Murder by Serpents (Five Star First Edition Mystery) by Barbara Graham Read Free Book Online Page A

structure. They painted everything that had been gray a hot pink. Everything that had been white was painted khaki green. When they added a wooden porch, they painted it hunter orange. A few years later, they “found” enough corrugated metal to cover the porch. It had rusted nicely, achieving a wholesome shade of burnt sienna. The whole thing snuggled under a canopy of dead trees and kudzu like a slug under a bucket.
     
    A slight distance behind the trailer stood another structure created with more corrugated metal. Tony guessed it would be called a shed, but that word implied more strength and design that it deserved. Kudzu was about to swallow it whole. Off to one side was an outhouse. Against common practice, someone built it uphill of the house and then painted it hunter orange to match the porch.

    A brand new black Ford pickup with a locking cover over the bed stood in the center of the clearing. Someone had professionally decorated the front with flames. Someone, presumably Quentin, kept the four-wheel drive vehicle polished to a gleaming brightness. No dust had been allowed to settle on the surface. It was obviously a thing well loved and well cared for. Only some mud in the wheel wells kept it from being spotless.
     
    The same could not be said for the yard. If grass had ever grown there, it had been killed off. Refuse of all kinds littered the open area. Most easily identified were the various brands of beer cans. Quentin did not appear to have a clear favorite. Piles of empty Sudafed containers were everywhere. Interspersed with them were pizza boxes, potato chip bags, empty food cans and what looked like the front half of a motorcycle. It had no handlebars. A vicious looking speckled rooster with a bald patch on his back proclaimed that a hideous orange and black three-legged armchair belonged to him.

    Tony and Sheila cautiously climbed the four steps to the porch. Each board sagged under their weight, threatening eminent collapse. From inside came the sounds of dogs barking. Tony and Sheila paused, then knocked. The dogs began howling.
     
    Next to the front door, five water-filled one-gallon plastic milk bottles hung from a frayed yellow nylon rope. Tony guessed that the water from his well was not fit to drink and that this made up Quentin’s supply of fresh water. He probably filled his bottles at the gas station in town.

    Quentin and a pair of spotted hounds answered their knock. He didn’t invite them inside but slipped out onto the porch. That suited Tony. When Quentin joined them outside, the quality of the air plummeted and if the aroma coming through the screen was any indication, Quentin’s housekeeping was like his gardening. It didn’t smell like wholesome sweat or even garbage, but had a more chemical aroma. Peering through the dirty screen, Tony could see someone moving in the house, obviously female by shape, but Tony didn’t recognize her. He presumed that the aromas from Quentin or the air in the house did not offend her.
     
    Squinting his eyes seemed to help Quentin focus. He started to smile until he recognized Sheila and then he quickly jumped over the porch rail and stood in the yard.

    “I’ll welcome your visit, Sheriff, but if you don’t mind . . .” He indicated Sheila with a tip of his head. “I’ve got nothin’ to say to her.”

    Tall and bone thin, he appeared incapable of remaining still. Standing in front of them, he practically vibrated. Years of chemical abuse had given him a series of tics and twitches. Although in his early thirties, acne covered his sallow skin, and he seemed to be losing his teeth. Tony considered it a toss up whether Quentin looked worse than he smelled or smelled worse than he looked.

    Tony followed him into the yard.
     
    “That woman is plumb crazy.” Quentin watched Sheila like she might pounce on him at any time.

    Tony knew that the man had some experience with “crazy,” but it did not mean that he could recognize it in others