Announced Ambitions

"Stop holding me back!" Lana demanded.

"No!" Peyton snapped in response. "Use your damn brain."

"She's right. Rushing off and punching Reggie Laffont isn't going to help your dad. Especially not in front of a bunch of reporters," Priscilla explained.

"Yeah, you'll be the crazed daughter on the ten o'clock news," Kiki added. "Which would be a first, right?"

"Fine!" Lana exclaimed, throwing out her arms in frustration.

"I'm sure there's another way. What's the deal with this Regis guy and his dad?" Harper inquired, not knowing them as a native of Muskie Harbor.

"Yeah, is his dad a legitimate threat to win?" AJ queried.

That question launched a conversation about Edward Laffont, his sister, Alexis, and her husband, Cyril Olesky. Flowing naturally, the talk eventually turned to the two most prominent law firms in Honey Hollow and their rivalry. Arness, Garrow & Laffont often resented their second-fiddle reputation compared to Mulberry, March & Stratton. During this portion of the conversation, Harper happened to glance over to see Lana typing away madly on her phone.

"Uh-oh. She's got that crazed-happiness face she does."

"What? Oh, shit!"

"What are you planning? Who is that? Give me that!" Peyton ordered, attempting to yank Lana's phone away.

"I'm going to get my blood, one way or another," Lana proclaimed. "So drop the turn-the-other-cheek bullshit, Pey."

"And I'm not going to let you make things worse for your parents," the blonde argued, but her hand slipped off the phone. Then, before Peyton could make another attempt, a new voice uttered an exclamation.

"Sweet Christmas! Look at all the people." While Harper, AJ, and Kiki glanced at each other in question over the honey blonde's identity, Chastity continued to peer past their group to the outside crowd. "Cheese and crackers! That's a tiny stage for a band concert. And it's brrr cold out there!"

"Band? What's she talking--" Merritt began before Kiki cut her off.

"Hey, where did that little stage come from?!"

A tiny stage had been hastily erected on one side of the hotel's semi-circular driveway. It wasn't anything special, as it looked capable of holding three, maybe four people.

"Oh, great! We missed them setting that up," Lana complained, glaring at her friends as if they should be blamed. "I'm sick and fucking tired of being left in the dark. I want to---Chastity! Hey, you wouldn't happen to know what room the big meeting is in, would you? Is that where you're headed?"

"Poo on a stick! Nobody told me about a big meeting," Chastity pouted briefly. Then, her face brightened with excitement. "I'm off to play detective!"

"Excuse me?" Peyton questioned, appearing baffled.

"I have gooseberries all over! I get to help track down who the henchman met earlier," Chastity replied, confusing everyone. "It's like I'm Veronica Mars!"

"And where is this happening?" Lana inquired, hoping for any bit of information.

"Okay, let's take a few steps back first. Who is this...henchman?" Peyton asked.

As if she suddenly realized that she had said too much, Chastity's face showed alarm. Rather than speaking, she mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key. Peyton muttered "crap" while Lana turned to glare at her for scaring the ditzy blonde into silence.

"Ah, there you are," Tamsin said, sighing in relief. "C'mon, let's go. Sinclair is meeting us over in the security room."

"Kitty whiskers," Chastity whispered. "I'm really going to be a detective."

"Yep, you're a regular Nancy Drew, Chast," Tamsin remarked, rolling her eyes as she escorted the receptionist away.

"What the hell was that?" Priscilla questioned.

"Who the hell was that?" Kiki asked.

"Oh, that's Chastity Kupp. She's a--"

"I'll cut his dick off!" Lana hissed, cutting off her BFF.

"Let's please drop the threats about Regis," Priscilla replied.

"Yes, someone might overhear and tell the police," Merritt added.

"I'm not talking about that buffoon," Lana corrected, her eyes ready to shoot heat rays at a teenager.

"Crapity crap!" Peyton groaned.

Wearing his jacket, Austin Rusk looked ready to head outside for his father's mayoral candidacy announcement. Lacey's boyfriend might already be out there if his mother didn't have a **** hold on his wrist. The Zurbrugg College clique watched as Miranda angrily ordered her son to get his ass back into the ballroom. And the furious mother told an apparent aide of her husband's to mind his own business.

"Where the hell is Lace?" Lana demanded, lifting her phone to type another message.

---

"You know I appreciate the offer. However, just stick to helping Regina and Winona with the Klackhurst case this week, okay? Thanks, man," Clive said into the phone before hanging up.

"Everything alright?" Dalton inquired.

"That was Doyle...Abernathey. Our investigator down at the DA's office," Clive explained to the others in the suite. "He just heard the allegations and news about Laffont."

"And I take it he wanted to help," Graham speculated, based on what he heard.

