I didn't really know where to get started. I have to give him credit- Legosi let me take the lead since I had more training. The only problem was that my training was primarily forensic. I wasn't used to working with this little evidence. All we had was the basics of an attacker, some security footage, and the concept of a red armband with a symbol on it. And yes- the first thing Legosi and I did was to check the surrounding buildings for camera footage. It was frustrating to learn that the camera around the bend wasn't working that night. Very helpful indeed.
I sighed more than once that first day. Legosi remained quiet though I could tell he was worried about me. Eventually we got ourselves some ice cream and sat at my usual concrete step; Legosi constantly peering at me through the corner of his eyes as I licked away at my cookie dough scoop. Unsurprisingly another sigh left my lips as my cone lowered slightly. What am I going to do? We're running out of time…..
"You ok?" The sound of Legosi's voice brought me instantly back to reality; it was my first time hearing it in hours. I looked over at him to find him watching me. A kind small grin crossed my lips. "Yeah, I'm just mulling over everything. I honestly have no clue where to start….. Heh, so much for my postdoctoral degree," I pulled my knees up into a huddle, wrapping my free arm around them. My cheek rested gently on my kneecap. What now? Where do we go from here? I don't know what we should do next…. Legosi didn't say anything but his head did fall a little. I flashed him one more smile and shut my eyes.
It's moments like this I missed grad school. Sure, it was hard; PhD was certainly no cakewalk. But I could always research something. I felt so safe and at home on campus, where I could read to my heart's content. My eyes opened a sliver. I never felt this lost with my previous school work….. And I wish I could feel that safe, secure sensation of belonging again. Legosi's shoulders arched when my gaze suddenly wandered back over onto him. My grin reappeared across my lips. I wonder if he'll understand if I ask…. "Hey, Legosi? I'm sorry but would you mind if we went to the University of Zootopia?" He blinked at me incredulously but remained wordless. My eyes lowered in a soft fashion. "We might be able to do some research there," I said, but this was only half the reason I wanted to go there. I just wanted to be somewhere familiar for a while, even if I never attended Zootopia's university exactly.
To my delight, Legosi agreed, and off we went to the university. Just being on campus felt like entering a new, accepting world. I instantly felt safer and better about everything; my mood picking up in a noticeable way. Legosi, on the other hand…. He hadn't been to university in years and seemed very awkward to be on campus grounds. He constantly glanced around, anxiously eying the students all around us. I hadn't been on Zootopia's massive campus before, but I naturally took lead the moment we entering through the front arches. The first and only place to go in my mind was straight to the library, which was six stories high. Needless to say, it was easy to find.
We were able to get inside with no trouble, but even if we were stopped since I had PhD, I could go into any university I'd like. Of course Legosi could come with me. It also helped that he wasn't in his police uniform as the chief instructed him to dress casually for the inspection. I guess research would be easier to conduct if we didn't stick out like a sore thumb. What did stick out was a large grey wolf trailing a tiny dwarf rabbit, but no one said anything. We merely got weird side-eye glances and the occasional whispering. Legosi stood behind me, shifting uncomfortably while I spoke to the librarian, who guided me to the criminology section on the sixth floor. I may not have had much to go on in this case so far but if it's one thing I'm good at, it's conducting research and fast.
Legosi and I found a table by the window where I could bury myself in books. I dove so deep into the material that I kinda forgot Legosi didn't know really what to do. I just read and read, trying to find a lead anywhere. "Day depravity, day depravity…. What does depravity even mean?" Legosi watched me fish out a dictionary from the pile. I searched up the word; I had a general idea of the meaning but wondered if I was missing anything. "Depravity: moral corruption or corruption….. the quality or state of being corrupt, evil, or perverted," the large text lowered as I gazed up to Legosi. He looked like he didn't know what to make of what I just told him. I didn't know what to make of it either; I sucked my lips lightly.
"Mmmmmm, what are we missing here? Why would he have that word specifically on his armband?" I asked out loud but didn't expect the wolf to answer. "Uhhhhhhhh…?" Legosi's eyes wandered out into nowhere ponderingly. I thought for a moment. "What's another word for "depravity"? Where's a thesaurus?" Legosi went to fetch me one. "Thank you," I took it, flipping through the pages fast.
"Depravity, depravity; let's see. Criminality, degradation, abandonment, baseness…." None of these stuck out to me. I considered everything for another minute. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. Maybe the best way to start is from the opposite end and work our way over. Just for the hell of it, I looked up antonyms for the word. "Good, goodness, morality, virtue, honour, purity…" "What's that?" Legosi finally asked me. "The opposite of depravity," I sat back in my chair, still thinking. I peered up to my partner just then; the wheels in my head rapidly turning.
"Depravity…. It must have something to do with Zootopia's criminal underbelly. Well, of course it does; only criminals kidnap people. But there's something more to it. Why would he have that armband? Why is it red? Why does it have those two characters on it?" Legosi didn't say anything because I knew he didn't have the answers. But maybe he did have some different useful information. Our gazes met again. "Legosi, tell me something; and don't be afraid to be honest. I won't judge you, I promise. Have you…. ever been to the Black Market before?" Legosi's eyes instantly widened as his face was flushed. He took a second to recapture his composure. "U-Uh, o-only for work," he sputtered, unable to look me in the eye while speaking. It was clear he was uncomfortable discussing this with me- a herbivore. Heck, there were probably my kind for sale at that god forsaken place. "Did you see anything that might be….?" "Nothing!" He said a little too quickly. Seeing how anxious this topic made me, I decided to let it drop. But this did make me recall something Gohin had told me. "The meat sold at the Black Market secretly comes from hospitals and funeral homes." I guess there could be an argument made that it's a necessary evil, a virtue depravity… My ears perked up. "Legosi?" The moment I said his name, his huge awkward eyes shot back to me.
"What's the closest hospital to the Black Market?"