Read Online Roots of Murder by Janis Harrison - Free Book Online

light, then raised my hand to knock. I froze before I could connect with the door frame. Pecan paneling, aqua carpeting, and an outside wall made of glass were the grandiose setting of a room that was a “road kill” museum.
    Two squirrels were staged on a tree branch that was suspended from the ceiling. A skunk peeked at me from behind a woven basket. Deer heads were mounted on the walls. An opossum was frozen in time, his glassy eyes stretched wide, as if amazed at his predicament.
    Moth stood smiling behind his desk. His face was
thin, his eyes dark and direct. Narrow lips and a pointed chin did nothing for his physical appearance.
    â€œMrs. Solomon?” he squeaked in a high-pitched voice. “I haven’t seen you for a while.” His eyes grazed my face, then meandered in a long, lazy stroll down the length of my body. “You’ve changed,” he said softly. “Very nice. Very nice indeed.”
    Did he think I’d be interested in him? Only when these animals could twitch their tails.
    When I continued to stand in the doorway, Moth gave me a smile that made his lips disappear. “Won’t you come in?” he invited.
    I nodded politely. I perched on the chair he offered and forced myself to sit quietly and not crane my neck. It wasn’t until Moth took a seat that I saw the snake. It lay in a glass case on the corner of his desk. As big around as a kindergartner’s pencil, the creature looked to be two feet long. Its color was the same shade of Nile green as the apples I’d been forbidden to eat as a child. The snake moved, and I felt the same queasiness I’d had then when I’d snitched too many apples.
    Moth followed my gaze. “I see you’ve spotted Harvey.” He plucked off the lid and stuck his hand in the case.
    I was close enough to see the snake’s tongue flicker. He apparently liked what he smelled because he glided up Moth’s arm and circled it like a bracelet. “I taught him to do that,” bragged Moth.
    I gestured to the room’s other occupants. “Doesn’t their fate make him a little nervous?”

    Moth ignored my question and thrust his arm out to me. “You want to hold him?”
    I managed to quell a shudder. “Not this time. Maybe later.”
    Moth nodded, not surprised. He eased the green lasso off his arm and dropped it back into the case. Instead of putting the lid in place, he picked up a sheaf of papers. “Let’s get on with this. I want to look over these notes and still have time to change into my tuxedo.” In a smug voice, he explained, “I’m master of ceremonies at tonight’s taxidermy gala.”
    Taxidermy gala? Not two words I’d think of in the same sentence. I was glad my flower shop hadn’t gotten that order. What would I have used for centerpieces? I pictured blue delphiniums and red roses artistically arranged around a preserved raccoon. I turned off my lurid imagination and smiled pleasantly. “I’ll try not to keep you.”
    â€œYes, well. Why did you want to see me?”
    It took me a second to rethink my reasons for being here. Harvey wasn’t helping, slithering around his case. I cleared my throat and took my gaze off the snake. Looking at Moth wasn’t much better. His eyes gleamed at me. “Did you know Isaac Miller was murdered?” I blurted. So much for leaving this in Sid’s hands. I watched Moth for his reaction. I’d hoped for openmouthed disbelief. What I got was mild surprise. I guess a man who has a snake for a pet isn’t caught off guard easily.
    Moth raised his eyebrows. “Really? Of course, I heard
there’s to be an autopsy. But murder?” He clicked his tongue distastefully.
    â€œHow much longer will Isaac’s flowers be available?”
    Moth grimaced. “How should I know? Depends on the weather. Middle to the end of October.”
    â€œDid Isaac mention that he might