The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  “So you’re a vegetarian, who doesn’t drink, and doesn’t like sweets,” Tina said. “What do you feed on?”

  “The hopes and dreams of my students, mostly,” the professor said with a grin.

  Tina guffawed. “Great joke, prof.”

  “Do you know much about parrots, professor?” Nora asked.

  “Parrots?” The professor frowned. “Well, I specialize in studying reptiles, but I have looked into avians too. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason. I was just wondering…”

  “Ah, is it because of that parrot they found dead?” The professor shook his head. “Tragic. Really tragic.”

  “Here we are!” Degas said happily. “They’re bringing up the mahi mahi now. Get ready, ladies. This is going to be delicious.”

  “I’m actually stuffed already,” Tina said, patting her stomach.

  “Just a bite or two,” Degas said with a grin.

  Nora observed him as he joked with the professor and Tina, and flirted with Simone. Degas was at ease, in his element. He was a great host. It was almost as if the events of yesterday hadn’t happened at all. Did he at all feel bad about Haku’s death? Here he was, as cheerful as ever. By all accounts, Haku was one of Degas’ closest friends. Yet Degas wasn’t shaken at all.

  Excusing herself, Nora slipped downstairs. She headed to one of the several bathrooms in his house, this one decorated with hand painted Portuguese tiles, and a mosaic Gaudi-style basin. The ornate mirror reflected her face back to her. She’d gained some weight since coming to the island, but instead of looking relaxed, her eyes were sharp and had dark circles under them.

  Degas’ eyes, Nora thought, looked quite fresh. Certainly not the eyes of someone who’d stayed up all night. Were they?

  As she headed back upstairs, she passed a closed door that she knew was Degas’ room. She took a deep breath, wondering whether she should, or shouldn’t. She looked around the empty hallway, and decided to do it. She opened the door and slipped inside.

  Unlike the rest of the house, the room was decorated very simply. Large floor-to-ceiling windows showed a fantastic view of the ocean and the beach. A rosewood desk with clawed legs and a magnificently huge office chair sat facing the window. A shelf full of odds and ends stood behind it. The desk itself was mostly empty, with only a laptop, and a single framed picture.

  She picked up the picture. It showed Haku, Degas and Elly, standing by a bonfire on the beach. It had clearly been taken using a selfie-stick. Degas stood in between Elly and Haku. Degas had his hand carelessly flung over Haku’s shoulders. Haku was laughing at the camera, while Elly was looking at Degas.

  She looked around the room. There were no other photos. Nor any clues to Degas’ state of mind. The waste paper basket, interestingly, had a single scrunched up paper in it. She picked it up, and smoothed it out.

  A letter. Only two words had been written and then scratched out, over and over.

  Dear Elly. Dearest Elly. Elly, my dear.

  Nora heard footsteps approach the room, and with a start, realized that she’d be caught. Pocketing the letter, she looked around, spotted the closet, and jumped in. Her breathing came heavy, and she had to consciously slow it down.

  Slowly, the door opened. A shadow fell across the room.

  Nora stopped breathing, terrified that she’d be caught. This was really inexcusable. What had she been thinking, spying on Degas this way? She felt a pang of shame. He’d been a good host, and just because she suspected him, that was no reason to breach his privacy.

  Then again, she now knew something she hadn’t before. Elly’s feelings might not be one-sided. Surely, that was worth knowing. Was Degas simply playing a game with Simone’s feelings? Was he flirting with her to distract others who might have noticed something going on between him and Elly?

  She had no time to think, however. From the shutters in the closet, she saw a man approach the desk, and then kneel down.

  Wait, that wasn’t one of the staff, nor was it Degas himself. It was the professor! What was he doing?

  Nora squinted, trying to make out what the professor was playing at. All she could see was that he was fiddling around under the desk. After five minutes of this, he got up and left. But not before he’d carefully wiped the desk down, erasing any fingerprints.

  Shocked, Nora was left wondering what she’d stumbled upon. Why would the professor sneak into Degas’ room? Was he trying to steal something? Was the professor a fraud?

