ZOOTOPIA: MAGNUM FUR

Disclaimer: Zootopia is property of Disney.

Chapter 10: The Eye Of The Tiger

Thursday, May 12th, 2017

Chief Martin Bogo stood next to Lieutenant Milton Lisker as they looked at the bodies in the morgue. Each body was laid out on a slab, covered by a cloth. The coroner, an old badger, stood next to the one closest to them. "As you can see, each one of these guys were killed in an easily overlooked manner," the coroner said. "While it was easy to miss at first, each corpse has a small little mark where a needle would have gone in, almost undetectable, with only slight discoloration near the area," he continued.

"The recovery of the tranquilizer gun near the Grimes residence hasn't really changed anything in regards to cause of death for the others. We knew beforehand that they all had conotoxin in their systems. And, in order for that to happen, it had to be injected into the bloodstream, as venoms must," he said. "So?" Bogo asked, remembering what Hopps had told him yesterday.

"So, all of these here criminals were killed by the same weapon. Even though half of them were in a house and the others were in cars, the weapon is the same," the coroner said. "Someone's trying to put the courts out of business," Bogo said. "I'd say so. A mob boss and two cronies, two rapists, and a pimp. Now, granted, the pimp was a month ago, but the connection is still there," the coroner said.

"So... who's doing it?" Lisker asked. "Well, the ZPD issue tranquilizer gun would suggest that a police officer is responsible, and according to the details surrounding the pimp and the rapists, a traffic cop would be the most likely suspect," Bogo said thoughtfully. "However, the three from the house throw that for a loop, and suggests that the first two may have been killed by someone disguised as a traffic cop. There would be no need for someone to disguise themself as a cop when breaking into a house at night," Bogo surmised.

"Very true," Lisker said in agreement. "What about the pool massacre?" Bogo asked. "What? Those foxes were all killed by bullets, weren't they?" Lisker asked him. "They were, but I haven't heard anything from Milius yet," Bogo said. "Charlie Gringwald was Vincent Grimes' head enforcer, but the style of the slaying doesn't match these at all," Lisker said. "These guys were killed quickly and cleanly, but the foxes at the pool were slaughtered messily. It just doesn't fit. The only connection is Charlie Gringwald himself," Lisker said.

"That's true," Bogo said as he thought about the case. He's right. There's nothing else that the pool massacre has in common with these murders except that the host was a criminal and the head enforcer for Grimes. Those are the only connections, and that could just be circumstantial at best, Bogo thought to himself. "I'm going to talk with Milius and see what he's dug up in his investigation," Bogo said. "Lisker, I want you go over the reports that all of your officers have turned in, especially the ones who found the crime scenes. See if they mentioned anything that we might have missed," Bogo said. "I'll be right on it," Lisker said as he walked away.

"Stanford... where exactly would someone acquire this... conotoxin?" Bogo asked the coroner after Lisker left the room. "It would be either in a medical laboratory or on the black market. I can't name any place off the top of my head, though," Stanford replied. "Well, thank you anyway," Bogo said before he turned around and left the morgue.

Conan Milius looked up from his computer when he heard his door open. "Chief?" Milius asked the cape buffalo. "Morning, Milius. How's the report on the pool massacre coming along?" Bogo asked him. "Not very well. We have a team watching some of the rival gangs and mobs, but nothing's come up so far," Milius replied. "Is that your report?" Bogo asked as he looked at Milius's computer screen.

"Uh, no. No, it is not," Milius said. "Then what is it?" Bogo asked him. "It's an investigation sheet. I'm looking into that fox who was arrested the other day. The one who Wilde was friends with, and I just noticed that a few details surrounding his confession don't add up," Milius said. "Milius, you're supposed to be working on the incident at the pool. Lisker is in charge of the Grimes case," Bogo said.

"Uh-huh. And I'm sure he's done a bang-up job on it. The thing is, Chief, I think that there's a bigger connection between the cases," Milius said. "Look, Conan, I'm aware of the connection between Grimes and Gringwald, but that's all you have," Bogo said. "Not really. Both of them were criminals, just like all of the others were were killed here in the past month," Milius said.

"Others?" Bogo asked him. "Yes. Vanderbelt, the Fasa brothers, and even a few from Tundra Town a while back; they were all killed with a toxin found specifically in the venom of the cone snail. I've seen the toxicology reports," Milius said. "And how did that happen?" Bogo asked him. "I received some envelopes with the reports inside. And the timing is what caught my attention the most," Milius said.

"Timing?" Bogo asked him. "Yes. There were similar cases in Tundra Town, but our cases only started after the transfer of officers from the Third Precinct, which is also located in Tundra Town," Milius explained. Bogo nodded his head, remembering his conversation with Nick and Judy the day prior. "And... I think there's more than one killer involved," Milius said.

