The Tabloids

  Maybe Barker wasn’t an old hound, but a late night on the red eye back into Urgway still made him haggard. With a crinkled suit, not his choice-those airplane seats left little room for adjusting-he strolled into the mayor’s office just as the sun rose into the morning sky. Already, the white-haired secretary sat behind the desk awaiting his return. Sometimes Barker wondered if she ever even went home. His money would have been on an adjacent apartment some place close. Did he pay her enough for that? A matter for another time.  

   “Good morning, Mayor Barker.” The poodle grabbed Barker’s suit jacket and looked it over. Without saying a word, Barker could tell she meant to press it before he ever saw it again. He liked this woman. Reminded Barker of what having a mother would have been like.  

   “I will take a coffee, black with a single ice cube.”  

   A nod. Then off to the office. Barker flipped his briefcase onto the massive desk. His attention wavered to the picture window. The city below bustled already. Urgway never stopped in full. Something was always happening in the streets below. A tap on the door broke his concentration. The yellow and green taxi cars were the least of his worries today.  

   The secretary delivered two cups of coffee which were drunk by the time Barker put the finishing touches on the case for Vulpecula. It was just in time as the clock struck the agreed upon hour and in sauntered the white fox. Times had been better for him by the look of things. Bags formed under his eyes. Maybe he had caught the same red eye over. Would have been in two different worlds. One in first class, one in the luggage rack. Barker chuckled at his own silent joke.  

   “Have a seat,” Barker waved to the single seat in front of him.  

   There was a point for Barker to only have one comfortable guest at a time. Easier to control a crowd if one never formed. Vulpecula didn’t comment on the lack of chairs. Most people did, but Vulpecula didn’t have the concern or energy.  

   “Glad you could make it. Would you enjoy a cup of coffee?”  

   The poodle woman still sat at the doorframe awaiting the answer. Vulpecula waved her away. His paws were dirty. Maybe there was more to the bags than a single restless night. Wrinkled clothes were an understatement for the white fox. These things looked to have been worn every day for the last week. The smell of stale alcohol was apparent on the air. The fox wasn’t drunk now, but he had been recently. Weakness, Barker thought. It was something to wedge into. A pry to keep the door open. Something Barker could use to guide the fox along where he needed him. Or maybe it was a vice Barker would lose the fox too. The thought was an odd one. Barker never thought of anyone else like he did the white fox. Most people were a means to an end. The white fox was something more. Why? Well, that was a tougher question. One Barker didn’t have the answer for, no matter how long he searched for it. Could have been their connection through their fathers. Or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was, Barker didn’t have time to think on it right now.  

   “Long flight over?” Barker asked, leaning back in his own soft-cushioned chair. The back groaned as he shifted his weight, but it was a good sturdy wood and he didn’t think twice about it.  

   “It wasn’t too bad. Slept most of the way over.”  

   A lie. Clear as day, Vulpecula had started things off with a bald-faced lie.  

   “I am glad. Always so hard for me to catch any dreams on those metal boxes.” Barker chuckled at his own joke. Vulpecula failed to join him.  

   “You said something about a case for me?”  

   “Straight to the point this morning, I see.”  

   Vulpecula had the embarrassment left to turn away, but he didn’t apologize or backtrack.  

   “It is just that I need something to drown some thoughts. Need to get back on track. I thought what better than solving mysteries?”  

   Leaning forward, Barker grabbed the closed manilla folder. “This file contains everything you need to know and how I came about the knowledge. Whatever you need, you can ask the department here. If everything goes well, then I expect to hear the details.”  

   Vulpecula’s eyes settled on the folder. Barker had written Rockwell in large letters across the front. It was enough to draw anyone’s attention, but, to Vulpecula, it was a gigantic neon sign. Noel’s son was practically eating out of his palm.  

   “Where do I start?” Vulpecula asked.  

   “Easy enough. You start at the beginning.” Barker tossed the folder over.  

