Getting Around
Judy adjusted her pale-blue meter maid hat as she slowly drove to her patrol zone. She fought with the hat and the stinging sensation of an itch on her head as she strolled through the streets. With an obsessive attention to detail, she used her ears and eyes to check out the parking meters in the area. But constantly craning her neck out of the car just to scope out parking meters was becoming a nuisance.
"It's too tight around here." She turned her attention away from the parking meters momentarily while she hunted for a parking spot. She looked up ahead and only saw a winding one-way street. The curvature of the landscape along this neighborhood caused her view to be blocked by buildings in front of her. She had no choice but to ride all the way through the one-way street if she was going to get back to wider grounds.
"There!" After navigating through a few tight corners, she finally found open space and vacant places to park. Once the burdensome car was put to rest on the side of a wide street – sandwiched between a large market and a school, she happily stepped out of the confined metal box and walked east. The first two parking meters she came across were in the clear. She made a mental note and continued past.
While hunting parking meters, Judy turned her thoughts to the gossip going around the ZPD. Certain SWAT officers were selected to be guard detail for Judge Hilo should the primary security team fail to show up. Fangmeyer and McHorn volunteered to take any extra shifts as guards for the judge. It was an interesting decision on their part.
Judy pictured Fangmeyer as a guard and thought the job would fit her well. She was an agile and strong wolf. Her athletic talents and grace put her at the front of the pack in most physical fitness tests.
"A brave and reliable officer, that one." Then she thought about McHorn and his solid build. The rhinoceros was undoubtedly the go-to officer for muscle. Despite his sleepy personality, he always looked so intimidating. Together, Judy was convinced they were an excellent pair.
She remembered reading about the Mayor's fundraising event in Sahara Square which took place just last week. One of the ambassadors for the ZPD and the Mayor gave a short speech and in an unexpected temper flare, cut his talk short and left the event prematurely. Judy saw a picture of Jack Savage caught with an agitated expression on his face as he sneered at the audience. Questions swirled around the unusual behavior of Jack at the event. But to Judy, the written piece was nothing more than gossip and speculation not worthy of anybody's time.
Judy halted her steps and stared at the next block in front of her. Milo avenue. She had reached the eastern boundary of her patrolling zone. So far, only one of the thirteen meters she passed had expired. But after only just snapping out of her thoughts, she wondered if there were any meters that went overlooked. She did an about-face only to be drawn to a shop on her left. Finnick's Fabrics. A dark green awning with curly stylized gold letters hung over the shop entrance, casting its door in a protective shadow. With her memories of Nick and the trial of Finnick returning to her mind, she curiously hurried over to the front of the shop. She stopped just an inch away from her transparent reflection; a ghostly image standing in an ocean of black glass. She blinked and suddenly stood straight.
"Is someone inside?" Hopeful, Judy jiggled the handle of the door. "Aww..." Locked. She forcefully knocked twice and pressed her face to the glass. "ZPD! Officer Judy Hopps. Hello?" Her pink nose smooshed up as she attempted to peer into the mysterious interior of the shop. She tapped her foot impatiently. When there was no response, Judy huffed with frustration and turned to return to her patrol route. But as she walked away, a click from behind caught her ears. She swiftly spun around back to the shop and noticed a striped rabbit carrying a large suitcase quickly leaving. They locked eyes for a moment. Ears stood at attention, Judy was full of excitement and she hurriedly approached the tall rabbit.
"Excuse me! Officer Judy Hopps, please hold the door, Sir." Jack stared at the officer rapidly approaching. Judy watched as he deflated with a sigh and his shoulders dropped to a relaxed position.
"Officer Hopps, a pleasure to see the ZPD in action. What can I do for you?" Jack asked. She stepped up to Jack, her nose twitched curiously as she stared. "Wait," she cautiously asked, "you're Special Agent Savage?" He nodded and looked at Judy with a stern expression, straightening his posture.
"What brings you here?" Judy asked, her curiosity peaked. She smiled warmly at him.
"I'm afraid that is a private matter, Officer," he replied with authority. "If you'll excuse me..." Judy automatically held the door open as Jack let go in an effort to walk away. But the encounter was too strange for her to simply submit to the request. With a sense of urgency, she called out,
"Sir, wait!"
"Yes?" Jack replied with a hint of impatience. She paused for a moment as questions she did not yet know began to form in the back of her mind. In order to keep the conversation going, she returned to the main reason for being at the shop and asked, "Is Finnick inside?"
"Is Finnick a suspect for something?" asked Jack. The question surprised her.
"No, Sir. Not anymore, but his dealings in the past could mean some serious events might be in the works. I'm just trying to find answers to prevent something dangerous from happening."
"Then, yes he is indeed." Jack nodded. He switched the heavy briefcase to his left hand and rested his right arm by placing its hand in his pocket.
