Ring for Murder (Lighthouse Inn Finale) Read online

  “As a matter of fact, he’s already here. He’s upstairs right now.”

  “Should we invite him to join us?” Mor asked, though he wasn’t fond of Alex’s brother, and everyone in town knew it.

  “No need. He’s already drunk, so I don’t think it’s a good idea to pour any more liquor into him.”

  Mor shook his head. “Some brother you’ve got there.”

  Alex shrugged. “We can’t pick our families, just our friends. Thanks for coming by tonight. I’d nearly forgotten all about having a bachelor party.”

  “Shoot, I should be thanking you. You got me out of wedding central.”

  As the two men sat by the fire, they chatted about old times, of the troubles, and the joys, they’d shared over the years. As far as Alex was concerned, it was the most fitting way to have a bachelor party he could think of.

  Mor finally left, and Alex knocked down the last of the flames in the fireplace.

  He glanced at his watch and saw that tomorrow would be there sooner than he liked.

  As Alex drifted off to sleep, he wondered what his brother had been babbling about. He’d never been a particularly nice drunk, or all that well-meaning when he was sober, and Alex felt a little uncomfortable having him back at the inn.

  Tony would be gone soon enough, though. After the wedding, he and Elise were going to shut down their inn to take a proper honeymoon, three days in Colonial Williamsburg, and then back home to run Hatteras West.

  Alex couldn’t wait for all of the fuss to be over so they could finally start the rest of their lives, together.

  Chapter 3

  Alex woke up and realized that this was the day before his wedding. It brought an immediate smile to his face, and he knew that no matter how bad the next two days might be, at the end of it, he and Elise would be husband and wife.

  He came out of his room whistling, and found Elise already at the front desk. She was displaying a broad frown, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Though he believed that he knew his bride-to-be well, Alex fully realized that his education up to that point had been somewhat lacking. He looked forward to getting to know her expressions and moods on a deeper level, but for now, he wasn’t sure what to do. In a moment of spontaneity, he decided to give her a hug. After all, if he couldn’t get her out of a bad mood today, he was in for some rough sailing in the future.

  He walked in behind Elise, and then put his arms around her.

  She turned to face him, and then buried her head into the nape of his neck. “How did you know? I really needed that,” she said after she pulled away a full minute later.

  “Heck, I was being selfish. I needed one myself. Why the frown before?”

  She pointed to their registration book. “We have two couples booked for the Carolina Jasmine room the week we get back. We have got to get a better computer.”

  “Pick one out. We’ll find a way to pay for it.” Alex had a sudden thought. “Hey, maybe we’ll get some cash as a wedding present. We could use it for that.”

  She nodded with a smile. “What a great idea. That sounds perfect.”

  He hugged her again. “Elise, I’m just glad you’re so flexible. I don’t know what I would do if you were the type of person who expected to be spoiled all of the time,” he said.

  “Oh, I do. I insist on laughter, hugs, kisses, and you being here, instead of anything more material. As far as I’m concerned, the rest is just icing on the cake.”

  “By the way, how’s the cake coming?” Alex knew that Irma Bean from Mama Ravolini’s was taking care of their wedding cake, and she’d promised them something extraordinary. Alex wasn’t all that sure how unique their cake needed to be, but he’d kept his nose out of it.

  “It’s going well. Irma and I had a long chat about what we want, and Emma’s riding herd over her, so I’m not worried about it.”

  “She’s taking on a lot, isn’t she? Mor was here last night after you went to bed. During my bachelor party, he told me how hard she’s been working lately.”

  “She insisted, but I’m taking up some of the slack.” Elise looked at him and smiled. “Your get-together must not have been too wild. I didn’t even hear you.”

  “We were quietly celebrating,” Alex said with a grin of his own. “I don’t get the whole last chance to be single idea, anyway. I can’t imagine anything more exciting than being with you.” He wasn’t all that prone to declarations about his feelings like that, but if a man couldn’t say those things on the eve of his own wedding, maybe he shouldn’t be getting married at all.

