by Ellen Riggs
“Snake hunting? Yep, I’ll try anything once. For a skilled hunter, it’s easy money.”
“I can think of easier money,” Jilly said. “Way easier.”
“Options are fewer around here,” she said. “But there’s a good reason it pays well. After the eighteen-foot pregnant mama, I decided not to bother developing my skills.”
“Oh. My. Gosh,” Jilly said. “If we see one of those, I’ll do worse than wet myself.”
“Me too,” I said. “Janelle, do you think that’s what Doug’s doing down here?”
“He had the right tools, but there’s only one way to find out.” She pulled the golf cart into the trees and pointed to a trail that led into the brush.
“Are you really going to bushwhack in heels?” Jilly asked. “Are you nuts?”
“I wish we did have something to whack bushes,” Janelle said. “But yeah, I’m nuts enough to do what it takes to get a job done, regardless of attire.” She grinned over her shoulder. “Luckily I know a way around the sinkhole. People have dropped in and never returned.”
“That’s an urban myth,” Bridie said.
“We lost a waiter that way,” Janelle said. “Guy deserved the deep sleep.”
I figured she was joking—trying to get Jilly’s goat the best way she knew how—but I winced anyway. If there was a sinkhole around, usually I was the one to find it.
Keats must have come to the same conclusion because he moved out in front of Janelle and started leading the way. Very soon the ground underfoot became spongy, and he took us on a different path.
“Are there snakes here, too?” Jilly asked.
“Sure,” Janelle said. “Looking to make some extra coin?”
“We shouldn’t be traipsing around here without an anti-venom kit.”
“Pythons aren’t poisonous. They squeeze their prey till—”
“A paramedic then,” Jilly interrupted, picking up Percy.
“At least a rifle,” Bridie added. “I’m sure that’s what Edna would recommend in her survival course.”
“Probably,” I said. “But we’d end up shooting each other and we need all hands.”
“I’m a good shot,” Janelle said, which didn’t surprise me.
“Me too,” said Bridie, which did.
“Time to expand our skills, Jilly,” I said. “In the meantime, Keats has us covered. He’s wise to snakes and has saved me from a couple of nasties back home.”
He confirmed that with a mumble but it didn’t ease Jilly’s nerves much. “This is like the set from a horror movie. Cue the zombies.”
I moved her up ahead of me, behind Bridie. “Zombies always go for the straggler,” I said. “Let them take me first.”
“Don’t even joke,” Jilly said. “Monsters come for you far too often.”
“We’re here,” Janelle said, as Keats circled back to bring us all together. He’d found a little hill where the soil was firm and the view of the water nearly unobstructed.
The water itself was very much obstructed with vegetation. It was clearly part of the swampland Amos had told me about—miles and miles of bog. I wish he’d thought to mention the snakes.
“How do boats get through all that?” I asked. “It’s so shallow and marshy.”
Janelle stood on tiptoe and pointed. “You’re about to see.”
A boat was pulling away from a dock, and the only person on board wore a red baseball cap. The craft moved easily and quickly along the surface and appeared to be powered by a large propeller.
“Ah, yes,” Bridie said. “I forgot the Briars had an airboat. Doug takes his cronies out for a spin sometimes. That thing ate a huge chunk out of our operating budget and Vaughan approved it. Now I realize it was so that Doug could supplement his income with snake bounties as well as bribes.”
“What do we do now?” Jilly asked. “Wait here to see what he brings back?” She slapped at mosquitos. “And risk getting eaten alive or sinking to oblivion?”
“Of course not,” Janelle said. “We go after him.”
“After him?” Jilly’s voice became a squeak and Janelle didn’t bother hiding her grin. “How exactly?”
“Never mind, Jilly,” I said. “We’re not following. It’s too risky.”
As someone who took pride in trying new things, it pained me to say no. But the landscape here was particularly treacherous and it didn’t make sense to put everyone in peril, especially Bridie and the pets. The fact that Keats showed no sign that pursuing was relevant to our investigation backed my decision.
