Julie shushed her as I cleared my throat.
“So that’s what you think of me?” I asked. “I know you sometimes question my hospitality skills, but that seems a little extreme.”
Alicia spun around to face me. “Sorry, but you have to admit you have as much of a motive as anyone.”
I waved off her apology. “Don’t worry. I understand why you’d keep me on a suspect list. But since I was attacked by someone who’s probably the real killer, and I haven’t been questioned again by the police, I think they’ve cleared me.”
Alicia placed her fists on her hips. “Is that so? Even with the blackmail connection?”
“Blackmail?” Julie’s gaze darted from me to Alicia and back again. “What’s that all about?”
I shrugged. “Lincoln might have suggested that he had some dirt on my great-aunt, that’s all.”
Julie’s feathery eyelashes fluttered over her dark eyes. “Really? You never mentioned anything like that to me, Charlotte.”
“No, I didn’t.” I crossed over to the counter that held a tray containing several green glass tumblers and a pitcher of ice water. “I wanted to get to the bottom of his accusations before I said anything. Find out the truth first,” I said, pouring myself a glass of water.
Alicia tapped her foot. “You mentioned something about his threats to me.”
“Because I wanted to know if you had any information that would validate or disprove Lincoln’s claims. I was pretty sure you wouldn’t know anything about it,” I added to Julie. “It was something from Isabella’s past, and you didn’t even meet her until a few years ago.”
Julie toyed with the delicate gold chain encircling her wrist. “Lincoln might have told me something.”
“Yes, but I didn’t know you were involved with him until later.”
“And by that point, everyone figured I might have killed him?” Julie tossed back her heavy fall of dark hair.
Alicia nodded sagely. “The thought crossed my mind, for sure. Once I heard you’d been involved with the man. A woman scorned and all that.”
“Well, to be honest, you’re onmylist.” I cast Alicia a sharp look. “Since you did know about Lincoln’s threats to expose some dirt from Isabella’s past.”
“You think I’d kill to protect her reputation?” Alicia snorted. “I did care about the crazy old broad, but I wouldn’t murder anyone for her sake.”
No, but maybe for your own, I thought, narrowing my eyes as I met Alicia’s defiant stare.Because if a scandal shut down Chapters, you’d be out of a home as well as a job.
“Since we obviously can’t solve this right now, I think I’ll go join the rest of the suspect pool on the patio.” Julie shot Alicia a hurt look as she swept past us. She allowed the screen door to slam behind her.
“Guess I ticked off your friend. Sorry,” Alicia said, as she turned back to the sink.
“Do I need a new housekeeper and cook?” I asked, not bothering to temper the sharp edge to my tone. I was irritated with Alicia’s treatment of Julie, who’d always been nice to the brusque housekeeper.Nicer than me, I thought, with a little pang of remorse. My relationship with Alicia had never been more than cordial, probably because I’d always felt a sense of resentment from her. I’d always suspected that she thought she should have inherited Chapters instead of me.Which isn’t, I realized,entirely out of line. She was the one who spent over thirty years of her life working here, and then I just sail in, not knowing anything about running a bed-and-breakfast …
“Naw, not planning to quit anytime soon.” Alicia glanced at me over her shoulder. “In fact, I bet I’ll still be here after you’ve thrown in the towel.” She pulled a metal serving tray from a cabinet and banged it down on the counter. “Not exactly what you expected when you inherited the place, is it?”
As I stared at her back, I noted the tension hunching her shoulders. Given her admittedly legitimate resentment, I wondered if she’d have no problem lying to me about the knife, her movements on the night Lincoln Delamont was killed, or anything else.
I thrust back my own shoulders and marched over to the sink. “If you do know anything more about the murder, you’d better have already told the police. They will find out eventually, you know.”
“Don’t know any more than I told you,” Alicia said without looking at me. “Now, I need to get some snacks together to take out to that crowd. Unless you want them drinking on empty stomachs, which I don’t advise.”
“I’ll leave you to it, then,” I said, before making a quick exit. I should’ve stayed to help, but I didn’t feel inclined to do so. Besides, at this point, I suspected Alicia would be happier with me gone.
Outside, I made my way over to the patio, where the guests were clustered in small groups. Next to the table we’d set up as a bar, I spied Ellen deep in conversation with Bernadette and Ophelia Sandberg.
After wishing them a good evening, I turned to the bar, where Damian was fixing the drinks. “You really are a bartender, I see,” I said, when I caught his eye.
“I know enough to be dangerous,” he replied. “Don’t need a license in North Carolina, but I went ahead and got one when I took a certificate class a while back, because it opened up more job opportunities. Like this one,” he added, with a nod of his head. “Thanks for asking me, by the way.”
“No problem.” I looked him over, observing the bags under his eyes.From too much work, or guilt?I couldn’t tell. “I hope you’ll be able to work Saturday night as well. Just some hors d’oeuvres with drinks in the library.”
