First Person: [Anita rolls her eyes as the phone rolls to voicemail. It’s not like Dolph not to answer, which probably means he’s neck-deep in the case. She had already been to the crime scene earlier that evening, and wound up taking a number of photos to compare with the pictures from two previous murders. Compare and Contrast, like one of those essays they give you in English class in high school. Except she wasn’t comparing characters now, she was comparing marks left on victims.]

Dolph, it’s me. I’ve been looking at the pictures I took earlier. It looks like the work of a lycanthrope on the surface. They all look pretty roughed up; it would be a lot neater if the culprit had used a knife. These are tears, not cuts. At least the first two are recognizable as people – second one, only barely. They’re getting progressively worse – they’re getting rougher with their toys.

There aren’t any sure signs of anything else supernatural here. They’re torn up like they were hit by animals, but some parts have obviously been eaten, and there are no critters local to the area big enough to do this. I hate to shove the blame on lycanthropes so soon, and there’s nothing concrete yet. I’m going to do a little more investigating. Call me as soon as you get this, let me know what your boys have found.

[She hangs up without saying another word. Dolph never says goodbye. It was starting to rub off.]

Third Person: Always. Always when she had somewhere to be. It was like Bert had a sixth sense about it. Anita has a date tonight? Great, let's schedule a late meeting after work. To top it off, let's make it mandatory. Can't cancel, can't postpone. Just going to have to keep your prior engagements waiting, Ms. Blake.

Thanks, Bert.

She liked to think that she didn't ask for much in the long run. She did her job and did it well; she wasn't too humble to say that she was the best animator on payroll at Animators, Inc. She knew it, Bert knew it, John and Jamison knew it. She didn't consider it being full of herself, all it took was a look at the appointment book, and the fact that Bert was willing to bargain almost anything with her to keep her on staff. But tonight, tonight was non-negotiable. Why?

Because there was a new animator coming on-board.

Wasn't that just keen. Since Larry had taken off his training wheels and stepped up to being a Big Boy Animator, it was time for her to take on another apprentice.

Because that's exactly what she needed. Someone else to look out for. Larry had let go of the apron strings some, though he went with her on routine executioner business now and then, but more than once his sense of stupid nobility nearly got the both of them killed. It took a lot to keep an eye on someone like him. Someone green.

And now she got another. Well. On the upside, she couldn't say she wasn't very fond of Larry. She was. He was like a kid brother at this point, really, and she'd do about anything for him. She really couldn't complain that they were bringing someone else on payroll, either. There were just too many appointments for the staff to handle as-is. They needed more people. They were booked solid every week, and with some of her extra-vocational activities, she wasn't exactly flexible these days.

She supposed her only real gripe was that this meeting meant she would be running late. Late for a date with the Master of the City. Jean-Claude did not like to be kept waiting. Not under any circumstances

... she would call him on her way out the door. Should have been enough.

She heard a quiet buzz from the phone; the night secretary had paged her. "Anita, Mr. Miles Kelley is here for your appointment."

"Thanks. Send him in."

Let the hazing begin.