"Yes, he did. But using a public employee to defend me would just feed into the crap that Eddie is pumping out there," Clive commented. "I might need to hire somebody on my own."

"See if Seamus will come out of his semi-retirement," Harvey suggested, barely pausing in his angry pacing.

"An excellent idea," Fiona Wynwick praised, nodding at her family's rival.

Harvey's suggestion about using Fiona's penthouse suite for their meeting had met with universal agreement. Located in Suite 802, across from Harvey's, Fiona's sitting area held many of the significant supporters of Mayor Dunkley and Clive. Besides Harvey, Graham, and Dalton, Clive had brought with him his sister, Blair Trimble, Emma Mulberry, and Hayden Penn from Mulberry, March & Stratton. Fiona had invited several distant relatives and employees of her family's foundation. Basil Thirlby, Bailey's older brother, and Lotus Thirlby, Fiona's close friend and the daughter of Cillian Thirlby, Clive's predecessor as district attorney, and Santino Fuentes, Fiona's personal assistant, were in attendance. In addition, Slade Hollister, Fiona's cousin on her mother's side and right-hand man, was on the phone from his New Year's Eve party in Rattle Ridge. Rounding out the gathering were Dwight "Dewey" Dunkley and Marquise Glover, his chief of staff.

"I just can't believe it. Why is Orrin Rusk of all people running against me?" Dunkley questioned in his bewilderment. "I expected Sigourney Jantz to prep a campaign someday, but likely for the next term."

Murmurs of agreement passed around the room. Everyone in town knew of the ambitions of the current city council president. So they wondered how the alderwoman from the 5th District had reacted to the news about Rusk's candidacy.

"I'm going to say that Jantz is likely pleased. She probably views Rusk as a lightweight amateur that could rough Dwight up for her shot in four years," Slade said over the phone. "However, that assumes that she doesn't know about the potential financial backing of Rusk."

"I'd like a point clarified, if I may. How does anyone know that Rusk and Laffont are being backed by other interests?" Marquise challenged.

"We don't have anything specific yet," Graham admitted. "But we're hearing much of the same talk."

"Somebody spied on Clive or me earlier this week at the Vandermeers' lakehouse. Funny enough, it was Rusk's kid who spotted the man. His description matched the guy who raised my and Bridget's suspicions in the emergency room. And considering that The Stinging Truth reported details from our conversation almost immediately, I'd bet my money on him working for that tabloid garbage," Harvey recounted.

"I don't think I need to point this out, but I will. We've all noticed how roughly a third of the stories on The Stinging Truth are attack pieces targeting Dwight," Fiona reminded. "I'm in full agreement with Harvey about the ulterior motives of that online site."

"Yes, those articles--and I use the term loosely--have caused difficulties for us," Marquise admitted.

"I don't see what the big deal is about them. People in Honey Hollow know me. They also know those stories aren't all that different from the supermarket tabloids," Dwight dismissed, his innocence about politics still strong after two terms as mayor. "Calling me a peeping tom or a closet pervert is just as crazy as alien babies getting born in Beakburg prison."

"I wouldn't take it so lightly, Dewey. Not every story is so obviously fake. And don't forget that people buy those supermarket gossip rags enough that they make plenty of money," Hayden insisted, concerned that the mayor wasn't taking the issue seriously.

"The stories or allegations about your dating life harm you with voters. It has been an issue for some voting demographics in the past," Emma Mulberry pointed out.

"Mostly Hester Goodley and her FMU," Dwight responded. Then, after taking a moment, he continued. "Look, I get that not everyone likes that I date men, but that's who I am. I'm not going to lie about it. It might have killed any thought of a political career when we were growing up, but times are different now. I've always treated every resident of Honey Hollow the same, whether they voted for me, didn't, or never voted. No one can call me unfriendly or unresponsive to their concerns. I love talking to everyone, even if they disagree with my vision for the city. I'm a regular guy, just like them."

"Yet, here you are in a room filled with people that Rusk will call elites," Blair pointed out.

"An accusation already covered on The Stinging Truth," Marquise acknowledged.

"Elites?! Oh, come on. I'm talking to old friends or the spouses of classmates from high school. I'm not in anybody's pocket," Dewey scoffed.

"Well, you'd better be ready. Orrin is clearly going for a man of the people candidacy," Dalton warned.

"And I'll put up my credibility against anyone," Mayor Dunkley stated, sounding a bit heated for the first time. "I am a regular guy."

"This is precisely why we need to discover where his money comes from. I highly doubt that Orrin is handing over his own savings to other car-related businesses," Harvey declared. "He and Thurman have always been greedy."

"And that's the arena we've been digging into," Fiona revealed, nodding over at the Wynwick Foundation's chief financial officer.

