Read Online The Murders at Astaire Castle (A Mac Faraday Mystery) by Lauren Carr - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Carr
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stroking Gnarly, who was curled up in the back seat of David’s cruiser. “I did nothing to him.”
“Oh, yeah?” She ran past the line of cruisers, EMT trucks, ambulance, and medical examiner’s van to get a look at the injured German shepherd. “I couldn’t come with you because you were afraid something bad would happen to me, but Gnarly—it was anything goes for him.” She squeezed by him to check on the dog.
Seeing his mistress, Gnarly’s ears fell to the side of his head and he let loose with a loud mournful cry while pawing at her coat.
“Oh, Gnarly!” She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “What happened to you?”
“He was bitten,” Mac answered for the dog. “The teeth broke the skin and drew blood. The EMT suggested that we take him to the vet to get him a shot of antibiotics.”
Archie tried to stand up, but Gnarly’s cry brought her back to take him into her arms. “What bit him?”
“A werewolf,” Hector called out to her. He had strolled over from where David was supervising the EMTs’ examination of the man they had taken down in the castle’s kitchen.
“Werewolf!” Archie jumped up and out of the back of the cruiser. Her glare fell on Mac. “You let a werewolf attack Gnarly? What’s going to happen to him? Do you know what happens to dogs that get bitten by werewolves?”
“They turn into men,” Mac answered with a straight face. Seeing Hector and Archie’s puzzled expressions, he said, “If a man is bitten by a werewolf, he turns into a wolf. So, it seems only logical—”
“That’s crazy,” Archie said. “I never heard of a dog turning into a man after being bitten by a werewolf.”
“Then you tell us,” Mac said. “What does happen to dogs after they’re bitten by werewolves?”
Archie had to pause to think before answering slowly, “Men turn into wolves. Dogs would turn into …” She shook her head.
“Men,” Hector said. “Gnarly’s going to turn into a man.” He gave into a hearty laugh. “Watch him turn into a cat burglar!”
Mac joined in his laughter while Archie fought the grin fighting its way to her lips. “This isn’t funny. Gnarly’s been injured.”
A slow grin crossed Mac’s face. He folded his arms across his chest. This was one area where, if there were such an expert, he was. Archie Monday was not a fan of horror movies or books. She would only tolerate the horror films Mac and Gnarly would watch together and half of the time she hid her face and covered her ears. “Calm down,” Mac said, “Gnarly was not bitten by a werewolf.”
“Then what do you call him?” Hector pointed up the sidewalk to where the EMTs were wheeling out the unconscious, hair-covered man on a gurney. The EMTs had to sedate him in order to strap him down for transport to the hospital in Oakland. David was following close behind. “He was growling and snarling and he bit Gnarly.”
In the back seat of the cruiser, Gnarly sat up and howled loud enough to draw everyone’s attention. When finished with one howl, he let loose with another and another until the gurney had been loaded into the back of the ambulance and the doors shut.
Archie’s eyes grew wide with both curiosity and fright. “Has that creature or man or whatever he is had his shots? Maybe he’s got rabies.”
“Gnarly’s had his rabies shots,” Mac assured her before turning to answer Hector’s question. “I would call him a wolf man.”
“What’s the difference?” Hector and Archie asked in unison.
“A werewolf is a man who changes completely into a wolf,” Mac said. “A wolf man is a man who takes on the characteristics of a wolf without actually changing into one.” He pointed at the man in the back of the ambulance. “He’s not a wolf. He was only acting like one.”
Mac didn’t miss the remorse on David’s face while watching the ambulance turn around to go out through the heavy wooden gates.
“Well,” Archie said, “I’m taking Gnarly to the vet.
“Oh, yeah?” She ran past the line of cruisers, EMT trucks, ambulance, and medical examiner’s van to get a look at the injured German shepherd. “I couldn’t come with you because you were afraid something bad would happen to me, but Gnarly—it was anything goes for him.” She squeezed by him to check on the dog.
Seeing his mistress, Gnarly’s ears fell to the side of his head and he let loose with a loud mournful cry while pawing at her coat.
“Oh, Gnarly!” She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “What happened to you?”
“He was bitten,” Mac answered for the dog. “The teeth broke the skin and drew blood. The EMT suggested that we take him to the vet to get him a shot of antibiotics.”
Archie tried to stand up, but Gnarly’s cry brought her back to take him into her arms. “What bit him?”
“A werewolf,” Hector called out to her. He had strolled over from where David was supervising the EMTs’ examination of the man they had taken down in the castle’s kitchen.
“Werewolf!” Archie jumped up and out of the back of the cruiser. Her glare fell on Mac. “You let a werewolf attack Gnarly? What’s going to happen to him? Do you know what happens to dogs that get bitten by werewolves?”
“They turn into men,” Mac answered with a straight face. Seeing Hector and Archie’s puzzled expressions, he said, “If a man is bitten by a werewolf, he turns into a wolf. So, it seems only logical—”
“That’s crazy,” Archie said. “I never heard of a dog turning into a man after being bitten by a werewolf.”
“Then you tell us,” Mac said. “What does happen to dogs after they’re bitten by werewolves?”
Archie had to pause to think before answering slowly, “Men turn into wolves. Dogs would turn into …” She shook her head.
“Men,” Hector said. “Gnarly’s going to turn into a man.” He gave into a hearty laugh. “Watch him turn into a cat burglar!”
Mac joined in his laughter while Archie fought the grin fighting its way to her lips. “This isn’t funny. Gnarly’s been injured.”
A slow grin crossed Mac’s face. He folded his arms across his chest. This was one area where, if there were such an expert, he was. Archie Monday was not a fan of horror movies or books. She would only tolerate the horror films Mac and Gnarly would watch together and half of the time she hid her face and covered her ears. “Calm down,” Mac said, “Gnarly was not bitten by a werewolf.”
“Then what do you call him?” Hector pointed up the sidewalk to where the EMTs were wheeling out the unconscious, hair-covered man on a gurney. The EMTs had to sedate him in order to strap him down for transport to the hospital in Oakland. David was following close behind. “He was growling and snarling and he bit Gnarly.”
In the back seat of the cruiser, Gnarly sat up and howled loud enough to draw everyone’s attention. When finished with one howl, he let loose with another and another until the gurney had been loaded into the back of the ambulance and the doors shut.
Archie’s eyes grew wide with both curiosity and fright. “Has that creature or man or whatever he is had his shots? Maybe he’s got rabies.”
“Gnarly’s had his rabies shots,” Mac assured her before turning to answer Hector’s question. “I would call him a wolf man.”
“What’s the difference?” Hector and Archie asked in unison.
“A werewolf is a man who changes completely into a wolf,” Mac said. “A wolf man is a man who takes on the characteristics of a wolf without actually changing into one.” He pointed at the man in the back of the ambulance. “He’s not a wolf. He was only acting like one.”
Mac didn’t miss the remorse on David’s face while watching the ambulance turn around to go out through the heavy wooden gates.
“Well,” Archie said, “I’m taking Gnarly to the vet.
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