Free The Dolocher by European P. Douglas Page B

don’t know, they all sound the same to me really,” she said stifling her tears.
    “They brought this man into the prison?”
    “Yes and then the doctor came.”
    “What did he say?”
    “He said it looked like some animal had done it.”
    “Did he say what animal he thought it might have been?”
    “I think he said it could have been a dog.”
    “And they took him away to the hospital where he died. Can you remember anything else about that event?
    “No, it seemed to happen so fast.”
    “Ok, what about the second guard?”
    “I saw it that night; I was awake.”
    “You saw it?” he sat forward now and studied her seriously.
    “Yes, first I heard it growling outside.”
    “Growling? Like a dog?”
    “Could have been a dogs growl”
    “And you saw it?”
    “Yes, but I was so afraid that there were tears in my eyes when it passed by the cell window,” again her tears were falling.
    “What was it?”
    “I couldn’t tell!” she cried out feeling as though she had let someone down by not being able to say what it was.
    “Relax it’s ok, here have a drink,” he said pouring her some of the wine he was drinking. She took a mouthful, and she almost choked on the taste of it, much different that the ‘wine’ she was used to drinking at the brothel. She coughed and then regained her breath again embarrassed by her display. “Could it have been a man?” he asked her.
    “No, it was big and black and I’m sure it was on four legs, oh and those teeth!” she had just remembered this and she thought it odd that she should have an image of those sharp fangs now and to not have perceived them at the time.
    “The teeth?”
    “Yes they were huge, much bigger than you would expect for even a creature of that size.”
    “Did they bring this man into the prison?” Kate looked at him as though he were stupid.
    “There was nothing left of him to bring in.”
    “Nothing?”
    “Well, they had his torn clothes and his halberd but that was all.”
    “Did the doctor come again?”
    “No, there was nothing for him to examine,” again she wondered why he was asking such silly questions.
    “Did anything else happen that night?”
    “No.”
    “Did you notice anything odd on any of the other nights that you were there, anyone passing by the windows late at night or any strange noises in the area?” She thought about this, but nothing was coming to mind. She could just sense the stench of the place in her nostrils, and she almost retched at the thought of it.
    “No, nothing I can remember anyway.”
    “Ok,”, he said and he thought for a while about what she had said. Kate took this opportunity to continue eating, and she took some more small sips of the wine which was much better than she had though after the first taste.
    Finally, he stood up, and she looked up at him.
    “I will have my driver drop you home or to the brothel or wherever you want to go in a little bit.”
    “Thank you”
    “I just want you to do one more thing before you go,” he said with an evil smile as his hands began to undo his trousers.
     

Chapter 12
     
    Superstition and rumour combined make one of the most powerful and persuasive concoctions known to man. After the two killings at ‘The Black Dog’ people started to talk, and assumptions and gossip were repeated as facts throughout the markets, coffee houses and taverns. What was said was fanciful and outrageous but on these dark, cold evenings, the words began to gain traction, and the fears of the people were given solid form.
    It was said that the two guards who had been killed, the second one completely devoured-his body never found, had been particularly cruel to Thomas Olocher on the night he was in that prison. It was said that he cursed them and swore revenge-( this information apparently came from one of the soldiers who had been placed in the prison on duty that night) and that now his spirit was back and roaming the streets at night meeting out revenge to those