“You want me to be the next wer-mer rep,” Martin looking at Andrew dumbstruck; “but I’m still the mayor. I can’t hold both positions.”
“I’m well aware of that,” Andrew Curry answering; “I’m also aware that thanks to your daughter, your chances of re-election are nonexistent. You’re going to be looking at a career change.”
“More like going back to doing what I did before I fell into politics,” Martin answering; “I was one hell of a financial planner. It’s the reason why the town’s budget is in the black.”
“Hopefully this matter with Benton will be resolved soon,” Andrew stating; “I want to start bringing you up to speed on the council’s current issues.”
“But I’m still in office,” Martin answering; “the next election doesn’t happen until next November. What am I supposed to do, step down?”
“Well you’ll be ending on a high note as mayor what with the budget you put forward last Friday;” Andrew answering. "While election rumblings won’t be happening until June at the earliest; if you resign now, you avoid the potential mudslinging as several candidates step forward to run against you.”
“That is assuming I choose to run for re-election,” Martin responds; “but you are right. My chances of re-election thanks to Julie are dismal. But if I resign now; who will be mayor in the interim?”
“I’m sure Samantha Twist as town chancellor can act as a deputy mayor until the next election; Andrew answers; “she has done the task before while you were out of town on business.”
“Yes,” Martin states; “but those times, Samantha acted as mayor for a few days. What you are suggesting is her being mayor for almost a full year.”
“Your more than welcome to act in an advisory position, if a challenging issue comes up now and then;" Andrew getting up to leave; “think about it Martin. But I would like to have an answer no later than tomorrow after your daughter’s initial court appearance.”
Mellissa who was silent throughout the exchange reappears after escorting Andrew Curry out; looking at her husband, she sees Martin rubbing his head as he usually does when trying to solve a problem.
“Well that was straight out of left field,” Melissa looking at Martin.
“I’ll say,” Martin still all agog; “I was planning on retiring from politics at the end of this term as mayor. But to be asked to step down and take over as the wer-mer rep; possibly at the start of January?” Martin getting up from the kitchen stool he was sitting on; “I was not expecting that.”
“But you will think about it;” Melissa asking.
“I doubt I’ll be able to do much office work thanks to Andrew,” Martin sighing; “but yeah, I’ll be thinking about it.”
“From what I hear,” Melissa embracing her husband; “council reps can still have jobs, provide they are not political in nature. You can still go back to being a financial consultant while being the wer-mer rep.”
“I know,” Martin answering; “Tachibana and Leon Talbot each run their own companies while juggling their duties with the elder council. But it’s not as if we will be hard up for money.”
“How so,” Melissa asking.
“Sound financial investments Melissa,” Martin holding onto his wife; “we may not be as ungodly rich as the Knights, but we do have more than enough to remain in relative comfort. Plus with enough to act as a trust for Julie’s college or university education; assuming she smartens up and stops acting out.”
“You’re forgetting your future son or daughter growing in me,” Melissa coos; “Did you plan for that?”
Martin chuckles, “I see your point. But don’t you have a doctor’s appointment to make and a small company to run?”
*****
Julie who was made to go to her room when Andrew Curry arrived heard the entire conversation. Neither the wer-mer rep nor her father made any attempt to keep their voices down. Julie was surprised to hear of Andrews offer to Martin; yet her surprised turned to glee at the thought of one day possibly being the wer-mer rep. grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of being in power; little does Julie know that Frieda will be on the Elder council long before she will possibly get a chance.
Julie was about to run downstairs when she hears Andrew leave but is stopped, when her computers chimes with a new message. Turning around she see the sender is from Frieda. Smiling she opens the message; yet her smile turns to a snarl when Julie sees the contents of the message.
‘NICE TRY WITH THE FAKE E-MAILS, BUT WE'RE ON TO YOU!’
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck,” Julie nearly shouts as she slams her keyboard tray closed; “what do I have to do to get revenge? Kill them?”
Before Julie could begin to cover her tracks, she hears her father call down for her.
“Julie! It’s stopped raining. Come help me with the pool!”
Julie grumbles as she walks downstairs and follows her father to the backyard. Not knowing that Sheriff Cooper will be by later today thanks to Frieda’s copying the email chain to him; Julie will soon be in a greater heap of trouble when he sees the childish attempts at revenge she has made and her father and mother find out, Julie managed to remove the key logger from her computer.