Chihuahua of the Baskervilles

Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten Page B

Book: Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten Read Free Book Online
Authors: Esri Allbritten
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Listen. Did you hear something?”
    Followed by Angus, Charlotte tiptoed toward the window, then stopped at the sound of a faint howl, coming from somewhere outside. It ended in a tremulous warble. “That’s him,” she whispered. “That’s Petey!”
    Angus turned toward Suki and Michael, who stood just outside the bedroom door. “Get out there,” he said, jerking his head toward the stairs. “Quietly.”
    Michael and Suki ran back into the parlor to collect their gear. Michael found his recorder in the pocket of his jacket, then saw that Suki was already out the door.
    He ran into the hallway after her, pulling his arms through the jacket’s sleeves and wishing his shoes made less noise. Suki was almost silent as they ran down the stairs, and he saw that what he’d taken for dressy shoes actually had flat, soft soles. “Is that the still or video camera?” he asked.
    “Both,” she whispered back. When they got to the bottom, she turned toward the front door.
    Michael grabbed her shoulder. “What are you doing? It’s in the back!”
    “The kitchen light’s on, and all those windows make that room like a goldfish bowl. Whatever’s out there, it’ll see us coming if we go that way.”
    “We could turn out the light,” Michael suggested.
    “That’s just as obvious.” She opened the front door and slipped outside.
    Michael followed as Suki ran lightly across the wet front yard, holding the camera tripod at the halfway mark. The bark came again, louder this time, still warbling at the end.
    Michael switched on his recorder and held it in front of him. The little machine was designed to be spoken into, but maybe it would pick up something.
    A nearby streetlight gave enough illumination to show the end of a narrow sidewalk that led to the backyard. It was darker between the houses, and they walked more slowly.
    Michael saw Suki step over something and hesitated until he could make out a coiled garden hose on the path. They reached the privacy fence. Luckily, the gate stood open.
    The bark came again. It sounds the same as the last time, Michael thought. As though it’s a recording.
    Suki stood close to the house and gently eased the tripod legs open. Then she walked a few steps forward onto the patio and set it carefully in front of her.
    Michael was close enough to hear the soft noise of the camera powering on. He expected to see the tiny blink of a status light, but nothing happened. Maybe she had it disabled. He looked down at his recorder and covered the red power light with his thumb before moving quietly forward.
    Rowf … OohooOOoo …
    The now-familiar sound floated through the air. When it ended, Michael heard a solitary car drive by, maybe a block away. After that, the deep silence of a small town descended, broken only by the occasional drip of rainwater from branches.
    Still, they weren’t the only people out here. Slits of light interrupted the dark walls of Ellen’s stone workshop, from behind lowered shades.
    Michael stepped carefully to Suki’s side and put his mouth close enough to feel her hair on his lips. His voice no more than a breath, he said, “What if it’s just Ellen, putting a video of Petey on the Web site or something?”
    The bark came again, but this time the wavering howl at the end grew longer, louder, the final note oscillating until it sounded like words spoken in a high, quavering voice.
    Woourtuhvohsss … Tuhvortahmahhhhhzzz … Duhvohhhhzzzz … Tihbohrahnowwww … The sound died away.
    Michael, still with his head next to Suki’s, whispered, “Or maybe not.”
    They waited, but the night remained silent. The voice had apparently gone. Michael was just switching off his recorder when Angus’s loud whisper came from above.
    “Hey, you lot. Are you down there?”
    Michael and Suki walked forward into the yard and looked up and back, to where Angus and Charlotte could be seen at the open second-floor window.
    “We’re here!” Suki said, just loud enough to

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