Key to Murder (Book 6 in the Lighthouse Inn Mystery Series) Read online

  Key 126 Myers

  Lighthouse Mystery #6

  KEY TO MURDER

  By

  TIM MYERS

  Key to Murder

  by Tim Myers.

  Copyright © 2010 Tim Myers

  All rights reserved.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For Patty and Emily

  Chapter 1

  There was a storm brewing at the lighthouse on the edge of the Atlantic, but it wasn’t coming from the sea. Murder was in the air, something that seemed to follow Alex Winston wherever he went. This time though, he was seven hours away from home and nearly everything that was familiar to him.

  Alex didn’t realize it yet, but struggling to solve this murder would change his life forever in a way that he couldn’t begin to fathom.

  And troubling times would lead him to the most desperate act he’d ever committed in his life.

  Chapter 2

  “I can’t believe we’re actually here,” Elise Danton said to Alex Winston as they watched the sun rise out of the Atlantic Ocean through a break in the dunes.

  Alex glanced at Elise as they sat on the back porch of the inn at the Cape Kidd lighthouse on the coast of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was a far cry from their regular place of business; Hatteras West, a replica of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

  “I just hope Harry and Barbara are enjoying our lighthouse half as much. It was a great idea to trade inns for a few weeks,” Alex answered as he reached out to hold Elise’s hand. They’d been dating for nearly a year, and Alex still couldn’t believe his good fortune. From the moment Elise had walked into the inn in Elkton Falls looking for a job, he’s known she was the one for him. Alex had worried that working together at the inn and dating would cause too much strain on their relationship, but they’d managed to balance it all just fine.

  “They must be in heaven in the mountains,” Elise said. “As pretty as this place is, I have to admit that I like ours better.”

  Alex loved how she referred to Hatteras West as theirs. It was true on so many levels. “I know exactly what you mean. Lighthouses look odd without hills around them, don’t they?”

  She laughed, a sound he’d grown to love. “I’ve been trying to put my finger on what’s been so unsettling about the place, but you’re right. Every lighthouse should have mountains.”

  Alex glanced at his watch, and then reluctantly released Elise’s hand. “We’d better get back inside. Mor and Emma are checking out today.”

  “An innkeeper’s life is never idle, is it?” Elise asked. “I’m going to hate to see the two of them go.” Mor Pendleton and his wife, Emma Sturbridge Pendleton, were Alex and Elise’s closest friends. Mor helped run Mor or Les, a fix-it shop in Elkton Falls, and Emma helped out sometimes at the inn when things got particularly hectic. Their friends had taken a few days off to visit the coast, despite Les’s protests, but they were heading back home today.

  As if on cue, the screen door opened. Alex was expecting to see his old friends, but instead, a couple in their late twenties joined them. They were both blond, dressed nicely in slacks and polo shirts, and were a little too pretty for Alex’s taste. The man asked, “Are you open yet?”

  Alex stood, and Elise joined him. “We are. Do you have a reservation?” He knew they didn’t. It was slow season, and there was no one scheduled to visit the inn until the weekend. Harry had told him it was unusual to have drop-in guests this time of year, but it did happen.

  “We were hoping you had room for us,” the man said. “Judging by your parking lot, I’m guessing we were right.”

  “Of course there’s space available,” Elise said smoothly. “Let’s get you checked in.”

  The four of them walked through the narrow hallway out into the main lobby where the front desk was located. Instead of the replica of the Hatteras Lighthouse’s Main Keeper’s Quarters they were used to, the Cape Kidd quarters were a little on the small size. Quaint little guest cottages had been built along the dune in the fifties, and it was a miracle they hadn’t all washed away in one of the storms that occasionally hit the Outer Banks. Harry had told Alex that he was lucky to have an inland lighthouse inn and didn’t have to constantly worry about beach erosion, but Alex had assured him that he had his own problems.

  Alex put the guest ledger out on the counter of the scarred old oak desk. “If you’ll just sign in, we can get you processed.”

  The man looked at him skeptically. “You do have a computer, don’t you? And a way to handle a credit card? I’m afraid I don’t usually carry much cash on me.”

  “Don’t worry, we’re able to accommodate you,” Alex said. “The inn owners just like a personal log.”

  The woman looked surprised. “You two aren’t the owners? I assumed you were a married couple running your own operation.”

  “We run another inn together,” Alex said.

  “But we’re not married,” Elise chimed in.

  “No, of course not. I mean, not of course, but we’re not. We’re dating, though.” Alex couldn’t believe that he still got flustered in these situations. Honestly, he’d thought about asking Elise to marry him more than once, but he didn’t want to risk disturbing the balance they’d found. If he asked, and she said no, he was afraid that would be the end of them. Elise had been engaged before, and it hadn’t turned out well for her.

