Loveless - By Cadoba123
The house was silent. It was a relatively new house - the paint was light and virtually untouched. The hallway was empty, the walls barren and devoid of paintings. It was night out - most of the lights were on. The TV was idle, quietly displaying the menu. Blades slowly rotated around a ceiling fan. The house was dead.
Judy sat alone at the end of the dining table in the kitchen. It had a smooth, wooden frame and a glass top. There were six chairs, but she was the only one there. A candle had been placed at the center of the table. The flame was flickering. Hot wax slowly ran down the sides of the candle. It didn't have much life left. The steel fridge in the corner was bare and clear of decorations. All of the cabinets were closed and the sink was silent. The only sound in the house was the periodic ticking of a clock.
She let out a little breath as she glanced around the table. Still empty. He should have been here by now. She glanced down at her plate. Some asparagus and dip, leftover carrots, and some salad on the side of the plate. The carrots were probably cold by now. She didn't like cold carrots.
She waited for a moment before grabbing her fork. She drove it into a piece of asparagus, splitting it in two. She stabbed one half and lifted the fork to her mouth when she felt a tickle in her throat.
Her chest heaved as she began coughing. Judy quickly set down the fork and grabbed a nearby napkin from its holder. Coughing, she pressed the napkin around her mouth.
Her eyes were closed. She exhaled slightly as the attack subsided. She slowly removed the napkin from her face. There was warm, bright red liquid spattered against the thin paper. Her paws trembled slightly as she crumpled the napkin into a ball. She set it beside her plate.
Last week was Judy's fortieth birthday. Almost twenty years had passed since the closing of the infamous Night Howler case. She was in the news for around a month before the whole thing subsided. After a few years of dating, she finally married Nick just five years later. She was twenty-seven at the time.
A shudder ran through the house. Her ear perked up slightly. There was a creaking at the front door. Her heart jumped as a crash shook the house - the door opening and closing. She rolled her eyes. The hinges were becoming rusty and oxidized. He was supposed to fix it last week. She sighed and picked her fork back up.
A fox walked from the entrance and down the hall to the kitchen. "Hey, Carrots."
Judy looked up at him. Her smile was weary. "Hey, Nick." She watched as he unbuttoned his blue-white plaid work shirt before draping it across the couch. His fur was becoming paler and more gray. She had noticed some of it coming out with his clothes, but she decided against telling him. He probably already knew anyways. She took a bite from the asparagus and chewed it before speaking. "So, how was work."
"Well, you know. The usual." he muttered. He removed his belt and set it by his work shirt. He pointed towards the bedroom door. "I'm gonna go change into something more comfortable."
"Alright." Judy whispered, looking back down at her plate.
She heard the door shut down the hall. She was about to take a sip from her drink before she remembered something. "Crap!"
She had forgotten to put his beer in the freezer. She frantically scrambled out of her chair and darted towards the refrigerator. She quickly pulled the door open before being hit by a blast of cold air. There was the beer, surrounded by liters of soda, juice, and vegetables. She pressed her paw against the glass of the bottle. It was cold, but not cold enough.
She sighed. He'll be mad regardless, but a little cold couldn't hurt. She quickly adjusted her shirt, revealing a little more of her chest. Maybe he'd be distracted enough not to notice. She took the beer and opened the freezer door. She put the beer in the freezer and shut the fridge doors before wandering back to her chair.
As she sat down, she heard the sound of a toilet flushing down the hall. She took a sip from her drink, watching as he walked out. He was looking down at his phone as he came down the hall and entered the kitchen. He pulled open the freezer door and grabbed his beer and closed the door. He didn't seem to notice.
Her eyes landed on his food. "Um, you might need to microwave that pretty soon. It's been out for awhile."
"No," Nick said, looking up from his phone. He sat down in his chair, directly opposite of Judy. "it's just asparagus and salad. It'll be fine."
"But, they're meant to be eaten warm-"
"Judy." he said clearly, staring directly into her eyes. "It'll be fine."
Judy shook her head before sliding her fork through another stick of asparagus. "If you say so."
Nick reached back and grabbed a bottle opener from the kitchen counter. It felt cold against his fur. He popped the top off of the beer and set the bottle opener down. He held the beer up to his snout and comically wafted the smell into his nostrils. He finally let out a breath of relief. "Ah, my gift."
Judy rolled her eyes. She watched as he tilted his head back and drank from the bottle. He frowned mid-drink and quickly removed the glass from his mouth. He examined the bottle in his paw for a moment before glancing at Judy. "You forgot to put it in again, right?"
