Okay, here's the new chapter. I have tried to publish new chapters every day, but I have an exam the day after tomorrow and I already failed it once, so I must study a lot, and then the next day my dad and I are traveling 600 kilometers to see a hockey game and we stay there a few days so I'm not sure when I'll be posting the next chapter. I'll promise I'll try to do it asap.
By the way, at the moment I'm watching two foxes walking across the ice that's about 15 meters from my window. The other's fur is really bright. Here's a picture! (very low quality though): i-m-g-u-r-.-c-o-m-/-pg4nVKi (remove the dashes, yo)
And I really appreciate your comments! But even if you don't comment, thanks for reading anyway!
To hcro8758: To be honest, I have no idea how many chapters there will be, but of course I'll write more. I'm sorry, I don't have Instagram but if I did, you'd be more than welcome to follow me.
Okay, I guess I should really stop talking now.
Disclaimer: Not mine, nope.
-Chapter 6-
Finnick was angry. He was very angry and tired and he just wanted to go back to bed to sleep. He couldn't, but he really hoped he could. And the sole reason to that was that damn fox who had gotten drunk again and needed to be retrieved by Finnick from the bar. Poor Finnick had just gotten ready to sleep as the bar's owner Matthew Pandora called him and told him to come get Nick. So no, of course he couldn't disobey.
It wasn't the first time he had to go get him, but it had been long since the last time, over a year. Actually, when Nick joined the police force, he stopped going to the bar as much. The fox couldn't hold his liquor at all, few pints and he was already piss drunk.
Finnick, despite being very small, helped Nick to come inside his van and as the fox fell asleep on the couch, he tossed a blanket to him, put a water class on the table and an empty bucket to the floor next to him.
"If you vomit on the floor, I'll use your face to mop it. Got it?" Finnick threatened even though he knew Nick didn't hear him. Then he climbed back onto his bed and fell asleep. Neither of them had very pleasant dreams.
In the morning Nick woke up to the smell of coffee and the sunlight beaming on his eyes and got groggily up. He had drool on his cheek and the fur was pointing everywhere, and his head was throbbing more than after the New Year's party ten years back. The radio was on, playing "Enter Coarse and Rough and Irritating Man" by Murtallica but it really made his head ache more.
"Shit", was all he could say, and his voice was hoarse and his throat was raspy. He saw the glass of water and drunk it all in one go.
Finnick was on the other side, reading news on his phone and eating.
"Slept well?" Finnick asked a bit mockingly.
"Like a baby", he joked. "I really screwed up, huh?"
"I don't know, I wasn't there. Where'd you leave that bunny friend of yours?"
Nick slammed his head against the table.
"Deer god, let me die already", he mumbled. "I'm going to get fired, aren't I?"
"Don't ask me, you're the cop here. But you did get drunk on duty, so don't expect them to brush it off that easily."
"And Judy must be disappointed. Fuck", Nick cursed.
"Not to mention your uniform totally reeks of alcohol."
"It does?"
"Yes."
Nick banged his head on the table once more.
"Hey, careful!" Finnick yelled. "The table's fragile."
Nick let out a frustrated sigh.
"I really need to call her."
"Then do so."
"I can't."
"Then don't, I don't care. Anyway, I need to go soon"; Finnick said as he got up.
"Where?"
"You know, even though you got a real job, I need to earn my money the old way."
"Oh, right."
"But I have a new partner now, so it's not too hard."
There was a knock on the door.
"Speaking of the devil!" Finnick exclaimed as he opened the door and in walked a very pretty arctic fox who was wearing a tight red jacket her eyes were all black. The white fox kissed Finnick on his nose and Nick couldn't hide his surprise as he stared at the two with his mouth hanging open.
"Wilde, this is Ekaterina"; Finnick introduced her. "Ekaterina, Wilde."
"Привет! Приятно познакомиться. Меня зовут Екатерина. Как дела?", she said enthusiastically as she took Nick's paw and shook it so hard that he was afraid she'd broke something.
"She doesn't speak English", Finnick told the perplexed Nick.
"I-I see", Nick replied.
"But we need to go now. There's cereal in the cabinet and milk's in the fridge. Help yourself", he said and then turned to Ekaterina. "Let's go."
The vixen kissed him again and said:
"Я вас люблю."
"Yeah, sure. We need to hurry. See ya later, Wilde."
"Пока."
"Yeah... Later", Nick said and they left.
At some point as Nick had eaten, washed himself and sprayed a lot of Oxe-body spray on his uniform, he looked at the clock and saw that he was already two hours late from work. That is if he still has any work.
It took him a lot of willpower to step out of the van and start walking towards the station, and his headache wasn't really helping. He was afraid of confronting Judy, but he needed to talk to her and apologize. He really cared for that bunny.
The station was even busier than normally as he stepped in. Clawhauser saw him approaching and waved happily to the fox.
"Nick! So you're already better then", he said.
Only a bit, Nick thought and smiled to him. They didn't talk about him getting fired, which gave Nick hope. Or then Bogo just hadn't told the others yet.
"What's the fuzz?" Nick then asked.
"This is relating the case. By the way, Judy said she needed to talk to you. I guess she is with Bogo, her being the key witness and all."
"Okay. Thanks, buddy."
"No problemo!"
