Chapter 2
Nick's New Case
Nick had been called into the chief's office early Monday Morning following his and Judy's eventful weekend.
"When you and Hopps had brought that street racer in. Flash was it?" said Chief Bogo Flipping through some papers in the case file. "We found that he is possibly linked to a massive car boosting operation. They steal the cars, Flash creates new documentation for them at the DMV and then they resell the cars in other cities. We can only connect Flash to the forged documents and not as the leader of the operation. We haven't shut him down because we want to use him to get back to the leader of the operation. Flash has agreed to deal to work with you to bring him down in exchange for leniency. We want you to work with in to infiltrate the organization and bring the leader in and stop the boosting operation. We feel with your years on the street and having worked as a mechanic will give you the biggest advantage over other officers. Plus not a lot of people know your have become an officer and we feel this could aid you."
"What about my partner?" Nick asked referring to Judy.
"We feel it would be best if Officer Hopps sits this one out. She is widely known and would make it difficult to create a fake identity for her."
"I have never worked without her" Nick pretested almost more to himself rather than the chief.
"I'm sure you will be fine Wilde" the chief reassured him I will have Clawhauser email you all the information you need and give you a department account card. You will need to buy yourself a car and prep it properly to fit in with the group of people you will be associating with."
Nick thought a moment and then said "I have on condition."
"And what would that be?" said Bogo a small amount of annoyance hanging in his voice.
"I get to keep the car when I'm done"
Bogo sighed heavily "once a con-artist always a con-artist. Very well, but nothing to extravagant"
"Oh don't worry chief the budget is very important to me" Nick said very sarcastically in his usual dry humor.
The chief grimaced before sending him on his way. Judy was waiting in a chair outside the chief's office playing on her phone. Probably taking more selfies for Furbook.
"What did the Chief want?" She asked slipping the phone into her pocket.
"He gave me a case." He stated as he began walking in his usual lazy fashion to Clawhauser's desk.
"Great when do we start" she said excitedly.
"Not we. Me."
Judy gave him a confused sideways glance. Nick began explain what the chief had said to him and why she would not be involved in the case. She looked a little disappointed, but happy Nick was taking off in his new job.
"They might start using you under cover a lot" she remarked "this could be really good for you."
"I just try to stay out of trouble" Nick shrugged "Clawhauser chief said you have a file and a company card for me."
"Oh my goodness yes." Clawhauser Exclaimed in his usual flamboyant fashion. "Now just where did I put it, Oh here it is." Clawhauser reached into a filing cabinet behind the desk and pulled out a large file and a small envelope. Inside the envelope was a new shiny debit card. Nick pulled out his signature sunglasses holding it up and said
"Say Carrots want to spend the day car shopping?"
Thirty minutes later they were at the Furd dealership looking at the sleek new Furcus RS.
"350 horsepower 350 foot pounds of torque…" the salesmen was rattling off specs but it didn't matter Nick knew everything there was to know about the car. He had been wanting one for a while now and he was elated to be getting it through work. He eyed the inside. This one was black with a tan interior. Nicks cup of tea.
"Do you have it in Hyper Blue with a manual transmission and black interior" asked Nick ending the salesman's rambling.
"Uh yes" said the Cheetah Nick had forgotten his name and he wasn't wearing a tag. "I have one in the back lot in those specs"
"Well wrap it up we will take it to go said nick handing him the debit card" The salesman stood their dumbfounded. "Chop chop kitty I have to go take it apart."
"Yes sir" said the Cheetah excitement spilling over at the thought of making a sale so easily.
Judy had been off admiring a large diesel pick the kind they would have used on the farm. "This would have made bringing in the harvest a lot easier" she said reading the spec sheet. "Did you get one picked out?"
"Yup he's bringing it around" he said walking up beside her.
The Chief had cleared out a bay at the department's shop for Nick to build the car. Nick had spent the night after buying the car online ordering every part he could think of racing coil overs, a garret turbo, injectors, blow off valve, wheels, tires, front splitter, cold air intake, turbo back exhaust, a 50 shot of nitrous and a bolt in roll cage. 'That's a good start' Nick smirked he knew the chief would probably have a fit with what he had already spent. Now about a week and a half later the parts began arriving so Nick was cleaning the bay out moving in his large toolbox into place. He and Judy had made a trip to Fox Hollow over the weekend to get the tool box. Nicks dad was happy to see him and was happy to finally meet the Judy he had heard so much about. Nick had prepared him telling him that I was involved in an interspecies relationship. His dad being a small town man had reservations at first but after meeting Judy he immediately fell in love with her. Showing her around the shop and wasting no time telling all Nicks embarrassing childhood stories. The two were like old friends which was a load off of Nicks mind. Now Judy sat on an old couch Nick had placed along the wall. She had her legs folded beneath her playing a game on her phone she was wearing yoga pants and an old t-shirt. She had intended on helping Nick but he had been around girlfriends in the shop before hence why he had gotten the couch.
"I thought you were going to help Carrots?" Nick said pulling parts from the boxes and laying them carefully out on the floor.
"I will when you start doing the fun stuff" she said looking up from her phone.
"This is the fun part" He said pulling a set of metallic purple coil overs out of their box "it's like Christmas"
"I figured I would let you unwrap all your new toys" she said sweetly looking again at her phone. The two had been inseparable since the concert a couple weeks earlier. Judy had convinced the chief to give her the couple a day's Nick would be getting the car ready off so she could spend the time together before Nick began working his case alone.
"Alright Carrots now time for the fun part" she said pulling off one of the wheels. The car was already up I the lift.
"We will start with the coil overs" he said she got up and walked over to him "ok what do I do?'
Nick spent the next couple of days patiently teaching her the different things he was doing. He let her do it while watches there to answer her questions.
"Good job Carrots" Nick said wiping his hands on to a dirty rag stand back to admire the car that stood in the bay.
"You did all the work" she said leaning up angst him.
"No you put all the parts in"
"Yes but you were teaching me and that's the real work" she said smiling up at him. "So when do I get to take it for a ride?"
"Ha-ha what makes you think I will let you drive it" he laughed
"Because you love me" pulling his tie to bring his face down to hers she giving him a tender kiss. While he was distracted she grabbed the keys out of his paw. He had pulled them out after finishing cleaning his hands.
"Hey" he said lurching for the keys but she put finger up waving it back and forth. "Uh uh uh" she sang. Hanging the keys behind her back.
"Not fair, you tricked me" he laughed. She cocked her body, putting her free hand and her hip and spinning the keys in the other and said.
"It's called a hustle, sweetheart." They had kissed many time since becoming official but every once and a while she would use it to get what she wanted. Nick thought it was adorable and reminded him of the night she had first conned him into kissing her. Nick laughed and let her win and let her take the inaugural drive in his new little racer. They went to a drive in restaurant and spent the night laughing and joking with each other.