Free Reservations for Murder by Tim Myers Page B

band of trees that separated it from the main
buildings.
    There was no sign of Marilynn anywhere.
    They made the circuit twice around the
observation platform when they met again near the door.
    “Anything?” Shantara asked.
    “Not a thing,” Alex admitted. “I couldn’t see
most of Bear Rocks, though. There’s a chance she could be
there.”
    “Let’s go look, then.”
    As they hurried down the stairs to the top
landing, Alex paused at the window and said, “I want to see if
there’s anything we missed.”
    They both peered out each of the narrow
windows, but they couldn’t see anything that would help.
    On the way down, Shantara asked, “Alex, do
you honestly think Marilynn Baxter’s been kidnapped? What possible
reason could anyone have for grabbing her?”
    “I don’t have the slightest clue. To be
honest with you, I believe Craig’s overreacting, but I could be
wrong. I couldn’t even guess why anyone would kidnap his wife. They
don’t have a lot of money, do they?”
    “No, they both work real jobs to support
their pottery studio. I can’t imagine them having anything anybody
else would want.”
    As Alex started down the steps again, he
said, “Well, Craig must think so, or he wouldn’t have immediately
assumed she’d been kidnapped. Unless ...”
    “Unless what?” Shantara asked, breathing hard
from the climb down.
    “Unless he’s afraid the reality of what might
have happened to her is worse,” Alex said, voicing his earlier
fear.
    Shantara paused a few steps until she asked
her next question. “You don’t honestly think something’s happened
to her, do you, Alex?”
    “I wish I knew, but I can’t deny it’s a
possibility. I’ve got a feeling in the pit of my stomach that
something’s wrong.”
    As they finally reached the bottom, Shantara
said, “No offense, but I hope you’re mistaken.”
    “Believe me, so do I.”
    Craig met them as they approached the inn.
“Did you find her?” he asked breathlessly.
    “Not yet. I take it she wasn’t at any of the
places you called,” Alex said.
    “We don’t have that many friends,” Craig said
brusquely. “Nobody’s seen her.”
    Alex looked over at the new construction.
“There’s a chance she could be there.”
    Craig yelled, “Marilynn! Marilynn!”
    There was no response.
    Craig waited a few moments, then said,
“Obviously she’s not there, or she would have answered me.”
    Alex said, “Craig, why don’t you go work the
phones some more. Shantara and I have a few more places to
check.”
    “Forget that. I’m coming with you.”
    Alex stopped him dead in his tracks. “Listen,
we might find something you’re not going to want to see.”
    The man flushed for a second, then said, “I
need to know, Alex. She’s my wife.”
    As they walked through the growing twilight
toward the new construction, Alex kept a constant vigil for
anything out of the ordinary.
    With real sighs of relief, they found that
the construction site was empty. Alex had silently dreaded finding
another exhibitor pinned against a post. Could it be that Jefferson
Lee’s murder was connected to the disappearance of Marilynn Baxter?
Or was Marilynn gone for another, entirely different reason? There
were too many unanswered questions buzzing around Alex’s head.
    “What’s next?” Craig asked.
    “Bear Rocks is the only other place on the
property she could be.”
    “She wouldn’t just stay out there, Alex, not
in the dark.”
    “Wait right here,” Alex said as he went into
the inn. Evans Graile was still sitting in his chair, a bright glow
lighting his face. “Isn’t this awful? A kidnapping! Imagine
that!”
    “Evans, we’re not sure what’s happened yet.
Would you like to join the search party?” Alex asked as he
retrieved two flashlights from the front desk. He kept them stashed
there for guests when thunderstorms knocked out the inn’s power,
something that happened more frequently than he cared to admit.
    “I’d better stay here