Unaware (yet) of what is happening in the woods on the way to Moon Lake, Samantha Twist asks Tachibana no Akane, "By the way, would the Elders' Council have any interest in prosecuting a greedy were?" before explaining how District 1 representative Arnold Stewart Stevenson tried to take advantage of her impending time as Mayor Pro-tem in hopes of swaying her favor toward his construction company in the building of the new elementary school.*
"You have proof of this?" asked the leader of the Skulk and werefox representative, who was also the senior were on the council.
Samantha's response was to give her the flash drive she brought with her. "I have copies," explained Samantha, as Tachibana plugged the device into her computer and watched the footage. "The only reason I didn't arrest him myself was the Were Alert was issued before I could."
"I see," said Tachibana, while watching the recording. "He can keep, for now," she added, after unplugging the device and storing it in her desk for safe keeping. "The jackass."
"My thoughts too. He's been suspected of influence peddling and bribery before, but this is the first time I know of that anyone's had any hard evidence against him. For whatever reason, he probably thought I'd be an easy target. Didn't even bother to be subtle or cover his tracks."
"Oh well," said Tachibana, when there was knock on her private chamber door. "Come in."
After he was contacted by his Beta, the Alpha of the Lunar Brotherhood dispatched to Moon Lake thought quickly before telling his fellow pack members to kill Julie Stovall, but make it look like she died escaping recapture, even if one or two of their own number had to bear wounds to carry out the ruse effectively.
However, none of that was mentioned as the Alpha informed the head of the Elders' Council about the flat tire one of their transport vans suffered, and the successful escape attempt the prisoners made while the Brotherhood wolves on the scene were changing it themselves to avoid civilian or normal involvement.**
Tachibana's only reaction was to put her head in her paws for a moment, for everyone within the building designated for Elders' Council use were proudly displaying their fursonas.
Samantha, as both a friend of the Stovalls and Town Chancellor, wanted to say something, especially in light of the news that Sheriff Cooper's cousin Alyssa was killed trying to escape, but it wasn't her place.
Instead, she just sat and stared at the Alpha male werewolf until Tachibana spoke.
"I want every were available, especially all Council members, in the main meeting chamber immediately!"
Once everyone was assembled, the senior were told all the others gathered the news.
Sheriff Cooper, standing next to the Alpha wolf in his were-grizzly bear form, took it especially hard and started growling between tears. While he and his cousin didn't always get along, they were still family.
"So how do we proceed?" asked Andrew Curtis, the were-mer representative on the Council.
"Sheriff Cooper was Alyssa's only family that I'm aware of. You shall have to coordinate with him to dispatch a clean up team immediately to her residence in California to make sure there is nothing there indicating her existence as a were-mermaid or connecting her to were society. Otherwise, leave absolutely everything else alone for more mundane authorities to handle," said Tachibana.
"It shall be done immediately," promised Curtis.
"Now then, Sheriff Cooper. Douglas," she continued. "First. Our most heartfelt condolences. From what we've been told, your cousin apparently was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and picked up Stovall as a hitchhiker on her way to Seattle to catch a flight home. While guilty of aiding and abetting, which is why she was being transported back to Moon Lake, Alyssa appears to have had no foreknowledge of Julie's Statute 1-A violations, nor her murderous escape from justice."
The were-grizzly simply nodded his head, his thoughts unspoken, as he wiped his eyes with the back of one paw.
"But we still need you to carry out your duties to us and the town first, before we can give you the time to grieve and deal with your loss however you see fit," continued Tachibana.
"I understand. What is it you wish me to do?" asked the Sheriff.
"First, gather every available were you can and join the hunt for Julie Stovall. Above all else, I want her brought back alive to face us," said the werevixen Council leader.
"My men are more than capable of handling the situation," protested the Alpha of the Luna Brotherhood, standing near the Sheriff.
"Second, I want ALL members of the Lunar Brotherhood present detained on suspicion of murder until we can ascertain exactly what happened during the prisoners transport back to Moon Lake," announced Tachibana.
"WHAT?" screamed the Alpha as the were-grizzly near him started to growl menacingly.
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*In the previous episode "Samantha Under Siege".
**The part about the flat tire is true, but that happened on the way out of Seattle. The rest is pure hogwash!—tmw.