AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Happy Halloween, Chief. Everything okay?” I asked.
Her leisurely pace suggested everything was, in fact, okay. “Just making the rounds. I look forward to passing this off to the new recruit next year, but I figured I’d spare him this year.”
“You finally hired someone? That’s good news.” The previous officer died under mysterious circumstances—well, mysterious to humans like Chief Garcia. The supernaturals in town knew Officer Lindley had been killed by a literal monster.
The chief nodded. “It took time, but we found the right officer for the job.” She looked at my bowl. “Have you had any kids, or did you get peckish?”
“A handful. They were fine.”
“I wouldn’t expect too many. If they climb the hill to get here, they’ll miss out on at least a dozen more houses, including a full-size Hershey bar house.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Someone sounds invested.”
“I overheard one of the groups discussing it. They opted to stick to the main neighborhoods, as tempted as they were to have a reason to visit the Castle.” She peered over my shoulder to the house. “A little skimpy on the decorations. You couldn’t manage one of those inflatable ghosts or a smoke machine? Hewitt’s had them both on sale last week.”
“I’ve been avoiding Hewitt’s. Every time I go in there, I think of ten more projects I need to do.” The Castle was a money pit; there was no way around it. Still, I’d committed to building a home here, which meant I’d get to each one of the projects—eventually.
“I know the feeling. Every time I look at my desk, I see two more files that need attention. Officer Leo is going to save my sanity.” She tilted her head skyward. “Nice night for the kids. I’m glad it didn’t rain.”
I followed her gaze to the full moon. I hadn’t even realized. The wolves would be crawling the woods tonight.
The chief’s phone vibrated on her hip, and she snatched it to her ear. “Chief Garcia.” Her face tensed as she listened. “I’ll be right there.”
“Problem?”
“Fender bender. One of the drivers nodded off behind the wheel and hit a street sign.”
“Glad it was a sign and not a trick-or-treater.”
“You and me both.” She contemplated the bowl. “Mind if I take one? I could use the sugar.”
“My Nerds are your Nerds.”
She snagged a box and shook it in appreciation. “Thanks.”
“She’s right, you know,” Ray said, once the chief had returned to her vehicle.
“That she needs a sugar high to deal with a fender bender?”
“That you should’ve invested in one of those inflatable ghosts. They’re not too expensive and they look festive.”
I carried the bowl toward the house. “Why would I buy a fake ghost when I have two real ones of my own?”
“Someone is calling you nonstop,” Nana Pratt said from the porch, where I’d left my phone.
I swiped the phone from the floor. Gun’s name lit up the screen. “Hey.”
“Bad news,” Gun reported. “Magnarella wants to meet you in person before he’ll agree to sign off on you as Dusty’s replacement.”
“Is that in the contract?”
“Provision 3(d).”
“This contract seems to heavily favor the party who drafted it.”
“Magnarella is a mobster with deep pockets. I’m sure he has entire law firms at his disposal.”
“When’s the meeting?”
