The Coral Killer Read online

  “I’ve been doing this job a long time,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve only ever had one other coral bite victim. It’s something you don’t forget.”

  Ruby forced herself to take a better look at the man. He seemed very familiar.

  The paramedic put away his flashlight and straightened up.

  “Do you remember me?” he asked.

  Ruby nodded, but she said nothing.

  “Are you okay to drive?” he asked.

  Ruby nodded again.

  He pulled out a pen and a piece of paper and passed them to Ruby.

  “Write down your phone number,” he said. “Then I want you to go home and rest. The deputy won’t be here for a bit, dispatch said he’s on another island. He’ll want you to give a statement, but he can call you and get it in the morning.”

  “Are you sure that’s okay?” Ruby asked, scribbling down the number and handing it back to him.

  “Medic’s orders. Go home, Ruby,” he said. “Rest.”

  Ruby nodded and climbed into the driver’s seat. Angel bounced up into her spot as Ruby buckled up and started the Jeep.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “No problem, Ruby,” The medic said. He waved and turned towards his ambulance.

  Ruby circled back through the Cove, headed towards the gate house. She had never seen a dead body outside of a funeral, and her mind spun with questions. Why was the cleaning lady there, anyway? The Cove only cleaned rentals out between contracts. How did the grumpy neighbor get there so fast? What kind of nut was he to catch that coral snake?

  Ruby slowed at the exit gate so the automatic bar could go up. At that moment a Sheriff’s truck pulled up to the entry gate with his lights flashing. He lowered the window and Ruby could see the guards pointing him in the direction of the ambulance.

  She only locked eyes with the deputy for a moment, but it was long enough to see that he was fairly young and extremely serious.

  “Of course, he’s serious, he’s on his way to a dead body,” Ruby muttered to Angel and pulled back out on the road.

  Ruby didn’t give the deputy a second thought. Her mind was too busy trying to puzzle out how on earth the cleaning lady had died. She shifted the Jeep and frowned at her dog.

  “People don’t just drop dead from coral snake bites, Angel,” she said.

  Despite the heat of the day, Ruby shivered. Thank God for that.

  Chapter Four

  R uby dropped into a kitchen chair next to Grannie who was steadily tapping away on her laptop.

  “When’s Joe getting back?” Ruby asked. Her brother was always good for a laugh, and Ruby could really use one right about now.

  “Three days. He took that camping charter group to the Out Islands,” Grannie said. She snapped the machine shut and looked at her granddaughter. “Are you okay, Ruby? Why are you so pale? And what is that smell?”

  Ruby gave a weak laugh and sniffed at her shirt with a frown. Rotten fish smell. Today could not get any worse.

  “Rude customer?” Grannie pressed. Her eyebrow went up the same exact way Ruby’s did when she was curious about something.

  “No— Well, yes, she was rude, but, no,” Ruby stammered. “There was a dead body.”

  Grannie stared at her.

  “Oh, Grannie! Today has just been the worst!” Ruby said. “Nobody was there when I showed up with the delivery, and when the lady did show, she was in a foul mood. And then there was a dead lady inside, with a coral snake hiding under it, and—”

  “WHAT?”

  “Yes! The cleaning lady was stone dead, but bit, Grannie!” Ruby said. “Corals don’t bite dead people, and people don’t die that fast from venom!”

  Grannie got to her feet and turned the kettle on. She put a bag of chai tea in a mug and then added about three times as much honey as Ruby liked.

  Ruby rattled on and on, explaining about the grumpy neighbor, the brunette, and the body. By the time she got to the part where the paramedic sent her home, Grannie was pushing a steaming mug of tea into her hands.

  “Drink that,” she ordered. “You’re going to need the sugar.”

  Ruby took a sip and whispered, “I’m so glad Angel stayed in the Jeep. It could have bit her.”

  “I’ll bet the paramedic was Paul Maddox,” Grannie said, ignoring the idea of Angel getting snake bit. “Fancy him recognizing you after all this time! Well, God bless him for sending you home. You can play twenty questions tomorrow.”

  Just then Ruby’s phone buzzed.

