Chapter 18
“This is highly unusual, Chief Wolfe,” Lavinia Beaumont said from behind the long mahogany table where she sat with four other council members.
Her cool gray eyes locked onto his, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see she didn’t appreciate surprises.
“Emergency sessions are reserved for emergencies.”
“I understand that,” Mason said. “Which is why I won’t take up too much of your time.”
He’d thought about what to do all night. While Mrs. Abernathy slept on the cot in the holding cell with her romance novel on her chest and her slippers tucked neatly beside her, Mason had paced. And thought. And paced some more, and he’d replayed everything.
Not the vandalism part of the case. Not Mrs. Abernathy’s confession.
Not even the look on Adeline’s face when he’d told her to go back to her bakery.
What he’d replayed was the marsh. The squish-squids glowing beneath the surface.
The sound of the water and the night herons and Adeline’s voice when she’d said, “This is why I fight so hard.”
And after all that pacing and all that thinking, he realized she was right.
She’d been right from the beginning. And somewhere around three in the morning, sitting in that awful chair with a crick in his neck, he’d made a decision.
If Adeline Beaumont was willing to get arrested three times in one week for those creatures, then the least he could do was make sure she never had to get arrested again.
He stood in front of the council now—five members seated behind a table in a large room in City Hall.
Lavinia Beaumont sat in the center, flanked by two witches, a vampire, and a werewolf.
Ivan Johansson sat behind Mason, his hard hat on his knee and his face already reddening, and the proceedings hadn’t even started.
Thaddeus Hillman, moonlighting as the city’s attorney as well, sat in the corner, observing everything going on.
Mason had already told Thaddeus what to expect, so the small smile on the attorney’s face wasn’t a surprise.
It seemed Thaddeus was going to enjoy the proceedings almost as much as he was.
“I’m here to discuss the construction project at Drury Marsh,” Mason said. “Specifically, the ecological impact of draining any portion of the marsh for development.”
“That project has already been approved,” Councilman Harris, the vampire, said. “The vote was three to two months ago. Mr. Johansson has every legal right to proceed.”
“With all due respect, Councilman, the approval was granted without a full environmental assessment of the magical ecosystem.” Mason opened the folder he’d brought and pulled out a stack of papers.
“Drury Marsh is home to a colony of squish-squids. These creatures purify the water of magical runoff...not just for the marsh, but for the entire town’s aquifer.
Every magical garden on Lantern Hill, every potion created at Driftwood Apothecary, every enchanted crop sold at the Thursday Night Market—all of it depends on clean magical water.
If the squish-squids’ habitat is destroyed, the runoff has nowhere to go.
Within a year, the contamination will reach the town’s water supply.
” A couple of the council members shifted in their seats.
Good. He hoped he was getting through to them.
“Chief Wolfe,” Councilwoman Ashford leaned across the table, “we have already heard testimony like this. And we still voted as we did. While no one here is denying the importance of the squish-squids, we have magicals who can ultimately purify the water when the time comes.”
Mason narrowed his eyes at the woman. He knew he had to tread lightly...
but not too lightly. They needed to know the gravity of the decision they had made.
And for what? Another building? “I’ve spent the last several days at that marsh.
I’ve seen these creatures up close. They’re not just cute and cuddly...
they’re essential infrastructure. Losing them would be like ripping out the town’s water filtration system and hoping for the best.”
“This is ridiculous!” Ivan Johansson shot to his feet. “Those things are glorified jellyfish! I have a signed contract. I have employees counting on this job, and I have the council’s approval. This cop has been in town for less than a week, and now he’s an expert on the local wildlife?”
Mason didn’t turn around. He kept his eyes on the council members.
“I’m not an expert on the local wildlife.
But the people who are—the naturalists who’ve studied this marsh for decades—they’ve been saying the same thing Adeline Beaumont has been saying.
I know because I’ve read the reports. They say the same thing Adeline’s protesters have been saying.
The same thing a ninety-seven-year-old witch felt so strongly about that she resorted to vandalism.
