Loup-Garou: The Beast of Harmony Falls (The Ian McDermott, Ph.D., Paranormal Investigator Series Book 1)

by David Reuben Aslin

  Ian admired how Charlie could make light of the situation even when suffering as badly as he was.

  Finally, the two men reached the trail’s end at the side of Harmony Falls. They had reached an elevation that was below the snow line.

  Ian was almost totally out of breath, but he managed to say, “Okay, Charlie. Not much further to your car. Piece of cake now!”

  Charlie didn’t answer. He just nodded. Ian looked down at Charlie’s right side. His clothing was completely blood-soaked all around his wounds.

  Charlie finally managed to speak. “Ian, you an’ me, we’re friends, are we not?”

  Without hesitation, Ian replied, “Charlie Redtail, of that I’m certain. You and I are friends.”

  “Good. Then Ian, I can speak openly with you about something.”

  “Of course you can, Charlie.”

  “Good. Ian, my side hurts!”

  Both men began laughing so hard they nearly fell over again. After taking a few moments to catch their breath, Ian and Charlie were finally able to hasten their pace and reached the semi-level lakeside trail that led to the gravel parking area.

  Once they reached the parking lot, they were amazed at how utterly destroyed both Bud’s Blazer and the television van were. Both vehicles had exploded and became skeletal, nearly unrecognizable remains.

  Charlie handed his keys to Ian the moment they reached his car. Ian helped Charlie get in. He started to strap Charlie’s seatbelt on, but the pressure from the shoulder strap proved too much for Charlie to bear, so he opted to ride without protection. Ian fired up Charlie’s car and immediately began driving down the bumpy, gravel road heading from the parking lot towards the main road, taking it as easy as he could. Once on the main road, Ian asked Charlie how to turn his cop lights on. Ian switched them on and proceeded to speed his way back to town. Ian wanted to get Charlie to Doc Matthews as quickly as possible.

  Ian glanced over slightly towards Charlie.

  “Hey Charlie, one thing’s been bugging me. Do you think we should have grabbed at least some of that money? I mean … I didn’t want it … even though I could sure use it. But I know you could have used at least some of it for, say, Jeremy’s college fund. Or it could have been donated to your tribe or something.” Charlie smiled slightly.

  “Nah, Ian. I didn’t want any part of it for the same reason as you. It’s tainted blood money. Bad karma. Nothing good could come from it.”

  Ian smiled.

  Chapter 46

  The Doctor Is In

  Once inside Doc Matthews’ office, Doc took one long look at the filthy, blood-soaked Charlie and began shaking his head.

  “Okay, let me have a look at you,” Doc proclaimed with a little disgust in his voice. Doc helped Charlie get out of his shirt, then began unwrapping the bandages that he’d previously, skillfully put into place.

  “Ian, you see that bottle of antiseptic sitting over next to the sink? Fetch that for me.”

  Ian immediately did as Doc Matthews requested. Doc then continued busily working on cleaning up the wounds.

  “Well, you’ll live, but sure as shit you’ve pushed yourself to the limit. Doesn’t look like infection’s gonna be a problem. What you need more than anything is rest. Lots of rest! No more beating through the brush. Assuming, of course, that you two have finished with that unpleasant business that I don’t want to know about.”

  Doc spoke his last words with a slight, sly grin. Charlie only nodded.

  “Good. This town needs to get back to its same old boring way of life. I assume you’ll be calling a meeting of the town council? Well, I’ll be attending. Being the only doctor who runs the only medical facility this little burg’s got, my vote carries some weight. You’ll be our newly-appointed sheriff, or by God, I’ll threaten to pull up stakes for greener pastures! Not that you need my support. The people of this town, well hell, I’ll say it. Charlie, they loved Bud, but they love and respect you too! You’re a damn good man, the only man for the job. That is, if you want it?”

  Charlie didn’t say anything. There was suddenly an uncomfortable silence. It was too quiet for Ian’s comfort, so he broke the silence by speaking up.

  “Of course he wants it. He’s one of the two best law men I’ve ever known. You both know who the other one was. The people of this town should consider themselves lucky to have a man like Charlie be their sheriff, a man I’m proud to call my friend.”

