Ring for Murder (Lighthouse Inn Finale) by Tim Myers Page A

easier to
take.”
    Armstrong nodded. “It’s perfectly
understandable. From what I understand, he didn’t have much, but
what he did have is coming straight to you.”
    Alex wouldn’t have guessed that answer with
a thousand tries. “You’re kidding.”
    “Nope, that’s why I came out here hoping you
had an alibi. If it does turn out that Tony was worth something,
your reasons to be a suspect just doubled.”
    “I’m glad Elise and I had a craving for hot
chocolate last night,” Alex said.
    “You can say that again. It probably kept
you from going to jail today.”
     
    As the sheriff drove off, Elise joined Alex
on the porch. “Did he believe us?” Elise asked.
    “He didn’t have much choice. You turned out
to be a very good alibi.”
    “Glad to be of service,” Elise said.
    “Who was on the phone?”
    “My folks. They wanted to thank us again for
their vacation.” She laughed a little.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “We booked the honeymoon suite, remember?
Dad can’t get over the round bed, and it appears that Mom won’t get
out of the heart-shaped bathtub. They’re thinking about putting a
honeymoon suite in their inn back home.”
    Alex laughed, happy for the momentary break.
“We’re not making one here, though, are we?”
    “No, I think we’re good, at least for now,”
Elise said. “What should we do now?”
    “I keep wondering where Mr. Jackson slipped
off to. His car’s in the lot, so he has to be on foot
somewhere.”
    The wind blew a particular way, and Alex and
Elise heard a man’s voice say, “Why should I share any of it with
you? The gold’s all mine. I already paid for it.”
    Alex took Elise’s hand, and the two of them
left the porch to see who exactly was arguing over what they
believed was real gold.
     
    “The coins are mine,” Monique said. “And I
have no intention of sharing any of them once I find them.” Alex
and Elise heard her talking near they lighthouse, so they moved
along the red brick base until they could hear better without being
seen.
    A man’s voice that Alex recognized as
Jackson’s said, “I don’t care if you killed him for them. It
doesn’t matter to me. I just want what’s mine.”
    Monique sounded shocked as she replied, “I
would never kill him. I loved that man. Besides, Tony promised them
all to me as a wedding present.”
    “Why would he do that? You weren’t even
engaged,” Jackson said.
    “We were so.”
    “Then where’s your ring?” he asked.
    “It’s in my purse. Tony couldn’t afford the
kind of engagement ring he wanted to give me just yet, so until he
could make one last deal, he gave me his college class ring
instead.”
    “Why would you keep it in your bag?” Jackson
asked.
    “What am I, in high school? Did you expect
me to wear it on a chain around my neck like some silly
schoolgirl?”
    “I don’t care where you wear it, the gold’s
mine. I don’t care what he promised you. I already paid for it, and
the crook cheated me.”
    Monique laughed without joy. “That’s rich.
You’re calling Tony a crook? I know all about you. He told me about
you and your employer, and how you’ve been putting the squeeze on
him for months. He was getting out from under you, so you killed
him, didn’t you? It wouldn’t be the first time you stabbed someone
with a knife. Tony told me that was your style.”
    “How stupid do you think I am?” Jackson
asked. “With him dead, there’s no way we get our investment
back.”
    “My employer,” Jackson said. “That’s why I’m
here looking for the coins. He had to have stashed them somewhere
around here.”
    “Well, I’m not going to help you look.”
    Jackson barked out his next words. “Do you
think that crazy innkeeper’s going to turn them over to either one
of us when he finds them? He may be a hick, but I doubt that he’s
that big a moron. I’m betting if we keep standing around here
debating it, nobody’s going to make out but him.”
    Alex shook his head at