best boss I ever had. It’s only fitting that you try to find his killer.” She stroked the edge of her nose, thought for a few moments, then said, “Let’s see, Jase had the reading of the Trask will scheduled for later that morning. As a general rule, your uncle didn’t sleep in. He was often here well before I started at eight a.m. every day. I wish I could tell you what happened, but no one else was here by the time I arrived.” She started to cry but fought back the tears as she added, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget how he looked just lying there with that lovely lighthouse you’d given him there beside him on the floor.”
Alex realized how hard it must have been for Nadine to find Jase’s body like that. He quickly switched tracks. “Nadine, tell me this. Why did Jase keep the Trask will in his safe? Was that normal procedure for him?”
Nadine said, “Heavens no,