  The woman smiled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch a nerve. I’m Michelle, and this is Jackson. We’re the Bennings.” She said the last bit with a special trill, and Alex wondered if they were newlyweds.

  “Pleased to meet you,” Elise said.

  Alex nodded. As Jackson slid his credit card across the counter, Alex asked, “May I see your driver’s license?”

  He looked peeved for just a second, but then complied. Alex felt he should explain. “Sorry about that, but the owners asked me to confirm IDs.”

  “That’s fine,” Michelle said. “If you could manage it, we’d like something private.”

  “I could put you in the end unit,” Alex said. “It’s the Seafarer. How long will you be with us here at the Hat…Captain Kidd?”

  “We might be here as long as a week, but let’s handle it a night at a time,” Jackson said. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  “No, but I can offer you a better rate if you stay with us a week.”

  The man looked amused by the offering. “Thanks for offering, but that’s not going to be an issue.”

  Alex opened the top of the desk, showing a modern station complete with computer and printer. He didn’t know who had modified the desk, but he wished he had one himself. After running the car
d through the reader, a bill printed out and he handed Jackson a copy to sign. That done, Elise handed them a key.

  “Is someone available to get our bags?” Jackson asked.

  “I can take care of it,” Alex replied.

  Michelle smiled at that. “I like that in a man. Is there anything you don’t do around here?”

  “I don’t cook,” he admitted. “Elise is the chef.” He kept the fact that he baked the bread to himself. Somehow it felt as though her were showing off, trying to impress her, and there was only one woman he cared about impressing.

  “Don’t forget, I’m the head of housekeeping, too,” she added with a smile.

  “Excellent,” Michelle said.

  As Alex followed them out to their car, he glanced back at Elise and raised one eyebrow. She shrugged and added a gentle smile before he left. They’d just spoken paragraphs without saying a word.

  Alex was expecting a great deal of luggage when he got to their late model Mercedes, but instead, he found the truck held just two overnight bags. Why did the man need help with these? It wasn’t Alex’s place to question it. He grabbed both bags and walked them to their cottage. When they got there, he asked for the key, and then unlocked the door. It was a quaint little space, with a double bed, an easy chair, a small pine dresser, and a tiny bathroom not much bigger than a closet. There were nautical themes present everywhere, from paintings showing ships in storms to a seashell-filled glass lamp on the small nightstand. The bed was covered with a faded yellow spread that looked older than Alex, and the scarred wooden floors had gaps between the boards. A painted cast-iron lighthouse nearly two feet tall sat in the corner, and Alex always smiled when he saw it. It was a replica of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, in a way just like his own was. Harry must have gotten a deal on the pieces; there was one in every cottage.

  “Is this all there is to it?” Jackson asked as he looked around in distaste. “I’m assuming from the exterior that there’s not another room attached.”

  “This is it,” Alex said without apology

  “Don’t you have anything larger?” Jackson asked.

  “Not really,” Alex replied.

  Michelle smiled. “This is fine. It’s rather cozy, isn’t it?”

  “I suppose,” Jackson replied.

  Alex put the luggage on the bed and left the key on the small dresser. “We serve breakfast every morning, and if you’d like to have dinner with us, we need to know in advance. If you’d like, sandwiches are sometimes available for lunch if you feel like having a picnic while you’re staying here with us. I believe Elise said we were having egg salad sandwiches for lunch.”

  “We’d like lunch and dinner, please,” Michelle said.

  “Could we have room service?” Jackson asked, though Alex suspected he already knew the answer.

  “I’m afraid not,” Alex said. “We’re a little short-handed around here this time of year. You can pick up your sandwiches around noon, and dinner is served promptly at six.”

  “How charming,” Michelle said.

  As Alex headed for the door, Michelle urged her husband, “Tip him.”

  Jackson started to reach for his wallet when Alex said, “That won’t be necessary.” He felt it wasn’t appropriate for the proprietor to get tips at Hatteras West, and he saw no reason to change that working here.

  “Don’t be difficult. We insist,” Michelle said.

  Jackson pulled out a twenty and slid it into his hand. There was no sense protesting. After all, he didn’t have to be rude about it.

  When he walked back into the main quarters of the inn, Elise was waiting for him. He loved the way the light hit her beautiful dark hair, and how her smile seemed to light up any room she was in. Alex was smitten, totally and completely, though he was sure he hid it well.

  He was wrong.

  “What did they say?” she asked.

  “They want egg salad sandwiches for lunch, and they’re having dinner with us. Can you believe it? They gave me a tip,” Alex said with a smile as he held the twenty dollar bill up.

  “Alex,” she said.

  “Hey, I tried to decline, but they insisted. What was I going to say?”

  “Maybe we can go out for some seafood with it before we go back home,” she said.

