"This is the place?"
"Yep. Let me do the talking, Carrots." The fox said as he stepped out of the car.
"Hey, I can handle crime bosses."
"You got lucky, once." Nick said. "Never count on your luck to hold out."
It really was quite ingenious. At least, Nick thought so. How else can you get a bunch of guys in suits to frequent a single store without attracting attention? How can you make it where that same business won't require a great deal of oversight, and no one will even think to check the books?
A dry cleaning shop. A bunch of people in suits walk in everyday, and no one is the wiser. And hey, clean suits. That can always help. The edges of the windows were smudged and cloudy, and the old letters etched and painted were worn and desaturated. Minkerton's Dry Cleaning. We know Wool! it advertized. Same-day service, quality at a low price.
Nick cocked a smile. It all looked almost exactly as he remembered it. The red bricks were a bit more beaten up, and the cement was cracked. But the same glow permeated the air, and the tight knot of nervous excitement in his stomach reappeared. It had been too long. He pushed open the door and a little ring of the bell brought the attendant's attention.
"Good morning, Officers!" The ram said, standing over the counter His wool was black, and he sported a little pot belly. He had little stains on his button up shirt, and sweat stains under the armpits. His voice was low and rough, but inexperienced and bright, like a child's. "How can I help you today? Need those uniforms cleaned and pressed?"
"Not today, Ben." Nick said.
"Huh?" The ram said, leaning forward, "Do I...Nicky? Is that you?"
"You got it." Nick said with a click of his tongue and a finger gun.
"Nicky!" Ben said, jumping down and coming around the counter. "How are ya, you sly fox. What's with the get-up?"
"Not a get up, Benny." Nick said, "I'm with the ZPD. You're under arrest."
"I-what?"
Nick grinned and elbowed him in the chest. "Just kidding, Benny.".
"You gave me a scare, Nicky." Ben said, "Nice costume."
"Not a costume, Benny-boy." Nick said, "I'm a real officer."
"You went straight? Never would have believed it." Ben said. He then smirked, as he looked over at Judy. His eyebrows flashed up and down."Who's the cute bunny?"
"Right. Benny, this is Officer Judy Hopps. Carrots, Benny." Nick said.
"A pleasure." Benny said, as he shook her hand.
"You might've seen her around-she broke the big Night Howler case."
"That was you?" Ben said. "Looker and a thinker!"
"Yes." Judy said while she looked to Nick for guidance. "We're uhh, actually on a case right now."
"Oh?" Benny said. "What brings you here?"
"I'm looking for my mom, Benny." Nick said, "You seen her?"
"Well, I'm not supposed to talk about business with the fuzz." Benny said. "Sorry buddy."
"But you did infact do business with her?" Judy said.
"Did I say that? I meant-" Benny said as he took a step backwards.
"Look, Benny, just run along and tell Minkerton that Nick Wilde is here." Nick said. When the ram twisted his hoof into the floor and wringed his hands, Nick said, "For old times sake."
Benny sighed and nodded and walked behind the counter. "Wait here."
The partners sat down on the cold steel folding chairs. Judy looked over at Nick, and then around the room, letting her gaze dance across the suits and dresses that hung behind the counter like people on an escalator. "So, you've been here before?"
"You know, you might one day make a good detective, Carrots." Nick said.
"Har har."
"When I was younger I ran with the Codilia family. You couldn't hustle these streets without paying them a cut, and well, they promised protection, they promised a safe place, and maybe one day, a place in the family." Nick said, "I must have been twelve, thirteen when I started to run with them."
"That's when you started the pawpsicile hustle?"
The fox laughed, "No, not then. That particular idea came later."
"So why did you join the family?"
"I never did." Nick said, as Judy raised an eyebrow. "I was too young at the time. They asked when I was older, but..."
Benny came back towards the front and Nick stood up. He motioned for them to follow. After going through a set of double doors, they were in a garage area. Behind chain link fences were boxes and near the bay doors was a van, being worked on by a ferret who paid them no mind. It smelled like wood chips and fresh paint.
Nick could see the old license plate maker in the back, alongside the pressurized casks of some variety of cheap booze. The marks on the containers were familiar to him, but he knew that Judy would just see X's and V's instead of the names of drugs and other paraphernalia. Nick felt his stomach turn, ever so slightly.
How his old self would laugh at him now. Are you really thinking about doing anything, Nick? You know what they would do to you. Even if you did pull it off, could you deal with the headache? All the arrests, all the families ruined, all the junkies denied their fix. All the paperwork and filing. Just because you couldn't handle a few illegal substances.
"Something on your mind?" Judy said
"Paperwork." Nick said, as they kept moving.
In the corner was an office, with a carved rosewood door. The room was quiet, like a library or study. A large marble-top table stretched through the middle of the room with two bright red chairs on one side, and on the other a massive black one that was like a spire, all edges and corners. Behind that were large windows, with blinds drawn over them, silhouetting the ram who stood against them.
As their eyes adjusted, they could see he had dull grey wool. It had lost all of its old shine, but underneath the wrinkles and the tired eyes, Nick saw the vibrant face of the old Ram he knew in his childhood. He walked to them.
"Nicholas, my dear boy!" Minkerton said, as he raised an arm in other arm leaned his weight onto a black cane that featured a golden ram head at the top. "It has been far too long."
"Minkerton." Nick said as they embraced.
Judy wanted to laugh. This was one of the five biggest crime bosses in the city. Were they all so loveable and cute, in a terrifying way? Minkerton reminded her of her grandfather, all shaky and fragile but noble and handsome. He was not the monster that the ZPD had made him out to be.
