Not the whole scene, but a good bit for Hild.
***
Sheriff Bill Tucker moved the group into the staff room. Three trolls, although to his eye they looked like basketball playing adolescents; two godmothers, the tough one and the silent but elegant one; and Al Huesinveld, who couldn’t see faeries yet, but swore his mother could.
Bill closed the door. It was a little crowded. Al perched on the chair by the wall, tipping back on two metal legs. The godmother in the hat thinned her lips, and he put the chair square on the floor.
“Tell me again,” said Bill. “How did you kids find out about Susan Engle?”
“The nisse on the farm told me,” said Grant. He was the oldest Heierdahl. Having a conversation with him seemed like having a conversation with Petar, which he did from time to time in the office. His attention wandered a bit, but Bill could see that, given what had happened to the kids.
“How did they find out?”
Hjalmar’s daughter said, “There are little people all over this town. Word gets out.”
Little people. Bill tried to flatten out his face into a more neutral, less skeptical snapshot. “I know that the town puts a great stock in you, but I’d just as soon you’d leave this to us.”
The tough godmother opened her mouth, but Al cleared his throat, interrupting her.
“You have something you want to add, Al?”
“You know how the town feels about the trolls, Bill.”
Bill picked up a pen and tapped it end over end on his desk. “I get that border stuff. I’ve got to draw the line at involving minors in a missing person’s investigation.”
David rolled his eyes. “At least it isn’t what it is in Hildi’s books. It’s not because we’re magic and they don’t believe it. This time they don’t want us around because we’re kids. It’s like being in an episode of Scooby Doo or something.”
Grant shot David a dark look. “Listen, Sheriff,” said Grant, “we’re passing along information. I would recommend a curfew for the kids, which I don’t figure would be unusual in this situation.”
“Would that include you?” Bill asked.
“Probably not,” said Hild. “Because I could probably go one-to-one with the Widow better than most of your men, being trained from an early age in how to use magical weapons and all.”
Bill glanced at Al, who was red with effort at not laughing. Jenny smiled slightly at Hild. Bill knew she was hard to get approval from.
“Miss Hrothgar, that still doesn’t change that in the state of Iowa, you are a legal minor.”
Hild shrugged. “Send an adult with me. I’ll protect them.”