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Fresh Meat

Alan Gordon

Alan is the author of the Fools&039; Guild Mysteries, published by St Martin&039;s Minotaur Books, continuing the adventures of Theophilos, a thirteenth-century jester Titles in the series include Thirteenth Night (now available from Crum Creek Press), Jester Leaps In, A Death in the Venetian uarter, The Widow of Jerusalem, An Antic Disposition, The Lark&039;s La The Parisian Prodigal Alan sold his first short story to Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine in 1990 Since then, he&039;s had numerous mystery, fantasy, and science fiction stories in Hitchcock, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine , Asiies By day, Alan is a crial Aid Society of New York, with over a hundred trials to his credit He lives in New York City with his wife, Judy Downer, an editor, and son, Robert He is a graduate of Swarthe, where he received the William Pluo Law School

"Your order&039;s ready, Mister Lehr his hands on a bloody towel "Two sides of beef, so fresh they wereyesterday"

"Thanks, Bert," said Lehrh the twenty-sixth Okay if I bring the van around back?"

"No proble for Christht Maybe"

"That&039;s nice," said Bert "Nothing like having family on Christmas Eve Let&039;s see, you just paid me for the month, so we&039;ll put this on your tab for January, okay?"

"Works forthe proffered receipt His nose crinkled happily as he scanned the display case

"Those las a treat for Christ," said Bert, adding it to the invoice

Lehro van was parked, the LEHRMANN&039;S GUARD DOGS ad on both sides He pulled it around to the loading dock where Bert was already waiting with the beef and las eat better than most people," commented Bert as Lehrmann hauled theto et fresh, raw ," said Lehrs out the hunter in them"

"Sure wouldn&039;t want to run into one of your puppies on the job," said Bert

"You really wouldn&039;t," said Lehr the rear doors shut "See you Monday, Bert Have a good Christs in a converted warehouse ten n marked the turnoff onto the farm road that led to it The Spinellis ca session with Waldo They were a fa in one of the McMansions in the new development The Doberman sensed the

"Waldo, hush," Lehr, and he quieted down ie and attached the lead to Waldo&039;s collar, then brought his watched with professional interest

"Afternoon, folks," he said "Everyone ready?"

"Ready as I&039;ll ever be," said Mr Spinelli nervously

"Hi, Waldo," said Sally, the fearless eleven-year-old, and Waldo wagged his tail Sandy, her little brother, watched fro out for a fewon," said Lehr to Mr Spinelli, and the lead to Mrs Spinelli, who gave a quick whistle Waldo i his head

Lehr over his arms and torso, then faced them

"Any time," he said

"Waldo, co&039;s collar, and the dog followed hi Waldo, perie of the pit

"Waldo, here," said Mrs Spinelli The dog made a beeline for her She looked at Lehrmann "Are you sure about this?"

"Go ahead," s at Lehr set of teeth, hurtling toward Lehr on the trainer&039;s shoulder

"Waldo, here," said Mr, Spinelli

The dog relinquished his hold i," said Mr Spinelli

"Don&039;t forget the ," repeated Mr Spinelli, handing hi

Waldo wolfed it down

"Dog biscuits won&039;t do?" asked Spinelli as Lehr

"You want to keep him on your side, make it fresh meat," said Lehrmann "You do want to keep him on your side, don&039;t you?"

"Oh, yes," said Mrs Spinelli

"You&039;ve invested tiuardian, but a co forward to rub Waldo&039;s neck "A long tis found us, and learned how to protect us In exchange, we learned how to feed the can be trained to attack strangers, but a great dog, like Waldo here, won&039;t be attacking strangers He will be defending you, because you&039;re his family and he loves you Reet him his new collar," said Lehrmann "Waldo, come"

Waldo sed the last of his food, and followed Lehrmann to his office in back The trainer took out a thick, black leather collar and put it around the dog&039;s neck Waldo looked at him attentively

"Sorry you can&039;t be here for Christet to spend it with your new faood people, and they will treat you well Makenodded, and Lehrmann planted a quick kiss on the top of his head

"Here&039;s your Christht Waldo back out

"And here you are," said Mr Spinelli, handing hi him back for visits," said Mrs Spinelli

"I&039;d like that," said Lehrmann "It&039;s been a pleasure"

Waldo woofed at him once as they took him to their car

"Merry Christmas!" cried the children

Lehrmann waved, then closed the door and turned back to the rest of the dogs They looked at hi a switch on the wall, and the doors all swung open at once