  As Doc Matthews finished wrapping Charlie back up, Charlie finally spoke.

  “Well, I can’t thank you enough, Doc. Ian, we need to make our way to the station and get started with reports and such.” Doc Matthews smiled at Charlie.

  “Paying your bill will be thanks enough. Okay, Chief Bleeds-a-Lot. How ‘bout you try and stay out of my office for a while, hmm?”

  “You got it, Doc. Say, here’s an idea. How ‘bout you send the bill for patching me up? That’s twice now. How ‘bout you send it to the town council for them to pay? Me being injured in the line of duty and all.”

  Doc looked at Charlie with a startled expression on his face. Charlie then winked at him in plain view for Ian to see as well. Doc shook his head with a big grin on his face as all three of them began laughing.

  Charlie stood up, and Ian helped him get his shirt back on. Doc shook Charlie’s hand and then Ian’s as well. “Well, Ian, I don’t suspect I’ll be seeing you again at least anytime soon. You take care of yourself!”

  Ian replied with a smile, “You take care too, Doc. Who knows, our paths might cross again. Stranger things have happened!” Charlie smiled and shook his head. Then Charlie and Ian waved goodbye as they left Doc’s clinic.

  Ian climbed into the driver’s side of Charlie’s car after first helping Charlie get in. He thought about how fortunate this town was to have both Charlie Redtail and Doc Matthews looking after them. It was at that moment that Ian’s worries about any investigations into Chastel’s death melted away. He knew how much this town needed a good sheriff. Ian had seen for himself the lengths the locals would go to protect their little corner of the world. Charlie was right. As far as the world would care, justice had been served!

  Served on a silver platter, Ian mused.

  Chapter 47

  The Office

  Jenny was busy polishing her nails when Charlie and Ian walked through the door of the tiny Harmony Falls Sheriff’s Department.

  Jenny spoke up first. “Charlie, have you read the paper? There’s a weird story on the second page. Seems Astoria is dealing with some kind of vampire cult that’s moved in and opened some underground club. They call themselves sanguinarians. They’re becoming quite a problem for local law enforcement there. Some unexplained deaths and such. Kind of reminds me a little like what’s been going on around here. Bodies have shown up totally drained of blood. That’s called …” Jenny looked down at the paper on her desk. “They call that exsanguination. Weird!” She shook her head in disgust.

  Charlie said with a saddened tone, “Yeah, that’s pretty weird. Hey, Jenny, I’ve got a lot to tell you. Some really bad news. And I mean really bad news! I’ll give you all the details later. Right now, I’ve got a million things that I have to do. I’ll tell you this much right now since you’re sitting down.” Charlie’s voice then cracked, and genuine tears filled his eyes. Ian bowed his head.

  “Bud went and got himself killed in the line of duty. Come to find out he didn’t go up north to a meeting like he told me. He must have got sidetracked by some hunch or tip or something. Anyhow, he set out by himself to check on that hermit Chastel. He must have thought it was a weak tip, a long shot that didn’t pose much danger. Maybe that’s why he went without me and Ian. Anyway, unfortunately, his hunch proved more correct than he was prepared for. That son of a bitch mad mountain man Jean-Chastel Gevaudan killed him. You know that guy. The one you always said gives you the creeps. He killed Bud. Ian and I went after him, and well, that ended badly for Chastel. But like I said, I’ll give you all the details later t
oday. Right now, I’ve got a million reports to get started on and people to contact.”

  Jenny had started crying as Charlie told his story, though she did a good job of not falling to pieces altogether. After a few seconds, she managed to speak.

  “I always knew that man was no good. Didn’t I always say it? He killed Bud, and you guys killed him. Well good. Saves the taxpayers the money for a trial. Keeps some asshole of a city lawyer from maybe getting him off for being crazy! He’s dead. Good!”

  At that moment, Jenny noticed that Charlie was all bandaged up. “Oh my God, Charlie, are you hurt bad?”

  Ian spoke up. “Yeah, he’s pretty cut up. That madman cut Charlie up pretty bad. And get this. He cut him up with bear claws! Yeah, that crazy son of a bitch was wearing a bear skin equipped with claws.”

