A light rain fell on the windshield as Judy and Nick drove north through the Rainforest District. Plants and trees of all sizes sprouted from the ground and thick vines curled around the occasional rock outcropping. Delicate epiphytes hung - almost impossibly balanced - at the ends of long tree branches and strangely-shaped bromeliads added the occasional colorful splash to the dense green foliage. The raised road curled sinuously around giant tree trunks like the coils of some giant serpent. Below, a hundred small waterfalls and streams all flowed together, spilling into much larger rivers that emptied into Zootopia bay.
All around, the air hung warm and dense - the high humidity causing the windshield of the car to fog on the inside. Nick reached over and turned the air conditioning up. Slowly, the fogging stopped and began to shrink - contracting into a single point before disappearing altogether.
Leaning back into the seat, he said, "Alright, whiskers, The Vines is just off the boardwalk - we can park and take the sky tram over. I know a great street vendor over there. The least you could do is buy a poor, hungry fox some lunch - after all, you are staying at my place."
"I thought you gave up hustling when you joined the ZPD. But it seems like your skills are sharper than ever", Judy said sarcastically.
"You know what they say, carrots: practice makes perfect", Nick replied.
"OK, OK, since you went out and bought groceries for me last night, I'll spring for lunch. But no more freebies!", Judy said as her stomach gave a small growl.
Nick parked the cruiser in a commuter lot under the canopy of a huge Banyan Tree. The Sky Trams connected a number of stations throughout the Rainforest District and extended all the way into Savannah Central. Most of the stations were built on top of giant artificial trees that housed the steamworks and pumping stations that maintained the climate. Giant pipes built to look like enormous roots drew water from the many rivers that ran through the district. Electrically-driven pumps inside the trunk diverted half of the water directly to a system of sprayers. The other half was fed into massive boilers - the steam collected, cooled and released through a series of diffusers. The ramp to the sky platform circled one of these and as they climbed, Nick and Judy felt a gentle hum emanating from within and a warm mist fell from somewhere above.
Reaching the top, they were able to quickly find an empty tram car - it wasn't busy this time of the day. The cables whisked them away - soaring high over the greenery below. Judy smiled slightly as she remembered that night two years ago when they rode this same tram together - heading back to Savannah Central as the sun rose in the distance. Fitting that they rode it again today after what happened the night before. Alone with Nick, Judy took a chance and leaned against him. He looked around quickly and, satisfied with their privacy, put his arm around her waist.
'So, carrots, what are you going to tell your parents?", Nick asked.
Putting her paw over his, she replied, "Well, they've already met you so that's a start. I'm pretty sure my mom already knows about us too - she and I talked about it a while ago."
Nick gulped and looked shocked, "You talked about us with your mom already? What'd she say?"
Judy glanced his way and said, "Not much but she sent me another fox Taser..."
Nick's eyes bulged and his tail poofed as he turned towards her, "She WHAT?"
Judy laughed, "Nick, you're so cute when you're nervous - I'm just kidding. I think she was shocked to begin with but she seemed ok talking about it - she just wants me to be happy. Besides, it's my dad you have to worry about - he's the one with the shotgun...", she continued with an evil smile.
Nick's tail poofed again even thicker and Judy doubled over with laughter, holding her stomach and wiping her eyes. Nick relaxed and chuckled to himself as he imagined how silly her father would look. As Judy steadied herself against him, he hesitantly asked, "He doesn't really own a shotgun does he?"
With a final chuckle, Judy replied, "Oh he does, but it's just for show - keeps young bunny suitors in line. I suppose it might work on foxes too but he's never had the chance to try it. I think he'll eventually be OK with us and I can probably enlist mom to soften him up first. His opinion of foxes has gotten much better since he's been working with Gideon"
Suddenly Judy had a thought, "You know, we could always plan a trip out to Bunnyburrow. Mom and dad have met you here in the city but I could introduce you to the rest of my family."
Nick grunted and said, "I'll think about it." The city was neutral ground as far as Nick was concerned.
