Page 53 of Dead Heat

In a flash, West raced to the table and dumped potato chips from a bowl, returning with the receptacle. The chief held the bowl on her lap with a white-knuckle grip.

“What else exists?” Leo asked. “Witches?”

“Yes,” I said. “Almost anything you can think of probably exists in one form or another.”

“The Loch Ness monster?” He sucked in an exhilarated breath. “Bigfoot?”

“I suspect Bigfoot sightings are werewolves midshift,” West said. “Nobody sticks around long enough to see the end result.”

“There are Yetis, though,” I added. “But they tend to stick to colder regions in the north. I’m not sure we have any in Pennsylvania.”

Leo slapped his cheeks. “I’m dying inside. Seriously. You have no idea what’s happening to my organs right now.”

“Me, too,” the chief said, “but I think my experience might be a little different from yours.” She drew a shaky breath. “Boy, do I wish I still smoked.”

West clapped her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

We lapsed into a momentary silence as the police digested everything they’d learned. I took the opportunity to grab two beers and passed one to West.

“These creatures…” the chief began. “How do they get here? Did the flying hellhounds cross through New York City’s airspace undetected because they’re invisible to most people?”

West and I exchanged looks. I’d let him field this one.

“Fairhaven is special,” West said. “There’s a reason otherworldly creatures are drawn here.”

“The idyllic downtown atmosphere?” Leo proposed.

West broke into a grin. “While we appreciate that, I’m talking about a more powerful force. A crossroads.”

Chief Garcia set the bowl on the floor beside her. “I know Fairhaven was historically a crossroads town. What does that have to do with it?”

“Not that kind of crossroads,” West said. “This one is a gateway where multiple realms converge. The magical energy generated by the Falls feeds them.”

“You’re telling me I have been the chief of police of a town that attracts monsters because of some magical energy current, and I didn’t have a clue?”

“Wild Acres covers a lot of land,” West said diplomatically. “It’s hard to know everything that goes on…”

“It’s my job to know.” She shot to her feet and ripped off her badge. “I don’t deserve to be the chief.”

West jumped in front of her to block her path to the door. “Elena, listen to me. There’s no way you could’ve known. None. That world is unknown to you.”

She searched his face. “Then why tell me now, after all these years?”

“Because the tide is turning,” I said.

“In other words, trouble is coming,” she replied.

West’s voice softened. “Yes.”

“Big T trouble or little T trouble?”

Leo snorted. “I don’t think they’d stage this intervention for little T trouble.”

She rubbed her temples. “If there’s a doorway that draws in these monsters, how have we managed to avoid being invaded by them?”

“One of us usually takes care of any problems that arise,”West said. “When Lorelei moved to town, she made us all step up our game.”

“But the problems are coming faster and more furiously,” I added. “There are situations arising in other realms that have the potential to impact us.”

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