Sarah met Theo's arrival with a wide smile and a beckoning wave. “Here's someone to see you, Sheriff.”
Theo thought Tony looked way too big for the small bed. His head was raised, but his feet extended well off the bottom. Sarah bustled around the bed, measuring Tony's ankles and calves. The two legs were clearly not equal in size or coloring. The swollen one had dramatic patches of angry color. Drawing lines on his skin with a black marker, Sarah wielded a yellow measuring tape with the skill of a Hong Kong tailor. “This stuff doesn't wash off so he'll have zebra stripes for a while.” The elderly nurse seemed to find it amusing.
Doc Nash came up behind Theo with Jane in tow. “The ambulance is on another call, so we are going to send him by helicopter to Knoxville. They'll keep him in the hospital for a little while and use up some of their plentiful supply of anti-venom.” He patted her shoulder. “I'm guessing that he'll be home tomorrow.”
Relief flooded through her. “Thanks, Doc.”Theo moved past him, pulling Jane with her, until they stopped by Tony's head. His eyes were closed, and he was clearly having trouble breathing. An oxygen tube snaked around his neck, into his nose. One monitor kept constant track of his blood pressure, while the contents of a clear bag dripped through a tube and into his IV.
When she kissed his cheek, he opened his eyes, but he seemed not to recognize her at first. They were a darker blue than usual and had a lost, vacant expression. When he lifted his hand and ruffled her hair before giving her a crooked little half smile, she released the breath that she hadn't realized she was holding.
“How do you feel?”
Tony could feel himself slipping in and out of reality. His tongue and lips were almost completely numb and his ears were a real problem. “Numb. And tingly. My ears are gone.” His words were indistinct even to his own ears. When he tried to talk, he felt like he using someone else's tongue. Opening his eyes, he was glad to see Theo smiling at him. Her blond curls were flying everywhere. Just the sight of her pretty face was enough to make him feel better. He reached up and touched her hair, but couldn't feel it. Even his fingertips were numb. “Dandelion fuzz.”
He focused on Theo's eyes and discovered that he could see them through the tears on her glasses. The combination of the droplets and the prescription plastic distorted everything in the oddest way. His breath rasped in his throat and his thoughts scattered. Was this how Harold Brown had felt? If he were to be handcuffed now, would he know it? Why were there tears on Theo's glasses?
As he slipped into oblivion, he realized that he was unbelievably cold. He couldn't stop shivering.
The next clear thought he had was that being in a helicopter was not much better than being in a coffin. He complained about it to the man with a full beard and pointed teeth who sat by his head.
“You must be the devil,” said Tony.
At that, the devil laughed uproariously. “Welcome to hell.”
PUTTING THE CLUES TOGETHER
Each block should measure 8 1/2” by 8 1/2”. If yours are larger trim them to this measurement. If they are smaller, measure carefully and determine the common size.
If your blocks are smaller than 8 1/2”, trim the length of the 2 1/2” by 8 1/2” rectangles of fabric (A) to 2 1/2” by that size.
Sew 4 sets of pinwheel block/2 1/2” by 8 1/2” rectangle (A)/ pinwheel block/rectangle/pinwheel block. Press all seams toward the rectangles of fabric (A).
Sew 3 sets of rectangle (A)/2 1/2” square of fabric (C)/ rectangle/square/rectangle. Press to rectangles.
Assemble by placing strips between rows of blocks. When finished, you should have a rectangular top of twelve blocks, separated by strips of (A), set with cornerstones of (C).
Measure center of pieced top from side to side. Cut 2 of the 1 1/2” strips of (E) to that length and sew to top and bottom. Repeat for sides. This is the inner border.
Repeat the process with the 3 1/2” strips of (A) for the outer border. If you have used a directional print for (A), pay attention to direction of motifs.
Reserve the remaining 4 strips of (A) for the binding.
Congratulations! You've solved the mystery to Springtime in the Smokies.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
* * *
“I brought you some papers to sort through.” Wade hefted a bulging cardboard box onto the flimsy rolling table and slapped a box of gloves on top of the pile. Dust flew from the box and floated in the morning sunlight. For his efforts, he received a glare from the occupant of the bed. “It's the stuff we picked up at Quentin's. I haven't had two minutes to look at it.” Wade paced back and forth at the foot of the hospital bed.
Watching him was making Tony dizzy. “What happened with our arrest?”
Wade stopped pacing and threw himself onto the chair. An accusing frown pulled the corners of his lips down. “Angelina spat a vile yellow glob of something at me. She wanted to have it land on my face.” He shuddered. “Luckily she missed her target or I'd probably be in the bed next to yours, only it would be serious.”
Tony frowned, moving and shifting on the bed. His fingers plucked at the sheet before moving on to test the tape that held the IV in place. Although Wade made light of it, Tony could tell it had been a most unpleasant situation. “What did you charge her with?”