"Thank you! Do you know anything about the arms dealers he sold to? Did you two speak?" Judy dared ask. She looked at him with star-struck eyes. His reputation certainly not lost on her. He was the talk of Bunnyburrow for some months before Judy applied to the ZPD. And she was enjoying the intense expression of the handsome face gazing back at her. Jack looked around thoughtfully then said,
"I'm glad you are on our side, Officer Hopps. I read about the case, but I never paid attention to it in detail." Although he seemed to finally relax with Judy, she didn't want to hold him for long and began to grow anxious herself. She glanced the shop, then back at Jack. Judy wasn't so far involved in her conversation with the handsome rabbit that she couldn't notice any noises coming from inside the shop. She needed to act fast.
"So, where do you think the stolen jackets went? Who bought them?" asked Judy.
"Oh, those buyers, I suspect one of them belongs to Big, if not all of them," Jack said. He gave a hardened look past Judy. "He is the source of the rot in Zootopia." The name was unfamiliar. She dared to expose her naivety by asking,
"Who is Big?"
"A violent law-breaking shrew that lives in Tundratown. He has his hands in many illegal dealings here in Zootopia. There are a few experienced officers that are working tirelessly to bring him down." Jack clenched the fist holding his suitcase, "The city will be better for his permanent absence."
"Oh, I see." In the ensuing silence that followed Jack's straight to the point response, Judy graciously thanked him for the information. When she turned to walk into the shop, her ears perked when he began speaking again.
"Judy, you have good form and a strong voice. You approached with authority and a commanding tone. Keep it up. You'll need it if you expect people to take you seriously. I should know, being a rabbit. Maybe we'll meet again." Judy turned and smiled. But the gratitude was short lived as she let the weight of his words sink in. She responded with a solemnly said,
"Sir." Then she entered the shop.
Wooden benches were pushed to the far back of the room. Several materials were on display hanging on poles. Spools of silk, satin, fake wool and nylon were lined up in price order on the poles. Several other threads and materials were organized on a tall white gridded shelf made of evenly shaped cubes. Motes of dust from the many fabrics hung in the air. Judy sneezed as she slowly walked around, glancing from one corner of the shop to the other.
In the back were two doors. One was labeled, "Staff only" and the other, "Restroom." Judy turned to the shop entrance and shut the door. With the light of the sun rejected, the interior lights of the dark shop returned to rule once more. Judy leaned against the door.
"I know you're here Finnick. And I don't scare easily. Heck, I don't really scare at all." She crossed her arms and waited in the silence. She heard the faint shuffling of movement from behind the counter to the far right, near the cash register.
"You're not in trouble. Not with me, at least. Not yet. A conversation only works when two people participate," she huffed, keeping in mind what Jack said about using a commanding tone.
"Hell, I shouldn't have trusted that bunny," said a gruff voice that bounced from the back of the room. Finnick pushed the half door from under his counter and bent his head to walk through. He stood adjusting his baggy green cargo pants and straightened his black shirt embellished with two F characters for Finnick's Fabrics printed on its chest. He scowled in the general direction of Judy and fidgeted on his feet. She smiled and gently approached Finnick,
"I just want to know about the elks you sold to."
"Wait, are you that bunny that spoke to Nick?"
Judy nodded, "Mm-hmm..."
"You rabbits sure do get around. You and that Jack." Finnick rubbed his eyes. "There ain't much to tell," he growled. "I just sold some products to customers. That's all." Judy scoffed at Finnick,
"Oh come on. By now, all of Zootopia knows that isn't the whole story. What is it that you cannot say? What are you afraid of?" Finnick stood firm. His stone-faced expression hardened further than even he thought possible,
"I'm not yapping. Get out of my face. And out of my shop. I just want to do my business and be left alone. Got it!?" She thought through several questions she wanted to ask. Instead of pausing between them, she tried a cheap detective tactic and quickly said, "Did you know anything about those elks? Their names? How long have you known them? Why were you speaking to Special Agent Savage in a closed shop?"
"They were just customers, that's it. Jack too. He just bought stuff. That's all." Making a mental note of Jack purchasing products from Finnick, which she found odd, Judy continued to push. Remembering the name Jack said to her, she decided to experiment with it, just to see if it meant anything.
"Do you know a Mr. Big?" Finnick's body language betrayed his secrecy. Seeing Finnick flinch at the mention of Big was all the confirmation she needed from him.
"Get out," demanded Finnick.
"What does he have on you? Did he threaten you?"
"Please! Just go," pleaded the suddenly shaken Finnick. Finnick frantically walked towards Judy and gently shoved her. She eased off, walking backward, recording every detail of his behavior to memory; his panic, a whimper, the yelling. Judy pulled out her orange pen and ticket book then tore off one sheet. She looked behind her to ensure no one was near the entrance, not that anyone would see through the dark glass anyway.
"Take this. Tell no one," she said and offered him the paper with a hastily written number and note that read, "When you are ready."
Finnick looked at the bunny's outstretched arm, offering to him what amounted to a desperate choice. Judy saw the look of longing in his eyes. With a trembling arm, he snatched the paper ashamed, ears tilted back, gaze turned down. Judy smiled and said gently, "Never know when to quit."