by Ruby Loren
Second Opinions
My eyes didn’t want to open the next morning when I woke up. I’d stayed up well past midnight doing all the online research I could. The previous evening, I’d managed to contact the organisation in charge of vetting and granting animal keeping permits. George Ashdown had not been on the list and interestingly enough, Dracondia Manor was the only place within a 50 mile radius that did have a license to keep dangerous animals.
With no local sellers (licensed or not) to be found, I had been forced to concede that it was likely that Mr Limey was an illegal immigrant. I hoped Lowell had had better luck than me.
I looked at my phone screen with blurry eyes. It was still pretty early. My brain complained that it was tired, but I knew if I slept now, I would probably sleep through my alarm. It would be better if I got up and tried to do something productive.
I realised I hadn’t had much of a chance to look at yesterday’s bunch of fan emails. I opened up my inbox and reflected I was getting low on guest comics and pre-drawn stories. Murder and a late night research session had halted my productivity. I would need to find more time to draw double the comics I needed in order to build up a new buffer. After all, you never knew when you wouldn’t be able to draw for a few days.
An email drew my attention. The subject line read ‘Request from all of your fans’. I opened the ominous sounding email. Was this my first ever hate mail?
Dear Monday’s Menagerie Creator,
We are your greatest fans! A whole group of us chat on Facebook about our favourite comics and we’ve finally decided it’s time we asked you something. We know it’s cheeky, but we were so excited, we went ahead and created a crowd funding campaign for you before we even thought to ask. So, this is us asking now! We’ve put everything together for you and we think it would be really great if you wanted to run a campaign to fund a paperback copy of the comics. There’s a link to the page we made in the email. All you need to do is let us know how much money you think we need to raise and figure out what you want to use as backer rewards. We’ve got a few ideas of our own, but we want you to approve it all.
If you want to do this, it will be amazing! We all love the webcomic, but it would be so great to have it in a book, too.
Let us know if you have any questions or ideas you want to run by us and we really hope you like it. Keep up the amazing work!
From,
Your Biggest Fans.
I read the email again and then a third time. I couldn’t believe that my fans were so enthusiastic about my comic that they wanted to have a hard copy of it to keep. They’d even done the hard work of setting up a crowd funding campaign for me! I was overwhelmed. No matter what happened, I would have to find a way to show them I was grateful. My mind turned to the original comic sketches Tiff thought I should sell and I thought I'd already found a home for a few of them.
It didn’t take me long to reply. I checked out the page they’d made and couldn’t have done a better job of picking the rewards. My only concern was how long it might take me to do all the work needed for the rewards and putting the paperback itself together. I included these thoughts in my response, but I was still hopeful. Anyway, I could worry about that after the campaign. This wonderful bunch of people could be the only people interested in having a paperback version! Only time would tell.
Because of their kindness, I went to work with a smile on my face. Today was the day I was determined to finish my review. With any luck, Lowell would have found out about Mr Limey’s heritage and the snake himself would be feeling much better this morning.
Unfortunately, my hopes of the latter were dashed as soon as I entered the critical care unit. Mr Limey looked more forlorn than ever, and despite the lump moving further along his tail, it was still firmly stuck.
I bit my lip. “I’m sorry Mr Limey. I don’t know what you ate, but it looks like you’re probably going to need surgery to get it out. I’d better call the vet.”
I was on my way to do just that when I was waylaid by Trinity.
“Madi, shouldn’t you be with the animals?” She asked and I felt the barbs dig in.
“I’m actually almost done with my review, but unfortunately there’s a snake in my care that needs surgery.”
“Surgery?” she repeated.
“Yes, I think I already told you he was unwell? He’s got something stuck inside him and none of the treatments have worked, so it must be pretty solid. I was about to call the vet to come out and operate.”
Trinity waved a hand. “You should have said it was that serious! The usual vet won’t know what to do. Dracondia Manor has their own experts who deal with problems like this one. I’ll give them a call. I'm sure they’ll be able to fit you in this morning.”
