Room for Murder - Tim Myers [23]
From the look of things, it was going to be another night of marital unbliss for them.
Alex had just finished his nightly rounds of checking both buildings and locking the lighthouse up when he heard a car approaching on the gravel drive.
He was startled to see Sheriff Armstrong getting out of his patrol car. Had he found something so urgent he needed to talk to Alex this late?
There was a grim look on his face as he got out of his squad car.
“What’s going on?” Alex asked.
“It’s Oxford Hitchcock.”
“What about him?” Alex asked as his heart went cold.
Armstrong took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then said, “It’s bad news, Alex. He’s dead.”
Chapter 7
Alex asked, “I don’t suppose there’s any chance he died of natural causes, is there?”
Armstrong shook his head. “No, there’s no doubt about it. Somebody walloped him upside the head with a board. It looks like they snuck up on him and hit him from behind.”
Alex took it all in, then asked quietly, “Where was he, at his house?”
“That’s the oddest part of all. We found Oxford hanging under the old covered bridge. He fell through one of those big holes your committee is trying to patch up. Anyway, his suspenders caught on one of the braces below, else he would have drifted down the river toward Charlotte by now. A couple of teenagers were down by the river making out and the guy flashed his light up under the bridge. We had the devil of a time getting the body down.”
Elise came out into the lobby, dressed in a thick robe. “What’s going on? Is it something about Mor or Emma?”
Alex said, “No, it’s something else entirely. You can go back to bed if you’d like.”
Ignoring him, Elise said, “What happened, Sheriff?”
“Somebody killed Oxford Hitchcock at the old covered bridge,” the sheriff answered calmly.
Elise shook her head in disbelief. “Why would anyone do such a thing?”
Armstrong said, “That’s what I’m aiming to find out. Alex, do you have any idea where Tracy Shook is?”
“Sheriff, you can’t seriously consider her a suspect. I’ve known Tracy all my life. I can’t see her doing something like this.”
Armstrong rubbed his scalp. “Alex, every murderer in the history of the world knew somebody, and the fact is, just about every one of them had friends. People do things for the craziest reasons.”
Alex couldn’t believe the sheriff was serious. “You actually believe she’d kill him to get a job that pays nine thousand dollars a year? You’re way off on this one.”
Armstrong took off his hat, then rubbed a hand through his hair. “Alex, I didn’t come out here for crime-fighting tips, I’m looking for Tracy. Once I talk to her, maybe we can clear her right off the bat, but you can bet your last hat I’m going to talk to her tonight.”
“Sorry, I haven’t seen her,” Alex said.
Armstrong looked at Elise. “And you, Ma’am?”
“No, I’m sorry I can’t help.”
Armstrong nodded briefly, then put his hat back on. “If she comes out here, call me. I don’t care what time of day or night.”
“I still say she didn’t do it,” Alex insisted.
Armstrong just smiled. “You’re forgetting one thing, Alex.”
“What’s that?”
The sheriff said, “You don’t get a vote.”
After the sheriff was gone, Elise said, “I can’t imagine anyone killing that nice man, and I certainly can’t see Tracy doing it.”
“The sheriff’s way off on this one.” He stretched, then added, “I can’t see getting to sleep any time soon. Care to join me for a hot chocolate?”
She stifled a yawn. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m going back to bed.”
“Good night, then,” he said.
Later, Alex went to sleep wondering who had cause enough to kill Oxford Hitchcock. To Alex, he was just a typical politician, but to someone, the man must have been a real threat.
At least Alex wasn’t involved in that particular investigation. He had enough on his hands trying to get Mor and Emma off the sheriff’s list of prime suspects for Toby Sturbridge’s death.
Alex opened the newspaper the next day to see if there were any new details about Elkton Falls’ latest murder. The headline