Reservations for Murder - Tim Myers [63]
Ashley rubbed her hand hesitantly across the top of an ornately carved black urn sitting on the table between them. “This is just like Father, popping up like this. It smacks of his annual Christmas postcards to the family. The only way he comes back to us from South America is in a jar full of ashes. He had some kind of nerve, leaving us all behind and sending a card once a year just to gloat about his new life.”
Steven’s face turned red as he snapped, “He just wanted us to know he was okay!” It was obvious his sister knew just what buttons to push to get a reaction from him.
Cynthia said sadly, “Steven, you always were such an innocent.”
Ashley said, “He’s not all that innocent. I could tell you stories about your precious little boy that would curl your toes, Mother.”
Alex could tell that Steven was trying his best to ignore his sister’s jab. “Can’t we all just get along until Jase Winston gets here and reads the will?”
Ashley said, “Don’t hold your breath hoping for family harmony, Steven. I for one refuse to honor a man who deserted me.” Ashley frowned, then added, “I still don’t understand why Donald and the children couldn’t come with us this week. They’re my family; they have every right to be here, too.”
Cynthia said, “We’ve been over this a hundred times. The instructions stated clearly that no spouses or children were to attend. Your father wanted this to be just the three of us.”
Alex had dusted the same spot on the front desk for the seventh time when Elise Danton came up behind him.
“Alex, I need you outside.”
Elise served as the head of housekeeping at Hatteras West. It was a glorified title, since there were just the two of them on staff, but Alex knew he couldn’t run Hatteras West without her. He’d discovered that quickly enough when Elise’s father had suffered a major heart attack, and Elise had been called back to his side. He hoped her parents enjoyed good health for a long, long time. Alex was not at all certain he could go through running the inn by himself again.
“Is it important?” he asked. Alex would never have admitted to her that he’d been eavesdropping, but he couldn’t | help himself. It was one of the fascinations of running the inn, meeting such a vast variety of people.
“I don’t think it can wait,” Elise said as she motioned him to the rear of the building.
When they got to the back hallway, Alex said, “Elise, you aren’t going to believe our newest guests. I was under the impression that this was just going to be a normal family reunion when Jase booked their rooms, but they’re here for the reading of their father’s will. And from the sound of it, nobody but the man’s son is all that upset he’s gone.”
Elise said, “Alex, I honestly don’t care if they’re here to hold a séance to bring him back; they’re paying guests, and we need all of those we can get right now.”
Alex knew too well how true that was. They’d nearly finished rebuilding the Main Keeper’s Quarters a few months before when they’d run out of the money raised from the sale of emeralds found on the property. Unfortunately, Emma Sturbridge, their staff gem hunter, still hadn’t been able to locate the source of the main vein of stones, if in fact one even existed. The original discoverer had taken that secret with her to the grave. Because of that, Hatteras West, so named because of the exact replica of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse built beside the two keepers’ quarters that served as the inn, was heading dangerously close to being in the red again.
Alex asked, “What’s so important?”
“It’s Vernum. I can’t