AN: Second chapter is up! Expect more uploads soon.
Sahara Square, Tanez Residence, 7:12 AM
The black and white police cruiser pulled its way slowly down the street, stopping at a police blockade marked by a yellow and black plastic strip that prevented any other vehicles from traversing down the street. There was a sizable crowd nearby, mostly reporters and curious bystanders, all held back by the other officers present. There was already another cruiser and two other unmarked vehicles, along with a fire engine. Nick could see a few firefighters still lingering at the site, talking to a uniformed moose. Nick and Judy alighted and walked towards the scene. As they walked around the fire engine, they could see the burnt out wreck, still slightly smoking, blackened to ash. The moose caught sight of them and approached them.
"Mornin' Officers," Captain Wik Alces greeted, "Gruesome sight, isn't it." He nodded his head towards the wreck. "It was burning to high heaven when I got here. The ZFD put it out hours ago, but it's still smoking. Kinda makes you wonder what type of incendiary they put in."
Judy stepped up closer to the car, wrinkling her nose at the smell of burnt carbon. "Have you identified the two victims yet?" Wik walked closer to the wreck, and the two followed close behind. He raised another plastic strip that condoned off the area and bent underneath it.
"No proper identification yet," he replied. "Two adult male mammals, one kudu and the other a grey wolf." He passed a mammal suited head to toe with a white plastic suit, holding a stick in his paw and a camera in the other. "Hey, Greyson, any luck?" Wik asked the wolf. Greyson looked up and pulled down his facemask.
"Nothing yet. Skin and fur's been burned off and we're still in the process of disinterring any other personal belongings that may have survived the fire. If we could get a wallet or something, we might be able to procure some sort of identification." The wolf answered.
"So, how long do you think it'll take to get an ID on the victims?" Judy asked. Greyson paused, thinking.
"Depends on what we might find. If we could find, let's say, a driver's license of some sort, then it'll be a matter of an hour or so. But any other types of identification might prove hard. Pawprints have been melted off, so are any fur samples. DNA identification may not be viable at this point." Judy furrowed her eyebrows, now preparing herself mentally for the long and arduous task that may lie ahead. Greyson continued. "However, unless the truck is stolen property, we could just run the license plate through the DMV. That'll at least get an ID on the driver. Let me see if we've taken it off already. Scuse' me."
Greyson shifted passed them and made his way to a white-canvas tent that lay a few meters away from them. The two's attention now turned to the burnt out wreckage. Nick put his hands in his pockets and shuffled closer to the fenced off site. Judy followed behind, lagging behind in hesitation.
"Nick? Are you sure you want to..." Judy trailed off as they got closer, catching a glimpse of a pair of horns slumped over the dashboard of the burnt truck. Nick, looking back, stopped and immediately turned to her.
"Oh, um, I don't think you'd want to-" Judy cut him off. Nick noticed with concern the tense look on her face.
"Let's...just get it over with. I want to know what we're dealing with." Nick nodded slowly and continued forward around the wreck. Now the two bodies were in full view, both charred and curled, a blackened lump of carbon. They were nearly unrecognizable, besides their silhouettes that identified them as their respective species. A look of silent horror was fused to their faces, mouths agape, forever screaming in silence. Judy choked, but did not say anything else.
"Carrots..." Nick said worryingly, he himself disturbed with the scene that presented itself in front of him, putting a hand on Judy's shoulder. She was shaking.
"Hopps, Wilde?" Wik called from the white tent a few meters away from them. "Come over here. We have something to show you."
Judy tore her eyes away from the scene. Nick immediately put her arm around her shoulder and guided her away from the wreck. "It's alright, Carrots." He said silently, not knowing how to react. Judy nodded silently, not knowing what to say either. The two made their way to the tent, trying their best not to show any sign of discomfort. Greyson came at them with a black crusted metal plate in his paws.
"We've tried cleaning it off a bit. You can see the numbers on it, not too clearly, but still, it's a lead." He held it for them, and Nick read the numbers out loud while Judy had a notepad and pen in hand.
"T...Z...901...I...no, L. TZ 901 L. Got that, Carrots?" Judy nodded and put away the notepad. Nick looked up at Greyson and Wik. "Thanks a bunch, guys. I'll let you know once we run this through the DMV."
