"The reason I'm bringing up the issue of Jack Crawford knowing much more than he should about my family's personal business is because the only way he could know is if he has a spy within my parents retirement house down in the tropics," said Lance Knight, to those with him gathered around attending Tachibana no Akane's luncheon.
An angry Anton Knight silently but swiftly left the master bedroom of his villa in the tropics and rushed downstairs to confront his enemy.
With him and his beloved wife going back to the States for the holidays, most of the household staff had already been dismissed with pay until their return. That left only three people on duty. Fifi, Esmeralda Knight's personal maid was still upstairs in the master bedroom. Carl, the chauffeur was somewhere between the villa and the local gas station because when he originally brought the car around for his employer, the two of them discovered the spare tire in the trunk was flat, and Anton insisted it be either fixed or replaced before they started the long journey to the airport on the other side of the private tropical island that housed the exclusive were retirement community.
That left...
"YOU!" snarled a very mad Anton Knight, as he stalked into the main foyer of his villa to confront Geoff, the butler. "How much is that son of a bitch paying you?" he demanded to know.
"Sir?" asked Geoff in return, even as he started eyeing possible escape routes.
"Benton Knight may not be the greatest or most honorable person to ever exist, but he is still my oldest son. My own flesh and blood. How could you betray him, let alone me, to Jack Crawford!"
"Sir, I—" began Geoff, but instead of attempting to finish that statement, Geoff started to make a mad dash for the closest exit.
It may have been an angry Anton Knight Geoff started to run away from, but it was a snarling gray furred werepanther wearing the remains of Anton's shredded clothing that jumped on the fleeing butler's back.
As four claws full of talons started to sink into his flesh, the butler turned and soon it was a black furred werepanther who was attempting to defend himself from a vengeful employer.
The two werepanthers growled and snarled at each other even as they continued to fight. Heedless of what they might have crashed into or destroyed as they fought for victory, claws slashing fur as teeth tried to sink into vital spots.
Geoff might have had the advantage of youth on his side, barely being over a 100 by were standards. Yet despite being slightly over 200, Anton Knight was still as fit as a young kit, with rage fueled strength and the advantage of surprise giving him the edge he needed to win.
Soon Geoff found himself a bloodied mess lying on the tiled marble floor of the foyer, even as Anton's fursona continued to snarl and threaten to rend him to bits.
"Tell me what I want to know and you might still live to see another day," Anton advised him.
"I've been in Jack Crawford's employ even before you hired me," said Geoff, spitting out blood from a mangled muzzle. "He arranged things with the local employment agency down here so that no matter who you hired in my position as butler, you would also be hiring one of his employees. Crawford wanted to know everything, no matter how important or trivial, from when you got up in the morning to whether or not you and Mrs. Knight had sex before retiring for the night."
"WHY?" Anton demanded to know.
"He says your son Benton cheated him and his father out of everything they had that should still be theirs, especially something called Crawford Computers. If there was ever a chance to get it back..."
"Is that all?" snarled Anton.
"Crawford's out for revenge," revealed Geoff. "Against you, Benton, what you now call Knight Industries, and even your younger son Lance too if necessary. The man will not rest until he's somehow permanently ruined you all and reclaimed what he calls his rightful property, but working for you has been pretty dull with nothing of any major importance to report until you and Mrs. Knight started planning your return to the States. Crawford said there'd be a bonus in my next check for telling him about Benton's weakness being bi-polar."
"So you're just a no good double crosser for the money."
"A man has to look out for himself. I may not be able to retire in such rich luxury as you have, but I'll certainly be a lot better off than some weres when the time comes," boasted Geoff.
"Maybe, but no one threatens MY family!" snarled Anton Knight.
When Carl the chauffeur returned, he was shocked to see the prone and bloodied body of Geoff the butler lying unconscious, but still breathing, on the marble tiled foyer floor with his employer's fursona standing over him.
"Oh good. You're back," said the gray furred werepanther, wiping his muzzle with one paw. "Turns out we've been harboring a traitor in our midst for some time, but I took care of him."
"Sir?" was all Carl could say, staring at the scene before him.
"The local Constabulary is on his way over. Owes me a favor or two as it is since I helped him out on a few matters since we moved down here. Soon as he hauls away this trash," said Anton, indicating Geoff, "I'll go get cleaned up and in a new outfit. Meanwhile, you might want to go upstairs and see what can be loaded into the car now."
"Very good, sir," replied Carl, as he started to move toward the staircase.
"And Carl?"
"Yes sir?" asked the chauffeur, turning back to look at his employer.
"While we're gone, please spread the word amongst the staff. NO ONE, and I repeat: NO ONE THREATENS MY FAMILY!" growled Anton Knight. "The next Judas I ever discover in my midst will receive FAR worse than Geoff did."
"Very good sir," was Carl's only response, before heading upstairs.