Drooling, huh…
Cohen followed the two others to a spot covered in "tar-like goo." Thick, sticky liquid coated the grass beside the cobblestone path, and when the sunlight hit it, it shimred like…
"Why does this look like oil?" Cohen frowned.
"We thought it might be the monster's drool," Tom said.
And yeah, it *was* monster drool.
Cohen could tell right away—this stuff wasn't much different from Norbert's slobber.
Could it really be that Chira eating people?
Cohen wasn't exactly bothered by the idea of it munching on folks (not that he was cool with casual cannibalism either). He was just worried about its smarts—or lack thereof. Only a dim-witted creature would drool this much, and that could make things tricky…
If he stuck it in a crate, it might brawl with Norbert, Sisko, and Allie, or worse, gobble up all the sheep and pygmy boars he was raising.
Still, better not ntion that to Muggle kids.
Plus, Cohen still didn't think the monster was the real issue here. There was no blood, no scorch marks.
If a Chira was hungry enough to drool at the sight of people, it wouldn't just grab food and *not* eat it right away.
You'd either have barbecue skewers or a bloody ss.
"If sothing looks like oil, slls like oil, and feels like oil," Cohen reasoned, "then it's probably oil."
"Who'd dump oil on the grass, though?" Tom wondered aloud.
"Hang on—"
Cohen glanced past Tom and Jerry, who were crouched down inspecting the sli, and spotted three adults hurrying toward them.
"What are you kids doing here?!" a potbellied, suit-wearing middle-aged man bellowed. "This place is dangerous!"
They must've seen the kids' silhouettes from beyond the park's hedge.
"Probably just nosy brats, Mr. Mayor. I'll take these kids back ho right now," a young guy next to the chubby old man said, practically bowing and scraping.
Cohen didn't care much about the fat mayor or his lackey, though. Among the three adults, he locked eyes with soone familiar.
"???"
"???"
Cohen and Von Braun stared at each other, both sporting a "What the heck are *you* doing here?" look.
Looked like Von Braun had obediently handed Dumbledore his resignation from the Defense Against the Dark Arts gig—but why was he *here*? And with a Muggle mayor, no less?
Cohen had a hunch Von Braun's brain was already spinning like crazy, especially since the guy was now eyeing him like, "Wait, are *you* the kidnapper?"
"Tom, Jerry, how are you two still wandering around alone?!" the groveling young man said, recognizing the pair. The local kids were easy to spot, but he didn't know Cohen. "And you are…?"
"He's a friend's kid—Cohen," Von Braun cut in, stepping forward and yanking Cohen over to his side.
Then he turned to the young man next to the mayor. "Hey, mind taking these two back ho? I'll drop Cohen off later—he won't get in the way of my investigation."
"Sure thing, Inspector," the guy said eagerly, grabbing Tom and Jerry and hauling them toward the park exit.
The kids' eyes dimd—they squird to break free from his grip, but it was no use.
Cohen noticed sothing odd, though.
Right as Tom and Jerry were about to disappear around the park's hedge, they stopped struggling. Their eyes flicked in unison toward sothing behind the mayor.
Cohen leaned back a bit, trying to peek past Von Braun's shoulder at whatever was behind the mayor, who was standing in line with Von Braun.
No stains, no weird animals, just a suit stretched tight over a plump fra.
Even the soul checked out—strength of six, typical for a Muggle.
So what was off?
Maybe the only thing those kids could've spotted from that distance was the decorative chain dangling on the back of the mayor's coat. The little tal links glinted in the sunlight, swaying slightly whenever he moved.
"Pretty solid kid. If it were , I'd make him my secretary," Von Braun said to the mayor.
"Ha, he's always been a hard worker—saves a ton of hassle," the mayor replied politely. "So, Inspector, you gonna check out the scene? I've been on the phone with the Wiltshire police for a month, and the officers they sent haven't been worth a damn…"
"That's why I'm here," Von Braun said. "Gotta see if those cops are just slacking off."
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"Thank God. This ss has been giving a headache," the mayor said. "All we've got is this sli popping up on the grass now and then, plus the fact that all the missing folks worked at the church—including the dads of those two kids from earlier. It's all in the report I gave you. Oh, and the church is up north—feel free to swing by there after you're done with the sli here."
"Got it," Von Braun replied. "Mr. Mayor, don't you have stuff to handle? I've got this covered—you don't need to stick around."
Von Braun nudged the mayor off, though it didn't seem like the guy was too keen on playing tour guide anyway.
Now it was just Cohen and Von Braun left in the park.
"Inspector???" Cohen asked once the mayor was gone.
"Fake ID. A quick Confundus Charm does the trick," Von Braun said. "What about *you*—why are you here?!"
"I'm on vacation," Cohen shot back. "You're the one with the bigger issue. I heard the person sent here was so mory-wiper from the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad—Arnold Peasegood. What, you found a new job already? Changed your na too?"
"Of course I'm not—why would you even think that?" Von Braun said, rubbing his forehead. "I'm here investigating the disappearances. Word is, this case might tie back to the Silver Key. Heaven knows why *you're* here—I almost thought you were behind it."
"The Silver Key again? Are they just gonna keep popping up to spice up my boring life?" Cohen said. "Well, it worked—I'm here. But not because of the missing people."
"Then why?" Von Braun asked.
"Depends—how strong's your stomach?" Cohen replied.
"Just say it. I think I can handle it…"
"There's a Chira wandering around town lately," Cohen said.
"A Chira? Pfft, that's all—wait, *what*?! A Chira?!" Von Braun's eyes nearly popped out.
"'I think I can handle it,'" Cohen echoed dryly.
(End of Chapter)
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