by Lauren Algeo
He read faster as his surety grew. This was all about money. ‘Daddy’s had a string of young girlfriends but no one serious at the moment. There’s just the two children as heirs to his fortune.’
‘Oh my god.’ Ellen put a hand to her mouth. ‘It’s the brother, isn’t it?’
‘That’s my best bet.’ Brewer looked for more dirt on James Clarke. ‘He’s nineteen years old and allegedly a bit of a problem child. An arrest for drink driving – daddy made it go away, of course – some problems at school, a lot of friends who are into drugs. It has to be him. With Paige gone, he’s the sole heir.’
Ellen looked ill. ‘But what child would have their own sibling killed?’
‘Maybe they weren’t close. Paige would have been away at college for a few years. He looks like trouble. A kid with a lot of money, who wants even more.’
‘Sick bastard,’ Mitch muttered.
‘What do we do about it? He can’t get away with it!’ Ellen cried. ‘Should we tell the police?’
‘I don’t think they’ll believe us somehow,’ Brewer said. ‘Amelia actually murdered Paige and they have the evidence for a conviction. They won’t listen to crazy tales of Amelia being manipulated by a mind-controlling hiker, who was really hired by Paige’s brother to kill her.’
‘That does sound mental,’ Mitch sighed. ‘We should do something though. Maybe if we let on to James that we know what he did, he might crack under the pressure and confess.’
Brewer didn’t need to tell him that it wouldn’t matter to the police. They had their killer, case closed.
Ellen was crestfallen. ‘That poor girl, she must have been terrified.’
‘We can try and find the hiker behind it all,’ Brewer said. ‘That much we can do.’
‘Will it still be in town?’ Mitch asked.
‘It’s only been about twenty-four hours since the murder,’ Brewer said. ‘It could have found a suicide victim and finished with them by now but I doubt it. Unless their mind is severely damaged, it usually takes a little while to persuade someone to kill themself.’
He winced as he realised Ellen would take that personally. How long had it taken to drive Lucy to suicide? She glanced down at the bed and didn’t say anything. Her face betrayed no emotions. He carried on speaking to brush over it.
‘We should drive around the town and nearby areas to find it. Then we should kill it.’
‘That’s all very well,’ Mitch said. ‘But what with? I can’t spare any more insulin and you won’t let me go back and get more.’
They all looked at each other blankly.
Ellen was the first to speak. ‘I, uhh, might have an idea.’
‘What is it?’ Mitch asked.
‘I don’t know if it would work, but it came to me when we were back at the rest stop. You guys were standing by the woods, near this long grass, and I remember thinking that you should be careful in case there were snakes in there. That could be an angle?’
‘Snakes?’ Mitch frowned.
‘Venom,’ Brewer said.
‘We were warned about them once on the trail at home,’ she said. ‘Which ones were safe and which to be wary of.’
Brewer nodded slowly to himself. Snake venom. If it was poisonous to a human then a hiker should react at an accelerated speed. They wouldn’t be able to get anti-venom either if they didn’t know what they’d been injected with.
‘Is it possible to get hold of venom?’ he asked. ‘Are there even venomous snakes in Massachusetts?’
Ellen shrugged helplessly. ‘No idea.’
He turned back to the laptop for answers. There was a helpful website all about the snakes of Massachusetts.
‘Apparently there are fourteen species of snakes native to this state,’ he read. ‘Only two of them are venomous: the Timber rattlesnake and the Copperhead. They’re both pretty rare though and don’t normally bite unless it’s in self defence.’ He went back to his search results. ‘There was a man bitten recently by a Copperhead in a reservation in Holyoake?’
Mitch and Ellen both shook their heads to show they didn’t know where that was.
‘Oh, wait. It says here he was taken to Baystate Medical Centre right nearby in Springfield to be treated with anti-venom. He even caught the snake that bit him and took it with him to be identified.’
Mitch laughed. ‘That’s badass!’
