The Silence of the Llamas by Anne Canadeo

just a corral height, easy to scale coming and going, Lucy thought.
    “Want me to go take a look around over there?” Officer Stahl offered. “I might find something.”
    “All right, but don’t disturb anything,” Hanson told him.
    As the younger officer trotted off with a flashlight, Officer Hanson turned back to Ben. Lucy thought it was too dark to find much evidence, but maybe the dried grass and ground were soft enough for someone to have left a trail of entry and retreat.
    Officer Hanson turned back to Ben. “Go on, Mr. Krueger. Any idea why your neighbor would do something like this?”
    “He hates us. He wants to scare us off this farm. He’s been harassing us since we moved in, back in July.”
    The officer looked at Ben quizzically. “Harassing you? How?”
    Ben recounted the incidents, including the paint ball attack on Saturday. “We should have called the police after that. We thought about it. We just weren’t sure what to do. We believed it would stop. We’re new here. We don’t want to cause trouble with our neighbors . . .”
    “Slow down a minute. These incidents have been going on for weeks and you haven’t reported them?”
    “We should have. I can see that now,” Ben said with regret. “But we didn’t want to make a big drama out it. We’re just starting a business out here. We didn’t want a lot of bad publicity.”
    Ellie bowed her head. Lucy could see she felt contrite now, even foolish.
    The police officer stared at them both a long moment, then checked his pad again. “I need to ask you a few more questions for my report. Then I’m going to call this in. Detectives from the county will come out to follow up. Might be later tonight or even tomorrow. It’s hard to say.” He glanced down at Daphne again. “Don’t disturb anything in this field. Keep the other animals out of here until the property has been examined for evidence. We’re going to secure the area with tape.”
    “Do you have to?” Ellie sounded upset. “I mean, people will be able to see that from the road. Is it really necessary?”
    “This is a crime, ma’am. A felony. Whoever did this could get up to five years in jail.”
    “They deserve fifty,” Ben said loudly.
    Officer Hanson didn’t reply. He flipped his pad closed and stuck it in his back pocket. “I hate to see animals hurt. I hear llamas can be pretty good pets. Gentle creatures.”
    “Oh, yes, they are. She was very dear. We’re going to miss her,” Ellie said quietly. She dabbed her eyes again.
    The younger officer returned—looking eager to report, Lucy noticed. “There are some scuff marks on the fence. They show up pretty well on the white paint. And some footprints nearby. Over there, the side of the corral facing the woods.” He pointed with his light.
    Officer Hanson didn’t seem surprised. “Okay, show me.” He left the group and headed across the pasture with his partner.
    As the two officers walked away, Lucy noticed Ben lookedsuddenly alert. She followed his gaze and noticed a tall, thin figure at the edge of the woods—a man in a military-style camouflage jacket and a black baseball cap pulled down over his brow. He stood still and straight, blending in with the trees and brush.
    Lucy blinked, wondering if she was just imagining him there. She wondered how long he’d been watching them. She would never have noticed if it hadn’t been for the sudden change in Ben’s body language.
    Lucy stepped closer to Matt. “That must be Justin Ridley,” she whispered. She touched his shoulder and showed him where to look.
    “Just stay right here.” Matt gripped her arm and drew her closer. “Don’t go near them.”
    Ben had already started marching across the pasture, the beam of his flashlight fixed on Ridley, like a spotlight on a black stage.
    Ridley didn’t flinch. He barely moved. Only lifted his chin a notch higher, staring straight into the light.
    “Returned to the scene of the crime, did you?” Ben shouted as