"Say that again," Bogo requested. "I said, Chief, that there's more than one killer. We have two rogue cops running around," Milius said. "How do you know for certain that they're actually cops?" Bogo asked him. "It's what the evidence points to," Milius said. "Milius, you can't just go accusing other cops like this," Bogo said. "Accusing? I haven't named anyone, Chief. I just figured out that the killer is a cop. I've seen baddies dress up as cops before, but I've never seen one use a ZPD issue weapon, especially not one that isn't outdated. That dart gun was a current model," Milius said.

"And how do you know that?" Bogo asked him. "I looked at it," Milius said. "Why?" Bogo asked him. "I already said that it's part of the investigation," Milius said. "Your investigation is strictly related to the pool massacre, which is not related to the other murders," Bogo said. "Are you sure about that?" Milius asked him with a wry smile. "Don't push it, Conan," Bogo said.

"Fine. I won't push it. But Chief?" Milius said. "Yes?" Bogo asked him. "You might want to get your eyes checked," Milius said with a smirk. "I'm not blind to the possibility that one of our own may be taking the law into their own paws, Milius. However, until you can prove without a doubt that the killer is one of our own, I'd appreciate you keeping this to yourself," Bogo said.

Milius merely looked away with a sigh before going back to his work. "Milius," Bogo said. Milius looked back at him with raised eyebrows. "Don't... [sigh]. Just make sure that you have solid evidence and proof before trying to bring anyone in, understand? Otherwise... if you are right, but you don't have enough proof, then they'll be aware that you're onto them," Bogo said. "And even if I'm wrong about that, the fox who was arrested was still coerced into making a false confession," Milius said.

"I-I'm sorry? Coerced?" Bogo asked Milius. "Yes. Most likely by one Furmington Benezio, who was captured on video surveillance picking up Mr. Finnick and not leading him to the maintenance garage, but instead to an interrogation room that had its camera rigged just thirty minutes prior," Milius said. "Now, I don't think Benezio is stupid, but I also don't think that he has the technical know-how to pull off rigging a camera or looping footage or doing anything like that, which does add to my theory of there being two rogue cops," Milius said.

"Plus, having looked at Benezio's file, I've learned that he has a history of threatening suspects and in one case, actually using excessive force and violence on someone in order to force a confession to crime that they did not commit," Milius said. Bogo stared at him. "Two years ago, Furmington Benezio was given a week-long suspension following his beating of an innocent bystander in order to make them confess to a bank robbery, which they did not commit," Milius said.

"Is that right?" Bogo asked him. "Indeed it is," Milius said. "In fact, the suspect was one Duke Weaselton, who, despite his track record, did not in fact commit the robbery. Granted, he has committed a few robberies in the past, even before this incident, and he was later found to be connected to Bellwether's Night Howler conspiracy as the provider of the flowers, but in this particular case, he was one hundred percent innocent," Milius said.

"And Benezio... forced him to sign a confession sheet under false pretenses?" Bogo asked Milius. "If by false, you mean beating him to a pulp and threatening to kill him? Then, yes, absolutely," Milius said. "But this time, he tried to cover his tracks," Milius said. He then produced some photographs that had been taken of Finnick after his confession. "See these pictures? These are the fox who was brought in, after his confession. I've found footage of him before Benezio picked him up, and while he did have signs of bruising, those were healing," Milius said.

"But these are newer... and fresher," Bogo said. "Yes. As though they were given to him shortly before the pictures were taken. There were also some covered-up burn marks on him as well," Milius said. "So..." Bogo said. "I wanna talk to Benezio and ask him some questions. I also want permission to find and speak with Duke Weaselton, and not just about his past experience with Benezio," Milius said.

"Then what about?" Bogo asked him. "That weasel gets his paws involved in just about every major incident this city faces in some form. So, if I can catch him, maybe I can learn if he's seen anything related some of our current cases as well," Milius said. Bogo sighed. "You're not letting go of this, are you?" Bogo asked the leopard. "When I sink my fangs into something, I don't let go," Milius said with a grin.

"Fine, go find him and speak to him," Bogo said. "Thank you. Oh! I'd also like to enlist the help of officers Hopps and Wilde. Wilde used to work the streets like Weaselton still does. He might be useful in finding him," Milius said. "When do you plan on going?" Bogo asked him. "In an hour. Call them back if you've sent them out somewhere. Or just tell me where to find-no, better just call them back," Milius said.

"Why have I not fired you already?" Bogo asked him. "Because I'm the only guy willing to do the dirty jobs that no one else wants," Milius said. Bogo snorted at him. "Just be in my office in one hour. Wait any longer, and you'll be heading out alone," Bogo said. "Whatever you say," Milius responded.

