Chapter 11:
It's now been about two weeks since Judy and Nick found out, they now had an instant family. The adjustments in their life was big. Now they had a "son", and my adjustment was just as big. Now I had a mom, and dad, and a grandma. (still getting used to calling them that). But through it all, my siblings could see and feel everything that was happing in my life. Some of sibling were jealous, but when this happened, I would wrap them in my love and all would be well in a bit. Susan asked if she could think of Nick and Judy as mom and dad too. I said yes, as they had more love to give. So, from this point on, all of us thought of Nick and Judy as mom and dad, and we were contented.
We also found out that the institute was watching me. DeDe had hacked into the main frame, and found video footage and sound from the house. One camera was in the Livingroom, one in the hall, one in the kitchen, one in my room, and one in the upstairs hallway. Judy and Nicks bedroom had sound but no camera. Vivian's had sound but no camera, and the bathroom was free of both sound and camera. I guess they had some semblance of decency.
She also found a file, that said testing for telepathy was to begin. After DeDe explained this to us, we were scared. They had finally figured out we had a nonverbal form of communication. We agonized over this one, and decided to sever all the communication we had during the day, and only communicate before bed. We all cried over this, as we didn't want to be separated from each other, but in the end, we did this to protect us all. The once a day communication worked, but left us unsatisfied. When testing began, they were very disappointed when no one reacted to another's pain. Yes, they hurt my siblings, as pain is the strongest emotion next to anger. They watched me, but I didn't react either. After a bit the testing stopped, and we were in the clear for now, but a smoldering hate began to blossom in our mind.
Nick, I found her! Exclaimed Judy. Found Who? Nick said, as he came over to her desk. Judy turned the screen to show him. There was a picture and a name on the file. "Heather Thomas" said the report, reported missing just over two years ago. Wow, how did you find her? Good old fashion detective work, replied Judy. Har, har, Mis, I can find anything, Joked Nick. Well it was kind of hard, I was checking the missing persons reports for the 6-month period after the fire bombing of the clinic, and she popped up. Nick wraps his arms around his wife, as he knows how hard that must have been for her. Judy relaxes in to his embrace, and reaching up, grabs his tie and pulls him down for a kiss. They kiss a little longer than necessary, when a throat clearing alerts them to another's presence.
They quickly break the kiss. Mike looks at them and asks, You guys need a room? The file room is just down the hall. Har, Har, is everyone a comedian today? Asks Judy. No, just a few select one's, today. Replies Mike. So, what do we owe the pleasure of your company? Not much just here to give you the rest of the clinic's files, as he plunks down an even bigger file on their desks. You would not believe how hard it was to find them, some one had missed filed them. Right, thanks Mike, Says Nick. Right, sure you guys don't need a room? Mike chuckles and ducks two paper missiles as he leaves the room.
Nick it says in the file that her mother reported her missing twice. Two and a half years ago, and Then again, four and a half months ago. Wow that's some kind of strange. Shall we go talk to her? Yes, but I'm not looking forward to telling her mom she's dead. Both of them get a little down over this, but this does not stop them from doing their job.
They go to the address on file for Heather's mom. As they walk up to the door, it opens, and in the door stands a red fox about Vivian's age. She looks at the two officers and starts to cry. She's dead, isn't she? Miss Thomas may we come in? Martha Thomas moves out of the doorway, going to the living room, and sitting down, and breaks down into heart wrenching sob. Judy shows Martha a photo, Is this her? Martha shakes her head yes and cries even harder. Judy, sits next to Martha, and comforts her as best she can. Eventually she calms down enough to explain. Yes, Miss Thomas, she died about four weeks ago. Can you tell me how she died? Or is it still under investigation? Asks Martha. What we can tell you, was there was an altercation in an alley in Central square, and your daughter died protecting a kit. A kit? She had a Kit? Ah No, the kit was not biologically hers.
