The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires(62)

Patricia released her breath and looked down at Grace’s outline, shaking in her hands.

“James Harris, as you all know, moved here around April. His great-aunt, Ann Savage, was in poor health and he took care of her. When she attacked me, we believe that she was on whatever drugs he’s dealing. We think he’s selling them in Six Mile.”

“Based on what?” Ed asked. “What evidence? What arrests? Have you seen him selling drugs there?”

“Let her finish,” Maryellen said.

Carter held out a hand and Ed stopped.

“Patricia.” Carter smiled. She looked up. “Put your paper down. Tell us in your own words. Relax, we’re all interested in what you have to say.”

He held out his hand, and Patricia couldn’t help herself. She handed him Grace’s outline. He folded it in thirds and tucked it into his jacket pocket.

“We think that he gave this drug,” Patricia said, forcing herself to see Grace’s outline in her head, “to Orville Reed and Destiny Taylor. Orville Reed killed himself. Destiny Taylor is still alive, for now. But before they died they claimed to have met a white man in the woods who gave them something that made them sick. There was also Sean Brown, Orville’s cousin, who was involved in drugs, according to the police. He was found dead in the same woods where the children went, during the same period. In addition, Mrs. Greene saw a van with the same license plate as James Harris’s in Six Mile during the time this was all happening.”

“Did it have the exact same license plate number?” Ed asked.

“Mrs. Greene only wrote down the last part, X 13S, but James Harris’s license plate is TNX 13S,” Patricia said. “James Harris claims he got rid of that van, but he’s keeping it in the Pak Rat Mini-Storage on Highway 17 and has taken it out a few times, mostly at night.”

“Unbelievable,” Leland said.

“Sean Brown was involved in the drug trade, and we think James Harris killed him in a horrible way to teach other drug dealers a lesson,” Patricia said. “Ann Savage died with what you’d call track marks on the inside of her thigh. Destiny Taylor had something similar. James Harris must have injected something into them. We believe that if you examine Orville Reed’s body you’ll find the same mark.”

“That’s very interesting,” Carter said, and Patricia felt herself getting smaller with every word he spoke. “But I’m not sure it tells us anything.”

“The track marks link Destiny Taylor and Ann Savage,” Patricia said, remembering Maryellen’s advice during one of their rehearsals. “James Harris’s van was seen in Six Mile even though he says he’s never been to Six Mile. His van is no longer at his house, but he’s keeping it in Pak Rat Mini-Storage. Orville Reed’s cousin was killed because of what’s going on. Destiny Taylor suffers from the same symptoms as Orville Reed did before he killed himself. We don’t think you should wait for Destiny Taylor to follow his example. We believe that while this evidence is circumstantial, there is a preponderance of it.”

Maryellen, Kitty, and Slick all looked from Patricia to the men, waiting for their reaction. They gave none. Thrown, Patricia took a sip of water, then decided to try something they hadn’t rehearsed.

“Francine was Ann Savage’s cleaning woman,” she said. “She went missing in May of this year. The day she went missing, I saw her pull up in front of James Harris’s house to clean.”

“Did you see her go inside?” Ed asked.

“No,” Patricia said. “She was reported missing and the police think she went somewhere with a man, but, well, you have to know Francine to realize that’s—”

Leland’s voice rang out loud and clear. “I’m going to stop you right there. Does anyone need to hear more of this nonsense?”

“But, Leland—” Slick began.

“No, Slick,” Leland snapped.

“Would you ladies be open to hearing another perspective?” Carter asked.

Patricia hated his psychiatric voice and his rhetorical questions, but she nodded out of habit.

“Of course,” she said.

“Ed?” Carter prompted.

“I ran that license plate number you gave me,” Ed said to Maryellen. “It belongs to James Harris, Texas address, no criminal record except a few minor traffic violations. You told me it belonged to a man Horse and Kitty’s girl was dating.”

“Honey’s dating this guy?” Horse asked in a shocked voice.

“No, Horse,” Maryellen said. “I made that up to get Ed to run the plates.”

Kitty rubbed Horse’s back as he shook his head, dumbfounded.

“I’ll tell you,” Ed said. “I’m always happy to help out a friend, but I was pretty damn embarrassed to meet James Harris thinking he was a cradle robber. It was a cock-up of a conversation until I realized I’d been played for a fool.”

“You met him?” Patricia asked.

“We had a conversation,” Ed said.

“You discussed this?” Patricia asked, and the betrayal made her voice weak.

“We’ve been talking for weeks,” Leland said. “James Harris is one of the biggest investors in Gracious Cay. Over the past months he’s put, well, I won’t tell you how much money he’s put in, but it’s a substantial sum, and in that time he’s demonstrated to me that he’s a man of character.”