As Moe Charleston was walking out the front door of his new home in Moon Lake to enter his vehicle, his friend and neighbor Daniel Brooks waved him down.
"Hey Moe. Glad I caught you before you left," he said, approaching him. "Despite the fact that we haven't rounded up all the Gambonis yet, how is everyone settling in?"
"All things considered, we're fine. Nichole just got off the phone with someone from the high school in regards to arrangements to have Karen registered."
"Good," replied the Moon Lake police officer, even as he was silently thinking about security arrangements for the ladies trip there. "What about dealing with the town's Mandatory Were Law?" Daniel asked, more cautiously.
"I must admit that, while I can understand everyone's reasoning behind it once we calmed down and had a chance to think about it more rationally, we're still taken a bit aback at that. Nichole most of all, yet Karen seems fine with the idea of joining. She just isn't sure as what yet, although my wife is still trying to talk her out of it."
"Well, the law is for everyone's protection," Daniel stressed. "Some people naturally have reservations about it at first, but if one of us is exposed, then all of us are exposed. Besides, there are many instances where although only one family member joined initially, in the end others did too because the new member was having so much fun."
"Maybe. Let's face it though. Finding out that were creatures really do exist, let alone a member of your family has to become one, are tough facts to deal with," said Moe.
"Yeah," conceded Daniel. "Yet, like I said, my whole family has embraced being weredogs and are enjoying life a lot more now than we did before arriving here."
"Even when we were all back in New York?" wondered Moe, recalling their friendship before the Brooks had to leave when Daniel could no longer find a job in The Big Apple.
"Yes," said Daniel with a smile. "Without going into explicit detail, among other things, it's done wonders for our sex life. Weres have a much higher libido than normal human beings, so Francine and I..."
"I get the idea," said Moe, interrupting him. "I hope Nichole doesn't know that part, since it's our daughter who may be taking the plunge, and she's still a virgin." At least, I think she is, Moe conceded to himself.
"Sorry man. But that is just one of the many advantages to being a were," Daniel reminded him.
"Anyway, you still planning to open Moe's Pizza here in Moon Lake?" wondered Daniel.
"I hope to. Pizza's been in my family for generations. Besides, if not that, what would I do for a living around here?" asked Moe in return.
"Okay. I understand. Besides, I'm looking forward to it because I haven't had a good slice since we've left New York. But as both your friend and an officer of the law, I have to ask you this. Who will your suppliers be?"
"I have several back on the east coast that my family has dealt with for decades. Why?"
"Well, you remember we found that tracker in your cellphone," said Daniel, "but what if that isn't the only way the Gambonis have been able to follow you?"
"How so?"
"When you contact any of your old suppliers to attempt reestablishing Moe's Pizza at a new location, what's to keep one of them from giving somebody in the Gamboni organization your new address?"
Moe Charleston was silent for awhile, realizing what his friend had said.
"You mean every time I try to get on with my life and provide for my family..."
"Maybe," answered Daniel. "I'm not saying that any of them are betraying you willingly, but since you keep going back to the same suppliers every time, it would be easy enough for anyone to track you down through one of them."
"Then what do I do?" asked Moe in return. "I'm not that picky in regards to who I get my ingredients from, although I naturally always try to get the best prices and the highest quality available. Yet to make the best pizza, you have to have just the right flour and—"
"Whoa buddy. I'm not saying you have to change your recipes or skimp on ingredients. You do that and then it wouldn't be the Moe's Pizza I've enjoyed and loved all these years. Yet whatever does go into them, can't you deal with new people here in Washington State, if not the west coast, instead of contacting all your old suppliers back east and risk the Gambonis discovering where you are?"
Moe thought about it for a moment before saying, "That makes sense. Yet what's to keep the Gambonis from finding a way to track me down through the ingredients anyway?"
"They still may, but why make it easy for them?" asked Daniel in return.
"I never thought about it that way. It will take some time and research to acquire new suppliers for everything though, and I was fixing to go to the bank and the real estate agency to attempt re-establishing the pizzeria now."
"Doing so may delay your reopening, but it will be worth it. Besides having me and my family as your first steady customers, you will have the protection of the entire town and the Moon Lake Police Department behind you in case the Gambonis ever do find you again."
"But isn't there any way I can reopen the pizzeria, let alone protect my family, without the Gambonis ever finding us again? We can't hide forever. What kind of a life would that be? Besides, there's still financial records, let alone the real estate and other legal transactions, or—"
"We're working on it old buddy. We're working on it," promised Daniel.