"So, we pick up Weaselton, get him to tell us when about the drop off, and then we proceed with the interception of it," Horrowitz said. Benezio nodded his head in agreement. "You need to bring him in now, in order for us to get a warrant in time for us to be able to arrive and search the docks when the shipment comes in," Lisker said over the phone. "Understood, sir," Horrowitz said. "How will you find him, though?" Lisker asked. "We planted a tracking device on his scooter yesterday," Horrowitz explained.

"When and where?" Lisker asked him. "Near Sharpo's office. One of Sharpo's guys found Weaselton snooping around and took him to the main office while I was meeting with the others," Horrowitz said. "Did he see you? Would the weasel recognize you?" Lisker asked him darkly. "Uh, I... I don't know," Horrowitz said. "Make sure he's wearing a muzzle when you bring him in, understand? I'll try to fudge some reports so that some of our uniforms appear to be missing, just in case he speaks. That way, everyone will think that someone dressed up as a cop was there, and not an actual cop," Lisker said.

"Thank you, sir," Horrowitz replied. "You're welcome, but be more careful in the future, Horrowitz. And, Horrowitz, I want a full report of any and all items received during your other meetings. We're starting to run short on a few things," Lisker said. Horrowitz only fidgeted for a second, but quickly regained his composure. "Of course, sir. Out," Horrowitz said before ending the phone call.

"Okay, do you have that tracker ready?" Benezio asked Horrowitz. Horrowitz reached into his duffle bag and pulled out the device. "I don't know. I have this thing with a screen, but I think it's a music player," Horrowitz joked. Benezio nodded his head. "You really suck at telling jokes," Benezio said while shaking his head in dismay. "Sorry," Horrowitz muttered.

"That's all right. Anyway, which way do we go?" Benezio asked him. "Take us near Little Rodentia. He's on South Chip Street," Horrowitz said. "Right. South Chip Street. That intersects with Dale Boulevard, doesn't it?" Benezio asked. "Yeah, why?" Horrowitz asked in response. "That street has a roundabout that leads to a series of very small alley ways. If he gets in there, we won't be able to catch him in time," Benezio explained.

"Well then, we'll just have to be extra careful, won't we?" Horrowitz said with a smirk as Benezio merged with traffic. "Wait... he's moving. He's getting onto the freeway," Horrowitz said. "Which direction?" Benezio asked. "North-West. He's going into the Rainforest District," Horrowitz said. "Heh," Benezio snorted. "This should be fun."

"Still no sign of the shit," Milius said as he walked back to the cruiser, where Hopps waited in the driver seat. "Hey, Hopps, why don't you let me drive?" Milius asked her. "No, don't!" Nick exclaimed. "Why not?" Milius asked him. "She'll go into an extremely long-winded speech, and trust me, you don't want to listen to that." Milius raised an eyebrow before turning to look at Judy, who was facing him with her mouth open, as though she were ready to speak.

"Right. Well then, Officer Hopps, continue driving. Now, Wilde, just what other hot spots does Weaselton frequent?" Milius asked him. "Well, he usually sets up his bootleg stands in places where they don't get wet, but I do know that he sometimes goes to the Rainforest District to sell cheap umbrellas," Nick said. "Cheap umbrellas? Where does he get those?" Milius asked him. "Dumpsters, surplus stores selling them for cheap, and anyplace else that he can find something that people aren't paying attention to," Nick replied.

"You ever do that?" Milius asked him. "Uh... no. I was more of a get people to give me things with reverse psychology and their own stupidity kind of guy," Nick said. "Like at Jerry Jumbeaux?" Judy asked him. "Yes, exactly! Carrots, remember when you first met me?" Nick asked her. "I'll never forget," Judy replied. "Well, about that, at any time during that scam, did you notice at all that me and Finnick were different species?" Nick asked her.

Judy opened her mouth to speak, only to realize that, no, she hadn't paid attention to that little detail, despite how obvious it was. "No. I didn't pay attention that," Judy replied quietly. "What about the other patrons?" Milius asked. "Most of the time, they don't notice either. Their prejudice prevents them from noticing the differences between different species of foxes," Nick said. "I'll tell ya, I had done that scam at least seven different times before Carrots arrived, and only once did someone point that out," Nick said.

"Oh? Who pointed it out?" Milius asked him. "Uh, it was this jackal who lived in Sahara Square," Nick said. "I see. Well, back to our current predicament. Are there certain times of the year that Weaselton visits the Rainforest District, or is it simply whenever he's collected enough umbrellas?" Milius asked him. "Certain times of the year? What exactly do you mean?" Nick asked the leopard.

"The Rainforest District does have a rain and flood season. But, it isn't raining every single day there," Milius explained. "So..." Nick trailed off. "So, clearly those seasons would be the most optimal time for someone who is attempting to sell products that keep animals dry," Milius said. "Come on, Wilde! I thought you were smarter than this," Milius added with a huff.

