Page 103 of Tell Me (Savannah 3)

“I’m not accusing your brother of anything.”

“Well, I should hope not! Alfred was a good man! A veteran! It wasn’t his fault that horrid little Mandy-Sue dumped him! He never got over her, y’know. Even though she was a tramp. I know she was messing around with Bobby Fullman while Alfred was in Vietnam and still writing my brother love letters,” she said, her voice trembling with outrage.

“I’m interested in Alfred’s customers,” Nikki cut in. “Who would buy his snakes—specifically, his pit vipers.”

“His . . . what?”

“The copperheads. Last night someone left one in my car.”

“Oh! That was you? I read about that in the Sentinel’s blog!”

Effie again. Nikki couldn’t wait to confront the woman. “I understand your brother was missing some of his . . . merchandise.”

“Well, I think so. The police seem to think he’d sold some snakes that night because there was some cash on him and several of the cages were empty, but their heaters were going and there was water in them . . . you know, Alfred wasn’t one to waste electricity! He was a bit of an environmentalist, y’know.”

An eco-friendly snake dealer. Perfect.

“Do you know who his customers were?”

“No.”

“He didn’t mention anyone who collected snakes? Dealers or zoos or someone from one of those tourist spots that display wild animals and reptiles?”

“I said, ‘no.’ ” She was getting huffy.

Nikki couldn’t let it go. “What about a church group?”

“What?”

“There are sects that use serpents in their religious rites.”

“That’s crazy!” she said, aghast.

“Did he ever mention Reverend Ezekiel Byrd?”

“I’m sorry, but I really don’t know anything more. If anything, I think Alfred might have been the victim of foul play. The police aren’t saying anything, of course, but I told them what I thought. There’s no way Alfred would have fallen and hit his head, even with his bad leg. He was careful. Meticulously so.” She sounded as if all she wanted was to get off the phone. “I don’t think I should be talking to you. I don’t want anything negative published about Alfred. He was a good man, you know. A veteran.”

“So you said. I just want to know—”

“Oh, dear,” she said anxiously. “I—I’ve got another call coming in!” Before Nikki could say a word, she’d hung up.

Well, fine.

Nola wasn’t much help, Nikki thought, backing her CR-V out of the parking area, but maybe Effie Savoy would be.

It was time to find out.

CHAPTER 29

“I wish I could help you,” the reverend said in a soft voice that Reed was certain could be raised to a thunderous boom if called upon. Byrd was a short, stocky man who was going bald, but he made up for the lack of hair atop his head with a thick chin curtain of beard that allowed for no mustache. He wore glasses that seemed to enlarge his already owlish eyes, and he was wearing a suit with a bolo tie as he stood just inside the door of his modest rural home. Whitewashed and tidy, the porch held two chairs and an old-fashioned porch swing. He’d opened his door quickly when Reed had knocked and hadn’t seemed the least bit nervous when the detective had shown his badge. “I don’t know anything about missing snakes. All of mine are accounted for.” He smiled then, showing off tiny teeth.

“Did you ever purchase any snakes from Mr. Alfred Necarney?”

He was shaking his head, the top of his pate shining under the single bulb of the porch light. He opened the door and stepped onto the porch. “I trap my own. It’s just less complicated. I know that people think I’m practicing some quack religion out here, but my congregation is just exercising our religious freedoms as stipulated by the Constitution of our great nation.” His smile was beatific, his demeanor calm, his accent smooth as wild honey. “We believe in the scripture of Mark. ‘They shall take up serpents.’ ”

“I’m not here to argue theology or even discuss the legality of your owning venomous snakes. I’d just like to see the ones you have.”

“Why certainly,” he said congenially. “They are not to be feared. Respected yes, but not feared.”

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