Mr. Softee Read Online Free Page A

squealed.
    “Yeah, I was able to clear some time on my calendar,” I lied. “I was wondering if I could stop over and speak with your husband. Go over some facts, see if I could learn anything else from either of you.”
    “Well, he’d be the one to talk to about that,” she said.
    “Coming over?”
    “No, learning something . What time did you have in mind?” she asked.
    “The sooner the better . I’ve got some time later today, if that would work?” I said looking at my empty beer glass and nodding at Jimmy for another.
    “We’l l be waiting.”
    “Wait, you haven’t, well I’m not exactly sure where you …” I blurted just before she hung up.
    I phoned her back, got the address on one of the city’s mos t prominent streets, Summit Avenue. Then sipped my late lunch and wondered what in the hell I was going to ask Mr. Softee.
     
    Chapter Nine
     
    The house on Summit Avenue was a three-story brick structure built about 1890. It had a slate roof, dormers on all sides and looked imperious. A seven-foot wrought-iron fence, updated with security cameras surrounded the manicured yard. Two large black Dobermans lay in the sun on the front steps. Just in case you didn’t get the message a sign on the front gate stated in large red letters “No trespassing or solicitors.”
    There was a phone mounted on one of the bric k pillars at the front gate. The moment I picked the receiver up I heard the audible whir of a camera overhead. As it turned and sighted in on me a small green light on the camera began to blink. I listened to the phone ringing somewhere on the other end for what seemed to be ten minutes. Eventually it was picked up.
    I could hear breathing but no words.
    “This is Devlin Haske ll, to see Mister and Mrs. Sofmann,” I said.
    “I’ll let you in,” a squeaky female voice replied. There was a buzz and the gate lock made an audible click. I hung up the phone, pushed open the gate, stepped in then pulled the gate closed behind me.
    The heads on both Doberman s snapped up for just half a second before they flew off the front steps, racing toward me, barking and growling. They were large and sleek. They looked identical as they flew toward me, black with brown muzzles, black leather spike collars, and very large white fangs. I tugged on the gate, but the electronic lock had reengaged and I was caught inside. They covered the fifty feet from the front steps to me in just a second or two. I turned to face them as they came alongside with throaty growls, one drooling a trail of droplets on the sidewalk. Rabies?
    “Oh g od,” I whimpered and hoped they’d been recently fed. I reminded myself they were capable of smelling fear and began to slowly walk as unthreateningly as possible toward the front door. Eventually I made it to the front steps and reached up to ring the doorbell, which set off more vicious barking and snarling. If I was supposed to feel intimidated it worked. I waited for what seemed like a lifetime before the front door finally opened.
    “Oh , Mister Haskell,” Lola squeaked over the growling monsters. She sounded genuinely surprised to see me although I’d spoken to her just a minute before. The dogs held their ground, but increased the tempo and viciousness of their barking. Lola continued to stand in the doorway and smile, either oblivious of, or thoroughly enjoying my predicament.
    “Co uld I please come in?” I pleaded in a squeaky voice that rivaled hers.
    She stepped aside then eventually closed the door behind me.
    “Nice dogs,” I said, trying to swallow my heart back down while they barked and snarled on the far side of the door. I peeked out the lace curtained window and one of them lunged at me.
    “Aren’t they sweet ? Follow me, we’re in the study,” she said turning to walk down an immense oak-paneled hall. I followed, still shaking as the occasional throaty bark rumbled on the far side of the front door.
    Lola had some sort of sparkle makeup dusted on her