"Sorry, the question just threw me for a loop," Nick said. "And why is that?" Milius asked him. "Because while Duke isn't exactly stupid, he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer either," Nick replied. "Oh. You don't think he'd pay attention to those seasons then?" Milius asked him. "Well... possibly. Besides, his main shtick is selling bootlegs and committing low-level robberies for anyone who gives him money," Nick said.

"In fact," Nick continued, "I once told him that if he could go three hours straight without talking, I'd give him a dollar. He kept his mouth shut for all three hours." Milius and Judy both snickered at the story. "Yeah. He loves money," Nick said.

"Good to know," Milius said. "So, which parts of the Rainforest District does he normally sell umbrellas in?" Milius asked Nick. "As far as I've been aware, he's never stayed in the same spot each time," Nick replied. "Great. Okay, what kind of transportation does he have?" Milius asked him.

"Well, he does have this old Moped that he would use to carry some of his heavier belongings around when setting up shop," Nick replied. "Really? I've never seen him using one," Judy said. "He doesn't like people knowing that it's his. Makes it more likely to get vandalized by the animals that he's pissed off," Nick said. "Oh," Judy said as she made a right turn at an intersection.

Milius turned to look out the window. "Well, would he use the Moped to drive into the Rainforest District?" Milius asked. "Probably," Nick said. "Well, I guess we'll just ask where the nearest umbrella stands are at when we arrive," Judy said. "Probably a good plan, but what happens if he's not selling umbrellas today?" Nick asked. "Wait... if he has transportation... he'll be using the roads, right?" Milius asked. "Yeah," Nick replied.

Milius sighed. "All we have to do is check the traffic cameras to see if we can spot him. Do either of you know where he lives? We could use that as a reference point for finding him," Milius asked. "Not really," Nick said. "Damn," Milius muttered. "Yeah. Good luck trying to catch him at his home when none of us know where it is," Nick said. "It was worth a shot," Judy commented.

"Officer Hopps, are we still heading to the Rainforest District?" Milius asked her. "Nick hasn't mentioned any of Duke's other hangouts yet, so that's where we're going," Judy said as she drove onward. Eventually, they managed to reach the freeway and entered a transitional tunnel into the Rainforest District. "So, if we don't find him here, can we get a bite to eat?" Nick asked.

"Nick, how can you think of food at a time like this? We're trying to help solve a case," Judy said while rolling her eyes. "Several, in fact," Milius chimed. "Wait, say that again?" Judy asked the leopard while keeping her eyes on the road. "I said, we are trying to solve several cases at once, all of which may be connected to each other," Milius said. "Uh-huh, and which cases would those be?" Nick asked the leopard.

"The deaths of Reginald Vanderbelt, the Fasa brothers, Charlie Gringwald and his party guests, Vincent Grimes and his two goons, and the arrest of your friend, Finnick," Milius replied. "Wait... how are Finnick's arrest and the pool massacre connected to those other crimes? I mean, yeah, the Fasa brothers, the pimp, and Grimes were all killed by the same weapon, but how does the pool massacre fit in? Those guys were killed with bullets, and the style of it reeked of mob hit," Nick said.

"It only looked like a mob hit, Wilde," Milius said. "I'm not... one hundred percent certain, but I've got a feeling that we have the same perpetrator in each case. You know what tipped me off first?" Milius replied. "Uh, no. No, I do not know," Nick replied. "It was the survival of the girl and her mother," Milius replied.

"Wait, how does that make it the same killer?" Judy asked him curiously, keeping her eyes on the road. "Because, the shots were too precise for a standard mob hit. The windows of the kitchen were only hit once. I talked to the girl and her mother back at the station later on, and I looked at the medical examiner's report on the bodies, which I had to force the examiner to do since the bodies were foxes," Milius said.

"And... what did you find?" Judy asked him. "Gringwald died first. He was the target. The others were killed afterwards, and that duffle bag that was in the pool, with the smoke grenade? I've seen those types of grenades before," Milius explained. "Those are military grade devices, and you don't find them outside of SWAT in most of Zootopia's precincts."

"Okay, so who does that point us toward? Rogue SWAT officers?" Nick asked him. "No. Because every SWAT unit is required to keep a detailed log of every weapon and available ammunition that it has. I triple checked every single log from each precinct dating back by a month over my weekend, and not a single SWAT team log showed any indication of missing equipment. Even the surplus equipment was accounted for, so that meant it wasn't SWAT," Milius continued.

"However, In both the Third and Sixth Precincts, Tundra Town and the Outback Region, respectively, the normal police units also carry smoke grenades, as per special request due to the specific types of criminals they have. The Outback Region just has tough and vicious criminals in general, while Tundra Town... and this is important, has mobs inhabiting it, most notably that of Mister Big," Milius noted.

