Page 45 of Dark Stars
Alejo rolled his eyes while the other twochuckled.
"Counterclockwise," Alejo replied, "if it'sso vitally important."
Bobby grinned. "Back to Marsh we go. Afterthis, hopefully we don't have to so much as look at the place for along time."
"Stay out of trouble," Harold said. "Or atleast pretend to try."
"One of those," Bobby said, and thenvanished him and Alejo away.
Chapter Seventeen
They appeared by his truck.
"Where is my poor car?"
"I'll take care of it before we go to sleeptonight. Near as I can feel, it's right where you left it,unnoticed and unscathed."
"At least there's that. So what's our firststep?"
Bobby stretched and shook himself. "I wishit was a sauna or a hot tub, but pleasure must wait. The policestation. I could probably feel out where all the rune circles arelocated, but it would draw attention that we don't need back on us,and why do the work that the cops have already done?"
"Smart," Alejo said with a grin. "I've neversneaked into a police station before. Usually I just flirt with acop and get the information that way. It's actually concerning howmany cops, especially the older ones, are okay with me flirtingwith them."
"Seriously?"
Alejo's grin widened. "Seriously."
"Who decidedflirting with copsisthe most effective method?"
"I don't have your spooky primordial powers,Flick, and sometimes the easiest methods are the best. Why usearcana when smiling and winking will get me just as far?"
"Scamp. Come on, let's go do things my muchmore boring way."
They walked the few blocks to the policestation after a quick google provided how close it was to wherethey'd appeared.
As it was late at night by that point, theonly staff was minimal and probably enjoying what seemed like aquiet night.
Bobby got them through the back door, thesecurity measures so trifling they may as well be non-existent."Would anyone's computer do?"
"I think any cop can look up any case, butdetails can be locked down to certain people?" Alejo said. "Thatwas always my impression. If we can get into the sheriff'scomputer, that'll be our golden ticket." He grinned. "Want me toflirt with someone and keep them distracted while you sneakin?"
"Amusing as that would be, so I could swoopin and possessively snatch you away and do inappropriate things inthe evidence room, no," Bobby said. "We'll just stick close to thedark."
"Go back to the evidence room bit."
"Later." Snagging his wrist again, Bobbyslunk around the shadows of the building, keeping them unnoticedwithout having to do more than ask the dark nicely to keep themobscured.
As hoped, the Sheriff wasn't even in hisoffice, but over in a little corner that served as a breakroompretending to drink coffee as he flirted shamelessly with alongsuffering subordinate. Bobby made a face. "Flirting seems to bethe theme tonight."
"Yeah, but she works for him. Gross."
"Agreed." He closed the door to thesheriff's office part way—enough to help them go unseen, but not somuch that anyone would notice and go 'wasn't that open a minuteago?'. "I don't suppose you can handle the breaking into thecomputer thing. I have my way, but my ways and electronics don'talways get on very well."
Alejo snickered as he sat down, and peeled apost it off the bottom of the monitor. "Don't need to break in whenSheriff Genius puts his password right here."
Bobby was physically pained. "He's theSheriff."
"Why do you think the best hackers are justreally good at talking to people?" Alejo asked. He logged on andstarted clicking through things that clearly made sense to him, butabsolutely none to Bobby. The work he did for Jones and Haroldrarely involved this kind of thing, and much more of the 'findsomething evil and incapacitate or kill' variety.