Wik smiled and nodded back at them. "Any time. Take care of yourselves." Judy managed to squeeze out a nervous smile, but did not say anything else. The pair got to their cruiser and started to drive off to the DMV. Nick looked over at Judy, who was staring straight ahead into traffic, slightly concerned.
"Judy? You haven't said a word since we left." That caught Judy's attention. Nick usually never used her real name, only using nicknames like "carrots" or "fluff". She sighed deeply.
"I'm fine, Nick. I'm just a bit shaken, that's all." Judy explained. Nick turned to face out the window.
"Was that your first time?" Nick asked gingerly. Judy slowly nodded and mumbled in affirmation. She braked as they approached an intersection. She turned to look at Nick as she pulled to a complete stop.
"You?" She asked, noticing Nick's hesitation.
"No." Nick shook his head slowly. Nick continued. "The first body I ever saw was when I was a teenager. I was probably around 19 or 20 years old." Nick gave a sideways glance at Judy, judging her reaction. The intersection lights turned green and Judy pulled out of the intersection, turning left. But by what Nick could guess, she was still listening.
"He was just a hobo, another homeless mammal begging on the streets. He usually came around the front of our apartment to beg. So one fine morning, we found him dead, stabbed to death." Nick finished. Judy slowly nodded. "The thing is, we still don't know who did him in. But the fact of the matter is that I can't change the fact he's dead. And I choose not to dwell on it." Nick turned and put his hand on Judy's arm. "And neither should you."
Judy turned and smiled at the fox. "Thanks, Nick." Nick, happy with the response pulled his sunglasses out and put it on, smiling to himself. "By the way," Judy asked, "what did you mean by 'we'? You said 'we' when you were talking about finding the body. Where was this?"
Nick's smile faded. "Oh. Hm. That was with...ah...Finnick. We lived together for a while." Judy's mouth formed a silent "O". "We were living together in Sahara Square, in the residential area. So yeah, I was familiar with that area."
"Oh, so that's why you knew about this area." Judy paused. "Wait a second. Finnick? That Finnick? When you were 19? You knew him for that long?" Judy said, surprised. Nick snorted.
"He's been stuck with me for more than a decade. Well, according to him, I'm the one who's been stuck with him. Come to think of it, it's been a really long time." Nick said. Judy gave a small grin.
"More than a decade, huh. How's that make you feel?"
Nick ran a paw through his ears, sighing. "God, I feel old."
Back at the Tanez Residence
Wik returned to his car, an unmarked police vehicle, putting his walkie talkie on the roof and reaching into his car to get a notebook. Another day, another crime scene. He usually worked the night shift, so he was the first responder to this particular case. Whenever there was an accident during the night, if he was on shift, he was the first to respond. This time was no different. He relocked the car door and flipped through his notes. He had recorded a semi-accurate timeline as soon as he was free, in order to allow a more detailed report to be filed. He checked through them. Around 2:40 AM, he received the call for the incident. At 2:50, he arrived at the scene and saw the car burning. At around 3:20, the fire had been put out. There were a few more details and timestamps here and there, just as long as he-
"Captain? Are you there?" The radio crackled to life, the tinny voice of Greyson over the line. Wik immediately grabbed it and pressed the receive button.
"Yeah, I'm here. What is it?" The radio crackled with static.
The radio crackled again. "Uh, you might want to come back and see this." Greyson said nervously. Wik sighed and returned the way he came from. He could see Greyson with another white-suited officer at the burnt out truck, both leaning over something. The wolf saw him and waved him over.
"What is it? Did you find something?" Wik asked. Greyson nodded.
"We managed to the glove compartment open. Look what we found." He held a partially melted semi-automatic pistol by the grip. Wik nodded to himself. Now they had evidence that this may be a another case of gang violence. He recognized the gun model.
"That looks like a Pig Sauer two-twenty. Hmm. It's not that a common model. Only obtainable through the black market. Is it loaded?" Wik asked. Greyson, with some difficulty, unlocked the magazine from the grip, pulling out an empty one.