  Alex looked at Elise, and noticed a tear tracking down her cheek. “Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

  “No, I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’m weepy all of a sudden, and I’ve never been that way in my life up until now.”

  “Hey, we’re both happy. Let’s just leave it at that. Everything set for the rehearsal dinner tonight, or do I need to touch base with Monet’s Garden?”

  “No worries, Alex, it’s all under control.”

  “Good,” Alex said. “What’s left for me to do?”

  She grinned at him. “I was hoping you’d ask. Shantara called, and she got in that door-lock we’ve been waiting for. Why don’t you take the truck and run into town?”

  “You’re not trying to get me out from underfoot, are you?”

  Elise pretended to be astonished. “Me? I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  He kissed her, and they both laughed. “I’ll be back later.”

  “See you for lunch,” Elise said.

  Alex got into his ancient pickup and headed into Elkton Falls. Shantara Robinson was a long time friend of his. She ran the general store in town, inheriting it from her father about the same time that Alex’s own parents had died and left him and his brother the lighthouse inn, cash and securities, and a handful of stocks. Alex, in a moment he never, or rarely ever, regretted, had offered Tony everything he’d inherited for his share of the lighthouse property, and his brother, always driven by greed, had readily agreed. Even growing up, Tony had never had any use for the lighthouse, something he’d always considered an oddity and an embarrassment instead of a delight.

  Alex picked up the door-lock, spent a little time browsing the aisles of the store, drove around town a little, and basically just killed time until he had to meet back up with Elise. The errand had another benefit as well. Alex didn’t have to see his brother, at least not soon. Why couldn’t they get along? Alex had made every effort over the years, but Tony hadn’t been interested.

  He was in Elkton Falls now, though, and Alex resolved to make one last stab at getting along with his brother. They were adults; surely they could put childhood slights and fights behind them, on what was the happiest time of Alex’s life.

  As Alex drove up to the inn, he found his brother sitting on the lighthouse’s front steps.

  Tony waved to him, and Alex decided there was no time like the present to start patching things up.

  “Where did you run off to?” Tony asked, the ire thick in his voice. “I’ve been looking all over the place for you all morning.”

  “I had to run into town on an errand. What’s going on?”

  “We need to talk,” Tony said.

  From the angry tone in his brother’s voice, Alex knew that this might not be the best time to work things out. “I’ve got to get inside. Can we do it later?”

  Tony was about to protest when Elise called out from the steps of the Dual Keeper’s Quarters. “Lunch, guys. Come on in.”

  “Hang on a second,” Alex called out, and then turned back to his brother. He might as well get it over with. “What is it?”

  “It’ll keep till later,” Tony said with a frown.

  “Good,” Alex answered. Delaying this particular conversation was fine with him.

  As the two of them walked back toward the inn, Alex asked, “How long are you staying in Elkton Falls?”

  “Maybe for quite a while,” Tony said, shocking Alex with hi
s reply.

  “Really? That’s great,” Alex answered, trying to mean what he said. “Any reason in particular?”

  Tony just smiled, but there was something about it that Alex didn’t like.

  He didn’t have long to think about it, though. When he got to Elise, he could see that she’d been crying.

  “What’s wrong? Did something happen? Are your folks okay?”

  “As far as I know,” she said.

  Tony butted in. “I’ll see you inside.”

  After he left, they were alone. “Go on, you can tell me.”

  “Irma called. There’s an issue with the cake.”

  “That’s a relief,” Alex said. “I thought it was something important.”

  “You don’t think our wedding cake is important?” she asked with a hint of anger in her voice.

  “Hey, I’m one of the good guys, remember? What is it? Between the two of us, we’ll fix it.”

  “I’m sure the cake will be fine, if I want to be a widow as soon as I’m a bride.”

  “What do you mean?” Alex asked.

  “The batter she used was coconut. You’re allergic.”

