The Ghost of Cutler Creek

by Cynthia DeFelice

  Ed McHugh looked confused, and Allie didn’t blame him. She, too, felt off balance in the face of Mr. Cutler’s accusations. Dub was staring at Mr. Cutler with narrowed eyes, his jaw jutting forward angrily. Officer Burke kept her expression neutral and continued speaking to Mr. Cutler. “Is the dog you’re speaking of a female golden retriever wearing a red collar?” she asked.

  “That’s the one,” Mr. Cutler declared.

  “Well, actually, that dog is the reason we’re here,” Officer Burke continued. “She’s been missing since about midnight last night, and we were wondering if you’ve seen her, or if you have any information on her whereabouts.”

  Allie’s eyes met L.J.’s at that moment, and she thought she saw a flicker of fear there. She looked back at Mr. Cutler to see how he was reacting to the question. He had arranged his features into a perfect mask of surprised innocence. “Missing? Well, how about that? I haven’t seen her, not since she attacked me on the street, anyway.” He half turned to L.J. and asked, “How about you? You seen that dog around here anyplace?”

  L.J. appeared startled at having been spoken to. Then he quickly shook his head and muttered, “No.”

  Mr. Cutler looked back at the four of them standing on the porch and shrugged his shoulders. “We ain’t seen her.” Then he shook his finger at Allie. “I told you you’d better learn to control that animal. See what happens when you’re careless?” He shook his head sorrowfully, as if at Allie’s irresponsibility.

  Allie was so amazed by the act the man was putting on for Officer Burke, and so angry, that she couldn’t have spoken even if she’d been able to think of what to say. He had some nerve!

  Mr. Cutler turned back to Officer Burke with a thin smile that made Allie think of a snake. “Well, Officer, you can be sure we’ll let you know if we see the dog. Won’t we?” he asked L.J.

  L.J. nodded.

  “So,” Mr. Cutler said. “If that’s all…” He paused, gesturing toward the stairs.

  “We’ll be going in just a moment, Mr. Cutler,” Officer Burke said smoothly. “There’s one more thing. We had a report that the dog might have been seen in this vicinity. We’ve also had a complaint about dogs barking out this way. So we’d like to take a look around, if you don’t mind.”

  Mr. Cutler’s snake-smile faltered for a moment, and he shot Allie a venomous glance before he said, “We ain’t got dogs. And who would be complaining if we did? There’s nobody living out here but me and the kid.”

  So Mrs. Cutler wasn’t there, Allie thought.

  “Then you won’t mind if we have a look around,” Officer Burke was saying calmly.

  Trying not to smile, Allie glanced at Dub. Ha! Now we’ve got you, you lying creep! She looked at L.J., who was staring at the floor, just as he had the morning his father had pushed him into Mr. Henry’s classroom. It struck Allie that he was trying to be invisible. Once again, she had to resist the impulse to feel sorry for him.

  Too late, L.J., she thought. You’re in it right along with your father. And now there’s no place to hide.

  “We’ll just go have a look in the barn,” Officer Burke said. “It’s possible the missing dog got in there somehow and can’t get out. Then we’ll be on our way.”

  Allie eyed Mr. Cutler nervously, sure that this was the moment when his phony act would crumble and he’d snarl at them to get lost. She cringed, waiting. But to her surprise, he gave an exaggerated sigh and said, “I told you, we ain’t got dogs and there’s nothing to see. But if you’re determined to waste time at the taxpayers’ expense, be my guest.”

  He started to close the door, but Officer Burke stopped him. “Would you mind coming with us, sir?” she asked.

  Allie wondered if the policewoman was worried about L.J. and his father escaping, or whether she didn’t want Mr. Cutler accusing them of damaging his property when he wasn’t looking, which seemed like the kind of thing he would do. In any case, it struck Allie as a good idea to keep an eye on L.J. and his father until they were handcuffed and on their way to jail—or whatever would happen after Hoover and the other dogs were discovered in the barn. Allie realized she didn’t know.