Taking his paw she looked up at him with wide eyes and let her ears droop attractively, "You know Nick...the blueberries are in season right now..."
Nick stared at her a second, mouth hanging open then closed it with a click, "And you call me a hustler - you know, whiskers, I think you'd make a pretty good criminal."
Judy put her paws on her hips with fake indignation and replied, "Oh, how dare you?" as Nick smiled.
Ahead, the tram was approaching the boardwalk station and Judy and Nick released each other, reluctantly. Disembarking, they took a pedestrian bridge over to a broad, wooden, boardwalk that spanned dozens of large trees. Stores and restaurants were built along the interior - constructed from natural materials that allowed them to blend seamlessly into the surroundings. Along the walkway, street vendors sold assorted foods from carts and chalk artists displayed sketches of the local scenery.
As they walked, Nick thrust his hands in his pockets and assumed a familiar slouch - a languid gait that Judy recognized - along with a smug, half-lidded expression that just screamed, "I don't give a shit". This was the Nick walk - he would sometimes slip into it when they visited areas that he knew from his life before the ZPD. He looked extremely laid-back, even lazy when he was wearing one of his button-down shirts. But today, his uniform spoiled the effect.
"Nick, is this an area you used to work? I mean...before you joined the force?", Judy asked, curiously.
Thinking for a moment, he replied, "Not exactly. This is close to where I spent a lot of time growing up. Ralph, a good friend of mine - a second father really - used to bring me here sometimes as a special treat. You'll have to meet him sometime."
Nick had never spoken of Ralph before. It was humbling knowing that he was finally sharing this part of himself with her. She knew it wasn't easy - it implied a level of trust that Judy was sure he hadn't reached with anyone else.
As they walked, Nick said, "After I was older, I came here just to learn - to watch. You know, a lot about running a successful con is observation - reading animals - recognizing motivation. I trained a lot of skills here on the boardwalk. Just up ahead, I know a food vendor that sells roasted veggie skewers with grilled pineapple that you're going to love."
Judy's mouth watered just thinking about tender cooked vegetables. Pineapple was also a rare treat for her. It wasn't a food that she had very often growing up - most of the families in Bunnyburrow ate what they grew, including hers. Occasionally her father would bring home some exotic produce he got from the exporters he dealt with. One of her early memories was of coming down into the great hall one morning - still in her pajamas and holding an oversized, stuffed carrot.
Sitting on the table was the strangest thing she'd ever seen - like an oddly-shaped plant bulb with a spiky green tree on top. She approached it cautiously, her tiny, pink, nose twitching, trying to catch the scent. Creeping up, she stretched out a nervous paw and touched the scaly rind. From behind her, she heard a chuckle - her father, Stu was watching with a big smile.
"That's a pineapple, Judy", he said, "Here, look..." Walking over, her father pulled a knife out of his belt and rolled the large fruit onto its side. With a few quick slices, he neatly lopped the top and bottoms off. Cutting a thick, round section from the body of the pineapple, he sliced a piece off and gave it to Judy. Holding it up to her nose she squeaked out, "It smells sweet!", and popped it into her mouth.
Judy smiled as she recalled the wonderful taste of the ripe pineapple - she's loved them ever since. They approached a large food cart and Judy could smell the delicious scent of wood-fired peppers and onions wafting out. A large wolverine in a white apron stood behind the counter, leaning against the side of his cart.
"Fritz - how the hell are you?", Nick said, flashing a deep smile.
For several seconds, the muscular animal looked confused - not recognizing the fox in uniform. Finally, understanding flashed across his face and he broke into a wicked grin. "Little Nick! But not so little anymore, yes, yes. How is Ralph these days?"
Nick replied, "Settled down - I was over to see him just yesterday, actually."
Judy looked at Nick with a puzzled expression before realizing he must have visited Ralph while she was sleeping. She also connected the dots about where his old trunk came from.
Fritz said, "Well, that happens when you run a business, it does. Who's this here with you, now?"
