Jenny was just coming out of his office when he walked inside. "I was just going to leave you a note. I thought you were never coming back."

"Have any luck?" he asked as he put the mail down on the front desk.

"No, I'm not sure where it's gone. So, have you heard anything about Jefferson's murder? I can't believe our esteemed sheriff let Bill Yadkin go."

"You sound positive he did it," Alex said.

"Well, when you take into account how much he hated Jefferson, his horrid temper and the murder weapon itself, I don't see how it could be anybody else."

Alex could think of at least three other people who could have committed the crime, but he kept the names to himself. "Did you hear about Marilynn Baxter?"

Jenny nodded her head sadly as she said, "I'm surprised it took her that long to try."

"Did I miss something?"

"Yes, but it's not your fault. Alex, there's a fair circuit some of us go on; it's the only way to pay the bills. It's mostly weekends, little fairs like this one where we have a chance to sell our wares and demonstrate our crafts. It's kind of a vagabond lifestyle, and we get to know each other pretty well. Almost too well, if you ask me. I've been waiting for Marilynn to snap. She's been fooling around behind Craig's back for months."

"How did you feel when you found out she was sleeping with Jefferson Lee?"

Jenny dismissed his statement with the wave of a hand. "It didn't happen while we were dating. Jefferson must have gone after Marilynn right after I dumped him. There just wasn't any real spark between us." She inhaled sharply, then suddenly said, "Oh my G.o.d."

Jenny had suddenly gone white.

Alex asked urgently, "What is it?"

"I just figured out why she tried to kill herself. I wonder if she killed Jefferson herself! That would explain why she took those pills. She couldn't face going to prison for the rest of her life."

"Slow down, Jenny. Do you have any proof that Marilynn killed him? What possible reason would she have for murdering him, especially the way it was done?"

"Don't be such a man, Alex. She killed him to save her marriage. You know she's powerful enough to do it, working with her hands like she does. I don't doubt for one minute when she tried to end the affair, Jefferson told her he'd tell Craig what they'd been doing if she stopped seeing him. There's no doubt in my mind he would have used every bit of leverage he had. Suddenly it all makes sense."

Alex said, "Jenny, don't spread that rumor around town. Marilynn's got enough problems as it is at the moment."

"You're right, Alex. It's all sheer speculation, anyway." She glanced at the clock above the desk. "I can't believe the time. I'm late! Gotta run."

Jenny had been gone less than a minute when the telephone rang. "Alex, have you heard the news?"

It was Rachel, and she sounded upset.

Alex asked, "What's happened, Rachel?"

"Marilynn Baxter's dead."

Alex felt his heart sink at the news. He couldn't believe she was gone! Since he'd been the one to find her, Alex had been pulling for her to make it with all his heart.

"When did she die?" Alex asked sadly.

"Less than twenty minutes ago. Craig called and asked me to sit with her while he came out to see you, and I couldn't just leave the man alone when he got back. He was so distraught."

Alex could believe that. He'd had a feeling in his gut that Marilynn was going to pull through. He couldn't imagine what her husband was going through. "How's Craig taking it?"

"He's under sedation right now. They had a horrible time getting him away from the body."

"I can only imagine," Alex said. "Thanks for calling, Rachel."

Alex immediately phoned Doc Drake. When he was finally put through, he said, "Doc, I just heard about Marilynn Baxter."

"Yes, it was a real shame, Alex," the doctor said brusquely.

"Excuse me for saying so, but you don't sound all that upset about it."

Doc took a deep breath, then said, "Alex, I've been up all night with two different emergencies, both of my patients fighting for their lives with every ounce of strength left in them. Marilynn Baxter threw her life away by choice. I'm sorry, it might sound heartless to you, but I don't have any tears left for her. I'll save my emotions for the ones fighting for their last chance."

In all the years he'd known Doc Drake, Alex had never heard him sound so cynical. "I'm sorry. I was just concerned. To be honest with you, I sort of felt like I had a stake in her well-being, since I'm the one who found her."

Doc took a deep breath, then said, "Alex, I'm the one who's sorry. I've been up around the clock, and I still have a full day of work staring at me. I'm sorry for what I said. I hate losing any of my patients, you know that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap. I have seventeen minutes before my first patient, and I plan to sleep sixteen of them."