  Mr. Cutler shook his head in annoyance and rolled his eyes at L.J., as if the whole idea was too ridiculous to believe. As they walked toward the barn, Allie imagined Hoover’s joy when she saw them, and she had to restrain herself from running ahead of everyone to release Hoover from whatever horrid cage she was being kept in.

  As it was, Mr. Cutler reached the barn first, threw the door open defiantly, and motioned them inside. Then he stood back, crossing his arms against his chest.

  Allie edged past him, through the dust motes that danced in the light from the open doorway, into the darkness of the barn. At first, she couldn’t see anything. As she waited for her eyes to adjust to the dimness, she listened for a bark or a whine or a yip from the dogs. The silence was almost eerie. When she was able at last to see into the corners, she gasped in disbelief. Except for an old tractor and some tools, the barn was empty. There were no cages filled with puppy mill dogs living in desperation and misery. No Belle. No Hoover.

  Allie turned to find Dub, but instead her eyes locked with Mr. Cutler’s. He was staring right at her, his eyebrows lifted and his mouth twisted in a triumphant smirk. Allie shivered, and quickly looked away.

  Sixteen

  Officer Burke pulled a flashlight from her belt and shone it slowly around the inside of the barn, but Allie didn’t even watch. She knew from Mr. Cutler’s face that there was nothing to find. She looked at Dub, who appeared stunned, and L.J., who was still staring at the ground. She looked down, too, feeling like a balloon that had suddenly lost its air. Except that a balloon couldn’t feel fury and humiliation, the way Allie did.

  “Well, then,” Officer Burke said slowly, “I guess we’re finished here.” She put the flashlight back in its place on her belt. “We’ll be going now, Mr. Cutler. Sorry to bother you. Thank you for your time.”

  Mr. Cutler bared his crooked gray teeth, and Allie could see he was enjoying himself. “No problem, Officer,” he said jovially. “We’re always happy to help the police, aren’t we, L.J.?”

  L.J. mumbled something without taking his eyes off the ground, but Allie could tell that Mr. Cutler hadn’t really been looking for an answer. He was having too much fun, now that he’d tricked the police and made fools of her and Dub.

  She tried to catch Dub’s eye, but he was back at the barn door, sniffing loudly. Allie couldn’t imagine what he was doing.

  But then Dub said, “Wait a second!”

  All faces turned expectantly in his direction.

  “Take a whiff in here and tell me what you smell,” Dub said to Officer Burke.

  She looked at him, her expression half-curious and half-annoyed.

  “Please,” Dub added.

  Officer Burke sighed, stepped back into the barn, and took several deep sniffs. “Pine,” she said finally. “Like floor cleaner.”

  “Exactly!” said Dub, looking extremely pleased with himself.

  Allie wondered briefly if he was losing his mind. “Dub,” she urged, “what’s your point?”

  “What barn smells like pine?” Dub asked. Then, answering his own question, he said, “A barn that’s been cleaned out and disinfected to hide the smell of the dogs that were cooped up inside.” He looked around triumphantly.

  “This is ridiculous,” Mr. Cutler muttered. To Officer Burke, he said, “You gonna lock me up for having a clean barn?”

  The officer gave him a hard look and said only, “I think we’re finished here.”

  “But—” Allie began.

  Officer Burke shot her a look almost as fierce as the one she’d given Mr. Cutler, and Allie closed her mouth.

  “Come on,” Ed McHugh said tersely. “Let’s go.”

  As they all walked toward the driveway where the police car and van were parked, Mr. Cutler said, “You say that missing dog was seen out this way? A vicious animal like that—” He
broke off, shaking his head. “Well, I just hope you find her before she hurts somebody.”

  Allie could feel the man’s eyes on her, but she refused to look at him. She could just imagine the sly pleasure she’d see in his face. He was baiting her, and she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of responding.

  But there was something else that kept her quiet. There was something about his cockiness that was making her extremely uneasy. He was lying through his teeth: she knew it, Dub knew it, and L.J. knew it. But Mr. Cutler didn’t seem to have any fear of being caught. His confidence was puzzling—and frightening. It made him seem capable of almost anything.

