“Handguns won’t do much except make a bear angry. And while we don’t know what a bullet would do to a Bigfoot,” the smile again, “I’d rather not have you be the one who finds out, okay?”
“Yes. Of course. I could have really been hurt, couldn’t I? A bear.” She was going a little pale, so I helped her sit down on the couch.
“We’ve had them in the area before,” I said. “Never had any deaths or maulings. So I think you’re going to be fine as long as you stick to daylight.”
“And if I see one again?”
“Stay very still and let it walk on by.”
“Right. I can do that. I can do that.”
“All right then. If you’re feeling okay, Mrs. Kestner?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine, thank you. I’m sorry to bring you out here and ramble on about…well.” She blushed.
I waved a hand. “No problem at all. That’s what we’re here for. Are you sure you don’t want me to call someone to sit with you a bit? Georgia or Paul?”
“No, really. I’m good.” Her color was warming up back to normal.
“All right then. We’ll leave you to your day. I’m so glad you’re okay, Mrs. Kestner.”
“Thank you. Thank you both.” She stood and walked us the short distance to the door. “Thank you for coming out.”
“Any time.”
We stepped into the bright afternoon sun and wind and she shut the door behind us.
“You lied,” Than noted.
“Yes, I did. It’s in the rules. Especially when it comes to keeping the supernaturals safe. If people knew that Bigfoot really lived here, swarms of people would come to try to find him, and eventually someone would, because he is a dumbass who can’t resist a shiny glass bulb.”
“Are you angry?”
“Not really.” I started the car and waited until he had buckled, which he did with such a look on his face, before driving onto the street. “He’s never been caught, not even spotted for long. So it’s not like I’m going to have to squash hundreds of sightings.”
“He is acting in his nature, and though it might be annoying, it isn’t destructive,” Than suggested.
“Exactly. We put up with a lot of this kind of behavior as cops. Although stealing the light bulbs isn’t ideal.”
“And the demon?”
“What about the demon?”
“Is he not acting in his nature by possessing Delaney’s soul?”
“His nature is harmful.”
“Do you truly think so?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
“Not at all.”
I sighed. “You like Delaney, don’t you? You have a…friendship?”
“Death is a friend to many.”
“Vague.”
