Part 5 (1/2)
He smiled. ”Good, because I'd hate to have to lie to you.”
”Elise, don't worry about Alex. Mor and I will keep an eye on him,” Emma said.
After they walked out, Alex saw that Evans Graile had s.h.i.+fted his attention to him. The older man offered a gentle shrug before turning back to the window.
Alex couldn't believe Elise was really gone. He'd come to rely on her help in running Hatteras West, and if he was being strictly honest with himself, her company meant more and more to him every day.
There was no doubt that she had to go; her father needed her. And now that Elise was gone, Alex was going to have to work harder than ever.
But he wasn't about to give up his murder investigation. Alex had given Shantara his word, and it wasn't something he was willing to break.
”Alex, can I talk to you a second?”
”Shantara, I'm really busy right now. I'm up to my eyebrows in work.”
”Please, it's important,” she said.
Alex nodded reluctantly, then noticed that Evans Graile was listening to them, though his eyes were still focused outside. He was certainly getting a show for his money today.
”Why don't we go into my office,” Alex said.
She followed him, and after they were inside, Alex asked, ”So, what's going on?”
”I owe you an explanation.”
”You don't owe me anything. I already said I'd help you.”
”I wasn't playing fair with you before, Alex. I shouldn't have pressured you into this without giving you all the facts.” Shantara let out an explosion of breath, then said, ”I owed Jefferson Lee quite a bit of money. If the police investigation takes too long, I'm afraid it's all going to come out and make me look like I had something to do with his murder.”
”How much are we talking about here?” Alex asked softly.
”Ten thousand dollars. It's enough of a motive to make me a suspect, isn't it?”
Alex's silence was all the answer she needed.
Shantara paced around the cramped room. ”Alex, I knew it was a mistake taking a loan from him, but I didn't know where else to turn. The bank had already turned me down, and I was in real danger of losing the store.”
”What made you go to him?”
”I knew he had money to burn, Alex. Jefferson had more things going on that just his blacksmithing.”
Alex said gently, ”So you let him get a foothold in your store.”
Shantara wrung her hands together. ”Alex, you'd better believe I regretted every second of it! There were no papers drawn up, nothing legal, anyway, just an IOU from me to him. It made my skin crawl, the way he'd come into my store and act like it was his. Alex, that's the main reason I created this fair! It was the only way I could get him off my back. I had some of the money, and the proceeds from the fair would have covered the rest.”
Alex studied her carefully. ”There's more to this that you're not telling me.”
Shantara moved to the window, refusing to meet his gaze. She didn't confirm or deny Alex's accusation immediately.
After a few moments, she said, ”Alex, I'm honestly scared.”
”Go on,” Alex said softly.
In a shaking voice, Shantara said, ”When I told Jefferson I was finally going to be able to pay him off, he said I wasn't taking the extra interest into consideration. He was trying to extort more money from me, Alex. He was threatening to take my shop.”
”So what did you say?”
Shantara sighed deeply, then admitted, ”I told him if he tried to collect, I'd kill him.”
Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing. ”Was anyone else around when you said it, Shantara?”
She nodded glumly. ”It happened in my store, Alex. A dozen people probably heard me. I didn't exactly lower my voice when I threatened him. I was upset.”
Alex had to admit that his friend certainly had gotten herself into a jam.
After a few moments of thought, Alex said, ”Here's what I'd do if I were you. Keep this loan arrangement to yourself. It's not going to do you any good volunteering the information to the sheriff. He's got a one-track mind, and you don't want it focused on you.”
”What if he asks me about it later? Won't it look like I'm trying to hide something if I don't come clean now?”
Alex walked to her side. ”Shantara, if you tell him now, he's bound to get suspicious. Let me dig into this some more. Your arrangement may never come to light.”
Shantara leaned over and kissed him quickly on the cheek.
”What was that for?” Alex asked.
”For not asking me if I killed him. Thanks for believing in me, Alex.”
”You're welcome. Now let me see what I can find out.”
There was a knock on the door. Alex opened it, and Sandra Beckett walked into the small s.p.a.ce.
”I'm not interrupting anything, am I?” Sandra asked.
Shantara said, ”No, I was just leaving. I've got to get back to the fair.” Without another word, Shantara left the room.
”What was that all about?” Sandra asked.
”We were just covering a few things about the fair,” he lied. Changing the subject, Alex asked, ”Did you have any luck with the sheriff?”
Sandra nodded. ”That's what I came by to tell you. Armstrong's released Bill Yadkin, at least for the moment. He warned Bill not to leave town, but the sheriff knows he's going to have to come up with more evidence before he can charge him with murder. Our sheriff told me to let you know he'll be here shortly to finish interviewing suspects. I've got a feeling he'll be trying to find some corroborating evidence to nail our young blacksmith friend.”
Sandra paused at the door as she was leaving, trailing one hand on the frame. ”Alex, if you need to talk, just give me a call. I know it could get lonely without Elise here.”
”Everything's fine,” he said impatiently.
She said, ”I'm not doubting it for an instant. Just remember, sometimes it helps to have a friend nearby.”