"Uh-huh, but aren't there also mobs in the other regions of Zootopia as well?" Nick asked the leopard detective. "Yes, but Tundra Town also has a history of some of the most violent and dangerous criminals as well, second only to the Outback Region and Happytown, although no one carries smoke grenades in Happytown," Milius noted.

"So... the Sixth and Third Precincts are the two possibilities?" Judy asked him. "Yes, because I'm positive that our killers are cops, and this started happening after the transfer of officers from the Third Precinct," Milius said. Nick and Judy both glanced at each other briefly. "So... did you receive any envelopes with toxicology reports recently?" Judy asked. "How do know about those?" Milius asked her.

"We received a set as well. Only, Officer Furrero handed them to us herself," Judy explained to him. "Furrero? She's the one who asked me to look into your friend's arrest. That's it," Milius said. "She can't do anymore digging on her own, because they'll find out, but we can," Milius said to himself. "Um, mind sharing with the rest of the class?" Nick asked him.

"Officer Furrero knows who the killers are. She knows but she can't say anything, because she's being watched," Milius explained. "Okay, and who's watching her?" Judy asked. "Two or more of her Third Precinct coworkers. The majority of the reports were from Tundra Town, and the most recent ones are from everywhere else. Precinct One operates in almost every jurisdiction, while the other precincts all operate solely within their own regions," Milius said, mostly to himself.

"And that's why they're no longer concentrated in Tundra Town," Judy chimed in. "Yes, because they have a much wider jurisdiction," Milius said. "Cynthia did mention something about all those deaths in Tundra Town being overlooked because of the large mob presence, but around Central and Sahara Square... mobs are more sporadic and farther apart from each other," Nick said.

"We haven't had any incidents in the Rainforest District yet," Judy said. "No, but the Canal District overlaps with the Rainforest District, and the Canal District has a large number of warehouses used by multiple crime organizations to store their gains and operate as fronts to hide their presence. There's a notorious mobster named Terrence Sharpo who operates an import company as a front for his smuggling business out there, as well as on the docks in various parts of Zootopia's other regions," Milius said.

"This is the first I've heard of this," Judy said. "You're still a rookie. Of course you haven't heard of any of this yet, although... given your penchant for detective work, you should probably work towards getting a promotion sometime in the next few years," Milius said.

"Of course... you'll probably be put to work in Homicide, where I am, as well as... Lisker," Milius said. "Is something wrong?" Judy asked him. "Have you two noticed anything strange about Lieutenant Lisker?" Milius asked them. "Well... he knows a lot about everyone else, and... nothing unusual, really," Nick said. "No strange behavior?" Milius asked him. "Not really. He openly tells Clawhauser that he doesn't care for Gazelle from time to time, but I think that's just because he doesn't like it when Clawhauser forces him to watch her videos," Nick said.

"Um, I thought that was you who openly tells Clawhauser that you don't care for Gazelle," Judy said. "Me? No, not friendly pop-loving me!" Nick responded. "Rain is pretty light today in this part of the district," Milius noted as he ignored the banter between Nick and Judy. "Huh?" Judy asked. "The rain; it's pretty light," Milius said. "Yeah. Hey, if we take that left up there, that'll take us to Dom's place," Nick said.

"Dom?" Milius asked him. "Yeah, he's one of the few guys with a restaurant and bar that will serve the... less than trustworthy species of Zootopia," Nick said. "Hmm... does that mean Duke Weaselton might stop there during his forays into this district?" Milius asked him. "Well... Dom does have some inexpensive snacks on his menu, and he does cater more towards omnivores and carnivores than to herbivores," Nick said.

"Alright, we'll stop there for a bite to-I mean, we'll stop there to see if Weaselton's been seen lately," Milius said. Judy sighed before making the turn onto the road that led to the Dom's Bar & Grille. "Don't be so at odds with the decision, Hopps," Milius said. "Don't you know that a little food on the job can help you think?" Milius asked her.

"He has an excellent point," Nick said with a smirk. "Thank you," Milius said. "You're welcome," Nick replied with a smile. Judy rolled her eyes as she drove. Eventually, another police cruiser drove by them heading in the opposite direction. "What the? Whose car was that?" Judy asked herself as she continued driving.

"I didn't get a good look at the number on it," Nick said. Milius frowned. "Wilde, call in to dispatch and ask them which units have reported their positions out here," Milius said. Wilde nodded his head and grabbed the radio. "Uh, come in dispatch, this is officer Wilde. What units have reported being near Curved Vine Avenue today?" Nick asked as Judy eventually turned in at the parking lot for Dom's Bar & Grille.