Judy meekly nodded. "It just completely left my mind, y'know. I'm sorry that I forgot."
Nick let out an exasperated sigh. "That's the fourth time this month that's happened, Judy."
"I said I'm sorry." Judy replied. Her voice was firmer this time. She leaned down and rested her head on her paw. "I've just been tired, working more and all that."
"Well, simply putting a beer in the freezer isn't a very difficult task." Nick said, prodding the asparagus on his plate with his fork. "I work everyday too."
Judy opened her mouth to speak but decided to remain quiet. This simply wasn't an argument worth fighting. She watched as Nick pushed his beer to the side and turned on his phone again. She looked back down at her plate. She used her fork to scoop a portion of the salad. She closed her eyes as the diced chunks of tomato and cut lettuce entered her mouth. The food felt remarkably cold.
She took another sip from her drink. It was almost empty now. The doctors did say that she should be drinking more fluids. She'd have to get up and pour some more pretty soon.
Her attention turned to Nick as he stabbed the asparagus. He held it up to his snout and sniffed at it. After a moment, he finally bit off a piece of it and chewed it. Judy watched. He was chewing it slowly. A visible face of disgust slowly formed on his face as he forced down the vegetable. Judy looked back down at her food. "How is it?"
A sigh came from Nick. He continued to poke and prod the food on his plate. "You know that I don't like asparagus."
"Well," Judy shrugged. "Not much I can do now."
She jumped. Nick slammed his curled paw on the table. The plates and dishes rattled for a moment and a silence hung in the air for a moment. His voice quiet. "Judy, - Carrots, - it's been a long day. Don't press me. Just let me eat."
Judy stared at him briefly before eating another forkful of salad. She decided to remains silent, at least for the time being. A minute passed by. Both sat at opposite ends of the table, eating in silence. The only sounds were the clinking of their utensils against the plates. The candle continued to melt, slowly dripping down the pillar of wax. Her salad was mostly gone by now. She slowly traced the prongs of her fork around the ceramic. She glanced up at Nick. He was on his phone.
She swallowed. "I'm gonna put some music on."
Nick continued to pour over his phone. He didn't respond. Judy let out a little breath before standing up. She walked over to the island and grabbed the TV remote. Silently, she turned on the television and opened the music app. Music suddenly erupted from the living room. Judy quickly turned the volume down. Some kind of piano solo became apparent. She though for a second before glancing at Nick. "Is that fine?"
"Sure," Nick said, going back to his phone. "Whatever."
Judy was still for a moment before she moved back towards her chair. Her hocks were sore as she walked across the tile. She let out a little sigh as she sat back down. There was a silence between them. The classical music played in the background.
Nick began to speak. "So, did you get tested today?"
Judy felt her stomach knot. She was quiet when she responded. "Yeah, I did."
"There wasn't anything, was there?" Nick asked, stuffing a forkful of salad into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. "I always did think your were exaggerating a little. It was probably just a cold."
She was silent. She stared down at her plate. "I'm positive."
The fork fell from Nick's paw, clattering against the ceramic of the plate. Judy looked back up and managed to meet his eyes. "They did three tests. They all had the same result. They already gave me a pill."
"You've gotta be kidding me." he muttered under his breath. "You're sure about this?"
"You know me." Judy said. Her face was hard. "I don't lie."
They sat in silence again. Nick watched her closely. She lifted another forkful of salad into her mouth before sipping at her drink again. She didn't seem to care in the slightest. He looked down at his plate. He poked at his salad with his fork again. "So, what's going to happen."
Judy paused. She blinked before going back to the food on her plate. Her eyes were watery. "I start chemo next week. I discovered it late. From there, y'know, we'll just have to see."
"'We'll just have to see?'" Nick repeated. His voice was loud. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Either I die in two years, or I don't!" Judy shouted back, partially standing up in her seat. She looked at Nick. There was fire in his eyes. She quickly sank back into her chair. Her voice quieted. "It's the same stuff that got my Mom two years ago. It's a thing in the family - I've told you this before."
Nick calmed his breathing. He rested his head against his paw. "What do you have to do?"
Judy shook her head. She tried to sound strong, but her voice quavered. "I need to do chemotherapy once a month. I'll have to take some time off my job, probably for the whole of next year."
"Carrots," Nick pleaded his voice was calm. "We can't afford that, especially if you're taking time off. Not with the house, and the car, and bills."
