Revised: 29-5-2024
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Chapter 4 – What T.C. Almost Did
A few hours later, in an alley known as Hoagie's, Dibble was standing next to a particular trash can.
He took a couple deep breaths to organize his thoughts, and rapped the lid twice. "T.C.? Hey pal, I need t' talk to ya about somethin'."
When there wasn't so much as a peep, Dibble tried again. "Come on, it's important. I'm not gonna give ya a hard time about the phone, I promise."
There was nothing for another moment, and then a muffled brushing movement from inside the trash can reached Dibble's ears. He waited as patiently as he could, anxious despite himself.
The can lid was slowly lifted, and Top Cat peered out.
"Golly! Ya look like ya haven't slept in a week!" the cop blurted out. Looks like we're gonna need your vacationing services again soon, Tony, old pal.
Top Cat's normally alert gaze wasn't alert at all; a glaze seemed to have settled in his gold-rimmed eyes. His movements as he maneuvered his upper body over the can's edge were uncharacteristically heavy, as if he was pulling himself by force of mind alone. Dibble took all this in with concern, and noticed a few leaves of something poking out of the trashcan.
"What's that under your elbow?"
"Hmm?" the cat looked down to where Dibble was pointing, and the police officer saw the slow look of shock seep into his hazy gaze.
"..Oh, it's nothin'..Officer Dibble, sir. Just a weed that happened to be in..in my house."
"That's not a weed, those are fresh leaves! Give 'em."
"..I'm not even allowed to decorate my own sleeping quarters in peace..?"
"Just gimme the plant!"
Resisting the urge to curse in front of a citizen, Dibble grabbed at it before Top Cat could think of squashing it or swallowing it whole or whatever crazy thing Dibble could imagine him doing. But Top Cat was sluggish, and he couldn't even move fast enough to stop the officer. It agitated the policeman's protective instinct even more.
Was T.C. falling sick again..?
Then Dibble took a good look at the plant.
"CATNIP?! Top Cat, what." he shoved the plant back and forth in Top Cat's face "The. Heck. Is. This? Explain yaself!"
"You know how it is sir...with money bein' always so short and what little we get...we use to feed ourselves, I had to use this minty medicine by the one true doctor in this world...Mother Nature, to clear my blocked nose..the seasonal cold and all-"
"This ain't mint! I shoulda known ya'd be usin' substance; ya can't even form a complete sentence! Whaddya take me for, wise guy?"
"An insensitive blockhead of a cop who's adding to a citizen's headache!" snapped Top Cat. He shook his head slowly to get rid of the haze, but only grunted in pain and cradled his head in his paws.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Listen, T.C., I'm here to apologize for bein' blind for so long," Dibble started in earnest. "I wanna help ya guys find Spook and bring 'im back."
Top Cat's gaze was beginning to clear, and Dibble didn't like the look on his face. It was misplaced - out of character.
"Who told you?"
"Who told me? Everyone knows what happened with Spook, T.C. The cop on the beat not knowing would just make him the biggest idiot in the city, eh?"
The yellow feline continued his staring-down contest. Dibble never thought someone who only barely reached above his belly button could stare him down.
"Top Cat, don't gimme that look! Ya actin' like I double-crossed ya or somethin'.."
"Look, Dribble, I have a nasty headache right 'ere between my eyeballs…so if ya don' stop insultin' my intelligence and tell me who told you, I'm goin' back to bed and leavin' ya out here. You can become the telephone pole's identical twin. No one can tell the difference, anyway."
Yeah, T. C. was in a nasty mood today, all right.
Dibble raised his hands, placating, but hardened his voice. "I'm not leavin' until ya tell me everything that's happened, so we can get Spook back."
"Thanks a heap for the generous offer, sir, but we're more than capable of finding our friend on our own."
"Oh, sure pal. That's why ya friend's workin' for a killer, you're doin' substance, and your pals, deadbeats as ever - are watchin' their boss lose it."
"Leave it alone, Dibble. Drop it."
"No, I ain't droppin' it till I know everything that's happened. That's my job. I find missing persons." And an evil idea struck him. He knew it was a low blow, but well, desperate times called for desperate measures. "I need to know what I'm in for, cos if I'm not prepared, and lives are in danger...l won' hesitate to shoot anyone who threatens innocents."
Like most idiotic ideas, it sounded great inside his head. He thought he was going to love it, the look of shock on Top Cat's face. He didn't. He wished he could suck the words right back into his big mouth. Not only was Top Cat unamused, his face became certain.
