Reservations for Murder - Tim Myers [25]
He said gruffly, “Okay, you made your point.”
“Nothing personal, Alex, but you’re not my type.”
“And just what is your type?”
She pretended to think about it a minute, then said, “Let’s see, he’s got to be strong, handsome, rich, don’t forget a good sense of humor—”
Alex cut her off. “You’re not asking for much, are you? And you think you’re going to meet this Prince Charming in Elkton Falls?”
“Where there’s breath, there’s hope,” Shantara said with a twinkle in her eye.
A young girl with a long ponytail poking out the back of her baseball cap said, “We’re done here, Shantara. The gang wanted me to ask you if there was any chance we could get an early start on that pizza party.”
“Sorry, Emily, you know the deal; no pizza until the end of the fair, and that’s not until tomorrow night.”
Emily winked at her and whispered, “I told them that’s what you’d say, but the boys insisted I ask anyway.”
“I understand completely.”
After the kids poured back into their cars, Alex had to admit the place did look a thousand percent better than it had before they’d arrived.
He only wished the fair was over now, instead of having to go through it all again tomorrow.
Alex patted Shantara’s shoulder gently and asked, “Would you like to come in? I’ve got a bottle of wine and two comfortable chairs just calling our names.”
“Don’t tempt me. If I did that, I’d never make it home.”
“We had a cancellation, so I’ve got a spare room, if you’re interested. You’re welcome to stay at the inn tonight.”
“No offense, Alex, but I need to get away from Hatteras West for a little while.”
“Not a problem,” he said.
Alex was walking Shantara to her car when there was a frantic wail from the front porch as the door slammed.
“My wife is gone! Somebody’s kidnapped her!” Craig Monroe stood there, outlined in the moonlight, a look of complete and utter despair on his face.
It appeared that the evil visiting Hatteras West was still somewhere lurking on the grounds.
Chapter 10
Alex ran up onto the porch, with Shantara not far behind. “How do you know she’s been kidnapped, Craig? Did you find a note?”
“No,” Craig snapped, “but she told me to meet her in our room an hour ago, and she’s not there.”
Shantara said calmly, “Craig, she probably just got held up talking to someone on the grounds. I’m sure she’s around here somewhere.”
“You don’t understand. Her insulin is still in the minifridge. She’s got to have it, and it’s something Marilynn’s not about to forget or put off. I’m telling you, the only way she’d miss an injection is if somebody kidnapped her. Call the sheriff, Alex! He needs to get right on this!”
Alex said, “Craig, I know you’re worried, but Armstrong’s not going to do anything based on what you can tell him right now. He’s going to want something a little more concrete. You need to call home and see if your wife’s there. Then check around and see if there’s anywhere else she could be: with friends, family, anybody you can think of. In the meantime, I’ll take a look around the property and see if I can find her.”
Shantara chimed in, “I’ll help you, Alex.”
Craig nodded abruptly as he rushed back into the inn. “Hurry. We’ve got to find her. She has to have that insulin.”
Alex headed for the lighthouse as Shantara said, “Do you think she’s really up there?”
Alex shook his head. “I doubt it, but it’s still the best observation point around. If she’s anywhere nearby, we should have a good chance of spotting her.”
Alex’s gaze went to the new construction as he hurried past. He would have to search there more thoroughly if Marilynn didn’t turn up soon, but it was something he’d rather put off. One body found on the site in the last twenty-four hours was more than enough for him. There was a reason besides kidnapping that could keep Marilynn from her insulin.
That was if she was past needing it.
Alex and Shantara climbed the lighthouse steps at a fierce pace, leaving little breath for conversation. As Alex opened the door at the top, they stepped out onto the observation platform and started walking slowly around,