  Allie hoped both of the Cutlers would leave them and go back to the house, but Mr. Cutler accompanied them to the police car, and L.J. followed. Several times, Allie had sneaked little peeks at L.J., and every time his face had been the same empty, careful mask. He wasn’t gloating, but he certainly didn’t seem bothered by the blatant lies. It wasn’t that she expected L.J. to speak out against his father, as afraid as he obviously was. But part of her wanted to believe L.J. was as disgusted as she was by Mr. Cutler’s behavior.

  Allie told herself she was being ridiculous. She’d known L.J. was trouble the first time she’d laid eyes on him at school, and he’d never done anything to change her mind. Like father, like son. They were in it together.

  She got into the back seat of the police car next to Dub, rather than sit up front with Officer Burke, who had undoubtedly had it with them both. Allie and Dub watched as Ed McHugh shook hands with Mr. Cutler and said good night to Officer Burke. Then the Humane Society officer leaned into the rear of the car and said, “Next time, you kids get your facts straight before you waste adults’ time, you hear?” He didn’t wait for an answer before getting into the van, and Allie felt far too demoralized to speak, anyway.

  Officer Burke got into the car and started the engine. Before they pulled away, Mr. Cutler said to her, “No harm done, Officer. You know kids. They get wild ideas sometimes. What are you gonna do?” He shrugged. “I’ll even forget my complaint against this young lady, seeing as how she probably feels bad enough about the dog being missing and all.”

  Officer Burke nodded and said, “Good night, Mr. Cutler.” As they pulled away, Allie forced herself to look back. Mr. Cutler had turned and was heading to the house, but L.J. was standing in the driveway watching them leave. She had an odd thought: He’s home, but he looks lost.

  After she had turned from Dundee onto the road leading into town, Officer Burke finally spoke. “Well,” she said, “that didn’t exactly go the way we expected.”

  “What do we do now?” Dub asked. “Get a search warrant?”

  Allie looked at him in amazement. Didn’t he understand that Mr. Cutler had outfoxed them? They were, at best, two kids whose imaginations had gotten out of hand. At worst, they were troublemakers lodging false accusations against innocent citizens. Either way, the police wouldn’t want any more to do with them.

  “We have no reason to get a warrant,” the officer replied, sounding surprised. “He let us look around. There was nothing to see. And we can’t arrest him because his barn smells too clean.”

  “So that’s it?” Dub protested. “The guy was lying!”

  “You mean about Hoover attacking him?” Officer Burke asked.

  Dub rolled his eyes in frustration and Allie answered this time. “Hoover doesn’t like him,” she admitted. “But she just barked at him. She never attacked him.”

  “He said you two were out there bothering his son. What was that about?”

  Allie and Dub looked at each other. Allie imagined saying, Well, you see, a ghost dog led me there in a dream. Instead, she said, “We told Mr. Henry we’d try to make friends with L.J.—that’s the son—because he came at the end of the year and didn’t know anybody. So we did.”

  Officer Burke was quiet for the rest of the drive. When they pulled up in front of Dub’s house, she turned around to face Allie and Dub. “I don’t understand exactly what is going on here,” she said. “But I’m advising you to stay away from the Cutlers. Hoover isn’t there, and I didn’t see anything to back up your theory about a puppy mill. We have no reason to bother those people any further. Do you understand?”

  Allie and Dub nodded silently.

  Officer Burke sighed and pushed a lock of hair off her forehead. Speaking kindly but firmly, she said, “Listen, I know you believed what you were saying. But it’s serious business to accuse a person of theft. And there is simply no evidence. You’ve got to drop this now. Agreed?”

  Allie and Dub nodded again.

  “All right, then,” she said. “Good night, Dub.”

  Dub got out of the car, reached into his pocket, and handed Officer Burke Mr. Cutler’s business card. “Maybe this isn’t proof,” he said, “but we think it might be a clue.”

  Officer Burke examined the card. “Thank you, Dub,” she said. “I’ll look into it.”

  Allie watched Dub walk up the driveway to his house. The slump of his shoulders told her he felt as discouraged as she did. The way he kicked at a spot on the asphalt meant he, too, was thinking, But this isn’t right. He was lying!

