The Codebook Murders: The Oakwood Mystery Series by Leslie Nagel

Author:Leslie Nagel [Nagel, Leslie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2019-05-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

The knocking came again, a loud banging that rattled the front windows of his house. Harding Knox nearly jumped out of his skin at the unwelcome noise. Cursing under his breath, he wiped sweat from his face and up into his receding hairline, plastering the brown strands to his skull. Damn this power outage, he thought angrily. What was the city doing about it? Without AC he’d never be able to sleep up here tonight.

More banging. With a final, despairing glance at the items he’d been examining, he made certain the door to the back bedroom was securely closed, then hurried down the stairs toward the front door, which was now shivering under repeated blows.

“Just a second!” Harding peered through the sidelight, but he could see only an arm and a leg dressed in unadorned white. Some sort of uniform? He fumbled with the lock as the banging continued. He yanked the door open. “What the hell is so—”

He stopped, gaping at the sight that confronted him. Three figures—two slender, one short and potbellied—stood shoulder to shoulder. They each wore white coveralls and opaque hair coverings that looked like pale green shower caps. Their faces were almost completely obscured by green plastic safety goggles, remarkably similar to the ones they used up at the high school. Two of the white-suited figures had plastic tanks strapped to their backs. Plastic tubing led to long copper wands topped with a spray nozzle. They gripped these in rubber gloved hands, wands held across their chests like rifles at the ready. The central figure, the tallest of the three, cradled something against his—her?—chest that remained partially hidden by those bulky rubber gloves.

Just as he was about to slam the door in their faces, a fourth figure stepped forward, an older woman with a pleasant, kindly face. Her silvery hair had those repulsive purple streaks the kids were so crazy about these days, but she’d pulled it into a conservative bun. She wore a white lab coat over a black blouse and flowing black skirt. In her hands were a clipboard and pen, and it was these familiar, everyday items, badges of bureaucratic authority, coupled with her serene, reassuring smile, that caused Harding to hesitate.

“Mr. Knox?” she inquired politely. “Thank heaven we’re in time.”

Harding blinked. “In time for what?”

“Why, to save your home from certain destruction. May we come in?”

Her statement was so outlandish and unexpected, he could only stammer, “What…who…how…?”

Rather than answering, she stepped aside, and the taller white suit stepped forward, revealing what had been concealed by those gloves. It was a small cage. Inside the cage was a tiny, foul creature, white with sharp scrabbling claws and beady red eyes, eyes that stared at him with malevolent intent.

Harding recoiled in horror. “Get that away from me!” He tried to close the door, but the cage bearer blocked it with a shoulder, that dreadful cage now held up and out at eye level.

“The heavy rains have flooded the storm drains all over town, Mr.

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