Nick didn't really pay attention to the word "key witness" and though automatically it was about him as he walked to the office of their chief. He took a deep breath and knocked, but just as his knuckles were colliding with the door, it was yanked open.
"Nick?!"
"Carrots!"
An awkward silence ensued.
"Uh… Can I talk to you?" he asked.
At first Judy looked like she was angry, but then she smiled and looked almost compassionate.
"Maybe later", she said quietly and walked away. Nick stared after her not understanding what was happening when Chief Bogo called him in. He complied.
"So. Good that you're better", the chief started and gestured Nick to sit on the chair.
"I guess no one told… Wait. Is that Oxe that I smell?"
"Uh… Maybe."
"Good choice. Well, I'll just be straightforward with you. Miss Stephanie Horde was found dead at her home yesterday night", Chief Bogo said. It took Nick a minute to process what he was just told.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm sorry."
"H-How did she...?"
"Suicide by hanging. However, Linda is performing an autopsy on her body, just to check whether or not this is crime-related."
Nick felt sick to his stomach and wanted to vomit. He never even thought of the possibility that Stephanie, of all people, would just go and kill herself. Sure, they weren't exactly the best of friends but they had known each other for years.
"Officer Wilde?"
"Huh?" Nick hadn't heard his name being called the previous two times.
"Lost you there for a second. Is everything alright?"
"Uhh… I…"
"Listen. I'd advise you to take the day off. Go home, clear your thought and come back when you feel like it, be it tomorrow or after two weeks. Okay?"
"No, I'm fine, just a bit shocked. I… Er, was that all then?" Nick asked. Chief Bogo Leaned back on the chair.
"I guess. However, I understand if you want to leave."
"N-No, I want to stay."
"Very well."
Nick walked away from the office and the buffalo couldn't help but sigh at the fox's stubbornness.
Judy was in the cafeteria, grabbing a bite before returning to work. On her hand there was a small letter, written neatly with beautiful, cursive letters. The letter was addressed to Nick so she thought it would be fair to let him read it before anyone else, which is why she hadn't told about it to anyone. She was studying the letter (of course she hadn't read it) and she couldn't really imagine what Nick felt. Also, they weren't any closer on the case. In fact, it seems they knew even less now that they did earlier.
As she had eaten, she put the letter on her pocket and tried to found Nick. Strangely enough, no one had seen him after he had come out from the office. She later found him in the storage, sitting next to stacks of papers and boxes.
"Hey, Nick", she said carefully and sat next to him.
"Hey", the fox answered.
"Uh… I didn't tell them about the bar thing", Judy said.
"Thanks."
"But I can't be certain they'll never find out."
"So… About Ms. Horde. Her family is in Zootopia at the moment, but they're leaving after few days taking her home, where she is to be buried next to her unborn brother."
"She would probably want to be buried next to Smitter", Nick said.
"Well, her family has already made that decision. Besides, we have yet to contact Smitter's next of kin because we don't know anything about him. There was no ID or phone. Smitter most likely isn't even his real name."
"I see..."
"Hey... Nick?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"No, seriously."
"I'm fine."
"And… One more thing", Judy said as she gave the letter to Nick. "It's for you. From her."
Nick took the letter and unfolded it. There were few stains and he realized she had been crying when she had written it. Nick quickly turned away from Judy as he started reading.
"Dear Nick
I'm writing this letter because I have something to confess.
I killed Smitter.
Well, not killled killed, but it was my fault he died.
I have never felt more horrible as I do now.
You see, this one guy once came to talk to me. He was wearing a suit and he had a briefcase with him. He looked, how should I put it, very important.
He told me about the drug. Not everything, of course, but he told it would bring me a lot of money. I wouldn't say I'm poor, the club is a good source of profit. But still I agreed to help to distribute the drug. I don't know why, guess he was just a total silver-tongue.
I sold some to those huskies that used to come to the club a lot, but they stopped coming. I thought nothing of it; maybe they were on a vacation. But now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure they're dead. I know one of them lives in Tundratown and the other two who are twins live not far from the park.
I asked Smitter if he wanted to taste the drug, and he did, and now he's dead. He's dead and I killed him.
I cannot live with the guilt but I also cannot live without him, because I really loved that pig. My time to go is soon, but I wanted to tell you all this at first.
The person I talked about. He was a jackal, but now that I thought about it later, he must be working for someone. I have no idea who, but I hopes this'll help you.
Honestly, Nick, if we had worked a bit more for our relationship, would things be different now?
Nah, I doubt so. Nevertheless, I'll miss you.
Goodbye. Sorry.
Signed
Stephanie Kana Horde"
After Nick had read the letter, he folded it and gave it to Judy.
"I think Bogo should see this", he said.
"Yeah. Are you…"
"Stop asking that!" Nick snapped but clamed immediately. "Sorry. I shouldn't have."
"No, it's okay… By the way, I too wanted to apologize."
"For what?"
"For what happened at the bar."
Nick swallowed.
"No, you were right… I… Uhm…" He swallowed his pride. "I'm sorry. I won't let it happen again."
"May I ask?"
"Sure."
"Has it happened often?"
"A few times. Come", Nick said and helped Judy get up. "We have some work to do, don't we?"
"Yes, you'll go. I have some errands to run first", Judy said. She had a meeting with a raccoon, and a lot of money in her bag.
She hoped that the raccoon wasn't too mad about her being a day late.