"Uh, no one has reported being there today, although Cruiser Ten-Sierra-Five-Three has failed to report in at regular intervals," Clawhauser replied. "Who's using that cruiser?" Nick asked him. "Benezio and Horrowitz," Clawhauser replied. "Thank you, Clawhauser. Cruiser Seven-Alpha-Eight-Nine, out," Nick said. "Wait a minute... is Clawhauser the only officer we have for dispatch?" Milius asked in bewilderment. "No, I think that Rodriguez and even Sanders take over once in a while," Nick said.

"Guys, he said that Benezio and Horrowitz were in that car," Judy said. "Are we certain that it was their cruiser that passed us?" Milius asked. "Do we wanna take the chance?" Nick asked him. "We'll go inside the bar and ask them if any cops had been inside. I'll do it myself, since I'm not wearing an obvious uniform," Milius said.

Five minutes later, they arrived at Dom's Bar & Grille. Milius stepped outside, bewildering Nick. "Those doors lock from the outside; how did you get that open?" Nick asked him in confusion. "That's my little secret," Milius said before he closed the door and walked into the bar.

As Milius stepped inside, he looked around at the assortment of different animals sitting around and eating and talking to each other. "Can we help you?" came a slightly accented voice from the bar. Milius turned his head and stopped in his tracks as he saw Dom, a Komodo Dragon, looking at him. Dom was wearing a yellow button-up shirt with a straw hat on his head, along with khaki pants. Milius found the sight very strange, but forced himself to ignore it.

"Um, are... are you the owner of this establishment?" Milius asked. "Yes," Dom replied flatly. "Okay. Uh, were there any police officers in here earlier today?" Milius asked him. "Yes. There were two of them. A tiger and a ram," Dom said. "Did they say why they were here?" Milius asked him.

"Is this some kind of investigation?" Dom asked him. "Sort of," Milius replied. "Into what, exactly? My bar hasn't had any incidents in over a month now," Dom replied. "Well, there's an animal of interest we're searching for, a weasel, to be precise, and I wanted to know if you'd seen him in here," Milius replied.

"What kind of weasel?" Dom asked. "I'm... not certain of his exact species. His name is Duke, though," Milius replied. "Duke? Duke, Duke, Duke... the umbrella guy?" Dom asked in response. "Yes, that's him," Milius said. "Well, he was already picked up by those two assholes-I mean officers, just a little bit ago," Dom said.

"Ah shit," Milius muttered. "Okay, thank you for your help," Milius said before he turned around. "You're welcome," Dom said, just before a wild boar came up to him, asking for another drink. "You've had enough to drink," Dom said.

Meanwhile, Milius quickly entered the back of the cruiser. "We have to get to the station, now!" Milius said. "Why?" Judy asked him. "That was Benezio and Horrowitz in that cruiser, and they have Weaselton," Milius said. "Shit," Nick swore. "Hopps, take us back to the station as fast as you can," Milius said.

Horrowitz kept his eyes on the road as Benezio looked back at Duke Weaselton, who was in the back seat with a muzzle over his mouth. "So, miss me?" Benezio asked him. "Do I know you?" Duke asked through the muzzle. "We've met before," Benezio said. "Remember the fun times we had in Tundra Town?" Benezio asked him.

Duke's eyes widened in fear as the memory returned to him. "Y-You!" Duke cried through the muzzle. "That's right, me!" Benezio chuckled. "W-What do you want from me? I didn't do nothin'!" Duke pleaded. "That's a double negative, which turns into a positive. So, you did do something," Benezio said with a smile.

"What do you want!?" Duke asked him. "I want you to tell us about that meeting with Sharpo, and the date and time for their next shipment of drugs and other stolen goods," Benezio said. Horrowitz glanced at the tiger briefly, wondering how he found out about that part. "Are you kidding!? I don't know any of that!" Duke cried through the muzzle. "Oh, yes you do. Or at least you will when we refresh your memory at the station," Benezio said.

"No. Not again. You-You can't do this to me again!" Duke pleaded. "Sure I can," Benezio replied with a shrug. "I ain't saying shit to you! I didn't do anything! I want a lawyer!" Duke cried out. "Duke, you're going to talk without a lawyer, or else POP goes the weasel," Benezio said. "Oh yeah, and what exactly makes you think that I won't tell your cop friends that you abducted me without any cause!?" Duke retorted.

"The fact that you injured Horrowitz. When they see the claw marks on him, they'll know why we had to put the muzzle on you and sedate you," Benezio said. "Wait, the what?" Horrowitz asked Benezio. "Leo, you'll need to let me scratch you a bit before we take him inside," Benezio said. "The hell I will!" Horrowitz said.

"Oh, yes you will, or maybe I'll tell Lisker that you've relapsed. I'm sure he'd love to know that you couldn't quit your addiction," Benezio said with a smirk. "You bastard! You wouldn't!" Horrowitz exclaimed. "I would," Benezio said. Horrowitz sighed. "Fine. When we get there, you can do what you need to do," Horrowitz said in resignation.

