Chapter 5: Guilty (written on November 8th, 2018)

For hours, Nick sat quietly in the briefing room alone after the other officers left. In his right hand, a silver bracelet was being fiddled between his fingers. He glared at the piece of jewelry with acute worry. It was the item with its weaving threads of stainless steel and orange-stained .5 carat diamonds that Judy was supposed to own on the day she disappeared. She disappeared sooner than expected... It wasn't part of the plan... He was trying to send a message to Nick. He meant business.

Nick knew this mysterious white rabbit. Not just white but albino. It was impossible to forget his red beaming eyes. In his days as a reckless adolescent, Nick had heard of a gangster so notorious his own name was illegal. When Nick had once briefly dabbled in the more serious parts of crime, he was lucky to get a chance to meet him. He was small like all rabbits, but his presence was nothing of that sort. His voice, stern like an earthquake, dripped of character. He wore a trench coat covered in burns and a hat so big that it concealed most of his head. His large ears were in bad shape, coated with too many earrings to count. When Nick had met him, his idol became one of his greatest fears. It caused Nick to turn around and stick to petty crime. Nick was a smart cheater, not a killer, but this rabbit was a ruthless murderer.

So when Nick had met him again a week ago, he was sure nothing good would come of it. Despite the fact that the crime boss now struggled with forearm crutches, he didn't view him any less dangerous. If anything, the less dangerous he looked the more he actually was. He had no idea his investigation would lead him to this rabbit, but it did, and he was irreversibly trapped in his plan. He threatened the fox with death if he and Finnick didn't bring him the cop, Judy. He wanted her for something...

By the time Judy was gone for the third day, most of the officers were dispatched to search for her. Nick felt an incredible weight in his gut as his fellow officers chatted endlessly about where their most passionate member might be. He couldn't tell them. Although the rabbit never mentioned whether he could, he knew if he did, he'd live a life in constant paranoia, watching his back until his inevitable death. The white rabbit was not dumb. He had so much dominance he didn't need to warn animals of any consequence in the event of a betrayal. They knew he already had a solid grip of control just from his extremely confident manner.

Nick wanted to cry. Knowing Judy was going to be kidnapped, he planned to solidify their friendship by giving her a thoughtful bracelet. She needed to know that he cared profoundly about her. If she was going to be taken away, she needed a symbol or something to remember him, that someday he will come for her. But it didn't happen. Nick waited at the Camel Café and prayed that her sudden disappearance would not be early. But it was. And all he could do was use the bracelet as a symbol of her, that he missed his partner. She was the first prey animal to really accept him. That ever-smiling bunny was worth everything.

"Hey! You're still in here?" said Officer Wolfard upon entering the briefing room. "Is something wrong, brother?"

"Nothing that concerns you," Nick replied meekly.

"We're all family at the ZPD. What concerns you concerns me." Wolfard grabbed a chair and sat in front of the fox. "Talk to me. Canine to canine."

"Well... it's kinda personal, so I can't say much, but what would you do if your friend is on a path downhill, and you were helpless to stop it?" The wolf took a short look at the table before answering.

"Hmm... If you're helpless to stop it, find someone who isn't." Nick then nodded. "This isn't about your partner, Judy, is it?"

"No."

"Are you sure? I hope you know we're doing everything we can to find her."

"It's not about her, I swear!" yelled Nick.

"Alright, alright, Wilde. I just wanna make sure you're fit for duty. We can't let strong feelings tamper our progress."

"I'm fine."

"Okay, if you say so." Officer Wolfard got up and proceeded to leave. "Hey, if you're gonna stay in here all day, let Chief know."

"I will."

Nick sighed after the door was closed. If he was feeling this way, he couldn't imagine what horrible chamber Judy was being kept in. But he knew she was tough, much tougher than him. It takes an unfathomable amount of strength to bring her to her knees. Have mercy on anyone who tries.