Reservations for Murder - Tim Myers [4]
“Hey, what are friends for? Now, let’s go find your wayward blacksmith,” Alex said. “I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”
As they started their search, there was another scream a thousand yards away.
It was getting to be a trend Alex could learn to live without.
Chapter 2
“What’s going on,” Shantara asked breathlessly.
“I don’t know,” Alex answered as he hurried toward the sound of the scream. It was coming from the unfinished shell of the new Main Keeper’s Quarters. Though there was a ball of fear growing in his gut, Alex hoped it was just another snake sighting, but somehow he knew this time it was more than that.
There were screams, and then there were screams.
Alex saw Rachel Seabock trembling as he neared the shell of the structure, but his gaze was only on her for a second.
Someone had skewered Jefferson Lee through the chest with a shaft of cold, black iron, staking him to the thick pine timber of the new building like a butterfly on a pin.
“Oh, no,” Shantara gasped as she ran up beside Alex. “This is horrible.”
Alex touched her arm gently. “You don’t need to see this. Why don’t you take Rachel back to the inn.”
It took Alex and Shantara a full minute to get Rachel to go with them. She was obviously still in shock, deathly silent after her piercing scream.
Shantara said softly, “I can’t believe someone killed Jefferson Lee.” With a quaver in her voice, she added, “I hate to do this, but I don’t have any choice. Alex; I’ve got to cancel the fair.”
He knew that Shantara had staked everything she had on the success of the Golden Days Fair, mortgaging her country store in the hopes of a big payoff.
Alex said, “Don’t do anything rash, Shantara. Let me call Sheriff Armstrong. If we’re lucky, he won’t have to shut you down.”
As the three of them walked toward the inn, Alex called out to Bill Yadkin. The young blacksmith joined them, looking uncomfortably at Rachel. For once she didn’t even seem to notice him standing there.
Alex said, “I need you to stand guard over the new building. Someone’s killed Jefferson Lee, and I don’t want anybody messing around with the evidence until Sheriff Armstrong gets here.”
Was it Alex’s imagination, or did Yadkin look unsurprised by the news of Jefferson’s death?
He didn’t have time to think about it at the moment, but the blacksmith’s expression unsettled him.
Alex found Sheriff Armstrong at the first place he phoned. The sheriff loved Buck’s Grill more than just about any place on Earth. Alex often found him there, parked on the stool by the door, greeting customers and campaigning in his never-ending battle to get reelected.
Alex cut through the small talk that started just about every conversation in Elkton Falls. “We’ve got a body out at Hatteras West, Sheriff.”
“Murder?” the sheriff asked.
“I’m afraid there’s no doubt about it this time,” Alex acknowledged.
“I’ll be right there,” Armstrong said. “No sirens this time, Alex. I promise.”
The sheriff had won his last reelection by the narrowest of margins over the town barber, and Alex had found him a changed man. Gone was the blustery posturing and the officious manner, replaced by a constant effort to always do better, knowing that he was serving by the skin of his teeth.
“Hurry,” Alex said as he hung up the phone.
“Alex?”
He hadn’t even heard Elise behind him.
She asked, “Did I hear you right? Has someone been murdered?”
Alex nodded glumly. “Somebody killed Jefferson Lee at the construction site.”
“Oh, no.”
“We’ll get through this,” Alex said. “I’d better get out there and help Bill Yadkin make sure no one disturbs the crime scene.”
“There’s no doubt in your mind it was murder?” she asked, a thread of hope lingering in her voice.
“Sorry, there’s no doubt at all,” Alex said. “Somebody pinned him to one of the posts with a steel shaft.”
“I’m coming with you,” she said doggedly.
Alex paused a moment, then said, “Thanks for the offer, but I need you at the front desk, Elise.”