   Vulpecula snatched it from the desk like a greedy homeless beggar. Barker leaned back again, adjusting his collar. His button-down shirt was in shambles, but he doubted Vulpecula would notice a few extra creases. If he did, he thought nothing of them.  

   “A good start,” Vulpecula said, scanning the fabricated documents.  

   “Let me see you end it. That is the most important part. The start is easy.” Barker gave a wink and tapped on the desk with the back of his knuckles.  

   Vulpecula looked up, closing the folder without another comment. He stood, stretched, and walked toward the door. Not a goodbye, a handshake, or anything.  

   “Thank you,” he spat out before he slipped out the door, closing it behind him.  

   Barker had a hard time getting a grip on the white fox. An anomaly more than just his fur color.  

*** 

   Taking time. Thinking things through. Making sure he made the best move. Those were the things Barker valued in his work. There was a point to be made about keeping consistently moving forward without a backward step. To do so, he always had prepared. Which is why, an hour after Vulpecula left and Logan Norms walked into his office, it made Barker’s haunches rise. He had told the reporter or would be reporter, a specific time to come to him. It had not been today, and it had surely not been right after a sleepless night on the red eye from Acera. The white poodle tapped on the door. She would question the validity of Logan’s apparent appointment. Barker would send him away.  

   “I do not want visitors right now,” Barker called toward the door.  

   Another knock didn’t follow. Creaking slowly at first, and then, blasting almost off the hinges, the door opened to show Logan Norms in a purple suit sitting in his doorframe. There was something off about the man. Something that didn’t scream big time reporter. There had been plans to dive deeply into Norms later, probably tomorrow after a good night’s rest. Barker still knew next to nothing about the man. An uneven playing field, as Norms seemed to know a lot about Barker and the friends he had been making.  

   “I hope I am not intruding,” Norms said. Not caring if he barged in. The man wandered around the office with his eyes and then sat down into the single chair across from Barker’s own. Crossing his legs, patting his thigh for a notebook, and pulling it out, Norms gave Barker a plastic smile and awaited something.  

   Silence hung for a few moments as Barker tried to adjust to the sudden change in mood. There were many things he could have done in this scenario. Calling for Norms to be arrested for trespassing, having Norms beaten by the detectives a few floors below, or having the Mayor’s own special unit come for the man. All of them passed by Barker’s mind, but none of them would likely help in the long run. Norms was an odd character, and Barker wanted to know where he fit in.  

   “So, you say you are a reporter?” Barker kept his tone even. There would be little to no use showing his anger out the gates.  

   “Hence the notebook and pen,” Norms said. He laughed, licked the tip of the pen, and placed it on the paper. 

   What he wrote, Barker could not see. It meant nothing, probably. A nervous tactic, maybe? Or something to get Barker talking about something else. A trick. Barker waited for Norms to finish the sentence and didn’t peer over the desk to read it. 

   “Right. The question is, what are you reporting? Who are you reporting for? And why should I care to give you an exclusive word?” 

   Logan scratched more sentences. His ploy was a well thought out attempt to get under Barker’s skin. Did he want a rampage to report? Show the world how unnecessarily angry dogs were? Keep them in an unpleasant light? Barker got an idea.  

   “You know what? Why don’t we order in for some lunch? I think there are some things we could talk about. Do you prefer Italina style noodle or Jalint’s spicy soups?”  

   Norms looked up and, this time, it was he who was off kilter. He had not expected a candid interview. It was why he came early. Why he pretended to note take. The man had come for a different reason than an interview. Barker would detect what the reasoning was, but first he would use Norms to promote a different message. The new Canes needed a mouthpiece. Someone who could paint them in a new light. A beautiful picture of words and Barker would paint it using Logan Norms.  

*** 

   Logan hadn’t touched a bite of his food. Barker scarfed his own down. He needed the energy to keep himself going. The flight and the lack of sleep was catching up to him. Showing weakness wasn’t an option, though. He would outlast Logan Norms and use him to his own means. Sleep could wait.  

