Undead to the World by DD Barant Read Free Book Online Page A

studying me intently as he talks—as if he’s decided that if
     he has to talk to me, he’s going to pay attention.
    “Of course, if it was a suicide, you’d expect to find a ladder,” I point out. “Since
     the fire truck’s here, I guess you didn’t. Is there a hatch in the roof? I don’t see
     one.”
    “We don’t know how he got up there. Not yet.”
    I’m looking up as we talk, taking advantage of being a little closer than the rest
     of the crowd, and now I can see that the other end of the rope is tied around a rafter
     at the corner of the roof. There’s something strange about the knot, though.
    “Any idea why he’d do such a thing?” I ask.
    “I can’t speculate at this point, Ms. Valchek. Now, please, step back behind the tape.”
     He takes my elbow and leads me there as he talks, and there’s nothing hesitant about
     his grip.
    When the ladder’s in place, the sheriff himself climbs up with a camera and takes
     lots of pictures. Then they rig a harness up to the body with a cable going over the
     top of the roof before they cut the rope and lower it to the ground. I’d really like
     a good look at that rope, but there’s only one idea I can come up with to do so. It’s
     both stupid and unlikely to work. But since it’s all I’ve got …
    I take Galahad down the sidewalk, about twenty feet away from the crowd. I lean down
     and whisper, “Gally. I need you to do something for me, okay? When I take off your
     leash, I want you to dash over there by the policemen and make a nuisance of yourself.
     Don’t let them catch you. Run around, bark, paw at the ground. I’m going to call for
     you, but don’t listen. After a few minutes, head for home. Do this, and I’ll go out
     and buy you a steak.”
    Galahad looks at me with the same sort of undisguised affection he always does, and
     licks my hand. Sure, Jace. Would you like me to stop off at the supermarket and pick up some milk
     on my way home, too?
    I sigh. Then I unclip his leash. I know he’s just going to sit there until I start
     moving, at which point he might be motivated to go pee on a bush—
    He takes off at high speed. Right toward the sheriff.
    The sheriff isn’t really paying attention, so Gally starts barking while he runs.
     It looks like Galahad might try to bowl him right over, but he darts to the left at
     the last second. Now he’s on a collision course with the deputy kneeling next to the
     corpse.
    “Hey!” the sheriff yells.
    Me, I just stand there dumbfounded. Apparently Galahad has Lassie genes somewhere
     in his DNA.
    “Valchek!” the sheriff snaps. “Control your damn dog!”
    Galahad slams to a stop, but now he turns and starts digging like crazy. Sod and dirt
     spray in the direction of Father Stone’s body, as if my dog’s decided he needs to
     be buried right now. Gally pauses for a second, though, and looks at me. I swear the expression on his
     face reads Well? What are you waiting for?
    I stride forward, shouting, “Galahad! Stop that right now!”
    Gally lets me get close before bolting away again. I give chase, which brings me within
     a few feet of the body. As if reading my mind, Gally abruptly changes direction, giving
     me the opportunity to swerve and fake a fall.
    “Ah,” I say. “My knee !”
    I pause, favoring one leg as I slowly pull myself up, studying the corpse as I do
     so. The face is horrible, but I’m actually more interested in the rope. It’s thick,
     old, and grayish white, tied in the classic hangman’s noose with—I assume, since I
     don’t have time to count them—thirteen loops around the central cord.
    But it’s the other end, the one that was tied around the rafter, that’s really interesting.
     Deputy Silver was about to stick it in a clear evidence bag when Galahad went into
     his routine, and right now it’s lying on top of the bag while Silver tries to corral
     my wayward pet. It’s tied in the most intricate knot I’ve ever seen. The thick rope