Just Another Day

VIII

"Excuse me, sir? Remember me? Judy Hopps? I helped you harvest your cabbages one year?" I stand on the Karrits porch, talking to a elderly rabbit with a hearing problem.
"Eh? Judy? I thought you lived in Zootopia now? If you ask me, BunnyBurrow is the best place for a rabbit. Not so much crime. Back in my day, we didn't go globe trotting like youngsters do today." He squints and sighs, leaning back farther in the rocking chair.
"Sir, I'm here to ask if you've seen anything suspicious? Like someone who is growing a excess of night howlers?" I take my phone out and tap on the 'Notes' icon.
He looks up at the sun, blinking. "Not that I recollect. Not that some of these youngsters wouldn't. Things aren't what they used to be." He then proceeds to tell a long, involved story of how it was in HIS day. I slip away before he ends. I check the next name on my list. My aunt, Hebe Hopps. This is going to be painful.

~~•~~

"Excuse me, but does a fox named Gideon Gray live here?" I ask a elderly lady fox.
She beams. "He sure does. Gideon will be out ta meet ya in a minute. Let me just go get him for ya. He's my son, ya know."
"Thank you, Mrs. Gray. Do you mind if I wait out on the porch?"
After receiving permission to do so, I seat myself. I'm extremely curious to meet this Gideon. I'd heard that he'd been a real jerk when he was younger, bullying prey animals and giving Judy a nasty scratch across the cheek. If you look closely, you can see faint marks where the hair is lighter on her face still. But I'd also heard he'd cleaned up his act.

"Hello, stranger. Can I help you?" A fox about a decade younger than me steps out onto the porch, hesitating on the threshold. My nose catches the scent of breads and pies. I stand and look at him through half lidded eyes. It makes animals nervous when you appear at home on their turf.
"Name's Nick Wilde. I came to ask you some questions, if you don't mind."
"No, sir. What about?"
I pull out my writing pad and the carrot pen. I'm ready to record anything he says that might be a confession.
"Oh, nothing much." I smirk. "Just night howlers."