<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff">Cassie story-"Inquiring Minds Want To Know" Inquiring Minds Want To Know Written by & copyright of Earl Bacon Foxonian@aol.com Featuring Cassie, Lucy (Cassie's former drummer) and Jim, a character created for this story. Cassie, the Rock & Roll Vixen http://members.aol.com/rufinoform/Cassie.htm To see the poster mentioned at the beginning of the story, go to that URL, scroll down to Terrie Smith" and click on the link to see the color comission. Please read the prequil, "Tea For Two", Laretta (Cassie's rhythm guitarist), Cindy (Cassie's bassist) and Ben Moss at http://members.aol.com/CassieRockVixen3/tea_for_two.txt All characters created by & copyright of Earl Bacon except Laretta, who is created by and copyright of Andrew Cotton, Alex, who is created by and copyright of Donna Fritz, Vixina & Cloudchaser, who is created by and copyright of Cloudchaser Shaconage and Ben Moss, who is created by and copyright of Rick Hobson. "Well,Guys.  What do you think?" Cassie said as she held the picture up to the rest of the group.  The picture was a colored drawing of a red fox furry-morph vixen with very long black wavy head hair in a sleeveless, low-cut dress, slitted thigh-high on her left side.  There was a neck choker with a ovel blue gem in it's center around the vixen-morph's neck.  The vixen was sitting on a fence rail on the edge of a meadow.  There was a purple electric guitar in the vixen's left hand and light brown nvlon stockings on her legs.  To be blunt, this was a picture of Cassie herself. "Wow! That drawing looks soo cool!" Alex, the arctic fox vixen drummer of Cassie's current band exclaimed, "Who drew it?  Was it done while you were sitting there?" Cassie giggled slightly as she replied "This picture was based on a photo Foxonian took of me at an outdoor music festival a few years ago  He had portrait artist Terrie Smith draw this pic from the photo."  "That would sure make a nice poster," Laretta,the wolfess guitarist said as she looked closely at the pic.  "Thanks guys," Cassie began, "But if we do a nice poster, I want all of you in it with me.  After all, I'm not alone on stage"  "You bet your'e not'," Cindy the snow leopard bass player said. As the rest of the band sat with Cassie on the stage of the Metro Center, the site of tonight's gig, an otter furry-morph wearing a plaid shirt, faded blue jeans and a baseball cap that said "Gibson USA" on the front walked up to the group.  "Afternoon Ladies!" the otter said.  "HELLO, SLIM!!!" the entire ensemble, Cassie included, replied loudly in unison.  Humf!  Very funny.  Hey Vix, Can I see you over here for a minute?"  Slim said as he motioned to Cassie to follow him over to the other Side of the stage.  "Sure.  I'll be back in a few minutes and then we can go over the playlist for tonight.  That okay with all of you?"  "YES,YOUR HIGHNESS!!!" the band replied again in unison, giggling afterwards.  Cassie then looked at Slim and said "I'll quote you, Slim, 'Very Funny!' " With that, the tall furry-morph vixen and the smaller otter morph walked over and stood at the side of the stage.  "Okay, Slim.  What's bothering you?" Cassie asked.  "Well it's like this.  Remember that new guy I hired for the road crew?  Jim?" Slim said, gesturing with his right hand paw to the stage door for no particular reason.  The vixen thought for a minuite.  "You mean the Australian Shepard guy?"  "That's him," Slim began, "When one of my longtime guys decided to take that offer working for a country band doing their road work.  I had to get someone fast since we are on tour and all.  Anyway, I usually like to check out my guys before I hire them, so I'm sure that they know their stuff.  Jim was reccomended by a friend of mine in the business.  Claimed he had done road work for a few years and was looking for work." "Okay so far, Slim, But what's got you riled about him?" Cassie said as she sat down on a folding chair, crossing her stocking covered legs as she did so.  "Just this, Cass. I caught him spending some of his free time observing you guys.  Not peeking in showers or anything perverted, just kind of standing the side, pretending to do wiring or or hooking up a mike while either you or the rest of the gals are talking.  Mind you, we roadies always have our ears open in case you need us, but each time one of the other guys asks him what he was listening to, he just replies 'nothing' and walks off." "Mabey he's being polite.  You know how gossip shouldn't be passed around, Slim," Cassie said, giving the otter a slightly stern look on her fox-like face.  Slim removed his cap and returned the vixen's gaze before speaking.  "Yeah, I agree with you there, but it's the other little things about this guy, like when I caught him hooking up a set of strobe lights with out hooking the ground leads in.  When I caught him he claimed he just forgot, but NO guy I ever hired before made such a stupid mistake like that."  Slim then said in a lower voice, "But the reason that got me all worked up and made me think you should know about him is that one of my other guys thought they saw him taking into one of those micro-cassette recorders.  You know, like the kind reporters use?" Cassie then sat bolt upright and gave the otter a shocked look.  "Damn! Okay, Slim.  Get him out here as fast as possible.  I'll call Andy (the band's wolf-morph manager) and Foxonian (the human agent for Cassie and her band, also Cassie's longtime lover) and get the band together.  If you are right about him, this affects all of us!"  "So, you agree that he might be a tabloid plant then?" Slim asked.  As the vixen turned to walk back to the band, she replied over her shoulder, "Too many signs are pointing that way, if you know what I mean!" Within an hour, all of the band members were in the lounge that was located backstage.  Laretta and Vixina, the red fox violin player, were sitting together on the sofa.  