“You have external reptile and amphibian experts?” I said, wondering why this was the first I’d heard of it. I'd been tasked with reviewing the whole zoo, manor included, but why pay me to do that if they had consultants of their own?
“Yes, we do. Although they’re only brought in very occasionally to advise on welfare and so on.”
I mentally tried to shrug it off. Perhaps they just wanted a second opinion.
“Anyway, it’s sorted. I’ll do that and you can carry on with all the good work you’re doing.” she said - a little patronisingly in my opinion. “Have you seen Lowell around?”
I tried to ignore the sparkle in her eyes when she asked her last question.
“I’m afraid I haven’t,” I told her.
I was actually wondering where he was myself. I hoped he hadn’t got into any trouble investigating Mr Limey's no doubt dodgy past. With any luck, these experts of Trinity’s would know what to do, and the snake’s troubles would soon be over.
“Trinity, there was something that was brought to my attention yesterday,” I said and filled her in on the lorikeets’ predicament. Her eyes definitely glazed over a bit towards the end, but she waved her hand again and assured me it would be looked into. I thanked her but figured it would probably have to wait until my review was handed in. I couldn't see Trinity being bothered about a few small birds.
I spent the rest of the morning revisiting all of the drive-through enclosures and then doing a walk through the rest - just to check I hadn't missed anything. That afternoon, I had plans to finally tackle the manor and its inhabitants. Now that I was armed with a little more snake knowledge, I was hoping that my review would at least sound convincing. It would definitely do as a second opinion. To be honest, the reptile collection was so renowned, I doubted there was much at all that could be improved. Dracondia Manor was famous for its venomous snakes and other reptiles and amphibians. Experts visited it and drew inspiration for a good reason - the Snidely family had snakes in their blood and they were constantly updating when it came to their prized collection.
I glanced at my phone screen and realised it was time to head back to the critical care unit and meet with the reptile experts. I was hoping they’d have an alternative method to surgery, but I wasn't holding my breath. Everything I’d both read and heard over the past few days pointed to the last resort option being the only one left.
I walked into the care unit to find a couple already in there, looking at Mr Limey.
“Hi, I’m Madi, You must be the reptile and amphibian experts,” I said. The woman spun round from Mr Limey's vivarium and I realised I’d startled her.
The man smiled and stretched out a hand. “Good to meet you. I’m Harrison Marl and this is my wife, Eleanor Landy. We decided to keep our own names,” he reflexively added and I wondered how many times you had to be asked in order to start doing that.
“Trinity said you had a poorly snake that needed a second opinion. Is this the snake?” Eleanor asked, pointing at the vivarium, which I’d left out on the counter in preparation - either for surgery, or for their visit.
“That’s him,” I confirmed and Eleanor bent and peered in through the glass.
She had dark blonde hair that was tied back in
a ponytail, despite me placing her in her forties. It was a practical, non-fussy look that I could respect. In comparison, her husband looked like he shopped for suits in Italy. His dark hair was slicked back with hair wax and with that deep tan, I could almost imagine him hanging out by a pool with a cigar in his mouth. I shook my head, wondering at my own imagination.
“He doesn't look happy, does he Harry?” she said and her husband also knelt to look at the snake.
“Do you know what he ate?” he asked and I explained how I was unfortunately ignorant about Mr Limey’s recent past. I also listed off the treatments that he’d undergone and their lack of success.
Eleanor asked a couple more questions and then pulled on a pair of snake gloves. She reached into the vivarium and gently felt the lump, pulling away when Mr Limey struck out. I was surprised by the aggression he was suddenly showing. Did it mean he was in more pain, or was it his natural snake defence instincts returning and there was light at the end of the tunnel after all?
Eleanor was smiling when she withdrew her hand.
