The Serpent and the Crow

Book 4: Chapter Twelve

Edgar lifted the shutter to his storage locker. Wade marvelled at the weaponry mounted on the walls. It was a one-stop-shop of arms bought over a few years. He wondered what Edgar had seen during the years he last saw him. Edgar was busy booting up high-end computers inside his storage locker.

"I'm guessing this isn't the only one you have?"

"Actually, it isn't all mine. I just have the key and the authority. Ever since Vietnam, I've always had things stashed away."

"I had a locker at the end of my bed, but this...wow."

"Look at this."

Wade glared at the screen. Edgar had restricted files from SPPD. Wade wondered where he acquired the skills to do all this. He would ask him, but the document on the screen caught his eye.

"Robert W. Chambers... who is that?"

"He was the owner of Chambers Realty and then in '99 changed to Chambers Housing Limited."

"He was the owner?"

"He died. Once he died, they handed the business to one of his son's,"

Wade said, "Elmore Braithwaite. Elmer?"

"No, that's his twin. It was Ellroy Braithwaite who inherited all of his father's business."

"Why don't they have the same last name?"

"Elmore and Ellroy changed their names by deed poll after they found out Chambers adopted them. It was a way to swindle the business from his biological children."

"So, what?"

"So... the murders didn't stop when you were in Ravenswood or when Elmore died. The killer took more kids and given more sky burials."

"You believe it's this Ellroy?"

"He's one of them, but there are more. He would've had a lot more help."

"They shot CID director Mick Flavell down in the caves."

"He survived."

"I saw him. He was dead."

"It doesn't matter. Look at this."

Edgar clicked on a PDF, and Wade read it.

"Are you saying he was undercover?"

"I'm saying no one knew he infiltrated this thing you and Douglas stumbled on."

"Someone had to know."

"That's the thing. Someone high up knew the Braithwaite Brothers were killing. I don't think anyone has figured it out."

"What has this got to do with Jador?"

"There was more on that video you took from the Hardings," Edgar said while giving him the tape. "It was him or his wife or both, but they're involved."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Your friend, Jaspreet Jador. After the collapse in those caves, I took her to one of these lockers. I put her on an IV drip and had someone look after her. She disappeared. But she left this."

Edgar props a footlocker on the bench. Wade began to sweat, anticipating what his brother would show him. He opened the locker to reveal shredded snakeskin. Wade picked up the thick discarded skin and he could see it was a replica of Jador's face made from snakeskin.

Edgar said, "I found her buried under that stuff,"

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know. But you need to find her, and you need to take a gun. Take anything on my walls."

"Why the hell would I kill Jador?"

Edgar clicked on a video, and it showed someone in Sala Cortez's hospital room. At first, it looked like a joyous reunion until Jador put a pillow on her friend's face. Cortez's legs flutter around in panic and then stop. She was dead.

"Tell me, Wade, if she can kill her partner of eighteen years... what else is she capable of?"

"How do you know all this?"

"I have connections, and these connections have been after this serpiente for a long time."

Wade pondered on what his next move would be.

Edgar said, "I had to tell you everything."

Edgar saved the files to a USB and handed it to Wade. He opened the lid on a button and hit the red button. Sparks flew. The hard drives poured out with smoke. The shelves on the file cabinets blew open with flames and smoke.

"I'm leaving at I ain't coming back, brother."

Edgar gave him the key to the locker.

"It's all yours and I think you could use it."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm a fugitive, remember? You can come but if you're not, then I can't tell you where I'm going."

"So, this is it?"

"This is it?"

Edgar walked off to the car with a bag he already packed.

"I'm sorry," Wade said, "I just wished..."

"I know. You can make the difference here this time. I have given you the tools to do it. You coming or going?"

Time passed, and Wade picked up a gun and arranged attachments. Edgar gritted his teeth and his eyes welled up. He started the motor.

"Wait," Wade said.

Edgar wound the window down.

Wade smiled and said, "Vaya con Dios... Hermano."

"Vaya con Dios, Wade."

Edgar pulled the brake and looked over his shoulder as he reversed. He waved goodbye. He did not want to let his brother learn he was crying. Wade spun his head and focused on his M14. He waited until his brother left before he wiped the tears that had formed. He realized if he survived this ordeal that this would be the last time, he would see Edgar. Wade noticed if this case was a poker game, then he was all-in.