It wasn’t long before news of the attempted assassination of Frederick Parker spread though out the town. Those who were not watching the news easily heard the police sirens blaring up and down the various streets. Friends calling friends to tell each other the news; several deputies knocking on the doors of those who lived nearby asking them if they saw anyone suspicious loitering around their property.
Turning on the t.v to watch the early evening news, one was immediately treated to a scene of Sheriff Cooper speaking at the court house; and event that happened earlier, or a scene of a reporter speaking outside of Moon Lake General Hospital. It wasn’t long afterwards that mayor pro-tem Samantha Twist was speaking at city hall, urging town residents to stay indoors. Her public reason was to not get in the way of the deputies as they search for a suspect in the heinous crime. Privately, it was to urge the towns were population to stay indoors, re-enforcing the current were-alert going on since last Friday evening.
“Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice,” Douglas turning off the television in the police station. Heading back to his desk after surveying the crime scene at the courthouse and delegating his deputies to the task of gathering evidence and searching for a suspect. Douglas turned around to see Lance Knight; editor in chief and owner of the Moon lake Gazette, a newspaper part of Knight Media. Also with him was his ace reporter Ella Ayn; author of the damming expose that killed Jack Crawford and his wife’s reputation in the social circles in and around Seattle; as well as other areas of interest.
“After watching Lila’s favorite show get pre-empted for a breaking news story happening here,” Lance sighing; “I knew it was only a matter of time before you contacted me.”
“Ditto,” Ella chiming in; “will Frederick make it? Or is his injury fatal?”
“As far as I know,” Douglas pursing his lips; “Frederick is in emergency surgery. The court officer escorting the man however was not so lucky. The bullet that struck Frederick,” Douglas looking at the preliminary report from the responding officer; “went through the mobster and killed the person. Only one shot was fired. I want you two to co-ordinate and possibly corral the reporters running around town,” Cooper sighing; “Samantha has got the town populace to comply with staying indoors, I need the reporters contained.”
“The better to find the culprit,” Ella looking at the sheriff suspiciously; “you think it was one of the newscasters that did the deed?”
“No,” Douglas looks at another report; one from a tip of the motel manager overhearing a suspicious call from a motel guest. A tip that went uninvestigated due to shift change. “We believe the person who tried to kill Frederick was a person posing as a reporter,” Douglas collecting his thoughts; going into detail how a shady person was seen skulking about town throughout the day. The man first accosting Samantha Twist and then seen nearby the Anderson residence before starting to follow and trail his mate/fiancé Joan Morningcloud.
“We,” Douglas correcting himself; “I believe this person and Frederick’s would be assassin is one in the same. The deputies who pulled the man over for following Joan,” Douglas continuing while fishing through a stack of papers; “they were able to describe what the person looks like with a sketch artist.”
“So what do you want,” Ella looking at the sketch of the greasy looking man with black unkempt hair.
“Get your peers to work with us for a change,” Douglas seeing a deputy waiting for him and looking anxious; “let them know that you have exclusivity with the sheriff’s office and that if they want any further information…”
“I get what you’re saying,” Lance eliciting a half smile; “invite them all to one location and tell them that if they do not want to co-operate they are more than welcome to be escorted out of said location and be forced to watch from the sidelines as their competitors get the scoop.”
“That location preferably being the gazette,” Douglas smiling in return.
******
At the Anderson household, William and Martha were sitting at the dining room table. Not alone, their company was none other than old man Johnson and his son, the town’s district attorney Jack Johnson. After yesterday’s event revolving the attack on Nate Anderson, the two wanted to come over and checkup and try to offer some sympathy. Finding out the Nate had to spend the night at the hospital and was discharge around mid-morning and at the Talbot house, the two men were at a loss as to what to do. With Eric with Spencer and Frieda, William and Martha asked the two to stay for dinner. It was during dinner that Jack got news of the incident happening at the courthouse. The were-cat with heterochromia; a condition were the iris in each eye has a different color. For Jack one eye was blue while the other was green. In his fursona, his blue eye turns amber while the green eye stays green. Currently, Jack was in his human form. His father pushing seventy and in poor health, never became a were; since Jack became the family were after the Johnsons moved to Moon Lake, the old man and his wife never saw the need to become one.
“Well that is not good,” William looking worried after he and Martha were told what just happened.
“It just means,” Jack putting his phone away; “that the mayor, the sheriff and the town’s elder council is going to have a long night. The rest of us will be required to remain indoors.”
“I’m not staying here,” Old man Johnson griping; “your mother can’t be left alone for too long.”
“You live next door dad,” Jack shaking his head; “a short walk for you. Even for your bad heart,” Jack adding.
“Eric,” Martha breaking her silence; “he is with his friends. How will he get home,” asking worriedly?
William’s face twisted into a grimace as he knew Eric was at the Knight estate. While still not exactly trusting Benton Knight; not after he blindly assaulted his son last year. Despite Benton’s best effort to be apologetic and sincere, William was still leery about his son over at that house.
“I’ll call him up,” William looking bitter; “perhaps go and collect him.”
“No,” Jack speaking; “the best thing you can do is call up your son and tell him to stay where he is for the evening. The fewer the people running about town, the better for the police in searching for those responsible for what happened at the court house earlier.”
*****
Back at the Knight estate, Amanda turned off the television in the living room. Shaking her head as she utters a low growl; the were-panther in her fursona walks to the study of her husband and enters without even bothering to knock. Seeing Benton at his desk and working as usual, despite the fact that he should be relaxing; Amanda informs him what she just saw on the television. Getting up and following her back to the living room and turning on the television, Benton watches emotionless as he sees the breaking news story regarding the attempt on Frederick Parker’s life.
“Neither of us are heading out this evening,” Benton turning off the television.
“Yet Spencer and Eric,” Amanda swiveling her ears to the sound of them upstairs, rutting as if there was no tomorrow; letting Benton fill in the pieces.
“Shit,” was all Benton could say; knowing that the police will have checkpoints all over town, taking the two home while Frieda stayed behind was going to be a lengthy and irritating ordeal.
“Yeah,” Amanda sighing; “and on a school night to. You want to call Eric and Spencer’s parents or shall I?”
“You call one,” Benton shaking his head; “I’ll call the other. We’ll tell the three currently upstairs afterwards.”