An Adventure Chapter 3
The next day after lunch Nick and Judy ascended the three stone steps and rang the door bell of a decrepit two story house. An elderly caribou answered behind a screen door, "Oh you're the two officers who put the mayors away! An' I can bet ya here for my son Johnny.'' Nick couldn't help but gleam at her generous greeting, it was always a rarity to get someone who wanted to be searched by the cops.
The old television was shut off and the house looked immaculate. Their furniture was adequate, as well as some of the Saharan artwork. A wheelchair sat by an armchair with her napping husband. Judy complimented her home while Nick made his way into Carl's room. He was nearly knocked unconscious by the borderline vigilante obsession with the ZPD and local criminals. He had an enormous thumbtack board with pictures, news articles, and red yarn. "He keeps his weapons in his father's trunk here, and a police radio on his desk. He insisted we get security cameras and he keeps duct tape on his laptop camera." Nick looked under his bed and saw that there was nothing but cases of old keepsakes, all of which were laminated newspapers stories of every single crime in Zootopia from 1987 to 2004.
Judy was sitting on his bed flipping through his journal of crimes he witnessed and how he hated his job at a pool supply store. The last fifteen pages were blank so Judy placed it in an evidence bag. "Did he enjoy school Mrs. Antlerson?'' Judy asked softly. His mother coughed before finally confessing that he dropped out of community college after a fallout with his peers. Apparently not all of them took kindly to being asked if they committed crimes in the past.
"Why this fixation with crime?'' Nick asked confoundedly. "Well his biological father was a crime author 'fore he passed away, afraid he can never get over it so he rides his coat tails instead. Spends almost all his income studying criminals only to end up as one. Serves him right for not moving out when he should've.'' She spat.
"Did he ever plan to move out?'' Nick questioned. "Why don't ya ask him yourselves? Sure he'll talk to you more than he'll speak to us.'' Nick questioned her for a while before they had all the information they needed.
"How the hell did he have time to document every single crime he witnessed? More importantly why was his Mother alright with it?" Judy was sitting in the passenger seat checking the files as Nick cruised through a busy street, arm resting outside of the open window. Thunder clouds where rolling in and the finite innocence of Savanna Central faded away with the inevitable awakening of the adult lifestyle it was notorious for. The overwhelming music and neon lights were enough to give even the strongest mammal a splitting headache. Still a thunderclap upstaged all the mammal-made noises and a new rain cycle began its inception.
The ZPD precinct was immense and stood as a perpetual symbol of protection, fidelity, and trust. The rain gave the building an unnatural look. An opaque fog had settled in and was overwhelming even the best drivers in the area. A traffic checkpoint had been established to make sure no inebriated drivers were behind the wheel. The day was otherwise slow, which gave Judy and Nick some time to relax.
Nick sat next to her, half-asleep but still smiled at his partner's tired face. Chest falling in and out, in and out, in and out…
"Hopps! Wilde! My office now!'' Judy grunted before clumsily making her way to his office.
He told them that their suspect was smuggling contraband to the Sub mammal republic. And the bags that Jabidah was delivering were recently manufactured and not even on their databases. They had already been questioned and were sharing the same cell. Luckily, they got an anonymous tip about aerial drops in The Rainforest District.
"We've intercepted at least twelve of them but it's hard to figure out where they're originating from.'' Bogo stated before Nick intercepted; "Sir if I may, Carl may have reason to believe that Grizzoli may be getting paid under the table.'' The buffalo's brow furrowed and he stood up, "Where did he come across this information Wilde?'' Nick gulped. "He has an unhealthy obsession with stalking his neighbors. Especially the Grizzoli's he said they were too rich for their own kind.'' Bogo exhaled, "Go on.'' "He wouldn't just stalk them he kept a record of every single crime in Zootopia from the late eighties until now.'' The room was silent for twelve long seconds.
"He's a rare bird, I'm glad we confiscated his hobby. Dismissed.''
The final world lifted a weight from their shoulders. As Judy and Nick finally fastened their seat belts the post rain odor hit their noses and as always, Nick drove with the window down. "Want to grab a bite to eat I heard this fast food place was-'' she was answered by a snoring Nick who was resting on the window sill. She giggled and whispered a "Dumb fox.''
Well if you haven't guessed yet, my chapters are pretty short a la James Patterson. Mostly because I'm lazy and every chapter I publish makes me feel good. Please leave an honest and detailed review