Reservations for Murder - Tim Myers [27]
“I’d better stay here in case there’s a call from the kidnappers,” he said a little too brightly for Alex’s taste.
“You do that,” Alex said brusquely as he moved for the door.
He could tell Evans was unhappy about the tone Alex had used with him. One of Alex’s most important rules as an innkeeper was to hold his tongue and his attitude when it came to his guests, but he was truly beginning to be concerned about Marilynn Baxter’s well-being.
Before Alex could leave, Evans said contritely, “You know I don’t want anything to happen to that poor girl. It’s just that normally I don’t get much excitement in my life.”
Alex nodded and tried to force a smile. “Then stick around; something’s always going on at Hatteras West.”
He offered one of the flashlights to Craig and Shantara. “Sorry, I just have one spare, and nobody knows Bear Rocks like I do.”
Shantara said, “You take it, Craig. I’m going to drive into town and see if anyone’s spotted her. Where does she like to go?”
“You could try the studio and the house. The library’s closed, or I’d say to go there. The only other place I can think of would be your store.”
Shantara nodded. “I’ll call Marcie on the way in on my cell phone and find out if she’s seen her.” Marcie was Shantara’s assistant manager, a fancy title since there were just two of them working the general store. It was a lot for two people to handle, since they covered everything from the small post office in one corner to the heavy feeds out back to the pots, pans and assortment of ten thousand other items Shantara had for sale there. Alex thought Marcie would probably be even happier than he would be when the fair was over; she’d been running the store single-handedly for the last week while Shantara prepared for the fair.
“Keep us posted,” Alex called out. “Evans is manning the telephone, so he’ll let us know if you find her.”
“You do the same for me, Alex.” She turned to Craig. “Don’t worry, she’ll turn up soon, I just know it.”
Craig grabbed the flashlight from Alex’s hand. “I hope you’re right.”
Some people described Bear Rocks as eerie in the daylight, with the twisting formation of rocks weathered by ages of nature’s forces. There were slides, holes and pathways within the stones that formed a magical world Alex had lived in as a child. He still knew every twist and turn of the rocks, every secret passage that led to an unexpected place in the stone forest.
“We’ll never find her in there,” Craig said.
“Take your flashlight and walk around the edges of the rocks. You can see a lot from where you’ll be, so don’t give up. I’m going into the heart of the rocks to look there.”
“I’m coming with you,” Craig said bluntly.
“Listen, if Marilynn’s in there, I have a much better chance of finding her alone. I need you to look around the perimeter. I don’t have time to argue; just do it.”
It was obvious Craig wasn’t used to the tone Alex used with him, but Alex had needed to get his attention. Alex turned on his flashlight and slipped through the first path, a slide that led to a side shoot within the formation. Though he was quite a bit older than he’d been when he’d first learned the rocks, his body took over, twisting and crawling in places as he glided over, under and between the stones.
It was more of a workout than he’d ever remembered, and he knew he’d be stiff and sore in the morning, but Alex made record time going over every inch of the interior rocks.
There was nothing there, not a single hint that Marilynn had ever been on Bear Rocks.
One look at Craig’s face told him that he hadn’t found anything else, either.
Alex had to wonder if Marilynn Baxter truly had been kidnapped after all. If she’d disappeared on her own, where had she gone? And more importantly, why?
Chapter 11
“So what do we do now?” Craig asked Alex as they hurried back to the inn.
“I’m not sure,” Alex