Page 29 of Glow

Sheriff Armel was still at the office and greeted them with a skeptical expression. “Do you have a crime to report?”

“There’s a bounty on my head, someone is trying to kill me because I’m the Dover Demon, and I saw a dragon in the woods,” Dan blurted.

Armel blinked slowly. “Perhaps we should talk in my office.” He ushered them in, gestured toward the chairs, shut the door, and settled behind his desk.

“Now, can you repeat that, slowly?” he growled in a voice that seemed all too appropriate with Armel being a bear shifter.

To his credit, Armel listened without interrupting as Dan went through each element, telling the sheriff about the podcast, the reward, and his sighting of the strange creature in the forest.

“And you’re telling me this now, why?” Armel asked.

“He just moved to town yesterday after he fled for his life in the middle of the night,” Quinn broke in. “It’s the first chance he’s really had.”

“Harrumph.” Armel didn’t argue, but the incisive glare he gave made Dan sure that if he had actually been guilty of anything, he would be spilling his guts.

“I’ve talked to Dr. Jeffries about protection, and he’s arranging for a witch to help me with spells tomorrow. My cryptid side isn’t really a fighter, and I’m a meteorologist, which doesn’t involve guns. I’m in the process of moving to a place here in town,” Dan went on. “I’m afraid the bounty hunter will find me.”

“I thought about asking him to move in with me, for safety,” Quinn added, “but I’m gone most of the day, every day, and my cabin is pretty remote. He seemed safer closer to town, where people might notice strangers poking around.”

Armel ran a hand through his hair. He took a swig from a coffee cup and grimaced at the contents.

“All right, we’ll take this one step at a time. As far as the threats and the bounty hunter, I’ll put out a notice to my officers and the sheriffs in the surrounding towns—leaving out your name. Anything you can find out to identify the hunter will help us see if he’s got priors that would let us arrest and detain him before he makes a move,” Armel said. “Obviously, I can’t put out an APB without a name and description.

“I’m not a lawyer, but I don’t think there’s much you can do legally against the podcasters without exposing your identity,” the sheriff went on. “And if you really are the creature they said you were, then they didn’t lie, no matter how sensationally they told your secret.”

“I know,” Dan said miserably. “Thanks for listening anyhow.”

“Hey,” Armel said sharply, and Dan’s head jerked up. “None of that giving up stuff. You got yourself out of a bad situation and came to a safe place. You’ve already made friends, and we’ll do our best to watch out for you. Just because there isn’t an easy solution, don’t think we won’t find an answer.”

Dan nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Thank you,” Quinn added.

“Now get out of here. I’m late for dinner,” Armel grumbled. “We’ll let you know if we hear anything.”

Quinn took Dan’s hand once they left the police station. “That actually went pretty well,” Quinn said. “Considering I doubt they hear about this kind of situation every day. I’ve heard really good things about the sheriff, and I think we can trust him to come through for us.”

Dan managed a bleak chuckle. “Well, at least it’ll give him something to talk about on the sheriffs’ chat boards.”

“Armel is a grumpy bear, but he’s good at his job,” Quinn pointed out. “Let’s get takeout, and then I’ve got some ideas to take your mind off things.”

The Chinese food was better than Dan expected, and he dug in with gusto. Quinn enjoyed his own meal and seemed amused at Dan’s appetite. “I suggested takeout because the fewer people who see you around town, the fewer who can tell the bounty hunter anything if they show up sniffing around,” Quinn told him.

“Am I under house arrest?” Dan asked, only partly joking.

“Not exactly, but sticking close is probably a good idea,” Quinn replied. “If this were a big city, it might not matter. But Fox Hollow is small enough that people notice out-of-towners and newcomers. Folks in official positions won’t provide personal information, but if the hunter has tracked down your name and human-side photo, someone might remember seeing you.”

“Bet you never expected to have a boyfriend in witness protection,” Dan quipped, knowing that he relied on humor when he was stressed.

“It’s not that bad,” Quinn chided. “And I get you all to myself.”

Dan knew Quinn was right. Moving would keep him plenty busy getting settled in, and with luck by the time he was done the problem would be settled.

While they ate, Quinn filled him in on Liam’s hacker brigade, and Dan felt a flicker of hope.

“Now you just have to get the squirrels on my side,” Dan replied.

“If we had a description of the bounty hunter, I would,” Quinn said. “They’re already looking for the dragon and the hikers. I’m hoping I’ll hear from Madden tomorrow. The thing is, you’re not alone, and we’re covering enough angles that something’s got to break open soon.”