” He paused. “When citizens are willing to get arrested to protect something, maybe it’s worth asking why. ”
“You can’t do this to me!” Ivan slammed his hard hat against the gallery railing. “I’ll sue! I’ll sue the council, I’ll sue the police department, I’ll sue—”
Lavinia Beaumont’s gavel slammed down so hard, the crack echoed off the stone walls and made everyone in the room jump.
“Sit down, Mr. Johansson!” Her tone was pure ice.
“One more outburst like that, and you will be removed from this chamber. And I will personally ensure that you never submit another bid or petition for any project in Moonlight Bay again. Am I understood?”
This time Mason did turn around to see Ivan’s reaction. And he was pleased to see the man looked like he was swallowing mouthfuls of air. Mason slowly turned back around and stared openly at Lavinia Beaumont, but her expression was unreadable.
“Please continue, Chief Wolfe,” Lavinia said.
He pulled out the last document in his folder.
“This morning, before I called for this meeting, I contacted PADA headquarters and called in a favor. What I’m holding here is an official letter on PADA letterhead confirming that the squish-squids of Drury Marsh have been placed on the future endangered supernatural species list.” He walked to the table and set the letter in front of Lavinia.
“Under PADA regulation forty-seven, section twelve, any species on the endangered list, or the future endangered list, is afforded full habitat protection. That means the marsh can’t be drained, developed, or altered in any way that would endanger the colony.
” He looked at each council member in turn.
“This isn’t a request. It’s done. The squish-squids are protected. ”
“I have read over the letter,” Thaddeus said, “and it seems to be in order.”
Ivan made a strangled sound behind him that was somewhere between a growl and a whimper.
Councilman Harris leaned forward, glaring at him. “You went over our heads to PADA?”
“I went to the agency responsible for protecting supernatural species. That’s their job.
And it’s mine to make sure I did everything in my power to present the council with all the facts.
” Mason squared his shoulders. “The council can still vote to go ahead with the building project, just at a different location. Or the council can ignore the decree and continue building on the site and deal with PADA directly.” He paused. “The choice is yours.”
Lavinia Beaumont studied the letter, read it slowly, and then set it down and looked at Mason. “Motion to accept the PADA designation and suspend all construction activity at Drury Marsh, effective immediately?”
“Seconded,” Councilwoman Ashford said.
“All in favor?” Lavinia mused.
Four hands went up. Councilman Harris hesitated, then raised his. Five to zero.
“Motion carries.” Lavinia’s gavel came down again...softer this time. “Congratulations, Chief Wolfe. It looks like you have won your first fight with the council.”
He looked her in the eye. “I don’t like to fight, but I will if it’s for what I think is right.”
Ivan stood, and Mason thought the troll might actually charge the table. Instead, Ivan jabbed a finger at the council, swept his hard hat off the railing, and stormed toward the exit. “This isn’t over! You will all be hearing from my lawyer!”
The doors slammed shut behind him, and Mason let out a breath.
His hands were steady, but his heart was hammering.
He’d just burned a bridge with the most powerful developer in town and used his PADA connections in a way that would raise eyebrows back at PADA headquarters.
But looking at the letter on the table and at the five council members who’d just voted to protect a colony of adorable, cooing, tentacled creatures because someone had finally given them a reason to... he didn’t regret a second of it.
The council members gathered their things and slowly filed out. Thaddeus Hillman gave Mason a nod and a smile on his way past as Mason collected his folder and turned to leave.
“Chief Wolfe.”
He knew that voice. Bracing himself, he turned to see Lavinia Beaumont standing at the end of the table, her hands folded in front of her. The other council members had all gone, and they were alone. He said nothing, just waited for her to speak.
“You did that for the squish-squids,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And for my granddaughter.”
He held her gaze. “Yes, ma’am.”
The lines around Lavinia’s eyes softened. And when she spoke, her voice carried something he’d never heard from her before. Something that sounded almost like respect. “If you want to ask my granddaughter out, it would be acceptable to me.”
