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

After a moment, it started to turn on its
base. They walked out to the platform and watched as the beam cut
through the countryside, leaving a path of light wherever it
touched. There was sudden cheering from down below, and Alex saw
several of his guests on the porches of the two buildings looking
up at them. The beam ran through three circuits before Mor said,
“You know the rules, Alex, three times around and it’s got to go
off. Grady was pretty clear about that today.”
    He nodded. “Elise, do you want to cut it
off?”
    “ I can’t hog all the fun.
You go ahead.”
    Alex walked back inside to the switch, his
finger hovering over it just a second before he finally killed the
light.
    Things went suddenly dark without the light,
and Alex stood there until his eyes grew accustomed to the night.
The cheers below had heartened him. Many of his guests came to the
inn to see the lighthouse working, and nearly all of them were
disappointed when they discovered that the light was usually dark.
Blast it all, he needed to get the Town Council to let him light it
more. He could position the lens toward the mountains where not
many folks lived and leave it on for just a minute or two every
night before it swung back on Elkton Falls. If Tracy was elected
mayor, he was going to enlist her support and make it happen.
    Maybe then they could keep the inn as full
as it was at the moment, and Alex would have a chance to actually
make a decent profit.
    Elise and Emma led the way down the stairs
with sturdy flashlights Alex had brought up. By the time they got
to the base, the guests had already gone back inside.
    Mor said, “Well, that was worth the cost of
admission, no doubt about it.” He turned to Emma. “Are you ready to
head back into town?”
    “ I’m ready,” she said as
they all offered their good nights.
    Mor said, “I’ll follow you back. I don’t
want you getting into any trouble.”
    “ Then who’s going to watch
you?” she asked with a smile.
    Soon enough, it was just Alex and Elise.
    “ I’ll help you wash the
dishes,” Alex said.
    She stifled a yawn. “Actually, I’m beat. I
think I’ll do them in the morning.”
    That was odd. Usually they lingered over
shared tasks in the evening, enjoying each other’s company. There
was no doubt about it. Something, however subtle, was changing
between them.
    Alex was still pondering the mood shift when
Paul and Sheila, the newlyweds, rushed in. “You lit up the
lighthouse,” Sheila said in disgust.
    “ We had to replace a
switch, so we did a check of the light.”
    She snapped, “You don’t have to tell me, we
heard about it in town. Paul and I were eating in some dreadful
place called Mama Ravioli’s or some such nonsense when someone
rushed in to announce it. By the time we got outside, the light was
off. I demand you turn it on again.”
    Alex said, “Sorry, I wish I could, but
there’s a town ordinance that says I can’t. This was a special
case.”
    Paul reached for his wallet and said,
“Surely another minute or two won’t hurt. She’s really got her
heart set on it.”
    Alex declined. “I do apologize, I should
have said something.”
    Jan and Corki came downstairs and spotted
Alex talking with the newlyweds.
    Jan said, “Oh, Alex, that was
wonderful.”
    Corki added, “Absolutely spectacular. I
can’t believe we actually got to see it.”
    Jan said, “I got pictures!”
    As the two ladies walked past toward the
door, the newlyweds turned and headed upstairs without another
word.
    From the look of things, it was going to be
another night of marital unbliss for them.
    Alex had just finished his nightly rounds of
checking both buildings and locking the lighthouse up when he heard
a car approaching on the gravel drive.
    He was startled to see Sheriff Armstrong
getting out of his patrol car. Had he found something so urgent he
needed to talk to Alex this late?
    There was a grim look on his face as he got
out of his squad car.
    “ What’s