Murder Checks Inn - Tim Myers [28]
Peter shook his head. “Nonsense. There’s no hurry; I plan to be here a long time.”
Elise glanced at her watch and said, “We really need to
Peter nodded, then said, “Good afternoon, Alex.”
“See you later,” he said as he watched them walk away.
So that was that. Peter Asheford had made his intentions quite clear. Elkton Falls had just gained a new resident, and at the same time witnessed the dying of a dream. If there had been any doubt in his mind before, Alex now knew that there was no way he could compete with this man for Elise’s heart, not when it appeared that Peter Asheford already claimed it.
It was, sadly, time to move on.
After they were gone, Alex went into his office to clear some of the paperwork he’d been neglecting lately. It seemed as though there was always a bill to pay or a letter that had to be answered. A great many people thought it was some elaborate joke when they heard about the lighthouse in the mountains, so Alex had to assure them of the fact that Hatteras West was indeed run as an inn where they could stay.
Alex’s stomach rumbled as he continued through the pile of mail. Paperwork could eat up more of his day than his guests sometimes. When Alex glanced at the clock, he saw that it was nearly time to eat dinner. He was just finishing up a letter to a woman in Wilmington named Susan in need of assurance that the inn in fact truly existed, when the front door of the inn banged open. It was Steven Trask, and from the look on his face, he was frantic about something as he stumbled in.
Alex jumped up from his desk. “What’s wrong?”
Steven said, “I was out walking the grounds, and I swear someone was following me! When I called out to them, they wouldn’t answer. I ran all the way back here. Someone’s stalking me!”
“I’m sure it’s nothing as serious as all that,” Alex said, trying to soothe the man. “The woods around here can play strange tricks on you, especially at dusk.” Most likely it was a squirrel or some other small forest animal skittering about on the trails. Steven had city boy written all over him.
“I’m telling you, someone was following me!”
Alex thought about it a second, then asked, “Is it possible it might have been our groundskeeper? If you’re not expecting him, Vernum can be a little startling, but I can assure you, he’s harmless.”
Steven wasn’t buying it. “I’m not imagining things, and I’m not talking about someone on your staff. This was an intentional attempt at rattling me! Now are you going to call the sheriff, or am I going to have to do it myself?”
Alex said, “Just hold on a second. How about this? Why don’t I go check it out myself.” He reached behind the desk and pulled out a large flashlight.
“You’re actually going to go out there alone?”
Alex nodded. “I was raised here. Don’t worry about me; I’ll be fine.”
Steven looked at him in disbelief, then said, “I personally think you’re insane, but be my guest. Be warned, though. If you’re not back in ten minutes, I’m calling 911.”
Alex said, “Give me at least thirty minutes before you do anything like that.”
Steven said reluctantly, “We’ll make it twenty. I’m not normally so jumpy, but I’m telling you, Alex, somebody’s out there, and they’re up to no good.”
Alex saw real fear in Steven’s eyes. Could he be right? Was there someone stalking a guest at the inn? And could they possibly have anything to do with Jase’s murder?
There was only one way to find out. Clutching the flashlight a little tighter than he needed to, Alex walked out the front door into the growing night.
Chapter 9
“Hello? Is anybody out there?”
Alex called out into the darkness, not expecting a response, but he heard something crashing through the woods ahead of him. From the sound of the footsteps, it was a little too big for a chipmunk or a squirrel.
When he flashed the light in the direction