Room for Murder (Book 4 in the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries) by Tim Myers Page A

folding.
    “ Neither can I,” Alex
replied.
    They were carrying the sheets back to the
linen closet when Alex and Elise found the newlyweds waiting on
them at the front desk.
    “ There you are. We thought
you’d disappeared,” Sheila said.
    Paul said, “Patience is a virtue, my
dear.”
    “ So is having a spine,” she
said, then turned to Alex. “We’d like a tour of the
inn.”
    Elise said, “I’ll go ahead and put these
away,” as she walked past them.
    Great, now he was stuck with the battling
honeymooners. “Well, I’d be glad to show you the grounds. There’s
the lighthouse itself, it’s open during daylight hours only. Then
there are Bear Rocks, they are really worth a visit. We’ve got a
pond just down the road, and canoes are available for a slight
additional fee.”
    Sheila said, “That’s all just fine, but what
we’re really interested in are the guestrooms themselves.”
    Alex shook his head. “Sorry, those are
off-limits. We respect everyone’s privacy here,” he added
pointedly.
    Paul stepped in. “Of course, we understand
completely. I should have explained earlier, my bride and I are
real lighthouse fanatics. Actually, we’re as interested in the two
keepers’ quarters you have here as much as we are in the tower
itself. Your place really caught our attention, and we’d love the
complete tour.” He was trying to shake Alex’s hand again for some
odd reason. Then Alex spotted the folded bill in his hand.
    At that moment, Mrs. Nesbitt came
downstairs. Alex said, “You really should speak with our visiting
historian. Mrs. Nesbitt, do you have a moment?”
    “ Absolutely, Alex. What can
I do for you?”
    Alex said, “Mrs. Nesbitt, I’d like you to
meet Paul and Sheila Jones. They’ve come to the inn on their
honeymoon, and they’re lighthouse enthusiasts as well.”
    Mrs. Nesbitt’s face lit up. “Oh, that’s
simply outstanding. We must talk,” she said as she took a hand of
each of them.
    “ Well, we’re really not all
that well versed,” Sheila said, trying to extricate her
hand.
    “ Then I’d be delighted to
educate you, my dear. My great-great-grandfather was an assistant
keeper at the Body Island Lighthouse on the Outer Banks, you
know.”
    “ Really,” Sheila said
blandly.
    If Mrs. Nesbitt caught her lukewarm tone,
she didn’t let on. “Why don’t we climb to the top of the tower and
I’ll tell you about him. Old Jerab was a crusty fellow, let me tell
you.”
    As they were led away to the lighthouse,
Alex fought to hide his smile. It looked as though the newlyweds
were going to get a thorough tour after all. And the best thing
was, he didn’t have to lead it.
    Alex spotted them again over an hour later
coming out of the lighthouse itself, heading for the utility shed
next to it, no doubt to be regaled with more of Great
great-grandfather Jerab’s adventures. Though the couple continued
to try to break away, Mrs. Nesbitt was in no hurry to rid herself
of her new charges until she’d imparted every ounce of her
lighthouse lore to them.

Chapter 6

    Alex was happy to see Mor drive up in his
truck as dusk approached Hatteras West.
    After the handyman got out, Alex said, “I
bet it feels good to get your truck back.”
    Mor slapped the hood. “Yeah, Irene said it
was clean. She even had the boys run it through the car wash after
they were finished with it. They did a good job, inside and
out.”
    “ Have you had any problem
riding around in it after what happened?” Alex asked.
    Mor said, “It was kind of creepy at first,
but after half an hour I kind of forgot all about it. Life goes on,
you know?”
    “ It does indeed. So where’s
Emma? I figured she’d be coming out with you.”
    Mor put on his tool belt more out of habit
than need as he explained, “She was right behind me, so she should
be here any minute. Is Elise coming, too?”
    Alex said, “She wouldn’t miss it for the
world.”
    Mor grinned. “Then let’s get to it.”
    They walked up