"And you think these suspects have some link to the diamond case?" Carmelita asked, trailing behind Bogo.

"I don't. Hopps does," said Bogo shortly. "Don't see the connection myself, but it's good enough for me."

Carmelita smiled. "I'm always glad to see a chief of police treat their officers with respect."

"I don't do it out of sentiment," said Bogo as they came to the interrogation rooms. "Hopps has earned it. Chances are she's right."

"Then it's all the better you listen to her, isn't it?"

"Hmm." They entered the darkened observation room, lit mostly from the glaring lights of the small interrogation rooms visible through two-way mirrors. The hyenas were separated, each sitting at the table of their own interrogation cell. "As you can see, we have the three of them here. They spent the night in lock-up, but it remains to be seen how helpful they'll decide to be."

In the first room, Shenzi was slouched in her chair, her arms folded and her expression hard. Judy sat across from her, notepad at the ready.

"Miss Veldetta," Judy was saying, "if you have any information you think might be useful to us, I think you should at least consider sharing it."

Shenzi was resolute. "I know my rights," she said firmly. "I ain't saying nothing."

Behind the mirror, Bogo shook his head. "Too smart," he remarked to Carmelita.

In the next room over, Delgato sat across from Ed. The lion had his head in his hands.

"For the fifth time," said Delgato, his voice beginning to break, "please state your name."

Ed squinted at him uncertainly. Then he sniggered, a hoarse uneven sound apparently connected to nothing.

"Too... stupid," said Bogo, his tone bordering on genuine worry. Carmelita frowned, concerned.

In the final room, Banzai sat alone. Even though there was no officer with him, he was clearly uneasy. His fingers drummed against the table and his eyes darted around, frequently landing on the mirror and the door.

"Ah... just stupid enough," said Bogo. "This idiot will have to contend with one of our finest interrogators."

"Anyone I know?" asked Carmelita.

"As it happens..."

Banzai started when the door of the interrogation room opened suddenly. Nick entered, his sunglasses glinting in the hard light. A folder was in the crook of his arm, and in each hand he held a large chocolate bar. He whacked the door closed with his hip and sat across from Banzai, laying both bars on the table. Banzai looked at them in wary expectation.

Nick made a show of following Banzai's gaze. "Oh! No. These are both for me."

Nick flicked lazily through the folder, then pushed it disinterestedly to one side. "You're in trouble, Banzai. It's up to me to determine how much."

Banzai growled at him. "You think I'm scared of you?"

"Yes," said Nick. "You're scared of pretty much everything. You're scared of some things for reasons you don't fully understand. So let me make this simple for you: answer my questions, or I'll give you something real scary to deal with."

Banzai shifted in his chair, folding his arms. "Look... Shenzi wouldn't - "

Nick dramatically smacked his own forehead. "Oh, that's right! I completely forgot!" He reached for the folder, closing it. "You aren't actually an adult. You're a giant toddler that Shenzi looks after, which is why you do everything she says without question." He went to stand. "Very sorry about this, little guy. I'll see if I can track down your mommy to pick you up."

Banzai leaned forward. "Hey! I'm not a baby!"

"Then start talking" said Nick seriously. "Because that's what a mature, rational adult would do. Forget about what Shenzi wants, or what anybody else wants, and think about what you want. We have your records here at the station. All three of you are going to jail anyway. But where you go to jail is still up in the air. I hear Doug Ramses needs a new cellmate. You remember Doug, don't you? He was the guy who -"

"I know, I know!" said Banzai quickly. "Don't... talk to me about that Night Howler stuff, man. It skeeves me out."

"Oh, it does?" said Nick earnestly. "You think it's creepy, huh?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, I'm the one who was in the middle of it," said Nick darkly. "I'm the one who took a bullet from Dawn Bellwether herself. So take it from me – there are scarier people in the world than Shenzi. Answer my questions."

"You haven't even asked me any questions!" yelped Banzai.

Nick settled into his seat. "I don't bother doing things unless I know they're worth my time. So, what will it be? You going to co-operate, or will I tell Doug to start decorating?"

Banzai shifted uncomfortably for a few moments. "Fine," he said. "What's this about?"

"Good." Nick produced one of Sly's photos from the warehouse, holding it so Banzai could see it but anybody in the observation room couldn't. "You and your friends have been doing something a little... bigger than the usual stuff, haven't you? Something a few steps above vandalism and bar fights. All we need to know is the name of the person in charge."

Banzai hesitated for a moment before answering. "... It's Scar."

Nick's confused blink was hidden by his sunglasses. "It's Scar?"

"Yeah! I mean... probably. He used to give us some jobs years ago. Little stuff. We hadn't heard from him in ages – Shenzi figured he got too high and mighty for the likes of us – but then this mysterious guy hires us for a weird job. I mean, he never told us his name, and he'd only talk to us over the phone – he had this thing that made his voice sound all deep? – but it's gotta be him. He says crap like 'I will not tolerate this insubordination'... who even talks like that?"

