Part 7 (1/2)
Kenneth hovered in the doorway of their room, rubbing his eyes as if he'd just awoken.
”Get what?” Julie asked, inching toward the bathroom door. She wasn't too keen on going inside until she knew what she was up against.
”The snake!”
Julie shot Hannah a look.
Hannah quickly wrapped one arm around Susan's waist and led her away from the bathroom door before she could scream again.
Joyce poked her head out of the room she shared with Sadie and asked, ”What happened?”
Julie managed a smile. ”Nothing. Just a small issue in the bathroom.” That had to be the lamest excuse she'd ever offered.
”Oh,” Joyce said, looking more than a little relieved. ”My Alvin used to be a plumber. You want me to take a look?”
”Thank you for offering, but I think I'll let the experts handle this.”
”Handle what?” Sadie pushed past her friend and joined the growing fray in the hallway.
”Just a little issue.” Julie cautiously peered inside the bathroom. Please let it be a rubber snake. Please let it be a rubber snake. Please let it be a rubber snake.
No such luck. Coiled up inside the bathtub was a thick black snake, its eyes an evil yellow. They seemed to glow in the flat, dark face that stared up at Julie, its tongue flickering and tasting the air around it.
Her heart flip-flopped in her chest. She wasn't scared of snakes, but she surely didn't want to mess with them if she didn't have to.
”Is there really a snake in there?” Kenneth had finally managed to wake up enough to comprehend what was happening. He stood behind Julie and peered over her shoulder.
”There is indeed a snake,” she grimly replied.
”A snake?” Joyce repeated, creeping up behind them. ”A venomous one?”
Julie shrugged. She didn't know a great deal about snakes, and she didn't really want to find out.
”Kenneth,” she said, unwilling to take her eyes off the snake for more than a couple of seconds, ”will you please go downstairs and get the phone off the reception desk? I think we need to call a critter guy.”
Kenneth scratched his head. ”Critter guy?” He still sounded a little groggy.
”Wildlife removal service,” she explained.
”Oh.” He looked over his shoulder toward his suite.
”If you'd rather see to your wife, that's fine. Just send Hannah.”
Kenneth nodded and left the room as Julie continued to face down the snake. Thankfully, the serpent didn't appear too active or ready to strike. Julie supposed that it was probably cool and comfortable on the porcelain.
Hannah appeared in the hallway and caught Julie's eye. ”I'm on it,” she said before disappearing down the stairs.
Neither Julie nor the snake moved as they waited for the critter guy to arrive. After what seemed like an eternity-but was probably less than ten minutes-Julie heard pounding footsteps on the stairs.
”What's going on?” Gregory demanded.
Just the person she didn't need.
”There's a snake in the bathtub,” Liam said.
Julie wondered when he'd joined the party.
”We don't know what kind,” Joyce chimed in. ”It could be deadly.”
”I don't suspect it is,” Julie said.
”A snake?” Gregory bl.u.s.tered. ”Now see here, the situation in this ... this hotel of horrors has gotten way out of hand! What if one of us had been bitten? Can you imagine? Another dead body at the inn! Something has to be done.”
”Something is being done.” Julie struggled to keep her voice civil. ”A wildlife removal specialist is on his way here to get rid of the snake.”
Julie had braced herself for more complaints when heavy footsteps on the staircase preempted Gregory's newest attempt to get out of paying his bill.
”You have a snake up here?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.
Thank heavens! ”In here!”
A large, burly man stuck his head in the bathroom.
”Thank you for coming so fast,” Julie said, moving away from the tub to give him room.
The man pointed over his shoulder. ”I was down at the end of the block, so I came right over.”
”Is it poisonous?” Sadie asked.
”Nope. Just a black rat snake.”
”Is that bad?” Joyce asked. Her voice held a wistful tone.
”It is if you're a rat.”
”Oh.” Sadie seemed disappointed.
”If it's got round pupils, it's not venomous,” the man said. ”Just look at those friendly eyes.”
”Who's looking at its eyes?” Joyce asked. ”I was looking at its flickering tongue.”
”I'll get out of your way and leave you to it.” Julie stepped out of the room and ushered her guests away from the bathroom door.
Kenneth emerged from his suite and quietly closed the door behind him.
”How's Susan?” Julie asked him.
He placed one finger over his lips. ”Resting.”
”So, what are we going to do about this incompetent innkeeper?” Gregory's loud voice echoed off the walls in the small s.p.a.ce of the hall.