   “So, you want me to write that you have started charitable considerations in Acera as well as Urgway through a brothers and sisters type program?” Logan looked skeptical. His pen hovered over the page as it had for the last several minutes.  

   Barker noticed the fake scratching was over now. When Barker started talking about charity and philanthropy, Logan looked to grow bored with the conversation.  

   “It will help those unable to help themselves. Dogs around the world will get behind this, but it is about all species. Coming together is important and we should look to diversify all the links of life. If I can put forth a little effort on my own to further this accordance, then I will. It is the least I could do. I have received so much in life.” Barker slurped another noddle into his mouth. The creamy sauce from Riley’s Noodle House always made his stomach jump for joy.  

   “I just do not see how this falls into line with your other actions across the city.” Logan pulled another notebook from the opposite side of his pants. “I have noted here,” he tapped with the back of his pen, still not writing the things Barker said. “That, you have removed all non-canine police officers across the city. What do you say to that? How does it fit into line with the message you are telling me?”  

   The look across his face said he had scored a point from beyond the half mark. Barker dropped his fork into the empty bowl and leaned back. With the edge of a white napkin, he pressed the remaining sauce from his jowls. With a content sigh, he gathered his thoughts on the subject. This time, he was more into it with the added energy reserves from the food and coffee.  

   “Well, as you may have known, but failed to mention. I was not a part of the process to hire new officers after the old ones turned in their badges. As you may also know, the city of Urgway has often been known for the repression of a certain species. Dogs were not and continue to not be the most popular people. I plan to help change that outlook, but I plan to do so by adding everyone onto the same grounding. Those who didn’t want to be a part of our wonderful police department here in Urgway have gone to other areas. The new ones who qualified for the open spots were of the canine species. However, I have never instructed one of my captains, all great people, to only look at canines for the positions. You could go ask any of them yourself. I am a busy man, Logan. I do not have the time to sit in on every interview for a normal patrol officer. There are times I wish I had more time to do the smaller things, but being mayor is more than just a few positions on the ground level. I have to oversee an entire population of diverse people.”  

   Tapping. The back of the pen to the paper. Logan looked lost in thought. A revelation unheard by Barker, hidden behind a veil, but Barker could see the mastery of the look. This was something Logan did to get people to open. Worry. If someone was afraid of being outed, they would spill the beans with an excuse to back it. Barker reached forward across the desk and grabbed his mug. Half-full. It needed a top off. Barker hated little else in the world more than cold coffee. The trend of making things different than they should be was off-putting. Still, Barker sipped. If Norms wanted to play the game of being coy, then they would play.  

   “It appears to me, like it does to most of the world, you have an affinity for lust. You want things to be a certain way, and then you move toward that direction at whatever cost. Were you the man who cut the knees out from the former Mayor of Urgway?”  

   Poking. Any reaction from Barker would be the front page of a nightly newspaper in Acera. It was a shame Norms would not be getting his scoop. Barker let the cold coffee pass his lips. A tactic to create tension. Let Norms believe he had something. Have him believe Barker was on the defense. Then, Barker could spring his own trap and make Logan wish he had never come to play such an opponent. Mental exercise was good. Especially if Barker planned to make his version of The Canes the biggest.  

   “It would be a disservice to the things I have already done for the people of Urgway to lie to you.” Logan sat forward, waiting for some bomb from Barker’s mouth. “It would also be a disservice to the position of mayor to want anything less than the best for the city. If you assume, which you have, that I arrested the former mayor for my personal benefit, then you have underestimated the cunning of such a man. Had I allowed him to stay in power, which he would have for some time, then I allowed my city, my home, to swelter and turn into a cesspit. If you believe my ambition was the turning of the city, then write it in your paper. Let the world know that the dedication I showed saved hundreds, if not thousands, of canines and other species from the rule of a criminal. There were benefits to the former mayor but allowing him to stay in power undercut what we should stand for as a nation. We are not made of a single brand. There are those who have seen the sunshine for the first time in decades, thanks to the men and women surrounding me. Hard work, dedication, and perseverance have helped a lot of men and women. Write it down.” Barker sat the emptied mug onto the desk. Leaning forward, he made a notion to look at the notebook. All the writing Logan had done amounted to only a few scribbled sentences. “I see you have been enlightened, inspired, ready to lambaste the city and the world.”  

