from the driver's side while both boys faced the other direction to do their taunting. Chad and Jeremy jerked around at Trace's words.
"Who are you?" Jeremy demanded.
"One of William Winkler's wolves," Trace grinned. "Try saying that three times fast. Now, you can either move along and not bother any of these people again, or I'll report you to Marcus. Your choice, of course."
Without answering, Jeremy shoved the car into gear and drove off, flinging gravel and raising dust in the afternoon sun.
"Everything all right here?" Trace pulled off his sunglasses as he walked up to Ashe.
"It was fine until Chump and Wormy showed up," Ashe replied softly.
"You can't let them upset you," Trace said as his cell phone rang. Pulling it from his jeans pocket, Trace checked caller ID before answering. "What is it, boss?" Trace asked. Ashe, with his enhanced hearing, knew from the voice that it was Winkler calling.
"There's been another murder—a farmer about two miles away," Winkler said.
Chapter 5
"Ashe, will you and Sali walk Edward home?" Trace said after he hung up. Winkler had asked Trace to call Marcus and coordinate with the two agents Director Jennings had sent to investigate the Mayor's murder. Ashe could tell Winkler was concerned about this second death from his cell-phone conversation.
"Sure," Ashe agreed. "Edward, we have to take you home. Come on, Sali, let's go."
"What happened?" Edward asked as they walked toward the temporary housing while Sali's wolf trotted alongside.
"They're investigating something. Might not mean anything," Ashe hedged. He didn't want to frighten Edward, who was already worried. No names had been given over the phone and Ashe wasn't sure who lived two miles away—in any direction. Itching to follow Trace instead of seeing Edward home, Ashe calmed himself and focused on the task Trace had given him.
"Hi, Mr. Pendley," Ashe said as he, Edward and Sali walked inside the Pendley's home. Steven Pendley was reading a book in an easy chair in their living room.
"Hello, Ashe. Who is this?" Mr. Pendley eyed Sali's wolf.
"That's Sali," Edward's enthusiasm was back. "Isn't that cool?"
"It is," Steven Pendley marked his place and set the book down. "Can I get anything for you boys? Water or a soda?"
"Water would be nice; soda isn't good for Sal when he's a wolf," Ashe grinned. Sali sat on his haunches and grinned, his tongue lolling from his mouth. Ashe and Edward got glasses while a bowl was set before Sali, who lapped up water happily.
"Does it hurt when you change?" Edward thought to ask when he'd nearly emptied his glass.
"Nah. It's sort of like a brief flash and suddenly you're something else," Ashe explained. "No pain involved."
"But those werewolf movies," Edward began.
"Are mostly wrong," Ashe finished. "Most of those say you have to be bitten to become a werewolf. That's not true." Ashe watched while Sali, expressing his opinion of werewolf films, yawned hugely and flopped onto the Pendley's kitchen floor.
"So, what about the vampires, then?" Steven Pendley asked.
"Can't talk about that," Ashe replied. "And I wouldn't ask my dad or Mr. Anderson, either. That's a closely guarded secret. I don't even know and dad won't tell me."
"Mr. Frasier came by this morning," Edward muttered.
"I heard about that," Ashe nodded, watching Sali, who was about to fall asleep in the floor. "Dad didn't threaten Mr. Frasier. He was doing his best to warn him. He can't protect everybody if they won't cooperate."
"Not a surprise that Frasier would exaggerate; he was an investment banker before all this happened," Mr. Pendley sighed.
"We should go," Ashe said, nudging Sali with a toe of his sneaker. Sali had begun to snore softly.
"It was nice seeing you again; come back anytime," Mr. Pendley said as Ashe and Sali walked out of the house. Ashe waved at Edward before he and Sali trotted toward his home.
"Mom, is there anything on the news about a farmer getting killed two miles from here?" Ashe
"Who are you?" Jeremy demanded.
"One of William Winkler's wolves," Trace grinned. "Try saying that three times fast. Now, you can either move along and not bother any of these people again, or I'll report you to Marcus. Your choice, of course."
Without answering, Jeremy shoved the car into gear and drove off, flinging gravel and raising dust in the afternoon sun.
"Everything all right here?" Trace pulled off his sunglasses as he walked up to Ashe.
"It was fine until Chump and Wormy showed up," Ashe replied softly.
"You can't let them upset you," Trace said as his cell phone rang. Pulling it from his jeans pocket, Trace checked caller ID before answering. "What is it, boss?" Trace asked. Ashe, with his enhanced hearing, knew from the voice that it was Winkler calling.
"There's been another murder—a farmer about two miles away," Winkler said.
Chapter 5
"Ashe, will you and Sali walk Edward home?" Trace said after he hung up. Winkler had asked Trace to call Marcus and coordinate with the two agents Director Jennings had sent to investigate the Mayor's murder. Ashe could tell Winkler was concerned about this second death from his cell-phone conversation.
"Sure," Ashe agreed. "Edward, we have to take you home. Come on, Sali, let's go."
"What happened?" Edward asked as they walked toward the temporary housing while Sali's wolf trotted alongside.
"They're investigating something. Might not mean anything," Ashe hedged. He didn't want to frighten Edward, who was already worried. No names had been given over the phone and Ashe wasn't sure who lived two miles away—in any direction. Itching to follow Trace instead of seeing Edward home, Ashe calmed himself and focused on the task Trace had given him.
"Hi, Mr. Pendley," Ashe said as he, Edward and Sali walked inside the Pendley's home. Steven Pendley was reading a book in an easy chair in their living room.
"Hello, Ashe. Who is this?" Mr. Pendley eyed Sali's wolf.
"That's Sali," Edward's enthusiasm was back. "Isn't that cool?"
"It is," Steven Pendley marked his place and set the book down. "Can I get anything for you boys? Water or a soda?"
"Water would be nice; soda isn't good for Sal when he's a wolf," Ashe grinned. Sali sat on his haunches and grinned, his tongue lolling from his mouth. Ashe and Edward got glasses while a bowl was set before Sali, who lapped up water happily.
"Does it hurt when you change?" Edward thought to ask when he'd nearly emptied his glass.
"Nah. It's sort of like a brief flash and suddenly you're something else," Ashe explained. "No pain involved."
"But those werewolf movies," Edward began.
"Are mostly wrong," Ashe finished. "Most of those say you have to be bitten to become a werewolf. That's not true." Ashe watched while Sali, expressing his opinion of werewolf films, yawned hugely and flopped onto the Pendley's kitchen floor.
"So, what about the vampires, then?" Steven Pendley asked.
"Can't talk about that," Ashe replied. "And I wouldn't ask my dad or Mr. Anderson, either. That's a closely guarded secret. I don't even know and dad won't tell me."
"Mr. Frasier came by this morning," Edward muttered.
"I heard about that," Ashe nodded, watching Sali, who was about to fall asleep in the floor. "Dad didn't threaten Mr. Frasier. He was doing his best to warn him. He can't protect everybody if they won't cooperate."
"Not a surprise that Frasier would exaggerate; he was an investment banker before all this happened," Mr. Pendley sighed.
"We should go," Ashe said, nudging Sali with a toe of his sneaker. Sali had begun to snore softly.
"It was nice seeing you again; come back anytime," Mr. Pendley said as Ashe and Sali walked out of the house. Ashe waved at Edward before he and Sali trotted toward his home.
"Mom, is there anything on the news about a farmer getting killed two miles from here?" Ashe
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