Chapter 2

Stingy sat in the interrogation room alone as Stephanie and Sportacus watched from behind the glass. The sleepy-eyed boy looked around, nervous and sweaty as he knew he was in big trouble.

"Look at him." Stephanie started. "He's sweating like that pig of his."

"That pig's made out of porcelain." Sportacus pointed out.

"Maybe!" She crazily exclaimed. "But I'll see to it he gets locked up with the rest of the crazies!"

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." The girl's left eye started to twitch.

Sportacus gave her a weird look. "You're sure?"

She nodded and went inside the room. She sat in the chair across Stingy and laid the piggy bank on the table.

"Okay, Stingy. Tell me what happened."

The boy shook his head. "I'm not saying nothing! I want a lawyer!"

"No lawyers, Stingy! Know why? Because here in LazyTown, I'm the law!" She slammed her fist.

"No you're not."

"No..." She conceded. "I'm not. But I'm your friend. And I want to help you. But to do that, you need to tell me what happened."

Stingy sighed and started to give his story. "All right, it's like this. I woke up this morning and found my piggy bank was missing. I thought maybe I left it somewhere I was playing yesterday and decided to look there."

"And where were you yesterday?"

"The park, the playground and the basketball court. But I know I didn't leave it in the park because I remember strapping piggy on my back for protection."

"Protection?" The girl raised an eyebrow.

"Those birds are lethal, man! They'll peck anything!"

Stephanie concurred. "Okay. Go on."

"I knew it couldn't have been in the playground because I remember taking piggy everywhere with me. The slide, the merry-go-round and the seesaw."

"So what about the basketball court?"

"I remember setting him down on the floor while I tried to explain to some of the other kids how everything I touch is mine and not theirs."

"And?"

"And I went home frustrated from all that explaining! So I woke up this morning and realized I left piggy at the court! So that's why I was there all day. Looking for my precious, itty-bitty--"

"Okay, I heard enough!" The girl in pink interrupted him as Sportacus walked in to take the boy away.

"No!" Stingy whined. "I'm not going in the slammer! You can't make me!"

Stingy managed to pull his cuffed hands over his head and blind Sportacus by lowering his hat over his face.

"Hey!" Sportacus grunted. "That's not cool, man!"

The brat then made a break for the door, prompting Stephanie to unwillingly run after him.

"You mean you're gonna make me run!?" She moaned. "Oh, great..."

As the chase began, Mayor Meanswell looked around and pondered what was going on. He then saw Sportacus running after the two, adjusting his hat back in place.

"Oh, dear." The Mayor said. "There must be a sale."

"Stingy, come back!" The girl shouted as she chased him down the hall.

"Never! I'm innocent, I tell you!" Stingy called out as he ran. The boy fled the police station and hopped into his bright yellow car, pedaling away with all his might.

Stephanie took out a radio and called for backup. "This is Stephanie! Request an immediate roadblock at once! Stingy's on the move! I repeat! Stingy's on the move!"

Pixel was standing right beside Stephanie and spoke into his own radio. "Roger that, Stephanie. I've got patrol cars on the move."

"Hurry up, Pixel. We can't let him get away." She said through the radio.

"He won't." The static on Pixel's radio fuzzed.

As Stingy tried to pedal away on his car, he heard a siren blaring from behind him. He turned and saw a blinking light coming from Trixie's scooter as the girl made the siren noise herself.

"The fuzz!" Stingy gasped as he pedaled faster.

"Freeze!" Trixie called out to her friend as she took out a Nerf gun and continued riding.

Stingy swerved his car to the right and headed down the playground as Sportacus leaped from behind a wall and placed his hands on the vehicle. The car was unable to budge despite Stingy's relentlessness to pedal. The boy gave up and waited for the cops to arrive.

Trixie cuffed the boy again and made sure they were on tight this time. "Ow!" Stingy exclaimed.

Stephanie then arrived on the scene with Pixel by her side. As the boy was taken away, Stephanie shook her head. "If they're so innocent then why do they run away?"

"Do you think he's innocent?" Sportacus asked.

"Well, I did." The young girl responded. "But now I'm not so sure. His story seems a little sketchy but I know we haven't fully examined the evidence just yet." She then turned to Pixel. "What did you find at the lab?"

"Come with me." Pixel said to them.