   Logan turned the notebook away, too late to make any pretense to having a message to deliver. His eyes narrowed as he looked over the bridge of his nose at Barker. Maybe a newfound respect for what he had gotten himself into.  

   “You give a great interview. Practiced without seeming so. Prepared even as I threw myself onto your doorstep without warning. Maybe you are truly a politician. Those who believed you would be different will be sorely mistaken by the end of this, I do believe.”  

   “And you, what do you believe?” Barker thought he may like the reporter, or so-called reporter, who sat across from him. The nerves were there. This could easily be the man to take the fall should he need it. Mona Eyes had said he needed someone smart, but not too smart. Logan fit the bill. He was, but he wasn’t so good that Barker could not leash and train him.  

   “I believe you believe in your own cause. Whatever it is you’re doing here; you believe in it fully. There is a way about you I can respect. Not akin to saying that to many mayors or politicians. Many of them are self-serving with their heads so far up their rears they haven’t seen the plight of a modern man in their entire lives. I feel you differ from that.”  

   Barker chuckled. “Is that what you will say on your article?”  

   Logan shook his head. “No article from me. Tune in tomorrow morning on the Acera morning news. I am no beat reporter, Mayor Barker. I assume you will enjoy what you hear. This will be the start of something good.”  

   Barker wanted to agree. Instead, he kept the thoughts to himself. Logan Norms would be a good pawn on the board. It would take some time to crack the surface, but it would be worth it. There was a face of The Canes who wasn’t a canine. It was exactly what he needed. Logan stood and shook Barker’s hand. Watching him out the door, Barker checked his schedule for the morning. There was nothing there. Maybe he would even invite Vulpecula to see the show. The world seeing Barker in a positive light was a good thing.  

   Barker hit the intercom and ordered another coffee. Sleep would wait until this evening. He wanted to prepare for the change of opinion come the morning news. Leaning back, Barker couldn’t help but let a smile stretch across his face. It had been a long time since he could honestly remember being happy. Everything was falling right into place and, soon, the world would eat out of the palm of his hand.  

*** 

   The call came late at night, or early morning. Vulpecula had another route he was looking at, but he could make the morning briefing if he was truly needed. Barker thought on it. Why would anyone think calling this late at night was an acceptable avenue?  

   Whatever the reason, Barker had gotten out of bed and didn’t foresee himself returning to it. Instead, he made a cup of coffee using the new automatic machine his secretary had bought him. A quick insert of a small cup and a button press later, he had a cup of steaming hot, black coffee in his paw. Taking it to the table, he sat and produced a folder with the names of the most important men and woman across Acera. There were thousands of names to leaf through, but many of them Barker would work to replace in the coming elections. Having a personal hacker did wonders.  

   It was hard keeping interest in the work. The sleepless nights weighed on him for certain, but even more, he couldn’t focus on anything but the interview with Norms. Mona’s words at her ranch had weeded into his skin. A fall guy. Someone to take the rap if things came tumbling down.  

   There was no doubt anymore about the necessity of such a thing. Knowing his father had been the fall guy during the first inception of The Canes bothered him. Barker had always envisioned his father as a smart man. A pioneer courting with the smartest men and women in the world. It turned out an oversized gorilla had played him. It was humorous thinking on it. Losing the image of his father as being a powerful man, made Barker feel even more vindicated in his path.  