Can you tell us why you reported her missing twice? Martha, drying her eyes begins to explain. Well my daughter Heather, was on the autistic spectrum, didn't speak much, and kept to herself most of the time. She was a kind of girl scout, she loved the out doors, and had an unerring sense of direction. If you dropped her in the forest or on some street, she could not only find her way out or back, but would come out were you were standing. She just seemed to know. The first time she went missing, she said something about making a lot of money. I didn't know what she was talking about, and when I questioned her, she clammed up and refused to speak.
Then she was gone, I waited 4 months before I reported her missing. When she came back…. She came back? Questions Nick. Yes, she came back about five months ago she had a lot of money with her. How much did she have? Inquired Nick. She had 20 thousand dollars with her. I was worried she had gotten the money illegally, but she said no, and I believed her. Well I can say I was a little scared having that kind of money around the house, so first thing Monday morning we went to the bank, and opened a joint account. Joint account? Asks Judy. Yes, Heather had never had money of her own before, and I didn't want her going on a shopping spree. So, as a side to the account she had her own portion set out that could be added to, and a bank card to take this money out with. This was only set at a thousand dollars, and we would both have to come into the bank to add more. Do you have the account number, and bank branch? Yes, I have it here somewhere… She gets up, going to the desk in the corner, and retrieving a bank statement, hands it to Judy.
The first thing she did with the card was to buy two fox plushies from the store down the street. Seemed kind of strange, because she had never shown an interest in dolls before. She carried those plushies around all day and stroked then and talked to them all the time. Then 1 day later 2 mammals came to the door, asking to speak to Heather. Can you describe these two mammals? Not really, they were both cheetahs. Judy gives Nick a knowing look. Then what happened? Well I turned my back, for a moment and when I turned back around Heather and those mammals were gone, no goodbye, no nothing.
At this Martha breaks down again. After a few minutes of crying, Martha manages to get herself under control. Then about 4 weeks ago, I noticed a withdrawal from the card at an ATM in Central Square. Martha puts here paw to her muzzle as she connects the dots. She askes in a small voice, is that when she died? Ah, No, she died the next morning. Replies Judy, who had been looking at the bank statement. Has there been any activity on the card since? No, states Martha. We have another question for you, but this one may hurt. I'm already hurting officer, but go ahead, ask. Has your daughter ever shown attraction to the opposite sex? NO, not that I know of, what kind of question is that? Well she has a c-section scar. You thing my daughter had kits? Were not sure, but we have to ask for the investigation. What happened to my daughter Body? Asks Martha. She was cremated about a week ago, and her ashes are at the coroner office, this is the file number. Judy hand her a slip of paper with the file number on it. At this Martha breaks down crying again. Thank you, officers, I know this can't be easy on you. Nick and Judy express their condolences again, as they head out the door.
As they get into the cruiser, Judy looks At Nick, didn't Mike state that it was two cheetahs that were responsible for her death? Yes, he did carrots, I wonder if it was the same ones that came to Martha's door? Possible, but this is kind of a dead end for now. Right Reply's Judy. Then Judy's paws fly up to her mouth and her eyes get big. Nick, if she had two plushies, could there be more than just Daniel? Nicks mouth drops open, as this thought had not occurred to him. With her actions, it's quite possible. Both of them turn to each other and say at the same time, "We'll have to ask Daniel".
The rest of the morning was taken up with looking at the files from the clinic. These files are very fragmented, says Nick. Well what do you expect, they were blown up after all. Right any witnesses we can question? Well there were two security guards, that survived the blast, but one has since died. The other one is still alive, we could go question him, beats reading these fragmented files.
Judy and Nick jump in the cruiser and head for the address of the one remaining witness. When they get there, they knock on the door. They hear some shuffling foot steps come to the door, when it opens, a very old blood hound appears. Can I help…Your Judy Hopps, first bunny cop, aren't you? Well yes, I am, but it's Wilde now. Don't tell me you married this scruffy, old, conniving, lowlife mammal, and a fox too? At this, Judy was getting very angry with what JR was saying. To calm thing down, Nick steps in, now JR you know, I was never scruffy. JR lets out a barking laugh, Come on in you two. As JR shuffles into his Livingroom, Judy looks at Nick, What, I know everyone, says Nick. When they get to the Livingroom, Nick embraces JR in a hug. Judy, I'd like you to meet Jerry Rathbone, the only cop who got close to pining something on me. This old dog chased me around tundra town for years trying to pin something on me. Well I tried, but to be fair you were very good Nickolas. He's the reason I left Mr. Big's service.