Vixina was reading an issue of Vanity Fair that some one had left behind.  Laretta, meanwhile,was adjusting her leather-spiked wristbands.  On the opposite end of the room, Rachel, the gothic deer-femme, dressed in her beer-hall like dress and blouse and army boots on her feet stood with her arms folded across her chest looking slightly bored.  Next to her, sitting on the floor with her white furred legs crossed under her one-piece red-minidress, Alex was twirling a drumstick in her right white furred pawhand while her left hand was acting as a brace, being on the rug next to her left side. "Ah jes' cain't buhleve et!  This heah mag jes' ates our human fans!" Vixina exclaimed as she threw the VF mag on the floor of the lounge.  "Why don't you just put it in it's proper place?" Rachel said as she held up a small waste basket.  "Here, let me!" Alex then jumped up, grabbed the VF mag and went to the other end of the room.  "Two points if you can get in, Alex!" Rachell said as she coyly held the wastebasket in front of her. Alex then crouched down and crumpling up the VF mag into a make shift ball, tossed it into the air and into the can, to a round of applause and cheers.  Just then, the lounge door opened.  Cassie and Cindy walked in, follwed by Andy, Foxoriian, Slim and a very nervous looking Australian Shepherd furry morph. Slim closed the door behind Jim and motioned the shepherd to sit in the chair in front of him.   "Okay, Jim.  We know that you aren't hear as just a 'roadie'.  Care to come clean?  Andy said.  Jim looked around and seeing all the stern looks, began to speak. "Look.  I just want to say that I have nothing against you guys. It's just business,you know?"  "So you are a tabloid repoter, huh? Cindy said in a snide tone of voice.  "No I'm a PI.  Private investigator.  I was hired to find out whatever 'dirt' I could about you guys."  "Who hired you?" Cassie asked.  "I don't know her name.  She said she would let me know when I gave her something.  Paid me in advance too," Jim said, looking at the floor as he said so. Slight drool was falling from his muzzle, which he quickly sucked in. "Who would want to know about us?" Laretta asked.  In a slightly exaspirated voice, Rachel replied "Oh, let's see.  A fan who wants to know EVERYTHING about her favorite group and has lots of cash to throw around, A tabolid reporter, the Feds, take your pick!"  Cindy then walked over to Jim and bent down to face the sitting shepherd so her cleavege could be clearly seen by him.  "Now Jim, think hard.  Was your employer a furry morph?"  "Yeah.  About her size," Jim said pointing to Alex.  Andy then asked "Could you tell what her species was?"  "She was a cat.  I know because she talks like Cindy here, a slight purr in her voice at times," Jim said as adjusted his tour t-shirt. Cindy then said "Did she say 'Later, then,' when she finished?"  Jim gave a slight nod. Guess who, Cass?"  Cindy exclaimed as she turned to tace a slightly startled vixen. "Lucy?!" Cassie replied.  "I'll even lay money on it.  She always was one for getting even."  Cindy then said "I have half a mind to pay that little lynx a visit.  Maybe break all her fingers for starters."  "If you are going to break fingers, break mine. I'm responsible for all this," Alex said as she held her hands out to the snow lepord. Cindy then gave a sigh and turned to face the whole group.  "Sorry, guys. That lynx and I have a lot of old business that doesn't belong here" "We haf' t' do somethin' 'bout this.  Else how do we know thet she won't try somethin' else?" Vixina asked a she adjusted her wide-rimmed glasses on her muzzle.  "When are you supposed to meet her?" Cassie asked.  Jim looked at the group again then said "Oh,what the hell.  I probably just lost my whole PI career by ratting out a client.  Might as well finish the job.  I'm supposed to meet her tonight outside the concert."  Noticing the Artic fox frantically waving her paw hand, Cassie said "Yes, Alex, you have something to say?"  "Only what he said,'Might as well finish the job.'  Here's what I have in mind..." As the concert rocked on inside the Metro, a small looking lynx femme could be seen standing near a light pole.  She was dressed all in black leather and gold chains and looked a bit like a street thug.  The lynx lit a cigarette and waited for her contact.  Soon, she would get her revenge on that vixen that dressed like a Las Vegas hooker and played like Jimmy Page on crack.  At least that was her opinion of her. Why should she think of her like that, since that red fox bitch torpedoed her whole music career by setting up that phoney gig with Metal Morph that got her 90 days in the clink on tresspassing charges (and assaluting two police officers)?  The thing that really irked Lucy was that Cindy was hanging around that Vixen trash.  The lynx always liked the the snowleopord (both for her playing and for her physical attributes).  What a shame that Cindy got pissed off at the lynx's advances. They could have had a lot of fun toghether. Just then, she saw a very solemn looking Austrailan Shepherd walking up to her.  "Well, did you get what I asked for?" Lucy said.  Jim handed the lynx the envelope.  "It's all here.  As promised."  "Remernber, not a word.  I don't know you, you don't know me.  Got that?"  Lucy asked, bearing her flings predatory grin.  "Yes.  I got that.  Bye."  Jim then walked back into the Metro.  Lucy then ran around the corner into an alley and quickly opened the envelope. As she read the transcripts her eyes widened!  Growling and tearing the paers to shreads, the leather and gold-ringed lynx stormed off out of the alley toward the street. Glancing down at the torn papers, the words could be seen written over and over "Lucy was the best, kindest, most caring and FORGIVING drummer we ever had.  Don't you agree?? Signed Cassie and Cindy." The End</HTML>