Making the Rent the Hard Way - 42

 

Tipton's press conference was going strong when Luca and I arrived. I was ready for whatever would happen, rested and relaxed, thanks to spending the night in Luca's bed again—even though for the first hour or more we definitely were not sleeping. We'd made a quick stop by my place, where I'd changed into good slacks and a button-down shirt, in deference to looking presentable for what I was going to do this morning. Jeans and a T-shirt wouldn't have done that.

"Mr. Tipton," I heard a reporter call out as we neared the podium, "there are rumors, suggestions, that you are a shifter. Is there any truth to that?"

"Absolutely not. I'm as human as you or any of the people running against me for the office of mayor."

I had to smile, whispering to Luca, "Since the reporter's a shifter, there goes part of Tipton's argument."

Luca chuckled. "I know. He's one of ours."

That surprised me, though not too much, when I thought about it. Someone had to set it up for what I was going to do.

I walked up to stand in front of the podium, turned to face the reporters and other attendees, and said, "Mr. Tipton definitely is a shifter. I know that for a fact."

From the corner of my eye I saw two burly shifters—who I could only presume worked for Tipton as bodyguards—start toward me as one of the reporters shoved his mike in my face then asked "How? And who are you?"

"My name is Cade Warner. Some of you may have heard of me. I have the unique ability, for a human, of being able to tell who else is human and, more importantly, who's a shifter."

"I know your name," one reporter shouted above the resulting babble, "and your reputation. Are you willing to swear that Mr. Tipton is a shifter?"

By then, Tipton's bodyguards were trying to force their way through the crowd of reporters now surrounding me. "I am," I replied to the man who'd asked the question. I can also tell you those two"—I pointed to the bodyguards—"are shifters, as well. They seem to be upset that I've revealed Mr. Tipton's well-guarded secret." I chuckled. "All right. Not quite a secret since The Tetrad revealed that information. Not that some of you"—I paused, looking at the reporters—"bothered to report it. But I understand why. The charges were, to some extent, unsubstantiated and you didn't want libel suits on your hands. That's why I'm here to state categorically that Mr. Tipton is a shifter." 

"He's lying," Tipton responded angrily. "I don't know what his agenda is or who he's working for, but that is a blatant lie!"

Luca stepped forward. "As a shifter myself, I can tell everyone that what Mr. Warner has said is the truth."

"As can I," said the reporter who had originally posed the question to Tipton. "I don't give a damn about the fact that the owner of the paper I work for has told me to keep quiet. As Mr. Warner pointed out, the owner's afraid of a libel suit. Tipton is a shifter." The reporter paused, his gaze going to the bodyguards. "Those two, and the two standing behind Tipton, are, as well. They all work for Richard Farnham, I believe—just as Tipton does."

"Where is Mr. Farnham?" Rocky called out from the back of the room. "Why isn't he here to defend Mr. Tipton against these charges?"

"Whoa," I said under my breath. I hadn't expected that, but damned if it didn't work. The reporters immediately turned to Tipton to ask him the same question.

"He doesn't need to defend me against lies," Tipton blustered, looking as if he wished he was anywhere but here. One of the bodyguards leaned in to whisper something to him. Tipton paled—then vanished. His men did the same, seconds later.

"I guess the cat's really out of the bag now," Luca said with a grin.

"No shit."

Of course, the reporters had already figured that out. They were calling in the story—or in the case of the TV personnel, giving the viewers their own interpretation of what had just gone down.