Nick said, "This is Judy Hopps, my g...partner".
"Hello - it's great to meet you", Judy said with a smile - partly from joy at meeting someone who knew Nick growing up and partly from catching his slip-up.
Nick added, "Fritz has the tastiest veggie skewers in the entire city. He's also a great guy to have at your back in a good bar fight."
Fritz flashed another evil smile and said, "We been in a couple of those, ha'n't we? You 'aint no slouch ya'self."
"Yes we have...", Nick said with complete seriousness, "Can we get two, please?"
"Sure 'nuff", Fritz said opening the lid of the cart as a cloud of aromatic steam escaped. Turning to Judy the wolverine winked and said, "Secret's in tha seasoning young miss. I make my marinades from fresh herbs'n spices grown right 'ere below ya' feet."
Fritz handed Nick two large skewers of assorted vegetables as Judy paid. Nick said, "Good to see you again Fritz".
"Ya, good t'see you too. Tell ol' Ralph I said hi", Fritz said.
Walking away, the partners located a vacant bench and sat down to eat. Judy found it absolutely delicious, just as Nick had said. The veggies were marinated in a thick, tangy ginger sauce. The blend was exotic and complimented everything nicely - especially the pineapple. When they were done eating, Nick and Judy cleaned up then started walking to the end of the boardwalk. A long ramp led down to the ground and passed under a large sign marked "The Vines". Bungalow-style homes were built underneath the canopy of several large trees. All around, long green vines hung down, thicker than Judy's wrist. Here and there, electric lanterns swung from the ends of them creating pools of light in the shaded understory.
The address they got from Donna led Nick and Judy to the last home in the neighborhood - up against the green jungle all by itself. The house was impeccably kept from the outside - wood walls freshly washed - a wrought-iron lantern with amber glass hung above the doorway. Nick and Judy approached and knocked. After several seconds with no answer, Nick knocked again a little louder. Finally, after another short wait, a mongoose in a yellow turtleneck answered the door with an air of impatience, "Yes, yes, what is it?"
"Good day sir, I'm Judy Hopps ZPD and this is my partner Nicholas Wilde. Are you Tim or Gary?", Judy replied.
Taking a long look at her badge, the mongoose replied, "I'm Gerald Furton - I own this home. Is there something I can do for you?"
"We're here looking for information about a club called the Fangseekers and were told that you might be able to help us out", Judy replied.
Gary gave them a level look and said, "I wish I could, officers, but I'm very busy at the moment. If you could..."
"Sir, it would only take a few moments of your time. May we come in and talk? It's very important", Judy said.
"Do you have a warrant?", Gary asked. Judy shook her head and he continued, "Well, then I bid you good day..." As Gary started to close the door, Nick stepped forward and put his foot against the bottom, preventing it from closing.
"Look, Gerald...Gary... here's how this is going to go", Nick said, crossing his arms, "My partner, Judy here knows city codes like the back of her paw. One of those codes happens to be Zootopia Municipal Code 183-64 Paragraph B which governs the use of public land for private purposes." Letting this sink in, Nick continued with a forced grin, "We know you run your hunts out here. So we'll just stake out this location until your next meeting. Then we'll come in, arrest you and all your members, drag you all down to the station, book everybody and have this conversation in a holding cell." Pausing again for effect, Nick finished, "Or, you can invite us in for a few minutes, talk to us and we'll be on our way. How would you like to play it?", Nick asked.
Judy looked at Nick like he had just sprouted a second tail. Gary gave Nick a long look, weighing his options then finally opened the door and said, "Welcome, officers. Come on in."
Gary led Nick and Judy into the home - it was much bigger inside than it looked - with a large kitchen and spacious two-story family room. The walls were designed and painted to look like the inside of a hollowed-out tree and the floors were a dark-stained hardwood. Everything looked well kept and impeccably clean. The smell of furniture oil hung in the air and a large ceiling fan - the blades designed to look like broad leaves - created a cooling breeze. Showing them over to an expensive couch, Gary took a seat in an oversized chair. Crossing his legs, he said, "Alright officers, what can I do for you?"