  She emerged from the cupboard, unsure if it was safe to venture out. Looking around, she could tell that she was alone. Slowly, she inched toward the door, and looked out. The hallway was clear too. The professor had vanished.

  She stepped out, her heart still beating faster, since she’d nearly been caught. Then, pausing, she stepped back into the room, and knelt under the desk. A small black dot was stuck in a corner, tiny enough to be unnoticeable, unless you knew exactly where to look. A recording device!

  *****

  Chapter 12

  Snake Venom

  “There you are!” Tina exclaimed.

  Nora smiled nervously, wondering if she looked as guilty as she felt. The others were halfway through the meal now, Simone and Degas sitting side-by-side, while the professor talked to Tina.

  “Did you get lost?” Tina asked. “I know the house is huge!”

  “Er… no,” Nora said. She didn’t explain herself, however.

  The professor gave her a mild smile, then continued talking to Tina about the most poisonous snakes he’d ever encountered.

  “Tell me, professor,” Nora said, “How did you decide to become a herpetologist?”

  “Er… well, I always loved snakes as a child,” the professor said. “I just decided to follow my passion. Luckily for me, it worked out well.”

  “Have you lived in Hawaii all your life?” Nora asked.

  “N-no. I was born and brought up in Colorado, as a matter of fact,” the professor said.

  “Oh, are there many snakes out there?” Nora asked.

  “Er… there are rattlesnakes,” he said. He sounded uncertain, however, and changed the topic. “Well, enough about snakes, this fish is delicious. Degas told me you own and operate a diner in Wyoming, is that true?”

  “Oh, yes,” Nora said. “Wyoming has the famous Ettlebird snakes, have you heard about them?”

  “Er, of course.” The professor smiled. “In fact, I… I wrote a research paper on them just last year. But really, enough shop talk. I’ve always wanted to own my own restaurant. Is it very challenging?”

  “It’s a lot of fun,” Tina said. “The best part is when you see someone walk in tired and irritable, and walk out satisfied with a warm belly.”

  Nora smiled, but her mind was in tumult. There was no such thing as an Ettlebird snake. She’d completely fabricated that, and the professor had fallen into her trap. Well, she supposed she shouldn’t call him a professor. Who was this man and what was he doing here? Should she call him out? Should she expose him as a fraud?

  “Ah, Elly! There you are.” Degas smiled, as Elly appeared. He shifted slightly to make room for her at the table. “Come, join us. I’ll have the staff send up another helping of mahi mahi.”

  “No, thanks. I had lunch and I’m still stuffed,” Elly said.

  Degas frowned. “You never have lunch this early normally. Are you sure you ate?”

  “I did,” Elly said, though the way she bit her lip indicated otherwise. Her entrance had cast a shadow over the otherwise cheerful group. Her grief was palpable, following her around like a dark smudge.

  “I’m sorry to hear about your loss,” the professor said, after Degas had introduced him.

  “Thank you,” Elly said. “Haku was a good man. I’m sure he would have liked to meet you.”

  “I’ve made a decision,” Degas said. “The snake, I was going to name it Epicrates Neo, after my favorite character, but instead, I’m going to name it Epicrates Haku, after my friend and longtime ass
istant.”

  “Oh!” Elly’s eyes welled up. “Degas, that’s… that’s lovely. I can’t thank you enough. Haku would have been honored to have his legacy carried on this way.”

  “I’m only sorry he isn’t here to witness it.” Degas put his hand on Elly’s briefly, and immediately took it away.

  Nora watched them carefully. Any outsider would think Degas was a great friend, one with no feelings toward Elly other than friendship. But the more she thought of it, the more she wondered if his flirtation with Simone was real, or hid some ulterior motive.

  Who were these people? What was the reality behind their smiles and their masks of sorrow? Nora’s eyes wandered from the professor, to Elly, to Degas. They all looked innocent, and if someone took a photo right then, they’d look like a somewhat cheerful group having a lunch with the ocean in the background. Idyllic. The truth was harsher. The professor was a fraud, Elly had feelings for Degas, and Degas? He was an enigma that Nora couldn’t quite figure out.

