Within seconds, the Mayor rounded the corner. Short, slightly balding, with a bit of a potbelly, he wasn't exactly a prime specimen. Still, in his tailored slacks and button-up shirt, Thian supposed he looked like what a career politician should look like. You could tell his hair used to be a sandy color, but had grayed at the temples as he lost some thickness. All in all, Thian wasn't very impressed. Accepting the hand held out, Thian gave it a quick shake before releasing it.
Chapter Three Hundred Eighty-Eight
Introductions were quickly made before they retreated to the office, Thian relaxing into the chair offered to him. The Mayor reclined in his own, steepling his fingers as he perused Thian over them for long moments. Thian met his gaze evenly. If this was meant to make him uncomfortable, it wasn't going to work. He'd dealt with much more imposing figures without blinking. This man didn't inspire fear in the slightest.
“As you're aware, there have been quite a few disappearances lately. Obviously, the press hasn't helped with keeping panic to a minimum, so there's been some incidents that have led me to believe security is temporarily in order. My daughter has a charity ball coming up. It is very important to her that this go well, I need to know that protection is in place for both of us to keep the event safe.”
“May I ask what incidents? Depending on what type of things have happened, it will change what my job is here, and how I go about setting up my security protocols. Have there been direct threats? If so, what were they? Where is the event being held?”
The Mayor looked uncomfortable as he shuffled some papers on the desk before clearing his throat. “A subset of residents holds me personally responsible for not finding these women, or not doing more to bring the cases to a close. I'm doing what I can, but with open investigations being what they are, the police can't give out enough information to satisfy everyone. Direct threats, yes, there have been.”
“I've had people threaten to break into my home. To kidnap my own daughter so I 'know how it feels'. Multiple people claiming they've got bullets with my name on them. The usual when things like this happen, unfortunately. It's my daughter I'm most worried for. She didn't ask for any of this, and shouldn't have to deal with the fallout from my job.”
Thian rubbed a thumb and index finger over his temple. It was about as bad as he'd expected. With the windows in the place, anyone with a gun would have an easy shot. Kidnapping would be damn easy, too. Shit.
“Where's the event taking place?”
“The ball is being held downtown, at Starlight Square. I've been assured that security is top-notch there, but they will have their hands full with everyone else at the event, and can't be everywhere. My daughter is the honored guest for the night, due to her contributions over the past few years. She'll be exposed, and I need to know she'll be safe.”
This was just getting better and better. Starlight Square was near the campus. So far, most of the missing had come from the university. If this was a big event honoring the Mayor's daughter, he had no doubt protesters would be out in full, especially so close to where the crimes had happened. Providing security for the two of them would be difficult, if not impossible. Thankfully, they always got paid up-front, so at least he didn't have to worry about funds being withheld.
“Alright. First thing? You need to get some people in here to get some of these goddamn windows covered up. I don't care if it's curtains, blinds, or fucking cardboard at this point. If someone's already threatened to shoot you, giving them a clear sight-line from the trees is the first thing that's gotta be rectified. Your land is set back so far, and surrounded by woods, anyone could get in without us knowing.”
The Mayor pursed his lips like he was about to argue, before his shoulders slumped and he scribbled something down on a fresh sheet of paper on the desk. Once he said it'd be handled in the morning, Thian brought up his second area of concern.
“The pool is off-limits for now unescorted. It's too far from the house. Anyone could drag one of you into the tree line and no one from the house would hear you scream. If someone's going swimming, I need to be with them, period.”
On that, at least he seemed to agree without complaint. Thian still needed to figure out what the fuck to do about the ball, but he'd tackle one security risk at a time. The house came first. Of course, shifters could still get close, but his cat should be able to scent them on the wind before they showed themselves. Tonight, he'd do some recon, see if he could smell any shifters in the area. Even if the trails were old, he'd know if any had visited the property itself recently.
“I'm gonna require a room, and a place to park my bike out of sight. For now, we're going to want to keep my presence as quiet as possible. The less the people targeting you know about your daily routine and household make-up, the better. The windows being covered will help.”
Laying in bed later that night, he attempted to rest, but was supremely uncomfortable. The bed was too damn soft, the room too damn clean. Thankfully, it at least had its own attached bathroom, so he didn't have to creep through the house to use one shared by the others. He could hide away at night, when the cat was most aggravated, and not risk running into anyone.
Waiting until the house quieted, he shoved the covers
