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Underbox: Twenty-five
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
Capt. Horatio Hortense Bezoar
Hamo was up early and had bacon, scrambled eggs and toast waiting when it came time to awaken Margot. The kit very happily made a mess of her third of the table, but still managed to eat most of what her father had prepared for her. ‘You being a naughty girl today, Margot?” they asked with a smile as they started to clean the little girl’s paws.
“Nawdee!” Margot said before squalling as her father wiped her face.
“Oh, the teacher’s going to have fun with you today,” Hamo deadpanned as they lifted the girl up in their arms and carried her into the bathroom.
Fortunately, the second time Hamo had to clean their daughter held on long enough to get her dressed in time for the doorbell to ring. “Good morning, Frau Kittinger!” Hamo said as they opened the door.
“Hello!” the short canine femme said with a cheerful grin. “You’re home?”
“Karin had to leave yesterday to see about something,” Hamo lied with a straight face, “and I have to look after this wiggly little kit.”
“Nawdee!” Margot declared.
Frau Kittinger smiled. “Oh ho, you are? Well, we’ll see. Margot’s usually a perfect little angel when she’s with us. Have a nice day!”
“And to you.” Hamo watched the canine helping Margot walk away, and found that they couldn’t help smiling. Children Margot’s age went to nursery school to help them socialize with other children before they started kindergarten and more formal schooling. Hamo and Karin took the time to read to their daughter, even when she was in the womb.
Maybe that was why Hamo went into law enforcement. Maybe their mother read crime mysteries aloud. With a shrug, they closed the door and thought about what to do.
Going back to bed certainly appealed; the cross-fox had slept poorly the previous night worrying about their wife. Of course, Karin was expected back later in the day, and she would be more than a little angry with them about the state of the apartment. Well, then, the first item on the agenda was to clean the house.
Late in the morning, the doorbell sounded, and they opened the door. “Detective Kostler . . . “ and the red deer buck’s voice trailed off at the sight.
Hamo was wearing shorts, one of their favorite t-shirts, and an apron. They recognized Kostler; young and eager to advance. He made Hamo feel old for some reason. “What?” the cross-fox challenged.
“Hm? Oh! Um, Captain Eisler sent me over for your wife’s jackglove.”
“Great. Come on in. Do you have a change of custody form?”
The buck patted a pocket. “Got the card right here.”
The bagged item changed paws, and both wrote their signatures, ID numbers and the time and date on the card. “I’ll get this over to IT Crimes right away,” Kostler said. He grinned as he stepped out into the corridor. “You look good in that apron. You’ll make a fine wife, Hamo.”
The cross-fox chuckled. “I already did,” they said as they shut the door and went back to their cleaning.
It was only a two-bedroom flat, but the family had a small child, so cleaning posed a few time-consuming challenges. Hamo was industriously scrubbing at a drawing on one wall when their phone rang. Scrambling to their feet, the cross-fox reached it before it went to voicemail. “Suleymanoglu.”
“Good morning, love,” Karin said. “Are you all right? You sound out of breath.”
“Sorry, had to run to get to the phone. Good morning,” and the cross-fox made kissing noises. While Karin chuckled, they asked, “Are they letting you out today?”
“Yes, the doctor just left. She says I should be fine, and they’ll have the papers ready for me after lunch.” She forced a plaintive tone into her voice. “Can you come get me?”
Hamo grinned as their brush waved. “Of course.”
***
“Wow,” Karin said as Hamo let her into the apartment. “You cleaned up.”
Hamo’s smile undermined their huff. “What did you expect me to do? Just lie around and hope you’d come home and clean it?”
Karin blew them a kiss. “I didn’t mean it, you silly tod. You’re a good person. So,” she said as she lowered herself into an armchair, “do you know if they caught the guy?”
Hamo shook their head. “Last I heard, he was in America, so we have a dance to do.” Her ears perked and they explained, “We talk to the Justice Ministry, they talk to the Foreign Ministry, they talk to their counterparts in America who then talk to the local police. And so on, and so on, es ist immer der Weg.” Hamo shrugged. “Since they’re in the Union, dealing with the Montenegrin police is so much simpler.”