  Jenny took a deep breath and shook her head while she added, “Well, thank God that lunatic is dead is all I have to say about it. Oh, Mr. McDermott, I got a message for you. That guy Matt Larsen called, he said the samples you sent him were badly contaminated. But he said the samples mostly looked like that of a dog. But it was mixed. No, that isn’t exactly how he put it. Just a second; he made me write this part down.” Jenny picked up a note pad from her desktop. “He said, and I quote, ‘The DNA was fused at the cellular level with elements of what resembled both human blood as well as that of Canis Familiaris. That means dog. Or possibly, but not likely, that of Canis lupus. That means wolf.’” Jenny held the note out towards Ian.

  Ian smiled and accepted the note as he said, “Thank you, Jenny. Thank you very much!”

  Charlie then interjected, “Alright, Ian, follow me back to my office. I’ve got to get a signed statement from you about all that occurred.” They headed down the short hallway.

  Charlie closed his door, then dug around in his desk until he found the folder that contained the paperwork for Ian to make an official statement.

  “Here Ian, take your time. What you write down needs to reflect in essence what we’ve already discussed. But it’s okay, a good thing even, that our stories have small, subtle differences. They won’t sound rehearsed that way. So follow what we’ve discussed for the most part. But make sure you write in your words, not mine. And try not to sound prerecorded, if you get my meaning!”

  Ian understood perfectly. With pen and paper in hand, Ian began writing down his version of the last few days’ events, which climaxed with the death of the killer, Jean-Chastel Gevaudan. It took nearly two hours for Ian to get it all written down. During that time, Charlie had been on the phone with the television network that Marsha Steward and Tom Iverson had worked for. He then notified all of the proper agencies, including the county coroner’s office and the State police.

  Ian did a beautiful job of describing certain things with clarity and keeping other things intentionally a little vague. The more Ian wrote, the more he actually began believing it all happened exactly the way he was describing it. It was like all of the supernatural aspects ceased to have any relevance.

  When Ian had completed his statement, he immediately had Charlie check it over. When Charlie finished reading it, he sat back in his chair and looked at Ian. Charlie had an expression on his face that reflected his near amazement.

  “Hell, Ian, that’s the best statement of the facts I’ve ever read. It’s a damn masterpiece! That’s exactly how it all happened, all of it! From your perspective, that is. Don’t change any of it, not a word. If ever questioned, never deviate from what you have right here. I’ll have copies. Ian, those are the facts! Anything else is, would have been, impossible.”

  Charlie stood up from his chair. Without saying a word, he left his office for a few minutes. Upon returning, he handed Ian a plain white business-size envelope and said, “Ian, here’s a little petty cash to help cover some of your expenses like gas, meals, and such. When you get settled somewhere, you just get me your address, and I’ll have a check for what we owe ya plus a little extra bonus for all you been through.”

  Ian smiled. “Thanks! Say, before you left the room, you said, ‘Those are the facts, anything else would have been impossible.’ Well, that’s what makes our story, even with its peculiarities, believable, ‘cause your right, Charlie. Anything else would have been impossible!”

  Charlie took a deep breath. “Ian, I’ve been thinking about something I believe Bud would have wanted you to have.”

  “Oh, and what would that be?” Ian replied with more than casual curiosity.

  “Come on, let’s go for a short drive. I’ll tell you while we’re on our way. And by the way, Ian, I’m feeling good enough to drive. I don’t think I could stand being chauffeured around by you for even one more minute!”

  Charlie paused after saying that for effect, and it worked. Both men laughed quietly.

  Chapter 48

  Hello

  Charlie lied. Ian wasn’t angry about it, just confused. Once in the car, Charlie decided that Ian had to wait to find out what Bud would have wanted him to have. The only thing Charlie would say about the matter was that Ian had to be patient. The thing was at Bud’s place, and they were mere minutes from there.

  When Charlie pulled his car into Bud’s driveway, Charlie began asking Ian questions.

