A week went by and things seemed to quiet down. There were no more robberies and Sly hoped the police would drop the case when Carmelita came over to his desk.
"We found the suspects. They've been hiding out in the area under assumed identities. I knew that they were close by; they used to have safe house around here. We've tried to find it, but we were never successful." Sly suppressed a smirk. "They were picked up earlier and they're down stairs. I'll go interrogate them." She continued.
"I'll go with you," he said standing up. Carmelita looked at him nervously.
"No, I can handle this one; I've run into these guys a couple of times before."
"Then let me learn from you," Sly said. Carmelita was not comfortable with letting Sly see his friends, but how could she stop him without telling him that she had been lying. Sly and Carmelita went down to the interrogation rooms. They entered the room with Bentley and Murray. Murray's face lit up when he saw Sly but Bentley's face remained still. Carmelita watched Sly carefully, for any signs that he recognized the suspects.
"Alright we know that you have been behind these robberies", Carmelita said as she put pictures of the crime scenes on the table. Bentley adjusted his glasses as he looked at the pictures.
"I'm sorry, Inspector Fox," he said in his nasally voice, "We don't know anything about these." Carmelita slammed her fists on the table and shouted,
"All the evidence points at you two, we know you're reforming your gang and-"
"Carmelita", Sly interrupted, "Let me handle this". Carmelita's tail twitched with worry that Sly would get his memory back from talking with his old friends but she left the room to let her partner take the lead.
"Sorry, my partner can get a bit excited." Sly started looking at friends, "So, I hear your old gang split up and you stopped your thieving. Why don't you tell me what you have been up to?" Bentley looked at Sly with a hint of a smile on his face and started, "Well, uh, Mr. Cooper is it? I can assure you that we are not behind these robberies. I have been busy at work on a new invention. If you need to be sure you can ask my friend Penelope, we've been working together on it".
"And 'The Murray' has been busy at the racetrack", Murray chimed in, "smashing the puny cars with my righteous van! You can check the race log".
Carmelita watched the three of them in the other room from behind the one way mirror.
Why aren't they trying to convince Sly that he was their friend? She thought, why are they pretending that they don't know him or do they not recognize him. No they must, what's going on?
"I will check your alibis to make my partner feel better but I believe your stories." Sly said.
"Mr. Cooper", Murray said, taking Bentley's lead, "do you have anything to eat down here, I'm starving"
"Sure" Sly left to go to the vending machine. Carmelita joined him in the hallway.
"You still believe them?" Carmelita asked, "They're thieves and liars and I think that they're up to something."
"Oh come on Carm, they seem like nice guys, why don't you give them a chance"
"Because they are criminals!"
You seem to trust me, Sly thought as he bought Murray a candy bar and a pack of gum.
"Bentley", Murray said after Sly left the room, "Why are we acting like we don't know Sly?"
Bentley sighed, "It looks like he's happy here pal, I don't want to ruin this new life for him."
"I miss him"
"Me too, me too."
Sly and Carmelita came back into the room and gave Murray his candy which he ate happily and quickly.
"Thanks", he said when the wrapper was licked clean.
"Do you have any more questions for us inspector?" Bentley said.
"No", Carmelita said, "We don't have any more questions, but maybe I'll think of some while you spend the night in jail." Bentley and Murray shared a look. Bentley had never been in jail and the last time Murray was, he almost killed his friends. Sly had an almost indiscernible look of concern on his face. Carmelita led the two suspects to the holding cell and locked the door.
She went back up to the offices but Sly stayed behind.
"Guys", he whispered, "what are you doing?"
"Waiting for my phone call", Bentley said
"What, it's me, Sly".
"Shh, we know but we want you to lay low."
"Thanks guys, you're always looking out for me, it's all for one and one for all still right?"
"Right, and I was serious about that phone call, I need to call Penelope"
"Sure thing pal, the phone is over there", Sly unlocked the door and let Bentley go over to the phone. Sly turned his attention to Murray, "Hey, how are you doing?"
"Fine Sly, and thanks for the gum", Murray said blowing a big bubble. Sly chuckled as the gum got stuck to Murray's face and he struggled for a moment to remove it.
"No problem, I'm sorry that Carmelita was so rough on you guys."
"We're okay", Bentley said returning to the cell, "And we'll be okay tonight. Carmelita will let us go free tomorrow and life can go back to how it was before we were brought in. You don't need to worry about us." Sly looked unsure but knew that his friends were right.
"I've got to go now, it was great to see you guys, I hope we can get in touch soon. I'll come and see you again before you're released tomorrow."
"Thanks Sly", Murray said, "hey do you think you can get some grub sent down here?" Sly smiled at his friend and nodded as he went up to the offices.
