Reservations for Murder - Tim Myers [17]
“What happened?” Alex asked.
“Dad had a heart attack,” she choked out. “They’re going to do a bypass tomorrow. Alex, I hate to leave you like this, but I have to be there with him. Peter said it was imperative that I get there as soon as possible. I’m sorry, I have to go.”
Alex said, “Absolutely. Let me grab my truck keys, and I’ll take you to the airport.”
“I talked to Emma after I got the call. She’s going to drive me to the airport. You need to stay here with your guests, especially with this fair going on. I’m so sorry about this, Alex.”
He touched her shoulder gently. “Hey, you need to be there for him. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
The inn’s front door opened, and Emma hurried in. “Elise, I don’t mean to rush you, but we’d better get moving if you’re going to make that flight.”
Alex nodded, then said, “Call me when you get there.”
“Be careful,” Elise said softly. “I’m not even going to ask you not to look into this murder while I’m gone.”
He smiled. “Good, because I’d hate to have to lie to you.”
“Elise, don’t worry about Alex. Mor and I will keep an eye on him,” Emma said.
After they walked out, Alex saw that Evans Graile had shifted his attention to him. The older man offered a gentle shrug before turning back to the window.
Alex couldn’t believe Elise was really gone. He’d come to rely on her help in running Hatteras West, and if he was being strictly honest with himself, her company meant more and more to him every day.
There was no doubt that she had to go; her father needed her. And now that Elise was gone, Alex was going to have to work harder than ever.
But he wasn’t about to give up his murder investigation. Alex had given Shantara his word, and it wasn’t something he was willing to break.
“Alex, can I talk to you a second?”
“Shantara, I’m really busy right now. I’m up to my eyebrows in work.”
“Please, it’s important,” she said.
Alex nodded reluctantly, then noticed that Evans Graile was listening to them, though his eyes were still focused outside. He was certainly getting a show for his money today.
“Why don’t we go into my office,” Alex said.
She followed him, and after they were inside, Alex asked, “So, what’s going on?”
“I owe you an explanation.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I already said I’d help you.”
“I wasn’t playing fair with you before, Alex. I shouldn’t have pressured you into this without giving you all the facts.” Shantara let out an explosion of breath, then said, “I owed Jefferson Lee quite a bit of money. If the police investigation takes too long, I’m afraid it’s all going to come out and make me look like I had something to do with his murder.”
“How much are we talking about here?” Alex asked softly.
“Ten thousand dollars. It’s enough of a motive to make me a suspect, isn’t it?”
Alex’s silence was all the answer she needed.
Shantara paced around the cramped room. “Alex, I knew it was a mistake taking a loan from him, but I didn’t know where else to turn. The bank had already turned me down, and I was in real danger of losing the store.”
“What made you go to him?”
“I knew he had money to burn, Alex. Jefferson had more things going on that just his blacksmithing.”
Alex said gently, “So you let him get a foothold in your store.”
Shantara wrung her hands together. “Alex, you’d better believe I regretted every second of it! There were no papers drawn up, nothing legal, anyway, just an IOU from me to him. It made my skin crawl, the way he’d come into my store and act like it was his. Alex, that’s the main reason I created this fair! It was the only way I could get him off my back. I had some of the money, and the proceeds from the fair would have covered the rest.”
Alex studied her carefully. “There’s more to this that you’re not telling me.”
Shantara moved to the window, refusing to meet his gaze. She didn’t confirm or deny Alex’s accusation immediately.
After a few moments, she said, “Alex, I’m honestly scared.”
“Go on,” Alex said softly.
In a shaking voice, Shantara said, “When I