“Why them?”
“The guy we have? He committed two murders down there.”
“Wow. This is an ugly one, love.”
Hamo nodded. “Which is why it’s my last one.” They snapped their fingers. “That reminds me.”
“Hm?”
“I need to close out my flat in the Underbox. Won’t be needing it anymore, and I can get the security deposit back. It’ll save money.”
Karin nodded and glanced at her workstation, in the corner by the window. The vixen asked, “Where’s my jackglove?”
“They came for it this morning. It’s evidence.”
“Will I get it back?” Hamo nodded. “When?”
“Could be a while.”
“Shit.” Her ears dipped. “Can you get me some lunch? I want to at least try to get caught up on the work I missed.”
“Sure. Sandwich?”
The vixen grinned as she moved from the armchair to the swivel chair at her station. “Yes, please! They didn’t give me lunch there because I was getting discharged.”
Hamo poked their head out of the kitchen doorway. “Why didn’t you say something? We could’ve stopped somewhere.”
“I wanted to get home.”
“Soda with it?”
“Please.”
The sandwich was thick and tasty, and the vixen glanced up as Hamo sat down with their own plate. Swallowing, she said, “Lazy lump.”
Hamo twitched their ears at her. “What? I cleaned up – “
“You’re being a layabout.”
“I’ve been ordered to take today and tomorrow off.”
“You have?” She grumbled at her computer screen. “Damn, this is so much easier when I have my glove. You’d better not act like this after you retire,” Karin said, glancing at Hamo.
The cross-fox gave her a lazy grin. “I give myself six months.”
“Six months?”
“Yeah. Six months before I get fed up and go find another job.” They both started to laugh. “Tell you what; you finish your lunch, take a break from your work, and I’ll give you a backrub.”
“Best offer I’ve heard all day.” Karin grinned as Hamo flexed their paws.
<NEXT>
<PREVIOUS>
<FIRST<
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
Capt. Horatio Hortense BezoarHamo was up early and had bacon, scrambled eggs and toast waiting when it came time to awaken Margot. The kit very happily made a mess of her third of the table, but still managed to eat most of what her father had prepared for her. ‘You being a naughty girl today, Margot?” they asked with a smile as they started to clean the little girl’s paws.
“Nawdee!” Margot said before squalling as her father wiped her face.
“Oh, the teacher’s going to have fun with you today,” Hamo deadpanned as they lifted the girl up in their arms and carried her into the bathroom.
Fortunately, the second time Hamo had to clean their daughter held on long enough to get her dressed in time for the doorbell to ring. “Good morning, Frau Kittinger!” Hamo said as they opened the door.
“Hello!” the short canine femme said with a cheerful grin. “You’re home?”
“Karin had to leave yesterday to see about something,” Hamo lied with a straight face, “and I have to look after this wiggly little kit.”
“Nawdee!” Margot declared.
Frau Kittinger smiled. “Oh ho, you are? Well, we’ll see. Margot’s usually a perfect little angel when she’s with us. Have a nice day!”
“And to you.” Hamo watched the canine helping Margot walk away, and found that they couldn’t help smiling. Children Margot’s age went to nursery school to help them socialize with other children before they started kindergarten and more formal schooling. Hamo and Karin took the time to read to their daughter, even when she was in the womb.
Maybe that was why Hamo went into law enforcement. Maybe their mother read crime mysteries aloud. With a shrug, they closed the door and thought about what to do.
Going back to bed certainly appealed; the cross-fox had slept poorly the previous night worrying about their wife. Of course, Karin was expected back later in the day, and she would be more than a little angry with them about the state of the apartment. Well, then, the first item on the agenda was to clean the house.
Late in the morning, the doorbell sounded, and they opened the door. “Detective Kostler . . . “ and the red deer buck’s voice trailed off at the sight.
Hamo was wearing shorts, one of their favorite t-shirts, and an apron. They recognized Kostler; young and eager to advance. He made Hamo feel old for some reason. “What?” the cross-fox challenged.