  “Trust me, I’m not about to forget.” He thought about it, and then shrugged. “I can’t eat it, but that doesn’t mean everyone else can’t enjoy it.”

  “Alex Winston, if you think for one second that we’re going to have a wedding cake that my new husband can’t eat, you’ve lost your mind.”

  “So, she can make us another one.” It seemed simple enough to Alex.

  “In one day? It’s impossible.”

  He wrapped her up in another hug. “Nothing else matters except saying ‘I do’ to you.”

  She bit her lower lip, and then said, “You’re right. I just wanted everything to be perfect.”

  He held her tightly, and then said, “It is. ‘I do’, remember?”

  She laughed at him. “You’re right. It’s not that big a deal. She can make another cake. It won’t be as nice as the one I ordered, but at least it won’t kill you.”

  “I’m all for that,” Alex said with a grin. “Has anything else gone wrong today yet?”

  She smiled at him. “No, I don’t have any more problems scheduled until after lunch.”

  “Sounds good to me,” he said.

  “Then let’s eat. I’m starving.”

  “Is this when I say ‘I do’?” Alex asked the preacher as he and Elise stood on the lighthouse steps late in the afternoon.

  “Yes, but save it for later,” Kyle said. “We don’t want to jump the gun, do we?”

  Alex answered without thinking, “Speak for yourself, John Alden.”

  Everyone gathered there laughed, including Elise. She squeezed his hand, and as they finished the rehearsal, Alex couldn’t keep the broad grin off of his face. He looked over at Elise’s parents, and was still taken aback when they’d quietly asked him before the rehearsal to call them Mom and Dad after the ceremony. Alex had lost his own parents long ago, and that touching gesture had nearly made him cry.

  Alex turned to the crowd, including his brother, who was standing quite a bit away from the lighthouse, and called out, “We’re meeting at Monet’s Garden for dinner, so if you need a ride, find somebody here. We’ll see you all there.”

  Alex steered Elise toward his truck. “Do you mind riding with me in this?”

  “I’m happy to,” Elise said. As he held the door for her, she slid across the seat and was waiting for him when he got in. As Elise belted in beside him, she put her head on his shoulder. “I’ve been waiting all day for this.”

  “What, a ride in my rusty old chariot?” he asked with a grin. She was wearing a pale green dress that showed off her figure, and her chestnut hair was put up and arranged in some kind of fancy styling that made her look like a princess to him, not that he didn’t feel that way about her all of the time. His suit was uncomfortable, but then again, it would have been hard to beat his blue jeans and one of his faded old flannel shirts that he loved wearing. If he were being honest about it, it was what he preferred to see Elise in as well. Dressed like this, with her hair done and makeup skillfully applied, she looked unattainable to him, somehow. It was only in blue jeans and one of his old shirts that he realized just how lucky he was.

  Elise touched his cheek lightly. “What are you thinking about, Alex?”

  “How much I love you in jeans,” he answered without thinking about it. “Not that you aren’t beautiful now, because you are. I don’t know what I’m trying to say. Forgive me.”

  She laughed out loud, with no reserve. “Are you kidding? That’s one of the things I love most about you. Peter always insisted that I get dressed up to go to the grocery store. He hated seeing me in blue jeans.”

  “Then that’s just one more way the man was a fool for letting you go,” Alex said.

  In a meek voice, Elise said, “He called the inn today.”

  “What?” Alex asked, shocked at the news. Peter had followed Elise to North Carolina when she’d taken the job at Hatteras West, but that was a long time ago. “What did he want?”

  “He said he wanted to congratulate me on our wedding,” Elise said.

  Alex grunted. “The idiot should be congratulating me, not you.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “You aren’t the one getting the prize,” Alex said.

  “There, you’re wrong,” she replied. “I’m every bit as lucky as you are.”

  “Is that all he wanted?” Alex asked, not able to help himself. He had a sore spot when it came to the man, and he knew it. Asheford was handsome, and rich to boot, and Alex always felt a little less than he was when he was around him.

