Chapter 10 #2
She smiled at the men as she walked toward an office door and opened it. A man sat behind a desk. Chief Morrison, Rhaz presumed.
The older man rose to his feet. He had white hair, blue eyes, and a firm handshake. “Mr. Stormfyr, it’s good to finally meet you.”
Rhaz accepted the offered hand. “The pleasure is mine, sir.”
Chief Morrison motioned toward two chairs. “Please, have a seat.”
Phin sat first. Rhaz settled into the other chair.
The chief returned to his own seat and folded his hands on the desk. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Mr. Stormfyr, over the last few days.”
Rhaz had a sinking feeling that wasn’t entirely a good thing. “Have you?” he hedged.
Chief Morrison chuckled. “Son, you carried a child and a dog out of a burning house. That’s no small thing.”
Rhaz gave a small nod. “I was only doing what needed to be done, sir.”
“Yes, but it’s not every day a man runs into a burning building with no equipment, no proper gear, and comes out carrying a child, then runs back in for a dog. It’s amazing you’re not in a hospital.”
Rhaz offered a crooked smile. “I did what needed to be done.” He was going to kill Anon later. The vampire had to know the man would question him.
Chief Morrison leaned back in his chair. “So tell me, how long have you been a firefighter?”
Rhaz froze. Only years of etiquette training and sitting through royal court petitions kept the surprise from reaching his face.
Wait. Firefighter?
Oh yes, of course he knew what that meant. “Oh,” he said carefully. “Quite some time.” That was a safe enough answer.
Thankfully, the chief nodded. “I thought so. You must be older than you appear. You’re in fine shape, too.”
Phin glanced sideways at him and gave him an appreciative look.
Rhaz tried not to notice.
“What department do you work for?” Phin asked.
Rhaz went still again. Department? What department? His father had once put him in charge of an entire military camp. His friend Hainar, too. Did that count? “I have worked in several areas.”
To his horror, Phin’s eyes narrowed.
The chief, on the other hand, merely nodded. “I imagine things are done differently where you’re from,” he said.
Rhaz nodded back. “Very differently, sir.” At least that was true.
Chief Morrison opened a notebook. “I know you just said you ran into the Parker house because it needed to be done, but deep down, what made you go inside with no gear of any kind? You, of all people, know how risky that was.”
Rhaz relaxed. At last, a sensible question. “I stand by what I said before, sir. There were people inside.”
Chief Morrison linked his fingers over his belly. “Yes, but how did you know?”
Rhaz frowned. “I heard them.”
Chief Morrison’s eyebrows shot up. “You heard them calling for help?”
Rhaz shrugged. “Not exactly.”
Phin turned toward him, her eyes alight with interest. “What do you mean?”
Rhaz considered the question. “The child was crying.”
Chief Morrison looked at Phin. “What was the house like when you got there?”
“Completely engulfed, sir,” she said.
Rhaz realized he may have said the wrong thing.
A brief silence settled over the room until the chief cleared his throat. “Right. So you ran in and saved Lily, but then you went back in for the dog. At that point, how did you hear it?”
Rhaz wasn’t sure how he was going to answer this one. Maybe he should remain quiet. No. They expected an answer. “I smelled it.”
Another long stretch of silence followed.
The chief slowly leaned forward. “You smelled the dog?”
Rhaz’s eyes darted between them. “Well, not exactly, but I heard it too. I’m sorry. English is not my first language.”
“You speak it well enough,” Phin said. She frowned again. “Your hearing must be very good.”
“It is,” he said. “Superior to most, you might say.”
Chief Morrison laughed. “What I wouldn’t give for good hearing. It’s one more reason I’m going to retire and do something different.”
Phin made a face and muttered, “Here we go.”
Rhaz didn’t think the chief heard her, as he continued talking, but he certainly had.
“I’m running for mayor of Moon Creek Falls,” Chief Morrison said. “I think the office will suit me just fine, and considering no one is running against me, I’m a shoo-in.”
Phin sighed. “Don’t be so sure, Chief. Someone may decide to run against you.”
“Nonsense,” he shot back. “It’s the end of July, almost August. The election’s in November. Who could whip a campaign together that fast? And who has the funds?”
Rhaz wasn’t entirely sure what a mayor was, but it sounded important.
The chief returned his attention to him. “So tell me, son, are you vacationing here in the States, or are you looking for something more permanent? If so, we may have a place for you here.”
Rhaz’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
The chief motioned to the office. “Here in Moon Creek Falls. If you qualify, you could replace me. No one really wants to come here, and no one here has quite the experience yet to take over.” He smiled. “What do you say? Are you looking to move to the States?”
Rhaz had no idea how to answer.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to. The older woman who gave him the donuts yesterday came barreling into the office.
“I’m here to interview you!” She flashed Chief Morrison a bright smile. “Oh, and him too!” Louise smiled at Rhaz. “You’re all going to be the subject of my next column!”
Rhaz could hear the men snickering in the other room as Chief Morrison looked at Louise in horror.
What was it about this woman that affected people so?