  When Officer Burke and Allie got out of the car in front of the Nicholses’ house, Allie’s parents were working in the flower gardens out front, and Mike was riding his Big Wheel in the driveway. He jumped off and ran toward the car, and Allie’s parents came over, too.

  “Well, how did it go?” asked Mr. Nichols as Michael climbed into the front seat, making his own siren noises. Officer Burke didn’t answer, waiting for Allie to respond.

  “From the looks on your faces, not too well,” said Mrs. Nichols, glancing anxiously from Allie to Officer Burke and back.

  “Not too well,” Allie echoed glumly.

  “Was he uncooperative?” Mrs. Nichols asked.

  Allie didn’t answer, and after a moment, Officer Burke said, “No. He let us look around. But we found no sign of Hoover or any other dogs.”

  Allie’s mother arched her eyebrows questioningly, waiting to hear the rest of the story. Officer Burke said, “Allie? Will you excuse us for just a minute? I’d like to talk to your parents.”

  In a dull voice, Allie said, “Sure.”

  “Michael, go inside with Allie and get a drink,” Mrs. Nichols said, looking worried now.

  Allie trudged up the walk with Michael, trying to hold back a sudden rush of tears. Here we go again, she thought. Once again, her parents were going to think that her overactive imagination was getting her into trouble. Once again, she couldn’t explain herself without saying that she was responding to a ghost. Not only that, but a ghost dog. It wasn’t an explanation that was likely to calm her parents’ fears.

  She poured Michael a glass of lemonade. He took a sip, then said, “You told me everything would be okay after you went to the bad place. But I still smell the poopy smell.” He sniffed. “And it’s still crying. Don’t you hear it, Allie?”

  Allie paused to concentrate and realized that Michael was right. She knew she hadn’t fixed anything by taking the police to the Cutlers’ house, but she’d been so frustrated by Mr. Cutler that she hadn’t paid attention to the faint but persistent sound of whimpering in her head. It was almost like background music, easy to ignore when she had other things on her mind.

  And the “poopy” odor. Yes, she smelled it now. It was the smell she’d expected to find at the Cutlers’ barn. She hadn’t even realized she’d been smelling it until Michael mentioned it.

  But so what? She had seen for herself: the barn was empty, and Mr. Cutler had cleaned away all the evidence.

  Over the rim of the glass of lemonade, Michael’s eyes looked frightened, and Allie didn’t know what to tell him to make him feel better. Hoover was still missing, and she had no idea where to look. She was no closer to helping her ghost rest in peace. She had accomplished exactly nothing, except to alienate the police, upset her parents—and give Mr. Cutler a good laugh.

&n
bsp; Seventeen

  Later, Allie was lying in bed, exhausted but too wired to sleep, when her mother came in.

  “Al? Are you awake?”

  “Um-hmm.”

  Mrs. Nichols sat on the edge of the bed and gently smoothed Allie’s hair. “I’m sorry about the way things went, sweetie,” she said.

  “I know, Mom,” Allie mumbled.

  “You want so much to find Hoover safe and sound. It’s easy to see how you could take a few bits of information, put them together, and come up with an answer, even if it was the wrong answer.”

  Allie held back a sigh. She knew what her mother was going to say, and she couldn’t blame her, really.

  “But promise me you’ll do as Officer Burke asked, and stay away from those Cutlers. From what Officer Burke said, Mr. Cutler seems to have taken a dislike to you, and he sounds like a good person to avoid.”

  Allie was saved from answering by her father’s appearance at the door. “Al, I tried Mr. Henry’s number again, but there’s still no answer. It’s just as well, really. There’s nothing he can do from out there, and knowing Hoover is missing will only make him worry.”

  Her father was right. It was awful knowing about Hoover and being helpless to find her. “Thanks, Dad,” she said.

  “I’m hoping by the time we do reach him, we’ll have good news to report,” Mr. Nichols went on.

  Allie wanted to believe this, but she no longer could.

  “The police know their job, honey,” said her mother. “Officer Burke assured us she intends to continue working on this.”

  How is she going to catch Mr. Cutler if she’s already decided he’s innocent? thought Allie. But she didn’t say anything. What was the point?

  “Good night, Allie-Cat.”