As all the weres gathered started to leave the main council chamber, Brett Smithson stopped to ask Tachibana no Akane another question. "The sentencing phase of Julie Stovall's Statute 1A trial, she's looking at a 100 years total? Or can I argue in hopes of maybe getting the sentences served concurrently instead of consecutively?"*
"A guilty verdict carries a minimum of 50 years for each conviction. The Council would still have to decide upon the exact sentence of each conviction," explained the werevixen, now wearing her ceremonial robe loosely around her furry body. "Julie Stovall's exact sentence has yet to be determined, and she would still have to face charges in regards to murdering poor Debbie in the ladies' room. A Statute 1** conviction carries a mandatory life sentence. If your client is found guilty of that accusation, then you can request leniency from the Council to have all of her prison time served concurrently."
"Not that I'm agreeing with Julie's actions, but I can see why she ran," said the were-badger, while gathering her things.
"The wiser course of action would have been not to have gotten in trouble with the law at all," observed Tachibana. "No were, let alone the Elders' Council, should take such matters lightly. We all have our roles in life. Unfortunately your client chose the wrong one. Hopefully in time she will learn the error of her ways."
"How?" wondered Smithson.
"Just because Julie Stovall is facing possible life without parole if convicted of the murder charge that will eventually be leveled against her doesn't mean she will be totally cut off from the world. Arrangements can eventually be made in prison for her to acquire her GED, and then see how things proceed from there. After all, the Elders may have just cause to be strict in applying the laws of Moon Lake to all, but it does not mean we're heartless."
MEANWHILE...
Following his father's instructions, Nate Anderson drove straight home with his friends and passengers Ben Twist and Alex Ramsey.
Parking in the Anderson family drive way, Ben and Alex thanked Nate for the ride before heading next door to the Twist house, as Nate went inside his place.
None of the boys realized that they were being watched by a female figure across the way.
CONCURRENTLY...
Not knowing what else to do, Brian Walker rode the school bus home, since classes for the rest of the day were canceled because of the Were Alert.
Technically, he was supposed to go to the Elders' Council building after school to help clean up, but with the recent development in Julie Stovall's trial, wasn't sure whether or not he was still needed.
Since he wasn't supposed to have a cellphone since his mother confiscated his as part of his punishment, Brian decided to wait until he was in the house to call Andrew Curtis via his home's landline to see if he was still need.
After he first checked his new, secret cellphone hidden in his bedroom to see if there was any messages from the first client to what he hoped would be the private escort service he was starting to operate.
IN SEATTLE...
Betty Van Rosenberg paced in her living room, her black werecat tail twitching anxiously as she walked.
I was hoping to go to Moon Lake this weekend and have Brian Walker scratched my itch for awhile, she thought, as one paw absentmindedly started teasing the outer edges of her feline cunt. But with this darn Were Alert, that's out. I may have a huge sexual appetite, but even I'm careful not to attract the law's attention. Until this Julie Stovall is caught, I guess I'll have to text Otter Boy and tell him I can't make it this weekend after all, she thought reluctantly. Maybe I can still go to Moon Lake this weekend though if The Were Club is open.***
Then her front door bell rang.
Considering it was the early afternoon, Betty quickly defurred but didn't bother getting dressed beyond tightening the sash of an over sized bathrobe around her slender waist. Despite now being in her purely human form, she was still showing an ample amount of cleavage and did nothing to hide the fact that even if she did have anything on above the knees, it was real skimpy at best as she opened her front door.
"Alyssa!" said Betty, surprised to see her friend and sometimes lover on her doorstep. Then, recognizing her from the photo that was attached to the Were Alert message as well as the Were Allies message from the Luna Brotherhood, she was shocked to see the fugitive Julie Stovall walk in behind Alyssa Cooper. "What is she doing here," Betty demanded to know.
"What do you mean?" asked Alyssa, as both were-mermaids eyed her suspiciously.
Quickly covering her tracks so as not to let them know she knew Julie's current status with the law, Betty sniffed the air and said, "You know as well as I do honey that even if she's already had her first transformation, sex with a minor were is illegal outside of Moon Lake****," as she gave Alyssa a passionate French kiss.
Julie looked at the embraced couple with interest as Alyssa smiled when their lips parted. "As tempting as a duet, let alone a threesome is, unfortunately we're just here for a change of clothes for my friend. Then we'll be moving on," not knowing that the drab coveralls Julie was currently wearing previously belonged to a dead woman.
"Okay. You know where the bedroom is dear," said Betty, stepping out of the ladies' way.
"Thanks," said Alyssa, giving Betty a quick peck on the cheek. "By the way, do you still have that Jessica Rabbit wig from the Halloween party?"
"If I do, it's in the back of the closet somewhere," replied Betty, as Alyssa led Julie down the hall.
Okay. This angry werecat can easily make sushi out of two were-mermaids, thought Betty, while resuming her fursona and slashing the air with her reformed claws. But Stovall's already accused of committing one murder. How can I turn her in without the law getting suspicious of my own activities or winding up dead in the process?
__________________________________________________________
*Concurrently means doing both sentences at once instead of one after the other (consecutively).
**Statute 1, murder. The worst crime someone could be found guilty of in Moon Lake law.
***An adult weres only establishment, only open on Saturday nights from dusk to dawn.
****While the respective age groups tend to stay amongst themselves for the most part, May/December romances (and marriages) are not unheard of in Moon Lake, especially considering how long the average life span of a were is.—tmw.