Brewer leant closer to the screen. ‘According to someone who works at the hospital, they keep a stockpile of anti-venom in the Emergency Department. That could be useful to know.’
He read some more then sat back. ‘It doesn’t say anything about where we can get hold of actual snake venom though.’
‘What about zoos?’ Ellen suggested.
He looked into it. ‘No, I don’t think so. They have venomous snakes at Dickerson Park zoo nearby but I don’t think we’ll be able to get in there. Even if we did, we can’t smuggle out a potentially lethal snake and carry it around until we find a hiker. We can’t guarantee a bite. We just need the venom and they don’t stock any there.’
‘They must have venom at the places they produce anti-venom,’ Mitch said. ‘I saw a snake handler on TV before at one of those places.’
Brewer clicked at the keys. ‘They have reptile zoos dedicated to milking snakes of their venom and turning it to anti-venom, before transporting it to pharmaceutical companies. The nearest one is in Kentucky though, that’s way too far.’
‘How about labs or universities? They might use venom for research purposes,’ Ellen said.
Brewer obediently tried the internet again. ‘They do research at some universities. There’s a University of Massachusetts campus at Amherst, not far from here, the only thing is that we can’t guarantee they have some stored there. If we get caught trying to steal samples, we’ll be in deep shit. Maybe this is too much effort and we should think of something else.’
‘Well, can you buy it somewhere?’ Ellen asked. ‘You can get just about anything online these days.’
He hit search and had to laugh. ‘Oh my god, you can. I was so focussed on the fact that we had to take it from somewhere, I didn’t consider that places would actually sell it. There are websites in China and Australia although they’ll take too long to get here.’
He refined his search to the United States and spotted a familiar link in the results list. ‘That reptile zoo in Kentucky sells venom. I didn’t notice before but it has a sales page.’ He scanned the details quickly. ‘I think you have to pay more for some kind of permit but Copperhead venom is $75 a gram. They sell it as a powder.’
Mitch had been lounging on the bed looking disinterested and he suddenly sat up, alert. ‘Did you say they sell it as powdered venom?’
‘Yes,’ Brewer nodded. ‘Why?’
Mitch didn’t answer. Instead, he jumped up from the bed and began to root around in his rucksack. He pulled out his mobile phone and turned it on.
‘I’ve got this friend…’ he mumbled. ‘Give me a minute.’
He disappeared out of the front door while looking for something on his phone. Brewer didn’t know if he was more surprised by Mitch having the potential to help get snake venom, or the fact he had his phone with him but hadn’t used it once since they’d tracked that girl in Philly. Brewer had forgotten he even had one on him. How had he restrained himself from turning it on to check his messages and social media for the last few days?
Ellen gave Brewer a puzzled look. ‘What was all that about?’
‘Who knows.’ He turned back to the computer. ‘We could order some from the Kentucky place. The only problem is that we’d have to wait a few days for it to be delivered and the hiker will be gone by then. It’s maybe something we could use on the next one though.’
‘But then this hiker would get away with what it’s done!’ Ellen didn’t look happy at the thought of that.
‘I guess one of us could wait for the delivery while the others track the hiker. I don’t really want us to split up though. It could trav
el quite a distance in a few days,’ he said. ‘Let’s see what Mitch comes up with first.’
‘I still can’t believe they just sell it online,’ Ellen tutted. ‘Is it a weaker dose?’
Brewer double-checked the stats. ‘They sell a gram of the powdered venom as a minimum. I read before that the estimated lethal dose of Copperhead venom is 100mg, so even when you mix the powder with water or something, you can’t possibly lose that much potency. A gram should be more than enough to kill someone.’
He checked out a few other sites while they waited for Mitch to come back. Ellen sat on the bed and reread the article about Paige’s death until she knew every little detail. Mitch was gone for nearly fifteen minutes. When he burst back into the room, he was grinning from ear to ear.
‘You’re going to love this!’ he exclaimed. ‘I’ve got us some snake venom.’
‘What? How?’ Brewer demanded.