"Ah, yes," Basil said before clearing his throat. An introvert who would rather deal with numbers than people, he spoke softly and concisely. "Our inquiries have only scratched the surface in the limited timeframe, so please understand this isn't a full picture. My people have found that Orrin Rusk has not limited his business improvement donations to the auto industry. While that area is where he started, Rusk has begun diversifying his donations to locally owned restaurants. Additionally, his people began reaching out to small retailers about their needs for the post-holiday period."

"As for Eddie Laffont, my dad has asked around," Lotus picked up. "His father, Big Ed, has gone around to meet sole practitioners and partnerships around Honey Hollow and the county. Big Ed claims that if Clive could be replaced, people who dislike his reforms would help fund an increase in what attorneys who take on public defender cases would receive. They're dangling a fifty percent increase immediately, with it eventually rising to double the current rate."

Slade whistled over the phone.

"Yes, that's basically a lifeline to the lawyers that rely on those cases during slow periods. They often eke out a living with the current rate. Still, I don't know how they can rile up smaller lawyers against Clive. He's not part of his family's law firm, and Laffont's father is a named partner at the second-largest firm," Lotus responded. "Sadly, it appears that the Burnetts and Primroses are among the names getting dropped as contributors to this fund."

Several pairs of eyes turned to face Fiona at the mention of two of the Wynwick family branches. In response, she shrugged her shoulders.

"It's not all that surprising. Boston is a partner at Arness, Garrow & Laffont, while Carter works at Huguet Labs."

"And we know that Carter is bitter over Fiona replacing him with Basil as CFO of the foundation after her election," Slade added from Rattle Ridge. "He knows how supportive our branches are of Dwight."

"Paris is the intriguing part. I wonder how she views her husband and brother getting into cahoots with Rusk. Kermit won't like one of his trusted lieutenants at Wickworth pissing off Dewey," Fiona speculated.

"Yes, deciphering the alliances should be our first order of business," Blair declared, taking charge. "I propose we create an investigative staff to dig into the dark money donors for the Rusk and Laffont campaigns, along with the owner of The Stinging Truth. Perhaps we should include this Nosy Nectar as well."

"I doubt Nosy Nectar is involved in this at all. They tend to only report facts and never fabrications. If anything, they might take aim at The Stinging Truth themselves," Marquise argued.

"I agree. Despite being a frequent gossip target of Nosy Nectar, they've never reported anything false about me," Harvey declared.

"Nothing? Not even your threesome with--"

"Lotus! Let's not go there," Fiona interrupted, not wishing to sidetrack the conversation. Nor did she wish Lotus to question reports about her love life as well.

Her distant cousin frowned, as she had always thought the rumors about Harvey and several high-profile women were false.

"I also must insist again that we hire an experienced consultant, sir," Marquise said to Dunkley.

"I don't want to go that route, Marquise. I've never needed to before."

"With all due respect, sir, none of your previous opponents hired Marion Gladstone."

"Gladstone? From Guzzle Crossing?" Harvey inquired, recognizing the family name from his ex-wife's hometown.

"She ran Barrow's campaign two elections ago, didn't she?" Dalton questioned. "The particularly nasty one."

"Yes, you're both correct. She's never lost an election ever. That's going back to her days at Breakwater University. And Marion has no problems with getting dirty. If anything, she loves playing in the mud," Marquise informed them. "That's why I want Mayor Dunkley to bring in Xandra--"

"And I said no!"

"Who's she?" Hayden asked.

"A highly unconventional operative. I worked with her on my first campaign, when we managed to get Schramm elected to Congress from the 7th district up north. Xandra earned the nickname The Dazzler for that. She's considered a magician," Marquise recounted, his voice filled with admiration.

"People also call her The Witch. Worst yet is The Necromancer, as she's brought candidates back from the dead to win," Dewey added grumpily. "I'm not dead or that ****."

"Xandra...hmm," Harvey sounded, tapping his chin. "She's an attractive woman, am I correct?"

"Very," Marquise replied.

"Ah, yes, I've seen her at a fundraiser but never had the pleasure of a conversation."

"Leave it to Harvey Diamond to know the sexy political workers," Fiona joked, earning laughter from around the suite.

"It's your call, Dwight, but I'd suggest listening to your man and hiring her," Blair advised. "Now, once Clarence has finished his temper tantrum, I'd like to borrow a few of the firm's employees. If not, I might suggest that a few of my law students at Zurbrugg could use the experience."

"The Wynwick Foundation will gladly follow the money trail," Fiona stated. "We're a little stretched on staff due to the creation of Cassandra's Story Society, but I think Basil's staff can handle it."

"My dad's all-in if you want. He's hated Edwin Laffont and the Garrows for decades," Lotus chimed in.

