Room for Murder - Tim Myers [51]
Elise hugged Emma and said, “I’m so happy for you both.”
As the two women went into a whispered conversation regarding the on-again wedding plans, Mor said, “Wrong fuse, huh? You think you’re pretty smart, don’t you?”
“Hey, it was dark in there. Anybody can make a mistake.”
Mor put one arm around Alex’s shoulders and said, “Yeah, and you kept me from making a big one. Thanks.”
“No problem. So I guess we’re going to have that non-bachelor party after all.”
“Looks like it,” he said with a grin.
And at least one couple that belonged together was back on track.
Alex wished he’d been as successful with Elise, but seeing his best friend happy was enough.
It had to be; it looked like that was all Alex was going to get.
“This is it,” Shantara told Alex as they loaded the last of his supplies into Alex’s truck. “I’ll let you know when those bulk soaps get in.” Shantara gave Alex a huge price break on the disposables he needed to run the inn, with just a few conditions attached. Alex had to pick up the goods himself, something that was no hardship, since he usually welcomed an excuse to visit her at her general store. The only other condition was one night’s stay a year at the inn in the Main Keeper’s Suite, the one Mrs. Nesbitt was occupying now. Shantara usually picked a time when the inn was slow and she could afford a day and night away from the store. She’d picked January 28 for that year, a time when Alex had to fight to keep the budget above water.
Alex said, “Just give me a call and I’ll pick the rest of my things up. How’s Tracy holding up?”
Shantara frowned. “There are a thousand rumors flooding around the kudzu vine. Some folks are claiming she bumped Oxford off herself. I even heard somebody say they saw her around Mor’s truck the day that stranger died. You want to know something, Alex? I think Conner’s spreading them himself.”
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Alex said, “but I wouldn’t worry about it too much either. Folks around here are too smart to fall for it.”
Shantara raised one eyebrow at him. “Just like they were too smart to believe Finster’s rumor about your lighthouse becoming an amusement park?”
A local Realtor, in an effort to get Alex to sell out, had started that rumor, along with a dozen others, and Alex well remembered how much grief the stories had caused him. “You’ve got a point, but I don’t know what anybody can do about it.”
“Tracy’s offering to take a polygraph test, but the sheriff won’t do it. He says he’s got too much on his hands as it is, and he won’t give in to the grandstanding.”
Alex said, “He’s got a point. Do me a favor, though. Don’t start any rumors of your own, okay?”
She patted his cheek. “Alex, you’re such a sweet man. Do us all a favor. Don’t ever go into politics, okay? The sharks would eat you alive.”
“You don’t have to worry about me, I’m happy enough being an innkeeper.”
As Alex stowed the last box on the back of his truck, he saw Grady Hatch across the street coming out of Buck’s Grill.
“I need to talk to the mayor for a second, Shantara. Thanks again.”
She smiled. “Glad to be of service, Alex. You don’t have to restrict your visits to pickup days, you know that, don’t you?”
“It’s usually the only time Elise will let me out of the inn,” Alex said with a laugh.
“How’s that going?” she asked gently. “I heard about your big date.”
“You and the rest of Elkton Falls. It didn’t work out, that’s all I’ve got to say about it.” Before Shantara could ask for more details, Alex added, “I really do need to talk to Grady.”
“You men, any excuse not to confide in someone else.”
“Yeah, you’re absolutely right, Shantara,” he said as he rolled his eyes.
She was still laughing as Alex crossed the street.
He called out, “Mayor, do you have a second?”
Grady Hatch appeared to be deep in thought. It took two more hails from Alex before he realized he was being paged.
“Sorry about that, Alex, I was thinking about something else. Looks like Hurricane Zelda’s coming ashore somewhere off the Outer Banks. I’ve got several friends out there, you know.” The mayor usually spent