“I wanted to charge her with being pond scum, but Archie charged her with assault on a police officer and several other things, including the attempted murder of Nellie Pearl. We learned that she showed Sammy the way up the hill, but left when she spotted Sheila.”
“So, your engagement is off?” Tony teased, laughing atWade's expression.
Wade ignored him. “I sent her fingerprints out and guess what? Our Angelina is wanted by the Feds for drug charges, the Arizona State Police, and the INS. We'll be rid of her real soon.” Looking quite pleased with himself, he lounged on the plastic chair. “I drove Kenneth and a couple of his guys from the drug task force up to Quentin's. They're mad about the lab. Real mad. If they can find a way to level heavier charges against her because of the inconvenience of that cleanup, I'm sure they will.”
Then Wade started to laugh. “Since Quentin sat in our jail at the time and her fingerprints are the only ones in the makeshift lab, they have no evidence to directly link Quentin to the crime. He'll be able to go home when they finish cleaning up the site unless we charge him with possession.”
“Does he know about his truck?” Tony noticed that he could feel his lips when he smiled. That made him smile again. “Seeing it like that is bound to break his heart.”
“I hated to tell him, but I thought he should know. We had to get it out of the way. I skirted around the amount of damage but I did tell him that I had to have it towed to the Thomas Brothers' Garage.” Wade cracked his knuckles as he shook his head. “He and Elvis were singing the blues when I left. I believe all that practice is paying off. They sound better.”
Tony lifted an eyebrow as if to ask a question and the corners of his mouth twitched. He didn't say a word.
“Yeah. Yeah.” Wade grinned at the same time a flush rose on his cheekbones. “I know that it is just Quentin in there, but . . .” His voice trailed away and he shrugged. “At least he'll have his dogs. Joe Kyle's on day shift for the moment. He found both of them, plus Angelina's, running in the mud.” Wade chuckled. “I'm just glad I don't have to clean that much mud off my backseat.”
Wade left the hospital with Tony's list of things he needed to accomplish.
Tony slipped down in the bed and slept for a couple of hours.
Awakening to the sound of Chris and Jamie trying to be quiet brought him peace and put a smile on his face. “Hey, boys.” He sat up. “Come give me hugs.” The boys readily complied and settled down to investigate the IV, the remote control that worked the television, the adjustments that could be made to the bed, all the time chattering with apparent delight about the snakes. From what Tony could gather, they considered his snakebite a positive thing. He just hoped he wouldn't have to g
o to school and be “show and tell.”
“I hear you get to come home tomorrow.” Theo smiled but still looked worried as she leaned over to kiss him.
Delighted that he could feel her lips, he kissed her again.
Theo straightened but looked happier. “What's the stuff on the table?”
“Work. You and the boys can help.” He pulled on a pair of gloves and handed others to his wife and sons.
“Do we get paid?” said Jamie. He tried to blow the glove up like a balloon but failed.
“Do we get a badge?” said Chris.
“No to both of you.” Tony reached into the box and pulled out a sheaf of papers. “As your mom and I go through these, I want you to put them in piles.”
Theo pulled a handful from the box. “How do you want these to be separated?” She flipped through the pages. “I have a real assortment in this bunch.”
“Let's start by separating them by name. You know what? Let's put all the Mize papers by that chair.” He waved in the direction of an unoccupied chair in the corner. “All of the Brown papers by the window, and anything that doesn't have a name on it or has a different name in a pile next to the chair.”
“Are we looking for anything specific?” Theo pulled a couple of empty envelopes from the pile and handed one to each boy.
Watching the boys scurry to place them in the designated pile brought a grin to Tony's face. “No.” He shook his head. “But if you find one that says ‘meet me at the parking lot behind Ruby's at midnight,’ you might separate it from the rest.” Suddenly he felt so tired that he knew he would have fallen if he wasn't already lying down. His eyelids lowered and he drifted off to sleep.
Accompanied by the sound of Tony's steady breathing, Theo and the boys continued to sort and stack the papers. She read a couple of letters that made her feel unclean and mumbled to herself, “I can't believe no one has killed you before this, you rotten, creepy man.”
Most of the postmarks were from places in North Carolina and Georgia. There were a few from Tennessee and one from Phoenix. The mail itself was a mixture of handwritten letters and receipts for things he had ordered on the Internet. She found receipts for everything from rattlesnakes and mice to male enhancement medications.
By the time they had everything sorted, each pile had a sizeable number of papers. After Tony dozed off, Theo started another stack. It was made of Hub's notes to himself. The bulk of them seemed to be girls' names and phone numbers. Some of his personal notations were merely lewd, and some of them were outright perversions. A few sketches detailed roads or directions.
Toward the bottom of the box she discovered a letter addressed to Harold Brown. The words seemed to grab her, jumping off the paper. “Tony, look at this.” Theo's hands shook as she held the typewritten note.
“What?” Tony's body jerked as he woke up. “Read it to me.” His eyes flickered open for a moment and closed again. “I promise I'm listening.”
