Justice's Detective
December 2026
Chapter 1: A Day for Justice
Birds sang and the sun shone as it rose above the horizon to cast everything in a golden light. The air was fresh and clear. It was a special day, a day most people called "Tuesday." Tuesday was very special, as were Monday and Wednesday and all the others, for that matter. It was special because it was a day for JUSTICE!
Detective Bobby Fulbright was expected to check in at the police department each morning at 8:00. Naturally, since his apartment was 15 minutes away from the department, he left at 5:00.
He got into his car and drove until he reached the traffic light, where a few other cars already waited. Some were regulars, there every morning. The drivers all looked exhausted, and more than a few looked irritable. Well, he couldn't have that.
He rolled down his window and stuck his head out. "In justice we trust!"
One driver rolled down his own window and shouted something about where he could put his justice, but before Fulbright could ask him just exactly how he was supposed to do that, the light turned green, and all the cars continued on their way.
He kept his window open so he could shout and wave to the drivers he passed going in the opposite direction. None of them responded, but a dog whined from where it limped along the side of the road.
Fulbright pulled over and got out of the car.
The dog's leg looked fine, but it jerked every time its paw brushed the ground. Matted fur stuck out in clumps, and its eyes shone with suspicion.
The detective sniffled and wiped his eyes. To be abandoned and hurt, with no one in the world who cared—that wasn't justice. Poor little puppy deserved to be loved and cared for. He held out his hand for the dog to sniff before he proceeded. If he had to go to the hospital because he was bitten by a stray, he'd waste so much time.
Besides, last time the hospital staff hinted they were tired of seeing him and maybe he could just be a little more careful.
Not that he minded, as long as justice was achieved!
The dog licked his hand and gave him a pathetic stare, so he examined his paw. Something shiny and hard stuck from the pad. The dog yelped when he touched it. He clenched his fist. A nail. Some monster left a nail lying around where an innocent puppy could step on it.
He heaved the dog into his arms, deposited him in the back seat of his car, and returned to the driver's seat. He made it to the vet's office in record time, as he only had to stop twice to give people directions.
The office was empty, so early in the morning, but at least it was open. Such wonderful people, willing to open at the crack of dawn to make sure animals were safe. He pulled out a handkerchief and cried into it.
From the back seat, the dog barked and stared at him.
He took a deep breath and composed himself. Then heaved the dog into his arms again and went inside. "In justice we trust!"
"What can—oh, hello, Detective. In justice we trust." The receptionist, Iolana, glanced at the dog and set aside her paperwork. "Another one?"
"The pursuit of justice never ends."
She sighed. "Is this your dog, or another stray?"
"A stray." He saluted. "But rest assured, I will find him a loving home before the day is out! His paw is injured, but he's otherwise in good health. I'll come by later this afternoon to pay and pick him up."
The first time it happened, they'd all been skeptical of him, but this time, she just smiled and called a veterinary assistant to take care of the dog until he could be seen. Justice had shown them all the true goodness in the world.
#
The grocery store was between the vet's office and the police department, so he couldn't pass it by. He walked inside. Three people were at the checkout line. One was an old woman, one was an exhausted-looking young woman, and one was a man in a battered coat.
"In justice we trust!"
All three stared at him. The cashier just smiled. "Good morning, Detective."
He beamed and joined her. Once he paid for everyone's orders, he waited another minute to see if more customers would arrive, and then did his own shopping. With bags full of groceries in tow, he returned to his car.
Technically speaking, the park was between the grocery store and the police department, as long as you took the scenic route. He did.
As soon as he reached it, he parked, and went for a walk beneath the trees with his groceries. On the far side of the football field, a woman slept curled up on the bottommost row of the bleachers.
He crossed the field and frowned. A loud shout was a rather unpleasant way to be awoken, even if it was a cheerful message. He crouched and whispered, "In justice we trust."
"Yagh!" The woman's eyes snapped open and she sprang away from him. "Wh-who are you? What do you want?"
He pulled out his ID and flashed it happily. "Detective Bobby Fulbright!"