"I've been working with the ZPD for the better part of twenty years." Judy said. There was a clarity in her voice. "I'll be puking my guts out every end of the month. My fur is going to go patchy and fall out. My hearing will begin to fade. Don't talk to me about hardships."
Nick was visibly frustrated. His voice rose with every word he spoke. "I've been working my ass off for years! And what have you done? You haven't had a promotion in a decade!"
"Don't tell me about your work!" Judy shot back. "You're gone days, sometimes week at a time! You always come back drunk and angry. And I hear these stories from your friends - at the nightclubs and the bars and the brothels. You don't even bother to delete the pictures of your vixens when you come back. When was the last time we did something together, just the two of us?"
"At least I moved on." Nick said. "I want to go places, do things, but you're glued to this city! This city's been nothing but shit to you. You peaked at the age of twenty-four..."
Judy escalated into shouting, practically climbing onto the table. "Because I actually care about my fucking job!"
"Well I care about paying our goddamn bil-"
"You quit when you were barely two years in!" Judy continued. Her eyes were watery. "We could be detectives by now. We wouldn't even have to worry about money!"
"I quit my fucking job because someone had to be there to raise our son!" Nick shouted back. He had both his paws on the glass, leaning into the table. He watched Judy settle back into her chair. There was silence for a moment. His face was hot. His chest heaved up and down. He felt a pain in his side, pounding with his heart.
The soft, delicate piano music continued to drift into the dining room. Judy was sitting in her chair again. She was staring at Nick. His face was painted with pain. This can't keep arguing - not like this. She shifted her gaze towards the chair on the side of the table. They were empty. Something broke in her - she felt it in her chest. She looked down at her food. Her voice was quiet, just barely loud enough for Nick to hear. "You wanted to raise our son? Look how that turned out."
Nick sat in a stunned silence for a moment. Judy dared not to meet his eyes. In one swift motion, he grabbed his plate and threw it, smashing it against the wall. The cracking sound shattered the silence in the room. The leftover ceramic shards clinked against the cold, gray tile. Judy flinched, still not looking at him. His voice was loud and clear - his face contorted with unbridled rage. "What the hell did you just fucking say?"
Her voice was quiet. She couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry."
"What the fuck did you just say?" Nick repeated, roaring.
Judy shut her eyes as she shouted. "I said I'm sorry, okay?"
Nick became silent. He watched her from the opposite end of the table. Judy met his eyes for s split second before looking back away. "The words just came out."
She jumped as Nick slammed his paw back down on the table. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His breaths were labored and heavy. His paw was clenched and shaking. His voice quavered as he spoke. "Get out of my house."
"Nick,"
"I sai-" Nick started. He paused. His eyes were closed. She could have sworn she saw a tear roll down his fur. "Just leave. I don't want you here."
Judy was silent. She sat back in her chair and let out a sigh. He couldn't bring his eyes to meet her. She swallowed. "Fine."
The piano music continued.
She sat alone in the squad car. It was dark and stormy. Raindrops pattered loudly against the windshield. The wipers periodically streaked across glass, spreading the water around and distorting her view. It was cold in the car - she didn't want to waste the battery while it was idle. The warmth of her breath clouded the inside of the windows.
She shivered. Her headlights were off. She had parked across the street from a house. It looked old, with its wood panelling and barred windows. She could see light streaming out between the bars. Houses lined the narrow, suburban street. The streetlights were out, probably for repairs. The world seemed silent. There was minivan in the driveway, designed for foxes. There was someone in the house.
Judy let out another breath. It was shaky. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She tapped the device, turning it on. She went to punch in Nick's number. She hesitated.
Her eyes flicked back up to the house. The room with the light was dark now. As if on cue, another light turned on upstairs.
She went back to her phone. She quickly tapped the numbers and set the phone on the dash.
The white noise of the pattering rain was shattered by the dialing of the phone. Judy turned the volume up. The ringing was louder. It rang one last time before a message was played. There was Nick's house. "This is the Wilde house, and if you're hearing this, I guess we're not here right now. Leave a message or call back later if you really need to talk to Judy or I."
Judy's staticky voice appeared in the background. "Come on, Nick. Don't sound so gloomy! Call us later."
Nick could be heard laughing. Crying could be heard in the background - a baby's crying. "Yeah, call us later or leave a message."
The recording ended with a click. Judy shivered. Her eyes were watery. She hadn't heard the message for some time - it felt like they made that years ago. They hadn't change it in all this time. Things seemed simpler then - happier. She tried to speak but found her throat tight. She let out another shaky breath.
