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Bringing a tiger into a public place was obviously not something that could pass unnoticed.
With his super hearing, Henry could already hear numerous police cars approaching with sirens blaring.
Certain areas of Central Park allowed vehicle access during the day. Only after seven o'clock in the evening were all vehicles prohibited from entering.
Naturally, there were traffic rules to follow inside the park. It wasn't as though people could treat it like a racetrack and casually drive over a hundred kilometers per hour.
So before the police arrived, there was still time to leave.
But Henry had no intention of running.
If he had to dodge the police every time he took Katie out for a walk, that would be exhausting.
Besides, Katherine Hepburn was right beside him.
What was he supposed to do?
Fly away with her?
Or carry her off at super speed?
---
And so the old lady, supported by one hand while holding the leash of a tiger with the other, continued strutting along with the confidence of someone who feared absolutely nothing.
Soon she, Henry, and Katie found themselves surrounded from all directions by uniformed officers who had arrived on foot.
Every one of them had their guns drawn.
"NYPD! Don't move!"
A ninety-two-year-old woman who had lived through countless storms in life wasn't about to be intimidated by police officers.
Henry, meanwhile, wasn't afraid of bullets.
The only thing he feared was creatures that couldn't understand human speech.
Well...
Even though he had a tiger-language translator, Katie still listened selectively.
She obeyed depending on who was speaking.
Not just anyone could order her around.
Still, neither human nor tiger made any sudden movements.
They obediently remained where they were.
---
Henry raised his free hand.
The hand supporting Katherine remained where it was.
"Officers, I don't think we've done anything that warrants having guns pointed at us."
One officer shouted back:
"Is that tiger yours?"
"Do you know what crime you've committed by bringing it into a public place?"
Henry replied helplessly:
"The tiger is indeed mine."
"I have all the legal paperwork in my backpack."
"As for bringing her into a public place..."
He paused.
"...what exactly is the crime under New York law?"
"The leash restraint—"
Katherine cooperatively raised the heavy chain in her hand.
The links were significantly thicker than the chains the Black man earlier had used on his two pit bulls.
"—is in place."
"I also clean up all animal waste."
"She hasn't injured anyone."
"And this is a public park that doesn't prohibit animals."
"So I'm genuinely curious what law I've broken."
---
"Who are you? Some smartass who thinks he knows everything?"
Before the confrontation escalated further, another voice rang out.
"Lower your weapons."
"Everyone, lower your weapons."
Apparently someone with a much higher rank had arrived.
Henry glanced over.
The man wore four stars on his shoulders.
Which raised an obvious question.
Shouldn't someone at that level be sitting comfortably in an office somewhere?
Why was he personally at the scene?
---
Once the superior officer spoke, most of the uniformed cops visibly relaxed.
Some holstered their weapons outright.
Others remained wary of the tiger and merely lowered their muzzles without putting their guns away.
The senior officer stepped forward.
Then apparently reconsidered.
He discreetly retreated another step or two before speaking.
"I'm Patrol Borough Chief George Stacy."
"You say you have legal documentation."
"May I see it?"
"And who exactly are the two of you?"
---
"I'm Henry Brown."
"This is Ms. Katharine Hepburn."
"I'm reaching into my backpack now to retrieve the documents. Please don't misunderstand."
George Stacy's expression changed.
"So it really is Ms. Hepburn."
"I'm a fan."
"Please accept my apologies for the officers' earlier behavior."
"But I hope you can understand their concerns."
"After all, you're walking a tiger."
---
Katherine immediately put on a pitiful expression.
As she scratched Katie's head, she protested:
"How is she a dangerous beast?"
"Katie's just a little chubby."
"And her frame is a bit large."
"Right, my adorable kitty?"
---
Hearing that, Henry casually kicked Katie on the rear.
"See?"
"Even Katherine says you're fat."
"Time to start dieting."
"ROAR!"
No way!
---
"Oh? You dare roar at me?"
With the paperwork now in hand, Henry walked forward to deliver it.
While doing so, he gave Katie's backside another couple of kicks for good measure.
