The Killers Amongst Us: Chimera Dawn Chronicles by Declan Conner Read Free Book Online Page A

have all the men folk get their hunting rifles and we could go
and shoot the son of a bitch,” said the mayor.
    Shaw sighed and stood akimbo. Using his title wasn’t
working, even if Grimes had reciprocated.
    “We don’t know anything. I can’t have you going shooting up
all the local wildlife. But when we do find out what’s happened, I’ll let
everyone know. If we do find that we need to be culling a wild animal, when we
know what it is, the Wildlife and Fisheries Department will take care of what
needs to be done. Now if you don’t go about your business, I’m going to start
making arrests for interfering with police business, understood.”
    The mayor displayed similar flamed cheeks and a
testosterone-filled demeanor to those Shaw experienced at council meetings.
Grimes regularly took him to task for not bringing in enough fines income. Shaw
fingered his handcuffs, determined not to be outranked, even if he was
overshadowed by the hulk before him.
    “Okay, okay, we’re going. Just keep me in the loop,” Grimes
said, and turned to the crowd. “You heard the man, let’s all go about our
business and let them do their work.”
    The crowd grumbled, but obeyed Grimes’ command and trudged
away en masse down the lane. Shaw shook his head, thankful the encounter
hadn’t gotten to locked horns, and he turned to Frank.
    “Good job keeping them at bay. But what’s all this about a
wild animal?”
    “See for yourself, but don’t walk on the paving stones.
We’ve got bloody tracks.”
    “Animal tracks?”
    “No, both. The human tracks are barefooted. I’d say the
animal track is a dog’s paw, but....” Frank removed his hat and scratched his
head.
    “But what?”
    “Well, it’s bigger than any dog’s paw I’ve ever seen.” He
stroked his chin. “Trouble is; the dog tracks go one way and the foot tracks
the other toward the house. There’s nothing outside the gate. I had a good look
around. The animal must have left first, because the footprint was made walking
over the animal’s bloody tracks.”
    “Okay, I’ll take a look at the body first.”
    “She’s in the corridor behind the door. Gotta warn ya, it’s
a mess.”
    Shaw acknowledged with a nod of his head. He walked at the
side of the paving stones. The door was ajar. He took out a handkerchief, then
pushed the door open. The vet was lying on her back, wearing a cotton
nightdress. It was soaked with blood. Her head lay on its side, barely
connected to her neck, with her throat gouged, and with her body facing away
from the door. There was blood splatter on both walls to her left and right and
on the ceiling. The blood spatter on the walls had the same pattern both sides.
There were long splatters close to the door, with tails that gave a clue as to
the direction, getting smaller toward the ceiling as if she had been shook from
side to side. He reached out and pulled the door to, leaving it ajar. Turning
to Frank, he retched. He could taste bile in his throat, but he managed some
composure.
    “I’ll get my camera and suit up. Go and get some tape and
run it around the picket fence. Then place cones at the entrance to the garage
around front. Is that how you found the door?”
    “Yeah, it was ajar, just short of locking with the catch.”
    Shaw walked to his car trunk. He hauled out his fishing rod
and basket, then dug his way through bric-a-brac until he found his aluminum
case. The footsteps bothered him. If they led to the house, maybe they were the
vets and someone, or something was chasing her. He opened the case, reached in
and opened a packet containing gossamer gloves. He slipped them onto his hands.
Taking another packet, he tore the polythene, took out the overalls and put
them over his clothes. Shaw walked over to the gate.
    “All done,” said Frank. “What should I do now?”
    “I’ll go in alone. You stay here and make sure no one
crosses the tape. But first show me the tracks.”
    Frank kneeled down in a crouch and