“I’ve got good news. Mr Limey is a ‘Miss’, and those are eggs in there. They can take a while to exit, but give it a couple more days and they should pop right out. Of course, caring for the eggs is a different matter.” She chewed her lip. “Mambas are valuable to Dracondia Manor. You might even say they're something of a speciality. We’ve both had years of experience looking after them at all stages of their lives. Would you be okay with us taking care of Mr Limey from now on?”
“Well, that does sound like a sensible idea to me,” I said, surprised by their quick judgement. All this time I'd thought it was something he’d eaten!
“Is there a smaller vivarium that we could use to take him?” Harrison asked.
“I've still got the one he came in. Will that do?” I asked, pointing to the empty vivarium that I’d placed on the shelf.
“Okay, looks fine. We’ll pop him in there and take him back with us at the end of the day. Thank you for your time,” he said and we all shook hands before they departed.
I looked down at Mr Limey and frowned. The initial sense of relief I'd had when they’d announced that the bulge was just eggs had faded. Now I was having a few doubts. The vet hadn’t said anything about the possibility of the bulge being eggs and neither had the reptile keeper at the manor. I was all for second opinions, but it was definitely odd that no one else had even suggested the possibility. The lack of movement of the ‘eggs’ and Mr Limey’s listlessness also indicated to me that if they were eggs, the snake was probably egg bound and still needed the help of a vet.
I sighed and looked at Mr Limey. “I know they’re the experts, but I think you’re suffering. I’m going to call in the vet before they come to pick you up,” I told him and then made the call. The vet was going to come out as soon as he could. I just hoped he made it before the experts returned.
It was mid-afternoon and I was adding the finishing touches to my review of Snidely Safari and Wildlife Park when Lowell walked in without knocking. He shut the door behind him and slumped down on the settee again.
“What’s up?” I asked.
In response, he let out the longest sigh I’d ever heard. “My black market research into Mr Limey had some crossover with the sale of stolen goods and all it did was confirm that I’m a terrible detective. No one has sold any green mambas around here - ever, and no one has seen any of the missing heirlooms either.”
“They could be lying,” I ventured but Lowell shook his head.
“I’m not law enforcement and neither is my contact. With the amount of money he pays for info, there’s no reason to hide the truth. They know we’re not after them, just the information.”
I sat down next to him and he carried on talking.
“I went and spoke to Trinity and came clean, letting her know I haven’t got any leads on the case. She wasn’t happy but at least she’s shared the suspects with me. Leo Omar and Chris Trevak. One’s a tour guide and the other’s a steward. She told me their names but I still don’t know why she thinks it’s anything to do with them. Still, it’s a starting point.”
Something was whirring to life in my brain and then it clicked. “Leo was the steward Mr Snidely said had the illness!” I hesitated. “Maybe drugs have got something to do with it.” I wondered if there was a connection with Marie and Jackie’s peddling.
Lowell nodded. “Interesting point, although how does the big cat keeper fit in? You said she didn’t seem the sort to take drugs.”
I had no answer for that.
Lowell scratched his head. “Anyway, they’re both working today so I’ve already been round their houses. There’s nothing there.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Huh! You took that break-in suggestion thing seriously then?”
Lowell looked confused. “Wasn’t I meant to?”
I waved a hand to show it didn’t matter. As long as he hadn’t been caught. If he had, then I knew absolutely nothing about the whole thing. “Then they must be keeping it all somewhere else, right?”
“I looked into that, too. No storage units or anything!”
“It must still be here,” I concluded and Lowell looked thoughtful for the first time.
“I suppose there’s a chance, but where?”
I shrugged. Snidely was a big place. I figured they wouldn’t leave the stuff in the manor - otherwise, why steal it? Beyond that, I didn’t have a clue.
“Why would anyone leave stolen goods so close to where they stole it from? It doesn’t make any sense.” I shook my head. “Perhaps I’m wrong,” I allowed.
