Reservations for Murder - Tim Myers [55]
She stood beside the table, and before walking to the register, Sandra added, “Alex, for your sake, I do hope Elise comes back soon. I really mean it. I know how much you miss her.”
“Thanks,” Alex said, amazed that Sandra was being so adult about it all. After all, he’d been the one to break their relationship off, one of the reasons being so he could pursue something with Elise. Though that hadn’t materialized, Alex knew the breakup had still hurt Sandra’s feelings. As he paid his own check, Alex wondered if Sandra did indeed think Elise was gone for good.
It could be she was just being gracious in her victory.
Alex decided to take Sandra’s advice and pop in on Bill Yadkin before heading back to the inn.
He heard angry voices coming from the shop in back of the man’s house when he arrived. Calling it a shop was quite generous. The blacksmith’s building was in stark contrast with the modern efficiency of Jefferson Lee’s workplace. Bill’s equipment could have been taken from a smithy a hundred years before, with massive leather bellows by his forge and a faded black anvil that looked ancient to Alex. No fire was burning in the forge, though. All of the heat was coming from Bill Yadkin as he argued with Rachel Seabock.
“I don’t care. Do you hear me?” Bill shouted, the words dying as he spotted Alex behind him. “What do you want?”
“I thought you might need a friend about now,” Alex said gently.
Rachel snapped, “Alex, you try pounding some sense into him, he won’t listen to me.”
Alex saw that the young blacksmith had a bag by his side, obviously full of clothes and some of his most precious tools. “Going somewhere, Bill?”
“I’m getting as far away from Elkton Falls as I can, if it’s any of your business!”
Rachel snapped, “Bill! He just wants to help!”
Bill Yadkin threw a set of metal pincers down on his anvil so hard the steel rang. “That’s the trouble with this place! Everybody just wants to help. Why don’t you people get it through your thick skulls? I don’t need any help!”
Alex said calmly, “The biggest mistake you can make in the world right now is running away. I’ll wait until you finish your little tantrum before I tell you why.” He pointed to a bucket of water beside the anvil. “Why don’t you soak your head in that bucket for a while until you cool off?”
Alex fought the fear in him as the blacksmith’s strong hands twisted a knot in the handle of his bag. There was a rage and an energy in the young blacksmith that was truly frightening, but Alex knew if he showed the slightest sign of weakness, it could spell disaster.
Rachel started to say something, then thought better of it and remained mute.
It took a few moments, but Bill’s anger suddenly dissipated. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. A good soaking might do me some good. So why shouldn’t I leave before that knobby-kneed sheriff throws me in jail?”
“If you run, it’s just going to look like you really did kill Jefferson Lee. There’s a lot of anger in you, isn’t there?”
“I’ve got a temper, I’m the first to admit it, but I’d never kill anyone. I swear it.”
For some reason he couldn’t fathom, Alex believed him. He knew he could easily be wrong, but his gut was telling him that the young blacksmith was telling the truth.
Rachel said, “Bill, don’t you see that Alex is right? You can’t run away from this. I’ll stay by your side; you know it’s true.”
Yadkin put a powerful hand on her shoulder. “I know you will, Rachel. It’s just so frustrating. Everybody in town thinks I’m a killer.”
“Not everybody,” Alex said. “You’ve got Rachel and me on your side.”
Bill nodded. “I thank you for that, Alex. Maybe you’re right.”
Alex looked at him and grinned. “Maybe?”
Bill chuckled at that. “Okay, I admit it, you’re right.