Room for Murder - Tim Myers [1]
Elise Danton, the Hatteras West Inn’s housekeeper who was indispensable in running the place, came up behind them and said, “Mor, Emma’s been looking all over for you. She says it’s important.”
The big man shrugged. “She must not be looking that hard. I’ve been right here all afternoon.” Emma Sturbridge and Mor Pendleton had survived more than a few rough patches in their rocky relationship, and Alex often wondered where the two would finally end up when the smoke cleared.
Elise smiled softly. “I’ll just go tell her where to find you then.”
Mor said abruptly, “No need for that. I’ll track her down myself. I’ve got a pretty good idea about what’s on her mind.” There was something about the big man’s smile that made Alex pause. Something was definitely in the air today.
After Mor was gone, Elise moved up beside Alex and said, “This is so wonderful. We’ve finally got the inn back the way it should be.”
Alex said, “Just in time, too. We used up the last of the money from the emerald sale, but it was worth it, wasn’t it? It turned out better than I’d even hoped.” One of Alex’s guests at the inn had discovered a vein of emeralds somewhere on the Winston property, only to take the secret of its location to the grave with her. However, there had been enough quality emeralds found in her possession to pay for rebuilding the Dual Keepers’ Quarters, finally restoring the property to its original splendor.
The audience suddenly broke loose with applause. It took Alex a second to realize they were clapping for Tracy Shook, one of the two candidates vying for Grady Hatch’s job as mayor of Elkton Falls. Tracy, a petite blonde around Alex’s age, was nearly hidden by the podium onstage. Alex had grown up with Tracy and her ex-husband, Conner Shook. Though Tracy and Conner had shared the same last name throughout their lives, the two came from opposite branches of the Shook family tree, so far separated that they were less blood-kin than many of the folks who lived in Elkton Falls. Tracy, now running for mayor, had hyphenated her line of Shooks onto her married name, but she’d dropped her husband’s Shook the day their divorce was finalized. In Alex’s opinion, Tracy was what the Elkton Falls government needed: someone with fresh ideas and a new approach to shake things up. Conner, predictably enough, was acting as her competitor’s campaign manager.
As Tracy’s opponent, Oxford Hitchcock, took the stage for his own speech, Alex asked, “Elise, is everything ready inside?”
They were having a reception in the lobby of the new building after the speeches were finished, and he wanted to make sure everything was just right.
“The punch is chilling, the finger foods are on their trays, and I’ve got three college kids decked out in their finest to serve our guests. I heard the chamber group warming up a few minutes ago, and they sounded wonderful.”
Alex said, “I’m still not sure about classical music at Hatteras West. It’s a little highbrow for Elkton Falls, don’t you think?”
She patted his arm. “Alex, don’t worry, everyone will love it.”
“I still say we should have gone with a bluegrass band.”
Elise said, “The next time we have a building dedication, we’ll do just that.”
Alex sighed. “To be honest with you, I never want to have to go through this again.”
“That makes two of us. But don’t worry so much, our troubles are over.”
On the stage, Oxford was wrapping up his comments, praising apple pie and motherhood, and the crowd roared again. Oxford was a popular man around Elkton Falls, serving on the Town Council for twelve years as well as handling the treasurer’s duties. He was a stout, heavyset man with a full mane of silver hair and a voice that echoed through the hills. As he spoke, Oxford locked both thumbs under his “signature” suspenders.
Oxford Hitchcock was in sharp contrast to Tracy Shook in just about every way: he bellowed,