Sitting within her car at the parking lot to the Moon Lake Hotel, after Samantha Twist said goodbye to her wife, she called her office.
"Hey Shelly, it's me. Status check time."
"No new business so far today boss," said Samantha's secretary Shelly Clarksville. "You did get a package from the Moon Lake Hospital, marked CONFIDENTIAL."
"Frances gave me the heads up on that. File it with the other Yvette Smith material, and discretely check with the Mayor's secretary to see if he got one too."
"Will do boss," promised Shelly, for it would be easy enough to call her girlfriend about actual town business than anything concerning their private affair that her abusive jerk of a husband didn't need to know about. "Anything else?"
"Yes. I got a text message requesting info on the available feline based groups a normal could join if they decide to become a were. Can you please copy that for me, and I'll collect it on the way to my next appointment."
"Do you want me to include your clan too?"
Samantha thought about that for a moment. Karen Charleston's situation was delicate, given Marcus Gamboni's obsession with her and the fact no one knew his current whereabouts. Yet she had told the teenager that Samantha's small pride was exclusive to members of the LGBT community. The issue of who would become the Charleston family were was unsettled, last the Town Chancellor heard. Had the daughter changed her mind? Or just didn't realize that feline based would include Samantha's? "Only for the sake of completeness. Is the council meeting still scheduled for two?"
"Last I heard."
"Okay. I'll be there in about a half hour for the info packet, and unless anything else comes up between now and then, I will definitely be on time for a meeting, for once."
I'll believe that when I see it, thought Shelly, knowing that her job kept Samantha busy out of the office a lot, but only said "Okay," before hanging up.
MEANWHILE, EARLIER THAT MORNING...
Ben Twist parked his car in the student parking lot of Moon Lake High School. Nate and Eric Anderson thanked their friend and neighbor for the ride, but Eric lied to the older boys and said he had to retie his shoes before going into the school building for the day.
The moment he was alone, Eric pulled out his cellphone and called the number he found in the online directory assistance for the Mayor's office.
Once his secretary answered, Eric requested an appointment with Martin Stovall.
Instantly recognizing his name, Janet the secretary said, "I'll have to put you on hold for a moment while I check his schedule."
When Eric said that was okay, Janet got up from her desk and went into Stovall's office after briefly knocking on his door. "I have Eric Anderson on Line 1, asking if you're free to meet this afternoon."
"ERIC?" repeated the mayor, not knowing why his daughter's boyfriend would want a meeting. "What's my agenda look like?"
"You're open from four until the end of the day staff wrap up briefing at a quarter of five," replied Janet.
"Okay. Make the appointment," said Martin Stovall, not knowing what else lied ahead for Moon Lake.
After Janet got back on the phone and confirmed the appointment, Eric thanked her and said he would be there. But now, how do I break the news to Julie? he wondered, rushing to get inside the school in hopes of still being able to walk his girlfriend to her first class of the day without either of them being late.
BACK IN THE PRESENT...
Samantha sat behind the wheel of her car, buckled her seat belt, but then decided she better make another phone call before starting up and heading back to her office.
After talking to the business operator and then her personal receptionist, there was another pause before Samantha spoke to Tachibana no Akane directly.
"Konichiwa Mrs. Twist. To what do I owe the honor of this conversation?" asked the head of the Skulk, the collective group name covering all the werefoxes and werevixens of Moon Lake.
"I've just come into possession of some information that I feel you should be aware of," said Samantha, before explaining Frances' warning about Jennifer Harper's family.
"I see," said Akane calmly, after hearing the details. "Do you fear they will become violent?"
"I hope not, but I honestly can't say," admitted Samantha. "Based on what Frances was able to tell me without breaking doctor/patient confidentially, even without any knowledge of were society, her parents are certainly going to object to at least Jenny's new appearance, if not the wedding as well, on moral and religious grounds."
"Meaning?" asked the Skulk leader, wanting clarification.
"They'll suspect Jenny's had plastic surgery, let alone pre-marital sex. According to Jenny, her parents are very strict. Those two points alone would be enough for the Harpers to disown and abandon her. Add in marrying someone outside their faith, let alone getting married before graduating college, which will also make them suspicious that Jenny's having a baby outside of wedlock; and if Jenny tells them she's on birth control pills, that will be another strike against her in their eyes. Add in the fact that they didn't get a chance to meet and approve of the groom..."
"That poor girl. And she was dealing with all of that even before Yvette Smith?" asked Akane.
"Yes. Personally, I think it's amazing that Jenny's managed this long, even without becoming a werevixen," said Samantha.
"I agree... Samantha," said the Skulk leader, realizing that now was not the time for formalities. "Whatever it requires, you will have the full cooperation of the Skulk to keep Jennifer, her fiance, and the town safe."
"I appreciate that. We should discuss this in further detail. Are you free today?" asked the Town Chancellor.
Tachibana no Akane checked the appointment book on her desk and asked, "How does 11:30 sound?"
"I'll be finishing up another appointment then," replied Samantha, knowing that the Charleston's new residence was no where near where Akane conducted her daily business. "What about noon?"
"I will clear my calendar for the rest of today. Please come as soon as you are able."
"Will do," promised Samantha, before hanging up her cellphone. Well, I might wind up missing the beginning of another council meeting after all, she realized, while starting up her car. But Mayor Stovall can't blame me once he hears what's going on. I'll tell him before stopping by my office for the info on the way to the Charlestons, she thought, while pulling out of the Moon Lake Hotel parking lot.
MEANWHILE...
Akane stared at her telephone, lost in thought, long after finishing her conversation with the Town Chancellor.
Then, instead of using the phone again, she walked to the outer office and addressed her secretary personally.
"A situation has arisen. Please cancel my appointments for the rest of today and reschedule everything possible with my apologies; and wherever they are, regardless of what they're currently doing, I will need all my grandsons here by noon."
"Yes Mrs. Tachibana," said the secretary. "But this came for you a few moments ago. What shall I do with it?"
Akane looked at the thick envelope from the Moon Lake Hospital, and realized it was the private copy she ordered made clandestinely of all the test results concerning the rogue werevixen Yvette Smith.
"Forward it to the head of the medical department. Tell him I shall need an explanatory summary of the contents of that report as soon as possible. When it arrives, please put it in your office safe until such time as I can look everything over for myself. But under no circumstances is anyone outside the inner Skulk to know we have a copy of that information in our possession."