   Canines deserved to be free. They deserved a spot at the table. In truth, he wasn’t doing it for them. He did it for the pup he had been. The boy too poor to afford a hot shower. Going to school had been all the motivation he needed to strive for something better. Barker pushed those thoughts away.  

   Seeing his cup was empty, he stood and walked back to the coffee machine. His pods were empty. The white-haired poodle had reminded him to shop this morning. Barker had forgotten in his fugue state. It was his own fault, but he couldn’t help but feel a little heated toward Norms. The interview had better be a good one. Checking the clock, Barker saw there was still four hours before the time Norms had given him.  

   More time to leaf through the files. Maybe more time to sleep. Barker knew he wouldn’t do either. Instead, he grabbed his keys to the apartment and walked out into the hall. No one else on his floor, or probably in the building, was awake. Not bothering with being quiet, he made hastily to the elevator. The ding would surely wake a few of his less than friendly neighbors, but Barker didn’t care. He was the mayor of the city. What would they do? Call in a complaint?  

   With a yawn, Barker pressed the ground floor button. A pleasant walk would be what he needed. Feeling the brisk city air would remind him of his passion. Not that he was losing it, but it was good to have a goal and a fresh outlook.  

   During his ride down the elevator, Barker thought of Norms. The way he had tried to outwit Barker at the beginning. Barker could see several ways to use such a tool. Plying him into a usable mold would be a fun side-project. A good deputy mayor someday, maybe. Or a mayor in Jalint or Acera. He would need allies in both major cities. The men he used now would work for the time being, but men he could control every movement of would be even better.  

   The elevator door dinged, and Barker pressed for the city streets. There were hundreds of people already milling about the sidewalks. Barker ignored them, but they refused to ignore him. None were brave enough to approach him directly, but the snapping of pictures, the hushed whispers, and the knowing stares were enough to make Barker question his temptation for a walk.  

   Heading off the main path, Barker ducked into a dark alley. It may have not been the best idea. Power often enticed those without it to seek it.  

   “What do we have here?”  

   Barker reached into his overcoat. Going nowhere unprepared was the first lesson of being a detective. Barker pressed his palm to the grip of his revolver with one hand. The other he pulled an envelope free and spun around.  

   “I planned to come by this afternoon. Didn’t figure you would be up and about yet, but here we are.”  

   The brown, slobber filled lips of the hound closed and Barker heard the man sucking the spit back into his mouth. His dirty, overgrown nails reached out and pinched the envelope held into the air.  

   “More drugs?”  

   “Read the envelope,” Barker said. “Better yet, get someone to read it to you. Don’t mess it up.”  

   The man shoved it into his coat. There wasn’t any doubt Barker had picked the dumbest dog gang on the block. However, it turned out to have been the only dog gang on the block. Something that would slowly change as Barker dug into the groove.  

   “What is it this time?”  

   Barker shook his head. There were a thousand jobs to across the city. Sometimes they needed less than overhanded methods to see them through.  

   “Worry about it when you read it.” Barker tucked his hands back into his pockets. “I will deliver money as it always is.” He kept his hand firmly planted on the gun, hidden out of sight.  

   “Thanks, boss.”  

   There was little need to be so antsy, but Barker never fully trusted anyone. The dogs across the city practically worshiped him like the second-coming. However, that didn’t mean someone wouldn’t go crazy and off the deep end. Barker wanted to be around for the power shift. There was no desire to be a martyr for it.  

   Checking his watch, Barker grabbed another cup of coffee before heading into the office. He would wait there for Vulpecula and the news. Maybe he would call in the secretary to watch with them. Make a party of it. Barker chuckled to himself. There was happiness on the horizon. Practically everything he touched turned to gold. This would be a good day, followed by a wonderful week, and a great year. Barker lost himself to all the things the people would say about him after today. In doing so, he hyped himself to the best mood he had been in for quite some time.  