  “Could be the deputy, hon,” Grannie said. “Better get it.”

  Ruby hesitated.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “It could be David,” Ruby muttered. “I don’t want to talk to David.”

  “Why not?” asked Grannie.

  “I broke up with David. Right before I got to the Sandy Turtle,” Ruby said. She picked up the phone and exhaled with relief. “It’s just mama. She wants to know if we’re both coming for family dinner tonight.”

  “Ruby West, do not change the subject,” Grannie said. “Why would you break up with such a nice, handsome, Christian man?”

  Ruby swiped at the phone, brought up the message from David, and slid it over to Grannie.

  “Oh,” Grannie said after a pause.

  “No kidding,” Ruby said, reaching for the phone, but Grannie’s sharp eyes slid over the thread again, and Ruby could see her doing the math.

  “Took you a bit to answer him,” Grannie said, her voice rather more compassionate than Ruby was expecting.

  “I was pretty ticked.”

  Ruby drank the last of her tea, but then she sighed. “And to be honest, Grannie, it was hard to tell him no. I mean, you said it yourself! Such a ‘Christian’ man! What if he’s right?”

  “Ruby—”

  “Oh, don’t worry Grannie,” Ruby said. “I’m not changing my mind. But I am done with dating! If God wants me to have a husband, He’ll have to find one Himself!”

  Ruby crossed her arms, ready for a lecture, but something in Ruby’s tone of voice checked the older lady, and she pointed at the phone.

  “Answer your mother, Ruby,” Grannie said, patting her laptop. “I’ve got some things to work on, but I think you could use a little family time. You really have had a horrible day.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Ruby fixed her ponytail, adjusted her sunglasses, and pulled back out onto A1A again. Her parents lived at the very south end of Leyenda Island, in a farmhouse on two and a half acres. Parts of the original property had been sold in chunks, and back when Grannie was raising her children there, she had planted dozens and dozens of areca palms along the fence line. Other than the driveway, the only opening Mae West had left was where their land touched the Indian River, so despite the fact that they had lots of neighbors, the house was very private.

  Big, flowery bougainvilla bushes and other sprawling vines had been added to the wall of areca palms over the years, so that when Ruby’s parents had inherited the property, Mama had taken to calling the place her Nest. It was Ruby’s favorite place in the whole world.

  Ruby slowed down at the front gate, relieved to be home. The scent of Mama’s jasmine vines filled the air, and Ruby took a deep breath as she shut the gate and drove around to the back of the farmhouse to park in her spot.

  She climbed out of the Jeep and started towards the house just as she heard a strange whistling noise.

  “Ruby!” a voice called. “Look out!”

  Ruby spun just in time to see three large eggs soaring towards her. She ducked the first, but there was no avoiding the other two, and they smashed into her head and chest.

  Ruby’s mouth hung open in surprise as her little brother Peter ran over to her.

  “Oh, man, Ruby!” he said, his eyes as wide as the eggs that had hit her. “You walked right through my launch zone! Princess Lay-a and Hen Solo are getting so old that their eggs are brittle and Mama said I could have them for my trebuchet…”

&nbs
p; Peter rambled on and on, half horrified that he had hit her and half totally thrilled with the success of his trebuchet.

  Egg dripped down her hair and into Ruby’s eyes. She swiped at it and flung a wad of egg at her eleven-year-old brother.

  “It’s okay, Peter, really,” Ruby said with a wry grin. “Give me a hug and we’ll call it even.”

  Peter backed up, holding up his hands. “No way, Ruby! You’re a mess!”

  Ruby reached out in mock-effort to hug her brother, but he bolted. She shook her head and started for the back porch, dripping egg all the way.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Just as Ruby reached the porch, Tali danced out the door, her sandy blond braids swinging behind her. At nine years-old, slender little Talitha was the baby of the family.

  “Hi, Ruby!” Tali sang, but her smile twisted as she got a better look at her big sister. “Whoa! What happened to you?”

  Before Ruby could answer her mother poked her head out as well. Mrs. West’s eyes took in Ruby’s egg-smashed hair and clothing in one swift glance. She pressed her lips together and glanced out towards the hen coop.