“Not that risky,” Janelle said. “I’d really love to know what Doug is doing out there.”
“I barely know how to pilot a rowboat, let alone an airboat,” I said.
“But I do,” Janelle said. “One of my first jobs was in a marina. I even know how to jimmy one if they’re all locked. Airboats are a blast.”
I managed to squelch my inner daredevil—something Janelle and I clearly had in common. “Let’s check out Doug’s truck and then take it from there.”
Relief came off Jilly, Bridie and Keats in waves. Janelle could lift an airboat and go on a joyride another day if she wanted. If I completed my mission, I might even go with her.
Keats led us along twisty paths and down to the small gravel parking area beside the pier. Doug’s truck was the only vehicle there and Bridie stood watch as the rest of us circled it. Finally I hoisted myself up to peer into the bed. As expected, the net, sacks and tools were gone. Only two things remained: the empty plastic bag… and a rifle. Perhaps it was the same one he’d aimed at Zeus a few days ago, or maybe it was a spare. I assumed he’d want one along for the ride in the Briars’ airboat.
Grabbing the plastic bag, I hopped back down and everyone crowded around to take a closer look.
“Not poison,” I said, reading the print on the back. “On the contrary, it’s a product for rejuvenating so-called tired ponds. For producing a healthy biome.”
“Maybe Doug is working for the swan, rather than against him,” Jilly said.
I took photos of the bag and then put it back where I found it. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. My guess is he’s hoping to revitalize it to make residents happy, rather than birds and fish.”
“You can question him tonight at the formal,” Jilly said, tugging on my sleeve to make sure I wouldn’t succumb to Janelle’s boating proposal.
“Sounds good,” I said. “As long as I don’t need to tango with him.”
“I’ll volunteer, if it comes to that,” Janelle said.
“Let me guess,” Jilly called over her shoulder as we walked back to the golf cart. “You were a dance instructor at some resort.”
“Bingo, Jilly,” she said, smoothing her dress, which was still white and bright after our jaunt. Her pedicure would need attention, however. “I ran many a bingo night, too.”
“You’ve got useful skills,” Jilly admitted. “So maybe you could dust some of them off to help Ivy tonight when my hands are full.”
Janelle’s face lit up. “Absolutely.”
Bridie smiled, too. We all knew that surrendering my care to Janelle meant that Jilly’s grudge against her cousin was easing.
“I appreciate that,” I said. “Because Amos said he’d be out of town for at least a few hours on another tricky rescue.”
“I’ll be there for the actual rescue,” Jilly said. “Gran can take charge of the dance at that point.”
“Got it,” Bridie said. “Although I’d rather be bird-napping. Vaughan tends to get handsy with an open bar.”
The rest of us laughed. For Bridie, the prospect of snakes and an airboat chase had been less daunting than dancing with handsy Vaughan. She might very well make a good apocalyptic soldier.
On the way back, Keats lifted his muzzle to the dank breeze and looked happier than I’d seen him in days. When the breach in the security fence spit us back into the Briars’ compound, however, his ruff rose and a low growl vibrated in his chest.
“What
’s wrong?” Jilly asked, as we left the golf cart where we’d found it.
Once the two of us fell back, I whispered, “There’s a threat here, and it’s obviously not from Doug, because he’s off bagging snakes.”
The dog’s eerie blue eye confirmed my suspicion. There were bigger challenges ahead than a handsy dancer.
Chapter Twenty-Four
When the party was in full swing, I volunteered to circulate with cocktails and canapés as a means to search for Doug without being conspicuous. It was a bold move, because I wasn’t known for my grace even while wearing shoes my own size. Jilly had only brought one pair of dress heels, but Janelle’s trunk was full of shoeboxes. She set me up in a blue dress that fit perfectly and a pair of navy sandals that did not.
