Chapter Text
Nick stared at Judy's ceiling.
The nightmares were back.
It wasn't often he had bad dreams anymore, or even unsettling ones. Most of the time Judy's presence in his arms was enough to keep those at bay. They'd agreed to leave their work outside their thresholds, and for the most part it worked beautifully. Now, even the worst aspects of their jobs typically didn't follow them home.
But they both understood that for all their conscious love and desire to keep each other safe, their minds didn't always cooperate. Sometimes things made it through that barrier. It was impossible to just drop something as formative as the Boots case, even two months on.
They'd been living in a bubble before. The string of grisly murders had shaped them both, dumped them in the unglamorous deep end of policing and dragged them through it. They'd screwed up. People - innocent and otherwise - had died.
And Nick still heard the awful noise of Boots' last kill, back there in the misty alley. He'd covered Judy's ears, to spare her exactly this experience. That was why he wouldn't wake her now. He eased his arms tighter around her, carefully so she wouldn't stir.
The only closure they'd taken from it had been from each other. Nick seized on that one bright spot the way he always did when the memories shook him from sleep. He might have lost parts of himself, but he'd gained a lover. He had someone now he could pour everything into.
---
"Get your pawpsicles," Judy murmured, so only he would hear as they made their way down the sidewalk.
Nick looked down at her, grateful for the sunglasses that would hide some of his embarrassment. "Are you going to bring that up every time we come down here?"
"Maybe," she said. "Do you think any of these bankers will recognize you?"
"I'm hoping not in the uniform."
They pushed through the revolving door into the lobby of Garreline's downtown branch. Nick took in the scents of money and then dismissed them as best he could. A year ago some part of him would have privately savored the unique tang of bills, but now it was just a distraction. He had a job to do.
Their tech team had spent weeks doing things Nick didn't understand with computers, beavering their way into Garreline's systems with the help of fresh signatures from the courts. This is where the Boots case had started, with disappearances and murders of mid-level staff, and now it seemed this is where it might end: right at the top. They had a warrant for one Allan Reed, Garreline's pika branch manager, whom ZPD now had compelling reason to believe was mixed up in organized crime.
Late morning was quiet. There were only a few patrons at the old-fashioned teller's windows, which was part of the reason they'd chosen now to exercise their warrant. Nick wanted to keep this low-key.
There was no escaping the looks, of course. There was a lemming teller at almost every one of the big double-row of windows along each side of the lobby, and most of them were watching Nick and Judy with more than just idle curiosity.
"They seem to like the uniforms, too," Judy whispered, keeping her face straight.
"I don't suppose they'll mistake us for people looking to open an account," Nick grumbled. "I'll bet we don't make enough to get in the doors on our own."
There was an ornate desk at the end of the lobby, with a stack of mostly rodent-scale administrative offices on three levels behind it. The mouse on reception gave a polite smile.
"Good morning, officers. How can I help you?"
"We need to speak to Director Reed," Judy said. She handed over her badge and the warrant paperwork. "As soon as possible."
The mouse's eyes widened just a touch. "Certainly." She handed the letter back and pressed a speakerphone button on her desk. Nick kept his eyes front and pretended not to notice her looking at his teeth. "Director?"
"Yes, Mary?"
"There are two police officers here to see you. They need to speak with you right away."
"In his office, if possible," Nick put in.
"I'll be right out," Reed said.
Never mind, then. They didn't have proof or even much reason to suspect there were other compromises at Garreline, but Nick would have preferred to do this without the entire day shift listening in all the same. Judy's ears rotated to pick out the lack of noise behind them, as well.
It dragged on for a good minute until a pika in a neat suit trotted out from the largest of the offices behind the desk and made for one of the seating areas in the corner of the room. They followed.
Reed stopped most of the way up the spiral ramp that made up the outside of the ring, so he'd be closer to eye level with them. "Hello, officers. How can I help you?"
Mr. Reed-" Judy held up the paperwork so he could see. "We have a warrant here from Zootopia District Court for your arrest, in connection with a series of suspicious wire transfers through Garreline. We'd like to ask you some questions."
Reed's tiny face darkened. "Arrest? For wire transfers? My bank makes a point of scrupulous adherence to the law. What are you implying, officer?"
"That's what we're hoping you can clear up for us," Judy said. "If it's really nothing, this shouldn't take too much of your time."
"I won't be saying a word until I can meet with my lawyer." Reed plucked a grey business card from his pocket and held it up.
"Of course, sir," Judy said. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. Should you decide to answer any questions before your attorney is present, you will still have the right to stop answering until you meet your counsel."
Reed's eyes narrowed. "I understand. I suppose you'll have to cuff me."
"I'm sorry, sir, but yes. We'll escort you out." Judy pulled out a set of rodent-scale cuffs.