"I'm not breaking any laws…"
He laughed. "I come in the name of justice!" He deposited the bags on the bench beside her and then held out some money. "If you ever need help, you can call on me… me and JUSTICE!"
#
The police department was almost in sight, but he still had time, so he took a detour to the prison. None of the guards stopped him or questioned his business there, although once he ran up and down the halls a few times shouting about justice, they asked him if he had a specific prisoner he wanted to see, or if he would rather see a doctor.
He laughed heartily at their little joke. "I'm just spreading the good word of justice!" He saluted to the bemused guards and to justice itself, and left.
Back in his car, he glanced at the clock. 7:20. He still had forty minutes. He drove to the nearest high school, convinced the principal to let him give a quick speech about justice over the intercom, and made it back to the police station at 7:59.
Just in time, as usual.
#
The police chief stood by Fulbright's desk, arms folded.
"Good morning, Chief! In justice we trust!"
"Enough of that. I need to talk to you in my office, Fulbright."
He checked the time again. "I'm not late, sir." He grinned. "And even if I was, it would only be because I was delayed in the name of justice!"
"In my office. Now."
He sighed and followed the chief up the flights of stairs to his office.
The chief sat down at his desk. Fulbright sat in the chair in front of him. They stared at one another. The chief looked tired. Maybe he wasn't getting enough sleep. Or maybe he needed a vacation. It was easy to be crushed down beneath all the crime reports. Too many dealings with criminals, and a person could stop seeing the light entirely.
Maybe that was what it was about. He needed a vacation, and he knew Detective Bobby Fulbright could handle things in his absence. Hold the place together. Deliver truth and justice across the city.
Fulbright got a little teary-eyed just thinking about it. He wouldn't let the chief down.
"All right—why are you crying, Fulbright?"
"I'm so happy I entered the police force!" He got out his handkerchief again and sobbed. "Every day, the city becomes a little better, a little safer. I'm just so happy I can do my part to help."
The chief let out a long breath through clenched teeth. "I better get straight to the point. Winston Payne is in the hospital."
Fulbright's head snapped up and he threw his hands into the air. "What?!" He pumped his fist and jumped to his feet. "I shall go visit him at once and arrange for flowers to be sent!"
"Sit down."
"But sir—"
The chief pointed at the chair.
Fulbright sat.
"You seem very distressed about Payne's health. I understand you two didn't get along very well."
He saluted. "I was assigned to work with Prosecutor Payne, sir. Whether I got along with him or not, I care about him as I care about everyone. Even more, perhaps, because he is my responsibility."
"He's in the hospital because he suffered a nervous breakdown."
"What?" He leaped up again. "He must be terrified that the case will fall apart in his absence! In his condition, that could be devastating! I can make it to the hospital in five—"
"Sit."
"But Prosecutor Payne is—"
"Sit."
He sat.
"Do you have any idea what caused his breakdown, Detective?"
He frowned. Payne was rather high-strung to begin with, so it couldn't have taken much. His behavior over the past few weeks indicated…ah, yes… so that was it… "Yes, sir, I do."
"Please. Enlighten me."
"There have been several gross acts of injustice in our court system lately—some the fault of our own prosecutors. People call it the dark age of the law. Prosecutor Payne must have finally seen the corruption around him. It's terrible to feel you're the only one who can stand against an unjust system." He stood and saluted. "That is why, sir, I must go to him at once to assure him he is not alone!"
"Sit down."
He hesitated. Which was more just, obeying his stressed boss or running to the aid of a suffering man? Talk about a conundrum. Payne needed help, but the chief looked like some veins in his forehead were about to explode. Fulbright perched on the edge of his seat, ready to fly to Payne as soon as he could.
"That is not why Payne had a breakdown." The chief pinched the bridge of his nose. "The doctors tell me he's doing quite well, except he has this strange phobia… this terror, if you will, that at any moment, a detective is going to burst into his room screaming about justice."
"W-what?" He threw his hands into the air. "A-are you saying that—that I—" He barely got his handkerchief out in time for the next rush of tears. "—I caused Prosecutor Payne's nervous breakdown? Oh no, what have I done?!"
