Samantha was a bit nervous over the phone call that she'd overheard, particularly that the call was essentially a death threat aimed at her and actually made to her wife. She'd figured that there would be responses like that as deciding to reveal the were secret was something that might be needed in the long term, but would still present a lot of hostility within Moon Lake's were community. The death threat was proof of that sort of fight, though Samantha also figured that most people would recognize the difference between her voice and Frances' voice. The two of them, after all, weren't sisters and there were very different tones to their voices, and yet some individual had called their home and addressed Frances as "Chancellor" and threatened her with death.
"You wouldn't let someone...?" Ben asked from his seat as he looked between Frances and Samantha.
"No," Samantha said firmly, "if the police can track that rat down... I'll take pride in making sure that he goes down before he can hurt Frances."
"The one he threatened was you," Frances said weakly, "he probably didn't know that I answered the phone."
"I won't let them threaten me and I won't let anyone take me out," Samantha said firmly, "we'll just have to power through this."
Frances sighed and nodded as she moved to collect her cellphone to report the threatening call while Samantha moved to dial a familiar number. Ben sat by quietly with some frustration of his own, and partially worried about the safety of both his moms, though for the moment he couldn't say much. Samantha, for the moment focused more on dialing the number and then held the phone to hear ear and awaited the answer.
"Hello," came the voice of Martin Stovall at the other end of the line.
"Hello, sir," Samantha spoke, "just calling with some updates on what will likely be a mess until everything is sorted out..."
"This reveal plan?" Martin was heard to groan back.
"Among other things," Samantha answered. She had her own normal work to do with a family coming in from Virginia, she believed the family name was Ross. Though right now with some of the other things related to the reveal going on, her thoughts were a bit distracted, "but dealing with this will probably be among the bigger problems we have to face."
"I can imagine," Martin commented, "I've had to deal with a few calls of people wondering why and a few openly threatening to withdraw their support in next year's mayoral election."
That was only another thing to be concerned with. Elections were always a tricky thing and they could often have tickle down affects depending on the election. Samantha had done well enough in her elections for Town Chancellor on the basis of providing as much information as possible and trying to cut down on overt threats when it came to the mandatory were law. Those threats could be needed for some, but in Samantha's opinion if that was the first thing used, that might only inspire resistance and whenever possible Samantha tried to avoid making that threat. And the fact that the were secret was a contentious issue, it would become something that the entire administration would have to either defend or oppose.
Generally speaking, Samantha leaned more toward not revealing weres until their could be more solid confirmation of support, but at the same time she could understand the counter point that they might be on borrowed time regardless. That weres could be exposed anyway and not in a good light. Her back and forth with Frances reflected that. The threat made that was aimed at her though was something that gave an indication as to how far some might consider going and without consideration for civil process and the reasons for which the present reveal issue had come about.
"I think that things will be going beyond just threats of not voting for you," Samantha spoke in warning, "and will mean that while the City Council is still developing this plan we may need at least some temporary measures to keep things in order."
"More officers?" Martin asked hesitantly, "we could ask for help from the County Sheriff's office... but it was agreed not to do so for fear that the officers they'd send would be normals."
"Not more officers... but lengthening the shifts and alerting all officers to the issues at hand," Samantha said slowly, "if more hands are needed, we could talk with the Skulk's security services."
"That'd still cost some money," Martin warned.
"We may not have a choice," Samantha answered, "for some that are upset might even be willing to go as far as murder... or at least threatening it."
"Murder?!" Martin gasped back with disbelief evident in his voice.
"We had a random man call our home a little while ago," Samantha answered, "Frances answered the phone but he thought she was me and made the threat that if we didn't put a "stop" to this plan he'd be willing take me out. And while I can take care of myself... there will be the potential that this could escalate into more than just random calls and frustration."
"I'll be sure to alert Chief O'Hara on this... though... what about you, Samantha?" Martin asked back.
"We can't interfere in what the City Council has already agreed to do," Samantha spoke, "And we'll need to put together something that will explain this..."
"What about YOU, Samantha?" Martin asked again, "you're a good person and I'd like to think a friend. I wouldn't want you to be targeted by some idiot that doesn't know any better."
"I'll be fine," Samantha spoke, "increased patrols may help deter someone from doing something stupid on this issue... but other than that, I'll be fine. We can't just retreat because some people are upset."