"And you must be her partner, Ms…?"
"Hopps. Judy Hopps." The bunny said, as she offered her hand.
"Ms. Hopps." He kissed the back of her hand. "You bewildered my boy out there. I do hope that you won't stir trouble while two old friends meet up?"
"She's the godmother to Mr. Big's granddaughter, Minks." Nick said, "As long as you don't do anything illegal, I think she can contain herself."
Judy rolled her eyes. Minkerton smiled and gave her wink before letting go.
Minkerton crossed behind his desk once more and sat down. He laced his fingers together and leaned in over the table. Judy could smell the cigars he had been smoking.
"What service can I be of you today?" He said.
"Well, we're on a missing mammal case." Judy said, "We're looking for one Ms. Winona Stark"
He looked at Nick. "Your mother, Nick?"
The fox nodded.
"What happened to her?"
"That's what we're here to find out." Judy said, "We found a note in her apartment saying that she was going to meet with you the day she disappeared."
"I see." Minkerton said.
"Did you meet with her?" Judy asked.
"Yes, yes. She said she was being followed by someone, something." Minkerton said.
"What exactly happened, Mr. Minkerton?" Judy asked, as she pulled out her notepad.
"To tell you how it started, I have to go back maybe two, three weeks ago. I ran into Winona while out on the town, and we got to talking. She had gotten a new job as a waitress-but she wasn't no part-time player, see? They were gonna make her shift lead, talking about making her manager. She was happy, she was finally getting somewhere. Maybe she wouldn't have to be sixty and still working on her feet. " The ram said. He stood and got himself a drink from a decanter beside his desk. He sipped on the whisky as his fingers tapped against the top of his cane. He faced the window.
"We talked about the old times, Nicky, and I reminded her what I told the both of ya. You need anything, I gotcha. A week ago she calls me to make good on that offer. We met up here. She tells me that she sure she's being followed. Every morning, every night on the way to and from work, there's always this car, ya see.. She can't ever make it out clearly. Misses wants protection. I tell her I need a little bit to get the guys arranged, but I'll help. I tell her to call me the next day if she still needed protection-and she didn't."
"I figured she handled herself. I'm sorry, Nicky." Minkerton said.
Nick's ears pressed against his skull as he grimaced. Judy looked down at her notes.
"Did she say where she was going to go after she met with you?" Judy asked.
"Yeah, said she had to get to work." Minkerton said.
"And where does she work?"
"A little restaurant near the Watering Hole. Pannucci's."
"Thank you, Minks." Nick said, "Well, Carrots, want to go down and talk to her boss?"
"Sure, let me see if I can get their number." Judy said, looking at her phone. Minkerton stood up alongside them, but his hand slipped and his glass splashed onto Judy. Nick jumped to catch him from falling, as Judy shook herself off.
"I'm sorry, Officer." The ram said, "My mistake."
"It's fine, Mr. Minkerton." Judy said, as she clenched her teeth together. She had just gotten the uniform cleaned too. She assessed the damage as the crime boss handed her a little towel. It did little to mitigate the forming stains.
"Allow me to make this up to you, Ms. Hopps." Minkerton said, "You're in the best Dry Cleaning shop in town, anyways. I'll have Benny fetch you a change of clothes and we can have your suit cleaned and pressed in an hour."
He called out for his son, who quickly set about the work of sorting the spill out. He gave her a spare jumpsuit and led her to the bathrooms. Her amused smile gleamed back as Nick as she went to get changed. Minkerton put his hand on Nick's shoulder.
Minkerton laughed. "You've changed, Nicky."
"It's been a few years, Minks." Nick said, as he crossed his arms, "Everyone's changed."
"Maybe, maybe."
"Except Benny. Has he even washed his shirt since I last saw him?"
"Of course." Minkerton said, "At least twice a year."
Silence fell between them like a veil, and the fox felt his stomach churn. He chewed his lip, barely noticing Benny return and give a small thumbs up. Minkerton returned the gesture.
"You know, if you ever need some extra cash…"
"No. Judy would kill me." Nick said.
"That bunny run your life now?"
"Have you ever seen a bunny angry?"
"Of course, Nicky-"
"Not that bunny. And she doesn't know when to quit." Nick said, "She's got spirit."
"Kind of like you, eh?"
"Maybe when I was younger."
"Well, if you ever get let off the leash, you know where to find me, Nicky Fox." Minkerton said, as Judy handed her suit over to Benny who hurried off in the opposite direction.
"I'll keep that in mind." Nick said.
"How do I look?" Judy said as she hopped over to them. The jumpsuit was a washed out blue, with old oil spills marking the front. It was just ever so slightly too big for her, and it bunched around the boots that she still wore.
"Like a proper criminal." Nick said. He motioned towards the front of the store. "They've got your suit in already."
"Well, we got an hour to kill, partner." Judy said as she slugged him in the arm.
"Hey, ow." Nick said, "I could take you in for assaulting an officer."
"Please." Judy said, "You'd have to catch me."
"Foxes used to eat bunnies, you know." Nick said.
"Oh, Nick." Judy said as she waved her hand at him.
"Speak of, you want to catch a bite?" Nick said, "Prey?"
"Sounds good, Predator."
Nick mock snapped his jaws at her. "We'll be back to pick that up in a bit. Thank you for your help, Minks."
"Think nothing of it, Nicholas, my boy. I hope you find your mother." Minkerton said.
"So do I." Nick said. "C'mon, Carrots."