Theo read, keeping her voice low. “Someday I will deliver you to the devil or return you to hell. You have destroyed our dearest love. Since you are not capable of love, I cannot deprive you of your own. Your death will be my retribution for the wounds that can never heal. If I must accompany you to hell, it will be worth it. Only your damnation will ease any of the limitless pain that you have caused. Watch for me.”
By the time she made it halfway through the reading, Tony sat at attention on the bed. Wide-eyed, he stared at Theo. When she finished, he reached to take it from her. “Was there an envelope with this?”
“No. It wasn't in one.” She lifted a couple of torn envelopes and waved them back and forth. “We have a lot of empty ones that don't seem to have any letters to match.”
Tony intently read the letter again. “Our dearest love? Wounds that never heal?” He carefully placed the letter in an empty file folder and left it open on his lap. “What does that sound like to you? What could never be forgiven?” His eyes searched hers.
Theo's eyes flickered to the corner where her children, having lost any enthusiasm for the project, were now making up a card game. Her stomach tightened and she could feel the color leach from her face as she turned to face him. Tears filled her eyes. No words were necessary.
Tony's heart mirrored her fear. “He took Ruby's baby.” He gazed out the window.
To Theo, it looked as if he was trying to separate his emotions from the facts.
After a few moments, he announced, “It wasn't Ruby. She didn't write this.”
“How can you be sure?” Theo moved to sit on the edge of the bed and leaned against Tony as she reread the letter. The solid strength of him pressed against her back, reassured her. Having her children at her feet gave her peace.
“Look. It says ‘our’ dearest love.” He tapped the paper with his thumbnail. “If ever there was a single mother, even though she had a husband, it was Ruby. I don't know who I despise more, her mother or her husband.” He rested his chin on her head as if he too needed the contact. “I would expect a letter from her to be a clear threat, you know, like, ‘return my baby you scheming pervert, or else.’ ”
“True.” Theo sighed. “There are some other notes that express a hatred for the man, but nothing else so threatening.” She added a couple of papers to the file. “I can't imagine how he could hide such a ruthless side from so many people.”
“Unfortunately, the price of faith is that it sometimes blinds people to the truth.” Tony pulled her closer against his side. “How many times have you wondered how cheating spouses get away with it for so long?”
“That's no joke.” Theo studied the letter. It looked like it could have been printed by any computer in the world. “Why would he keep this?”
“And how long has he had it?” He reached for the pile of empty envelopes and handed some of them to Theo. “Let's see if any of these have local postmarks and if so, what was the mailing date.”
A handful of envelopes had local postmarks, but they were all addressed to John Mize instead of Harold Brown. At the end of their search, three were addressed to Harold Brown in care of John Mize. A couple had Atlanta postmarks and one came from North Carolina.
“I've got an idea.” Tony reached for his phone and punched the buttons that would connect him with his deputy. “Wade, I need you to check something.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
* * *
“That's it.” Through the earpiece came Wade's excited voice. “You want me to pick him up?”
“Wait fifteen. I'll call and get a warrant.” Tony looked up as the doctor arrived. “Hang on. I'll call you right back.”
Dr. Morse examined the chart, poked at the receding swelling and finally pronounced Tony fit to go home. “You'll need to use crutches or a cane for a while, but you're not likely to improve any faster here. Stay off it as much as possible, and call Doctor Nash or myself if you develop a rash or anything new. Allergic reactions to the anti-venom can be worse than the bite. I'll see you for a follow-up visit next week.”
The minute the doctor was out of the room, Tony called Wade. “Pick up the warrant from Archie and swing by my house in two hours. Don't worry, our guy's not going to run.”
Theo and the boys played cards while they waited. “What happened?”
“Payback.” Tony was not happy about being right.
Red Smith lived in a recently completed house just down the road from Nina. The dark green steel roof blended with the trees. The home's exterior was a combination of wood siding and native stone. A pair of young crepe myrtles flanked the front sidewalk and a clump of dogwoods had been planted near the road. The yard and garden were spotless, ready for the arrival of spring. Tony thought it looked beautiful but impersonal.
The curtains were tightly closed. Flocks of tiny birds gathered at the assortment of feeders in the yard. There was no sign of human life anywhere.
Tony struggled to walk with the unfamiliar crutches, feeling unwieldy and awkward as he and Wade approached the blond oak fro
nt door. Before they could knock the door opened.
Red invited them inside like honored guests.
They entered a tiny foyer. From it, they could see the large kitchen and small den to the left, the living room ahead and a short hallway to the right. Nothing hung on any of the walls. The off-white paint looked and smelled fresh. The floors were bare as well. There was no furniture, no sign that anyone lived here except for a small cardboard box sitting in the center of the living room.
Red lifted his empty hands toward Tony and pressed his palms together like a child learning to pray. A wry smile played across his features and his eyes twinkled. “I suspect you'd like to use your own handcuffs.”
Murder by Serpents (Five Star First Edition Mystery) Page 26