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

soon,
Emma.”
    After Armstrong took Emma back to her cell,
he was surprised to find Alex on his telephone.
    Alex hung up as the sheriff walked back in.
“That’s for official business only, Alex.”
    “ Sorry, I couldn’t wait.
Sheriff, you know as well as I do that confession’s
worthless.”
    Armstrong huffed. “Alex, don’t go meddling
in my business. You’re just an innkeeper, remember?”
    “ I’m also Emma’s
friend.”
    Armstrong pointed to the telephone. “Who
were you calling?”
    “ Sandra Beckett,” Alex
admitted. “She’s on her way over here.”
    “ Wonderful. That’s just
what I need.”
    Alex said, “Sorry. I know you didn’t cause
this yourself.”
    “ I guess that’s as much
sympathy as I can hope for, isn’t it? Now do me a favor and kindly
get your carcass out of my office.”
    “ I’m on my way,” Alex
said.
    Alex knew Emma’s confession had stirred up a
hornet’s nest. Sandra was a great attorney, but that didn’t mean
Emma would be sleeping in her own bed tonight These things took
time, and it was going to be hard to un-ring that particular bell.
How matters would stand between Emma and Mor after she finally did
get out was anyone’s guess. One thing he was certain of: Mor
wouldn’t be thrilled that Emma had thought him capable of killing
her ex-husband.
    Alex knew in his heart that Emma’s instincts
were way off base. Mor himself could confess the crime on the news
and Alex wouldn’t believe it of his friend.
    So if Mor hadn’t killed the man, and Emma
hadn’t either, who or what exactly had ended Toby Sturbridge’s
life?
    Since Alex was already in town, he decided
to go by Shantara’s General Store and see how things were going
with Tracy Shook and her campaign against her ex-husband.
    Shantara was with a customer in the craft
section of her store, showing some of Bill Yadkin’s blacksmith work
to a sharp-eyed woman in an expensive suit.
    The woman said, “Eleven hundred dollars for
that piece? You’ve got to be kidding. You must be able to do better
than that.”
    Shantara said, “No, Ma’am. This fellow’s had
offers all over the country for his work. He sells some of his
creations here only as a favor to me because he’s local.”
    When the woman saw that Shantara wasn’t
going to budge, she said, “Okay, you win. I’ll take
everything.”
    Shantara nodded as she began collecting a
dozen forged hooks, a mirror with twining steel tendrils, and a
gate with swirls of iron wrapped with black vines. Alex pretended
to browse as he watched the register display light up. The total
was staggering.
    After the buyer made a trip to her car with
her first load, Alex said, “Whew, I hope Bill appreciates your
sales acumen.”
    Shantara laughed. “He does, but all I really
need is the way my commission says thanks.”
    Alex said, “Come on, you were laying it on a
little thick, weren’t you? Bill Yadkin’s good, but in demand all
over the country?”
    Shantara said, “Hey, it’s true. A man came
in the store from Foggy Bottom yesterday and bought a hook. If
that’s not out in the country, I don’t know what is.”
    Their conversation was interrupted as the
woman came back in. After gathering up the last of her purchases,
she handed Shantara a business card. “Give this to the artisan,
    would you? I’d like to commission a matching
piece for that sculpture.”
    Shantara said. “What exactly did you have in
mind?”
    “ A complementary piece to
the wall hanging, of course.” It was all the woman could do to keep
from rolling her eyes.
    After she was gone. Shantara said. “And here
I thought it was just a gate. Bill made it for Trinity Sloane, but
when it came time to pay, the old coot stiffed him I convinced Bill
to let me sell it for him, but he swore up and down I was wasting
my time.”
    “ Hey, it looked like art to
me.” Alex said
    “ So what brings you out
here when you have an inn full of guests? I know you don’t have
time for social