With what passed for opening arguments over; Tachibana signaled a were-horse attendant to begin playing the first surveillance footage. The scene was not particularly fit for all audiences. The footage showed Julie ramming her hand down Eric’s pants and with a firm grip and starts jacking him off right in front of the camera itself. The image of Eric in distress was a clear indication that he was not enjoying Julie’s ministrations. Struggling to break free but with Eric at that time still a normal, he was clearly not strong enough to break free of Julie’s clutches. Before Tachibana signal a stop to the footage; the entire council sees Frieda Knight approaching. While no sound was recorded due to the age of the security system; all could see the disappointment in Julie’s face as she was forced to stop tormenting Eric for whatever reason.
“I call upon Frieda Knight to give testimony to this incident,” Tachibana booms.
*****
Eric, Spencer and Frieda were in a rather spacious reading room set off of the common area; with a rather robust selection literature as well a computer with internet connection, the tree were able to occupy themselves after they heard the gong signaling the start of the council session. It was roughly an hour later when Lila Carpenter entered the room.
“Your presence is requested in the council Frieda,” Lila announcing herself; “please come with me.”
Minute later, Frieda is in the large council room. Seeing the various were’s represented that inhabit Moon Lake, she nervously approaches a small podium where she sees her Uncle Lance sitting with the rest of the council; Tachibana standing on a dais in the center of the room.
“I’ll get straight to the point,” Tachibana speaking; “please recount in your own words, what took place Monday of last week after school between Eric Anderson and Julie Stovall.”
Frieda takes a deep breath and an audible sigh before recounting what she saw as she was walking down the school hall. Confirming what was shown on the surveillance forage the council saw earlier, Tachibana sees the young were-panthress finished with her testimony.
“Can you tell us what you said to Julie,” Tachibana asking; “to get her to stop her violation towards Eric?”
“I said her mother was waiting for her at the entrance,” Frieda recalling the incident; “and that she was mad that Julie wasn’t there.”
“I see,” Tachibana nodding; “anything else you would care to add?”
“I told Eric to call his brother and to meet us at a nearby restroom, “Frieda answering; “there I assume Nate examined his brother to see if Julie did scratch her.”
“Well,” Tachibana thinking; “we can safely assume that there was no scratch, or we would have seen Eric in the common area as a wer-mer instead of the white furred were-panther he currently is.” Tachibana looking at Brett Smithson, “do you have any questions for this witness? Questions that pertain to the incident we all just witnessed?”
“No,” Brett grumbles; “I do not.”
“Then Frieda you are excused,” Tachibana stating; “please return to Eric and Spencer, we will call upon you again later.”
Frieda turns to leave the council; the grey were-panthress with russet red highlights get to the door just as Tachibana booms for Eric Anderson to appear before them.
*******
It was a good twenty minutes later when Frieda already in the reading room with Spencer, see Eric return to them. Both jumping and hugging him to see him safe and back with them; Spencer was the first to ask him questions.
“So what happened?” Did they throw the book at Julie?”
“They asked me questions,” Eric sighs; “regarding the incident that took place Monday of last week, Julie’s first attempt to turn me. They even showed me the security footage, I asked them to turn it off; I didn’t want to see it.”
“We sensed you were not comfortable while apart from us,” Frieda speaking; “we thought it was Julie’s lawyer there. That were-badger who looked like she swallowed and entire bag of sour gummies.”
“No,” Eric answers; “she just stood there stoned faced and quite upset. Don’t ask me why.”
“Probably because,” Spencer smiling; “Julie has no hope to get off of these charges. Her lawyer can’t use whatever tricks she knows works in a regular court of law.”
“Could be,” Eric adding; “but as I was leaving the council, the wer-reps were starting to talk amongst themselves. What I heard was not good for Julie.”
“Well spill it,” Spencer being the first to speak; “what did you overhear?”
“Guilty,” Eric answers; but adds, “for the first incident at least.”
*****
Back in the council room, the entire congregation of the wer-reps where starting to rumble loudly; what Brett Smithson heard was not good for her client. Overhearing snippets of conversations; Brett knew her client was not going to get off on the first charge. It only left her more determined to fight the second charge; the incident that took place during freshman lunch of Tuesday last week.
Before Tachibana could silence the crowd and proceed with the next case; her grandson Yamoto bursts into the room.
“Apologies everyone,” Yamoto speaking; “Julie Stovall has escaped! And she has committed murder!”