Reservations for Murder - Tim Myers [0]
By Tim Myers
Book 2 in the Lighthouse Inn mysteries
Praise for the Lighthouse Mystery series by Tim Myers
“Entertaining ... authentic ... fun ... a wonderful regional mystery that will have readers rebooking for future stays at the Hatteras West Inn and Lighthouse.”
—BookBrowser
“Myers cultivates the North Carolina scenery with aplomb and shows a flair for character.”
—Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
“Colorful... picturesque ... light and entertaining.”
—The Best Reviews
The Lighthouse Inn Mysteries by Tim Myers
Innkeeping With Murder
Reservations For Murder
Murder Checks Inn
Room For Murder
Booked For Murder
The Candlemaking Mysteries by Tim Myers
At Wick’s End
Snuffed Out
Death Waxed Over
A Flicker Of Doubt
The Soapmaking Mysteries by Tim Myers
Dead Men Don’t Lye
A Pour Way To Dye
A Mold For Murder
The Cardmaking Mysteries by Tim Myers written as Elizabeth Bright
Invitation To Murder
Deadly Greetings
Murder And Salutations
Reservations For Murder
Copyright © 2002 by Tim Myers.
All rights reserved.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
For Patty and Emily, the two women in my life who make it all worthwhile
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank the following people for their contributions to this book, and more importantly, to my life.
Kim Waltemyer, my wonderful and gifted editor, for plucking me out of the slush pile and changing my life forever.
Tamar Myers and the late Liz Squire, for their friendship, laughter and encouragement.
Corki, Jan, Carolyn, Hannah, Cindy, Ed, Sarah and all the staff at the Hickory Public Library, my true friends in books.
Tracy, Linda, Danny, Rich, GeeGee, Mary, John, Karen, Tom, Lelia, Maryelizabeth and all the other booksellers across the country, for taking me into their hearts.
Ruby Hall and Bob Myers, my parents, for their love and support.
Jim, Wayne, Randy, Tom, Bob and Paul, true brothers in my heart.
Kathy, Jay, Amy, Paul, Sarah, Tom, Charlotte, Patrick, Katy, Mary, Steve, Bernadette, Matthew, Veronica, Bill, Theresa, Monica and Martha, the best family I could have ever married into.
For those, now gone but never forgotten, who were such an important part of my life, and the very best parts of me: Chris Myers, Dorothea Hurley, George Hurley, Katherine and Lawrence Pickering.
And as always, for Patty and Emily. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Chapter 1
“Alex, we need to talk.”
Alex Winston looked up from the pile of bills he’d been wading through to find The Hatteras West Inn’s housekeeper, Elise Dan ton, standing by his desk. He’d seen that determined look in her eyes before. “Can it wait, Elise? I really need to go through these bills this morning.” Though they’d uncovered a handful of gems a few months earlier on the property, there hadn’t been enough from the sale to do everything Alex wanted to with Hatteras West. Emma Sturbridge, his resident gem expert, hadn’t yet been able to locate the vein where they’d originated, and Alex was beginning to wonder if she ever would.
Most of the money from the sale of the emeralds had gone