Room for Murder - Tim Myers [32]
“Emma Sturbridge, if you think I’m going to stand by and watch you throw yourself on your sword, you’re out of your mind. Have some faith in Mor. He didn’t kill Toby any more than you did.”
Tears crept down her cheeks. “Alex, you didn’t see him last night. He was so angry, about Toby and everything else.”
“Emma, he wouldn’t kill anybody, certainly not in his own truck. Even if Mor’s temper got the better of him, don’t you think he would have done something pretty obvious, like beating the man up? You saw Toby yourself. There wasn’t a mark on him. They don’t even have an official cause of death yet.”
“Oh dear,” Emma said, the enormity of what she’d done obviously sinking in at last. “Alex, I’ve made a dreadful mistake. How is Mor ever going to forgive me?”
Alex said, “Mor’s the least of your problems. How are we going to get you out of here?”
“Never mind that. Call Mor. I’ve got to do something before it’s too late.”
Alex said, “I’m calling Sandra. After she gets you out, you can deal with Mor yourself.”
“This is dreadful.”
Alex took a chance on breaking Armstrong’s rule and reached over to pat Emma’s hand. “Sandra will straighten this out. In the meantime, don’t say anything else. Okay?”
“I promise.”
Armstrong tapped once on the door, then opened it. ‘Time’s up. Sorry.”
“We were just finished,” Alex said.
“Make both those calls, Alex. Promise me,” Emma said.
“As long as I can do it in the order I want to,” Alex said with a slight grin.
“You’re as stubborn as I am, Alex Winston.”
“Talk to you soon, Emma.”
After Armstrong took Emma back to her cell, he was surprised to find Alex on his telephone.
Alex hung up as the sheriff walked back in. “That’s for official business only, Alex.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t wait. Sheriff, you know as well as I do that confession’s worthless.”
Armstrong huffed. “Alex, don’t go meddling in my business. You’re just an innkeeper, remember?”
“I’m also Emma’s friend.”
Armstrong pointed to the telephone. “Who were you calling?”
“Sandra Beckett,” Alex admitted. “She’s on her way over here.”
“Wonderful. That’s just what I need.”
Alex said, “Sorry. I know you didn’t cause this yourself.”
“I guess that’s as much sympathy as I can hope for, isn’t it? Now do me a favor and kindly get your carcass out of my office.”
“I’m on my way,” Alex said.
Alex knew Emma’s confession had stirred up a hornet’s nest. Sandra was a great attorney, but that didn’t mean Emma would be sleeping in her own bed tonight These things took time, and it was going to be hard to un-ring that particular bell. How matters would stand between Emma and Mor after she finally did get out was anyone’s guess. One thing he was certain of: Mor wouldn’t be thrilled that Emma had thought him capable of killing her ex-husband.
Alex knew in his heart that Emma’s instincts were way off base. Mor himself could confess the crime on the news and Alex wouldn’t believe it of his friend.
So if Mor hadn’t killed the man, and Emma hadn’t either, who or what exactly had ended Toby Sturbridge’s life?
Since Alex was already in town, he decided to go by Shantara’s General Store and see how things were going with Tracy Shook and her campaign against her ex-husband.
Shantara was with a customer in the craft section of her store, showing some of Bill Yadkin’s blacksmith work to a sharp-eyed woman in an expensive suit.
The woman said, “Eleven hundred dollars for that piece? You’ve got to be kidding. You must be able to do better than that.”
Shantara said, “No, Ma’am. This fellow’s had offers all over the country for his work. He sells some of his creations here only as a favor to me because he’s local.”
When the woman saw that Shantara wasn’t going to budge, she said, “Okay, you win. I’ll take everything.”
Shantara nodded as she began collecting a dozen forged hooks, a mirror with twining steel tendrils, and a gate with swirls of iron wrapped with black vines. Alex pretended to browse as he watched the register display light up. The total was staggering.
After the buyer made a trip to her car with her first