  “Oh dear,” Mama sighed. “Peter?”

  Ruby nodded and tried to smile. She really didn’t want to get Peter in trouble. “It was an accident though, really, Mama.”

  Her mother eyed her carefully.

  “If you say so, hon,” she said. “How ‘bout you head upstairs and get a shower before Judah gets here with that new roommate of his. You can borrow a clean t-shirt of mine.”

  “Aw, Mama,” Ruby moaned. “You didn’t say we were having company!” She rubbed the egg out of her eyes and thought, This day just can’t get any worse.

  Mrs. West clicked her tongue.

  “Ian is living at Judah and Joseph’s house,” she corrected. “That makes him kin, not company.”

  Ruby sighed and nodded. She darted into the house and towards the stairs. She was halfway up to the landing when a deep bark sounded and Judah’s dog Max burst into the house. There were footsteps and greetings, and then Judah leaned his head over the rail and called upstairs.

  “Hey, Rubix Cube!” he said, using his pet name for his little sister. “Oh, man, what happened to you?”

  “Peter,” Ruby said with a shrug. “Testing out whatever new project Mama’s assigned him. I think they’re doing medieval history again. I’m gonna get cleaned up.”

  Judah waved her on, and Ruby dashed the rest of the way up, happy he didn’t try to introduce her to the new roommate while she was covered in egg.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Ruby toweled off and put on a fresh shirt, then she pulled her wet, red locks into a messy bun on the top of her head. Grabbing her egg-covered shirt, Ruby headed for the back stairs. She stopped at the laundry room, which was next to the kitchen.

  She dropped off the shirt in the wash, and paused to look out the window. She could see Tali, Peter, and Phoebe out in the yard. It looked like Phoebe, who was fourteen and good with tools, was attaching Peter’s trebuchet to their tree house.

  Ruby shook her head and made a mental note to quit parking within range of the tree house.

  She stopped just inside the doorway of the big farm kitchen. Mama and Kylie were standing at the big prep counter, chopping salad ingredients. Over at the table, a new voice mingled with the men’s, but the new roommate’s back was to her.

  Mama handed Ruby a glass of ice tea.

  “Feel better, honey?” Mama asked quietly.

  Ruby tried to smile. The egg was gone, but man, today had been a terrible day. Before she could say anything, she heard her father’s voice over at the table, and her ears perked up.

  “So, Ian,” he said. “Judah says you’re with the Sheriff’s Department. Is the work interesting?”

  The new fellow sat up, and even from behind, Ruby could see he was handsome. Great, she thought. And here I am in a messy, wet bun and borrowed clothes. Figures.

  She took a sip of tea and looked over at the table. Judah, the oldest child of the West tribe, caught her eye and winked, but he didn’t interrupt his friend. Mr. West and Timothy leaned in, interested to hear what Ian had to say.

  “Yes, sir, it is,” answered Ian. “I get sent all over the island parts of the county, but it can get pretty frustrating, though.”

  “Really?”

  Ruby watched the back of the blond, Marine haircut bob up and down.

  “Well, take today,” Ian said. “A body was found, and the EMT’s just assumed it was an accident. They let one of the women go home without giving a statement!”

  Ruby’s glass stopped half-way to her lips.

  “They don’t know who she was?” asked Timothy, who was nineteen.

  Ian sniffed and waved a hand.

  “They got her phone number, but didn’t have a name for me,” he said in disbelief. “Can you imagine? Sending a suspect home without even getting their name!”

  “What makes you think it was murder?” Timothy asked.

  “They found a coral snake under the dead woman,” the young man said. “Which, I’m sure you know is very unusual.”

  “And the paramedics let a suspect leave?” Mr. West asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Ian said. “Sent her home to rest! But I think I saw the girl pulling out of the Cove. Real pale, looked upset. Very suspicious.”

  Ruby’s hand tightened around her glass. A suspect?

  The vegetable chopping next to Ruby ceased abruptly. Both her mother and Kylie looked at Ruby with widened eyes.

  “Lots of people get nervous about dead bodies,” Mr. West said. “And snakes.” His eyes flicked over Ian’s shoulder and met Ruby’s. She saw the concern flash through his eyes, but he kept his face steady.

