First, she’d shower, dress, and get breakfast at one of the nearby cafés. She’d walked past one yesterday offering fresh muffins.
If she still had time after her errands, Brittany planned to visit the senator’s office and get her desk in order. Hours had already been spent acquainting herself with the senator’s position on various issues, which legislators she respected, the ones she didn’t, studying relationships with each. It was a necessary process. One she’d continue today if time permitted.
Feeling the excitement of renewed purpose, she stepped into the large shower. The bath had been a wonderful surprise. New cabinetry, wood-grained tile floors and walls. A waterfall faucet at the sink, and a wide showerhead. She didn’t have any of these in her Manassas apartment.
Scrubbing her hair, Brittany allowed the warm water to sluice over her, relaxing muscles tense from the recent changes. Turning off the faucets, she wrapped herself in a large towel, feeling better than she had in months. Optimism and excitement over her future rolled through her.
Selecting another towel, she dried her hair, humming an old Juice Newton song her mother loved. Something about queens and hearts. She might not know the words, but she definitely knew the tune.
Without looking, she pushed open the shower door, prepared to step out when the distinctive rattle of a snake reached her ears. Three feet from the shower, a diamondback rattler coiled in the corner. The scream ricocheted off the tile walls, the shower door slamming shut as she jumped back.
Heart pounding, she leaned against the wall, trying to control her erratic breathing. Stuck in the shower because of a snake. The reality of it would’ve made her laugh if it wasn’t such a serious situation. At least she’d brought her phone into the bathroom. Unfortunately, it was on the counter above the snake.
Moving to the door, she peered through the glass, spotting the phone. The snake hadn’t moved. Her hope stuttered, even as she racked her brain with ideas on what to do while clutching the towel around her.
The towel. She recalled seeing a show about snakes where handlers tossed a tarp over the reptile, protecting themselves long enough to get out of an enclosure. Brittany glanced down at the towel large enough to cover her entire body.
Glancing out the glass door once more, she gauged the size of the snake against the dimensions of the towel. If she threw it just right, she might be able to grab her phone and call the complex manager. It was a gamble, but she saw no other choice.
Releasing the towel, she gripped it in both hands, resting the material against the glass door. This had to be done right the first time. If she missed, there wouldn’t be a second chance. She’d be stuck in the shower until tomorrow, and that assumed someone from her new job wondered at her absence. At least she’d had the foresight to provide her new address to the staff.
Taking three calming breaths, she shook out the towel, gripping two corners. Focusing on the snake, she released the last exhale, shoved the door open, and ignoring her fear, let loose of the towel.
The instant it covered the snake, she put one foot outside the shower, and reached out. Grabbing the phone, she’d just gotten back into the shower when the snake slithered out from under the towel and lashed out.
“Oh, God…Oh, God…Oh, God.” It was a thank you, a prayer. She’d done it.
Going to favorites, she tapped the complex manager’s number. “Hello?”
“This is Brittany Blackmore in unit eight.”
“Good morning, Ms—”
“There’s a rattlesnake in my bathroom and I’m trapped in the shower.”
A long twenty minutes passed, the snake striking out toward the glass, before there was a knock on the bathroom door. “Ms. Blackmore?”
She shuttled to the back of the shower, facing a corner. The towel she’d used for her hair wasn’t big enough to hide much, but it seemed better than nothing.
Turning her head, she shouted as loud as possible. “The snake is between the toilet and cabinet. To your right when you enter.”
The door cracked open, introducing herself. “Are you in the shower?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Stay there.” The female animal control officer’s voice was controlled, ready to take over.
Not budging, Brittany heard muttered words, the shuffling of boots, then a short, “Got him.”
A few more minutes passed before the female officer gave the all clear, saying they’d meet her outside.
“Uh, could you possibly toss me the bathrobe on my bed?”
“Of course.” A moment later, she passed the robe through the slightly open shower door. “Come and join us when you’re ready.”
Slipping on the robe, she combed out her hair, fluffing it with her fingers. She heard voices from the front door. The two animal control officers had been joined by the complex manager, several curious neighbors, and one very rugged and handsome man wearing a black t-shirt, jeans, and sunglasses. He stood at the back of the crowd, arms crossed, watching the action. Dragging her gaze from him, she looked at the officers.
“How would a snake get in my bathroom? The door was closed.”
“All night?” the female asked.
“Well, no. But wouldn’t I have seen or heard it?”
The male officer looked from the snake to her. “Snakes can get through very small spaces, ma’am. Some as small as a quarter of an inch. They can also swim their way through toilet plumbing. It may have entered the house last night and found its way into the bathroom.”
“So you don’t believe someone put it in my apartment?” Brittany wrapped her arms around her body.
The officers exchanged glances, the male meeting her gaze. “Do you have reason to believe someone would introduce a poisonous snake to your house?”
“Well, no. It’s just…” She hesitated, lips curling in. “Never mind.”
“Are you certain?”
“No. It was a stupid thought. Do I need to do anything else?” Brittany took a step away, glancing up to see the good-looking man was gone. She wondered if he was one of her neighbors, then shook it off. There’d be no time for any kind of relationship.
“No. We’ll take the snake out in the desert and release it.” The man picked up the container holding the rattler. “Don’t hesitate to call us again if you have another incident.”
“I won’t.” Again, she looked around, disappointed not to see the man. “Thank you.” She shook their hands before heading back into her place.
Locking the door, Brittany leaned against it, sucking in several deep breaths. She hadn’t wanted anyone to see how shaken up she’d been. Brittany had never considered herself easy to scare. Lately though, with the sense someone had been watching her, and now the snake, she couldn’t help a fissure of fear.
Shoving away from the door, she entered her bedroom, scanning the floor as she went. Shifting toward the bed, she fell back on the mattress, staring at the ceiling. After a while, Brittany turned to her side, closing her eyes, every bit of excitement about today disappearing.
Chapter Five
“The snake didn’t just appear in her bathroom, Fuse. I’d bet a full month’s pay someone slipped it inside.” Mitch monitored the cameras in Brittany’s apartment, knowing Dani already did the same back in Liberty Lake.