Wanted

by John M. Floyd

About the Author: John M. Floyd’s work has appeared in more than 300 different publications, including EQMM, AHMM, Strand Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, and the 2015, 2018, and 2020 editions of The Best American Mystery Stories. A former Air Force captain and IBM systems engineer, he is also an Edgar nominee, a four-time Derringer Award winner, and the 2018 recipient of the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer Award for lifetime achievement.

Excerpt

“I know what happened, Bud,” Eddie said. “I know she poisoned you.”

As he spoke, thirteen-year-old Eddie Webber sat with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms hugging his ankles, looking out at the rolling hills and muddy river north of the farm. Then he turned to look at the wooden marker sticking out of the still-fresh mound of dirt beside him. On the marker were the roughly carved words BUDDY – 1876 – BEST DOG EVER.

It was almost two days ago that he’d found his little dog’s body, had literally tripped over it in the dark on his way to the outhouse after supper. Heartbroken, he had sprinted back to the house in tears to tell his pa, and the two of them had buried Buddy together, digging by the light of a lantern on top of the little rise behind the barn. The next morning Eddie had carved the words onto a board and sharpened one end and stuck it into the brown earth beside the grave.

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