Tachibana hangs up the phone after failing to bring the sheriff back to town. Looking at a giggling Julie Stovall, she sighs as Tachibana looks on at the council clearly getting anxious at settling the whole affair regarding Julie. Placing a paw to her muzzle and silently wishing for some aspirin; Tachibana begins speaking.
“Julie Stovall,” Tachibana booming; “The council has rendered its verdict. With a unanimous raising of paws, you have been found guilty of two counts of violation statue 1A*. While your lawyer did put up a vigorous defense and did stated that since the person you targeted Eric Anderson did not become a wer-mer , this council does not distinguish the difference between attempt and actual deed. It was clear from the evidence put forth that you made several attempts to force a normal to become a were against their will. Statue 1A is a crime in which a were does without consent and/or with malice of forethought, force to attempt to change a normal against their will to the attacking were’s species. Regardless if they are successful of not, the penalty upon conviction is minimum mandatory fifty year sentence. As such the council here will listen to whatever your victims have to say before deciding your sentence.”
“To hell with that,” Julie scoffing; “I’m not going to listen to a bunch of old farts drone on about me being unruly and a problem child in need of a spanking.”
“Charming,” Randolph commenting; “I hope my cub doesn’t end up like you.”
“Bite me,” Julie sneers; “just get this over with.”
********
Douglas Cooper looking at the map he grabbed from the glove box of his cruiser looks for the residential area that Betty lives in. While he was once a police officer for the Seattle Police force; Douglas has not been in the city for nearly a decade now. With the area he enter a new development and new houses still being constructed, it took the determined man to find the street Betty’s house resided on. Pulling up to the address and seeing a car in the driveway; Douglas steps out of his cruiser just as Betty was leaving her front door. Her seeing the man in a sheriff’s uniform and the name tag Cooper on it, Betty gulped at what this could entail.
“Betty Van Rosenberg,” Sheriff Cooper looking serious; “you and I need to have a talk. And you are not going to dodge me about this.”
“Look Sheriff,” Betty doing her best to be polite; “if this is about Julie Stovall, I did things proper. I reported her to the correct authorities.”
“And you dragged my cousin into it,” Sheriff slowly approaching.
“Well Alyssa did help Julie get into Seattle,” Betty answering; “what was I supposed to do, let her go while trying to explain to the Luna Brotherhood how Julie got this far?”
Sheriff Cooper purses his lips as he cannot find fault with what Betty just stated. “All right,” Sheriff Cooper answers; “I need you to come with me to Moon Lake so we can discuss this with the Council.”
“Why,” Betty looking confused; “Why would the council need me?”
“Because you need to tell them exactly what you did,” Sheriff Cooper now a foot from the were-cat.
“I don’t think so,” Betty getting defensive; “I did my duty and got the reward offered by the brotherhood. I have nothing more to do in this matter.”
“The same Luna brotherhood members you handed my cousin to,” Sheriff now grabbing Betty to ensure she doesn’t escape him; “killed Alyssa a few hours later. See for yourself,” The sheriff whips out a cellphone containing footage of Alyssa having her throat ripped out by a werewolf. “Now are you in a talking mood?”
*******
“Enough with these disruptions Julie,” Tachibana getting exasperated; “they will not help you mitigate the fate that is in store for you.”
“Oh goodie,” Julie being flippant; “so it’s a grey jumpsuit and locked in a small solitary cell with a concrete bed by noon then? Do I at least get something to eat before being sent away?”
“For crying out loud,” Rachel Gauldet speaking in her thick French accent; “get her a sandwich or something.”
“Gag her mouth instead,” Randolph snorting; “that will shut her up for sure.”
“Try that,” Brett snarling; “and you’ll be pulling back a bloody stump.”
********
“Oh god,” Betty looking ashen as she had to be help being sat down after seeing the footage of Alyssa’s death; “why would they do that?”
“They wanted sport,” Sheriff Cooper answering; “Julie refused to be hunted so they killed Alyssa to prove they were serious.”
“I heard rumors of the Luna brotherhood hunting weres,” Betty shaking; “I always assumed it was a scare tactic perpetrated by them to scare everyone straight.”
“Which is why you need to tell the council everything you know,” Sheriff Cooper helping Betty up; “I’ll drive.”
“Wait,” Betty catching her breath; “the reward money. Use it for Alyssa’s funeral. Put it to good use.”
Betty passes out in the sheriffs arms; Douglas who sighed, wanting to talk to her regarding Brian Walker. Carrying her to the back of his cruiser; the sheriff heads back inside Betty’s house. Looking inside to see a home in needing of a good decluttering; the sheriff heads to the kitchen to see an envelope with a wolf paw emblazoned in black ink. Picking it up the sheriff shakes his head as he counts the hundred dollar bills and laments; “ten thousand dollars; is that what my cousin’s life was worth?”
******
With Julie now silent after being given something to eat; the council was ready to conclude the whole proceeding; Tachibana looking distraught that once again the no food or drink rule while council was in session was once again broken. Having to relent in allowing it for the sake of any further disruptions from the wer-mer in question she begins to pronounce the sentence.
“Julie Stovall; after the council has deliberated and hearing what both Eric and Frieda have to say; your sentence is to spend a period of no less then one hundred and fifty years locked away for your statue 1A convictions. Perhaps by then, your desire for revenge will be gone. As for your murder and escape charges; this council has decide to furlough those charges, provided you co-operate regarding the several Luna brotherhood werewolves currently waiting for their trial stemming from murdering Alyssa Cooper. Do you understand what I just said?”
“Does it matter,” Julie snorting; “I’m still getting locked away.”
“Get her out of here,” Tachibana sighs; “take her back to her cell. And Daisuke, make sure you inform the staff not to ignore providing Julie a meal again. I will not have those in the council’s custody starving for any reason. This council session is now concluded for the day.”
* In Moon Lake, regardless of what story line you're reading, a were found guilty of turning a normal into a were against their will is punished by a minimum of 50 years in jail for each conviction