The Spirit Tree Read Online Free Page B

feeling?” The detective looked me over.
    The nurse gave him a weary look before leaving the room. Gram Mae stayed put in the chair, and Aunt Dottie stood. Neither woman gave off warm fuzzies.
    “I’m okay, a little nauseous.”
    “The DA doesn’t plan to file any charges against you. You appear to have acted in self-defense. We do have some questions that will help us close the case, though, if you don’t mind.” The detective hesitated at the death stares coming from the older women in the room.
    “Sure. I guess that’s fine. Do I need an attorney present?”
    “It’s your right to have an attorney present, although it’s not necessary. You acted in self-defense.” His reply came across rehearsed.
    “Ask away.” I questioned the wisdom of answering questions without a lawyer present, but how much trouble could I cause with Mae and Dottie in the room?
    “Did you know the perp?”
    “No, I don’t think so. I didn’t see his face. Maybe?” Oh yeah, I regretted agreeing to questioning.
    The detective pulled out a picture of the naked guy’s face, along with a fair amount of blood, and the faded green stain of the porch. “Do you recognize him?”
    Bile rose in my throat, and I shook my head. The guy in the picture might have been Native American. He reminded me of the guys getting into the elevator. “No, I don’t think so. Maybe, when I’m out of here, I can come down to the station and look again?”
    “Of course.” The detective put the picture away. “We confirmed that the large animal prints outside the house were too big to be canine. Do you have any idea why the house was overrun with snakes?”
    “No, but it has rained a lot lately. Maybe they were looking for dry ground?”
    The detective made a grunting sound. “Is it common knowledge that you’re afraid of snakes?”
    “You think that guy brought the snakes to freak me out?”
    “It’s a possibility.”
    The room began to spin. “Wouldn’t that mean he was out to get me, and this wasn’t some random break-in?”
    “Maybe. What time did you arrive at 2011 Sandy Lane?” The detective didn’t have much inflection in his voice, but his jaw tensed.
    “I don’t know. Four thirty or five? I went home, took a nap, and drove over.”
    “Did you tell anyone where you were going?”
    “Just my friend Hailey. She drove me home from the hospital. But please don’t question her. She’s pregnant and doesn’t need the stress. Let me talk to her first.” As soon as the words fell out of my mouth, I realized I sounded guilty. “Her name is Hailey Jenkins. She lives at 3220 North Haywood.”
    “We’ll wait until you’re released to contact her. Thank you for your time, and I’m sorry for all the trouble. It’s not every day we encounter so much wildlife on a call.” He turned to leave.
    Officer Smith moved closer. “I apologize for the mix-up. The officer who shot you was aiming for a rattler on the concrete steps. The shot ricocheted off the block and hit you.”
    “It was a strange situation, to say the least.” I hadn’t noticed any rattlesnakes in the bunch. The story reeked of CYA by the Orange County Police Department, but if they didn’t press charges, I’d let it go.

Chapter 7
    The nurse informed me that I’d be released later in the afternoon. Good news and bad. While I wanted to go home, my leg ached once they weaned me off the IV pain meds. Gram Mae and Dottie excused themselves to go to my apartment and pick up clean clothes, since the ones I’d worn to the hospital were covered in blood and vomit.
    I woke from a nap to find a strange man sitting at the end of my bed—a Native American, judging by his dark skin and deep-brown eyes. Age and the sun had wrinkled his face. He met my eyes and tipped his white cowboy hat. A band of black fur and a fluffy black tail accented his hat. My pulse beat in my ears. I fumbled for the “Call” button, and the man disappeared.
    The distorted voice of a nurse filled the