Chapter Text
“Ah, Rover. Glad to see you could make it!” said the Mayor, smiling too damn hard for two in the morning.
I remember meeting the kid a long time back, right when they accepted the gig. Seemed nice. Said they were going to clean up this town, one way or the other. I expected them to quit the fight and settle for kickbacks over change, like most of the other bright-eyed bastards I’ve met on the road. But here they were, still Mayor, still slugging it out with Nook and Redd and the rest of them, still trying to run the town right.
And apparently running the town right means calling me too damn late in the night, asking me to catch the last train into town to help with something so sensitive that they can't talk about it on the phone. So here I was, outside town hall, hoping that I didn't waste my night for nothing.
“So, what’s the story, Mayor?” I asked, blinking the sleep out of my eyes. “When a politician drags someone in this late, there’s either trouble in the air or romance, and I don’t think I’m your type.” I grinned, hoping I’d get a laugh out of them, but that only made them smile more. You could practically hear those teeth grinding together.
“You’d better come in,” they said, their voice hissing between their teeth. They pulled me into town hall and locked the door behind me; they’ve added a few more locks since the last time I tumbled through here. As soon as the last bolt was in place, they let out a breath like they’ve been holding it for hours. In the faint light coming from the desk in the back, it looked like they hadn't slept for weeks.
“I wouldn’t have called you if it wasn’t important, Rover,” they said, moving to the armchair behind their desk and sipping a cup of coffee that probably went cold hours ago. ‘World’s Best Mayor’ was emblazoned on the mug, and they held it like a holy object. “There’s been an...incident. One that’ll turn this town into a warzone if I don’t play my cards right. And you’re my last ace in the hole. I’m guessing you know Tom Nook?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Tom’s the richest villager in town, and one of the richest in the country. You could dig three miles down and still find someone who knows his name. The mayor looked at me like they were figuring out how hard they could slap the smile off my face without making me leave.
“Fine, stupid question, sue me. Long story short, I’ve been wrestling with him over real estate legislation for the past year. Ludicrous mark-up, shady loans, employing that shifty Lyle character -- it needed to stop. Nook tried bribing my staff, tried to blackmail the mail office...even tried to repossess my house. I'm surprised he didn't take out a hit on me. Then, seven days ago, he disappeared. Tim and Tom say he went on vacation, like he’d take a break while I was after him. And tonight, I got this in the mail.” The mayor unlocked a drawer, took out a photo and slammed it on the table. I took a look and...well, shit, even now I feel like I’m gonna puke again. Not the coolest thing to admit to, but no one expects a picture of a tanuki after his face’s been beaten concave.
“Luckily, Tortimer figured out that the picture was taken at the old dump, and we were able to send Booker and Cooper to go fish him out. He’s at a hospital three towns over, under a false name. If, and I do mean if, he wakes up, and he remembers who bushwhacked him, we’ll be in the clear. But otherwise…” They shook their head. “Nook's not the only enemy I have here. Couple of influential people who’d love to pin this on me and force me out of office...or force me into a grave. You don’t come here enough to be involved in local politics. And you don’t have any ties to Nook. So I called you.”
“That’s...pretty damn heavy,” I said after letting my mind sink into the situation. “And you’re sure I’m the best? What about the blonde girl who works in your office? Isabelle, right? I thought she was some sort of hyper-effective polymath.” The Mayor stopped short, fiddling idly with the cuffs of their shirt. Their ears went red. I heard about the rumors about those two, but I didn’t realize they were this heartstruck about her.
“I…do trust Isabelle. Deeply. But she took one look at that picture of Nook and nearly fainted away. Called out sick this entire week. It has to be you, Rover.”
I tried to come up with someone else to toss in front of this bullet, but the Mayor was right. In the city, you could find someone with the skills to tackle this. A real private dick. But out here...nobody freelances. Everybody has someone in their pocket to handle their dirty work. If the Mayor wants an investigator at this hour, it'd have to be me.
Just one problem. I retired. I retired a long time ago. And this is no way to get back in the game.
“I appreciate the trust you put in me, Mayor, but…I’m not the guy you want for this. I’m just a humble traveler, and nothing more.”
The Mayor didn’t blow up on me. Neither did they collapse in despair. Instead, they just closed their eyes, idly playing with a Newton’s cradle.