“Hm? Oh! Um, Captain Eisler sent me over for your wife’s jackglove.”
“Great. Come on in. Do you have a change of custody form?”
The buck patted a pocket. “Got the card right here.”
The bagged item changed paws, and both wrote their signatures, ID numbers and the time and date on the card. “I’ll get this over to IT Crimes right away,” Kostler said. He grinned as he stepped out into the corridor. “You look good in that apron. You’ll make a fine wife, Hamo.”
The cross-fox chuckled. “I already did,” they said as they shut the door and went back to their cleaning.
It was only a two-bedroom flat, but the family had a small child, so cleaning posed a few time-consuming challenges. Hamo was industriously scrubbing at a drawing on one wall when their phone rang. Scrambling to their feet, the cross-fox reached it before it went to voicemail. “Suleymanoglu.”
“Good morning, love,” Karin said. “Are you all right? You sound out of breath.”
“Sorry, had to run to get to the phone. Good morning,” and the cross-fox made kissing noises. While Karin chuckled, they asked, “Are they letting you out today?”
“Yes, the doctor just left. She says I should be fine, and they’ll have the papers ready for me after lunch.” She forced a plaintive tone into her voice. “Can you come get me?”
Hamo grinned as their brush waved. “Of course.”
***
“Wow,” Karin said as Hamo let her into the apartment. “You cleaned up.”
Hamo’s smile undermined their huff. “What did you expect me to do? Just lie around and hope you’d come home and clean it?”
Karin blew them a kiss. “I didn’t mean it, you silly tod. You’re a good person. So,” she said as she lowered herself into an armchair, “do you know if they caught the guy?”
Hamo shook their head. “Last I heard, he was in America, so we have a dance to do.” Her ears perked and they explained, “We talk to the Justice Ministry, they talk to the Foreign Ministry, they talk to their counterparts in America who then talk to the local police. And so on, and so on, es ist immer der Weg.” Hamo shrugged. “Since they’re in the Union, dealing with the Montenegrin police is so much simpler.”
“Why them?”
“The guy we have? He committed two murders down there.”
“Wow. This is an ugly one, love.”
Hamo nodded. “Which is why it’s my last one.” They snapped their fingers. “That reminds me.”
“Hm?”
“I need to close out my flat in the Underbox. Won’t be needing it anymore, and I can get the security deposit back. It’ll save money.”
Karin nodded and glanced at her workstation, in the corner by the window. The vixen asked, “Where’s my jackglove?”
“They came for it this morning. It’s evidence.”
“Will I get it back?” Hamo nodded. “When?”
“Could be a while.”
“Shit.” Her ears dipped. “Can you get me some lunch? I want to at least try to get caught up on the work I missed.”
“Sure. Sandwich?”
The vixen grinned as she moved from the armchair to the swivel chair at her station. “Yes, please! They didn’t give me lunch there because I was getting discharged.”
Hamo poked their head out of the kitchen doorway. “Why didn’t you say something? We could’ve stopped somewhere.”
“I wanted to get home.”
“Soda with it?”
“Please.”
The sandwich was thick and tasty, and the vixen glanced up as Hamo sat down with their own plate. Swallowing, she said, “Lazy lump.”
Hamo twitched their ears at her. “What? I cleaned up – “
“You’re being a layabout.”
“I’ve been ordered to take today and tomorrow off.”
“You have?” She grumbled at her computer screen. “Damn, this is so much easier when I have my glove. You’d better not act like this after you retire,” Karin said, glancing at Hamo.
The cross-fox gave her a lazy grin. “I give myself six months.”
“Six months?”
“Yeah. Six months before I get fed up and go find another job.” They both started to laugh. “Tell you what; you finish your lunch, take a break from your work, and I’ll give you a backrub.”
“Best offer I’ve heard all day.” Karin grinned as Hamo flexed their paws.
<NEXT>
<PREVIOUS>
<FIRST<
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Vulpine (Other)
Size 85 x 120px
File Size 52.3 kB
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