"You have a very beautiful home Mr. Furton", Judy began.
"Thank you. I grew up in this house. When my parents passed, it became mine. I'm rather busy at the moment...", Gary replied.
"Of course, I'll try to be brief. We're looking for some information about the Fangseekers and were told you and Tim were the people to speak to", Judy said.
"Really? And who told you this?", Gary replied. His tone was calm and even but Nick noted a flash of anger cross his face - just for an instant. As Judy searched for an answer, Nick stepped in, "We have multiple sources. Is Tim around, or just you?"
"Just me, I'm afraid. My brother is out of town. Won't be back for days. Maybe you'd like to come back...", Gary said, coolly.
Judy was about to say something but Nick put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Gary, I can tell you're not excited to help us so I'm just going to tell you why we're here. We're investigating the murders of at least two of your club members. We don't know if there's a threat to any of you - that's what we're trying to determine. But if there is, you're putting the lives of your own group members at risk by not helping."
Nick took his hand off of Judy's shoulder and leaned back into the couch before continuing with a small smile, "Now, we personally don't care about your little club - we know all about you and what you do. Have as many orgies as you want, it doesn't bother us. But we do need your help. We're not trying to cause you any trouble - we're trying to save lives."
Gary thought for several moments before answering, "I'll be perfectly honest - this isn't the type of conversation I expected to have with you. Our group tries to stay out of the public eye but it sounds like you already know a lot about us. I would pay good money to know how you came by that information, but it hardly matters. And the 'orgies' as you call them are greatly misunderstood." Slowly taking a drink of amber-colored liquid from a glass beside his chair, he continued, "I'm frankly not surprised to see you - I knew about Lora and Vickie from the news reports."
Nick hid his shock well, but Judy quickly spoke up, "So Ms. Grassmere and Ms. Sable were full members of your group?"
Sly bunny, Nick thought to himself.
Giving them a level look, Gary said, "Of course, but you already knew that, didn't you?"
Judy shared a look with Nick then replied, "We knew about Lora but we weren't sure about Victoria. There was another murder in Sahara Square - it was on the news this morning. Maybe you didn't hear about it - Ms. Tamika Ward."
For the first time, Nick registered a change of emotion in the mongoose's scent - a quick spike of shock that rapidly dissipated. "Tami too?", Gary asked.
Nick replied, "I'm afraid so. I'm sorry."
Gary thought for a minute then finally replied, "Well, that changes things a bit - it certainly looks like someone is targeting our group members. With Lora and Vicki, it could have been just a random crime or...something else. But Tami makes a pretty obvious connection to us." He downed the last of his drink in one gulp then replied, "What would you like to know?"
"Do you know anyone who would have wanted to hurt Lora, Victoria or Tami?", Judy asked.
"Honestly, I don't", Gary replied after thinking it over. "I've known Vicki and Lora for maybe two years - Vicki was Tami's mentor. Tami was fairly new to our group. They never really had an issue with anyone that I knew of. All three of them sometimes got together socially but lots of our members do that."
"Can you think of any connection between the victims and any predators?", Judy asked.
Sitting back in his chair, Gary thought again before speaking, "I don't. Do you think a predator had something to do with their deaths?"
Leaning forward, Judy said, "If you watched the news reports you know that that Lora and Victoria were mauled before they were killed. Tamika was as well."
Gary replied, "Yes, they mentioned that but didn't say for sure that it was a predator. The news is very careful about not jumping to conclusions - I think you know why. I remember you from a couple years ago, Officer Hopps. I hope this isn't another case of predator discrimination." Gary continued with a small smile that never touched his eyes, "A bunny with a knife can be just as savage - just as deadly - as a predator with claws and teeth."
"Of course, you're right", Judy said, "But the victims had obvious claw and teeth marks on their bodies."
"Ahh, then you've established a species through bite analysis?", Gary asked.