“I’m going down under a tray of rum punch,” I told Keats, as he took on the job of herding me through the crowd. Many a guest turned quickly at the light graze of teeth but he was gone before they pinpointed the cause. More than one pair of support hose ended the night in tears.
Janelle met me beside the dance floor with a tray of drinks expertly balanced over her head. That allowed her to slink through bodies, wheelchairs and walkers despite wearing far higher heels.
“Nothing?” she asked, spinning when someone got a little frisky behind her. “Uh-uh, Harold. If this tray comes down too fast, there will be a sudden vacancy at the Briars.”
He laughed sheepishly and wheeled off. I admired the way she defused situations without raising feathers. If Harold’s hand had landed on my thigh like that, it would leave with fang marks from my canine chaperone.
“I was sure we’d get our chance tonight,” I said. “Felt it in my bones. Keats did, too. Look at him. His ruff is on the high setting.”
“I love the way you two communicate,” she said. “If I had a stable life, I’d get myself a dog like Keats.”
He glanced up at her and his ears came forward. Smiling at him, she lowered the tray smoothly. She must have pipes as good as mine to carry it like that.
“There’s no other dog like Keats,” I said. “But the perfect dog for you is right around the corner if you open your heart. What’s your dream breed?”
“Belgian shepherd,” she said, without missing a beat. “That’s what I see in my dreams. Her name is Lilith.”
“That would suit you well,” I said. “You need protection crisscrossing the country like you do.”
“Exactly. And what you said about pet-friendly hotels makes sense. I’m going to look into it.”
“Why not slow your roll, Janelle? Set down some roots? I’ve never been happier since moving to the farm and developing a community.”
She gave a quick shake of her curls. “I don’t have a big family like yours.”
“My community starts outside my family. My friends today were strangers this time last year. And it all started with rescuing Keats. You’d be surprised what doors a dog can open.”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” she said. “I’d like to be closer to Gran but no matter how underqualified I am the jobs around here are worse. I’m burned out on resort work and the only step left is management.”
“You’d make a good manager if that’s what you wanted,” I said.
“You’ve seen my rebellious side. I’ve worked hard to tame it, but there are reasons I kept moving on.”
“What would you like to do, if you could do anything?” I asked.
“Run my own business. Help people, somehow.” She stared around the room. “I know what it’s like to feel lonely and hopeless. So trapped in the past that escape seems impossible. But I’m too old to go back to school.”
“It’s never too late for a big change,” I said.
“Spoken like an HR rep.” She softened her delivery with a blazing smile. “I dropped out of freshman year and began my storied career. And do I have stories.”
“You’ll have another before the night’s through,” I said. “If only we could find… Casey! We were just looking for you.”
“Business or pleasure?” he asked. “Because if someone’s looking for a dance partner, there’s room on my card.”
“We’re actually—” I didn’t get to finish my sentence before he took the tray of drinks from Janelle’s hands and shoved it into my free one.
“We won’t be long,” Janelle said, spinning off in his arms. She hadn’t exaggerated earlier. Her moves under the rented mirror ball were pro level and Casey did well, too. Seeing them twirl reminded me of a time in Clover Grove, when the town—and my mother—fell under a dance instructor’s spell.
Shaking my head, I said to Keats, “You know you’re hard up when you’re nostalgic over an old murder case, buddy. Feels like we’re no closer to solving this one and I’m missing home and Kellan like you wouldn’t believe.”
He was extra gentle as he herded me to a table where I managed to set the two trays down without mishap. My phone was stuck in my bra because the dress had no pockets, so I turned my back to pull it out and texted the team to converge in the parking lot.
Jilly reached me first with Bridie, and Janelle ran up behind them. She moved like a classy spy in a James Bond movie.
“No luck with Doug?” Jilly asked.
Before I could answer, Janelle spoke up. “Casey said he sent him on an errand. Maybe he’ll be here dancing when we’re done. I made Casey promise to take all the single ladies for a spin and promised him the last dance.” She sighed. “The ratio of women to men is heartbreaking.”
