Toxic Octopus by Lisa Haneberg

Author:Lisa Haneberg [Haneberg, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lisa Haneberg

11

Day 8, Tuesday

As Ari and I walked into the Carnes Brothers Funeral Home, I couldn’t help but notice that he looked like an assassin in his black suit, with his hair pulled back in a ponytail and his dark features. Too cool for Galveston.

I, on the other hand, looked like Mother Hubbard. I wore a long black skirt borrowed from Dora with a gray wrap scarf. I wondered the same thing you are, readers; where was this skirt the day of the gala? I could’ve saved myself a lot of humiliation. Dora said she thought it was too casual for the gala and the color explosion that had been my dress was better. Paybacks are hell, I reminded her.

Ari and I entered the already packed hall where Jane’s service would be held and stood in an open area toward the back. I recognized several folks from BARL and Ari introduced me to a few I hadn’t met. I typed their names into my phone in case I wanted to speak with them later.

“Xena, you remember Roberta,” Ari said.

“Yes, nice to see you again. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

“Thank you for taking on this case,” Roberta said. “I love that eight-legged guy. Jane did, too.”

“How’d Fred seem during the days leading up to Jane’s death?” I winced inside because it seemed rude to ask these kinds of questions at a funeral. Luckily Roberta was eager to talk about it.

“No different. He was getting fat, growing long, thick tentacles, and showing signs of middle age,” she said.

“What signs?”

Ari jumped in. “Thinking about mating, mostly. You can see it in how octopuses explore their environment. Fred is more interested in others. It takes very little to get him to come to the top of the tank and interact. Likely because he’s feeling better. When he came to BARL, he was nearly dead from the toxins that were pouring out of the Mexican plant near where he lived.”

Mark Larson then arrived. I watched as he stopped to talk to each lab employee and several others whom I didn’t know.

“Hello, Dr. Larson.” I extended my hand as he walked up to the group. “It’s a wonderful showing. It’s obvious that Jane was loved by many people and well regarded by the community.”

“Yes, she was,” he agreed. “Every facet of the environmental movement in Galveston and Houston is represented here.” He stepped closer and spoke more softly. “Any new leads in the case? I’m afraid the deadline is approaching.”

“We’re following up on several pieces of evidence and I’m confident we will get to the bottom of who killed Jane before the two weeks are up,” I replied, choosing my words carefully.

“I saw in the paper that you got into a minor scuffle on the Strand. Was that related?”

Ari flashed his eyes at me because I hadn’t told him about the Segway chase during the Shrimp Festival.

I know Steve didn’t write about it, so how’d the story make the paper? I asked myself.

“Chase, not scuffle,” I clarified.

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