  “Ian, you’re all alone. No family, well except mine that is. There will always be a place at my table for you, my friend. And you remember that, especially around the holidays. But anyway, what I’m getting at is all the traveling you do, basically you’re all by your lonesome, right?”

  Ian replied reluctantly, not sure where this was going, “Yes …”

  “Ian, I’m a pretty good judge of people. It goes with my job I guess. I’ll bet you like animals, am I right?”

  Once again, Ian answered, “Yes …”

  “They say people who like animals can generally be classified as either cat people or dog people. My guess is you’re a dog person, am I right?”

  Ian started to laugh nervously. Later he’d feel silly that he didn’t pick up on the clues. After all, that was what he was best at. Still, at that moment, he had no idea what this was all about. He paused before answering, trying to read Charlie’s face. “Yeah, I guess I’d say I’m more of a dog guy, but cats are okay.”

  That being said, Charlie climbed out of the car and Ian did the same.

  Charlie motioned for Ian to follow him as he began walking to the back of the house. The moment Ian heard a dog barking at their presence, all the pieces suddenly fit.

  There in the back of Bud’s place was a dog kennel that housed a beautiful young male German Shepherd. He stopped barking and began wagging his tail the second he recognized Charlie.

  “Ian, allow me to introduce you to Scout. Scout, this is Ian. Scout is, was, Bud’s pride and joy. He’s only around nine months old. He’s the offspring of champions. The fact is, this here dog’s pappy was highly decorated. He gave his life protecting his dog handler. Bud got him as a pup from some friends he had with the Vancouver K9 force kennels. You know, dogs bred, raised, and trained to be police dogs. Bud’s been working with him. He’s a good dog! I’d take him myself, but the terms of my lease-to-own don’t allow me to have a dog. It’s a shame ‘cause I know Jeremy would want him. But since that can’t happen, I know Jeremy, and especially Bud, would want him to go to a good man. So I’m asking you for Bud and for the sake of this beautiful animal, couldn’t you use a road companion that will serve you well as a guard dog?”

  The two men entered the kennel. Scout went straight to Ian and began licking his hand. It was almost like he knew this was his one shot. Then Scout sat and extended his right paw to Ian. Ian’s heart pounded. The truth was, it was nearly love at first sight. Ian had always thought German Shepherds were one of the finest-looking dogs.

  Charlie went and got some dog food from the small lock-up shed built within the kennel and filled Scout’s food dish. There still was plenty of water in the very large water dish.

  “Here boy, you must be starving. He hasn’t ate i
n nearly two days. Well, Bud always way overfed him, so I guess a little fasting didn’t hurt him more than cause him a grumbling belly.” Scout set to with gusto.

  Ian looked over at Charlie, who continued, “Bud told me he got him cheap cause of his friends in the K9 kennels. But if he would have bought him traditional-like, he’d have gone for around a thousand dollars or more. He’s had all his shots and all of that.”

  Ian stepped back. He looked from Charlie back at Scout.

  “Ah hell, why not? How ‘bout it, boy? You want to team up with the likes of me?”

  It was as if Scout understood every word that came out of Ian’s mouth. He wagged his tail and barked three times in rapid fire.

  Charlie grabbed the remains of the fifty-pound bag of dog food and the dish. He found a smaller water dish and took that as well.

  “These go with you, Ian. Compliments of me, Bud, and Scout here.”

  Ian smiled. “Well, Charlie, how ‘bout you take me and Scout here back to my campsite? I need to pull up stakes and head down the road.”

  Charlie, Ian, and Scout left the kennel. The three climbed into Charlie’s car, and away they headed to the Firlane Resort RV Park.

  Chapter 49

  Goodbye

  Charlie pulled into the resort and drove straight over to Ian’s Jeep and trailer. It was easy to spot as it was the only trailer in the place.

  The two men and Ian’s newfound companion just sat silently for a few minutes. Finally Charlie broke the silence.

  “Well, Elaine’s gonna be upset that you didn’t stop by and say goodbye.”

  Ian was nearly getting choked up. He hadn’t had what could have passed as a good friend, let alone a best friend, since college. But no friendship he’d ever had compared to the bond he shared with the man he sat next to.