Red Fox by Karina Halle Page A

and
dark.
    “ Who do you think did
it?”
    “ Obviously coyotes did. Or
wolves, though they are rare in this area. But it just doesn’t make
sense. They would have eaten the sheep. Especially before winter.
Now is the time to fatten up.”
    “ You don’t think young
punks or kids from town did it? People can be pretty fucked up when
it comes to animals,” I said, remembering a bunch of cat-killings
we had in our neighborhood a few years ago.
    He shook his head. “No. I
know the kids in this town sometimes don’t have anything better to
do, but they would never do anything like that.”
    “ You don’t have any enemies
that would want to hurt the ranch?”
    He shook his head. I
believed him. He was a hard man to dislike.
    “ What about Sarah?” Dex
asked carefully.
    Will managed a smile. “Who
would want to hurt a blind woman?”
    I resisted the urge to
exchange a sarcastic glance with Dex. This was on camera, after
all.
    Will continued on, “Also, a
few days ago a bunch of kids were roaming the hills above here.
Doing what, I don’t know. Sometimes they go looking for Navajo
artifacts to sell. They said they were attacked by a pair of
foxes.”
    “ Foxes?” I repeated. Cute
little foxes?
    “ That’s what they say. I
think they meant to say coyotes but even that is strange. Coyotes
never attack people, unless it’s an infant and alone. Never heard
anything like that before. I’m sure if you go to the pub, maybe not
tonight but tomorrow night, you’ll find them. Ask
around.”
    “ So, people and sheep have
been attacked by canines, basically? And you heard one in the
house…”
    “ And saw one in the
house.”
    “ Right…” I didn’t really
want to be staying in the house anymore.
    “ It was right before
Maximus arrived to do the reading. I was sitting in the living room
all night because of the rock throwing-”
    “ Rock throwing?”
    Dex kicked me under the
table. “He’ll get to it,” he hushed.
    I glared at him though the
camera was on Will. Dex motioned for him to continue.
    “ And I heard something
creak on the upper step. I called out for Sarah, thinking it was
her. Obviously. Who else would it be? No answer. And from the
living room, I can’t see the stairs. But I heard a snuffling noise.
Then the clack of nails on the floor. Then the shadow of an animal
came around the corner.”
    He pointed around the
corner to where the dining room floor met the living room. I
shivered.
    “ I couldn’t see it clearly
but it certainly looked like a coyote. It wasn’t all that big but
the hairs on its back were standing up a lot higher than normal. It
was like its coat was about two feet long. I couldn’t see its eyes
either. They didn’t glow. It was just blank. I thought maybe it
didn’t even have eyes, just empty holes. I didn’t know what to do
so I froze. The rock throwing continued all the while too but the
animal didn’t notice. Finally, it went around to the kitchen and
disappeared. Then the noise stopped. I must have sat there for ten
minutes before I gathered enough strength to run up to Sarah and
see if she was all right. She was fine. Asleep.”
    “ And the rock
throwing…someone’s just throwing rocks at the house?” I
asked.
    “ Yes, the house. Sometimes
the barn. Sometimes the worker’s quarters. I know Miguel has heard
it.”
    “ Where do they sleep by the
way? I don’t think I saw it earlier.”
    “ There’s a small house
behind the big barn. It’s hidden by some trees, privacy you know.
Nothing fancy but they all get their own rooms. Well, Shan and
Miguel. Bird lives in town.”
    I nodded and looked at Dex
for feedback. I had no idea if I was asking everything I should. He
sensed my gaze and brought his eyes off the display screen to meet
mine. Then he paused. His eyes shifted left, fixed on a point past
my shoulder.
    I immediately felt afraid.
I opened my mouth to say something but he slowly shook his head,
keeping his eyes on the spot. I turned my head and looked