Someone special in Zootopia

16.- Another step forward

Judy turned off the carrot pen after they agreed to the deal with Balto, making clear the proof of the pact to help him when the whole case was over. They made the reunion inside the tent of the wolf, at his request, just to have more intimacy. Sat on the floor, they did what they considered appropriate.

"Mr. Lestrada, the promise is on record and we will keep it to the end. Now, please tell us about that woman." Judy started questioning, pulling off her notebook to take notes.

Balto sighed and took a breath to start telling the story. "That African dog and I spent a lot of time together as bank robbers, we went from one job to another, with hardly any rest." The three looked at each other in surprise. "In the case that you want to arrest me for that, it isn't possible. These robberies happened 5 years ago and those crimes become barred after a year. There would be no reason to put me in jail." Judy nodded, she knew it perfectly well.

"But there's something I don't understand: Your record is clean, you don't have theft crimes or more run-ins with the police than those you had in adolescence." The rabbit still couldn't tie all the loose ends.

Balto showed a small smile. "No one ever knew that I was there, I disappeared before anyone could see me. I have my techniques. She liked to be recognized more than me."

"Wait a minute," Nick quickly added, "how do we know you're not still robbing banks nowadays? You could be doing it in front of us and we wouldn't even know."

Balto looked directly at the fox. "That's why I want to continue the story, it'll help to understand why I no longer rob and why I'm telling the truth."

He took another breath. "She and I got along well... in fact, even better, being in love while we worked. Still, we shared the wealth. Everything changed when... I still can't find the reason why I changed my views, I didn't find any reason to keep stealing from banks, I just wanted to start a family and live with my girl, have a child... That's why I live on my own here." He sighed again. "The day I told my girlfriend, it was fateful. She considered me a traitor and started to hate me and all the males. I left but... my feeling of love for her never disappeared. I just want her to set her head and live with me, but it seems she doesn't want to leave that lifestyle."

"But, how do we know that you don't rob banks today?" Vol still doubted the wolf.

Balto looked at the blue fox. "Uh, look at the luxuries! TV here, console there, and a $200 supersuit!" He spoke with a clear sarcastic tone, pointing to nothingness. "Use common sense, don't you think that if I'm keeping at it I would live with luxury and technology? I live surrounded by nature because I don't want anything else, I don't want riches."

The policemammals found sense in what Balto told them, if he had stolen money, wouldn't he use it to live better? Although the point wasn't what he was spending it on, but who they should focus on.

"We still need something else: The name of your ex-girlfriend." Judy asked, wanting to know their target.

"I hope we're still lovers... But her name is..."

The African dog, the boss of those rodents, was trying to make a plan for the next robbery, knowing that they had to try to escape from that fortress where they were. After the foxes escaped, they'd say where they were and go to arrest them. There was no point in staying any longer. On the board hanging on the wall, there was still a love note from Balto. For some strange reason, she wanted to keep it there. She never confessed why, she never wanted to. She looked at the note and remembered Balto's name. "You are all the same..." She said quietly. "All men are the same..." She felt hurt, a feeling that made her soul burn when she remembered that moment, a flame of hate against the wolf. But didn't know that Balto was still in love with her.