Murder by Moccasin

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Murder by Moccasin - book excerpt

Chapter One

Wade stared at the largest pot all night in the middle of the poker table.

“I’ll raise you five hundred.”

With all of their concentration focused on the action on top of the table, none of the seven men noticed the old rattlesnake slither underneath it. Its flickering tongue sensing potential danger on every side. The confused serpent, finding no escape, struck at the nearest source of heat, sinking its toxin-filled fangs into the soft flesh. In the chaos that followed, the serpent struck twice more.

“I’ve been bit!” yelled one player, the chips on the table no longer important.

“There he is!” Wade pointed at the snake.

Almost turning the table over, he leapt from his chair. He grabbed the forked fireplace poker with shaking hands and carefully approached the slithering reptile. Wade attempted to pin its head against the floor, but missed on his first attempt. The snake coiled and sprang at Wade’s hand, barely coming up short. Wade removed his shirt and wrapped it around his arm from his hand to his elbow.

Not only were Wade’s hands shaking, but also his legs. He feinted at the snake once again and watched it strike, hitting nothing but air. Wade pinned its head against the floor with the poker and grabbed the six-foot long reptile right behind its head.

“Here’s another one!” yelled a player.

“I see another one over here!” another player screamed.

“Gus, get me one of those feed sacks out of the shed.” Wade instructed.

“Can’t, Pard. I’ve been bit.”

“Bruce, can you grab a pillowcase out of the linen closet? It’s right down the hallway.” He asked in a clear, firm voice, “Who else is bitten besides Gus?”

“I am.” Peter responded.

Me, too” echoed John Grimes, the city attorney for Evergreen.

“Wade glanced around and saw that only Bruce was moving with any purpose.

“Doc, get these guys to the hospital as quickly as you can,” he yelled at Phillip Wilder, the veterinarian.

The shaking in Wade’s hands and legs subsided.

Bruce returned with the pillowcase, and Wade dropped the long snake into it. He caught the other two and placed them in the same pillow case.

“Be careful, Bruce. They can strike through that material.”

Others started coming out of their rooms in the Lodge at the Evergreen Plantation, one of the largest deer breeding and commercial hunting operations in Mississippi. Wade, the owner, took control of the situation.

“Go back into your rooms until we find out what’s going on out here. I’ll call you when it’s safe. Turn on your lights. If you see or hear a snake, then yell. Otherwise stay there.”

Doc Wilder got the last of the victims herded to his waiting car.

“I hope the hospital has enough anti-toxin on hand. That stuff is too expensive to keep it lying around.”

“I’ll call them and let them know you’re coming. If they don’t have enough on hand, they can get some started that way from the hospital in Jackson before you get there.”

The feminine voice of Sam Cates, the Sheriff of Evergreen County, surprised Wade. He hadn't seen her come out of her room.

“Thanks, Sam. I appreciate it.” The veterinarian replied.

“We’d better check on the other rooms to make sure everyone's okay. It’d be better if you check on the rooms with the women left in them.”

Sam nodded and began checking in on the occupants of the many bedrooms in the vast Lodge.

One man standing beside Wade picked up the sack of snakes.

“What do you want to do with these, Wade?”

“There’s a fellow over in Picayune that raises them and milks them for their venom. I’ll take them over there in the morning. Be sure to tie it up tight. I don’t want any loose snakes in the cab of my pickup. Might cause me to drive worse than usual.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible.” He heard Sam say from down the hall, in between rooms.

The back door of the Lodge burst open. “What’s going on, Boss?”

“I don’t know, Felipe. Looks like the rattlesnakes took over.”

“Do you need any help?”

“Check all the empty rooms, the office, and the kitchen for snakes. Oh yeah, you might as well wake up Maria and let her know she will need to fix an early breakfast. I doubt if anyone is going back to sleep tonight.”

“Anything else?”

“Check on the folks in the cabins and make sure they aren’t having any problems.”

“Hey, Wade. You’d better come check this.” Sam yelled from down the hall.

“What is it?”

“I opened the door to the third bedroom. It’s Betty. Doc’s wife. She’s dead.”

Grabbing the fireplace poker, Wade sprinted down the hallway. He carefully entered the open door and slipped inside. He turned on the bright light and waited beside the open door. On the bed was the body of Betty Wilder. He eased next to the bed and felt for a pulse on Betty’s neck. Not only was there no pulse, but her body was turning cold. Wade jumped back when the covers moved between her feet.

“There’s a snake under the covers, Sam. Be careful.”

Sam remained in the doorway several feet away, watching her fiancée cope with the situation.

Wade flung the covers away, exposing the coiled snake between Betty’s feet. Wade maneuvered to the foot of the bed, fully aware of the constant rattling. He jabbed at the snake with the poker, but missed. The old snake struck at Wade, hitting his wrapped arm.

“Wade!” Sam screamed.

Wade remained calm.

“Don’t worry, Sam. The fangs aren’t long enough to penetrate the shirt.”

His second attempt to pin the snake on the bed was successful. He grabbed it behind the head and carried it to the bag with the other snakes.

There was a yell from down the hallway. Wade raced down the hallway with Sam right on his heels. Shoving the door open, he saw the Thomas twins, Mindy and Mandy bouncing on top of their bed. They were pointing towards the corner of the room where Wade saw a tremendous rattlesnake.

“You guys hold still and put your clothes on. I’ll take care of the snake.”

Wade quickly captured the cornered snake and placed him with the others. He returned to the room and checked all the recesses, under the bed and dresser, and in the bathroom, but found no other reptiles in there.

“It’s okay, girls. You can get down now.” Both of the girls began crying and hugged Wade.

“Thank you.” They said almost in unison.

“You’re welcome. Why don’t you get dressed and see if you can help your Dad? He’s out there trying to keep everybody calm. Or you can help Maria in the kitchen. Let’s put out some coffee and pastries for everyone. I doubt if anyone is still asleep.”

“Okay, Detective Ranger. And thanks again.” Mindy gave Wade a big hug.

Sam stepped into the bedroom. “I’ve checked on everyone else here. Maria found a snake in the kitchen. But you don’t have to worry about catching it. Maria doesn’t like snakes.”

“I don’t blame her. I’m developing a disliking for them myself.”

“What do we do about Betty?”

“I guess the only thing we can do. Get a medical examiner out here as quickly as you can. I need to get to the hospital before Doc hears about it over a scanner and let him know. Man, where did these snakes come from?”

“How many were there?”

“At least six. And we don’t know what Felipe might have found in the cabins yet.”

Where did they all come from?”

“Don’t know, but someone’s responsible.”

“Are you sure?”

“That many snakes didn’t hold a conference down by the lake and attack the Lodge tonight. Somebody put them in here.”

“Who'd do something like that?”

“Somebody who didn’t like us, I’d say.”

Sam wiped her forehead.

“But you can’t control a snake once you turn him loose. Whoever did this couldn’t have known who'd get bitten. There were three guys and Betty, right?”

Another scream from another bedroom made both of them jump.

Wade raced down the hall and opened the door to find Joan Grimes in the shower. A small rattler coiled on the bathroom floor, the sound of its rattles overwhelming the small room.

“Mrs. Grimes, grab a towel and put it around yourself. I’m gonna try to capture this little critter. Step as far back in the shower as you can.”

Sam showed up with the fireplace poker in her hand. In no time, Wade had the serpent in the bag with the others. “That makes seven snakes. We’re lucky they bit only four people. It could've been a lot worse.”

“Add two more snakes to the list.” Felipe added from the hallway by the door. “I found two more and killed them. I don’t like snakes, Boss.”

“Damn,” Wade said with his head in his hands. “Why, why, why?”

Sam shook her head. “One dead and three in the hospital. I don’t know if someone did this as a joke, but it’s not funny.”

