Read Online The Mad and the MacAbre by Jeff Strand - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jeff Strand
Ads: Link
again.
The man standing on his front porch looked
about thirty. He had slicked-back hair, wore a black leather
jacket, and had a phony-looking grin. Charlie disliked him
immediately.
"Hey there, Charles," said the man, sticking
out his hand. "You go by Chuck?"
"Charlie."
"Nice to meet you, Charlie. I'm Byron." When
Charlie didn't return his handshake, Byron lowered his arm and
shifted uncomfortably. "I know you were on your way out, so I won't
take up much of your time. Could I just see if you've got
Duke?"
"Okay," said Charlie, stepping out of the
way so Byron could come inside. But it wasn't okay. He couldn't
just let this irresponsible owner come and claim a dog that he'd
left to freeze to death. "How did you lose him?" Charlie asked,
shutting the door behind Byron after he entered.
Byron let out a deep sigh. "Kid next door.
I've been out of town, so I paid him twenty bucks a day to stop by
before and after school to walk and feed Duke. Kid's sixteen years
old, you'd think he could handle it, right? Loses Duke the second
day. Doesn't call me on my cell. Doesn't tell anybody. I bet he
barely even looked. And here's the kicker--the little shit asked me
to pay him for those first two days. Can you believe it?"
Charlie didn't respond.
"Anyway, can I see if it's him?"
Charlie wanted to refuse, but how could he?
The man knew that he had a dog in the house. If he tried to lie and
say that Kutter had just run away moments ago, no doubt the stupid
dog would bark again at precisely the wrong moment.
"Okay."
On numb legs, Charlie walked down the
hallway toward the bedroom. He opened the bedroom door. Kutter
rushed out, nipped at his ankles, and then saw the man crouched
down on the living room floor.
"Duke!" Byron joyously
exclaimed. "It is you! C'mere, boy!"
Kutter bounded over to Byron and jumped into
his arms. Byron stood up, lifting Charlie's dog into the air.
"Duke! Aw, I've missed you, boy! I didn't think I was gonna see you
again!" Kutter licked the man's face all over while Byron laughed
and Charlie just stood there, absolutely stunned.
"Did this guy take good care of you?" Byron
asked Kutter. "You look great!" He turned to Charlie. "There's a
reward. I'll pay you what I'd planned to pay that dumb-ass
kid."
"Please," Charlie said in a quiet voice.
"Don't take him."
"Excuse me?"
"Please don't take him."
Byron smiled. "It's easy to get attached to
these little guys, isn't it?"
Charlie nodded.
"He's a great dog. Have you ever owned the
breed?"
"No."
"I had one before this. Ronnie. Sweetest dog
you can imagine. Lived seventeen years. I swore to my parents that
I'd walk it, clean up after it, buy the food with my own money if
they'd let me get a dog. They made me practice on a goldfish. Fish
lived, so they got me a hamster. Dad accidentally kicked the
hamster in its plastic ball down the stairs and killed it, and my
parents felt so guilty that they got me the dog."
"Please don't take him away from me,"
Charlie said. He didn't care how he sounded.
"Do you own any other dogs?" Byron
asked.
"I've never had a pet."
"Never had any kind of pet? Ever?"
Charlie shook his head.
"That's almost criminal," said Byron. He
scratched the top of Kutter's head. "No wonder you don't want to
let this guy go."
"I found him in the park under a bench. He
was almost dead. I helped him get better."
"I really appreciate that."
"He likes it here."
"He does, huh?" Byron set Kutter down on the
living room floor. Charlie crouched down and gestured, and Kutter
ran into his arms. "He's definitely a friendly guy," Byron
noted.
"I've got toys for him," Charlie said. "And
lots of food. Good food. I bought the cheapest food when I first
got him, but now I've got the really good kind. And I have bacon
treats. I clean up after him when I take him for walks, and I let
him sleep on my bed, and I clipped his toenails a couple of days
ago, and I play Frisbee with him."