*** 

   Before this morning, Barker hadn’t turned on the television in his office since the election cycle. No longer did he mind what the talking heads had to say about him. All of it would be negative, and he had no disillusion to think otherwise. None of the reporters encased in their suits and social armor cared for him. They all thought him a threat. A ripple in the status quo. Something to be snuffed out, avoided, and thrown away at any cost. Unfortunately for them, Barker wasn’t planning on going anywhere for quite some time.  

   Leaning back, Barker flipped on the station Logan would be guest appearing on in less than a quarter of an hour. Thrill made his hair stand on end. It was a silly thing to get excited about, but here he was. It reminded him of his first day of school. The day before he realized how poor and unwanted, he was. His mother had shielded him so well from the dialogue of the city that Barker didn’t hear the whispers of his father or the other canines until the other animals ridiculed him to the point of tears. It had been the last time Barker cried. Maybe the only time he had truly cried.  

   Pushing those thoughts aside, Barker’s attention moved to the door. Standing on the other side of the picture-glass window was none other than the white fox. Standing beside him was the white-haired poodle lightly tapping on the door to alert Barker.  

   “Allow him in,” Barker yelled.  

   The talking heads were hyping up the interview at the top of the hour. Logan Norms had the scoop on Urgway’s Mayor, Sanec Barker. The door opened and Barker waved in Vulpecula to take a seat.  

   “I am glad you could pull yourself away.”  

   “I have a lot of work to do, but I thought this sounded important to you. What exactly are we doing?”  

   Vulpecula looked confused as he eased into the cushioned back of the brown leather. It was the first time since Barker invited him that he wondered what he was doing. Why had he made such a big deal about the interview? It was only a step in a long process. No one would see it but him, and yet he wanted the world to know. There were others he could have invited. Canines who were behind him. Other political officials who he needed to climb on board with his motives. Instead, he had called in the white fox. Maybe the sleep deprived state he had been in was worse than he had initially assumed. Sitting there staring at the fox made him question his motives, but he wanted him here. Beyond his own confusion of the situation and request, he wanted the fox here. That much was certain.  

   “I wanted you to watch something with me. Good to have someone with you at times like these.”  

   The words were out of character for Barker. It almost sounded like he wanted a friend. That wasn’t the case, was it? Barker shook his head. He didn’t have time to psychoanalyze his inner thoughts. The host called for a last commercial break.  

   “When we are back, Logan Norms will take center stage with a scoop he promises to make waves.”  

   The image switched from the newsroom to an ad for some new medication. Barker lost interest as they started with their laundry list of side-effects.  

   Vulpecula shifted several times, looking for a comfortable spot. Barker assumed it was nerves and not the cushion that bothered him. Barker had his own trepidation about the coming minutes of television time. Sure, Logan had promised an excellent report, but would it be enough for the pundits? 

   The commercials moved from one to the next. Medication, useless junk, and food flashed over the screen. Then, the newsroom panned back into view and Barker leaned forward to hear better. This was the crowning moment. The start of his fall guy.  

   The hook-lipped grin of Logan Norms was the first image across the screen. Vibrant. It was the one word that could describe Logan’s colorful suit. A bright yellow with an orange tie. Something Barker would have never been caught dead in. The suit didn’t matter. They could work on style at a later date.  

   “We are back with Logan Norms. He tells us there is something big going on in Urgway. A movement of some sort?”  

   Logan flashed another toothy smile. “There is something the world should know. This doesn’t just affect the citizens and votes of Urgway. It will trickle across the city limits and into other areas. I feel the entire world should turn up the volume and hear the message I have brought with me today.  

   “Well, don’t leave us hanging. Go on with the message. I think you have captivated the attention of all our viewers this morning.”  

   The talking head had the right of it. Barker was nearly on the edge of his seat. Even Vulpecula, who often as not seemed to be oblivious to the world, looked to be listening intently.  

