Chapter 128: Puppy with a Red Balloon

The works of a world-famous street artist and political activist appear in Zootopia and the ZPD is on the case. This chapter was inspired by the satirical and ever-creative artist only known as "Banksy".

"Nick, it wasn't a felony," the raccoon in the dark green sport shirt and well starched khaki pants said while he opened the stout wooden door which led into the old building in front of him and the fox. It was a side entrance into the Coyote Cultural Center in the downtown section of the Zootopian neighborhood known as Happy Town.

"Jake, the guy just brazenly walked into the Zootopia Museum of Art and hung his own painting on a wall!" the fox in the blue blazer and gray slacks replied. There was a brass detective's police badge hung on his belt and a tranquilizer gun was snugly tucked in a shoulder holster under his jacket. "Then he waltzed back out without anyone catching him."

"It still was not a felony!" Jake disagreed. "He didn't touch any of the real artwork and he didn't really deface anything, so wouldn't that be just a misdemeanor?"

"Gee Jake, I think our city's new District Attorney would disagree with you on that point," Nick sarcastically replied.

"He just got elected back in November, so I guess he wants to prove to the voters that he is tough on crime? But like many politicians, he is blowing this out of proportion for his own political advantage."

"The DA has a degree in criminal justice and has passed the state BAR exam, so what makes you think that you are smarter than someone with that kind of background?"

"I have a somewhat more experienced background."

"You do not!"

"I have the personal experience of being convicted for both a felony for Burglary and several misdemeanors for the same crime.

"That still doesn't make you right."

"Did you know this mystery artist of yours did something similar over at the Palms Hotel and Casino a few weeks ago? He just waltzed into the place and hung one of his paintings upon the wall. They didn't even realize it for a few days until one of the guests asked who painted the picture of the skunk in the blue dress wearing a gas mask," Jake chuckled as he slowly walked down the hallway.

"His best prank was the one he pulled at the Museum of Natural History when he installed a rock with a fake cave drawing of a saber-toothed rabbit pushing a shopping cart," Nick snickered as he followed the raccoon.

"So, do you have any leads?"

"He appears to be a rather scruffy-looking canine, possibly a wolf or maybe a coyote. That's about all we have to go on."

"He's not a canine," Jake suddenly said when he came to a halt in the hallway.

"How do you know?"

"I'm pretty sure he is a hornless ram dressed up to look like a wolf, he's a sheep in wolf's clothing."

"Just how would a sheep hide all that wool?"

"I don't know, maybe he wears a girdle or corset?"

"That is totally ridiculous!" the fox laughed.

"You asked," the raccoon said with a shrug of his shoulders.

They stood around in the hallway for a few minutes before Jake continued, "So this artist goes into public places, like museums, but doesn't take anything and instead leaves his own works of art."

"Right! He has also been illegally doing a series of stenciled murals downtown."

"So why is graffiti now being considered such a major crime that Bogo wants it prioritized?"

"It isn't Bogo prioritizing this investigation. The order came down from the Commissioner's Office to find and arrest him with charges of class 4 felony criminal damage."

"I still can't believe that the DA wants to charge him for a felony-level crime? Maybe hit him with charges of criminal mischief, but felony criminal damage? I guess he has ruffled quite a few feathers over in city hall?"

"Probably."

"He upset the privileged elite."

"Yep."

"I guess his work must be too avant-garde for the uptown crowd? "

"Most certainly."

"Well some of them are my clients."

"Jake, you are a raccoon and you can get all dressed up to hobnob with them, but they are going to still see you only as just a blue collared Happy Town pred no matter how much cash you have."

"Stereotyping me much there, Wilde?"

"I'm a fox and you don't see my type hanging around the Ritz either, except as workers."

"Point taken."

"Wait! Wait, you said earlier that you are pretty sure he wasn't a wolf. How do you know that?" the fox suddenly asked while he glanced over at the raccoon standing next to him in the hallway.

"For a detective, you aren't very observant!" the raccoon answered with a grin on his muzzle.

"What do you mean by that?"

The raccoon pointed at a painting hanging on the hallway wall. "We are standing in front of one of his works."

"Wait! How did that get there?"

"He just walked in here several weeks ago during the afternoon and hung that black and white painting of a coyote puppy with her paw reaching towards a red heart-shaped balloon which is being carried away by the wind. Red balloons are a signature of many of his works."

"But no one called the police..."

"Why would they? Marie said that they kind of like the painting and so they just left it up."

"No one saw him?"

"Well, we do have the whole thing on video."

"I want to see it!"

"Do you have a warrant?"

"Jake!"

"You know I can't release the video to you cops unless you get the Center's approval to do so or you get a warrant."

"Jake!"

"Sorry Nick, you may be my best friend but I still have to do right by my clients, even if they are a charity and don't pay for my services."

"I'm not going to get the video am I?"

"Nope!"

"So what do you think this painting represents?" the fox asked as he slightly tilted his head. "The murals often have the words 'There is always hope'."

"Marie said that they think it means that the puppy is releasing hope into the world. Others think it means a loss of a child's innocence or that it shows that hope is just out of her grasp."

"Do they know that painting might be worth a bunch of money at auction?"

"Yeah, but the coyotes see it as a gift to enjoy looking at and to them, that is far more precious than money."

The idea of the sheep in wolf's clothing is based on the concept artwork for a character that was cut from the movie named Wooly. He would disguise himself as a wolf.

Girl with Balloon was a series of stencil murals by Banksy which had popped up in parts of London. He also created a framed copy of the work that spontaneously shredded while on the wall after it was auctioned at Sotheby's.

Update 3/24/2021: Well folks, it seems Banksy has returned once again. The unknown artist donated a black and white painting titled "Game Changer" to the Southampton General Hospital, along with a note saying: "Thanks for all you're doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it's only black and white."