Byron chuckled. "You sound just like me when
I was pitching the idea
The man standing on his front porch looked
about thirty. He had slicked-back hair, wore a black leather
jacket, and had a phony-looking grin. Charlie disliked him
immediately.
"Hey there, Charles," said the man, sticking
out his hand. "You go by Chuck?"
"Charlie."
"Nice to meet you, Charlie. I'm Byron." When
Charlie didn't return his handshake, Byron lowered his arm and
shifted uncomfortably. "I know you were on your way out, so I won't
take up much of your time. Could I just see if you've got
Duke?"
"Okay," said Charlie, stepping out of the
way so Byron could come inside. But it wasn't okay. He couldn't
just let this irresponsible owner come and claim a dog that he'd
left to freeze to death. "How did you lose him?" Charlie asked,
shutting the door behind Byron after he entered.
Byron let out a deep sigh. "Kid next door.
I've been out of town, so I paid him twenty bucks a day to stop by
before and after school to walk and feed Duke. Kid's sixteen years
old, you'd think he could handle it, right? Loses Duke the second
day. Doesn't call me on my cell. Doesn't tell anybody. I bet he
barely even looked. And here's the kicker--the little shit asked me
to pay him for those first two days. Can you believe it?"
Charlie didn't respond.
"Anyway, can I see if it's him?"
Charlie wanted to refuse, but how could he?
The man knew that he had a dog in the house. If he tried to lie and
say that Kutter had just run away moments ago, no doubt the stupid
dog would bark again at precisely the wrong moment.
"Okay."
On numb legs, Charlie walked down the
hallway toward the bedroom. He opened the bedroom door. Kutter
rushed out, nipped at his ankles, and then saw the man crouched
down on the living room floor.
"Duke!" Byron joyously
exclaimed. "It is you! C'mere, boy!"
Kutter bounded over to Byron and jumped into
his arms. Byron stood up, lifting Charlie's dog into the air.
"Duke! Aw, I've missed you, boy! I didn't think I was gonna see you
again!" Kutter licked the man's face all over while Byron laughed
and Charlie just stood there, absolutely stunned.
"Did this guy take good care of you?" Byron
asked Kutter. "You look great!" He turned to Charlie. "There's a
reward. I'll pay you what I'd planned to pay that dumb-ass
kid."
"Please," Charlie said in a quiet voice.
"Don't take him."
"Excuse me?"
"Please don't take him."
Byron smiled. "It's easy to get attached to
these little guys, isn't it?"
Charlie nodded.
"He's a great dog. Have you ever owned the
breed?"
"No."
"I had one before this. Ronnie. Sweetest dog
you can imagine. Lived seventeen years. I swore to my parents that
I'd walk it, clean up after it, buy the food with my own money if
they'd let me get a dog. They made me practice on a goldfish. Fish
lived, so they got me a hamster. Dad accidentally kicked the
hamster in its plastic ball down the stairs and killed it, and my
parents felt so guilty that they got me the dog."
"Please don't take him away from me,"
Charlie said. He didn't care how he sounded.
"Do you own any other dogs?" Byron
asked.
"I've never had a pet."
"Never had any kind of pet? Ever?"
Charlie shook his head.
"That's almost criminal," said Byron. He
scratched the top of Kutter's head. "No wonder you don't want to
let this guy go."
"I found him in the park under a bench. He
was almost dead. I helped him get better."
"I really appreciate that."
"He likes it here."
"He does, huh?" Byron set Kutter down on the
living room floor. Charlie crouched down and gestured, and Kutter
ran into his arms. "He's definitely a friendly guy," Byron
noted.
"I've got toys for him," Charlie said. "And
lots of food. Good food. I bought the cheapest food when I first
got him, but now I've got the really good kind. And I have bacon
treats. I clean up after him when I take him for walks, and I let
him sleep on my bed, and I clipped his toenails a couple of days
ago, and I play Frisbee with him."
Byron chuckled. "You sound just like me when
I was pitching the idea
Similar Books