"I guess not. Well, if it was, the heat would've ignited the ammunition." Greyson said. "But there's more; look." Greyson put away the gun and dangled a small chain in front of himself, a small pendant attached to it. Wik's eyes widened as he recognized the small curved iron horn that hung from the chain.
"The Red Horn." Wik muttered under his breath. "This isn't good." He said as he pulled his phone out to make a phone call. Greyson was confused, not recognizing the name.
"The red what? Is that a gang name?" Greyson asked. Wik shook his head.
"The Red Horn." He repeated. "The top dogs. One of the biggest mafias in Zootopia." He dialed a number and put the phone up to his ear. Greyson put the pendant inside a plastic evidence bag.
"Should we be worried?" Greyson asked, slightly worried himself by Wik's sudden change of mood. Wik only gave a nod as he walked back to his car, the latest discovery resting heavily on his mind.
Savannah Central, Department of Mammal Vehicles, 8:24
The automatic doors opened with a hiss as Judy and Nick walked into the building. As always, the sides were lined with mammals of all shapes and sizes, all waiting for their turn to apply for a license, to renew some paperwork, to get their IDs printed. But without a doubt, all victims of the slow and arduous customer service. In each counter there was a sloth, working in a separate, slower pace than the rest of Zootopia. The two walked down to the middle counter, manned by none other than Flash.
Nick flashed his teeth at the sloth. "Flash, Flash, hundred-yard-dash! How's it going?" He put one arm on the counter, smiling from ear to ear. The sloth's face lit up, albeit slowly.
"Hello...Nick...Nice...To...See you..." Flash said. Judy's eye twitched. "What...Can I...Do...For you..." There was a pause, and Judy took a big breath and- "Today?"
Judy mentally facepalmed. She remembered perfectly what happened last time, and she sure as hell didn't want to repeat that incident again. She waited until she was absolutely certain the that was all Flash was going to say. "We would like run a plate through the system."
She made sure not to ask any more questions than needed. A full blown conversation was something she would preferably avoid today.
"What...Is the...Plate..." Judy caught herself before she said anything else. "Number."
"TZ 901 L." Judy said. Flash leaned his head down and extended his claw to input the numbers into a touch keyboard.
"T." Click-
Nick looked bemusedly at the rabbit. "So, I guess you've learned your lesson since last time." Judy glared at him with an inner rage.
"Z." Click-
"That was not my fault! It was you who told that joke!" Judy pointed an accusing finger at him. Nick raised his two paws in defense.
"9." Click-
"Well, be glad that I also have a job to keep. No jokes this time. I promise." Nick reassured her with a smile, garnering a roll of eyes from the rabbit. There was an awkward silence. The two stared at each other until they turned to Flash, who was now looking up from the keyboard with a smile on his face. Both of them froze, confused. Soon, the sloth started to vocalize his thoughts.
"Ah...Yes...Nick's...Joke...That was...A...Funny...Prank...You pulled...On her...Nick..." Nick looked on in horror. Judy, processing this, turned to Nick, emotions boiling over. She looked at him incredulously.
"That time? You two planned that? It was prank?" Judy half-shouted. Nick curled back, frightened by the sudden outburst.
"Th-th-that was- what? No! Well-" Nick stammered, struggling to form words. Judy cut him off with a raised paw.
"I'll deal with you later," Judy spat out angrily, "once we get out of this-"
The two noticed Flash turning to another sloth sitting in an opposite booth, as Judy and Nick looked in horror.
"Hey...Priscilla..."
A while later
The printer machine gave a quiet tchak-tchak-tchak sound as a print popped out. Flash, with his foreclaws, pinch the end and tore it off slowly, the paper ripping slowly. He lifted it out and Judy immediately snatched it out of his grasp. She scanned the piece of paper quickly.
"TZ 901 L, owner...Flynn C. Barkowitz. Grey Wolf. That matches the victim." Judy said. Nick stood by her side, as quiet as a mouse.
"Well, let's go and see if we can get anything on him from the database." Nick said. Judy said nothing, glaring at him menacingly. Nick shrank back sheepishly. Judy turned to Flash, giving him a wave.
"Thanks for your help, Flash!" she said as she moved towards the exit. Nick gave a small two finger salute and followed Judy out. The walk to the cruiser was silent, with Judy giving Nick the cold shoulder. The cruiser was exactly where they had left it. The two got into the car. Judy started the car but did not move.
