Clean Sweep Read Online Free PDF Page A

phone beeped. "I need to report an attack," the man said. "Something chased my wife..."
    I had minutes before the area was crawling with cops. Well, didn't that just take the cake?
    The fence belonging to the house on the left had a gate. I reached over it, groping for a lock. My fingers brushed metal. Victory! I flipped the latch. The gate swung open. I hooked the creature, dragged it into the neighboring backyard, and shut the door behind me. So far, so good.
    The backyard was empty. Young oaks threw their shadows over the grass and to the right a wooden playhouse crouched in the shadows. Too small and too exposed to offer a good hiding spot. Besides, I couldn't spend my night in the playhouse. I had no idea how long the cops would stay, and dragging the beast home in daylight wasn't an option.
    I pulled the creature across the grass to the opposite side of the yard and tried the fence. It was old and weather-beaten.
    The distant wail of a siren rolled through the night. Alarm shot through me. I grabbed the old gray wood and pulled. A nail creaked, the wood popped, and a board came free in my hand. I grabbed the next one.
    The siren was getting closer.
    I yanked the second board off the fence. Here's hoping people in the house were sound sleepers.
    The siren screeched, so close.
    I pried another board loose, then another. The gap had to be wide enough. I hooked the beast under the ribs and pushed it through the hole. It stuck, wedged. I grabbed its legs and stuffed them through, one at the time, careful not to touch any of the slime. Come on, fit through, you ugly thing.
    The siren fell silent. I glanced over my shoulder. Red and blue lights illuminated the night behind me. The cavalry had arrived.
    I pushed the last of the beast through the gap and climbed after it. To the right of me, a short palm spread its leaves, flanked by elephant grass. Water splashed.
    "Did you hear that?" a woman asked.
    I crouched behind the growth. No. No, you didn't hear anything. Don't mind me, I'm not hiding the corpse of a nasty creature behind your flower bed. Nope. Nothing here but cute, fluffy bunnies scampering adorably into the night...
    "Hear what?" a man asked.
    "The sirens, Kevin."
    "No."
    Kevin was my kind of people.
    "Kevin..."
    Water splashed. "I've got the only siren I care about right here."
    Hello there, Mr. Smooth.
    The woman giggled.
    I leaned forward and peeked out from behind the greenery. A pool spread in front of me. Solar lights floated on the water, dappling the bottom with red and yellow circles. At the far end a man and woman in their forties sat on a step, half-submerged.
    "Come on," Kevin murmured. "Kids are asleep, the water is warm, the moon is out... I have the wine. We should drink the wine and then..."
    "Would you like to fool around?" the woman asked.
    "I wouldn't be opposed, no."
    She put her arms around his neck. "Getting romantic in your old age?"
    The shrubs at the edge of the pool were too short. I could possibly sneak by if I moved fast while they were distracted. If I tried to drag the body, they'd definitely see me.
    I looked at the house. Directly in front of me, on the second floor, the curtains were open. An iPod charging station sat on the windowsill next to a stuffed teddy bear. Kid room.
    More giggling.
    I snuck along the shrubs, sprinted to the side of the house, and held my breath.
    "Mmm, taking charge of the situation...," the woman purred.
    "You love it, baby."
    I almost felt bad, but I had no choice. I put my hand against the house. I was much weaker outside the inn, but I could still manage a basic push.
    The inner workings of the house spread before me, the structural beams, the long stretches of pipe, and the spider work of wiring. I singled out the right wire and sent a gentle nudge.
    The iPod station blared, spilling Nicki Minaj into the night.
    The pool fell silent.
    Something crashed above me. The music died.
    "Mom?" a young female voice said. "Is that you?"
    "Yes," the woman answered.