Room for Murder - Tim Myers [12]
Alex nodded. “I never thought about that. Irene, I’m not asking you to put your neck on the line, but do you have any idea what happened?”
“A man died, Alex, that’s all I can say. Don’t worry, we’ll know more soon enough.”
After the tow truck came and hauled Mor’s truck off, there was no reason for Irene or the sheriff to hang around Hatteras West. They got back into the cruiser and Alex watched them drive away.
He couldn’t imagine what Irene might find upon taking a closer look at the truck.
Alex just hoped if anything did turn up, it wouldn’t point to either of his two friends.
Alex was back at the main desk trying to get a handle on having a full house of guests again when he looked up from the inn’s registry to find the two ladies sharing Room 16 approach.
He greeted them with his best innkeeper’s smile, then said, “Good afternoon, Ladies. We were beginning to worry about you.”
Corki stifled a yawn as she admitted, “To be honest with you, we’ve needed our rest. I never imagined this tour of inns would be so exhausting.”
Jan added, “I never worked so hard in my life as we did at that place in Pennsylvania. Magdalena nearly wore us out with that true Amish experience.”
Alex smiled softly to himself. He’d met Magdalena Yoder years before at an innkeepers affair, and she’d bragged about her penchant for keeping her guests busy with chores, even paying for the privilege. Alex wished wistfully that he’d have the nerve to do that himself.
Well, it was worth a shot. Alex said, “If you two decide you want to get the authentic Lighthouse Experience. I’ve got plenty of rags and cleaners, and the glass around the lens could use a good scrubbing.”
Corki held her palms up in the air. “No more work for me. All I want to do is eat and sleep. I’m ready for a real vacation.”
Jan chimed in, “Absolutely. Alex, we came down for directions to Mama Ravolini’s. We’ve heard great things about the restaurant. Is it far?”
Alex took out a highlighter and traced the route on a photocopied map of Elkton Falls for the ladies. As he handed the sheet to them, Corki said, “Don’t wait up. We’re going to see every bit of nightlife Elkton Falls has to offer.”
As the two women drove away, Alex knew they’d most likely be back before he extinguished the lobby fire for the night at 10 p.m. Elkton Falls just wasn’t all that exciting in the evening, and honestly, that was one of the things he loved about living in the small town.
Alex was ready to call it a night when a couple in their thirties came crashing into the inn.
The woman was hounding the man even as they burst through the door. “I told you this was it, Paul. ‘Follow the lighthouse,’ you said. ‘We’re bound to get there sooner or later,’ you said. If that farmer hadn’t given us directions, we’d still be driving around in circles.”
“Sheila, if you think you can do better next time, you drive. At least then you won’t be on my back about the directions.”
Alex asked, “May I help you?”
“We want the Main Keeper’s Suite. That’s the best room you’ve got in the old building, isn’t it?” the woman barked out.
“I’m sorry, but that room is reserved for the next two weeks.”
Sheila turned to the man beside her and said, “I told you we should have called ahead. But no, you were sure it would be vacant.”
Paul protested, “Hey, the reservations were your job. Don’t lay this one on me. I can’t do everything.”
As they caught their breaths before starting in on each other again, Alex said, “We do have one room available, but I’m afraid it’s not in this building at all. It’s in the Dual Keepers’ Quarters over there.” He pointed through the window to the building next door.
“It’s brand new, isn’t it,” the woman said disdainfully.
“Bright and shining. In fact, this is the first night it’s officially open.”
“So much for our historic honeymoon,” the woman snapped at her spouse.
The man stepped forward and said to Alex in a low voice, “Listen, I know this is late notice, but couldn’t you do a little shuffling for us? I