The dogs burst out of the cages and chargedwith each other There was aon the curve, launching a nu h the cages, cleaning each thoroughly Then he went into the walk-in refrigerator and hauled out one of the sides of beef Using an electric butcher&039;s saw, he hacked it into dog-sized portions He laid them out in inpidual bowls, then cas abandoned their an distributing the bowls

While the dogs ate, Lehring lights over its branches

Froh a pair of binoculars, catching glimpses of Lehrmann as he passed by the s, his arms full of wreaths and ribbons

"Very festive,"a ribbed black sweater that was fine for the Georgia winter, along with black jeans and boots A ski cap covered his hair, but his chin and jaere covered with a s were thick and powerful

He had been keeping his vigil fro sure that Lehrht He had watched the Spinellis leave, knowing they were the last customers before Christmas, and smiled His palms itched He wiped theht one with the corner of his belt buckle He looked through the binoculars again Lehres

"Very festive indeed," said the e He couldn&039;t risk breaking into the warehouse and planting any bugs He had used a co device that bounced an infrared beam off the s, and a nals The arrangeaps in the sound And any ti, the infrared could have been a flashlight for all the dialogue he was picking up

Lehring it on a wall

"Now, that one is just plain tacky," said the watcher

The cell phone monitor chirped He squatted down and turned the volume up

Lehrmann picked up his cell phone fros," he said

"Hi, Sam," said a familiar voice, and he clutched the phone hard for a moment "You still there?"

"Hello, Mona," he said

"It&039;s Christht like soot cos don&039;t count"

"Man&039;s best friend," said Lehrmann "Didn&039;t you know that?"

"Only when the ia, Saia doesn&039;t need to spend the only Christs"

"You been drinking, Mona?"

"It&039;s going to be a beautiful night," she continued "Crisp and clear, with a full moon A full moon on Christmas Eve, Sam That doesn&039;t happen that often Maybe we&039;ll see Santa&039;s sleigh flying across it Yes, I have been drinking, Saia on Christ Can&039;t I cos"

"Dogs are loyal, Mona," he said He wished iht for a moment that she had broken the connection, but then he heard her crying

"How&039;s Nicky?" he asked, aardly changing the subject

"Nicky&039;s a great, big, war to cuddle with Nicky tonight I could be with you, roasting marshmallows in the fire"

"I don&039;t have a fireplace," he said

"Please let me back into your life, Sam," she said softly "You can&039;t shut ht, Mona," he said "Merry Christmas"

He broke the connection

The lanced up at the sky The sun was nearing the horizon It would be an hour until nightfall He looked through his binoculars to see Lehr at his cell phone, then turning it off

"Poor Sam," said the watcher "Full nal went off, and Carson, a five-year-old German shepherd, looked up

"Easy, boy," said Lehrot an hour Plenty of ti went back to hisearly today, thought Lehrmann God knows that the holidays will do that to a person Hell, he was all shook up from a two-minute conversation with her, and he was the sober one

"Hell of a tiriht back to when she&039;d first walked through his front door What was it, three years ago? Three and aa Rottweiler, a ten-month-old female

The woman was slim, brunette, and built like a runner Her clothes were carefully casual in a way only large a froed between her breasts

He was playing tug-of-ith the Rottweiler, using a broo had cla to pull the brooht succeed The wo her hands on the wall of the pit, and watched

"Here!" Lehrmann said suddenly

The Rottweiler looked up at him, but refused to relinquish the broo reluctantly let go, and ht foot She stayed there, a resentful glare on her face

"Good girl," Lehrmann praised her, and he handed her a small piece of beef "Can I help you, ," said the wo "Is that raw beef?"

"It is," said Lehrmann

"Then you won&039;t mind if I don&039;t shake hands just yet," she said

"I have been known to wash them on occasion," said Lehr&039;s pahile you&039;re waiting"

"Will she do that without attacking me?" asked the woman

"She won&039;t attack unless she&039;s told to," said Lehrmann "At least, that&039;s how it&039;s supposed to work"

"I&039;ll chance it," said the wo "Hello My name is Mona Havelka What&039;s yours?"

"This is Nicky," said Lehrmann "Nicky, shake"

The Rottweiler immediately held out a paw, and Mona shook it

"Very pleased to ive her this," said Lehr up a piece of beef

Mona took it and held it out for Nicky, who took it carefully fro on cere her hand out to Lehr it "Pleased to meet you Let me show you where to wash up"

He escorted her to a washbasin in a tool room in back and tossed her a bar of soap

"Guests first," he said, turning on the taps "Hope you don&039;ther hands thoroughly "And such a rorinned as she handed him the soap "So, how ," she said as he washed up