For once, Yax wasn't chanting when Nick and Judy arrived at the Mystic Springs Oasis. He was even wearing a loincloth as he came out from behind his desk and Nick asked, "You getting used to clothes?"
"Nope," Yax chuckled. "Just wanted to look good for the bunny scout." He smiled at Judy as she made her way in. "You doing okay?"
The bunny leaned on crutches. "Aside from a broken ankle and a bump on the head?" She smiled back. "Yes. Yes, I am. Thanks to you, Yax."
"Don't mention it. I'm just glad I got it wrong. I thought for sure you were dead when I got that vision of you lying there." The yak's face fell. "I can't believe old Claret would do something like that."
"If it makes you feel any better, he didn't pull the trigger on Johnny Cooper and he didn't tell Tab Rotter to take me," said Judy. "Rotter was the real killer. Simpleson just went along with him."
"Yeah, went along with murder." Yax shook his head. "Why'd Rotter do it? Money? That's like tacky, you know?"
"For a third of ten million dollars, I don't think he cared how tacky he was," said Nick. He looked keenly at Judy. "You want to sit down?"
She nodded and Yax hurried over to his office and opened the door. "I got a couch in here."
They went through the door and the bunny sat on the couch, Nick hovering over her while Yax got a glass of water. "I'm all right. You two don't need to fuss."
"Well, you had us worried. Nick here, he was about out of his mind." Yax put the water down. "Did you say ten million dollars?"
Nick nodded. "Claret Simpleson had been stashing money away for years. His lawyer set it up under a phony name, so in addition to accessory to murder and kidnapping and assault, he's facing charges for felony tax evasion. What with one thing and another, he's probably going to be in prison for the rest of his life."
"What about his lawyer? I never did like that wolverine." Yax sniffed. "Claret liked coming here, but Rotter said we were all perverts."
"He died in the crash," said Judy soberly. "He had me drive out of town and when we got to Thundercloud Pass, he told me to pull over. I knew he was going to kill me so I spun the car. I was hoping to get him off guard and get his gun but we went over the side and he wasn't thrown clear like me." She smiled up at Nick. "I would have been afraid if I hadn't known you would come for me."
He smiled back. "Just don't scare me like that again."
"Did I tell you I got a call from Belinda?" Yax asked.
Nick perched on the arm of the couch next to Judy. "What did she want?"
Yax snorted. "Remember I told you Claret helped me open this place?" Nick nodded and the yak went on. "He owned most of it. Old Claret's money's all tied up with his lawyers now and by the time they get done, she won't get a penny so she thought at least she'd get a piece of the Oasis."
"Oh, no, Yax, I'm sorry," said Judy sympathetically. "What a greedy animal."
"Not to worry," said the yak lightly. "I had a feeling when Claret married Belinda she might make trouble so I asked him to sell me his share. It's all mine, but he didn't tell her."
"A feeling, Yax?" asked Nick, grinning.
"Yeah, well, it doesn't take a psychic to tell about an animal like Belinda," said Yax. He smiled mistily at Nick and Judy, side by side, her little velvet paw on his knee. "Sometimes all you have to do is look at animals to know how they really are."