Innkeeping With Mr. Fawlty by Andrew Hageman

Author:Andrew Hageman [Hageman, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Humorous, North Carolina, Mystery, Humor, Topic, cozy, lighthouse, traditional, tim myers, Blue Ridge Mountains
ISBN: 9780954888374
Publisher: LA FONTAINE MEDIA LTD
Published: 2008-01-15T05:28:35+00:00

Chapter 11

As he got closer, it appeared that Alex had worried for nothing. Elise looked happy to see him, until he made it to the front porch.

She frowned a moment, then said, “I see Sandra made it safely back to town.”

“Not that I know of. Why do you say that?”

Elise gingerly pulled an ironed white linen handkerchief out of the front pocket of her blue jeans and dabbed the edge of it with her tongue. Alex felt sheepish as she rubbed at his cheek vigorously, displaying the unmistakable hint of lipstick now on the cloth.

Elise said, “It looks like some woman was trying to mark her territory with glossy red lipstick.”

He stammered. “There’s really a very simple explanation how that lipstick got on my cheek.”

Elise suddenly turned away. “It’s none of my business. Save your breath, Alex.”

Alex was still trying to explain what had happened when Sheriff Armstrong’s patrol car pulled up in front of the inn. There was another man in uniform with the sheriff, and from the look of his outfit, he worked for the state police. Alex thought now maybe somebody would believe him when he suggested that Reg’s murder and Emma’s fall were somehow related. He only hoped the two men’s presence didn’t signal another murder.

Armstrong ignored Elise, an officious look on his face. “Alex, I’ve got someone here I’d like you to meet.”

When the state policeman joined them, Alex introduced Elise, then himself, as he offered his right hand to the patrolman.

The state policeman took it in a grip as firm as Alex’s. The fellow, somewhere in his mid-twenties, sported a blond fuzzy crewcut and crystal blue eyes. His uniform looked freshly pressed, and Alex was nearly blinded by the shine on the officer’s shoes. He was a large powerful man, almost too handsome, but the officer’s open sincere smile made Alex feel at ease until he offered a tip of his hat to Elise. There was no doubt about it; Alex was startled to find that he was jealous.

The officer said, “I’m Sergeant Hicking with the State Bureau of Investigation. I understand you’ve had some activity out here in the past few days.”

Alex offered a deep frown. “A bit too much for me. I’m glad the sheriff called for some help.”

Armstrong stepped up and said, “It’s my prerogative to call for assistance whenever I feel it’s warranted. I asked the SBI to send somebody over to give me an opinion or two about the Wellington case.”

The SBI officer said, “We function as an advisory

agency. Sometimes another set of eyes can see something in an investigation that others may have overlooked.”

From the look on Armstrong’s face, Alex knew the sheriff must have had mixed emotions about calling in the SBI. The sheriff had to be concerned that even if the case was solved now, his opponent in the election would claim Armstrong couldn’t have done it alone. That didn’t matter one bit to Alex. Solving Reg’s murder was all that counted, and Armstrong’s stock went up with Alex the moment he had called for reinforcements.

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