Death Notes

off!’
    I decided to give the slug a break. I walked over to the front door, rapped loudly, and raised my voice.
    ‘Mr Malone!’
    Things went quiet inside and, in the sudden silence, I heard something shuffling around in the dark behind me. Shit. I wheeled around and whatever it was stopped out there in the dark. The tiny hairs at the back of my neck stood on end. I could hear it breathing in the shadows, panting, heaving, but I couldn’t see a thing. I rapped on the door again.
    ‘Malone!’
    Silence inside. Whatever was out there behind me moved again. I turned slowly this time - something told me to go slow - and what began as a low rumble erupted into a vicious growl. Rover.
    A quarter into the turn, I froze. I’d seen enough. He was less than four feet from me now. Big gray wolf eyes, a neck the size of a bull’s, black matted fur, and fangs to rival a vampire’s. I tried to say ‘nice dog’ but it came out a constricted gasp.
    Rover liked hearing the sound. He lowered his head, took a step in closer and snarled even louder. A thin string of saliva swung from the corner of his mouth.
    A motion at the window caught my eye. It was Malone, watching. He looked like he was enjoying the show. I called out to him again, but he didn’t budge.
    I turned back to the dog. He’d noticed Malone, too, and went quiet for a few seconds, but when he saw my eyes shift back to him, he tensed and started growling all over again. I kept three quarters of my back towards him and wondered what to do next. If he jumped high enough, my whole head would fit right into his jaws.
    Open the door, dammit!
    My eyes flitted to the window. Malone was gone. I slid one foot forward, edging it closer to the door.
    ‘Nice dog,’ I said. I managed to get it out this time, but Rover didn’t approve. His growl sounded like a subway train bearing down on me. I was cold, breathless and terrified, but I was starting to feel foolish. I couldn’t stand here all night.
    I’d just mustered the courage to knock on the door again when the growling suddenly stopped. Rover’s eyes flickered and a second later the door opened to Malone’s sadistic grin.
    ‘What’s up, hon?’
    He sounded almost chirpy.
    ‘Call the dog off, Malone.’
    His nasty grin widened. I got the feeling this could turn into a long evening, but he snapped his fingers and spoke to the dog. It slunk away, tail between its legs.
    My own legs felt like Jell-O. And for some stupid reason I felt like laughing. Instead, I tried a couple of tentative steps
    to test my legs, then forced myself to walk into the shack while Malone chased after the dog and put him on a chain outside.
    Sharon popped out of a comer, looking guilty but managing to give me an icy stare just the same.
    ‘What are you doing here, honey? Did you follow me?’
    ‘The better question is, why are you here?’
    ‘I’m conducting personal business,’ she sniffed, and sidled toward the door. ‘Not that it’s any business of yours. I was just leaving.’
    Malone appeared at the threshold, but Sharon nudged him aside.
    ‘I’ll call you later, Siggy,’ she twittered, then stumbled out into the darkness.
    Malone came back in and showed his putrid teeth when he stepped behind the counter, leaned his elbows on it and smiled at me.
    ‘You like my dog?’
    ‘He’s... effective.’
    My voice sounded higher than usual. I coughed, cleared my throat, and tried to regain my dignity.
    ‘How’d you get in?’
    ‘The gate wasn’t latched,’ I lied.
    Malone cursed Sharon. ‘I don’t know how many times I told her...’
    He muttered a whole string of obscenities under his breath, all directed at Sharon, then rubbed his stomach and eyed me with suspicion.
    ‘What do you want?’
    I noticed a flowered scarf Sharon must have left at the far end of the counter. Malone followed my gaze.
    ‘Save your breath,’ he said. ‘I told her and I’m telling you: I’m not givin’ her the money. If you tell me you’re her muscle, I’m going to bust my gut laughing.’
    ‘I don’t work for Sharon anymore.’
    ‘She didn’t bring you?’
    ‘I came by because I overlooked a few things the other day.’
    ‘About that cunt? Don’t worry. There’s nothin’ up between us. She was just doin’ her usual thing - whorin’. Came looking for money.’
    He laughed viciously.
    ‘Thing she hasn’t figured out is, these days, she’d have to pay me to fuck her.’
    ‘Did she say why she needs the