Rodeo Clowns and Shakedowns: Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Harper and Moon Investigations Book 2) by Trixie Silvertale

Author:Trixie Silvertale [Silvertale, Trixie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781952739323
Publisher: Sittin' On A Goldmine Productions LLC
Published: 2023-06-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

My mental coin toss came up Willoughby. On the phone, Silas seems too eager to serve as my taxi driver. It’s not until I hear him rattling and rumbling across the parking lot that I remember my ride will be in a time machine.

His 1908 Model T grinds to a halt, and I reluctantly climb into the passenger seat. At least it’s not winter!

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Moon. You appear to be undercover?”

Taking off the forgotten glasses, I chuckle. “I was undercover. Running a little scam as a reporter for the local paper. I got some potentially useful gossip from the rodeo queen and her princesses. Although, my top priority right now is to get back to town and get Erick out of jail.”

My wizened mentor sniffs sharply through his bulbous nose and smooths his bushy grey mustache with a thumb and forefinger as he drives out of the parking lot. “Mr. Harper has been detained? Has Sheriff Paulsen accused him of murder once again?”

“It’s a fair question. As often as she’s wrong, it wouldn’t surprise me. But this little detainment is more of a personal attack. She wasn’t pleased that Erick and I uncovered the murder weapon before her deputies, and she threw him in a holding cell until she can confirm the legitimacy of our PI business.”

“Then we shall head directly to the sheriff’s station. I have all the necessary paperwork in my briefcase. We should have him cleared and released within the hour.”

“You are absolutely the best, Silas. I’ll even promise to work harder on my alchemical studies.” I trace my finger in a crisscross pattern on my chest.

He harrumphs. “I would advise against making promises you are unable to keep, Mizithra.”

Yeesh! Formal name territory. Time for a quick subject change. “How do you think someone would transport a rattlesnake from Arizona to Birch County?”

His knuckles whiten on the steering wheel, and he shakes his head in dismay. “A rattlesnake! What on earth would cause you to postulate such a hypothesis?”

“Sorry. We were talking about the murder weapon, and I made some assumptions. Didn’t I mention the murderer used a rattlesnake as the murder weapon?” My gaze pleads for mercy.

“Indeed, you did not.” Silas looks down the road toward Pin Cherry Harbor and nods his head. “Difficult task, but certainly not impossible.”

The interior of his ancient vehicle is not spacious. So when I eagerly lean in, our shoulders touch. “Go on.”

He harrumphs, but continues.

“The most troublesome part of the task would certainly be capturing the rattlesnake. They are not friendly, nor do they suffer fools.” He pauses thoughtfully.

I’m compelled to fill the silence. “Plus, the snake would have to be unharmed during capture, because this person obviously wanted it to be able to strike. But we know they captured the snake. I only need to know more about how they transported it, so I can narrow the suspect pool.”

“The simplest method would be to drop the snake into a pillowcase and secure the top. Pillowcases are easy to obtain and difficult to track.

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