"Nick, I know you're there. I know you're listening. I get why you don't want to pick the phone up. You don't have to."
She paused. "Tonight was rough. I'm sorry for what I said."
"And I'm sorry for what I'm about to do."
She was wearing her police uniform. The gun suddenly felt heavier in her holster. She set her hand around it before looking back towards the house. The light was still on. The window wipers continued to beat back and forth. The rain kept pattering. The drops seemed to become larger and larger with each passing minute.
Judy bit her lip. "You left your phone at the house last week. I couldn't help but sneak a quick glance. I know where she lives, Nick. I know where Skye lives. I'm there right now."
Nick answered. His voice was loud and panicked. "Judy, I'm coming over. Get the hell away from there."
Judy shook her head. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Nick. I've thought this through. I love you, Nick, and I'm sorry. I really am."
"Judy!" shouted the voice at the other end of the line. "You motherf-"
She tapped the red button, ending the call. She swallowed again. "I'm sorry."
Judy unbuckled her seatbelt. She popped her holster opened and removed the handgun. The wooden grip was smooth and worn and the metal of the barrel was rough and scratched. She hadn't fired the gun once since she joined the force.
She pressed a button on the side of the gun. The clip ejected into her waiting paw. Twelve bullets, all lined up. Hopefully that was all she'd need. She drew in one final breath. She clicked the clip back into place and cocked the gun. She wrapped her paw around the door handle and pushed it open.
The sound of the falling rain was clear now. It pattered against the pavement and the side of the car. She stepped outside. The street was slick - puddles dotted the black asphalt. Scant rays of moonlight managed to pierce the cloud cover - the puddles reflected the pale, white light.
Judy slammed the car door. The rain began to mat her fur. She had no raincoat, she had no plan - she was not prepared.
She swallowed before continuing forward. Apart from the rain, the street was silent. There wasn't a car on the road. She periodically tightened and loosened her grip on the gun. Water ran down the side of the barrel. There was a strange kind of power in her walk - it seemed almost mechanical.
Before she knew it, she was standing at Skye's door - a stranger's door. It was taller than her - clearly built for a fox. Water streamed down the slick, textured wood.
And now she didn't know what to do.
She reached out and wrapped her paw around the doorknob. She turned it slightly. The door was locked. She paused before reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a lock-picking kit. The force had banned them a few years ago, but she always kept one handy. She assumed most of the officers did.
The metal hooks jingled in her paw as she sorted them out. She stuck one into the lock and began to pry at the mechanisms and slots. It only took her a few seconds to find the right lever. She pushed up and a slight click came from the knob.
Judy was frozen. A light gust of wind blew the door slightly open, revealing the dark interior of the house. She swallowed before grabbing the knob again. She slowly pushed the door open.
The inside was dark and cold. The only sound was the ticking of a clock somewhere. Judy quietly stepped inside and closed the door behind her. The sound of the falling rain became muffled and distant. Water dripped down from her rain-drenched fur and soaked into the carpet. She ran a paw through her fur to get some of the water out. Her paw felt wet and slimy.
The entryway branched into two rooms - the kitchen on the left and the living room on the right. A stairway was built directly in front of the front door. Beside it was a small mantle. There were two photo frames on it, separated by a burnt-out candle.
Judy walked up to the mantle. It was slightly above her, but she could see the pictures fine.
There was a portrait of a young, cream-colored fox in the first one. Probably Skye. There was a kind of youth in her eyes - a perkiness in her smile. She was probably in her twenties. Her eyes were a soft, light shade of blue and her fur looked soft and pure - there wasn't a blemish in sight.
Judy's eyes shifted to the next picture. It was Nick.
She swallowed. So it was true.
The third frame held a photo of both Skye and Nick. They were standing in some forest - there was a mountain visible between the trees behind them. They stood side-by-side, decked out with hiking gear and smiling. Skye's paws were tucked behind her backpack straps, standing straight and smiling. Nick was smiling, leaning against a rock with his arms crossed across his chest.
He was smiling.
Her eyes watered again. She hadn't seen him that happy in a long time.
Her gaze drifted towards the top of the photo. There was a date in the corner.
"April 17, 20XX" it read. She swallowed again. That was three years ago. How could she not have known?
The clock continued its persistent ticking. She looked towards the source of the noise. It was a grandfather clock. The pendulum swung back and forth beneath the glass. It was mesmerizing. She stared at it for a moment before turning back towards the stairway.
