Room for Murder - Tim Myers [18]
“I’ve got a feeling that’s all about to change,” Alex said.
Sally Anne took the money, winked at Alex, then walked away.
“Are you two involved in some way?” Lenora asked.
“Do you mean Sally Anne? No, we’re just friends.”
Lenora said softly, “Perhaps on your part. With her, it’s not as clear.”
Alex said, “You just don’t know her. We’ve been joking around with each other since she was in braces and pigtails.” Alex took a last sip of his sweet tea, then said, “We’ve had our lunch, and you still haven’t asked your favor.”
Lenora, sensing that Alex had shifted the conversation intentionally, acquiesced. “Very well. Alex, I want you to model for me.”
Alex couldn’t entirely bite back his laugh, and he looked sheepishly around as conversations all through Buck’s paused to see what might happen next. “Sorry,” Alex said in a lowered voice. “You caught me off guard with that one. Nobody’s ever confused me with a model before.”
Lenora said, “And why not? You have rich cheekbones, a noble nose, and a profile worth capturing on paper.”
Alex didn’t know what to say to that. “I thought you did landscapes. You were sketching at the top of the lighthouse yesterday, weren’t you?”
“I work in my many mediums with a host of subjects, Alex. I would be most grateful if you would allow me to sketch you.”
Alex said, “Lenora, I’m not sure I’m the right man for the job. There are a lot of better-looking folks in this world.” He gestured around the room. “You probably wouldn’t have a hard time finding one eating right here in Buck’s.”
Lenora shook her head. “Let me be the judge of that, Alex. It’s you I want for my subject.”
“Tell you what, let me sleep on it, okay?”
“I’ll await your answer tomorrow morning,” she agreed.
As Alex stood, he said, “Well, I have to get back to the inn if you’re ready to go. Elise and I still have some laundry to do.”
Lenora said, “I believe I’ll stay here in town, if it’s all the same to you. I’d like to get a feel for Elkton Falls.
Don’t worry about my transportation back to the inn. I’ll take a taxi.”
Alex said, “Rebecca Gray has the only cab in town, but don’t expect much. She uses her dad’s pickup truck, and it’s almost in worse shape than mine is. It’s great for hauling luggage, but there’s not a lot of passenger room up front.”
Lenora just smiled. “This is why I love small towns.”
“We have our moments,” Alex said.
On the way back to Hatteras West, Alex thought about Lenora’s offer. He considered himself passable in the looks department, but a model? No, it was too outlandish to even consider.
If he hurried, he’d be able to make it back to the inn before Elise got started on that laundry.
She was already at work when he got there.
Alex said, “Hey, you started without me.”
“I wasn’t sure when you’d get back,” Elise said curtly. “So, how was lunch?”
Alex couldn’t hide his grin. “You’re just not going to believe this. She propositioned me.”
Elise’s head jerked up. “She what?”
“She wants me to model for her. She’s an artist, you know.”
Elise began to laugh, softly at first, then building to a full roar before Alex finally broke in and said, “Hey, it’s not that funny.”
“Alex, you know how much I think of you, but modeling? Please.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, that was my reaction, too. I’m saying no.”
Elise shook her head. “No, you should do it. Just think, you don’t want to give up the chance to be in one of her paintings.”
Alex grabbed a load of sheets from the dryer. “Believe it or not, I’ll learn to live without that particular honor.”
As Elise continued folding sheets, she said, “I am sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed. So what’s new in Elkton Falls?”
“You heard that Oxford Hitchcock disappeared, didn’t you?”
Elise shook her head. “You can’t be serious. What happened to him?”
“Nobody knows. Sheriff Armstrong’s looking into it.”
Elise stacked a few sheets in the basket, then said, “I wonder if the sheriff’s found