Murder Checks Inn - Tim Myers [55]
Alex had to find Tony and talk to him. The possibility that his brother was a murderer couldn’t stop him.
He had to know the truth.
Alex was surprised to find Elise on the front porch, sitting on one of the rockers facing the lighthouse.
“I thought you were going to be gone all day,” he said.
“Plans change,” Elise answered. “You did a nice job on the rooms.”
“Thanks,” he said absently.
“What’s wrong, Alex?” Elise said levelly.
“I’m sorry. I’ve just got something I have to take care of. Elise, do me a favor, would you? If I’m in any ‘accidents’ over the next few days, tell Armstrong to check into it, no matter what it looks like.”
He started to brush past her when she leapt from the chair. “What’s going on?”
“Never mind. Forget it, Elise, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“But you did. Alex, I’m worried.”
He said evenly, “I am, too. That’s why I need to talk to Tony.”
Elise wouldn’t get out of his way. “Why don’t we take a walk, and you can tell me about it before you do whatever’s on your mind.”
“I’m sorry, I have to do this now,” he said.
She put her hand on his and said, “Sometimes it helps to talk it through first, Alex. What have you got to lose, five minutes of your life? It might help you sort out how you feel. It’s worked before.”
That was true enough. Alex had often used Elise as his sounding board in the past. Maybe he was too close to Tony and Jase to look at things rationally.
“Okay, you’ve convinced me.”
Elise smiled. “Good. Why don’t we go up to the top of the lighthouse? You always seem to think better up there.”
Alex looked up and saw two figures at the top. Tony and Ashley were still up there. “How about Bear Rocks instead?”
Elise followed his gaze up, then said, “Bear Rocks it is.”
As the two of them walked down the path to the rock formations, Elise said, “Talk to me, Alex.”
“I think my brother might have killed Jase,” he said in a
burst of words. Somehow voicing them made it all seem real.
Elise said, “I know you well enough to realize you’ve got some evidence to back that up. What makes you think Tony might have killed your uncle?”
After Alex explained Tony’s late-night visit to Jase, the angry journal entry, Tony’s strong financial motive, and the possibility of his being written out of a new will, Elise said, “You’ve certainly built a strong case against him. Are you saying you’re discounting the disappearance of Mathias Trask’s will completely? It still looks like a strong motive to me.”
“Tony could have taken it to divert suspicion from his real intent, Elise.” There was a sudden noise in the woods nearby.
Elise said, “What was that?”
“Probably two squirrels chasing each other over territory rights.”
Elise turned back to the problem. “So what are you going to do about it?”
“What can I do? I’m going to confront Tony and find out the truth.”
Elise said softly, “Alex, if he did kill Jase, why would he tell you the truth? What’s it going to cost him to lie to you?”
Alex shook his head. “You don’t understand. It doesn’t matter what he says. I can tell when Tony’s lying. I’ve always been able to. He’s never gotten away with a lie with me in his life.”
“I don’t know, Alex, it sounds risky to me.”
“Elise, don’t you see? I can’t stand not knowing! If he comes after me, so be it. One way or another, I’ve got to know the truth.”
Elise said, “Then I’ll go with you. There’s safety in numbers.”
Alex said, “Elise, as much as I appreciate your offer,
Tony’s not going to admit anything with you around. You know as much as I do now. If anything happens to me, tell Armstrong, and don’t let up on him until he’s cracked the case.”
She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
Alex pulled away and asked, “What was that for?”
“Luck.”
Alex’s legs were shaking as he started for the lighthouse stairs, but his condition had nothing to do with the arduous ascent ahead of him. To his surprise, Tony and