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“Attacked?”

I nodded. “I think you have a voicemail.”

He frowned at the phone on the desk and then looked at me again. “Are you okay?”

I held up my wrapped finger. “I’m fine, but … have you heard what was found out in the desert?”

“The skeleton? Yes.”

“I probably wouldn’t be reporting the attack if I didn’t wonder about its potential tie to … the other things, I guess. I’m really okay.”

“You should always report an attack. Come sit down. Let’s write it up.”

Chief Verro was a smart man. He knew how to ask questions and what to put in a police report. He told me that no one else had come in, at least recently, with a complaint about a man who looked like the one I described. He seemed to know his way around being a law enforcement officer. It was refreshing.

“My other officer won’t be in today, but I’ll talk to her about this guy, see if she’s heard anything,” he said after we’d gone over the specifics a few times. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Her? She?”

Verro nodded, but still frowned.

“I’m sorry I sound surprised. The last time I was here, there were two male officers hanging out playing solitaire on their computers. Now we have a police chief and a female officer?”

Verro nodded. “Yes, we do. So, Steve and Caleb?”

“Yeah.”

“They’ve been relieved of their duties. Not my call. I might have given them a chance, but the city manager, Virginia Walthrop, told me she wanted a fresh start when she hired me.”

“Wait. Virgie, the diner’s owner, is the city manager?”

“Well, I don’t know. Petite woman? She didn’t introduce herself as Virgie.”

“Big hair?”

“Sounds about right. No one told me she also owns the diner. I still have a lot to learn.”

“Apparently, I do too. I didn’t know she … I, uh. Well, welcome to Black Vulture.”

“Thank you.” Verro looked at me like he knew the questions that were now running through my mind. He could have ignored them, but I was glad he didn’t.

“The city council got some sort of infusion of money because of a new tax law that applies to the extraterrestrial place, The Institute. I really don’t know the details, but here I am. Steve and Caleb are gone, and I’ve hired Jenna Griffen to help me out. Between you and me, she’d probably be the better chief, but I didn’t hesitate when Ms. Walthrop offered me the position.”

Jenna’s name didn’t sound familiar. “Are either of you from around here?”

“I’m from Prescott. Jenna moved here not long ago, but I’m not sure where she came from.”

“And you chose to come to Black Vulture?” I cleared my throat, trying to skip over the surprise.

“I took the position of chief because I thought it might be good for my career, but I like Black Vulture just fine.”

I did too, but I often thought that was only because it was the place where all the bad stuff had happened to me; the town and I had trauma bonded.

“Congratulations then,” I said.

Verro nodded. “I hear you help us out around here sometimes.”

“I do.”