  With lunch over, the group decided to head downstairs. Nora was about to take the professor aside, when Elly spoke up.

  “I just got a text,” she said. “The coroners have released Haku’s body. The funeral… the funeral will be tomorrow.”

  “Right,” Degas said, uncertainly. “Do you think they’ll allow me to come?”

  “Of course, they will,” Elly said fiercely. “I’ll take you there myself. Haku would have wanted you there. It’ll be… it’s a cremation, and the ashes will be scattered in the ocean.”

  Degas nodded. “He’d have liked that.”

  “They’re saying…” Elly gulped. “They’re saying that the coroner found snake venom in his blood. That’s how he was killed.”

  “So the snake did it after all?” Degas asked, looking relieved. “I’m… sorry, Elly. But I’m also glad.”

  Nora frowned. Chief Kahane had clearly told them earlier today that a syringe had been used. This meant a syringe full of snake venom had been injected into Haku.

  “It was murder,” Elly said. “Someone injected him with the venom.”

  “But…” Degas looked confused. “There’s only a few bottles of venom. You have some at the vet’s, and I have some in my possession. No one else had access to them.”

  “Akamai was at the clinic a few days ago.” Elly said. “Did I tell you that?”

  “No,” Degas said, looking pale. “What happened?”

  “Tom’s got a pig who needed to come in for an operation,” Elly said. “Akamai was with him. He was in the waiting room a long time, but he could have easily slipped into our storeroom and got the bottles.”

  Degas nodded. “Did you tell Chief Kahane this?”

  “Chief Kahane?” Elly laughed. “As if the chief’s going to arrest his own son. No, I haven’t told him a thing.”

  “He’s a good policeman.” Degas frowned.

  “But what father could arrest his own son?” Elly asked. “A lot of the others in the village think he ought to hand the case over to his deputy. He’s clearly emotionally involved and it’s a conflict of interest.”

  “Ah, in that case police officers from another jurisdiction should be called in,” the professor said confidently. “They’d be the best people to handle it. What island has jurisdiction closest to this one? Maui, right?”

  “Right.” Degas nodded.

  “One of you should suggest that Maui police be involved, then,” the professor said.

  Nora stared at him. A herpetologist who didn’t recognize a fictional snake, but knew all about jurisdictions. Suddenly, she was glad she hadn’t revealed the fact that he was a fraud to the others. She wanted to talk to him alone, however.

  “Akamai ransacked their cottage too,” Degas was saying to Elly. “He’s got to be stopped. His temper is out of control.”

  “Nora was actually convinced he hadn’t ransacked the cottage,” Tina said with a laugh. “She had a whole theory about how he couldn’t have done it.”

  “Well, of course he’s done it,” Degas said. “It has to be him. He has a clear motive, doesn’t he? He hated his step-brother.”

  “I know he did,” Elly said, “Yet I still can’t believe it was him. He’s been arrested, though. I should go speak to his mother. She’ll be so unhappy.”

  “Yes. Poor Mrs. Kahane,” Degas said. “She was always good to me. Haku’s grandfather seemed to hate me, for some reason.”

  “Your mother left him,” Elly said. “You can’t expect him to love you.”

  “Yes… well. It wasn’t my fault she left him,” Degas said. “I don’t know why he couldn’t stand to be around me.”

  Nora wondered. Why had Degas’ mother, who seemingly loved Haku’s grandfather, left him to be with Degas’ father? Would Elly know?

  Tina was making gestures at Nora over Degas’ head. Nora wondered what she wanted to say. She grew increasingly frantic, however, until Nora said, “Er… excuse me, Tina and I have something to discuss.” She pulled Tina aside, a little irritated. “What is it?”

  “Gossip,” Tina said. “I totally forgot to tell you. While you were gone, I had a gossip session with one of Degas’ staff. She was telling me all about Degas’ parents.”

  “Go on.” Nora was interested.

  “So get this, apparently, their bodies were never recovered. That plane crash Degas told us about? It happened over a volcano here at the island! The sudden thermal activity caused their plane to crash, and that was it.”