Mitch hopped back onto his bed with a triumphant smirk. ‘Because I’m a genius! I know this crazy guy back in Philly. I never touch them, but he’s always experimenting with drugs and trying to find legal highs.’ Mitch was talking rapidly in his excitement. ‘Anyways, when you said about the powder, it made me think of something. A while back this guy, Dylan, took a trip to India and said he tried all sorts of crazy stuff, including snake wine and this pill that he nicknamed “snakebite”. He said they sold pills of Cobra venom to get high in clubs and stuff. I thought he was bullshitting but when he got home he ordered some powdered venom to try it here and see if he could sell it. He had a bad trip after mixing it with alcohol, so he moved on to the next weird drug and never mentioned it again. I just gave him a call and he’s still got a couple of grams of the stuff, so he’s having it couriered to us right now!’
‘That’s great, Mitch!’ Ellen grinned.
Brewer was impressed but wouldn’t give Mitch the satisfaction by showing it too much. ‘What venom is it?’ he asked. ‘When will it be here?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Mitch shrugged. ‘It’ll be here tomorrow on an overnight. Any venom will do, right?’
‘Not necessarily,’ Brewer said. ‘There are a few different types and strengths so we’ll have to check when it gets here.’ He paused then finally gave Mitch the praise he was craving. ‘You did well, regardless. Well done on getting it couriered too.’
Mitch beamed. ‘I know, right. I told him to get it here asap.’
Brewer nodded. ‘We should be able to track the hiker and wait for the delivery. We can book this room for another day.’ He gestured towards Mitch’s phone. ‘Where have you been hiding that for the last few days? I thought you youngsters always had a mobile glued to your hand?’ he teased.
‘I’m in hiding,’ Mitch winked. ‘There was this girl I couldn’t seem to shake but I think she’s got the message now after days of silence!’
‘That’s horrible!’ Ellen cried, leaning over to give him a light slap on the arm.
‘I’m kidding!’ he laughed. ‘I forgot my charger so I thought it was best to leave it off. I didn’t want work or my family ringing all the time either.’
Ellen looked worried. ‘You did tell your mum you were going away for a few weeks, didn’t you?’
‘Of course, I just gave her a quick call to check in. She thinks I’m working in a different town, and work and my friends think I’m seeing family. It’s all good.’
He gave Brewer a quick glance. ‘By the way, you owe Dylan $200.’
Brewer rolled his eyes, of course he did.
Chapter 16
They set off immediately to find the hiker responsible for Paige’s murder. It was early afternoon so they had a good amount of daylight left. Brewer paid for an extra night at the motel, on top of the one they’d been planning to stay, while Ellen transferred the money to Mitch’s dodgy friend.
She’d insisted on paying for the venom as she had her cards with her and could transfer it quickly on the laptop, whereas Brewer would’ve needed to do it by phone. He told her he’d pay her back however she waved his offer away. They took the car and Ellen drove in the direction of the Clarke family home. It made sense to start where the murder had taken place.
They pulled up opposite the address. The Clarke residence was a large house, set back from the road. It had a long, gravel driveway with well-maintained gardens on either side. There was crime scene tape still fluttering in the wind outside but no other activity. The police would have finished collecting evidence and the family would’ve moved out for a few days. Unless James Clarke had stayed to enjoy the chaos he’d orchestrated. Brewer scanned each of the front facing windows although there was no movement; no gloating face peeping out at them.
‘I can’t feel anything,’ Ellen said.
‘It’s all quiet,’ Brewer agreed. ‘The hiker will have long moved on by now.’ He listened again but there was no hint of scratching in his mind. ‘We should drive around town for a while.’
Ellen cruised down the main road then began turning into side streets at random. Their meandering route took them past a lot of residential houses, a few shops and restaurants, and the odd park. Mitch spied a sign for the Longmeadow country club ahead and they drove past the entrance. There was nothing to see apart from a couple of cars driving in and out.
They kept going for a few more miles in relative silence. The radio was off and Brewer closed his eyes in the passenger seat so he could listen more intently. He picked up the faint scratching before Ellen felt it this time.
