Silent Protector by Barbara Phinney Page B

come out of the water a lot. That’s why we have…” His voice faded. “Traps under the rec center!”
    She peered at him, and after flicking the head of the snake into the plastic bag with the toe of his boot and tying the bag closed, he straightened. “I have to check something out. Let me use that flashlight you brought with you.”
    She handed it to him, then followed him out of the restroom and outside. He walked briskly around to the side facing the forest. He shone the light along the edge and stopped its beam halfway down. With the tent pole, he thrashed the thin layer of light-colored sand, sweeping the pole under the building slightly.
    Then, on his knees, he peered under the building. A moment later, he reached in and pulled out a long board.
    “What is it?”
    “A homemade snake trap. It’s just a simple device, really, but they can be very effective. You take a long board, smear a slow-drying contact cement on it and lay it down where you think the snakes will pass.”
    “They have mouse traps like that, too.” Liz stared at the board. “Do you think this is where the snake came from?”
    “Yes. See the mark it left? Even bits of scales. There was a snake here about the same size and thickness as the snake we have inside.”
    She stepped back furtively. “How could it have slithered in, then?”
    “It didn’t. Someone brought it in and put it into your bag. That’s why the snake was nearly dead. It could have been here for some time.”
    She swallowed. “That guy who ran me off the road really wants me dead, doesn’t he? He didn’t drown me, so he’s decided to poison me.”
    “Did you get a good look at the guy?”
    “No. The windows were tinted, and the sun was in my eyes.”
    Ian slid the trap back into place. “Well, I don’t think this was done by the same guy.”
    “How do you know?”
    “Because I believe the guy who wants you dead is William Smith, and he really only wants to tie up his loose ends, like Charlie. He doesn’t want Charlie to identify him. Running you off the road removed the chance that you would be taking him away.”
    “So what? He still could have done this.”
    “But how would he know about this trap? It’s been here for a while.” He set the trap back in place then stood and brushed his knees off. “No, I’ve read his profile. This doesn’t feel like Smith’s style.”
    She shrugged her shoulders. “So if you don’t think it was him, who knows about these snake traps, and why would they want to kill me?”
    “Everyone in the village knows about these traps. At our last community meeting, George suggested them becausewe didn’t want the resort forcing these snakes out of their habitat and into ours. It’s an old method of trapping them, and the old couple who owns the store helped set them.”
    She didn’t know what to say. And she didn’t feel like standing out here batting around ideas all evening. Her gaze wandered to the trailhead. She’d seen two men talking out there, and now, something niggled at her.
    What was it? Who else would want to kill her? And why?
    Ian touched her back, startling her. “Let’s go. We shouldn’t be out here. Let’s get your stuff, and I’ll walk you back to the Wilsons’.”
    They walked inside, Liz rubbing her arms all the way, feeling cold despite the sultry evening.
     
    Ian studied Liz when she returned from gathering her things. He stood near the front door waiting for her, after she’d turned down his offer to come into the ladies’ room with her.
    Concern deepened her frown, and he saw her swallow. She was pretty, regardless of her expression, but she looked downright attractive right now, with her lips parted and moist from wetting them several times in the last few minutes.
    Even though he’d set his personal life on hold while he helped Moss Point, she had an allure that made him want to protect her from all the ugliness in the world.
    She blinked sky-blue eyes at him. “How does William Smith