Chapter 6

Iceberg Penitentiary, Tundratown; 1:30 PM.

Judy followed a buffalo prison guard down the brightly lit corridor to the visiting room. They turn a corner and walked in. Judy went up to a counter and sat down. A familiar lion in blue prison garb was led to the seat across from her behind the large glass window separating her from the inmate side. She reached out to her right and grabbed a phone. The lion did the same on his left.

"So, is it you talk first or I talk first?" he asked the bunny.

"Firstly, no hard feelings about Cliffside, right?"

"No, no, not at all. You were just doing your job."

"Great. So, I need to talk to you about the AM-8 case."

The request confused the lion.

"From what I've heard, it's already been solved."

"What do you mean?"

"Wasn't that the City Hall murder from several months ago? That was the first Night Howler case. How are all the

affected mammals doing?"

"I suspected that Night Howlers were involved. Don't worry. Last time I was in the hospital, a cure was almost finished. They've already tested it on Mr. Otterton, and the first batch of the final product will be available to the other patients sometime this week. What were you doing in City Hall that night?"

Lionheart sat back in his chair in thought as Judy pulled out her notepad.

"I was working late in my office. The only people I knew were in the building were myself, my bodyguards, and a single night guard on duty."

"Only one night guard? Aren't there supposed to be more?"

"The other two called in sick, so my guards made up the slack."

"I see."

The lion continued to recall the events five months ago.

"I took the elevator to the lobby with the two head guards when I was finished. When the elevator door opened, I saw a nightmare come to life! I saw a savage black bear in tattered security uniform mauling a dead goat in front of the fountain. There was a geyser of blood spewing from the body! I was absolutely frozen in shock. Luckily, one of my guards quickly closed the elevator door before the bear noticed us."

"Wait, the victim was already dead?"

"Looked like it. I didn't see the victim struggle at all to defend himself."

Judy thought over what the Lionheart had just said as he continued his recount.

"As soon as we were safe, I returned to my office and had my guards arm up and subdue the bear with tranquilizers after he smashed his way out the back door. They then hid him in an armory van and smuggled him out of the ZPD perimeter."

"Why did you do that?"

"Imagine what would have happened if his condition were studied while under the public eye? You heard what the doctor said at Cliffside. If that got public-"

"You're right. I know."

Judy ears drooped as she glanced away from the lion with regret. The former mayor leaned forward in his chair.

"Listen, what matters is that the public knows the truth now. There's no need to beat yourself up over that press conference."

Her ears sprang up at the comment. She just remembered that she was still in the middle of an interrogation.

"Right! By the way, what happened afterward?"

"Oh, you know. I acquired the Cliffside Mental Hospital after it closed down, and when other cases of animals going savage popped up all over the city, I sent my security detail to capture them and take them there for study."

Judy jotted down more notes.

"I have another question for you. What was your relationship with the D.A., Francis Edgewolf after AM-8?"

Lionheart began to open his mouth to answer, but then he paused. He frowned and took a moment to think over what he was going to say.

"D.A. Edgewolf and I were acquaintances and colleagues, nothing more, nothing less."

Judy raised an eyebrow as she flipped through her notepad.

"Mr. Lionheart, I find that hard to believe. Mr. Edgewolf's assistant told me that you two were clearly working together after the incident. You even gave him a satellite office. Why?"

The lion didn't answer. Judy continued.

"Your account has too many holes for you to have done the cover-up alone."

"Holes?"

"If what you just told me was the whole story, there would've been too many loose ends for your plan to remain hidden. For example, if the security footage from the lobby were viewed by the ZPD, your secret would've gone out! You had a partner help you with the cover-up, didn't you. You were the mayor, but even you had limits. So you needed help. You went to Mr. Edgewolf, and he agreed, and you gave him the satellite office to make collaboration easier, and maybe even hide a few things, since he almost never received visitors there. Is that right?"

The former mayor stared wide-eyed at Judy before narrowing them in annoyance; she crossed the line.

"I believe our conversation is over, Officer Hopps."

"Wait!"

But it was too late. Lionheart stood up and a polar bear guard opened the door for him to leave the visiting room while Judy slouched in defeat.


Grand Pangolin Arms Apartments, Savannah Central; 9:30 PM.

Judy changed into her pajamas and sat in her chair by her desk. She pulled out her phone to wait for Nick's muzzletime request. When she glanced at the screen, her eyes widened with horror. She forgot to turn the sound back on after the prison visit, and the phone had already been alerting her of Nick's muzzle time request for the past minute. Judy immediately swiped right to accept it.

"Hey! Carrots! I thought you'd never pick up!" complained a familiar fox on the screen.

"Oops, heh, forgot to turn on the sound," Judy sheepishly replied.

"Carrots! Where did you go so that you had to silence it...wait a minute, you didn't go see the new Jack Savage movie without me, did you?" Nick asked with a lighthearted, teasing tone.

"Like I have time for that! I had to go to the Iceberg, not the movies!"

"So, what kind of case did Chief Buffalo Butt give you to work on until I graduate? If you had to visit a prisoner, it's gotta be important."

Judy paused to think over her answer, remembering how strongly Bogo insisted that her real assignment remain a secret. Well, then again, I think it's safe to mention a little to Nick...

"I've been assigned to records, the Chief wants me to look into a few old cases."

"Tracking lost paperwork? Now I know how much Buffalo Butt wants me on the force ASAP."

"Apparently so. At least it's not parking duty. How's your third day at the academy going?"

Nick took a minute to assemble his thoughts.

"Hoo boy, where to start? The obstacle courses were fun. I got buried in sand, face planted in mud, and fell in freezing water after falling off the ice wall. I take everything back about you not being a real cop! You should get a medal for this! Also, the rhinos used me as a weight in the gym. The weights they got me were a little on the small side, since I heard that there are armadillos and smaller felines on the force already."

"I've only seen officers like them on desk duty."

"Huh, figures. Perhaps I'll have better luck?"

"I'll make sure of it."

"Glad to know that you have my back, Carrots."

"Of course I do, you emotional fox. Don't worry about the obstacle courses. They'll get easier the more you do them. I'm sure you'll have no problem with the exams, though."

"Thanks Carrots. G'night!"

"Good night, Nick.""

"You know you love me."

The flirtatious way the fox asked the question caught Judy off guard. Wait, what? She quickly tried to come up with a response.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do."

Judy ended the call and piled her bed with her stuffed animals. She then picked up her notepad and flipped through it to reassemble the thoughts she had when writing in it. Okay, Mr. Prosecutor. Ready to play hardball tomorrow? she thought as she set the pad aside.

She then tucked herself in bed and stared at the ceiling. Huh, this room is quiet. Too quiet. Her mind drifted towards Nick again. She worried about how he was doing, and hoped he wasn't hiding anything. Come on, Judy! It's Nick we're talking about. He'll be fine! Then again, knowing Nick, if something were wrong, he probably will just keep hiding it. She then realized how lonely she had become, even though Nick has only been gone for three days.

"I miss you, Nick. I can't wait until you graduate," she said quietly to herself.

"Aww, rabbit. That was really touching! I'm serious!" piped up a voice behind the wall.

"It wasn't meant for you, Bucky!" blasted another voice in the same apartment.

"Shut up! The bunny needs her sleep!"

"YOU shut up!"

"No, YOU SHUT UP!"

"NO YOU SHUT UP!"

Judy groaned. I spoke too soon. But not even the Oryx-Antlersons' endless arguing could stop the bunny from slowly drifting into dreamland.


If you thought a chapter as critical as this couldn't get clunkier...

Stay tuned for the battle of wits that is to come! And I'd love to hear second opinions!