{"sf1_id":1999248,"sf2_id":"J1Oqb8km","title":"Chapter 18: Opera","author":"HeatherOBunn","words":2008,"posted_at":"2023-06-08T18:09:00.000Z","tags":["Arrogant","Chapter","Corruption","Dog","Duchess","Fox","Lord","Novel","Police","Thriller","Toady","Tod","Vixen","Vore","Wolverine","miniature pinscher","vole"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1999248-chapter-18-opera","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/J1Oqb8km","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/55/b1/55b10fb3-582f-4b71-888e-5bcf2dcec46b","description":"#18 of The Murderess of Maplesburg: Disappearing like Rabbits\n\nRita goes to the opera and finds a new victim. An annoying lord gets himself embroiled in her crime.","content":"Chapter 18: Opera  \nIt wasn't often that Rita made the hour-long drive to the closest city, Maplesburg. She  \npreferred the quaint pleasures of her traditional estate to the decadence of the modern city.  \nHowever, this evening, she was in Maplesburg with Johann and Wolfgang to see a performance  \nof Mozart's The Magic Flute. After dinner, she had donned a silky black dress, the bottom of  \nwhich had wide pleats topped with a layer of black lace and ended just above her knees. The  \ndress was a sleeveless crew neck, but she wore a pair of full-length black satin gloves that  \nended just below her shoulder. She had brought a black clutch to carry the essentials such as a  \ncomb and a wickedly sharp folding knife. Johann and Wolfgang were both dressed in smart  \nblack jackets. It was a pity that Boots couldn't attend these types of outings, but in addition to  \nthe scene the human's presence would have caused, he couldn't fit in their car.  \nThey parked in one of the reserved spots on the first level of the parking garage and  \nproceeded inside. Wolfgang nodded to the opossum behind the ticket counter as they  \nproceeded to the reserved balcony seating. Rita was surprised to find the reserved seating  \narea, which held a dozen seats for nobility and their friends, was not empty: a meadow vole in a  \ndarkly colored--it was difficult to tell the exact color in the dim lighting--pinstripe blazer and  \nwhite dress shirt was flanked by a pair of similarly dressed black miniature pinschers, obviously  \nhis bodyguards from their vigilant manner. The dogs turned to glare dangerously at Rita and  \ncompany as they entered, and the vole, noticing their movement, also turned and stared at them  \nincredulously.  \n\"Who in Tartarus are you?!\" he squeaked angrily. \"I requested to have this area private  \nthis evening!\"  \nRita blinked, \"I think the more pertinent question is 'Who are you?'.\"  \nThe vole scoffed indignantly, \"Alfred Garmann?! The CEO of Garmann Brothers Bank?!  \nYou may have heard of me!\"  \nRita turned to Wolfgang and shrugged before turning back to the irate vole, \"Seems I  \nhaven't, but it hardly matters. This area is reserved.\"  \n\"By me!\" he squeaked furiously.  \nRita narrowed her eyes dangerously, \"Run along, vole,\" she warned softly. \"You're in the  \nwrong place, and you don't want to find out what happens to peasants who don't keep in their  \nplace.\"  \n\"Peasants?!\" he seethed. \"I could buy you, fox! I don't know what it's like in whatever  \nbackwater estate you crawled out of, but here, money talks! All I have to do is flash a few credits  \ntheir way, and the guards will toss you and your thugs out on your asses! So you run along, and  \nbe grateful I was merciful!\"  \nRita turned to nod at Johann, and he hastened out of the balcony back the way they'd  \ncome.  \n\"Decided to put it to the test then, eh?\" the vole squeaked menacingly--or at least as  \nmenacingly as a rodent could squeak, which was actually not menacing at all.  \nRita didn't dignify him with a response. The seats were arranged in two rows of six, and  \nRita sat in the front with Wolfgang to her right, placing her only three seats from the vole, who  \nwas also seated in the front row. Several minutes later, Johann returned, not with the guards or  \nany of the opera house staff, but with four police officers: a bobcat, a ginger cat, a raccoon, and  \nan otter.  \nRita gestured to the miniature pinschers, \"The mutts are disturbing me. Kindly find them  \na cell for the night.\"  \nThe officers grabbed the dogs out of their seats and handcuffed them.  \n\"What are you doing?!\" the vole squealed in rage. \"You can't arrest them on that; they  \nwork for me!\"  \nThe bobcat looked from him to Rita and back, \"Her Grace says they're bothering her.  \nWho are you?\"  \n\"Alfred Garmann!\" he fumed.  \nThe bobcat shrugged.  \n\"Didn't we arrest those three dogs at Garmann Brothers Bank the other day, Ma'am?\"  \nthe ginger cat asked.  \nRecognition lit up the bobcat's face, \"So you're the president of the bank or something?\"  \n\"The CEO!\"  \n\"I put my money in Maplesburg Community Capital Bank,\" the bobcat told him. She  \nmotioned to the other officers and they began to lead the miniature pinschers away. \"Have a  \nnice night, Sir, Your Grace, Gentlemen,\" she concluded, turning to the vole, Rita, and Wolfgang  \nand Johann in turn. She followed the other officers out.  \n\"You're going to regret that!\" the vole squeaked at Rita in rage. \"I'm going to make your  \nlife a living Tartarus!\"  \nRita stood and sauntered over to his chair. He glared up at her. She plucked him up and  \nheld him in front of her face.  \n\"Put me down, twat!\" he ordered irately.  \n\"I told you to run along,\" she reminded. She unzipped her clutch, stuffed him inside, and  \nzipped it closed.  \nMuffled angry squeaks came from inside the bag, and Rita punched the vole sized lump,  \ncutting them off in a squeal of pain. She returned to her seat, flanked by Wolfgang and Johann,  \nsetting the purse on her lap. She'd have some entertainment on the ride home.  \nRita assumed that was the end of the distractions, but just a few minutes before the  \nopera was scheduled to start, a red fox in a purple velvet jacket sauntered in with a white  \nPersian cat in a low-cut, long, white dress behind him. Rita recognized the fox but couldn't quite  \nremember his name. He was the Lord of Larchwood, a minor estate. Rita didn't think she'd met  \nhim more than once before, and as far as she was aware, he wasn't really known for much of  \nanything. Unfortunately, he recognized her immediately.  \n\"Your Grace!\" he gasped in delight. \"What a wonderful coincidence that we should be  \nseeing the same showing!\" He bowed and the cat behind him curtsied. Standing he motioned to  \nthe cat, \"This is my fiancée, Penelope, Your Grace.\"  \n\"It's an honor to meet you, Your Grace,\" the cat breathed.  \n\"It's been a long time Lord Larchwood,\" Rita noted, masking her annoyance with  \nformality. \"Things are going well for you, I hope.\"  \n\"No need to be so formal, Your Grace; it's Jean. But yes, things are going splendidly,  \nquite the bumper tomato crop this year!\"  \nRita smiled politely, \"Who doesn't like tomatoes, eh?\"  \n\"Indeed, Your Grace! I hope all is well at the Belmont estate as well.\"  \n\"Fine, fine. I don't mean to be rude, Jean, but they're scheduled to start any minute.\"  \n\"Right!\" He strode over to the seats, standing in front of the one behind Rita with the cat  \nto his left. \"Would you mind, Your Grace? May we?\"  \nRita nodded, \"Suit yourself.\"  \nThey sat down, and Jean leaned forward to whisper to her, \"Thank you, Your Grace. I  \nhope you'll do me the honor of talking with me further. I have a little venture that I think might  \npique your interest, and-\"  \n\"We can discuss it afterwards,\" Rita cut him off pointedly.  \nHe sat back and bobbed his head. Rita sighed and directed her attention to the  \norchestra pit: the orchestra had yet to begin playing but would shortly. The conductor, a red fox  \nin a tuxedo top, was at the podium, and the musicians were waiting for his signal. A desperate  \nsqueak emanated from Rita's clutch.  \n\"Did you hear something, Your Grace?\" Jean inquired, looking around in confusion. The  \nvole squeaked again, and he turned to look at the lump in Rita's purse. \"Do you have something  \nin there?\"  \nRita smiled and shook her head, feigning embarrassment, \"It seems you've found me  \nout,\" she answered lightly. She extracted the vole from her clutch and held him with her thumb  \nand index finger clamping his mouth shut. \"I was saving him for the ride home, but he seems  \ndetermined to be a distraction. Would you like him, Jean?\"  \nJean's face screwed up in confusion, \"Like him, Your Grace?\"  \n\"For a snack, I mean,\" she explained nonchalantly.  \nThe vole thrashed frantically in her grasp, and she squeezed him viciously to make him  \nstill.  \n\"D-d-do I-I,\" Jean stammered. He lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. \"Isn't  \nthat frowned upon, Your Grace?!\"  \nRita put on a look of surprised incredulity. \"Jean! I knew Larchwood estate was out of the  \nway, but I had no idea you were so sheltered! You've really never eaten a rodent?\"  \n\"O-of course, I have!\" he amended hastily, obviously lying to save face. \"I only meant,  \nisn't it frowned upon in public?\"  \nRita smiled slyly, \"This is a private area, Jean.\"  \nHe swallowed. \"Quite.\"  \n\"So what do you say? I could eat him, but I'm still a bit full from dinner.\"  \n\"I-if you want me to, Your Grace.\"  \n\"We can't have him causing a distraction, can we?\" she reasoned.  \n\"O-of course not.\"  \n\"Alright then, open up!\" she piped.  \nHe opened his mouth hesitantly then closed it again. \"D-do y-you usually take a few  \nbites or swallow them whole, Your Grace?\" he asked nervously.  \nRita narrowed her eyes suspiciously, \"Are you sure you've done this before, Jean? You  \nshould swallow him whole, of course!\"  \n\"R-right, I just wanted to make sure.\" He opened his jaws wide to reveal his long, sharp  \nfangs.  \nRita turned to stand on her seat facing Lord Larchwood and transferred the vole to her  \nleft hand, dangling him by his tail over the waiting maw.  \n\"You can't do this to me!\" he squealed in rage. \"I'm-Akk!\" His protests were cut off in a  \nshriek as Rita tossed him into Jean's mouth and the tod snapped his jaws shut.  \nJean swallowed him with some difficulty and grimaced, \"He didn't taste altogether  \npleasant, Your Grace.\"  \n\"A pity. I hope he won't give you a belly ache.\"  \nThe Persian cat had been watching in rapt fascination throughout the entire exchange.  \n\"You really ate him!\" she exclaimed in wonder. Her eyes drifted down to Jean's belly, and she  \ngave it a curious poke. \"Can you feel him in there?\"  \nJean nodded uncomfortably. The orchestra began to play the overture.  \n\"You'll have to tell me about it when it's over,\" Rita chirped quickly. She turned back  \naround and sat in her seat to enjoy The Magic Flute.  \nRita joined in the exuberant applause at the end of the second act. She always thought  \nthe ending would have been more satisfying if the Queen of the Night had succeeded in  \nmassacring Sarastro's brotherhood, but it was a lovely and entertaining piece regardless.  \nWolfgang and Johann applauded as well, as did Jean and Penelope behind them.  \nRita turned her head to address the tod, \"How'd you enjoy it, Jean?\"  \n\"It was marvelous, Your Grace.\"  \n\"Very good, and how about your little snack?\"  \nJean chuckled embarrassedly, \"Eheheh, he was a bit wriggly at first, but he soon settled  \ndown. Not as hard as I thought it would be to be honest.\"  \nRita grinned, \"I'm glad to hear he didn't cause you any trouble. Quite a nasty little  \ncreature. At least he got to do something worthwhile in the end.\"  \n\"Wh-who was he, if you don't mind my asking, Your Grace?\" Jean inquired nervously.  \n\"Some self-important vole. I shouldn't worry about it; I doubt he'll be missed. Very  \nunpleasant, like I said.\"  \nJean burped and grimaced, looking nauseous, \"'Unpleasant' is how I'd describe his  \nflavor too.\"  \nRita retrieved a roll of mints from her clutch. \"Mint?\" she offered, holding out the roll.  \nHe took one gratefully.  \n\"Well, we'd best be going. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us,\" she concluded.  \n\"Goodnight, Jean. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance again.\"  \n\"Goodnight, Your Grace.\"  \nRita led Wolfgang and Johann out and back to their car. She was a bit disappointed that  \nshe hadn't gotten to have any fun with the vole herself, but he had served his purpose,  \ndistracting Lord Larchwood from attempting to regale her with some half-baked--and likely  \ntomato-based--scheme. Indeed, distracting the tod probably was the most worthwhile purpose  \nthe insolent vole had ever served.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"The Murderess of Maplesburg: Disappearing like Rabbits","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1998758-chapter-17-relationship-troubles.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1999252-chapter-19-cleaning-up-messes.json"}}