Inn for Murder: A Wildflower Inn Mystery Book 1 by Harper Lin

Author:Harper Lin
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 12

Alone in my bedroom, I sank back into the pillows against the headboard, mulling over the recent events. Jesse and I managed to uncover some new information from Simona and Jack. The description of the hat man they gave was peculiar, yet his connection to Caleb’s murder seemed tenuous at best. It might have been nothing at all.

Just as I was about to groan in frustration, a knock on my door interrupted my thoughts.

I opened it to find Max standing there, his eyes tired, hair disheveled. Despite the smile on his face, it seemed a bit strained, as if maintaining it required more effort than usual.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” he said.

“Not at all.”

“I was hoping to talk to you about something in private.”

“Would you like to come in?” I asked.

He stepped into my bedroom, and I closed the door behind him. We both stood in silence for a moment, taking in the sight of each other.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, I spoke up.

“Is something the matter?”

“Well, I did receive some news. Good news, but unsettling.”

“Oh?” I stepped towards him in anticipation.

“The police arrested a suspect in another crime, and they think he could’ve been Caleb’s murderer.”

I gasped. “What? Who is it?”

“A local in town named Paul Davis. He was arrested for beating and choking his wife. She’s not dead, thankfully, but close to it.”

“My goodness,” I exclaimed.

“She’s in the hospital, barely conscious. If the neighbors hadn’t heard her scream and called the police, who knows what he would’ve done.”

My heart sank. Poor woman. Domestic violence wasn’t something I had considered in connection with Caleb’s murder.

“Was this Paul Davis at the inn recently?”

“He buys wine here all the time, and we have a receipt of him buying wine on the morning of Caleb’s murder.”

“Okay,” I said, mulling this over.

Max shifted from one foot to another. “The police are saying that this could be the breakthrough they need in the Caleb case….” His voice trailed off as he noticed my expression darken.

Peering out the window, my mind buzzed with questions. Was it possible this Paul Davis was really responsible for Caleb’s death? And if so, what could have been his motive? The police seemed to tie him to Caleb’s death through the similarity that both involved choking.

But I couldn’t shake this feeling in my gut that something wasn’t right. There had to be more to the story.

“How old are Paul and his wife?”

“Both around late twenties,” Max said.

“Maybe Paul would have a motive in killing Caleb if he was, say, having an affair with his wife, but Caleb’s too old.”

Max shook his head. “I don’t know.”

This definitely didn’t feel right in my gut.

“The police say we can open the inn again,” Max said with a weary but genuine smile.

“That’s great,” I said flatly.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m just trying to… process everything.”

Max nodded but didn’t seem convinced. “Well, if you ever need to talk, you know I’m here. The workday is ending, I’ll let everyone rest today, but tomorrow, we can start calling the guests at the other inns to let them know it’s safe to come back.

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