[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
room or kitchen to talk? Sheriff Kingston asked.
In here, said Usher.
I d like to talk with Hanna too, the sheriff added. Is she
here?
Yes, she said from the doorway.
Jess peeped around her, and Jarreth moved to stand next
to Usher. The deputies stood near the doorway as if they were
sentries guarding a bank vault.
Usher, I ve known you a long time, but I still have a job to
do, so just bear with me.
Usher nodded and patted Brock, who sat at his feet,
pressing his body against Usher s leg.
The game warden was at Hanna s farm today, Kingston
began.
Ramsey was at the scene? Usher questioned.
Yes, said the sheriff. Ramsey mentioned that Hanna s
farm is easily accessible from yours and that there s even an
old road that runs along the fence line between your
properties.
Usher crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. So?
Ramsey mentioned someone could have easily crossed
from your farm to Hanna s, killed Denver, and slaughtered
those cows. He also said he was meeting me here with evidence
to prove you had a hand in killing Denver.
Hold on, Sheriff, Hanna snapped. I was in the milking
parlor when that She glanced at Usher. Wolf broke in and
surprised us. I told you that thing went after the cows, and
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
165
that s when Denver ran out of the office and the wolf attacked
him.
Sheriff Kingston held one hand up, silencing her before
she could say anything else. My point is that Ramsey pointed
out the detail, insisting that Usher was somehow involved.
There were no tracks, but then again the weather would easily
erase any.
What are you driving at, Sheriff? Usher questioned, with
dread.
Son, I don t know why, but Ramsey doesn t seem to like
you, and for some reason I can t put my finger on, I get the
impression he wants to pin the murder on you.
Well, that s one thing we both agree on, Usher replied.
Surprised, he looked at the sheriff with a different attitude. So
why are you really here?
I think Ramsey is full of shit. Why I feel that way, I m not
sure, but I believe your story about someone messing around
your farm. The part I can t figure out is how the disturbances
are tied to Hanna s place and the murders in town. Yes, there s
a rogue wolf attacking and killing people, but what s strange
about it is that the kills seem to be done by something
intelligent, instead of a wild animal. Wallets were taken from
Denver, and from Don and his son too. Same thing with
Murphy, plus the safe in Murphy s garage was cleaned out.
Sheriff Kingston sighed, took off his hat, and stuffed it in one of
his coat pockets. One thing I do believe is that if someone has
been messing around your farm, stalking you and the horses,
then they re out to kill you and anyone who you re friends with,
Usher.
Usher gaped at the man. He actually believes me! Do I dare
tell him it s not a freak of nature wolf, but a werewolf?
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
166
So, what do you think I we should do? he asked.
Brock looked at the bay window and growled.
Usher and everyone else in the room focused on the dog.
What s wrong, boy? Usher asked.
Another low, menacing rumble issued from Brock.
Maybe whoever left the hand on the stoop is back,
suggested Jarreth.
Hand? Sheriff Kingston swiveled his head toward
Jarreth. Like a human hand?
A hand? the women echoed, fear in their voices.
Brock snarled louder, his lips peeling back as he stared at
the window, hackles raised.
Quick! Jarreth said, moving toward Jess and Hanna.
You two go to the basement. Take Brock with you for
protection.
You don t have to tell us twice, Hanna replied with
conviction. Come on, Brock!
Go on, buddy. Go with the girls, Usher urged.
Undecided, the dog stayed with Usher, looking from the
women and then up at him.
Go on, boy.
Come on, Brock, Jess called.
Making up his mind, the dog trotted after the women. The
sound of the basement door closing reached Usher.
What s the point of putting the women in the basement
with the dog? one deputy asked.
Brock senses when there s trouble, Usher said, so I d
feel better if the women were As if someone had just doused
him in a bucket of ice water, coldness fell over Usher. Wait,
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
167
he looked hard at Kingston, you mean to say you didn t find a
severed hand on the stoop?
Both deputies looked back and forth between the two. We
didn t see anything.
What are you talking about? the sheriff questioned, his
eyes wide and suspicious.
Quickly, Jarreth told the Sheriff about the thuds they d
heard and the hand and note they d found.
Usher pulled the message from his pants pocket and
passed it to the sheriff. Here, this is the note that was tied to
the severed hand.
Whoever left it must ve returned for the hand. Kingston
shook his head, took a small pad of paper from a coat pocket
and placed the note inside it. I ll take this to the station for
further investigation. The man sighed worriedly. Jarreth, I
would put someone to keep watch in front and behind the
house, but I don t have any deputies to spare, and the higher
authorities won t arrive in Stone Trail until the weather lets up
and the roads are passable.
I understand, Sheriff. Jarreth crossed the room to the big
window. He reached up, about to pull the string so he could
close the drapes.
The window imploded, showering Usher, as well as
everyone else in the room, in shards of glass that peppered his
skin and face with slicing pain. A massive black body filled the
window frame. The creature snatched up a straight-backed
chair and threw it at Jarreth, who failed to react in time. The
chair bore Jarreth backward, knocking him flat on his back on
the floor. The sheriff let out a shocked cry that blended with
the deputies . He and his men all drew their weapons.
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
168
Stepping into the center of the room, the werewolf towered
over them. Although taken off guard by the force of the chair
striking him, Jarreth kicked it off his legs and somehow
scrambled to his feet to back away.
Horrified, Usher could only stare at the creature. The tips
of its tufted ears brushed the ceiling. It snarled, sounding like a
hellhound from the very bottom of Satan s brimstone pool.
Coarse black fur, dusted with glittering snow, covered its entire
body. The thing stood on two legs, its hands and feet a blend of
human and animal characteristics, each digit tipped with lethal
ebony claws. The werewolf s long arms matched the length of
its powerful legs for running on all fours. Its fangs glistened in
the lamplight, and the monster s amber eyes glowed with feral
anger. The werewolf turned its head from side to side, making
eye contact with first Usher and then Jarreth. It tipped its head
back, muzzle to the ceiling, and let out a roar that fired terror
through every cell in Usher s body.
Jarreth ran into the hall and returned with the .16 gauge
that had been propped against the wall with the other
weapons.
Good God! Kingston stumbled backward. It s a fucking
werewolf!
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]