"Ms. Odin," a woman in a pink suit called out. Earlier, she had introduced herself as Police Chief McCarthy's secretary.
"Yes?" Kyla stood up.
"The Chief is ready for you." A door next to the receptionist opened wide, revealing a familiar heavy-set uniformed officer who stepped out with a smile.
"Ms. Odin, I didn't know you were the Chief's next appointment." he glanced at his watch. "I ate five minutes of your time with him, my apologies."
"It's no problem, Mr. Larsson." she returned the smile Briggs Larsson's father offered. He was a 59-year-old man who was still very active in the force.
"Well, you can go in now," he motioned towards the office. "He's expecting you."
"Thank you." she grabbed her bag and moved through the door which led to an office with a tinted glass door. She caught her reflection in the glass and sighed. Her waist-length red hair was done into thirty box braids, and her blue eyes looked tired. She wore a simple yellow peplum top and skinny jeans.
She let out another sigh, pushed the door open, and took a small step forward.
"Come in, come in, Kyla." McCarthy's chair squeaked with his weight as he gestured for her to take a seat. "I'm glad you could make it."
"Thanks, Chief." She smiled. "I got your text, this morning, and I assumed you wanted to meet because of the situation last night."
"Yes," he confirmed with a nod. "I'm still in shock, Kyla."
"I know, Chief, and that's why I'm here to explain."
"Do you want something to drink? Coffee?"
"No, thank you."
"Whiskey, perhaps?"
"No, Chief. I'm fine, thank you."
"Well, I'll need a drink for this conversation." He got up to pour himself a glass of whiskey. "Being a werewolf is a big deal, Kyla. And you're no ordinary werewolf, too. A general to the werewolf warriors?"
"No, not the warriors, just an elite group of trackers." she clarified. "We were assigned to track down the killer and honestly, I was just put in charge of the operation. Personally, I feel the general title is a bit of a stretch."
"Hmm," he took a sip of his whiskey. "Your grandpa doesn't know about this, does he?"
"No, he doesn't, and I'll love to keep it that way."
"I understand. Henson would suffer a heart attack if he discovers you're one of them. He loathes werewolves."
"Of course, he does." she rolled her eyes.
"How are you even one of them? Your parents are humans, right?"
"Yes, they are." she hated going over the story so she summed it up. "After the accident two years ago, I just woke up as one. I don't really know who turned me, or what happened after the car went into the ditch."
"Hmm," he took another sip of his alcohol. "I'm so sorry about that. Your parent's death and then this. It must have been awful, especially since it wasn't your choice."
"It must have been awful, especially since it wasn't your choice. Yen, yen." Layla mimicked with disgust. "Bloody homosapien."
Kyla stifled back a laugh. "Back then it was, but honestly, it's actually pretty cool."
"I can imagine." he smiled. "So how far have you gone with the investigation?"
"I'm glad you asked." she moved to the edge of her seat. "It's one of the conversations I was hoping to have with you."
"Okay," he set aside the drink and sat up with rapt attention.
"The GCPD and the werewolves are both working towards the same goal. Though our methods are different, we're all trying to hunt down this monster who's littering Glasgow creeks with the bodies of our loved ones. I propose an alliance."
McCarthy frowned. "We already have an alliance. Why do you think I was at the pack house yesterday?"
"No, like a proper side-by-side alliance." she protested. "Think about it. Me working alongside Agent Torino. It would yield faster results and this case would be closed in no time."
He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled together, as he mulled over what she said. "That won't be easy. Torino is a Special Agent from Silicone County. The state government sent him down here to assist us. He's smart and particularly likes working alone. He won't buy the idea."
"He doesn't have to." she shrugged. "This is your jurisdiction and whatever you say, as long as it isn't against the ethics of the profession, stands. I'm sure you can find a good reason to put me on this case, Chief. I, and especially the Agent, would get faster results if we work together. I'll also protect the secrets of the werewolves while bringing justice to the perpetrator of this crime. Don't you want to be rid of this case?"
"Of course, I do," he replied.
"Well then, this is your only chance. You believe so much that Torino would catch this criminal and that's fine, I believe it too. The question though, is when? Moreover, I'm sure we both agree that there are some things he's better off not discovering."
"Hmm," he tapped his manicured nails against the desk. "I like your attitude. Fine. I'll find a way around it. The rest of my day would be spent figuring out a way to get you onboard without calling attention from your grandpa and Agent Torino."
"Thanks." she smiled. "I'm glad we had this talk."
"Yeah, but don't say anything about it yet. I'll get back to you tomorrow."
"Sure."
He reached for the glass again. "You don't know this, but your grandpa and I traveled down to Silicone County for your first birthday. I remember being covered with goo when I held you in my arms." he chuckled at the memory.
"Really?" she was pleasantly surprised. "I never knew."
"Of course you didn't. You were only a baby then, and the only thing that actually took me to the County was a divorce proceeding with my first wife. The only other time we met was two years ago when you arrived."
"I see."
"I'm proud of you, Kyla. I'm proud of the woman you are becoming."
"Thank you, Chief." she smiled, standing to her feet. "I should take my leave now."
"Torino was supposed to work from home today, but he changed his mind." her ears perked up. "I saw him in his workspace this morning, going over the case files. You should say hi before you leave."
"Oh."
"It would be nice to have you both working together. You look so good together."
She was still upset about the text message from yesterday, but she couldn't help the smile that morphed into her face.
"Fine," she acquiesced. "I'll go say hi."
****