  “Yeah,” Ian said, “The girl said she was delivering some paddle board to a renter, but the renter had no idea what she was talking about.”

  Suddenly Ian snapped his fingers.

  “Now that I think about it, she probably works for your family!” he said. “Red hair, about five-foot-six, skinny little thing… Know anyone like that?”

  The men at the table stared at Ian in shock.

  “Cause, if you do,” Ian stammered, sensing the awkward tension in the room, “I really need her name. You can’t protect crazy people like that… They seem fine, and then they snap and go and hurt people…”

  The men just stared.

  “You know what they say about red heads,” Ian said, trying to laugh away the sudden tension in the room. “Really, I’m gonna need her name…”

  Ruby lost it. She stomped across the kitchen, towards the table.

  Ian turned, surprise flooding his face as he recognized her from the morning.

  “My name is Ruby West!” she shouted. Livid, Ruby flung her tea in his face. Then she slammed the glass down on the table next to him.

  “You must be the worst detective on the planet!” she declared, shaking a finger in his direction. Then she stomped out of the kitchen and slammed the porch door for good measure.

  The family sat, wide-eyed, staring at Ian. For a long moment, nobody moved as tea dripped off the deputy.

  And then Judah spoke up.

  “Ian,” he said. “If you think Ruby killed somebody with a snake, you’re wrong. Ruby can’t handle snakes.”

  “Look, man, I know lots of people say that, but—”

  “No,” Judah said flatly. “Ruby’s different.”

  “What makes her different?” Ian said, obviously not buying it.

  Mr. West nodded at his son, and Judah unstrapped his watch. Then lay his left arm across the table.

  “Because of this,” he said.

  Ian Prescott squinted at the two ragged scars on Judah’s wrist. His shoulders sagged and he looked up at Judah.

  “Did you get bit?”

  Judah didn’t say anything. He put his watch back on and looked up at his dad. Mr. West had gone to the window to watch the Jeep driving out of the yard, with his only red head at the wheel. Ian looked to the old
er man as well.

  When Mr. West finally answered, his voice sounded far away.

  “We had a coral get trapped in the van when the kids were small… One in a million chance, but it happened. We were on the highway when the thing slithered down out of Ruby’s seatbelt track and piled up on the shoulder of her booster seat.”

  Mr. West looked back at the young deputy.

  “Screamed her little head off. I can still hear it…” Mr. West said, clearing his throat. “Judah was only eight. He reached over and grabbed the thing… It latched on to him pretty good.”

  “Corals like to chew…” Judah added.

  “Judah was in the hospital for a while,” Mr. West continued, frowning at the deputy. “It was pretty close, ‘cause he was small, weight-wise. But Ruby was smaller. She wouldn’t have made it, if she had been bit… Skinny little thing…”

  Chapter Five

  T he sound of books thumping onto a table made Grannie West look up from her laptop. The older woman closed her computer and wandered down the hall to the library.

  She came around the corner to find Ruby standing on the back of a chair, teetering precariously as she pulled book after book from the top shelf. Ruby’s jaw was clenched with determination as she picked through the books, shoving some back into their places and cramming others into the pile she had braced with one arm.

  “Ruby!” Grannie asked, her eyes wide. “What on earth are you doing? What happened to dinner?”

  Ruby bounced down, dropped the armload of books on the table and shoved the chair over to check the next shelf.

  “Research,” Ruby muttered as she climbed back up and started pawing through the new shelf.

  “Research?” Grannie repeated.

  “Yes! I’m going to solve this case,” Ruby said. “And I’m going to do it before that… That… That moron of a deputy!”

  The chair wobbled dangerously under Ruby and Grannie put a hand on it to brace it. Ruby took the moment to pass her a couple more books, both of which were mystery novels.

  “Case? Deputy?” Grannie said. “Ruby, what are you talking about?”

  “Hasn’t Daddy called you yet?” Ruby muttered. She sniffed derisively. “Probably still explaining to that… That profiling jerk why I couldn’t have murdered anyone with a snake!”