  “Interesting,” Nora said. “So they never found either?”

  “Nope. Not a trace. It was as if they’d disappeared into thin air.”

  “Which they did, in a way,” Nora mused.

  “That’s not all the maid told me. She told me that the reason Degas’ mother left Haku’s grandfather was money!”

  “Money?”

  “Apparently, Degas’ father blackmailed her into leaving with him. It’s just a rumor, but they say he threatened to ruin everyone on the island if she didn’t.”

  “That’s… that’s horrible.”

  “They say that’s why she couldn’t bear to be around Degas. But there’s other rumors too,” Tina said. “There are rumors that Degas is related to Haku. That Haku’s grandfather, is secretly Degas’ father.”

  Nora gaped. “No. Way,” She said. “Degas looks—”

  “Almost completely like his mother, and nothing like Mr. Christiansen Senior,” Tina said.

  “Wow,” Nora said.

  “Yeah, it was a lot to take in,” Tina said. “But… like… it’s crazy, isn’t it? The island looks so peaceful on the surface, but it’s boiling with secrets and tensions underneath.”

  “All I know is that there’s more to Haku’s death than meets the eye,” Nora said. “I can’t see how Degas’ parents can possibly be related to his death, however.”

  “Still, never hurts to know,” Tina said. “There might be some clue, something we’re missing.”

  “Yes,” Nora said. “Tina, can you keep a secret from Simone?”

  “I can try,” Tina said. “What’s up?”

  “It’s just… Degas. I think he likes Elly,” Nora said. “I think he’s just pretending to like Simone so no one will suspect him.”

  Tina’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

  “It’s possible, isn’t it?” Nora asked. “I mean, if--”

  “If Degas murdered Haku because he loved Elly, and he were planning to do it for a long time, he’d probably want to cover up his tracks by flirting with someone else,” Tina said with a frown. “Yes, that sounds plausible to me.”

  “I mean, I realize there’s absolutely no proof, and it’s none of my business…”

  “Our cottage was ransacked, and a potential murderer is flirting with our best friend, not to mention, we’re living in his house,” Tina said. “I think we can safely say it’s definitely our business.”

  “I just… I don’t know if I should even tell her,” Nora said. “If I’m wrong, I don’t want to da
sh Simone’s confidence.”

  “He has been good for her.” Tina nodded. “She brightens up every time she speaks to him. She’ll deny it if you ask her, but I think she’s secretly started liking Degas. When you borderline accused him of ransacking our cottage, Simone got pretty upset.”

  “She did, right?” Nora asked. “I don’t know, Tina. Am I just… am I overdoing this? Am I just grasping at straws?”

  “I don’t know.” Tina shrugged. “It’s tough.”

  “Look, I’m ashamed to admit this, but when I went down earlier, I was poking about, and I found this.” Nora took out the sheet of paper from her back pocket. “It looks like Degas was trying to write a letter to Elly. What do you think that’s about?”

  Tina frowned. “A love letter, you think? If he is the murderer, pretty careless of him to leave it lying about.”

  “He didn’t leave it lying about, exactly. I kind of snuck into his study and… stole it from his wastepaper bin,” Nora said.

  “Nora Newberry!” Tina stared at her as if she’d suddenly grown fangs. “You surprise me.”

  “I know, I don’t know what came into me, I know I should sneak back in and put it back there. But then while I was in there, something even stranger happened.”

  “What’s that?” a voice asked.

  Tina and Nora spun around to see the professor leaning against a wall, listening eagerly.

  *****

  Chapter 13

  The Professor’s Story

  “Have you been listening to us this whole time?” Tina asked angrily. “There’s a word for people like you, you know.”

  “Oh, I’m sure it applies to all three of us, whatever that word is,” the professor said. “Nora here is not shy when it comes to listening in, is she?”

  “Look, I think I know who you are,” Nora said.

  “Oh, do you?” he asked. “Of course you do. I’m Professor Brooklyn Thomas, herpetologist.”

  “No, that you most certainly are not,” Nora said. “You made that up. You’re a fraud.”