Dead Asleep by Jamie Freveletti Read Free Book Online

not?”
    Carrow shook his head. “I don’t do heroin, or Oxy, but I’ve seen plenty of both, and this isn’t it. Plus, Martin said he wasn’t going to do heroin anymore.”
    â€œHe could have been lying.”
    Carrow grimaced. “Martin lies a lot, but I believed him when he said it.”
    Emma moved closer to the bed, and her toe hit something. She bent down to retrieve whatever it was and her hand closed on a dry shape that felt like wood. It was the root of a plant, bent with two tendrils that twisted downward. She held it up to show Carrow. He leaned in to get a closer look.
    â€œIs it ginger root?”
    Emma turned it over, looking at it from all sides. She’d never actually seen the root. She didn’t think it was indigenous to the island, but it was easy to grow and required only abundant moisture and warm temperatures, both of which were plentiful in Terra Cay.
    â€œIt’s mandrake.”
    â€œWhat’s mandrake?”
    â€œA plant that acts as a narcotic when ingested.” The root was the exact color of the pile of powder on the nightstand. “It looks as though he grated it into a powder and drank it. Probably with the wine.” Emma watched Carrow closely. She could see his expression harden.
    â€œWhat a fool that man is. If it’s a drug, Martin will take it. Will he come awake? Or do I need to get him to a clinic?”
    â€œIt can be dangerous. When added to wine it will make the person ingesting it fall asleep and be insensible. The ancient civilizations used it as an anesthetic when stitching wounds, and it’s said that it was administered in Rome to those being crucified so they wouldn’t feel the pain. Gave some of the Roman soldiers a fright when the crucified were taken down because they’d come back to life. Where did he get his hands on this?”
    Carrow sighed. “I haven’t the slightest idea. It’s no secret that Martin spends most of his time drunk or high, but honestly he’s always taken drugs that are commercially available. I’ve never known him to make his own from a root. This is new.”
    Emma handed him the plant. “I don’t think mandrake is native to the island so you’d better look around your villa to see if he’s cultivating it somewhere.” Carrow took the root from her with a look of distaste.
    â€œWe’re supposed to start recording in two days and I need him to be awake. If I find it I’ll be sure to yank it all out. His little drug garden will be gone.”
    â€œBe careful with that. The legends say that mandrake screams when you pull it from the ground and if you hear it you’ll die.”
    Carrow gave her an appalled look. “Screams? Are you serious?”
    â€œSome say that the ancients used to tie a rope to a dog’s tail and have the dog pull it out. They would blow a trumpet at the precise moment to muffle the scream.” Carrow leaned closer and his cologne wafted over her. She didn’t recognize the scent but it smelled delicious. She could see a glint of humor in his eyes.
    â€œI’ll be sure to rip it out during one of our recording sessions. Half the critics complain that we don’t make music at all. Just a tremendous amount of noise. Mandrake screams have nothing on Rex Rain.”

Chapter 7
    E mma drove herself home in one of Carrow’s spare Jeeps. Carrow had decided to give it a little more time before he notified the island doctor. He’d offered to drive her back but she waved him off. He’d continued drinking steadily the entire time that she was with him and she didn’t want a repeat of the wild ride up the hill.
    Her house and grounds were filled with sounds, but good, natural ones rather than crashing glass and incoherent screams. Tree frogs sang their up-and-down tones and moths fluttered around the solar-powered lights that lined the driveway. The ocean waves made a rhythmic rumble as