It said, Yes, I know you would.
"Wait, that came out wrong-!" Dibble backpedaled, floundering with his words, feeling like a moron. Where was Benny's face when you needed it? "I didn' mean it that way-"
"What did you mean, genius?"
"I just...wanted to make ya tell..?"
"Cute. Very cute, Dribble. Now run along before Sarge shows up and finds ya slackin'...per usual."
Dibble hung his head. He knew a bad time, and he knew how impossible it was to talk to T.C. when he wasn't interested. Maybe if he passed by again later, Top Cat would actually be in the mood to talk more and insult less.
As he turned around and began to walk away, Top Cat's voice, cold and sharp like an ice bolt, reached his ears, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood.
"Oh and Dibble…? If you lay a finger on Spook – a single finger, I'll know. And you'll regret the day you ever knew me."
That hurt. More than Dibble thought it could.
Was Top Cat's trust in him really that shaky, even after all these years they've known each other? Dibble had half a mind to drag him out of his trash can and clobber him, but in the end it was disappointment that took over.
"That's just low, T.C. Even for you."
His face must have looked upset enough, because Top Cat hesitated, and he looked almost apologetic. Almost.
"And you threatenin' to gun down my friend was tres chic?"
"You know I wouldn't. You know me better than that, and I know you trust me more than ya let on, 'cos let's face it…" the cop smiled, "if ya didn't, you guys woulda run me off this beat and into the nuthouse a long time ago. Sure, we fight and chase and scream at each other all day, but knowin' you guys is like bein' married!" He was hitting on T.C.'s achilles' heel and he knew it.
"Maybe I'll feel like trustin' ya some more if ya tell me who told ya."
"I told ya! No one told me nothin'!"
"Policemen shouldn' lie Dibble, and it really doesn't suit you."
That was probably the best indirect apology Dibble was ever going to get out of the cat today, for the foolish threat from earlier.
"We been through thick and thin for years, and knowin' you guys and havin' to deal with ya taught me a lotta things. Things they don' cover in the Academy books. I wouldn' be nearly as patient as I am if I didn' have you boys on my beat. I hate to say this...but I think deep down - very deep down, I care what happens to yous guys."
"Don't go all sappy on me now, Dribble.."
"Me? Who's the drama cat in this neighborhood?"
"..Hmm...for the sake of bein' literal, you're a walking tree bark - two yards wide."
"Take that back, Top Cat."
"You said it. I merely rephrased it."
"Come out of that trash can and face me on your feet if you're man enough."
"Define man, Chahlie."
" That's it! Come out or I'll-!"
"'I'm comin' out - I'm comin' out! Sheesh! Lower that thing, will ya? Would ya repeat that 'I care about yous guys' bit, again?"
Benny carefully poked his head around the corner. Dibble saw him relax when he found that T.C's back was to him.
"- I know you're there, Benny."
Dibble's mouth dropped open. Talk about senses, he thought. Top Cat hadn't even turned around to see who it was. "You told him," it wasn't a question.
The look on Benny's face was just…Dibble felt so bad for the cat who looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him. He looked ready to bolt back where he came from, but in the end, he hung his head in surrender and shuffled over to his leader.
"I'm sorry, T.C..."
"And is Sorry gonna save Spook? Does Sorry have a plan, hmm?"
"I just-"
"What?" Top Cat spun around to face his friend. "You just what, exactly? Ya thought the police could grow a heart and help rescue your killer-servin' pal? What did I tell ya about police and gangs, Benny?"
"But Officer Dibble would neva hurt Spook-"
"Someone else will! How many times do I have to tell y - stay out of this, Dibble!"
Benny's face was turning red - an alarming mixture of angry and upset. Dibble would've been fascinated if he weren't worried this meeting could turn into a cat brawl, with the way Benny's - sweet, mild-tempered Benny's - fur was rising along his back. "What other choice do we have?! A fat lot of help handling that lunatic ourselves turned out to be!" Benny exploded. "What, you'll try to shoot him aga-?" Benny clapped his paws to his mouth, horrified.
The cop whirled around to face Top Cat, whose face was frozen, eyes locked on Benny's terrified, guilty expression.
"W - you tried to shoot him?" Dibble whispered, hardly believing what he just heard.
Top Cat tried making a few quick dollars, lazy bum that he was. He did not go shooting people.
"Benny was just rememberin' somethin' I once said when I was angry. T'was nothin'. Just metaphorical phrasin' on my part, I shoulda known it may be taken the wr-," his words were cut short with in an alarmed yelp, and he was roughly pulled out of his trash can.