  “We can, but not tonight. The Bennings will be joining us. They wanted room service, can you believe it?”

  “From them? I can easily see it. Let’s see, what should I make tonight?”

  “It’s your call,” Alex said.

  “The larder’s getting kind of low. We should do a little shopping soon.”

  “Just make me out a list and I’ll take care of it,” Alex said. As he spoke, the door opened, and a single man walked in. He was in his late forties and sported a mustache that had more pepper than salt in it, but not by much. He was handsome, in a dark sort of way.

  “May I help you?” Elise asked.

  He seemed to take her in for a moment, a prolonged instant of uncomfortable silence that passed between them. Alex was certain he was about to say something to Elise about her good looks, but a frown crept onto her face, and he astutely changed his mind. Elise had been a beauty queen once upon a time, but she wasn’t all that comfortable with her prettiness. “I’d like a room,” the man said simply.

  “How many nights?” Alex asked.

  “One to start.”

  Alex pointed to the sign-in book. “Just sign there.”

  The man hesitated, but then Alex saw him scribble something down. From where he stood, it was entirely illegible.

  After Alex quoted him the nightly rate, the man slid a pair of hundreds across the desk. Alex started to make change, but the man said, “Keep the difference.”

  It was an even more substantial tip than he’d gotten earlier. “I still need a credit card imprint for any additional charges,” Alex said. Though it was technically true, Alex was asking for another reason. He had a sudden desire to know the man’s real name.

  Instead of producing a card, the man offered another hundred dollar bill. “That should take care of it. Now, if you’ll give me a key, I’ll be on my way.”

  “I’ll be glad to get your bags,” Alex said as he grabbed a key to the Whaler, the room farthest from his new guests as he could manage, all the way on the other side of the small lighthouse.

  “No problem. I can handle it,” he said as he grabbed the key.

  Before he left, Alex made one last stab at an ID. He looked at the book and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t make this out. What’s your name?”

  The man said, “Brown,” and then left.

  “What was that all about?” Elise asked.

  “I wish I knew. I thought Harry said this was their slow time of year.”

  “Maybe it is. What do you make of him?”

  “I’m guessing Brown isn’t his real name,” Alex said. He was about to say something else when Mor and Emma walked in.

  They were both frowning, and Alex had an immediate sense that something was wrong with his friends.

  Mor Pendleton was a big man, with thick meaty hands and a football player’s physique. Emma was no small woman, and together, they were a physical presence to be reckoned with. “What’s up, you two?” Alex asked. “We were beginning to worry about you.”

  “I want to stay,” Emma said, “but Mor needs to get back.”

  “Lester is having a fit,” Mor replied. “I pushed him as it was to even come here in the first place.”

  “I’m not ready to go,” Emma said.

  “Then stay,” Mor said. There wasn’t an ounce of harshness in his voice, but Alex was still a little unsettled every time he heard his friend and his wife discuss anything. There always seemed to be a bite to their words, whether either one of them realized it.

  “Not without you,” Emma said.

  Mor grinned. “What the matter, don’t you trust me being on my own in Elkton Falls without you?”

  “You I trust,” Emma said. “Molly Graves is
a different story.”

  Alex knew that ever since Molly had moved to Elkton Falls, Emma had been suspicious of her affection for her husband. Alex knew his friend’s devotion to his wife was unwavering, but he had a habit of tweaking his wife about the attention he got, even though his life would have been easier if he didn’t.

  “I keep telling you, it’s all in your imagination,” Mor said.

  “Maybe not all of it,” Elise said softly. Alex wasn’t even certain she’d meant to say it aloud, but Emma jumped all over it.

  “There, you see? It’s not just me.”

  Mor shook his head. “Don’t tell me you’re buying it, too.”

  Elise shrugged. “She does seem to break a great many things.”

  “It happens, and she brings her business to us. That’s what Les and I do; we fix stuff. It’s all harmless.”

  Elise didn’t look as though she was buying it, and neither did Emma. Alex’s friend appealed to him as he asked, “Surely you’re on my side, right?”

  “I don’t have an opinion one way or another,” Alex said.

  “Coward,” Mor said with a smile.

  “I think he’s smart,” Emma said.

  “You would. So, are you coming with me, or not?”

  Emma seemed to debate it for a moment, and then finally said, “I’d better. After all, somebody’s got to keep an eye on you.” She hugged him as she said it, and followed it up with a kiss.

  Mor’s grin broke free. “I’m glad you’re coming with me. To be honest with you, I miss you when you’re not around.”

  “That’s sweet,” Emma said, and then she turned to us. “We love it here with you.”

  “It’s been great having you,” Elise said.

  Alex added, “Do me a favor. Pop in at the lighthouse when you get back.”