Now it was Lowell’s turn to shrug. “Well, it’s the best idea I've heard today. I’ll do some sniffing around and see what I can find. There are storage sheds here, right?”
“Yeah, loads. I don’t know how you’d get access to them, but they're everywhere. Each enclosure needs its own tools and so on.” A sudden idea struck me. “Hey! You should ask Steve, the caretaker. He’ll probably be able to get you in.”
Lowell's eyes looked brighter again, I noticed. I wasn’t convinced we were on to something, but at least it was a fresh avenue to explore. He’d be able to report back to Trinity that he’d done some more work.
Speaking of work…
“Hey, I’ve pretty much finished my review. Isn’t that great? I’m thinking of showing it to the Snidelys tomorrow. Then I’ll help them decide the next steps to take and this job will be over.” Even I could hear the note of relief in my voice. This job had turned out to be far more stressful than I’d ever expected. Caring for a sickly snake had not been on the cards.
“That’s great! Hopefully we’ll both wrap up our work in the next day or so,” Lowell said, but my mind was already back on Mr Limey.
There was a knock on the office door. I stood up and walked over to answer it, keeping everything crossed that the experts weren’t early.
It was the vet.
“Thank you for coming out,” I said, relieved that Mr Limey would be getting the treatment I suspected he was in dire need of.
“That’s okay. I did rather think I might be called out today. The treatment I gave the snake was a hopeful one.” The man nodded his thick thatch of salt and pepper hair towards Lowell.
“You’d better come through and take another look at him,” I said.
Lowell trailed after us and we all arrived in the treatment room together.
The vet went over to the vivarium and peered in at Mr Limey. “Hmm, yes, my treatment hadn’t done the trick. I’m afraid I am going to have to operate. You've got all of the equipment here, so I would be happy to do it in a few moments’ time, if you wouldn’t mind acting as a veterinary nurse?” He looked at his watch and frowned. “I’ve just remembered. While I’m here, I said I'd check on the baby meerkats to make sure they’re happy and healthy now they’re back in with the rest of them. You don’t mind waiting, do you?”
I shook my head to indicate it was fine. “There’s just one thing Mr Crawley,”
I said to the vet. “Do you think Mr Limey might be having eggs and they’ve got stuck inside?”
The vet looked thoughtful. “No, I don’t think that’s possible. While it can be hard to tell if a snake is male or female, green mambas can grow to reach two metres in length if female, and one and a half if male. By the size of this little fellow, I’d only estimate him to be a shade over one year old, which is nowhere near maturity. Hence why I wouldn't even consider it.” He rubbed his stubble. “Perhaps most vets wouldn't have picked up on something like that, but I’ve worked with the reptiles and amphibians up at Dracondia Manor for my entire career. I know my herpetology.”
I exchanged a look with Lowell.
“You must be familiar with the reptile and amphibian experts then, Harrison and Eleanor?” I said.
Mr Crawley looked blank. “I can’t say I’ve met them yet, but they might be new. How did you meet them?”
“Trinity brought them in,” I said and then wondered if I should have bitten my tongue. This was probably a change Trinity had made on her own. The older vet may not want to hear that his services could be on the verge of replacement. Were so called ‘experts’ likely to be cheaper than vets? I thought it could be possible - especially if they weren’t being entirely honest about their level of experience.
“They thought it was eggs, did they?” Mr Crawley looked unimpressed. “They’re not much cop then. If I see them around, I’ll be sure to have a word.”
I definitely should have bitten my tongue. It sounded as though the vet would finish whatever speech he chose to give with the words ‘And stay off my patch!’
“Well, I’d better go and talk to that caretaker,” Lowell said once the vet had gone.
I noticed he seemed to be hesitating. “Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Sure, everything’s fine. You're almost done with your job and I'm either going to make a breakthrough or quit, so yeah… great!”
“Lowell, are you trying to say that you’ll miss me?” I said with a smile.