"O-Officer Dibble!" Benny cried in alarm.
Top Cat's feet were dangling in the air, and his collar was crumpled in Dibble's iron hold on his vest.
"Did you kill anyone?" he hissed, his face beet red. Top Cat had never seen him like this before. "Answer me!"
"I.." Dibble never thought he'd ever see a look of real shame cross T.C.'s face.
I'm never going to forgive you if you did, you stupid, stupid little- "Answer me, dammit! Top Cat!" His hand was like a vice on the purple collar, and he shook him hard enough for T.C's head to snap back and forth again.
I'll wring your scrawny neck myself if you go down that path, Top Cat. You betterbe bluffing-
"I didn't! I didn't, okay! I couldn't do it.." whispered Top Cat, ears flat down against his skull.
The policeman dropped the cat to the ground, silently thanking God with all his being. T.C. grunted in pain and shot him a half-hearted look of annoyance.
"Don' ever scare me like that, you. Ever. If ya do that again...how does life without a tail sound, T.C?" the cop's solemn expression was demonic.
"D- what?! You wouldn't, you monster!"
"What happened, then?" Dibble demanded. "I take it you've faced the gang leader at some point. What happened? And where did Spook stand from it all?"
The cat got off the dusty alley floor, and Dibble could almost see the internal battle waging behind his eyes. He could hardly remember the last time he saw T.C. look so torn up about something. "..I ran outta options. G.P. isn' someone you make deals with. Spook's bein' an idiot - he doesn' understand that it's only gonna get more dangerous the longer he stays with 'em. One night, I got a gun from a pal o' mine. I intended to shoot G.P., grab Spook and get the hell out - leave the city for a while if we had ta, till things cool down. I finally managed to arrange a meeting with 'im. With G.P. Do you know how impossible that is..?" Top Cat smiled without humor.
"As it was, I turned out to be a goddamn coward. I had everythin' - the perfect opportunity, the perfect shot, the perfect distance where I couldn' possibly miss. An' I just couldn' bring myself to pull the stupid trigger. I just stood there like a dope with a gun till G.P. turned an' realized what I was doin', and pulled out his throwin' knife."
Benny's paws were gripping his face, and his eyes were large. "Oh, my God, T.C..."
"It was Spook who saved me. He always was the fastest of us, that Spook.." Dibble's heart stung at the look in T.C.'s eyes. "I barely saw 'im move - I didn' even realize what happened till I found myself plucked off the ground like a girl and the knife flying right past ma left eye. It grazed Spook's right ear bad."
"Oh!" cried Benny in horror. "Did Spook's ear fall off?!"
"No. But it bled. It hurt. And boy, was G.P. mad. I still can't believe to this day that I managed to talk 'im inta comin' alone. If his gang was with 'im, me'n Spook'd both be playin' Snooker right now in that big alley in the sky...
"And you know what the worst part is, Officer Dibble? This whole mess woulda been over. Spook would be safe and free with us right now if I weren't such. A. Coward," finished the yellow cat, staring hatefully at the ground. "It's a miracle, that's what it is...G.P. didn't kill 'im for savin' me.."
"T.C, no. No. You did the right thing. Look at me. Top Cat," the cat raised his eyes to meet Dibble's adamant expression. "I know a lotta lesser people who woulda pulled that trigger. That was very big of you..not pullin' it."
"...That's just not the way things are when ya live on the streets, Officer."
"What matters is doing the right thing, T.C. It doesn't matter where ya come from or where ya live."
Top Cat made a face. "Dib," he said slowly, as if explaining to a child. "What the police says is right don' matter nilch to those who live by the laws of the street."
"Well that doesn' mean anythin', now, 'cause I'm on your side. I'm your friend. Ya trust me, right?"
"Ya gotta be way more specific than that, Dib," T.C. responded gravely, looking over his shoulder.
"Hey! What's that-" Dibble stopped when he saw the corners of the cat's mouth turn so very slightly upwards. Top Cat was teasing again.
Dibble found himself smiling, as well. He realized that he was actually winning. Top Cat was giving in. It felt great - he never won against him in anything.
"We'll get 'im back, T.C. I promise you, neither I nor my comrades will hurt Spook."
The momentary rush of victory was over in a flash when Top Cat's head snapped back, his eyes hard, all humor gone.
"Don't go makin' promises you can't keep!" he snapped, "What'll you do if he takes a shot at ya, huh?! Pretend ta be a stuffed prize?"