"Now, we just need for Clive to hire some campaign staffers--" Blair started to prod her brother before getting interrupted.

The sound of a keycard unlocking the suite's door drew several people's attention to Fiona. They wondered if she'd neglected to mention inviting more people to their meeting. She hadn't, so the silver-haired beauty rose to her feet in curiosity over who'd unlocked the door.

"--love the penthouse suite. The skyline views from the hot tub and bedrooms are amazing," a voice familiar to Fiona boasted.

"And your mom isn't--"

"Don't worry about my mom. My penthouse is perfectly...empty," Fletcher finished after taking a step inside to see it wasn't.

"It better be. I've been horny ever since walking in on Whitney blowing-- Oh!" Aubrey Dunford squealed upon seeing over a dozen people watching her walk into the penthouse.

"YOUR penthouse?" Fiona challenged her son, folding her arms under her chest.

"Ah, mother, there you are! I've been worried sick about you. I thought some strange man had absconded with you. However, I see I've merely walked in on one of Harvey Diamond's famous parties," Fletcher remarked, thinking quickly. "Fortunately, the activities haven't begun. So I can leave knowing that while you're not safe, you're at least in our suite."

"Um, Happy New Year's, Mr. Pierce," Aubrey greeted her friend's father awkwardly.

"Ah, yes, Happy New Year's, everyone. Now, we'll take our leave," Fletcher stated, backing up.

"After your behavior earlier, you're on thin ice--I mean, on probation. Oh, gawd, I didn't mean that, Harvey," Fiona apologized.

"Well, that's great! You ruined the sex party, Mom," Fletcher added as his closing remark before getting slammed into the door.

"Sex party?! Is that your cover story for leaving me out of this meeting, Fiona?" Kermit roared after shoving Fletcher out of his way.

Estelle followed her father, giving her cousin a sharp elbow.

"Why was I not invited to this meeting--What the hell?! You invited TWO Diamonds over me?" Kermit bellowed after spotting Harvey and Graham.

"Shut up!" Lotus hissed, reaching down to grab an item off the coffee table.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way, you walking scandal," Kermit replied.

"Shut the fuck up! The speeches are starting," Lotus responded, using the remote control to turn up the television's volume.

---

"Crap!" Ramsey hissed, turning her back to most of the crowd gathered outside.

"What?" Norah asked.

The younger reporter had given up on waiting for Daisy to return. So she'd donned Daisy's coat as Ramsey wore hers and ventured outside to cover the candidacy announcements.

So far, nothing noteworthy had occurred. Standing on a very small stage, Orrin Rusk had mostly repeated the same speech he'd previously given in the ballroom. A few aspects of the address had been altered or expanded, but nothing changed the gist of his reasons for declaring his mayoral candidacy.

Outside of a few hecklers, things had remained calm amongst the surprisingly large crowd. However, Norah and Ramsey had concerns over the number of people who'd walked down from the Wax District's bars and clubs to hear the speeches.

"Gordon Green," Ramsey whispered, nudging her head over her shoulder in the direction of a stopped man.

"Oh," Norah nodded, understanding the situation.

Up to this point, their location far in the rear of the crowd had kept Ramsey from being spotted by her mom or Levi Klecko from the Daily Flyer. However, they hadn't known that Rammy's grandfather had dispatched an additional reporter to cover the breaking news.

The older brother of Griffin Green, the guy who partially caused the fight between Whitney and Cheyenne at the cabin, Gordon had spent his first two years after graduation working at the large Blackbridge Express. However, tiring of serving more as an errand boy for other journalists, Gordo returned to his hometown two years ago to report for the Daily Flyer.

Thus, when the vulgar chants started, Ramsey couldn't turn around to see who shouted them. Instead, facing away from the crowd, she observed an interesting sight. A man slyly handed envelopes to several rough-looking individuals. After pocketing the envelopes, the men picked up brown paper bags and turned to join the throng of people.

While this was happening, Ramsey finally found a reason to turn on her brain's reporter mode. Note: Keep an eye on the man in the leather jacket. Secondary note: Discover what's in the bags. Speculation: The envelopes contain payments.

"Fuck Rusk! Fuck Rusk!"

With a nudge from Norah, Ramsey snapped out of her reporter mode. The younger school reporter's nudge had been an alert that Gordon had hurried off to get closer to the chanting crowd section.

"Dunk the Rusk! Dunk the Rusk!"

Swinging around, Ramsey's curiosity led her to stand on her tippy toes so that she could see the reaction on the face of Orrin Rusk. Unfortunately, Austin's dad had already descended from the tiny stage. Fortunately, Ramsey timed it perfectly to see the first egg explode over Edward Laffont's face.