"What time is it." Judy's question was more of a statement. Nick looked down at his watch, wincing as he realized the time.
"1:50." Nick said softly. Almost six hours. They had missed their lunch period, and the whole morning was already wasted. He sighed as he realized that this situation wouldn't solve itself. "Look, Judy, I'm really sorry. Yes, it was a prank. I...I called Flash to tell him that we were coming, and it was just a stupid thing to do. And I'm sorry for just now, it shouldn't have gone on for that long. I..." Nick looked up. "I can make it up for you. You missed lunch. I can treat you for dinner. Anywhere. Just say where and I can make it up for..." Nick suddenly realized that there was a smile on Judy's lips.
"Hmph. I just needed to hear that from you." Judy teased. Nick breathed a sigh of relief. "But the dinner you owe me..."
"Sly bunny." Nick said, in which Judy replied in kind.
"Dumb Fox."
Sahara Square, Tanez Residences, Block 24, 2:00 PM
Officer Grizzoli looked over the hunched shoulder of the bespectacled ram. The ram typed away on the keyboard, the clicking of it the only sound in the dark security room. He frequently looked up at the computer monitor, which flashed screenshots from the surveillance cameras that were set up by the blocks. The white polar bear was accompanied by a wolf and a tiger, Officers Wolfard and Fangmeyer. They were looking at the pair of monitors that sat on the desk. Finally, the ram stopped and a grid of video feeds popped up on both screens, all displaying scenes from the night before. The side of the truck was clearly seen. The timestamp read 1:30 AM.
"There's your feed." The ram said raspily and got up. "Knock yourselves out." He made his way to the side of the room, beckoning to the officers. Grizzoli got into the chair, putting his hand on the mouse and scrolling. He pointed to one of the squares on the screen, which was black.
"What's this?" He asked. The ram waved his hand.
"Broken feed. It's a dead camera." The ram explained. "Can't do nothin' about it."
Grizzoli nodded. There were at least two other black squares. He pulled the slider back, noting the time that the truck pulled up onto the street. 1:00 AM. Two mammals came out, a kudu and a wolf, both entering the block opposite the parked vehicle. 1:36 AM, the two mammals came back out, and entered the vehicle. 1:40 AM. The truck went up in a blinding fireball, obscuring nearly all the feeds in a white light, before dimming, revealing the aftermath. The black husk of the truck burned until about 3:20 AM, the firefighters on scene. Grizzoli scrolled back the feed, watching for any sign of another mammal who might've been there. Nothing, he said to himself, scrolling it back and letting it play again.
"Nothing. That must've meant the bomb would've been planted before-" Grizzoli was cut off by Wolfard, who reached forward and stopped the feed at around 1:20 AM.
"Wait-wait-wait, I think I saw something move." Grizzoli let the feed play, until he caught a glimpse of something and stopped, winding the feed back a few frames and pointed.
"Look! There it is." He pointed at the feed at the bottom left corner, the camera that looked sideways at the truck, not completely covering it, but obscured by some trees. Grizzoli and Fangmeyer looked closer, noticing a black figure, with a white colored stripe going down the mammal's back.
"Who is that?" Grizzoli asked no one in particular.
"Looks like a badger." Fangmeyer offered. "Could be a skunk. Or a panda."
Wolfard shook his head. "Doesn't look like a panda. Too small. Also there's nearly no tail on that mammal. Sure, the size could be of a skunk, but they have really bushy tails."
Grizzoli rubbed his chin. He scrolled through the feed again. The mammal went up the truck, seemingly attaching or depositing something into the truck, then leaving about 3 minutes later. No doubt, this was the perpetrator. But none of the other feeds could offer anymore than a vague shape of this figure. They were still in the dark.
"Ya' done yet?" The ram piped up behind them, clearly annoyed. Grizzoli nodded as he got up.
"Wolfard, pop the disk out, will you." He turned to the ram. "We're taking the video in as evidence, if that's alright with you." The ram slowly nodded. "Good. C'mon, let's go." He said to the other officers, leaving the dimly lit room.
AN: Thanks for reading! Remember to leave a review!