Small Bites 1

Beware the Werewolf

“Beware the Werewolf”.

Kessler looked at the sign for a moment, disbelieving. A werewolf? In Covington? Covington didn’t have werewolves, it had little old ladies with electric scooters. Little league just down the block. And one stoplight on main street.

No bars, no night clubs, no hunting ranges. None of the things that usually drew were’s into public places. Yet here he stood with a gaggle of onlookers, staring at the bright red sign.

A large moving van sat in the drive with men in blue uniforms scurrying back and forth with antique tables, old gaudy lamps, and baskets of knitting. Kessler would have sworn it was yet another retiree making her way to the ‘quaint’ little village.

In his head he substitute ‘quaint’ for ‘boring’ before taking another look at the sign.

Picking up his cell, he called dispatch and had them patch him through to his partner, Hannity.

“Hey, isn’t it your day off?” Hannity asked.

“Ya, I know, you were right. This time. I swear I’ll have a full day off next week. I won’t even leave the house.”

“Ya, sure, I’ve heard it before. So, what has you calling in today? Cat in a tree? Little old lady driving through a fruit stand again?”

“Did we get any licenses for a werewolf this month?”

“A werewolf? In Covington?”

“That was my first thought, too. Maybe it’s a fake sign? But I’ve got a gaggle of retirees waiting to see a werewolf.”

“Hell, I wouldn’t mind seeing one myself. Never have gone into the city to see one.”

“Well?”

“Hold onto you’re britches, these computers are slower than molasses.”

Kessler heard a few keyboard clicks, then Hannity said, “17592 Eagle Dr. They applied for it last week.”

“You’d think brass would tell us about a wolf moving into town. Isn't that why we register them in the first place?"

“There’s a note saying this one isn’t dangerous.”

“What? How the hell is a werewolf ‘not dangerous’? We all know what happens when they aren’t taken care of during full moons.”

“Not sure, maybe you should go talk to the owner since you’re there.”

“Owner?”

“Yep, says the were is registered to Ms. Beatrix Forza as a pet.”

“Pet? Is it a guard dog?”

“Doesn’t say. People up in registry really dropped the ball on this one. There isn’t any information other than owner, address and where it came from.”

“And where did it come from?”

“Seattle.”

“Seattle! The were’s run around wild up there, and they let one come down here, as a pet, without some kind of background check? What were they thinking?”

“You want backup?”

He looked up at the bright sun. “No, I think it’s safe. I’ll call you later.”

***

Ms. Beatrix Forza was a sweet little grandmotherly type. She had rosy cheeks creased in smile lines, and her stark white hair was held up in a bun. Kessler half expected iced tea and cookies.

“I’m officer Kessler, ma’am.”

She peered over her glasses. “You don’t look like an officer. Where’s your uniform?”

“It was my day off, but I live right down the street. I thought I’d take a moment to see what all the fuss was about.”

“What fuss? There’s no fuss. We’re just moving everything in right now. It’s all going as scheduled.”

“I meant the neighbors, ma’am. They seem absolutely fascinated by the sign on your fence.”

“What? That? Well, I did think it would be better to warn people before they go stumbling into the poor thing.”

“Then, you really have a werewolf?”

“Oh, yes.”

“And is he house broken?”

“House broken? Certainly not. I wouldn’t have him in the house. That definitely wouldn’t do.”

“You don’t let him in the house? Ma’am, we can’t have a wild werewolf running through the city.”

“Oh, don’t worry, officer," she said, patting Kessler on the arm. "My werewolf is quite tame. I wouldn’t let the pup hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it.”

“I did check, and it seems you have all the permits, but they seemed to be incomplete.”

“But I filled in all the questions on the form.”

“Werewolves are endangered. They’ve been ruled a protected species by the advocates and one which cannot be exploited. They simply wouldn’t tolerate a werewolf chained or caged under duress. You’ll have to prove that you aren’t exploiting it in any way, especially since you said the werewolf was a pet.

“And they’re dangerous. You’ll need to show that this one is tame. Simply having him come into the station when he’s... in a sober way... will be fine. Let him speak for himself.”

“Hmm... that might be a small problem. He can’t speak very well, in either form.”

“You haven’t gagged him or anything have you?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that," she said, laughing. "I’ve no reason to do anything like that. He’s been with me since long before he was bitten, after all.”

“Then why can’t he speak for himself?”

“I suppose I’ll just have to show you. Come this way.”

She led him through a side gate into a perfectly manicured lawn. A paved path wound down under a willow tree. The pushed aside the curtain of willow to see a koi pond, lined in granite.

Kessler looked at her curiously.

“Well, go on,” she said gesturing to the pool.

He gazed into the pool. Something moved in the murky depths. A koi with dappled gold and black scales, swam up to the surface. It was the biggest koi Kessler had ever seen.

Beatrix leaned over the edge of the pool, caressing the fish.

“Poor dear. The werewolf bit him a year ago. He’s never been the same.”

“The… fish?”

“Mr. Whiskers. The bite let him grow unusually large. That’s why we moved here. He couldn’t fit in the little aquarium anymore, and he’s just going to get bigger.”

Kessler couldn’t say anything. It was a fish. And a werewolf?

“How does a fish turn into a wolf?”

“Well, he actually turns into a dog fish when the full moon is out. But not any dog fish you’d want to tangle with. First fish I ever saw with fangs. But he isn’t dangerous unless someone falls in the pool on a full moon.”

Kessler sighed. How would he explain this one to Hannity?