Mystery on Maui by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

9

One Attack Too Many

The reptile slithered out of Josh’s bag and across the deck. “Whoa!” Josh scrambled back to get out of the snake’s path.

Mr. Takemura came racing up the porch steps. “Danny, grab me that roasting stick and one of those extra trash bags!” he yelled to his son.

Danny quickly handed his father the requested objects. Mr. Takemura took the wooden stick and went after the snake. He caught it just as the snake was slithering down the porch steps. Mr. Takemura lifted the snake with the stick and grabbed it behind its neck. He dropped the reptile into the bag and quickly closed it.

“Terra, we’ll need some of your pillow cases. And call Animal Control. Tell them it’s an emergency—a poisonous snake.”

Mrs. Takemura hurried into the house. Josh handed Mr. Takemura a piece of cord from his bag, which he used to tie it closed.

“You were amazing the way you handled that snake, Mr. Takemura,” Nancy said with admiration.

Danny’s father grinned. “I caught more than my share of snakes when I served with the navy in the Pacific,” he replied. “I guess you never forget how to do it.”

Danny’s mother returned with the pillow cases. Mr. Takemura carefully dropped the plastic bag with the snake into the cloth cases. “It’s late, but Animal Control said they’d be right over,” Danny’s mother said.

“You said this was a poisonous snake,” Nancy said to Mr. Takemura. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” he replied. “This snake had a wide head and long fangs, which means it must belong to the viper family. They’re not native to Hawaii, which is why Animal Control is so quick to respond. Hawaii is so isolated that we have to protect our natural species from foreign animals that might wipe out the native population.”

“Someone must have stuck that snake in your bag, Josh,” Nancy said to him. “Did you leave it unattended today at any point?”

Josh’s face was ashen. “I left the bag in my car for a while, and maybe in the locker room at the beach,” he recalled.

“Did you see anyone hanging around those areas today?” Nancy asked.

“Not really—I bumped into Hank, of course, because we were both in the showcase. Manny Monolo was around, too.”

When Animal Control arrived, the uniformed officer took the bag with the snake and carefully transferred it to a cage. He let out a long, low whistle. “This is a very dangerous snake—it’s called a death adder,” he said to the group. “They use those long fangs to inject a powerful poison that affects the nervous system. Strange, though,” he concluded, “this type of snake is found only in Australia and a few other Pacific islands.”

Nancy described how they’d discovered the snake in Josh’s bag. “You’re lucky to be alive, both of you,” the officer said as he looked from Nancy to Josh.

The parting words of Ian McPherson suddenly echoed in Nancy’s mind. Manny had said he’d burn Josh real bad some day as payback for getting washed out of the paramedic internship program.

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