She turned the corner and started up the stairs. Her water-soaked ears were drooped and her feet felt heavy. The sound of talking heads over a TV became louder as she approached the second floor. She felt the wooden floorboards under the carpet shift and buckle under her feet. Her breaths were slow and quiet - almost silent.
Judy was at the second floor now. The stairway emptied into a single, straight hall. It was dark - the darkness clouded her eyes. At the far end of the hallway, there was a door. It was slightly cracked open. Moving light and images illuminated the carpet by the door. Skye was in there - she was sure of it.
She slowly continued her long walk down the hall. The gun in her grasp felt heavier and heavier with every step she took. Her head seemed to spin for a moment as she approached the door. She was not well. She did not care.
Judy quietly backed up against the wall adjacent to the door. The words from the news anchors on the TV came muffled. "You know, I don't think she should do this. I don't think this woman has the authority to, well, enact such a proposal, especially not during such a time of political turbulence and controversy."
She let out a shaky breath as she inched towards the ajar door. She kept her handgun raised and ready, as though she was in the middle of a drug bust or approaching a violent suspect. It was her instinct.
She paused at the door. The talking heads on the TV continued to talk. She could hear bedsheets shifting and rustling from within. Skye was in there. She was sure of it now.
The hesitation suddenly fled her mind. Judy held her breath. She stuck her foot out to the side of the door and prepared to push it open with her shoulder. It should be simple - barge on in and shoot the bed to pieces.
She readied her stance and was about to push through the door when a ringing echoed around the house.
Judy froze. The house phone. Nick must be trying to call her.
The ringing continued again. There was the sound of sheets rustling again, followed by the sound of quick footsteps against the floorboard. Judy slowly backed away from the door, her gun drawn and trained on the door. The world lit up around her as the hallway light turned on. The footsteps grew louder and louder until Skye pushed through the door.
The two froze. A single second seemed to last for hours. Judy stared into her eyes. She was gorgeous. She was practically naked in her thin sleepwear. Her fur was immaculately white and pure. Her ears and her snout were perfectly shaped. Her eyes were wide and beautiful - vibrant and full of color. She was probably in her mid-twenties. It was no wonder why Nick fell for her.
A breath escaped her mouth.
"Oh God, Judy." she murmured, her mouth agape. Her eyes shifted towards her gun. She breathed in. "Judy, I can explain."
Judy didn't even think. A deafening bang erupted from her gun. And another. And another. Bullets tore through Skye's body as she was knocked to the ground. Spent bullet casings pinged and clattered to the hardwood floor. Smoke trailed from the muzzle of her gun. Blood spattered all over the floor and the walls.
Her breathing was heavy. It sounded as if Skye was wailing, but everything was ringing in that moment. Judy watched her closely. She was backing up against the wall. Blood poured from her wounds, pooling up all around her. She left a streak of the hot, red liquid as she managed to reach the wall. Her voice was weak and blood seeped from her mouth. "No, please! Don't do this!"
Skye began coughing as she gripped her wounds. Blood continued to come from her mouth. Judy simply stood there, watching the bloody mess. The phone ringing from downstairs finally stopped and the answering machine kicked on.
Nicks voice came over the answering machine. "Skye! Skye, are you there? I'm already on my way. You need to get out of the house and call the police, now!"
Nick paused. "Judy, if you lay one goddamn finger on her, I'll kill you myself."
Judy let out a little breath. She paused before shifting her eyes back towards Skye.
"No, please!" Skye continued to plead. "Don't do this!"
Judy swallowed. "I loved him."
She quickly pointed the gun at Skye's head. Skye looked away and buried her face into the wall. "No!"
Judy fired again. Blood exploded from Skye's head across the white wall behind her. Life instantly evaporated from her eyes, leaving only glassy, empty husks. Her jaw went slack, blood still trickling out. Her head slumped down, leaving a streak of blood down the wall.
Silence quickly enveloped the hallway - all Judy could hear was the ticking of the clock downstairs and the muffled sounds of conversation over the TV in Skye's bedroom. Judy felt weak. Her ears dropped and her shoulders fell. It was over now - the act was done. She fell into the wall beside her. A wave of fatigue washed over her body.
The clock continued to tick. The TV continued to play. Skye's lifeless body lay sprawled out against the wall in front of her. Judy simply stood there, slumped in silence.
A cry suddenly ripped through the home. Judy's heart stopped - it was the cry of a fox kit.
