Bear This Heat (A BBW Shifter Romance) (Last of the Shapeshifters) by A.E. Grace Page B

was seventy years ago. Scientists had recently discovered a great underground lake sitting beneath the town, dozens of meters deep; the source of the springs. The lake was salt water, a long-lost sea caught by encroaching land, from a time when a world map would have been unrecognizable. What little fresh water had seeped through ground from the occasional rains over time had floated on the surface of the salt water, being less dense. The town of course used up the fresh water supply, and the spring water was no longer potable.
    Read a fuckin’ brochure, Dylan replayed in his mine, grinning. That waitress at the café had certainly left an impression.
    Lester Street was clear on the other side of town, and so he had a long walk ahead of him. Looking over his shoulder once again, he was a little surprised – and a little disappointed – to see D.I. Monroe’s car was gone. He had expected her to stick around just a little bit longer.
     
    *
     
    “Anything?” Superintendent O’Neill asked her as Sasha pushed through the revolving door to the police station. He seemed to always be at the front desk whenever she was getting in.
    “He didn’t incriminate himself, if that’s what you mean.”
    “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
    “On what? A description from a person you told me was a known drunk? Yeah, you want to guarantee this guy gets off on a bogus arrest technicality?”
    The superintendent puffed his chest out, and his face grew impossibly ruddier. “So you just let him go?”
    “I’ve got a car keeping an eye on him.”
    “You’re taking liberties with hierarchy today, Monroe.”
    “Same car you gave me for the search. Let me have them for the day, okay?”
    He relented. “Fine.
    “So I’ll know anything he does.”
    “What if he does nothing?”
    She looked at the square-shaped man. “There’s something odd about him, boss. I’m pretty sure he’s connected to all of this, but I’m not so sure he’s our guy.”
    “Why not?”
    Sasha shrugged. She wasn’t entirely sure. “Call it instinct. Anyway, I have a hunch he might do something soon that I can bring him in on. That way, we can hold him longer than just a day.”
    “Be careful, Monroe. I don’t want this getting out of hand.”
    “Yes, sir. Any news from the doc?” Sasha was still waiting on that autopsy report.
    “No, he’s still down with food poisoning.”
    “Great.”
    “Says he’ll get on it when he can.”
    “Push him, please, Sir?”
    “I will.”
    Sasha returned her thoughts to the darkly handsome Dylan Macready. “Sir, I need to borrow a car. Unmarked.”
    “Why?”
    “Suspect will recognize mine, and I need to go somewhere I think he’ll be.”
    “You should have just brought him in, Monroe. We can sit on him for twenty four hours. You’ll be able to call the lab by then, and the doctor will have done his autopsy probably. Shit, he might have had something on his person that tied him to the scene! He reached down under the desk, and Sasha heard the jingle of keys.
    “We can always bring him in anytime if that’s how you want to play it, boss. We don’t have to let him leave town.”
    “Just don’t fuck up, Sasha.”
    “Don’t worry, sir,” Sasha said, catching the keys he tossed underarm at her. “I’ll get him.”
    “Blue five.”
    Sasha looked at the car keys, and then back up at the superintendent. “Oh, come on, sir!” she cried. “Not blue five!”
    “Take it, or walk.”
    “Fine.” Sasha turned to leave, but was interrupted mid-step.
    “Monroe.”
    “Yes, Sir.”
    The superintendent waddled around the front desk, and approached her. His nose, like prize strawberry, was redder than ever, and his balding crown matched its shade, perpetually sunburnt. He had a look in his eyes that informed her she should brace herself. His temper was legendary.
    “What is it, sir?”
    He pointed a finger at her. “Do you need any backup?”
    “Backup? No, that would just alert him.”
    “That’s not