The Beast of Barcroft Read Online Free Page A

her to know that some fox didn’t snatch my malty-poo. A wild animal bigger than you just caught and killed ninety pounds of lean muscle and the fastest breed of dog in the world. And it almost got me too.”
    “But you stopped it with an awesome speech?”
    “I’m serious.”
    “I know, and since now I know we’re on the same team and all”—gesturing between the two of them—“let me ask you an honest question. On a scale of one to ten, how important do you think this call is to the Arlington County Police Department?”
    “Five?”
    “Two. It’s a two, sir. I suggest you call Animal Control.” She turned for her car once more.
    Ben called after her. “It’s Public Health Division, actually, and Manny’s not picking up his cell.”
    The officer stopped. “Manny?”
    “No one is answering the after-hours number. That’s why I called you.”
    “Manny Benavides?”
    “Yeah.”
    “What do you know about him?”
    Her tone went from brittle politeness to steel in an instant. He heard himself answering without protest.
    “I don’t know. He works for the county, in Public Health, like I said. He’s basically Animal Control. He does what he can for the neighborhood, but his hands are pretty tied.”
    “Hands are tied?” Out came the notebook.
    “If you couldn’t tell, I live next to the biggest shit show in the county. A crazy woman lived there, destroyed the place, and fed the animals like she was Snow White.”
    “I think you mean Sleeping Beauty.”
    “I mean whatever crazy-ass princess kept raccoons as pets. Long story short, the neighborhood is full of rats. Manny tried to help, but there was only so much he could do by law. Why do you care about Manny?”
    “His wife reported him missing. He was last seen on Thursday by a resident on 7th Street. She reported his county vehicle the next day. He hasn’t been seen since. How well did you know him?”
    “Not well. I mean, he was a good guy, cared about the neighborhood. He came out every month or so to keep the heat on Madeleine.”
    “Madeleine?”
    Ben jerked his thumb. “Sleeping Beauty.” He studied the officer studying the house. “She’s dead,” he added.
    She raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t get her kiss in time?”
    Ben smiled despite himself. “A month ago. Drugs. Burned the candle at both ends. Next thing you know, heart attack.”
    “If Mr. Benavides reaches out to you, please call me. To help calibrate your scale, this is what the department would consider an eight or a nine.”
    “You said 7th Street. That’s right by Four Mile Run. Did you sweep the woods?”
    “Yes, sir, we did. Nothing. We’re hoping he had a girlfriend or something.”
    “Or the same thing that got my dog got Manny. It headed toward Four Mile Run.”
    “I will take that into consideration, CSI Arlington.” She walked around to the driver’s side of her cruiser. Over the roof, she said, “Have a good evening, Mr. McKelvie.”
    “I’m telling you, it was fully grown, more than a match for a middle-aged county worker.”
    “I am sorry you lost your dog.”
    “There are children in this neighborhood. Does that bump up your number any?”
    “Get some sleep, Prince Charming. But clean yourself up first. You smell like piss.”
    After a long shower, he lay in bed, alternating between being furious at the cop and thinking about his dog. He could not imagine his father rolling up on someone in distress and giving them shit. Would he? He’d been a tough cop, but a kind man first and foremost. More than that, a strange feeling scratched at the back of his mind, making him restless. Like a word on the tip of his tongue, just out of reach. Finally, he got out of bed. He marched to the bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet, and removed his antidepressants. Part of it was that he wanted to honor the loss of the one thing left in his world that had loved him unconditionally, and he it. But mostly he knew he had to think clearly. He poured the pills into the