Read Online a Coyote's in the House (2004) by Elmore Leonard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elmore Leonard
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was no way of telling how long she'd been in there. Antwan imagined the groomer biting off the burrs and saying Ouch a lot.
He went into the kitchen for a drink of water. The dad came in and said something to the maid that had Buddy's name in it, sounding like he was asking if Buddy had come home. The maid said no, shaking her head. The dad started in on Antwan then, calling him Timmy and saying Buddy and Miss Betty's names. Now the dad was stroking Antwan and calling him fella. Antwan got tired of it, started to walk away and the dad said, Stay. Antwan knew that one, so he had to stop and stand there like a fool, wait for the dad to let him go. The mom came in and the dad started on her, raising his voice like he was blaming her, but the mom let him talk, not saying a word. She went to the refrigerator and got herself a beverage. Antwan pushed through the dog door and went outside thinking about Buddy.
Buddy the hero in movies so many times he believed there was nothing to it. But now this was real life and the gunshots were real, hunters out there in their suits all different patterns of green and black, some tan Cletus said they wore those suits so you couldn't see them. Antwan said that time, But if I know what colors the suits are I must've seen 'em. Old Cletus said, Even if you couldn't you can smell the ketchup they had on their hamburgers. Smell, man, was what kept you out of trouble. Buddy had it. Antwan hoped he was using it.
What was strange, here he was the first time in his life worrying about a dog.
The kids were on the patio now watching TV, Antwan still in the backyard when Buddy came over the fence. He looked the same, all dog, but serious and maybe tired from running. Courtney came over and talked to him for a minute and went back to the TV.
What'd she say?
I'm gonna get it, Buddy said. How's Betty?
Been in the Caboose since I got here. How you doing? Buddy looked up at the house and then at Antwan again.
Lola saved my life.
Hey, come on, Antwan said, 'cause he couldn't imagine it. That little bit of a thing?
We came onto hunters spread across the hill. I told Lola to go on, run down to them. The minute she did I hear them yelling at each other, 'It's a wolf!' and now they're shooting at me. If I ran I'd have been in plain sight, so I got down behind some rocks. Now they had me pinned there and started up the hill to finish me off.
Antwan couldn't wait, he wanted to know right now, How'd she save your life?
The little girl ran back to where I was, got up on the rocks and they had to stop shooting.
She must've got over being snippy, Antwan said.
Buddy didn't like that. He told Antwan, Don't ever let me hear you make fun of Lola. She risked her life to save me.
Cool, Antwan said. Then what happened?
The hunters came up holding their guns ready, like I might leap out at them. One of them looks at me and goes, 'That ain't a wolf, that's Buddy from the movies. See the red neckerchief?'
Good thing you still wear it. Then what happened?
I became a phony hero. I must've saved her from wolves because they had wolves on their minds. Doesn't matter there aren't any wolves around here. One of them said it might've been coyotes after her. I wanted to tell him, 'You're right, but I didn't save her.' We had a group picture taken, Lola and me in front of all these hunters with their guns. Lola stood up with her paws on me, licked my face and everybody laughed like at the end of a Buddy movie, someone asks do I want to go home and I bark.
Antwan said, They must've taken you to the house then so Lola's owner could thank you and give you a kiss.
No kisses, but I got patted on the head some more and called fella. Some humans, that's all they can think to call you, fella. They like 'boy' a lot, too.
The dad even called me 'fella,' Antwan said. Those people give you anything?
I told you, pats on the head.
That's all you got in the kidnapping movie, after you rescue little Pedro.
Because the whole point of
He went into the kitchen for a drink of water. The dad came in and said something to the maid that had Buddy's name in it, sounding like he was asking if Buddy had come home. The maid said no, shaking her head. The dad started in on Antwan then, calling him Timmy and saying Buddy and Miss Betty's names. Now the dad was stroking Antwan and calling him fella. Antwan got tired of it, started to walk away and the dad said, Stay. Antwan knew that one, so he had to stop and stand there like a fool, wait for the dad to let him go. The mom came in and the dad started on her, raising his voice like he was blaming her, but the mom let him talk, not saying a word. She went to the refrigerator and got herself a beverage. Antwan pushed through the dog door and went outside thinking about Buddy.
Buddy the hero in movies so many times he believed there was nothing to it. But now this was real life and the gunshots were real, hunters out there in their suits all different patterns of green and black, some tan Cletus said they wore those suits so you couldn't see them. Antwan said that time, But if I know what colors the suits are I must've seen 'em. Old Cletus said, Even if you couldn't you can smell the ketchup they had on their hamburgers. Smell, man, was what kept you out of trouble. Buddy had it. Antwan hoped he was using it.
What was strange, here he was the first time in his life worrying about a dog.
The kids were on the patio now watching TV, Antwan still in the backyard when Buddy came over the fence. He looked the same, all dog, but serious and maybe tired from running. Courtney came over and talked to him for a minute and went back to the TV.
What'd she say?
I'm gonna get it, Buddy said. How's Betty?
Been in the Caboose since I got here. How you doing? Buddy looked up at the house and then at Antwan again.
Lola saved my life.
Hey, come on, Antwan said, 'cause he couldn't imagine it. That little bit of a thing?
We came onto hunters spread across the hill. I told Lola to go on, run down to them. The minute she did I hear them yelling at each other, 'It's a wolf!' and now they're shooting at me. If I ran I'd have been in plain sight, so I got down behind some rocks. Now they had me pinned there and started up the hill to finish me off.
Antwan couldn't wait, he wanted to know right now, How'd she save your life?
The little girl ran back to where I was, got up on the rocks and they had to stop shooting.
She must've got over being snippy, Antwan said.
Buddy didn't like that. He told Antwan, Don't ever let me hear you make fun of Lola. She risked her life to save me.
Cool, Antwan said. Then what happened?
The hunters came up holding their guns ready, like I might leap out at them. One of them looks at me and goes, 'That ain't a wolf, that's Buddy from the movies. See the red neckerchief?'
Good thing you still wear it. Then what happened?
I became a phony hero. I must've saved her from wolves because they had wolves on their minds. Doesn't matter there aren't any wolves around here. One of them said it might've been coyotes after her. I wanted to tell him, 'You're right, but I didn't save her.' We had a group picture taken, Lola and me in front of all these hunters with their guns. Lola stood up with her paws on me, licked my face and everybody laughed like at the end of a Buddy movie, someone asks do I want to go home and I bark.
Antwan said, They must've taken you to the house then so Lola's owner could thank you and give you a kiss.
No kisses, but I got patted on the head some more and called fella. Some humans, that's all they can think to call you, fella. They like 'boy' a lot, too.
The dad even called me 'fella,' Antwan said. Those people give you anything?
I told you, pats on the head.
That's all you got in the kidnapping movie, after you rescue little Pedro.
Because the whole point of
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