12:27 p.m.
Copper was leaning back in his chair, his feet propped on on the desk, hands behind his head, thinking. Something had been nagging him all day, and he had a feeling it was something fairly important. What wasn't he seeing?
He tried to clear his mind. Think of it, he thought, from Pinky's perspective. She's an outsider, no close friends in the villiage, doesn't know anything about anyone here. She seemed to think Nosegay's absense was suspicious. It was rather odd, he had to admit. He'd seen her just the day before, at the train station talking to Porter. It'd been raining, she must've taken shelter under there until it'd let up a bit.
His eyes flew open.
"Son of a bitch," he muttered, "Son of a fucking bitch."
He jumped to his feet and grabbed his holster from the windowsill. It took him a bit longer than usual to get to the train station, as he had to either walk through or make his way around the vast puddles of thick mud. When he did get there, he saw Porter standing at attention in his usual spot, smiling vaguely, his eyes focusing on nothing in particular in the distance.
"Porter?" Copper leaned foward with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. He'd taken the last few yards at a brisk jog.
Porter jumped and seemed to notice him for the first time, "Oh! Officer Copper, I'm glad to see you! Are you taking a trip?"
"Not today, my simian friend. Just need to ask you some questions. Police business, and all that."
Porter nodded, "Is it about poor Mr. Sven? Such a nice guy, he was."
"Yeah, i agree. But this doesn't really have anything to do with that. I just wanted to ask you a simple question."
"Ok."
"Do remember a pink and white panda coming through here recently? She works for the state law enforcement?"
Porter scratched his head, "I recall seeing her earlier today, walking out of Mr. Nook's shop in a huff. I know I've seen her somewhere before, it's been driving me loco all day."
"So, you didn't see her yesterday, or early this morning?"
"Not through here, no sir. She must've come from the island."
Copper scowled, "And Nosegay? Has she taken any trips recently?"
"Well, last week she went over to Flatpoint to buy some new shoes. She was in such a state yesterday, them shoes got so muddy! Paid 4000 bells for 'em, can you believe that?" He shook his head sadly, "4000 bells would put food in my kids' bellies for a year! But Ms. Nosegay is always so quicktempered, maybe she needs them shoes to make her happy."
Copper was staring out towards the wishing well plaza, ignoring Porter's low mutterings. He'd asked Pinky that morning if her train ride had been a pleasent one, and she told him it's been a little turbulent due the recent storms and the mud on the tracks. Why would she lie? What was she hiding? And where the hell was Nosegay?
"The island," he whispered.
Son of a bitch.
Copper was leaning back in his chair, his feet propped on on the desk, hands behind his head, thinking. Something had been nagging him all day, and he had a feeling it was something fairly important. What wasn't he seeing?
He tried to clear his mind. Think of it, he thought, from Pinky's perspective. She's an outsider, no close friends in the villiage, doesn't know anything about anyone here. She seemed to think Nosegay's absense was suspicious. It was rather odd, he had to admit. He'd seen her just the day before, at the train station talking to Porter. It'd been raining, she must've taken shelter under there until it'd let up a bit.
His eyes flew open.
"Son of a bitch," he muttered, "Son of a fucking bitch."
He jumped to his feet and grabbed his holster from the windowsill. It took him a bit longer than usual to get to the train station, as he had to either walk through or make his way around the vast puddles of thick mud. When he did get there, he saw Porter standing at attention in his usual spot, smiling vaguely, his eyes focusing on nothing in particular in the distance.
"Porter?" Copper leaned foward with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. He'd taken the last few yards at a brisk jog.
Porter jumped and seemed to notice him for the first time, "Oh! Officer Copper, I'm glad to see you! Are you taking a trip?"
"Not today, my simian friend. Just need to ask you some questions. Police business, and all that."
Porter nodded, "Is it about poor Mr. Sven? Such a nice guy, he was."
"Yeah, i agree. But this doesn't really have anything to do with that. I just wanted to ask you a simple question."
"Ok."
"Do remember a pink and white panda coming through here recently? She works for the state law enforcement?"
Porter scratched his head, "I recall seeing her earlier today, walking out of Mr. Nook's shop in a huff. I know I've seen her somewhere before, it's been driving me loco all day."
"So, you didn't see her yesterday, or early this morning?"
"Not through here, no sir. She must've come from the island."
Copper scowled, "And Nosegay? Has she taken any trips recently?"
"Well, last week she went over to Flatpoint to buy some new shoes. She was in such a state yesterday, them shoes got so muddy! Paid 4000 bells for 'em, can you believe that?" He shook his head sadly, "4000 bells would put food in my kids' bellies for a year! But Ms. Nosegay is always so quicktempered, maybe she needs them shoes to make her happy."
Copper was staring out towards the wishing well plaza, ignoring Porter's low mutterings. He'd asked Pinky that morning if her train ride had been a pleasent one, and she told him it's been a little turbulent due the recent storms and the mud on the tracks. Why would she lie? What was she hiding? And where the hell was Nosegay?
"The island," he whispered.
Son of a bitch.
