Zootopia: ZPD Mysteries - Case #1: The Blackout at Steel Mountain Manor

Chapter 3: Lights Go Out

As she navigated her way through the crowd of animals around her, Judy's mind whirled with a million questions that had very few answers. 'Was Nick filling in the arrest forms with my number?' 'If so, why?' 'Was the price of a piña coladoe from the bar really that expensive?'

This question popped into her head as she passed by one of the tiger waiters carrying the fruity, alcoholic drink. She would drink it, but she tried as much as possible to avoid alcohol. Even a little bit of the stuff tended to give her any one of the following: (a.) a splitting headache, which would make her cranky, (b.) an outbreak of muscle spasms, which would make her look weird, or (c.) a nightmarish stomachache, which would make her have a rough time in the bathroom later that night.

None of those options seemed very pleasant, especially not at a formal gathering.

Avoiding the alcohol, Judy continued her search for Nick. When she finally did locate him, he was standing off towards the edge of the left coat closet, making conversation with some of the bigwigs.

"And so, when my partner and I caught that little weasel in his old apartment building," Nick was saying, "I think his exact words were something along the lines of..."

He then pitched up his voice and imitated Duke Weaselton. Judy had to admit, he was pretty good at it.

"...'Buzz off, ya coppers, and leave me to my business!'"

At this, for some reason, the small cluster of bigwig animals broke into laughter.

Well, Nick would have time to party with the bigwigs later, Judy told herself.

"Nick?" she called out, and, after taking a sip of the water in his glass, her green-eyed fox friend turned to face her.

"Hey, Carrots!" he called out cheerily, but then he noticed the concerned look on her face and then his smile died.

"What's wrong?" he asked, the concern for her evident in his eyes.

Realizing that Nick thought she was mad at him, Judy gave her friend a reassuring look.

"Nothing," she said, "I just was hoping I could talk with you somewhere a little bit more private."

After considering something Nick nodded. "But don't you want to see Gazelle perform? She's getting up there now."

He gestured over to the stage, where the famous pop star was now stepping up onto the platform, microphone in her hoof.

To put it bluntly, Gazelle in formal attire was gorgeous—even more beautiful than she usually was. She wore a dress of the whitest satin, covered from neckline to hem with sequins (sequins were a big, big thing with her). The dress' hem was of a strange design, starting above her knees in front and terminating in a long, flowing train behind her, almost like she was wearing an angel's tunic. In the lock of fur that hung down over one side of her face, small white-and-green flowers were wrapped between the strands, further adding to her beauty. The bangles on her wrists shone like bands of solid sunlight beneath the chandeliers above. The shoes she wore were bereft of the usual attached legwarmers, instead decorated with what appeared to be a decorative flower that covered up her toes. In truth, they were more like sandals than boots, but it appeared that Gazelle didn't mind the slightly lower height.

Blowing her fur out of her face, Gazelle began to sing while swaying back and forth to a vintage-sounding swing melody. Two of the Glits, those buff, muscular tiger compatriots of hers, stood on stage on either side of her, dressed in quite dapper-looking suits. The song was a bit of a change from Gazelle's usual trendy, bouncy pop music, but she was able to sing in this style all the same, the golden notes of her voice floating out over the guests: