I walked into an office and saw a large Ram sitting behind the desk.
"Ah, Fat Jack." I grinned, "Just the person I was looking for!"
"Do I know you two?" He asked squinting at Jared and me.
"Oh surely you haven't forgotten me now. Or should we shave your back and see if my name's still there?"
"I thought you were dead Penknife," He grumbled.
"Wishful thinking."
"What do you want with me?"
"This," I handed him the sketch. "Ever seen it?"
"No, why?"
"Please Jack, don't lie. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't."
"You calling me a liar?" He reached under his desk.
I dodged around to the side, gun drawn. "Move slow Jack, real slow. I'd really hate to have to shoot you."
"Yeah sure." He said slowly pulling his hands out.
Jared slowly came out from behind the file cabinet he had dove behind.
"Now, you were going to tell me about this piece of bronze you have."
"I don't know what you're talking about Penknife, I really don't. Now I suggest you leave before I have you arrested!"
"Oh really now, arrested?"
"I'm a business man now, and not without influence in this community!"
"Oh please!" I chuckled rumbling, "And slide back from the desk while you're at it." I gestured with my pistol.
He slid slowly back from the table.
"He's stalling Pen," Jared said.
"Yes, I noticed." I looked under the desk, I didn't see a gun. Strange.
"Police, freeze!"
I froze. Looking in the mirror on one of the walls I noticed two cops, the one talking was a large black bear. The Raccoon was the one with the nasty looking autorifle.
"Drop the gun! Now!"
I carefully placed it on the desk.
"Really Jack, I'm surprised at you!" I grinned. "Officer, may I pull out my ID?"
"Why?"
"It will be self explanatory."
"Okay, but any funny moves and you're dead!"
How cliche I thought as I carefully dug out the Badge and ID. I showed it to the Cops.
They eyed me cautiously. "We'll have to call this in and check it out."
"By all means do."
"What about him?" They pointed to Jared.
"You worry about that," I nodded at my ID, "And I'll worry about him, got it?"
"Sure," replied the Bear. He sent his partner out to call the whole thing in. Two minutes later he returned, very surprised and smelling of it.
"It's legit," was all he would say.
I retrieved the wallet. "Thanks. Now if you gentlemen would leave us?"
"Hey wait!" Cried Fat Jack, "This guy's a criminal! And he's threatening me! You can just leave!"
"Sorry sir, it's out of our jurisdiction. Besides, the Federal police aren't criminals. You have nothing to fear from this gentleman."
And with that they left.
"Your friends seem to not be of the highest morals" observed Jared wryly.
"Well this one was never a friend," I growled. "This is a cash deal Jack, not a shakedown. Either sell us the statue, or tell us who has it."
"Why should I sell it to you?" He asked regaining his composure.
"Well I can give you several reasons," I replied. "First off as a Religious article, only one group of people are interested in it." I flicked my tail and nodded in Jared's direction. "And he's their Rep. So you won't get cash offers from anybody else.
"Secondly, if he doesn't get it, the more radical members might decide to come back and get it for free. You know how religious people don't mind killin' if it's for their god."
"A good point Penknife, but not good enough ..."
"Wait, I'm not finished," I interrupted. "Lastly, I'll arrest you and make a federal case out of it. Then you'll get nothing at all."
"Hey, I've got nothin' to hide. Search me!" He grinned.
"I'll bet the Taxation Bureau would find something," I smirked. "Even if we had to make them really dig!"
He got real quiet suddenly, the tax guys nailed a lot of people. Nobody messed with them.
"You would too, wouldn't you?"
"Of course I would Jack, it'd be so much more fun than just shooting you. Now one last time, the statue?"
"I ain't got it," he mumbled after a minute of looking worried.
"Who does?" I growled.
"Remember Dim? That
"Ah, Fat Jack." I grinned, "Just the person I was looking for!"
"Do I know you two?" He asked squinting at Jared and me.
"Oh surely you haven't forgotten me now. Or should we shave your back and see if my name's still there?"
"I thought you were dead Penknife," He grumbled.
"Wishful thinking."
"What do you want with me?"
"This," I handed him the sketch. "Ever seen it?"
"No, why?"
"Please Jack, don't lie. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't."
"You calling me a liar?" He reached under his desk.
I dodged around to the side, gun drawn. "Move slow Jack, real slow. I'd really hate to have to shoot you."
"Yeah sure." He said slowly pulling his hands out.
Jared slowly came out from behind the file cabinet he had dove behind.
"Now, you were going to tell me about this piece of bronze you have."
"I don't know what you're talking about Penknife, I really don't. Now I suggest you leave before I have you arrested!"
"Oh really now, arrested?"
"I'm a business man now, and not without influence in this community!"
"Oh please!" I chuckled rumbling, "And slide back from the desk while you're at it." I gestured with my pistol.
He slid slowly back from the table.
"He's stalling Pen," Jared said.
"Yes, I noticed." I looked under the desk, I didn't see a gun. Strange.
"Police, freeze!"
I froze. Looking in the mirror on one of the walls I noticed two cops, the one talking was a large black bear. The Raccoon was the one with the nasty looking autorifle.
"Drop the gun! Now!"
I carefully placed it on the desk.
"Really Jack, I'm surprised at you!" I grinned. "Officer, may I pull out my ID?"
"Why?"
"It will be self explanatory."
"Okay, but any funny moves and you're dead!"
How cliche I thought as I carefully dug out the Badge and ID. I showed it to the Cops.
They eyed me cautiously. "We'll have to call this in and check it out."
"By all means do."
"What about him?" They pointed to Jared.
"You worry about that," I nodded at my ID, "And I'll worry about him, got it?"
"Sure," replied the Bear. He sent his partner out to call the whole thing in. Two minutes later he returned, very surprised and smelling of it.
"It's legit," was all he would say.
I retrieved the wallet. "Thanks. Now if you gentlemen would leave us?"
"Hey wait!" Cried Fat Jack, "This guy's a criminal! And he's threatening me! You can just leave!"
"Sorry sir, it's out of our jurisdiction. Besides, the Federal police aren't criminals. You have nothing to fear from this gentleman."
And with that they left.
"Your friends seem to not be of the highest morals" observed Jared wryly.
"Well this one was never a friend," I growled. "This is a cash deal Jack, not a shakedown. Either sell us the statue, or tell us who has it."
"Why should I sell it to you?" He asked regaining his composure.
"Well I can give you several reasons," I replied. "First off as a Religious article, only one group of people are interested in it." I flicked my tail and nodded in Jared's direction. "And he's their Rep. So you won't get cash offers from anybody else.
"Secondly, if he doesn't get it, the more radical members might decide to come back and get it for free. You know how religious people don't mind killin' if it's for their god."
"A good point Penknife, but not good enough ..."
"Wait, I'm not finished," I interrupted. "Lastly, I'll arrest you and make a federal case out of it. Then you'll get nothing at all."
"Hey, I've got nothin' to hide. Search me!" He grinned.
"I'll bet the Taxation Bureau would find something," I smirked. "Even if we had to make them really dig!"
He got real quiet suddenly, the tax guys nailed a lot of people. Nobody messed with them.
"You would too, wouldn't you?"
"Of course I would Jack, it'd be so much more fun than just shooting you. Now one last time, the statue?"
"I ain't got it," he mumbled after a minute of looking worried.
"Who does?" I growled.
"Remember Dim? That
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