Once I got Molly wrapped up in the bedsheets I had brought, I walked her home. It was slightly more difficult then I had intended as by wrapping it around her, it actually restricted her legs a little and held her tail down, among other things.
"This sheet itches," Molly complained after about a block, "not to mention that it feels like I'm going to die of heatstroke."
"It isn't that hot out," I commented, not really comprehending Molly's position.
Her fur was actually keeping her warm. The air around us was fairly cool, but Molly's fur was enough to ward that off...
++++++++++
"But tigers are tropical animals," Dave commented, "they'd freeze in cooler climates. That's why they aren't places like northern Europe. It gets too cold there for them..."
"Many subspecies are "tropical", but saying tropical isn't all that definitive," I told him, and began to recite what Molly and I had since studied on the creature that she had been turned into, "The Caspian Tiger, now extinct, lived on the steppes of Central Asia, which could be fairly cool at night. The Bengal Tiger lives in a fair number of warm weather climate zones, but they also range into the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal, so they can endure some cooler temperatures fairly well. And the Siberian or Amur Tiger lives in Manchuria and eastern Russia, not even a tropical climate zone. The only tiger subspecies that don't live in potentially "cool" climates today are the Indochinese, the Chinese, and the Sumatran Tiger."
Dave looked at me with some disbelief, but didn't argue.
"So what subspecies was Molly turned into?" he asked after a moment.
"My dad and I would find out that about that later," I told him, "the Freak Show scientists were very well organized."
"But what subspecies was it?"
I sighed, "the Bengal Tiger, Panthera Tigris Tigris. Now can I go on?"
+++++++++++++
"You grow a fur coat and we'll see how "cool" you are," Molly answered back as we slowly made our way to her house.
"Sorry," I said weakly, not wanting to fight with her.
We then continued on our way. It was fairly slow going as the blankets wrapped around her slowed Molly's stride which seemed to frustrate her a little, but she managed. We were both sure it looked odd see a 5 foot eleven inch man walking 7 to 9 foot tall tigress (we hadn't taken any exact measurements) down a street with the tigress carrying the remnants of her human clothing and items. But we eventually made it to her home.
"People had to have seen me, George," Molly said as she turned to me, "I don't know how safe this will be..."
"I can't believe that your folks would just hand you over," I told her, "and if not... you know where I live."
She set her items down inside her door, turned to me again and lifted me into a hug.
"Be safe, George," she told me.
"You too," I hugged her back, "do you want me to come in?"
"My parents are going to freak enough already," Molly sighed, "better not have you there. They might think you did this to me."
She released me and set me down. I then sighed again and began to head home. I waved to her once I got to the sidewalk, and Molly waved back.
+++++++++++
"You didn't go in with her?" Dave asked, "but you said her parents practically rejected her... that they treat her like she is an animal!"
"We didn't know they would do that at the time," I sighed, "and at that moment, I would soon have much more serious concerns."
"Like what?"
"Like my father being the Chief of Police," I told him.
++++++++++++++
I returned home about five minutes later to find my father's car there, which wasn't all that surprising. It was actually getting close to the end of the day and he would be coming home, but he had affixed a blue portable siren light to the roof, and it was turning. That struck me as odd, as he only would have that going if he were going after someone... which was a rarity. As Chief of Police, his duties were more administrative then in actually enforcing the law.
I ran into him as I came to the garage door.
"Son," he said firmly.
"Uh, hey, dad," I said slowly, "what's up?"
"Come with me," he said and walked back inside, "best not to make a scene in front of the neighbors."
I slowly followed him in. He took me to the dining room and sat me down in one of the chairs at the table.
"George..." my father spoke after a moment, "what am I going to do with you? I had thought your mother and I had raised you better then this..."
"Better then what?" I asked nervously.
"Trespassing, Assault and Battery, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Kidnapping," he listed off a series of charges, "you're fortunate you didn't KILL anyone."
"I didn't kidnap anyone," I said.
"According to the call I got, yes you did," he said, "I got a call from a Eugene Changes, running the Animatrix Fun House that is attached to the State Carnival. He told me that a young man/teenager, broke into the Fun House's private rooms, beat his staff with an iron bar, and carried off a person who had volunteered to join his little attraction."
This blew my mind. This went far beyond what I had feared. It was a completely twisted take on events, because I knew that Molly had never volunteered to be mutated by anyone. We spent enough time together that I would have known if she had.