Mason blinked. Of all the things he’d expected Lavinia Beaumont to say, that was not on the list. “Acceptable?”
“Acceptable.” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Don’t make me regret it, Chief.” She walked past him, her heels clicking on the stone floor.
At the door, she paused without turning around.
“And for what it’s worth, you did well today.
I see I was wrong about you. I shouldn’t have voted no when we interviewed you last month. ”
Then she was gone.
Mason stood alone in the empty council chamber and thought about everything that had just happened.
He looked at the table where five council members had just voted to protect a marsh full of tiny squids because a werewolf cop who’d been in town less than a week had asked them to.
Okay, maybe he had pressured them into it, but he still felt good.
Better than good. He felt like he’d finally done something that mattered...
not because PADA ordered it or because the law demanded it, but because it was the right thing to do.
Because a red-haired kitchen witch with mud on her hands and fire in her green eyes had shown him what it looked like to fight for something you believed in, even when it cost you.
Smiling, he headed for the exit, pulling out his phone to check the time. He’d spoken earlier to Thaddeus about Mrs. Abernathy’s community service, so all that was left was to head to the station to process her release.
His phone rang, and he frowned down at the screen. The name that flashed at him made his stomach clench. PADA Headquarters...Director Cortez’s direct line. The man in charge of the undercover division Mason had just retired from.
He answered. “This is Chief Wolfe.”
“Mason.” Director Cortez’s voice was familiar and friendly. “I hear you’ve been busy down there in—what’s the name of the town? Moonlight something?”
“Moonlight Bay, sir.”
“Right. Moonlight Bay.” A pause. “Listen, I’m not going to beat around the bush.
We need you back. There’s a job. Big one, deep cover, the kind of operation you were born for.
Six months, maybe eight. The target is someone you’ve tracked before.
You know his patterns, his network, his blind spots.
No one else on the team can do what you do, Mason. ”
Mason frowned. A month ago—even six days ago—he might have said yes.
The pull of it was still there, buried deep in his bones.
The adrenaline. The purpose. The clean simplicity of a mission with a target and a timeline and no feelings to complicate it.
The total opposite of what he was experiencing in Moonlight Bay.
“Double your previous pay,” Cortez went on. “Plus, full reinstatement if you want, after the job’s done.” Cortez paused. “You were the best I had, Mason. I don’t say that lightly.”
Mason stared through the window of the council chamber.
He could see Tide Street and the fairy lights as they caught the morning sun.
A woman pushing a baby stroller hurried past the window, and he couldn’t help but smile.
She had a white bag in her hand. A bag from Adeline’s bakery, where a beautiful kitchen witch made daily sweets for citizens she cared about and embedded them with magical enhancements to help them through their day.
“I appreciate the offer, Director. I mean that.” He paused. “But I’m going to have to pass.”
“You sure about that? Take a day. Think it over.”
“I don’t need a day.” Mason looked out onto Tide Street one more time.
“I spent ten years with PADA, and I’m grateful for every one of them.
But I’m done hiding behind missions and aliases and seedy motel rooms in cities I can’t remember the names of.
I have a town now. I have people who need me—not the undercover version of me, but the real me.
” He took a breath. “And now I need to go. I have someone I need to go apologize to. So with all due respect, sir, the answer is a firm no.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. Then Cortez chuckled. “She must be something, Wolfe.”
“She is.”
“Good luck, Wolfe. You know where to find us if you change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
He disconnected and slid the phone into his pocket. His hands weren’t shaking. His heart wasn’t racing. He just felt...settled. Like something that had been loose inside him for a decade had finally clicked into place.
He pushed through the City Hall doors and stepped out onto the street. The morning air hit him as he turned toward the station. He had paperwork to file, a ninety-seven-year-old vandal to release, and a community service plan to finalize.
And then he was going home to shower and sleep. Because later today, he planned on telling Adeline Beaumont everything he’d just discovered about himself...and the town of Moonlight Bay.