It hadn't occurred to the policeman once until that moment that Spook may very well refuse to come with them until his vengeance had been seen through. He wasn't merely a hostage to be freed; they may have to club him, sack him and drag him back, kicking and screaming.
"..That's what I thought." said Top Cat, his laconic drawl announcing the end of the matter, but Dibble didn't miss it - the note of disappointment.
"I won' harm Spook, T.C. You'll just have to trust me on this. If worse comes to worse, I'll shoot at his leg or somethin', so he can't move."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?! You'll cripple Spook?"
"No, I won' cripple 'im! I'm just puttin' it out there if he goes nuts and starts shootin' at people without thinkin' - but he ain't gonna shoot anyone T.C., and you know it."
"And of course your force buddies will go along with you?"
"Yeah, I'll need all the backup I can get. I haven't much to go on still, but from what I dug up, this creep G.P. is as dangerous as they come."
"..Well, I don' want anyone else from the police to go with you."
"Why not?"
"Why not?! Why n – because they don't care! It'll be shooting season!"
"I'll lead the operation, T.C. No one can fire a pebble without me sayin' 'fire'."
"What about self-defense?"
"Nope, not even for self-defense." Dibble knew he wasn't being entirely truthful now, but all his hope hung on Spook not firing. If G.P. and his men decide to play crime movies, the shooting can start for all he cares.
"One thing though, T.C. I couldn' for the life o' me get a hold of a picture of the guy. What's he look like?"
Top Cat stiffened and broke eye contact.
"T.C? Are you alright?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Benny also look uncomfortable.
"What's with you two?"
"I don' have a picture of 'im if that's what you want," Top Cat said, bringing his eyes back to the officer's. "But there's no description that I can give ya. You wouldn' be able to tell it's him and not just any other cat until ya see 'im - face to face."
Dibble decided to be the adult and drop the question – for now, and focus on more pressing details. He opened his mouth to ask another, but the words died on his lips when Top Cat's ears perked towards the closest alley entrance. As if someone had blown life right back into his body, the cat whipped his head around and sprang towards one of the alley's narrow entrances, nose dilated and whiskers taut.
"T.C.?"
Two dark-furred alley cats appeared around the corner, half-carrying half-dragging a third cat with filthy pink fur.
"What in the-?"
"What the hell happened?" Dibble started at the hiss in the yellow feline's voice.
"Choo-Choo decided to be a hero and tried to join G.P.'s gang to get closer to Spook," the brown cat in a scarf explained, voice hoarse with anger. Fancy-Fancy. Choo-Choo lifted his head to look at his leader with sorrowful, pain-filled eyes. "We found 'im in the alley behind the Delicatessen!"
"Choo-Choo, you stupid..! Lay 'im over there, Fancy. Benny, head down to the grocery and get some milk! Brain, get the hot water and blankets! Fancy, dig me a First Aids'! As for you, Choo-Choo, I just wanna pull out your claws one by one for scarin' the hell outta me-"
Choo-Choo's distressed wail cut his words short. Brain glared (as intimidatingly as was possible for Brain) at his boss, "Duh, that's mean, Top Cat! G.P.'s boys already did that for ya!"
The blood drained from Top Cat's face. Dibble stared at the orange cat, "You mean..?" Brain nodded sadly.
"If I told you once," said Top Cat hoarsely as he stomped past the officer over to the pink feline. Choo-Choo raised his bloodshot eyes sorrowfully. T.C. seemed to deflate. The fur that had stood along his back in his momentary, instinctive panic began to lie back down. His face softened. "I told you a gazillion times…never activate yar brains without me there to make sure ya don' kill yourselves."
"I'm sorry, Top Cat..." whispered Choo-Choo hoarsely. His voice was choked and grating.
As if he'd been screaming for some time, Dibble thought with a sickened heart.
The cats were back with the delegated items. Fancy sat down to clean Choo-Choo's nasty bruises and cuts while Top Cat and Brain arranged the blankets to make the pink feline more comfortable. None of the physical wounds were deep, but the cat's thin pupils were filled with a fear that made Dibble's instincts demand of him to put the psycho who did this away for the rest of their pathetic life.
The feeling of safety made way for the pink cat to finally give in to his vulnerability. Choo-Choo turned his face into the warmed fabric and heaved. The hacking coughs that followed made everyone wince.
"I...I was only tryin' to get to Spook," Choo-Choo started forcefully through his burning throat. Tears began trickling down his face, and Top Cat bent over him to massage his injured back. "I thought...if he had one of his pals with 'im...maybe we could plan together an' escape. I know ..I know everything you told us about G.P. but I just - the idea got me too hopeful, I guess...T.C, ooww," he sniffed. "You're not a very good masseuse...