Well that, and the skunk butt rug incident Say's JR with a laugh. God, has no one not heard about that? replies Nick. I believe there are some bunnies in Bunny Burrow that have not heard about it. Judy laughs at this. So, what bring two of ZPD finest, too my door? Sir, we are investigating the bombing of the fertility clinic you worked at. Replied Judy. Why would you be investigating that? Well some new information has come to light. What new information? Well, we can't discus this with a witness to the incident. Humor an old dog, officer. Well sir, Begins Nick maybe, but you have to answer our questions first. Fair enough, reply's JR, fire away.
So, your saying that no one else was in the building before the bombing? I would swear that no one was, as I could smell no one. Wait…Jerry Rathbone, I got it, you chased down a suspected bank robber in a snow storm. Says Judy. JR just chuckles at this, yes and if he had changed direction, I would have lost him, how did you know this? God, they teach this story at the academy. "Use all your senses" the sergeant major would say. Both Judy and Nick shake their heads yes. Well I'm glad I could be of some use to the ZPD academy. Anyway, it was a normal night, when I was darted on the fifth floor, I had just registered something strange when I was darted. Strange? Yes, it was sent mask. Did you see anyone be fore, or after this? Well, yes, out of the corner of my eye, as I lay there, I saw some mammals running down the hall way. Can't say how many of them there were, but they were carrying some kind of cylinder between them. Wait, says Judy rifling through the file, did it look like this? She holds up a picture of a cylinder. Can't be sure, but it sure looks like it. Well one of these cylinders was never recovered from the crime scene, not even pieces were found of it. Judy looks at Nick as if to say, we have it. So why wasn't this in the original report? Well I kind of forgot about it, and when I remembered, they thought it was a fancy way of my explaining my incompetence. They were trying to blame someone for what happened, and I became it. All right JR, thanks for your time well see ourselves out.
Wait you two, you promised to share. We did, didn't we. All right JR, but no further than this room. As a fellow officer, I pledge this goes no further than me. Well JR the new evidence is something no one expected, in fact the parents of the evidence would say that it was impossible. What do you mean? Parents? Well JR this couple had gone to the clinic to see if it would be possible to have kits, and they were ecstatic when they found out they could. But two days later, the clinic was bombed, their hopes were dashed at this point. No one else would even consider them at this time. Then four weeks ago, this strange kit fell into there laps. It was two weeks later they found out that they were the biological parents of this kit, and because of the bombing, he should not exist. So yes, we are sure that you saw a cryonics cylinder leave the premises that night. Who are the parents of this strange kit? For an answer Nick holds out a picture of themselves with Daniel. Nick continues, if you look closely you can see some differences, he is a hybrid, a cross between a bunny and a fox. Yours? Yes JR, mine and Judy's. Well god, I can see why you reopened the case, and this is quite the evidence, cute kit too. Thanks JR, Well see ourselves out, you take care, you old dog. I will, and thanks for sharing, God, this is big.
We now have the proof that this was a robbery disguised as a bombing. Yes, carrots we do, but we should look into the other angle. Other angle? If this is not a robbery, disguised as a hate crime, then it stands to reason that we should be able to find something about this Group "PURITY". Your right Nick. Let's look into this other angle.
Sir, they have reopened the case of the clinic bombing. Fine, they are still going to find nothing. But they have "J" Sir. So, one kit proves nothing.
So how did the telepathy tests go? Well Sir, they didn't, there was no reacting in the subjects when we hurt one of them. Really no response at all? No Sir, not even subject "J". Well that's kind of disappointing, I was sure we had something. Can they turn it off and on? Unknown Sir. All right continue with the regular tests. Yes Sir. (from the files of the institute)