"I only figured out it was you after they gave me a description of who attacked them and who their volunteer was," my father spoke, "now, I know you love Molly Rhoer, but if she's decided to go with these people, you have no right to impose your will on her... and that is really where I thought your Mother and I had done better to raise you..."
"Dad, you got it all wrong," I said quickly, "I didn't kidnap her! And she never volunteered to join that guy's "Freak Show"! We are almost always together, I'd know if she had."
"You aren't with her all the time, son," he answered.
"Yes, but she'd tell me if she had volunteered... shoot... if she had, she'd likely ask me to go with her," I told him, "she didn't volunteer for his freak show."
"Mr. Changes showed up at my office and presented the signed forms," my dad answered, "she did volunteer."
"They're forged," I told him, "Molly would have told me if she were volunteering. I know she would."
"The evidence isn't in your favor, son," he said, "I might be able to pull a few favors, but it would be easier on you if you cooperate... don't make it harder then it has to be. Tell me where Molly is, and we'll take it from there."
"I didn't kidnap her, dad, honest!" I repeated urgently, "if anyone committed kidnapping it was this Mr. Changes. You have to believe me."
"I would, ordinarily," my father sighed, "but I have signed papers that say otherwise. Please don't make me forcibly arrest you, son."
"I didn't kidnap her," I repeated, "I just took her home. She should be there. She can prove that your signed document is a forgery, if you still have it."
"You'll have to come with me, son," my father spoke as he approached me holding a set of cuffs, "I'm sorry."
+++++++++++
"Your own father arrested you?" Dave asked, barely believing it.
"The Freak Show delivered to him what looked like credible evidence," I told him, "what was my father supposed to believe?"
"His son."
"He's seen sons that have lied to their fathers... shoot, he even caught me doing it as a kid to get out of being grounded," I replied, "if you were a local sheriff or police chief, and a guy comes in and presents what looks like a signed wavier and says the person who signed the wavier was kidnapped by someone else, what would you do?"
"I don't know," Dave sighed, "but... to just totally disbelieve you..."
"I know," I nodded.
+++++++++++
"Don't touch anything," my father spoke as he parked his car in front of Molly's house.
I was seated in the backseat, cuffed, and looking down at my feet. When I looked up I saw him going up the walkway to Molly's front door. Molly's mother answered the door, and he walked in. I then looked down again.
He returned about ten minutes later and opened the back door to his car. He looked somewhat flustered.
"I'm... I'm sorry, son," he said after a few moments and undid the cuffs, "the documents I was given were forged."
"She signed something to prove it?" I wondered.
"No, she gave me a page of her diary, which she wrote by hand and in cursive before she was turned... turned into what she is," he said slowly, "the document is a forgery."
"I told you!" I spoke.
"I know... but I don't know Molly's signature off the back of my head and I doubt you do either," my father spoke, "and the diary page and the document will have to be examined more thoroughly downtown, but from what I could see, the document they gave me is a forgery."
"What about the freak show people?" I asked.
"It'll take a little while to get a warrant to investigate their operation," he said, "but that shouldn't be too much of a problem... I'd think. Mr. Changes said he would stay long enough to have Molly returned to him... hopefully he'll cooperate. But since it appears that since Molly didn't volunteer to join him, your actions to get her out won't warrant much more then a fine..."
"A fine?" I asked.
"Vigilantism is a crime just as kidnapping is," he told me, "you should have called me the instant you knew Molly had been taken, and waited with her once you'd gotten to her."
I only sighed.
"You'll let me go with you when you bust the guy, won't you?" I asked, not entirely sure where it came from.
"I think you've done enough on the matter," my father explained.
"I've been studying to go into law enforcement," I countered, "it could be a sort of "ride along" type thing. And I have some questions I want to ask the guy."
"George, normally, I'd be happy to have you ride along with one of my officers, but considering that it was Molly that they did this to, I'd think this is somewhat personal for you."
"I promise I won't get in the way," I pleaded, "please..."
He only sighed.
"It would actually fit in with a paper I've been writing for school," I added.
This wasn't a lie, really, I was writing a paper that this investigation would help with... but the paper wasn't dependent on it.
"Alright son," he sighed, "but you aren't to touch ANYTHING, and you're going to be the one to explain to your mother that your tigress girlfriend ate all of tonight's diner."
"Not all of it, just the pork," I gave a slight quip.
"You know what I mean."