Alex wondered what Craig Monroe would be like now that his wife was dead. Alex remembered the shivers Craig had given him the night before, and though he felt foolish about his reactions in the light of day, he couldn't help wondering if his instincts were trying to tell him something. Was Craig Monroe a grieving spouse, or was he a murderer, intent on covering the last vestiges of his trail? More importantly, did Monroe believe that Alex had held back on him, refusing to share something d.a.m.ning his wife had said? He'd believed Craig when the man had broken down, but could it all have been an act? Alex was going to have to watch his step until he knew for sure.

Alex found himself with time weighing heavily on his hands at The Hatteras West. With no guests at the inn, he'd easily done his day's work in the morning, and while he liked someone to always be at the front desk to answer the phone, he was going crazy all by himself. The travel agent had called with regrets, so that was that. There was really no other reason to hang around. Finally, Alex decided to hang a sign out front and lock the place up tight. He believed in his heart that the answers he was looking for were in town, not at Hatteras West.

The first place Alex stopped was at Shantara's General Store. Alex loved the old mercantile; he had since he was a kid, though his friend hadn't owned it then. Old Mr. Gruber had been delighted to have kids explore the shelves filled with treasures every inch of the way. Shantara hadn't changed much of the old, but she'd added enough new to give the place her own mark. The tiny post office was still in one corner, with its odd little boxes and the iron-barred window in front of it. The aisles held everything from ma.s.sive electric coolers stocked with chilled beverages to shelves filled with nails, screws, kitchen gadgets and a thousand other things a general store should have.

The shelves on the outside walls featured biscuit mixes, pots, pans and all types of specialty goods that weren't available anywhere else in town. Shantara had added a craft corner where the old pickle barrel had once stood, displaying samples from many of the people who had worked the Golden Days Fair. Another corner featured a potbellied stove with three mismatched rocking chairs around it, while the fourth corner held the sales counter and the cash register, a machine that looked old-fashioned but in fact was a modern piece of equipment.

Alex found Shantara behind the counter selling Jake Trush a pound of sixteen-penny nails.

"I should have bought an inn instead of a farm," Jake said, smiling when he saw Alex. "It must be nice goofing off in the middle of the day."

Alex knew the man was just trying to be neighborly, but he wasn't in the mood for light banter. Still, he had to hold up his end of the exchange, or the word would go out that Alex was in a "bad way," no doubt attributed to Elise's absence.

He said as lightly as he could manage, "Yeah, it probably is nice not to be working, but I wouldn't know a thing about it. If I find somebody who is goofing off, I'll be sure to give him a pat on the back."

Jake smiled. "Give him a rap for me, too, will you? See you later, Shantara. You know what they say: Every new project takes three trips to the store before it's done."

"You've got one more coming then, Jake."

After he was gone, Shantara said, "What brings you over here in the middle of the day, Alex? Not that I'm not glad for your company."

"I thought you might like to know. Marilynn Baxter just died."

"I found out an hour ago. Alex, from what I've heard, she never really had a chance."

"Is there anything you don't know, Shantara?"

"It's part and parcel to running a general store. Everybody and his brother shows up sooner or later, and it's a rare customer who doesn't have a bit of gossip to share over this counter." Shantara lowered her voice as she added, "I just wish I knew who killed Jefferson Lee. Alex, I won't feel safe until they arrest someone."

"Have you heard anything at all about that?"

Shantara shook her head. "n.o.body's talking. Dave Jeffries came by when he got off work, but all I could get out of him was that they were still following leads. I got the impression the sheriff was about to arrest Bill Yadkin, though."

"I know. Rachel's worried sick about it." Alex was about to tell Shantara his suspicions about the other suspects on his list when a young woman came in with three overactive kids.

"Sorry, Alex, I can't really talk right now."

"I'll see you later." As Alex left the store, he headed for Buck's Grill on foot.

Even if he didn't make any progress in his investigation, at least he'd get something to eat.

Chapter 20.

"Alex, are you following me?"

He was approaching the counter at Buck's Grill when he heard Sandra's voice coming from one of the nearby booths.

"No, I just dropped in for a quick bite."

Alex was just about to slide onto a stool when she said, "I just got here myself. Why don't you join me?" Sandra lowered her voice as she added, "You can pay for your own meal, I promise."