She slowly turned around, her face falling. Another cry came. It seemed to be coming from a room down the hall. Judy slowly walked towards the door. Each step seemed heavier than the last. The muffled wailing of the child continued. Judy stopped by the door and wrapped her paw around the doorknob.
She breathed in a shaky breath. She finally turned the knob and pushed the door slightly open.
The room was dark, but the window curtains were drawn, allowing whatever scant moonlight there was to blanket the room. Raindrops pattered against the glass panes, streaking down and distorting the view outside. There was a crib placed in the middle of the room. Behind the bars was a baby kit, trying to hold on to the painted railing.
Judy stood in the doorframe. The crying came again. The kit's coat was a soft, mellow red - the perfect blend between red and white.
Judy shuddered. This was Nick's kit. He had a baby with Skye - and she never knew.
She lost her grip on the gun as the baby cried again. The weapon fell to the carpeted floor, landing with a slight thud. The gunfire must have awakened the kit. Judy cupped her mouth with her paw. She looked back out in the hallway. Skye was there, dead and slumped other. Blood dripped from her mouth and into her lap.
She looked back at the kit. She didn't even know his name. She didn't know the name of her husband's child. The kit cried again. Judy looked away. Hot tears were streaming down her face. Her throat felt tight. "I'm sorry."
The window wipers streaked back and forth across the windshield. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Her eyes looked past their movement. They made a little sound with every motion, like a slight thud. Raindrops pattered against the glass. It was a constant, unending stream of sound. White noise. It usually soothed her. Tonight it didn't.
She had set her phone atop the dash. The phone app was displayed on the screen. There was a dialing sound. An image of Jack was centered in a bubble on-screen. His ears were striped and he was wearing a suit - in fact, that's all he seemed to wear.
She didn't know him very well. They had a little thing back in the day, where she met at his house. They cut it off the next day. It was just a brief, mutual thing. Nick still didn't know. But that was a long time ago. She could trust him.
The dialing noise was cut off by the crackling sound of Jack's voice. "Hey, Judy. What's going on?"
Judy sniffed and wiped away a tear. Her voice was strained and tired. "Hey, Jack."
She looked out the window and sighed. "I did something tonight. I did something awful."
Jack's voice quickly became quiet. "What'd you do."
She shook her head, wiping away another tear. "I don't want to say. I can't say. I'm going to have to lay low for awhile, maybe a long time."
Jack was silent. He seemed to be processing what she was saying.
"I died tonight, Jack." she continued. "After I hang up, I'm going to jump into the river and drown. At least, that's what you're going to say I did when they question you."
"Judy, tell me what is going on." he said. "Tell me what I can do to help you."
Judy let out a little whimper. She breathed another shaky breath before repeating. "You're going to tell the police tomorrow that I jumped from this bridge. You're going to say I was insane and distraught. Can you do that for me?"
There wasn't a reply. Judy waited. She sniffed again. "Can you do that for me?"
Jack finally replied. "Sure. I can do that."
She let out a breath. She paused before continuing. "Also, next time you see Nick, I need you tell him I said this. Tell him I said that I'm sorry. Tell him that I love him, and that I wish him and his son the best. Tell hi-"
"His son?" he interrupted.
"Jack, please." Judy pleaded. "Don't make this harder than it already is."
Jack sighed. "Alright."
"And finally," she said, inhaling. "Finally, I want you to tell him to never, ever in his life think that I hated him. He's a good man, but he can make mistakes. He'll be an even better father."
Judy sniffed again and wiped her eye. "You got that?"
Jack swallowed over the line. "Yeah, I've got that."
She let out a little sigh. "I always liked you, Jack. I trust you. I really think we would have done well together."
"Where will you be going?" Jack asked.
Judy shook her head. "I can't say. I'm going to have to end this call now - ten more seconds and the ZPD can legally begin recording. Bye, Jack. You're good friend."
"Bye, Judy."
Judy tapped the button to end the call. The rain continued to patter against the glass. The wipers continued to beat back and forth. She let her breathing slow and closed her eyes. She sat for what felt hours, breathing in and out, in and out, in and out.
She tapped the ignition and wrapped her paws around the wheel. Her squad car hummed to life. She felt the engine vibrate beneath her feet. She could feel it flow through the seat. It was an old car - the same one the force had given her so long ago. So old that they couldn't track it.
Her eyes shot open. Her foot slammed on the gas pedal and the car screamed down the empty, dark road.