“I’ve done some digging,” they started. “Nowadays, all you do is travel and interview people, but there’s something more to it, isn’t there?” They leaned in and opened their eyes, their haggard gaze scrutinizing me. “Always asking questions, always chatting up ‘random’ travel mates. Collecting all sorts of information. That’s all I need you to do. Go around, ask questions.”
“...You’re making a lot of assumptions, Mayor,” I said. The Mayor’s glare cut into me like a panther’s disdain.
“I don’t need to make assumptions,” they replied icily. “I did my digging. I don’t know who you worked for or what your goals are, but I know you’re an expert investigator. Or at least, you used to be. Weren’t you, once? And that’s why you still poke your lack of a nose in everybody’s business, isn’t it?”
I didn’t budge. Their stern contempt gave way to exhaustion.
“Rover, please, I know I'm asking a lot of you, but I know what’s at stake here. Violent crimes don't usually happen here...not inside the town at least. If word gets out that the richest man in town was nearly killed, no one is going to feel safe. Paranoia's going to wrack the town. The peace I've fought for all this time is going to burn to ashes in front of my eyes - if I even get to survive that long." They looked at me, both hands around their mug. "Help me, Rover. Help the town.”
I still hesitated. There was no question about the situation. They knew something about what I used to be. They needed me. And I could use my old skills to save lives, maybe. But I couldn’t budge. Wouldn’t budge.
Maybe I just wasn't not who I was. Or maybe I didn’t want to be who I was for them. Or maybe I just knew that nothing good happens to someone who does that one last job.
“No.” Amazing that one word spoken softly could sound so loud. “I’m sorry, but no.”
We sat in silence. The mayor looked down at the mug, tapping their fingers against the side, like they were hoping there was an answer in that puddle of brown at the bottom. Whatever they saw, it made up their mind.
"Unfortunately for both of us, Rover, I have one more card to play.” They opened a drawer in the desk, reached inside, and passed a brown manilla envelope over. Never a good sign in these situations -- you never know when it’s gonna be a piece of paper or a severed paw.
I opened it. It was a photograph. A recent one. The picture was blurry, but I knew the cat in the picture. From my past. From my dreams.
“Where the hell did you find this?” I spat out, eyes still locked on that white cat. The Mayor didn't bother to ask me if I'd work for them now; they knew the answer was yes. They simply passed a few brown folders over, along with a hotel room key.
“The files on the primary suspects. Lyle. Timmy and Tommy. Redd. The Ables. Figure out what they know without drawing too much attention. That key's for your room; you'll have it as long as you're working on this case.” They leaned back in their chair, their eyes staring back at me from the leather, and I wondered exactly how far the statesperson before me was from the kid I once talked to on the bus. “If you want to know what happened to Blanca, you’ll play along.”
I didn’t say a word. When you’ve been outplayed, there’s nothing to be said. I just took the files and got up.
“I hope we’re still friends after this,” they said as I left.
I don’t know how I dragged myself out of bed the next morning. I felt like I spent all night pacing the floor of that cheap hotel room trying to get my head screwed on straight.
Well, not that cheap.
It's actually pretty nice now that I think about it. Hot water, clean beds, no stab marks in the walls and no rhythmic thumping coming through the floor.
Maybe the Mayor thought I was worth spending good money on a room. Either that, or they were serious about us being friends. I couldn't tell anymore.
I thought we were friends. Not close friends, but friendly at least. It's hard to really get to know people when you're always travelling. You make do with what time you have.
I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. They're a true politician now. And when you're that deep in the game, a friend eventually becomes a tool, no matter how close they are.
That's the game, isn't it? All smiles until it's all teeth. Well, that was the game. It's been a long while since I've played. I had a lot of catching up to do.
I got ready to start the day. Thought about Nook. I remembered back when he was working at his first shop. Young, scrappy, a wise-ass who was quickly getting wise. Someone who was good to know and good to work with for a little bit, but nobody's friend. Nowadays, I’d run into him and I wouldn't even know how to measure him. Looking into his eyes is like staring at a shark on reefer. It knows that it could probably bite your nose off in a second (well, not my nose, but someone’s nose), but it’s too relaxed to actually try it. You’re just not worth the effort, not worth trying to kill. He always felt safe.
And now, he was fighting to stay alive alone in a hospital room somewhere. And I had to figure out who thought they could knock his block off. For the city. For the Mayor. For...For Blanca.