Page 38 of The Killing Plains

“Willis loved this snake more than anything, besides Momma,” Russ added. “He took care of it like a baby.”

He nodded towards the enclosure. Colly followed his gaze. As they talked, the rabbit had continued to explore. Unaware of its peril, it had hopped closer and closer to the snake and now sat barely a foot from its side, nibbling experimentally at some wood bark. Delilah moved for the first time, shifting her heavy head a few inches towards her prey.

Colly felt a sudden desire to bang on the glass. “Why doesn’t she just eat the damn thing, already?”

“Pythons are cold-blooded. They have to conserve energy. They don’t move till they’re sure of hitting the mark.”

The rabbit took another hop towards Delilah’s tail, and the snake seemed to contract, the muscles tightening along its burnished flank. It turned, lifted its head a few inches off the ground.

“Here we go.” Russ sounded tense, but excited. “If you don’t want to see this, look away now.”

Colly most definitely did not want to see it, but she was transfixed. It was happening so slowly—like watching the masked killer move up behind some clueless blond girl in a horror film. The blood was pounding in her temples, and she couldn’t breathe. She clenched her fists.

When the python struck, it did so with such speed and force that, although Colly was staring right at it, she saw nothing but a golden blur. By the time her eyes refocused, the snake had twisted itself into a surprisingly small, tight knot, from which nothing of the rabbit protruded but its hind feet and tail. The feet twitched, once, twice, then went still as the coils of the snake constrictedfurther. As Colly watched, the pads on the bottoms of the rabbit’s feet morphed from bubblegum pink, to dark rose, to deep purple-blue.

Colly, who’d examined brutal crime scenes unfazed, now felt her stomach churn. “Let me out.” She stumbled against Russ, willing herself not to vomit on the borrowed dress.

Russ steered her into the adjoining room. “You okay?”

Colly blinked in the brighter light. Her pulse was slowing, but a sharp pain had begun to shoot along the nerve behind her right eye.

“I’m fine. Bit of a headache.” She stood up straight. “That’s one hell of a way to commit suicide, if it’s what happened.”

Russ nodded grimly. “Momma believes it was an accident. But once we found those rabbit masks in here, the Rangers considered the case closed.”

“Where were they hidden?”

“That’s just it—they weren’t, really.” Russ led her to the twin bed and opened the nightstand’s drawer. “They were here, under some magazines. Like we were meant to find them. The Rangers figured—”

“Let’s talk about it later.”

Russ seemed confused, but nodded. “I reckon we should head back. Felix, you staying?”

The old man was watching them, his wizened face impassive. “Pete’s coming to help me clean the pen.”

“Lock up when you leave. There’s kids at the house tonight.”

Felix nodded gravely. “Don’t worry, Mr. Russ. I will.”

Chapter 11

Darkness had fully fallen by the time Colly and Russ exited the cabin. Descending the steps, Colly looked up and was astonished, as she always was when visiting the ranch, by the stars. In Houston, only the brightest were visible, but here they were so thick that they seemed almost oppressive.

“Sorry to cut you off,” she said. “Best not to discuss the case around anyone. Even Felix.”

“You’re right. He’s such a fixture here that I didn’t think.” Russ offered his arm. “The grass is damp. I should’ve brought a flashlight.”

Still fighting a headache, Colly allowed him to lead her across the lawn. “So you think someone besides Willis planted those masks.”

Russ sighed. “The Rangers figured he just wasn’t smart enough to hide things well, but Willis could be secretive when he wanted to. Dad once found a dirty magazine hidden inside his closet wall when we were kids. He’d made himself a hidey-hole with tools from Felix’s shop.”

“Where’d he get the magazine?” Colly asked, momentarily diverted.

“Said he found it by the highway. But that raises a good point—where would Willis get those masks? He didn’t drive, hedidn’t have friends. And he damn sure wouldn’t know how to tan a rabbit hide.”

“He could’ve googled it.”

“He didn’t have computer or internet access—that was one condition of his release.”

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