"That's... a very interesting claim." Nick unwrapped a chocolate bar. "See, I'd accuse you of just pointing your finger at the most evil-looking guy in the newspaper, but you don't read the newspaper, do you? ...Can you read?"

"Screw you, man."

Across town, the Cooper Gang were sitting down to breakfast – and to another presentation. Bentley had the screen displaying a picture Ruby had uploaded to social media, showing Judy and Nick smiling outside her bar. Visible in the background, although slightly blurry, was a hyena being put in the back of a police cruiser.

Bentley cleared his throat. "Alright, first thing's first. I'm happy to confirm that the three hyenas have been placed in custody for their involvement in an altercation last night. Thanks to Murray – and to Hopps and Wilde – they're off the streets and into the clutches of ZPD interrogators."

"Solid work, pal."

"Thanks, guys!"

"Chances are the ZPD won't be in a hurry to release them, even in the unlikely event they're smart enough not to admit to anything. We can safely assume that they'll still be behind bars come Friday night – so we've already dealt a substantial blow to the other gang, by decimating their numbers!"

Sly took a bite of some toast. "I dunno if I'd really consider this a major victory. Those guys aren't exactly expert criminals. Hell, we might've just done the other team a favour."

"Be that as it may, it's a definite start. So without further ado, let's get down to business."

Bentley moved the screen to an image of Okonkwo. "This is the museum's curator – T'Challa Okonkwo. This guy is seriously smart, and not just as an academic. He's the reason I didn't want to hit the museum if we could avoid it – which, apparently, we couldn't."

"Yeah... sorry, pal."

"Don't blame yourself, Sly – blame Tai Lung and his associates. As I was saying, stealing the diamond from Okonkwo's museum would be a challenge even without a limited time-frame. But I've managed to construct a workable plan which requires a minimum of preparation. Our best shot is to strike on the night the exhibit opens. We'll need to steal three things before then; an invitation, a set of alarm schematics... and a subway train."

"Sounds like my kinda plan."

"Definitely!" yelled Murray. "The Zootopia Transit Authority won't know what hit it!"

"I'm glad to see you're both in enthusiastic for the job. The subway train will be serving as our exit strategy. The museum used to have its own stop on the line. It was undergoing renovations along with the rest of the building earlier this year... when a certain pair of at-the-time-not-police-officers happened to explode a train full of bio-hazardous material there."

"I'm guessing that was...?"

"Indeed so."

"Wow. They really get around, huh?"

"So it would seem. In any case, the stop has since been closed for good – but it's still there, connected directly into the city's rail network. I propose we make use of that. I've picked out a depot in the Rainforest District which should be easy enough for the three of us to hit. We'll steal a train, bring it back here to hide it, and then park it close to the museum on Friday night. After we steal the diamond, we can ride it back here and get back in the van – a strategy which I believe will allow us to avoid the majority of police activity as we leave the city. Do either of you have any questions?"

"... Are you sure we can't secure a zeppelin?"

"For the last time, Sly, no! No zeppelins! Where is this even coming from?"

"I just think it'd be... impressive, is all."

Bentley sighed. "Anyway, moving on... the invitation. The diamond is being presented at a fancy ceremony, and Okonkwo's been very discerning about who's coming. He personally approved everybody on the guest-list. We can't just steal an invitation; we'll need to seem like the real deal in order to get inside. So with that in mind, allow me to introduce you to Mr Sonchou Tortimer."

The screen flicked to a picture of an elderly tortoise, squinting at the camera through a pair of rounded spectacles.

"Mr Tortimer is a former mayor of Zootopia, and he's a candidate in the upcoming election – which means he's been invited. Despite his previous success, he's definitely not a frontrunner. He hasn't been making many public appearances, probably as a result of his advanced age. That suits our purposes just fine. Even with the wide selection of candidates in the race, Tortimer's the only person one of us could conceivably pass for."

"I dunno, Bentley... Murray just looks too naturally youthful."

"Hilarious, Sly. I'll be the one disguised as Tortimer. We'll have to avoid anyone who knows him too well, but it should be sufficient to fool the guards. Murray, I can bring you in as my plus-one; you'll be playing the part of a nondescript helper."

"You got it, buddy! I play nondescript parts like nobody's business!"

"You... sure do. Sly, an invitation's only good for two people, so you'll have to enter the old-fashioned way."

"That's always an option. Or – just throwing this out there – I'm sure I could convince some nice young woman on the guest-list to let me in as her date."

"No comment," said Bentley, and Sly frowned.

"I'm afraid in order for me to impersonate Tortimer, we'll have to steal the specific invitation he's already received. Sly, you'll have to break into his house and take it."

"Should I be worried? Does he have laser systems in his rec room, or something?"

"Nothing of the sort. It's just the entirely ordinary house of an elderly man."

"Oh. Alright then."

There was a pause. After a few moments, Murray said "Jeez, Bentley, that seems kinda... evil. We're stealing an old man's invitation to a nice party. Is he even a criminal?"

"No," said Bentley. "Just a normal old man, who was apparently a pretty decent mayor."

The pause continued. Finally Sly said "So... what's the third thing? Schematics?"