"Will you pull yourself together, Detective? At this rate, I'll end up right there with him…"
"No!" He wiped his eyes and gulped back his remaining tears. "Please, sir, tell me what happened."
The chief sighed. "According to Payne, you were, quote, 'constantly on his case,' and you 'criticized everything he did.'"
"That's not true, sir!"
"Isn't it?"
"Of course not." Fulbright fixed him with a serious look. "Prosecutor Payne…has some issues with justice. He's not a bad man, not at all. He just needs a little help to see that there are more important things than winning, and that making rookie attorneys feel bad isn't as important as discovering the truth."
"He also says you sided against him at your last trial."
"He was wrong. The evidence clearly pointed in the defense's favor, and he was arguing just so he could win." He shuddered. "That slimy criminal would have gotten away if I hadn't stepped in to refute the prosecutor's lies."
"During your most recent case, he says you, and again I quote, 'put him in timeout.'"
He laughed. "Even at a time like this, he still has a sense of humor. You have to admire him for that. All I did was sit him down with a pad of paper, a pencil, and the evidence, and I told him he couldn't leave until he wrote me an essay on how our case was just."
"Okay… Detective, let me cut straight to the point. You aren't working with him anymore. Not now, not when he gets out of the hospital, not ever."
"I see." He adjusted his sunglasses. "Hmm, I suppose he'll have to find the path to justice on his own from now on. Well, I understand. I've done all I could for him at this point. Sir, if at all possible, I would like to request—"
"No."
"But sir, you haven't even heard my request yet."
"Go ahead, but chances are good it's 'no.'"
"I would like to work with Gaspen Payne."
"No."
"But sir, he's even further from the path of justice than his brother!" He clenched his fist. "I… I do not want to believe he is a bad man, but I have heard all sorts of rumors about his corruption."
"No."
"But sir—"
"Detective, what part of 'no' don't you understand?"
He deflated and slumped in the chair. "Very well, sir."
This was the end. The dark age of the law had finally struck him down. He'd gone too far in his attempts with Payne, and the chief was going to take away his badge and send him away forever. He wanted to cry, but he just felt numb. After everything he'd gone through…
The chief held out a folder. "Read everything in this file. It explains your new assignment."
Fulbright sat bolt upright. "M-my new…You mean… I'm not being punished? I have a new assignment?"
"Yes."
He clutched the folder to his chest and burst into tears. "Thank you, sir, oh, thank you! Justice will prevail! I will devote myself to this new assignment with every fiber of my being! I will prove myself worth of being given this chance! IN JUSTICE WE TRUST!"
"There's no need to prove anything."
"Th-there isn't?"
"I wouldn't dream of giving this to anyone else but you. After all you've done, you deserve it."
#
Fulbright bounced all the way back to his own desk. "In justice we trust!"
A few half-hearted replies returned his greeting. Even such a lackluster response couldn't dampen his mood. Sure, Prosecutor Payne hated him, but he'd been given a brand-new chance to bring justice to the world.
He rubbed his hands together and opened the folder. A stack of papers sat inside, mostly official documents. On top was a brief outline of the assignment.
He roared with laughter.
The detective at the desk next to his glanced over. "Bobby? You okay?"
"I've never been better in my life!"
"O-okay." He edged away.
Fulbright removed his sunglasses so he could wipe his eyes. Oh, that chief, what a kidder. Pretending like he was all angry about Payne, when all the time he had this up his sleeve. Making it like he was going to punish Fulbright for his attempts to show Payne the light, when really he was going to reward him—in the best way possible, the best reward a good detective of justice could ask for, by proving how much he believed in him.
He bawled into his handkerchief. Even as committed as he was to justice, sometimes the goodwill and faith of the people he knew overwhelmed him.
At last, he calmed down enough to read the documents through a haze of tears. As he went through page after page, his tears dried up. Suspicion prodded the back of his mind. This was more than just an assignment for a detective. Something was there, between the lines, something strange about what he was reading, something that didn't add up, something he would have to uncover with every ounce of justi—WHAT?!
He stared at the final line.
In two seconds, he was at the chief's office.
Author's note: Once again, my friend Stein999 on Deviantart has created this lovely cover. :D