‘The hiker is still in town,’ he announced.
Ellen nodded in agreement. ‘I can feel a light pressure but nothing like how it was before so I wasn’t sure. Does that mean it’s a lot further away?’
‘Maybe,’ he said. ‘It might be different for every hiker you sense though. If you even sense them at all. Some might be stronger than others so you can feel them more. Although that wasn’t the case with Georgie.’ He thought again of that awful little child in the snow who’d been more than powerful enough. ‘Either way, there’s one somewhere close.’
Ellen drove carefully until the sound got louder. ‘I can hear it now too,’ she said. ‘It’s like someone’s whispering really quietly. No matter how hard I try, I can’t make out what they’re saying.’
Mitch was getting restless in the back. He was sick of not being able to hear what the others could. It made him feel useless and left out. ‘Are we getting close?’ he sighed.
‘Yes, it’s getting louder now,’ Brewer replied.
He could pick up the odd word. It was a female hiker and she seemed to be whispering to a male vessel. He thought he heard something about a wife, but it was hard to tell. It could have been life? Or knife?
‘It’s not very clear,’ Ellen frowned. ‘I thought it was getting better but it seems to be fading again?’
Brewer realised she was right. As they drove, the voice began to get quieter. Had the hiker somehow passed them? He looked at the street signs and saw they were in East Longmeadow now.
‘Turn around,’ he instructed Ellen. ‘I think its vessel is on the move and they’ve crossed our path to go back to Longmeadow.’
Ellen obediently turned the car around in the next side road and they headed back the way they had come. The whispering volume began to increase gradually.
‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘It’s getting louder again. Is it a female hiker this time? Her voice is a lot lighter.’
‘Yes, it’s a female,’ he said. ‘I think she has a male victim.’
That was confirmed a minute later. The whispering became clear and they could suddenly hear everything that was being said.
‘It’s no wonder she left you,’ the hiker clucked in her soft tone. ‘Look at you.’ They heard her sigh in their minds. ‘You’ve really let yourself go. No one else will want you now.’
So it had been a wife she’d mentioned. The female seemed to have more of a southern drawl to her speech. Brewer had only just gotten used to the American accent and this variant threw
him. Had this one been born in the south?
Ellen shivered beside him. ‘I think her voice is worse than the male’s. It’s more seductive somehow.’
Brewer nodded. ‘The females can be tricky. They’re very adept at persuading men to their way of thinking.’
Ellen had slowed the car while she was distracted by the voice, but she kept driving. They were almost back in Longmeadow now.
‘What’s she saying?’ Mitch asked.
‘The hiker’s telling a man how worthless he is and how it’s his fault his wife left,’ Brewer told him.
‘Are we close to them?’
‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘They haven’t hinted at where they’re going yet but we’re definitely closer.’
They drove silently for a few more minutes. The female hiker was cajoling the man into believing how useless he was and she began to hint at a plan.
‘There will be lots of people doing their afternoon shopping, it’ll be perfect.’
‘What’s she talking about?’ Ellen asked sharply. ‘What’s she going to make that poor man do?’
She was gripping the wheel tightly again. Brewer didn’t need to reply, the hiker answered for him.
She gave a low chuckle in their minds. ‘All those little mall people, just going about their business. They won’t know what’s hit them.’
‘The mall,’ Brewer said, half-turning to Mitch. ‘Quick, where’s the nearest one?’
Mitch got out his mobile and began to search.
‘Don’t worry,’ Ellen interrupted. ‘There’s a sign for one ahead. It’s Williams Place Shopping Mall.’
They followed the signs and Ellen sped up dramatically now they knew where they were going.
‘I don’t know what it’s planning yet,’ Brewer said. ‘But it doesn’t sound good. We’ve got to be logical here. We don’t have anything to kill the hiker with until tomorrow so we can’t go barrelling in there and intervene.’
Mitch nodded, remembering clearly how it had gone wrong back in Philly, but Ellen glared at him.