“You’d better get that medical examiner on the way. I’ll see Doc at the hospital. That’s one conversation I’m dreading, but I need to do it.”

Sam grabbed Wade and gave him a big hug.

“Be careful, Wade. Somebody out there isn't your friend.”

Wade nodded. “I came to the same conclusion. One of our guests had to bring these things with 'em and let 'em loose in the Lodge tonight.”

“That means we’re walking around with a murderer. But at least that limits the number of suspects we have.”

“Get a good list of everyone here. Don’t forget the three guys on their way to the hospital.”

Chapter Two

The morning sun was already shining when Wade entered the Lodge after returning from the hospital.

“Felipe, let’s turn the deer back into their pens. We won’t get them vaccinated today, and there’s not much use in keeping them all pent up if we’re not.”

“Will do, Boss.”

Wade found Sam and gave her a big hug.

She asked, “How is Doc?”

“Not too good. I can’t blame him. Last night, he was happily married and this morning he’s a widower. That would affect anyone.”

“I can’t imagine. It’s been like a tomb around here. Everybody keeps looking around for more snakes, and they’re scared to be by themselves.”

“Did you get a good list of everyone here?”

“My deputies got here a couple of hours ago and they’re interviewing all of those left. I believe there are sixteen people here, not counting the four at the hospital and me and you.”

Wade almost laughed. “I know I didn’t put those snakes in the Lodge, and I'd bet anything that you didn’t either considering your last encounter with rattlers.”

“You can say that again. If I never see another again, it’ll be too soon.”

“I think we can also eliminate the twins. After Mindy’s experience stranded in the Basin, she wouldn’t come within a hundred feet of a rattler.”

“That leaves us with eighteen suspects.”

“For the time being, let’s eliminate Gus and Bruce. Gus would have to be a different man than the one I know and Bruce wouldn’t have let a snake in the same building with his daughters no matter what.”

“I agree with you about Gus. He’s not only my lead deputy, he’s my friend.”

“And Bruce?”

“I agree with you about him. He’d rather sacrifice himself than see something happen to one twin. They’re everything to him.”

“Did I hear you mention our names?” Mindy and Mandy appeared beside Wade and Sam.

Wade looked at them both.

“We were just discussing who might have done this and we’ve narrowed it down to you two.”

“Yeah, right?” Mindy said. “You know how I feel about those devils since you abandoned me in the swamp with one.”

“Abandoned you? I came back to the fire, and you weren’t playing nice with your new friend. You had him upset. We ended up having to eat him if I remember.”

“You ate him. I had a sandwich. That’s the problem with men. You guys have a selective memory.”

Sam arched her eyebrows. “You didn’t try some of that Cottonmouth Pie he’s been bragging about since ya’ll got out of that godforsaken place?”

“Hell, no. And if you want the truth, neither did he. He ended up stealing one of my sandwiches.”

Wade laughed. “I didn’t want the mayonnaise to spoil. That’s the only reason I switched.”

“You told me it was leaving an aftertaste in your mouth. And I’d say that’s what you’ve got going on here. This snake invasion has left an unpleasant aftertaste in everyone’s mouth. I don’t think you’ll get very far with your deer vaccination today.”

“I’ve already told Felipe to turn them back into the breeding pens. We’ll try it again in a couple of weeks.”

“Any idea who did this?” Mindy asked.

“It must have been someone here. We would have noticed if someone drove up last night and the snakes weren’t on the loose that long, so it must have been someone here that did it. That’s what we were discussing when you walked up.”

Mandy replied, “We know the Doc and his wife were having problems. Seems like she was getting restless, if you know what I mean.”

“I understand.” Wade nodded.

“The Jackson’s were rumored to be having financial difficulties, though’ I’m not sure where I heard that. Mr. Grimes is cheating on his wife again, but I’ve been told that she doesn’t care as long as he pays the bills.”

“Where do you get all of this information?”

“Around.” Mindy played with her strawberry-blonde hair.

“Around what?”