The surrounding officers nearly had heart attacks.
What if the tiger suddenly attacked?
While the police were panicking, Katherine Hepburn reacted differently.
She smacked Henry on the arm.
"Stop bullying Katie!"
"You never know your own strength."
---
Now it was Henry's turn to look aggrieved.
Swallowing the injustice in silence, he handed the documents to George Stacy.
"Chief, these are the ownership permits issued by the Bronx Zoo, along with veterinary inspections, vaccination records, and all the other relevant paperwork."
When Katie had first arrived in New York, Henry had spent several busy days obtaining every required document.
Only after everything was fully in order had he agreed to Katherine's daily walks with Katie.
After all, with him present, nothing truly irreversible was likely to happen.
And at Katherine's age...
It was better to indulge her wishes whenever possible.
---
George Stacy flipped through the papers.
He wasn't qualified to verify their authenticity on the spot.
But judging by the formatting and official seals, they clearly weren't fabricated.
So he returned them.
Then he frowned thoughtfully.
"Henry Brown..."
"That name sounds familiar."
"Who are you exactly?"
Henry put the documents away and slung the backpack over his shoulder.
"I used to be CEO of Stark Pictures."
"I was based in Los Angeles."
"I was one of the principal investors behind Titanic."
"I personally led that project."
---
"Ah."
George nodded.
"Now I remember."
"Mr. Brown..."
He glanced at Henry's wild appearance.
"...though you've changed quite a bit."
"And what brings you to New York?"
---
"I resigned from Stark Pictures."
"I'm now Ms. Hepburn's personal assistant."
"Katie is my pet."
"As for my appearance..."
"I figured I'd try a new look."
"Otherwise old men keep looking down on me because of my age."
---
George Stacy laughed.
"I understand, Mr. Brown."
Behind him, he waved his hand.
The officers immediately holstered their weapons.
This time nobody objected.
---
A faded movie star was still a movie star.
Maybe Katherine Hepburn no longer possessed the influence to move mountains.
But if the police were seen bullying her and the media got hold of the story?
It would become a feeding frenzy.
No police department wanted that kind of publicity.
As for the former CEO...
The principle was similar.
The important thing was that everyone knew he wasn't poor.
In Manhattan, people were not equal.
It wasn't police bias.
It was reality.
Rich people could afford lawyers.
And those lawyers could make an officer's life miserable.
If someone actually broke the law, minor inconveniences and scrutiny were one thing.
But trying to manufacture trouble where none existed?
That invited complaints and investigations.
---
The real problem was that owning and walking a tiger occupied a legal gray area.
As long as the tiger remained restrained and hadn't harmed anyone, there was no basis for punishing the owner.
Nor could they simply shoot the tiger under the justification of public safety.
---
Henry glanced again at the four stars on George Stacy's shoulders.
"I didn't realize a Chief of Patrol still responded personally to field incidents."
George smiled bitterly.
"I received an emergency report from dispatch."
"They told me there was a tiger roaming Central Park."
"You do realize how many elderly people and children are in the park at this hour?"
"To prevent a disaster, nearly every patrol officer nearby was mobilized."
"I came personally to coordinate the response."
"Fortunately, this turned out to be a misunderstanding and nobody was hurt."
---
That surprised Henry.
In his own estimation, getting thoroughly chewed out by the police would have been perfectly normal.
George Stacy's attitude was much more reasonable than expected.
Still, the Chief added:
"Mr. Brown."
"While there's no law requiring it, I'd appreciate it if you could stop by the station sometime and register."
"If we receive a similar call in the future, we'll be able to identify your situation immediately."
"It'll help us avoid incidents like today's."
"Would that be acceptable?"
---
After considering it briefly, Henry nodded.
"No problem."
"I'll stop by in the next couple of days."
"Which station should I report to?"
"Who should I ask for?"
---
"Come to One Police Plaza headquarters."
"Ask for my office."
"I'll have my assistant help you with the registration."
"I understand."
This was clearly a special accommodation.
There was no reason for Henry to refuse.
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