"Right," said Bentley flatly. He switched the screen to images of the museum. Packs of wolves patrolled through the corridors, and the walls were lined with various electrical devices.

"Okonkwo's beefed up security, both in terms of guards and alarm systems. To save time, we'll only really be dealing with the latter – we'll just have to give the guards a wide berth as much as possible. Unfortunately, the alarms are heavy-duty; they're XJ-0461 models, the latest in electronic security. I could probably crack them, but not in under two days. I'm going to need a cheat code, in the form of their original schematics; which, thankfully, are right here in Zootopia. Tundra Town's very own Lombax Labs manufactures the systems Okonkwo is using. If we break in and gain access to their secured mainframe, I'll be able to establish complete control over the museum's security!"

"Assuming Peridot doesn't try the exact same thing at the exact same time."

"Valid point, Sly. The other gang hasn't been dealt with yet, and we need to be wary of anything they might try over the next few days. But if we keep our eyes open and we stay on our toes, I'm sure we can handle anything that might come our way."

"You got that right, pal."

Nick exited the interrogation room, holding his folder of notes and the uneaten chocolate bar. Judy was waiting for him in the hallway.

"Hey, Carrots. You weren't watching?"

"I only just ended my own session. Shenzi wouldn't co-operate at all," reported Judy sullenly. Nick offered her the chocolate bar and she perked up a little, taking it. "What about you?"

"Oh, I got something alright. Banzai says the guy in charge is Scar."

"The weird guy running for mayor?"

"That Scar, yes, not the one who runs the local daycare. Banzai claimed that his gang was hired to move an unspecified object after, quote, "that jerkass snow leopard", end quote, acquired it. They weren't told what it was, nor were they ever going to be – which, I gotta admit, sounds very much like how Scar would plan a diamond heist."

"Great! We're really making progress!"

"Absolutely," said Nick. "I can't wait to see Scar lie to our faces about this. That should be fun."

"I thought you said you were only going to follow one lead."

"Are you kidding me?" said Nick. "This testimony claims that Scar Kifalme is actually doing something. Probably mostly from the comfort of his home, sure, but still. It's almost fantastical. This, I gotta see. Besides, we didn't get this one from - " and immediately stopped talking because Chief Bogo was entering earshot.

"Nice work in there, Wilde," Bogo said without breaking his stride. "You and Hopps have my permission to go question Mr Kifalme. Keep it up."

"Yes sir. Thanks, sir."

Bogo was soon gone, but then the two were approached by Carmelita.

"Hello again, Nick. And you would be Judy, right?" Carmelita offered a paw.

Judy shook it enthusiastically. "Yes, that's me! It's a pleasure to meet you, Inspector."

"Believe me, the pleasure is mine," said Carmelita. "What you and Nick have achieved in the name of this city is nothing short of incredible. You two are a credit to police everywhere."

"Awh," said Judy, "thank you."

"Speaking of..." Carmelita turned to Nick. "Truly impressive work in there, Nick. You were in complete control the entire time. That was better than a lot of Interpol interrogations I've seen."

Nick smiled sheepishly at the floor. "Well, I mean..."

"Oh yeah, the academy barely trained Nick at this stuff," said Judy proudly. "He's a natural."

"Come on, Carrots, don't embarrass me."

"It only makes sense," Judy continued brightly. "He's had loads of experience at this kind of thing." Nick's smile immediately fell.

"Uh, Hopps -"

"Y'see, before he joined the ZPD, Nick was -"

"A salesman!" blurted Nick. "I was in sales! So I know how to... sell. To people."

Carmelita raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, I'd love to stay and talk, but I have some files I need to look over. I'll call you if I need anything. Again, Judy, lovely to meet you."

"Likewise," smiled Judy.

"Yeah, I'll be... around...!" said Nick.

They watched Carmelita disappear around a corner. Nick didn't speak until she was gone. "God! Why were you about to tell her I used to hustle people for a living!?"

Judy gave him a dubious look. "I was going to say you were very active socially and knew people all over the city."

Nick stared at her. "Oh. Well. That... doesn't make me feel like less of an idiot."

"Oh, Nick," said Judy sympathetically. "Do you really think she'll look down on you just because you used to be a con artist?"

"Yes," said Nick.

"Oh. Well, try to relax, okay? You're not much help to her all stressed out."

"Knowing that just makes me more stressed out," said Nick glumly. He sighed. "Let's not talk about it, okay? Banzai pointed us toward Scar, so, let's go bother Scar."

"Would that cheer you up?"

Nick smiled thinly. "It might."

They were walking past one of the CCTV cameras of the building. It was a high-end, recent model, which recorded not just a video feed, but audio as well.

Unfortunately, the cyber-security left something to be desired.

In a dark room halfway across Zootopia, Peridot glared at her monitor, displaying the footage of Nick and Judy continuing down the hallway. She banged both fists on her desk. "Double unfortunate! That spineless clod couldn't keep his mouth shut, and now our entire operation could be jeopardised!" She fumbled for her keyboard. "I gotta report this right away!"