"Zip it."
"Sorry, Boss. I...I musta asked the wrong person. I don't remember a lotta things. I guess I blocked out the worst parts...b-but...no, T.C. don't look at 'em!"
"Hush now, Chooch.." T.C. muttered, "We gotta assess the damages." Dibble leaned over in curiosity.
Some of Choo-Choo's claws were indeed missing; four in all, another two were chipped, and his fingertips were still covered in dried blood Fancy was trying to clean off without causing the cat too much agony.
Maybe it was because he was human, but Dibble didn't feel like he quite understood why the cats were taking the claws issue so seriously. Fancy looked sick. Brain and Benny looked on the verge of tears, and even Top Cat looked stricken.
"My claws...h-how am I gonna face everyone now? What will my folks back home say.."
"Stop it, Chooch-"
"I'll never be able to look another alley cat in the eye again...maybe I should just let myself be adopted into a home.."
"Stop talking like that, Choo-Choo, ya actin' like it's the apocalypse! Maybe I'll think a' somethin' if ya clam it." his leader snapped with no real malice.
"Here ya go Chooch, some nice warm milk.," Benny offered. Choo-Choo took the cup and started drinking, silent tears of shame still running down his face.
"If I got a buck for every moment I'm motherin' you, guys..." T.C half-heartedly complained. Dibble hid a smile.
It was a while before Choo-Choo began to look slightly better. Top Cat had coaxed him to sleep and so there he was, curled up around himself on the blue blankets, purring softly. Fancy, Brain and Benny were sent on different errands while the yellow feline sat himself beside his injured friend, deep in thought.
oOoOoOoOoOo
"..You've been like that for nearly an hour now," muttered Dibble. He had his back against the alley fence, keeping watch on the neighborhood like a good cop should. The sun was leaving the sky for another night, and the orange-red hues filled the horizon. "What're ya thinkin' about?"
Truth be told, he was still a bit miffed at the cat for shooting down his suggestion from earlier to take Choo-Choo to the hospital. Top Cat had given him the dirtiest look, as if he'd been asked to send his friend to the slaughterhouse. Dibble never really knew the extent of T.C's paranoia until that afternoon.
"T.C, are you even-"
"Dibble, is your night vision so bad that even when you're right there on the other side of the fence - so close I can practically smell you, that ya can't see I'm thinkin'?"
"..Touchy cat."
"Stuck-up cop."
Dibble whirled around and glared at T.C. over the fence. "No, we ain't startin' nothin' like that again! Listen, T.C., after what happened to Choo-Choo, I can assure ya - I ain't leavin' till ya tell me everythin' ya know about G.P. and his gang."
"...when I'm done ponderin'."
"Fine."
And even after the moon was high up in the sky, bright and pearly, Dibble still had not left.
"..I know you're waitin' for that miraculous day when ya actually get a promotion, but seriously; get some sleep," Top Cat said in what Dibble could almost call appreciation.
"No. I'm not a slacker cop; I have citizens to protect, because I want to. Not for some title."
Top Cat huffed, as if he didn't believe a word of it, but when he did look back, his expression was subtle but Dibble understood. It was a silent plea, like he was begging Dibble to convince him otherwise.
I must be growing old..I'm getting too soft for this job. Damn you, T.C.
People all over New York debated how this particular cat could be defeated, with a mind like his. Top Cat made sure to keep many things about himself a secret. But Dibble felt that he – no he was now sure he had – hit upon his achilles heel a long time ago, but that particular weakness was so subtle it had taken him years to realize it. Eagerly bypassed in favor of more interesting practices - like threatening to maim, he thought a bit wistfully.
Kindness seemed to do something to T.C. Though he gave it to others, he was terrified of receiving it.
"So you're gonna tell me?"
The cat rolled his large irises to the heavens in an attempt at nonchalance, but when he turned them again to the officer, Dibble saw a fleeting vulnerability; he saw the very reason why he wanted to be a policeman ever since he was a schoolboy.
His thoughts must have been evident on his face, for Top Cat bristled in wounded pride "Fine, fine already!" he snapped. "Ya nagged it outta me, happy? Made yer pitch for the day? What do ya wanna know next, his license numb- what are ya grinnin' like that for?"
What a strange, mixed-up cat, Dibble thought affectionately, and took his time enjoying T.C's furious face. He may never live long enough to see him look this violated again.