"If you say so... stay safe," Martin answered.
Samantha promised that she would and sighed heavily as she hung up the phone. She would take added patrols and police vigilance on the issue, though she was privately troubled. Moon Lake had prided itself on being a safe and calm and the issues at hand would be limited to an occasional small thing with major crimes being rare. Yet they'd had one instance of nearly having to go to a full on "were alert" because a rogue were, they had another vigilante were pick a fight with law enforcement on an "arrest" that was intended to allow Moon Lake to hold him separate from having him fall into the FBI's hands and that lead to a battle, and they had another rogue were sneak a powerful aphrodisiac into the High School Halloween Dance and it was largely unknown as to how many people were actually drugged by it as a result. All of this went against the image that Moon Lake wanted and now people were phoning death threats if they didn't get what they wanted. It all only added additional problems that this planned reveal posed. For it betrayed that there were weres that were no better than the people they supposedly feared.
She could hear Frances in the other room reporting the death threat to the police. It wouldn't have much for them to go on, and Samantha had some awareness that they were already dealing with some vague threat cases, or had been dealing with them already, and that was another frustrating issues that were to be needed be understood. She sighed as she did so and was about to turn to Ben when the home phone rang again. Samantha blew hard through her lips in frustration and then then collected herself before answering the phone.
“Hello, this is Samantha Twist.”
A male voice answered, though this voice was younger and actually more cheerful than the person who'd threatened her/Frances just a few moments before. As the answer was spoken, Samantha did relax a little bit... at least until the caller got to the end of the sentence. “Hi Mrs. Twist, this is Tad Decker. My mom gave me your number because I needed to ask you something important.”
That made Samantha blink as she didn't really expect a call from the Deckers. So far as she knew Jen was doing well and adjusting to life in Moon Lake again, and since Jen was already a werecat and her son Tad already a werewolf, much of Samantha's job didn't apply with the Deckers. The biggest thing had been welcoming Jen into their small pride, but there weren't any scheduled pride meetings between now and the start of the New Year. There might be some things that might relate to Jen's loss of her husband, but that might be something more that Frances would deal with. She eventually gathered her self and responded.
“Alright,” Samantha said calmly on the other end. “What is it that you wanted to ask me?”
“Well, I recently got a call from an old friend of mine," Tad answered on the other end of the line, "His dad recently got promoted, and they have to move to Moon Lake. After I hung up with him, I remembered that you always greet new families when they move in and tell them about the secret of Moon Lake, and I was wondering if it would be okay with you if I helped you greet them and reveal the secret to them when they get here this afternoon.”
Samantha was quiet on the other end, as she was thinking to herself about what Tad had just asked. It wasn't that people didn't help her with her job from time to time. In fact Ben had even helped with informing the Andersons on the were secret because he'd befriended Nate at the high school. Those sorts of things did occasionally happen and if friends of people in Moon Lake moved to Moon Lake, Samantha had also found it beneficial to involve those friends when she could as people tended to trust and be more comfortable around their friends that they knew, even if they learned that that friend was a were-beast of some kind. Though she had to make sure on who the family was, she thought there was only one family coming in, but with things so on edge over the reveal, she might have missed something.
“What’s the family’s name?” she asked.
“The Ross family,” Tad responded.
“I do recall seeing paperwork about a Ross family moving in fairly soon...you said they’d be here today?” Samantha spoke, slightly relieved that at least this call was dealing more with things that were "normal" as far as Moon Lake was concerned.
“Yes ma’am,” was the reply, confirming what Samantha expected.
“Well...I don’t see the harm in you coming,” Samantha Twist said. “It might be a little easier for the family to accept the fact that Weres exist if it’s told to them by someone they’ve known for a while.”
“Thank you!” Tad said happily. “Where should I meet you this afternoon?”
“You can just wait at home,” Samantha said. “I’ll come by and pick you up.”
“Sounds good. Thank you again!” Tad spoke over the line with a rather excited tone of voice.
“It’s no problem Tad,” she said. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
With that Samantha hung up and sighed and looked over to Ben who was still seated at the breakfast table.
"I take it that was a better call than the death threat?" Ben asked.
"It's more in line with some of the normal parts of my job," Samantha answered, "something easier to discuss... and hopefully might be able to give us some means of holding the town together while all the drama unfolds."