  “He asked me if I was happy,” Elise admitted.

  “He was probably hoping you would change your mind about marrying me,” Alex said, trying to lighten the mood a little.

  She looked at him quizzically. “Yes, that’s it, exactly. How did you know?”

  “I guessed, but it’s not that hard a leap to make. What did you say?”

  She squeezed his arm. “That for the first time in my life, I’m truly in love, and that I wouldn’t give that up for anything.”

  “If I weren’t driving right now, I’d kiss you.”

  “If you weren’t driving, I’d encourage it.”

  They both laughed, and the tension was eased again between them.

  When Alex and Elise got to Monet’s Garden, the parking lot was full. Alex hoped that their rehearsal dinner wouldn’t get swallowed up whatever else was going on there, but they’d asked for a private dining area, so hopefully it would be all right.

  As they walked in the door, they saw a great many more folks than the wedding party and a few out of town guests waiting for them as well.

  “Surprise,” they all shouted, and Alex looked quizzically at Elise. “Did you know about this?”

  “I’m as baffled as you are,” Elise said.

  Monet himself, the restaurant’s owner and namesake, approached them. “Welcome, my friends. I haven’t forgotten what you did for me when I first opened, and I hope you will allow me to repay you by hosting this surprise dinner. You approve?”

  Elise squeezed Alex’s hand as she said, “Of course we do, but you shouldn’t have gone to all of this trouble.”

  “No trouble at all. Now come, enjoy yourselves. The restaurant is yours, and yours alone, this evening. Consider it my wedding present to the two of you.”

  Alex could only imagine what the gesture was costing his friend, but he was resolved to graciously accept it. “Thank you,” Alex said as he shook the man’s hand heartily.

  “Thank you,” Elise echoed, and then kissed Monet on the cheek.

  Monet looked happy enough to burst. He clapped his hands together, and then said, “Let the festivities begin!”

  Alex was suddenly awash with old friends, and even some guests from the inn who had become a part of his circle over the years. Evans Graile, a sprightly older man, approached them with
a present in his hands.

  “It’s good to see you, Evans,” Alex said.

  “I was overjoyed to get the invitation tonight.” He extended the present he’d been holding toward them. “I just want to wish you both much happiness.”

  “There’s a table for presents by the door,” Emma Sturbridge said as she approached them.

  “I’ll put it there, then,” Evans said. “It’s the most wonderful single serving tea brewer and a medley of exotic teas. I hope you like it.”

  Alex tried not to laugh. Evans Graile wasn’t devoted to much in the world, but he loved his teas, and he tried to share that affection with the rest of the world whenever he could.

  “It’s perfect,” Elise said as she smiled at him.

  Emma led Evans away, but there was no respite from the crowd. Next in line was Buck and his daughter, Sally Anne, both from Buck’s Grill.

  Buck, a large man who had once been a boxer, slapped Alex on the shoulder. “Knew you’d finally get around to pulling the trigger,” Buck said.

  “Dad,” Sally Anne protested, “Everyone can hear you.”

  “I’m not ashamed of what I said,” Buck said. “Our present’s on the pile.”

  Sally Anne started to protest, but Elise touched her hand lightly. “Thank you both so much for coming.”

  “We wouldn’t have missed it,” Sally Anne said.

  There was a disturbance at the front door, and Alex saw a shifty looking man having an argument with his brother. He excused himself, and then walked over to them and said, “Is there a problem?”

  “No problem at all,” Tony said a little too quickly.

  “That’s a matter of interpretation,” the man said.

  “Jackson, we’ll talk later.”

  “Sooner, I think,” the man said, but he finally walked away.

  “What was that all about?” Alex asked.

  “Nothing you need to worry about,” Tony answered.

  Alex was about to rejoin Elise when a woman approached Tony and slapped him hard across the face. She said, “If you think you’re getting away with this, you’re dead wrong.”