Alex wasn't all that fond of eating by himself either, though he'd grown more or less used to it over the years before Elise came onto the scene. He slid into the booth and noticed Sally Anne's eyebrows shoot up when she saw him hesitate at the counter before joining his ex-girlfriend.

She stopped at the table, sliding a gla.s.s of iced tea in front of Alex. "The usual?"

"Sounds good to me."

After Sally Anne left to deliver the order to her father, Sandra said, "So, you still have your standing order here. Some things never change, Alex."

"And some things do," he replied.

"Hi, Alex," Jenny Harris said brightly as she stopped by their table on her way out the door. "If I'd known you were coming here later, we could have had lunch together."

Sandra said, "Sorry, Jenny, but he's already got a lunch date."

Jenny smiled as she said, "I sincerely doubt that."

"Easy, ladies, I'm not on a date with anyone. Jenny, Sandra and I just ran into each other, it's that simple. You're more than welcome to join us if you'd like."

"No thanks, I'm on my way out," Jenny said as she twisted her purse strap in her hands. She smiled as she added, "Besides, it would probably look like a meeting of the Alex Winston Ex-girlfriends' Club."

"We'd need a bigger booth than this one," Sandra said with a laugh.

Jenny headed out the door after paying her bill, and Smiley O'Reilly stopped by the table a second later. "Sorry about your loss."

"What are talking about, Smiley?"

"Heard your maid quit for good. Too bad."

Before Alex could say a word, Smiley was gone.

Sandra hesitated a moment after the insurance man left, then said, "You look like you just lost your best friend."

Alex said, "I'm just tired of everyone around town a.s.suming Elise isn't coming back to Elkton Falls." He took a sip of tea, then added, "I guess maybe a part of me is afraid they're right."

Sandra reached a hand across the table and touched Alex's arm lightly. "Whether she comes back or not, it's no fault of yours, Alex. Maybe life in Elkton Falls isn't everything she'd hoped it would be. Not everyone's cut out for small-town living, you know."

Alex said, "You know, now that you mention it, I'm surprised you came back home after college, Sandra."

She tilted her head askance. "What, and give up the fine cuisine offered here?"

"Seriously. Why did you come back?"

Sandra drank some of the tea in front of her, studying the surface as if she could read the future in it. Finally, she said, "I guess I like being a big fish in a small pond. There's not a lot of compet.i.tion for me here, and I get most of the best cases. I like being able to see a dozen people I know every day, no matter where I go. I like the history of the place. The foothills and mountains are in my blood, Alex, and I can't think of any place in the world prettier than it is right here. I guess what it boils down to is, this is home."

Her last three words summed up all of Alex's own reasons for staying in Elkton Falls. The lighthouse, the Keeper's Quarters, Bear Rocks; he couldn't imagine living without them as a constant and rea.s.suring presence in his life.

"You're awfully quiet," Sandra said. "I didn't mean to bring you down even more."

"You didn't," Alex said, trying to lighten his mood. He saw Emma Sturbridge coming toward them from one of the back booths. Alex knew too well what had caused the grim look on Emma's face as she neared their table. The clouds had to be lingering from her earlier time with Mor.

Emma suddenly tried to brighten her demeanor as she said loudly, "Why, Alex, how are you?"

As if they hadn't just seen each other yesterday.

"I'm fine, Emma. And you?"

She ignored the question. "Have you heard from Elise lately?"

"We spoke for a few minutes last night," Alex admitted.

As she gave Sandra a sideways glance, Emma broadcast, "Elise Danton is a fine woman. I can't wait till she gets back to Elkton Falls. I expect it to be anytime, don't you? I'm sure you've missed her sorely at the inn." Emma reached over and patted his shoulder. "Now don't you worry about a thing. She asked me personally to help out until she comes back, and I promise you, I'll be there for you. I'm certain she'll be back any day."

Mor, having paid the check, joined them. "Come on, Emma, lower your voice. Half the town can hear you."

Emma shot him a stern glance. "Are you ready to go, Mor? I believe we still have a few more issues to discuss."

The big man nodded his agreement. "You're right about that. See you later Alex, Sandra."

After they were gone, Sandra said, "Elise certainly has a good friend in that woman."

"It's true; they hit it off from the very start."

Sandra shook her head; there was a faint smile on her lips. "Alex, that speech was aimed a great deal more in my direction than yours. Emma wanted to make certain that I knew your maid was coming back and not to get too cozy in the seat across from you."