Speaking up, Nick said, "Not yet - the lab is still working on it. Again, I'm being frank here, but we couldn't help make a connection between the claw and bite marks on the victims and your...club activities."
Gary replied, "As I said, that's all greatly misunderstood. Look, officers, I don't know who you've been talking to or where you got your information but our members are not violent. Our hunts are about enriching lives."
Standing up, he walked over to a small wet bar and poured more amber liquid into his glass from an intricate bottle. Returning to his chair he sat and took a small sip. Swirling the liquid in his glass, he brought it to his nose and sniffed before saying, "You know, I've never had this conversation with someone who isn't a full member - but I want you to understand something about what we do. Being a Fangseeker is a way of life - not just membership in a club. The hunts are just a small part of it - a means to an end. For some of our members, social role-play is enough. For others, the hunts help. And yes, many of our members find satisfaction in more...physical demonstrations. A little harmless scratching and biting between consenting partners - nothing more."
Nick replied, "I've heard other physical demonstrations happen as well. Different kinds of partners..."
Gary looked over at him, his expression neutral, "I'm not going to deny it. We provide a safe, healthy environment for our members - but that sort of thing is not part of our core beliefs. After all, predators ate prey - they didn't fuck them."
"Has a predator ever gone too far during one of your hunts?", Judy asked.
Taking another drink, Gary said, "Not at all - our members who choose to participate in those types of activities work it out carefully. There are mechanisms in place - code words - to prevent things going too far. Consent is key. The predators who follow our lifestyle are experienced and have been hunters for a long time. They understand the importance of what they do for our members. All of them gain reciprocally by being able to act out their own instincts. There's no way they would risk losing that."
"What about the predators who are invited to participate who aren't full members", Judy asked.
Gary replied, "Well vetted, I can assure you - background checks, multiple interviews and they are monitored closely. Our guests may not believe in our philosophy but they respect us and act professionally."
Judy said, "When you were talking about Ms. Grassmere and Ms. Sable you said their deaths may have been a random crime or something else. What were you referring to?"
Gary replied, "As I said, we provide a safe environment here but I know some members feel weekly hunts aren't enough. In the past, some of our members have sought...physical activities...outside of our meetings. It's highly discouraged - mostly due to safety but also because we don't want to draw attention."
Nick said, "Thank you for your candor - do you happen to have a current list of members?"
"I'm one of the leaders, so of course I do. But I'll be honest, I'm not sure I want to give it to you. The Fangseekers are secretive for a reason. The incident a couple years ago with that bitch Bellweather really screwed things up for us. Both of you played a role in that if I'm not mistaken.", Gary replied.
"What if we promise you that your list will remain strictly off the record?", Judy asked.
"Off the record like those predators who went "savage"? You know, some of them haven't gotten their lives back completely and it's been two years. No, I don't think it would be a good idea."
Nick crossed his arms across his chest and said, "Look, if you want we can always go the subpoena route. You could still keep everything secret, but then you take the fall. You go to prison and the courts seize this home. Believe me, I don't want to do that. But if your group is being targeted we need to know who the members are. Now, are you going to help us?"
With a scowl, Gary got up, went over to a writing desk and took out a small book. Walking back with it, he said, "I'll make you a deal - I'll let you take a photo of the list but this stays out of the public record and you didn't get this from me. Oh and another thing, I don't want myself or any of my members harassed over this. We've done nothing wrong."
"Done", Nick said as Gary held out the book and Judy snapped a photo of the pages with her phone.
"Now if you officers will excuse me, I did mention I was very busy...", Gary said.
All of them stood up and Gary showed Nick and Judy to the door. As they walked, Nick said, "You should send word to all of your members that they should watch for anything suspicious. If any of them are conducting...activities...outside of your meetings, they should stop immediately. Can I rely on you to do this?"
Opening the front door, Gary said, "Of course. You know, both of you should come talk to me someday. I think you'd find what we believe very...insightful."
"Thank you for your time", Judy replied and she and Nick walked out.