“Just around, that’s all. People talk and we listen.”

“Anything else on that magical grapevine of yours?”

“Only that Gus has a new girlfriend at a bar downtown. He’s convinced her he’s rich, and he’s just working at the Sheriff’s office for the insurance benefits.”

Sam shrugged her shoulders.

“With the cost of insurance these days, that’s almost believable. I don’t see how people can afford to pay that much for something they hope they never use.”

“It’s not that bad working for the city. They pay something like ninety percent. That’s one reason we work there. The other reason we like it is that’s where Daddy works.”

“Did your sources say if Doc has a girlfriend or not? Or did Betty have a boyfriend?”

Mindy looked at Mandy and both shrugged.

“Can’t tell you. The only thing we’ve heard is that she is, or was tired of being married to a small town vet. She wanted to move to a bigger city where more was available.”

“Who'sJohn’s new girlfriend? Did you hear that?”

“We heard it was one of the wives in the Lodge. Maybe Peter Baker’s wife, but we’re not sure. You know, Peter was bitten. And there was a snake in Joan Grimes’s bedroom. Who knows if John might have been ready to move on?”

“Except the snakes also bit him. Seems like he would have been more vigilant if he was the one responsible for all of this.” Sam said.

“I’ll follow up with him at the hospital.” Wade walked away.

Chapter Three

“John, how are you feeling?”

“Not that great. And you guys?”

Sam and Wade nodded.

“Neither one of us were bitten,” Wade said. “So by that standard, we’re doing pretty well.”

“Then you’re feeling a helluva lot better than I am. This is the first time for me. Never been bitten before.”

“I have.” Sam pointed toward her leg. “Had one bite my leg while I was in the patrol car.”

“I remember that. “John grinned. “Somebody threw a couple of those critters in there. That was the Preacher, wasn’t it?”

“He thought Wade and I were getting too close to all of Rachel’s friends and solving her murder case.”

“I’m glad you figured it out before my name came up on his song sheet. I wasn’t ready to go then. But if the doctors can’t make this pain go away, I might be ready to go now.”

Sam laughed. “I know what you mean. I see someone sent you flowers. That was very thoughtful of them.” Sam stared at Wade.

He threw up his hands. “How long do I have to pay for that? I was busy trying to find out who was responsible for those snakes, not worrying about how many dead flowers you were gonna end up with.”

“I’m gonna remind you for the rest of our lives. You said you loved me, but you were out there having fun with the Thomas twins instead of thinking of me lying in that hospital bed all alone.”

“Sam, we didn’t come here to talk about the Thomas twins. We came to talk to John.”

Sam gave him a wry smile. “Just so you know that I won’t forget.” She turned back to John. “Do you feel alert enough to answer a few questions?”

He nodded. “Let’s give it a whirl, but don’t take it personally if I fall asleep.”

“We won’t. When were you first aware there was a snake under the poker table?”

“When that little bastard bit me. That kind of gave it away.”

“Were you the first one bitten?”

“I think so. I didn’t hear anyone else yell before me, but I’m not sure Gus would have known if he had been bitten or not. He was pretty much gone way before the snakes got there. He was having trouble seeing his cards.”

“Ha! You’re right. As much alcohol as Gus had in his system, the snake should have been pickled. That old snake should have rolled over and gone to sleep.”

The three of them giggled like schoolchildren.

“Let’s assume they bit you first. What happened after that?”

John snorted. “I bent over and asked the snake to take care of his anger management issues without involving me.” He rolled his eyes. “What do you think happened? I tried to get the hell out of there and the rest of the guys were in just as big of a hurry as I was. I don’t remember you staying in your chair long at all, Wade. I understand from Joan that Gus and Peter are doing okay after being bitten.”

“Did she tell you about Betty Wilder?”

“Yeah, Joan is close to Betty and Doc. This has to be tough on him.”

“Wade tracked Doc down at the hospital after he brought you guys in to let him know. He didn’t take it very well at all. It was an enormous shock. I can’t imagine getting news like that.”

