The chief nodded, his weathered face serious beneath salt-and-pepper hair. "Miss Kerrigan. I understand you were working during the incident the other evening."
"Yes, sir." Beth hovered near the door, wincing a bit at the chief's understatement. "I was the one who called the officers."
Troy gestured to the last vacant chair. "Please have a seat, Beth. No need to stand."
As Beth situated herself, Suzanne leaned forward. "Chief Flynn was just explaining why he came to speak with us in person."
The chief crossed his arms, his uniform crisp despite the late afternoon hour. "As I was saying, we're concerned aboutescalating tensions in the community since the revelation about shifters went public. What happened here appears to be the first direct confrontation we've had locally."
"It certainly caught us off guard," Troy admitted. "We've implemented security measures in anticipation of any attacks, but honestly, we weren't expecting someone to come in like she did, just ranting."
"People rarely make sense when they're driven by fear," Chief Flynn replied. His gaze settled on Beth. "I read the report from my officers. They were impressed with how you handled the situation—especially your interaction with the boy."
Beth's cheeks warmed slightly. "I was just worried about Todd. He's clearly in a difficult situation."
"CPS is following up," the chief assured her. "But that's not the only reason I'm here. We're establishing a community response team to address potential incidents involving shifters. Given your clinic's connection to the shifter community through Dr. Shelton's wife, I wanted to coordinate directly with you."
Douglas dipped his chin in acknowledgement. "We appreciate that, Chief. We've been working on increasing security, especially for our night shift staff."
"That's why I asked Beth to join us," Troy added. "She works nights with our security team and can communicate our discussion to them."
"Security team?" The chief raised an eyebrow.
"Private security," Suzanne clarified smoothly. "Given Katerina's interview, we felt it was a prudent measure."
Chief Flynn studied each of them for a moment before nodding. "Smart move. I'd like contact information for your head of security. We should coordinate response protocols with them directly."
Chief Flynn's stern expression softened slightly. "That's not the only reason I'm here, actually." He shifted his weight, pridecreeping into his voice. "My son Daniel worked here the last couple years, helping Dr. McCandliss in the barn."
"Daniel! Of course." Douglas's face lit up with genuine warmth. "He's a great kid, Chief. He really impressed me with his work ethic and how he handled the horses. We definitely feel his loss since he left for college. He has a real gift with the animals."
Beth noticed how the chief's professional demeanor had shifted when discussing his son, his broad shoulders relaxing slightly as pride replaced authority in his bearing.
"And that's why I'm here." Chief Flynn ran one hand through his short red hair. "I'm not sure if you are aware, but a couple years back, Daniel started getting into some serious trouble. Running with a bad group of kids. Skipping school, drinking and smoking, being disrespectful. That sort of thing. He had nothing but scorn for me, when I attempted to reason with him. He was on the wrong path, and I felt helpless. There seemed no way to get through to him. Then one day, he and some friends went out joyriding, fortunately in a relative's car."
Beth glanced at Douglas, noting his furrowed brow as he processed this information.
"I wouldn't have begun to think that of young Daniel," Douglas confessed. "I'm trying hard to make that connection."
Chief Flynn's fingers drummed once against the arm of his chair. "The D.A. and I sat down with the boys and their parents." His mouth quirked slightly. "These kids wanted to act like adults, so we decided to treat them like adults."
Douglas leaned forward, intrigued. "How so?"
"Simple choice," the chief continued. "Get after-school jobs - including weekends - or face felony theft charges." He shrugged. "Amazing how quickly their perspective changed when real consequences were on the table."
Troy's eyes crinkled with amusement. "Let me guess - they suddenly discovered a work ethic?"
"You could say that." Chief Flynn's stern expression cracked into a grin. "Though Daniel nearly quit after his first day here."
"Cleaning the kennels," Douglas said, understanding immediately.
"Exactly." The chief chuckled. "The kid came home reeking of disinfectant and dog hair, complaining about everything. But something made him stick it out." His expression grew thoughtful. "Then that second week, you moved him to the barn."
The chief's expression softened, pride replacing his professional demeanor. "From that day forward, everything changed." He shook his head in wonder. "Daniel came home that first evening talking nonstop about some wild mare."
Douglas's eyebrows rose. "Firefly?"
"That's the one." Chief Flynn leaned forward. "He was fascinated by how you handled her. Said you didn't just bark orders at him like most adults do." The chief's voice grew warmer. "You actually took time to explain why things needed to be done a certain way."
