Making the Rent the Hard Way - 32

 

Orchid and Rory showed up late Wednesday morning. They both sniffed, then grinned at each other.

"Told you," Orchid said gleefully.

"Like I didn't believe you?" Rory shot back. "But it's none of our business how they spent their time after we left."

"Guys, we're right here," I said, trying not to laugh.

"Better than in there." Orchid nodded to the bedroom. "Anyway, we're here and reporting in. We delivered the flyers to reporters at the various news outlets. We figured we might as well go straight to them, rather than hoping some higher-up might or might not decide there was a story in the info."

"What sort of reaction did you get?" Luca asked.

"Honestly, we didn't wait around. We just handed each man, or woman, the envelope containing the flyer then took off." Rocky chuckled. "On foot, in case you're wondering. No sense in announcing what we are. That could have slanted their opinions one way or the other."

"Good point," I agreed. "Okay. Let's start putting together the rest of the information for them."

"I was thinking," Orchid said. "We should give all this to the candidates, too. Well, not Farnham's stooge, but the others."

Luca nodded. "I like that idea. But give it to him, too, and make it apparent the others got it. You know he'll go straight to Farnham. Seeing it all laid out should tick Farnham off, big time."

We spent the next hour or so putting together a bulleted fact sheet listing everything we knew—or thought we knew—including who Farnham's stooge was. We made it as clear as possible, without coming out and saying exactly what Farnham was planning—and that it was him. That was accomplished by saying 'a local lakeside restaurateur with ties to the shifter community'.

"Whether the news outlets report that piece of information will probably depend on whether they're willing to take a chance on Farnham's suing them for libel," I said when we finished.

"Even if they don't," Rocky replied, "I'm willing to bet the mayor and at least a couple of the other candidates will let it out."

"Let's hope," Luca said. "The more pressure on Farnham, the more likely it is he'll make a mistake that will end his plans."

"We'll get on this right away," Orchid said, waving the final mockup of our next missive. 

"As soon as you're finished, get back here," I told them. "We have to plan our next step."

"Which would be?" Rocky asked.

"We'll discuss it when you return."

Orchid rolled her eyes—she was good at that—before they took off.

Luca chuckled. "You don't have a next step, do you?"

"I have a glimmering of a plan. It'll mean us finding somewhere else to stay—a place Farnham can find out about."

"Oh boy. Why doesn't that idea make me feel all warm and fuzzy?" he grumbled.

I grinned. "You're already warm, and probably very fuzzy in your wolf form."

He whapped me, shaking his head. "This is not the time to be making bad jokes."

"Yeah. Sorry." I kissed him quickly then started pacing.