Disclaimer: Zootopia stories, characters, settings, and properties belong to the Walt Disney Co. This story is written under Fair Use Copyright laws.
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The Fire Triangle—A Zootopia Fanfiction
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Part One:
Fuel
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Chapter 11 –The Fire Next Time
(Pt. 3...Continued)
No, Judy was NOT thumping her foot, she was only tapping it, (or that was what she kept telling herself.)
She was back at the safe house, sitting on the sofa and waiting for Nick—and ohhh, what was she going to say when he got here? There was no sugarcoating it, she'd come up dry; she'd learned nothing of importance from either Mr. Otterton or his wife.
"Officer Slick just better not accuse me of giving up too easily," she grumbled inwardly, ears turning backward as anxiety gave way to a momentary flash of anger.
When Emmitt Otterton had said, 'But I really shouldn't talk about it,' every single one of Judy's red flags had gone flying upwards. She had known then, with an ironclad certainty, that this was all was going to get from him; any attempt to push it further would only backfire.
Okay fine, but try telling that to Nick; sweet cheez n' crackers, how the heck was she going to explain it to HIM?
She took a deep breath and carefully closed her eyes,
"Okay," She told herself, "break it to him gradually. First, explain the circumstances and only then should you say that you backed off after the first question. Tell Nick your gut feeling was that you couldn't go any further without losing Mr. Otterton altogether. Remind him that you've always had an instinct for just how far to push a witness—yes, that's good—and then you should..."
The front door opened and she heard someone coming down the hallway. It was Nick; she'd recognize his footfall anywhere.
"Explain it carefully," she reminded herself, just as the fox stepped into the living room.
"Hi Carrots, how did...?"
"I blew it Nick, I struck out!"
The words were gone from Judy's mouth before could stop them—and at that moment it was probably a good thing this place had bullet-proof windows. Otherwise, she might have jumped straight through the one nearest to her.
"No luck at all?" Nick asked her. He was pretending to be understanding, but Judy could see the disappointment bubbling beneath the surface. (After two years as the red fox's partner, she ought to know his body language.)
"I'm afraid not," she sighed, falling resignedly back against the sofa-cushions, "Mr. Otterton started to say something, but then he caught himself and that was it." She shook her head and laid her ears back, finally allowing her frustration to show. "About the only thing I learned from him is that Fru-Fru's pregnant again; Mr. Big's finally getting a grandson...uh, what Nick?"
He was staring intently at her.
"Say...that...again," he told her, speaking very slowly.
Judy felt her nose beginning to twitch. What the heck...?
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The Fire Triangle, A Zootopia Fanfiction -- Part One
Mystery / ThrillerIt's been two years since Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps broke the Savage Predator conspiracy. Now a brilliant and effective team, they're only a few steps away from making the detective bureau and growing closer with every passing day. But even as thei...