   “Let me just start by saying I met Barker first-hand yesterday afternoon. After bumping into him in Acera’s airport the day before. Our first encounter, while brief, told me something about the canine Mayor of Urgway.” Logan stretched the anticipation. Barker thought about throwing something at the television but refrained. “It told me the man was a crook and a liar. I witnessed none other than Mona Eyes’ raccoon butler dropping Barker off at the airport.”  

   Barker stumbled forward. The shock of the statement caught him off guard. That wasn’t what he had expected to hear. Logan had been all smiles and joy when he left the office the day before.  

   “Mona Eyes? We have heard rumors of an apparent resurrection several times, but as far as the world is concerned, Mona is long dead.”  

   Logan licked his lips, never losing the smile. “Barker was tight lipped about his meeting. We won’t get into further detail on that for the moment. I have enough to bring the pot to a boil without adding more heat.” 

   “Well, let us hear it. You have held us on the string for long enough.”  

   Logan leaned forward, looking hard at the camera. Barker could tell he meant for the stare to penetrate Barker. He had lied. There was no doubt now. Barker thought about turning the showoff. Saving some face. The world would hear it no matter what. Barker may as well prepare for what would come at him.  

   “In his office, sparse from any genuine work, Mayor Barker sits in plush chairs overlooking a city falling into economic decline. Those who are not canines have found themselves recently without jobs or means to pay their exceptionally high rent. Because of this, many of those who are not of the canine persuasion have been moving to the fringes of the suburbs or into other cities. However, as witnessed by myself. Barker has connections moving through both Acera and Jalint. How long until his anti-animal ways bleed into other areas? How long until the streets overrun with criminals who hide behind badges? This is not a guess from me, or a warning to those in Urgway, it is a promise of the future to come. Already in the precincts across the inner city and downtown departments, the jobs formally held by all species are now being filled by all canine candidates. Crime from non-canine species has skyrocketed, not because of a reality, but because of perception and retaliation. Those who have felt suppressed for no reason in the past, are now trying to extract a revenge on those who The Canes already wrongly harmed, may those canines never be let free.” Logan took a deep breath.  

   “What are the statistics of cops pushed from their jobs?”  

   The talking head seemed interested in a topic. Barker tried to hide a snarl forming. Vulpecula still looked intrigued by the topic but showed no other emotion.  

   “The numbers I have gotten for random transfers, early forced retirements, and furloughed employees is almost sixty percent of the police force from the city limits. Outside the limits in the surrounding suburbs, it is around twenty percent and threatening to grow every day.”  

   The newsman nodded. “Interesting facts. What are the heads of the departments saying?”  

   “Most refused to be put on source. However, all of them had this to say as a group: Mayor Barker will be the downfall of Urgway. Those who have put their vote into him have destined the city to a drastic fall and, sadly, after the former mayor, it didn’t have far to fall.”  

   Barker clicked the television off. He had heard enough. Who knew how long they would skim over the points between the two of them? Barker leaned back, trying not to yell in anger and frustration. Vulpecula tilted his head.  

   “I am not a huge fan of that man.”  

   Barker took a moment to register what Vulpecula was saying.  

   “What man?”  

   “Logan Norms.”  

   Barker agreed. The man had fallen from the ladder of Barker’s hopes and dreams. There was someone else in front of him though that he hadn’t fully seen for the potential he offered. Mona Eyes said a fall guy. Someone who would tumble down for the entire cause. Barker didn’t need someone smart, cunning, or lavish. He needed someone to stand in the front, but never desire to drive. The man he needed was in front of his nose the entire time.  

   Barker let the anger go.  

   “I don’t think I like him much either,” Barker said.  

   Now, all he had to do was think of an alternative plan to get rid of Logan Norms, change the world’s view, and convince Vulpecula to take the fall if needed. All in a day’s work.  

   “You interested in lunch?” Barker asked.  

   Vulpecula shook his head.  

   “Better get back to the case.”  

   Barker pursed his lips and nodded.  

   “I suppose you had.”