I had my doubts anyone would still be dancing when we got back. Rescues rarely went as planned but maybe this time would be different.
Jilly gave her grandmother explicit instructions about how to keep the party running well in our absence. Then the two of us got into the truck with Keats and Percy, and followed Janelle’s old beater to the gate. Now that we knew Doug was missing in action, it removed one big obstacle. Janelle simply popped out, used the key she had pilfered from Casey’s pocket during a dynamic twirl on the dance floor, and entered the security booth. A moment later, the doors opened and we rolled right on through.
“Jilly, I hate to say it, but—”
“Janelle’s good,” she said. “A great asset to the team.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry. If you tell me she’s rotten to the core, I’ll buy it, because I trust your judgment. But I really want to believe she’s changed from the person you knew.”
Jilly was silent for nearly a mile before saying, “She may have changed and I hope she has, but it can’t undo what happened.”
“Everyone does stupid things when they’re teens. Except me, I guess. If I’d done more stupid things then maybe I wouldn’t be doing them now. I’d have gained more wisdom.”
She looked at me and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“I don’t want to tell you what happened, Ivy,” she said. “Because if Janelle has changed, she deserves a second chance without anyone else knowing the details. I’ll only say that she’s the reason Gran is stuck in here, likely for the rest of her days.”
“Seriously? How can that be?”
“In high school, Janelle fell in with a bad crowd and didn’t have the moves or the judgment she has now. One thing led to another and she ended up on the wrong side of the most powerful family in lower hill country. Gran refused to let Janelle take the fall and threw herself in the line of fire. It was probably meant to be a silly stunt, but you see the fallout. Gran’s been a bird in a cage for fifteen years. Safe, but not really living.”
“Oh Jilly, that’s awful. Bridie made that sacrifice so that Janelle could have a good life.”
Jilly nodded. “And what’s she done with that gift?”
“This isn’t the life Janelle wants, either. The fact she’s stayed close to Bridie shows how much she cares. Just an hour ago she told me she’d like a fresh start helping people. Maybe seeing you has expanded her horizons.”
“I’m trying to keep an open mind but it’s harder with Gran stuck in her
e.”
“Can’t we do something?” I asked. “To break Bridie out of here?”
“Gran isn’t safe while anyone in that family is around to hold a grudge. And that’s probably the rest of her life.”
I squeezed the steering wheel. “Where are your mothers in all this? Seems like they had a major role to play.”
“They started it with their feuding and that’s why I could do without seeing either one again.”
“I understand the sentiment, as you know well. But my family has changed and yours might, too.”
“That was different,” she said. “Calvin isn’t so bad. He meant well.”
“Maybe I’d say the same about your mom if I met her. Besides, we all think our families are different but we’re probably more or less the same.”
She stared at the dark road ahead. Janelle had left us behind miles back. “I guess that’s what scares me about the future.”
I waited for her to continue and then jumped to my own conclusions. “About Asher, you mean?”
“About having a family. Wouldn’t I become as dysfunctional as my mother and my aunt? What if I wrecked my kids, like they did? It wouldn’t be fair to them or to Asher.”
Ah. Finally we got to the heart of the problem. Reaching over, I patted her hand. “Jilly, I’ve known you a long time. We’ve been through a lot so I know exactly who you are. Smart. Kind. Trustworthy. Steadfast. You turned out that way by choice, so I have no doubt at all that you’d make an awesome wife and mom.”
Keats turned from the road to offer his mumbled endorsement.
“Thank you,” she said. “That means a lot, both of you.”
“I only see one potential problem,” I said, grinning. “What if a python came after your baby? Could you handle it?”
“That’s what husbands are for,” she said. “Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails…”
One dog’s tail was telling us an important tale right now. Keats was staring through the seats at the road behind us while his tail bristled.
Glancing into the rearview mirror, I sighed. “We’re being followed, Jilly.”