John smiled faintly. “Doc is a vigorous man. If anyone can cope with adversity, it’s Doc.”

“Gus is a different matter.”

John laughed. “He screamed and hollered from the time we left the Plantation until we checked in here. From what the nurses tell me, he’s still screaming and hollering when he’s awake.”

Wade nodded. “I tried to talk to him after I told Doc about Betty, but he was too far gone to know what I was saying. It’s a miracle that he even realized they bit him.”

John looked toward the door. “I could hear him yelling earlier today, so his room must be on this floor somewhere. Anyway, he was telling the nurses he needed more pain killer in his IV. He was yelling at them that the least they could do was to bring him another bottle.”

Sam grinned. “That sounds like the Gus I know and love. He has a way of letting people know he's around.”

John looked at Wade. “I’m surprised Gus didn’t pull his gun out and shoot that old snake.”

“He probably would have, but I took his gun away from him when he started drinking. With Gus, that’s the safest thing to do.”

“I don’t think Gus could have avoided that snakes even if he was sober. From what some people have told me, rattlers can strike at over a hundred and fifty miles per hour. That’s damn quick.”

Wade chuckled. “But not as quick as a woman’s temper when you forget to send her flowers.”

Sam rolled her eyes. “Anyway, John. Did you see or hear anything suspicious last night before the snake bit you?”

“Not really. We started playing around eight thirty or nine. We were still playing when we were hit, and all of us had a few refreshments during the game, probably more than we should have. We took several breaks to go to the restrooms. You know, my bladder doesn’t hold as much as it used to when I was a youngster like Wade.”

“Did you see anyone come in from the outside?”

“Some of us went outside during the breaks just to get fresh air or in some cases, smoke a cigarette or two.”

Sam took notes on her pad. “Who went outside with you?”

“I know Peter went out there twice. Two fellows were out there at least once. Somebody went down by the lake, but I couldn’t tell who it was. There were too many night shadows, and it was too dark. I wouldn’t know if any of the others were out back or if they went out front.”

“Does anyone want you dead?”

“About half of Evergreen. Seems like my involvement with Rachel might have leaked out to a few of the town folks. They aren’t too proud of their City Attorney right now.”

“Does Joan know?”

“I don’t know but I don’t think so. She’s not treating me any differently now than she always has.”

“Did Joan tell you there was a snake in her room?”

“I vaguely remember. She said she went out with all the commotion and left her door open. She saw the snake crawl in her room after she returned to it. She should have closed the door. But I was sedated when she was here, so I may have misunderstood her. That anti-venom threw me for a loop. But anyway, I’m just glad she wasn’t bitten.”

“She wasn’t bitten. When I got there, she was in the shower screaming at the snake. I bet they heard her in the next county. She must be pretty scared of snakes.”

John smiled. “Wish I could have seen that. You didn’t get some pictures, did you?”

“We were a little preoccupied with her friend on the floor. He wasn’t in a good mood and kept hissing and threatening to bite us. Wasn’t friendly at all.”

“What’s your take on all of this, Wade?”

“Don’t have a clue. When it first happened, my first thoughts were that somebody turned the snakes loose as a joke and it got out of control. But if that was the case, they probably would have only turned one or two loose, not the seven or eight or whatever the number ended up being. Felipe and Maria killed some of them, so I’m not sure how many there were in the Lodge. “

“So what do you think now? You don’t think it was a joke anymore, do you?”

“I can’t see it being a joke, John. So I guess it’s down to two things; it’s either somebody there who wanted to kill someone else and didn’t care who else got hurt in the process or someone is really upset with me and the Plantation. Seems like snakes are a poor choice of weapons. Once you turn them loose, you can’t control who they bite.”

“I know. I’ve been lying here trying to figure out why I was bitten. The only thing I can think of is that I was wearing shorts, so my legs were exposed from the knees down. I can’t remember if Gus and Peter were wearing shorts or not.”