Paws Chase Murder Case ✓| bxb, police drama, urban fantasy

7: Traitors and a Bad Image

Afterwards, they went on classroom tour, but Scotch barely remembered anything. He was caught up in his thoughts repeating what Alex said and hoping to catch the chief deputy alone or something, but he didn't see him the entire tour. His busy mind also kept going back to Tyler's long hair falling in his lap when they were sitting next to each other at the cafeteria last night.

His brain went on another tangent, thinking about what he could possibly do to somehow kick Christoph out without he himself getting into trouble for it. How to make someone miserable without getting tattled on?

Officer Dornt had said nothing about the water-on-Christoph-and-Desiree incident this morning, so Scotch had no idea if he was in trouble for it or not.

Then, his stomach started to grumble and only then did he pull himself out of his thoughts and stopped blindly following Mason. They were in an outdoor area paved with brick tiles. There were some trees in corrals and some white chairs and tables like a picnic space. Towards the fields and forest areas that surrounded the campus on one side, a sliver of a tile-laden path disappeared into the forest briefly and looped out again. Little lights were stationed alongside the path.

The tour guide—a young female Frodgin officer with shiny green skin and big eyes—came up to stand next to him. "That's Fairy Lane or Lovers Lane, if you want to be cute about it," she said. "I met my husband walking through there." She winked at him. "All I'd advise you is to stay within the path and be mindful of curfew."

Scotch raised his brow at her. Was she suggesting he could go there and break the curfew rule and not really get called out on it? Being mindful wasn't the same as saying 'follow the rules'.

"I'm Mason, Flinders."

Out of the corner of his eye, Scotch saw Mason introducing himself to another Ropardia like him. She was tall and stick-like with a slim tail behind her, twitching in thought. Her icy-blue eyes made him shiver, but it didn't seem to have an effect on Mason. He was giving her such a warm, friendly smile Scotch wondered if his friend was already in love.

Wouldn't be a surprise, that reckless romantic. He twitched his ears to listen to their conversation. He had to make sure the female was in the 'right' crowd for the sake of his friend's heart.

"Patricia, Thornbush." She extended her paw. Like Scotch, she had paws instead of hands. Mason took that paw in a firm grip.

"You're a villagey, aren't you?" she said. Out of all the citizens he could talk to, he found himself another crystal.

"Yeah, hey I didn't see you at the academy dorms. Where you livin'?" Mason was being too brazen towards this stuck-up heart-breaker. Scotch moved to interrupt their conversation but stopped the next moment.

Patricia gave a shy smile. "At my aunt's house. Not far from here at all."

"Gee, that must be nice. We have to suffer from Officer Glare Eyes Dornt workin' for Ma'am Glare Eyes Trinity." Mason grimaced and she gave the tiniest whisper of a giggle.

A giggle? At Mason's sorry attempt at a joke? Has he finally found the one? The tour guide was calling to them and moving away. Scotch watched Mason gesture a 'ladies first' to Patricia who covered her mouth with a delicate paw and smiled. Although her face was more feline than human, Scotch caught tints of pink on her cheeks.

Not all city slickers are bad? Scotch grimaced at that thought that was definitely the truth. Just as villagetown folk weren't all bad, neither were cityfolk. Still, he wanted to bunk with Mason instead of Christoph and he was certain Ginger didn't want to have to endure Desiree if she could help it. River wasn't getting along with her roommate either.