"See that?" Benezio asked Duke. "That's the power of fear. That's the same power that I'm going to use to make you talk and confess to your wrongdoings. You're going to tell us that the shipment is arriving tomorrow, and you're going to tell us what time, and maybe you'll get a light sentence for keeping your trap shut about everything else," Benezio continued.

Duke gulped. At that moment, even the threat of being iced by Mr. Big seemed preferrable to the torture that he knew Benezio was capable of inflicting upon him. "Um... what about the sedative? I forgot to bring any along," Horrowitz said. "Well, if he keeps quiet, maybe we won't need that story, and we won't have to worry about anything," Benezio said.

"After all... who would believe a thieving weasel like Duke anyway, especially with his record?" Benezio asked Horrowitz. "Ha, yeah! Um, you were just kidding about telling Lisker, though, right?" Horrowitz asked him. "No. I was being serious. You need to get help after we intercept the shipment on Friday, or else I'll tell Lisker myself," Benezio said. "Fuck," Horrowitz swore.

"He knows that you've been taking things from the evidence lockers, Leo. You need to come clean to him and get yourself into some kind of rehabilitation program before things spiral out of control," Benezio said softly. "I know," Horrowitz said sadly as he kept driving.

Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, First Precinct

Judy parked the cruiser in its usual spot before Milius leapt out, not bothering to wait for her or Nick to catch up. "Look, their cruiser's here," Milius said as he saw cruiser 10-S-5-3 parked near the back. "Hey, Inspector, wait!" Nick called out. "No time! Benezio already has Weaselton, and if I'm right, he's going to interrogate him the way he interrogated your friend and force him to sign a false confession," Milius said.

"Wait... what?" Nick asked him. "Oh, come on, Wilde! Don't tell me the thought hasn't occurred to you that your friend Finnick was basically tortured into giving a false confession," Milius said. "It occurred, but I didn't have any proof to back it up, so I've kept my mouth shut," Nick said. "Benezio has to be involved in the other cases. He may not be the one who killed the Fasa brothers or Vanderbelt, but he had to have been involved with Grimes in some way," Milius said.

"What proof do you have of that?" Judy asked as the trio ran over doors of the garage and entered the rest of the station. "Why else? Benezio was using Finnick as a scapegoat to make sure no one would suspect him, and the same weapon from the Fasa brothers and Vanderbelt's murder was used on Grimes and his cronies, remember?" Milius replied.

"So, there are two killers, or Benezio is working with the killer," Milius said. "Either way, Benezio tortured your friend into a false confession, just to keep everyone off the trail," Milius said. "So, why abduct Weaselton?" Nick asked. "Weaselton gets his paws into everything around here. I wouldn't be surprised if he had witnessed something that he wasn't supposed to see," Milius said as they ran through the hallway and entered the lobby.

"Clawhauser," Milius said. "Hey, Inspector, what can I do for you?" Clawhauser asked. "Did you see Benezio and Horrowitz enter the building earlier?" Milius asked him. "No. They didn't report back in yet," Clawhauser said. "But we saw their car in the garage," Judy said.

"Are you sure it was theirs?" Clawhauser asked her. "I'm positive. It was cruiser Ten-Sierra-Five-Three," Judy replied. "The interrogation section," Milius said before sprinting down the hallway. Nick and Judy followed him, leaving Clawhauser staring back at them, confused and bewildered.

Benezio decked Weaselton again. "Now, just say that you were there and sign it already," Benezio said. He and Weaselton were the only ones in the room. Horrowitz had decided to sit this one out. That was fine with Benezio.

"N-No," Duke said, his snout bloodied and bruised. "I didn't do anything, and I ain't sayin' anything!" he spat at Benezio. "I can do this all day," Benezio said. "So can I," Duke responded defiantly. "Well then, let's see how you like the newest tool that I have," Benezio said, walking over to a table where a box sat. He grabbed the box and carried it over to the table where Duke was seated, opening it and taking out the Trucker Telephone.

"Now, let's try this again. Tell me what you heard and saw," Benezio said. Duke looked over at the camera in the corner of the room before glancing at Benezio. Taking a breath, Duke glared at Benezio. "I saw your buddy making a deal with one of Sharpo's guys and taking some money from him," Duke said with a sneer.

"Wrong answer," Benezio said coldly as he retrieved the cables and clamps from the box and began setting them up. He attached the clamps to Duke's arms. "Now, let's try again," Benezio said with a grin as he prepared to turn on the machine. Duke screwed his eyes shut as he prepared himself for what was to come.

"And, pop goes the-" "BENEZIO!" shouted a new voice as the door to the room was kicked open. Benezio looked over to see Nick Wild, Judy Hopps, and Inspector Milius in the doorway, with Nick glaring at him. "So this is what you did to Finnick," Nick said with a growl in his voice. Benezio simply stared at the group in shock.

Duke opened his eyes in surprise and looked at the trio with hope. "L-Long Ears?" Duke asked as he saw Judy's face. Judy walked over to the chair that Duke was strapped into and then glared at Benezio. "You... monster," Judy spat. "You don't understand, Hopps. He's withholding important information. This is the only way to get it out of him," Benezio said in a bid to defend himself.

"Is that so?" Milius asked coolly as he slowly walked over to Benezio. "From where I'm standing, it looks like you're torturing him," Milius said. "It's for the greater good," Benezio responded. "Right, and I suppose that framing Finnick was also for the greater good?" Nick asked as he stepped forward and glared at the tiger.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Wilde. There's a large shipment of drugs being delivered to a dock under Sharpo's control tomorrow, and we need to know when and where so that we can set up an interception team," Benezio said. "Hmm, out of curiosity, since this is an interrogation, did you read him his rights?" Milius asked him.

Benezio's eyes widened. "Hell no! He threw me in a car and strapped me to this chair as soon as we got here!" Duke shouted. "Well, Benezio... did you read the suspect his rights prior to questioning him?" Milius asked calmly. "It's a simple question, Furmington," Milius said. "Yeah. Or did you just beat him up and threaten him like you did with Finnick!?" Nick asked him.

"Wilde, cool your jets," Milius said. "Now, Officer Benezio, I am going to ask you again. Did you read the suspect his rights prior to questioning him?" Milius asked once more. Benezio stayed quiet. "Hopps... please go get Bogo," Milius requested. "But what about Weaselton?" she asked as she attempted to loosen his restraints. "Leave him for now. We need to make sure that the Chief sees what Benezio was trying to do," Milius replied.

Judy looked at Duke apologetically. "I'm sorry about this," Judy said to him before she took off and ran through the halls of the station. "You know... I'm not really surprised, Benezio," Milius said. "I read about your little stunt last month, and I even read about your last encounter with Weaselton. Only... you probably won't be getting a mere one-week suspension for this," he added.

"Your ass is grass," Nick said to the tiger. "Shut it, Wilde," Benezio growled. "If it weren't for that uniform, you'd already be in a cell where you belong, just like the rest of your kind," Benezio spat at him. "Fuck you, asshole!" Nick snapped back. "That's enough! Both of you, shut up and stay quiet until Hopps returns with Bogo," Milius said.

"Wait... where's Horrowitz?" Milius asked as he scanned the room. "I don't know," Benezio replied. "We went separate ways after we got back," he continued. "I guess he didn't want anything to do with it this time, did he?" Milius asked, remembering Finnick's recount of the abuse and torture that both Benezio and Horrowitz had put him through.

Benezio simply stayed silent. Several minutes passed before everyone heard the hoof steps in the hallway and turned around to see Chief Bogo looking in with shock, anger, and disbelief in his eyes. Bogo said nothing as he walked into the room and looked around, focusing his attention of the Trucker Telephone and the clamps that were attached to Weaselton. He looked back over at Benezio with a frown.

"Chief... I can explain," Benezio said. "Can you? Can you explain this!?" Bogo asked as he pointed at Duke, who was still tied up. "I... I was... using enhanced interrogation techniques, sir. Weaselton has information regarding a shipment of drugs being delivered to a warehouse owned by Terrence Sharpo tomorrow, and we need that information in order to put together a sting operation," Benezio explained.

"Oh... is that so?" Bogo asked in mock surprise. "And... I suppose that using an electric shock device is... acceptable?" "Well, yes, in this instance," Benezio replied. "Really? Because... this looks like torture to me, and in Zootopia... we do NOT FUCKING TORTURE!" Bogo roared at the tiger. "Benezio... give me your badge. You aren't officially fired yet, but I'll make sure that the process goes through once an official investigation has been conducted," Bogo said.

"Um... we also don't know if he read the suspect his right prior to questioning," Milius chimed in. Bogo turned to look at him. "This is still an interrogation, and if the suspect's rights are not made known to them prior to questioning, then anything they say can be considered inadmissible especially if they are coerced into giving out information under extreme duress and the use of excessive force and torture," Milius continued in a professional tone.

"Benezio... did you read the suspect his rights before doing this?" Bogo asked him. Benezio withered under Bogo's gaze. "No," Benezio finally whispered. "No? I see," Bogo said with a sigh. "A full investigation will have to be performed," Bogo said. "Don't forget about the fox he tortured," Milius said. "The who?" Bogo asked. "Finnick. The Fennec fox who allegedly confessed to the murders of Grimes and his cohorts? I have a very tear-filled story recorded from the fox's cell about the abuse that you and Horrowitz put him through," Milius said.

Benezio's eyes widened. "Yeah... you're pretty much fucked, Benezio," Milius said. "Milius," Bogo warned. "You only have his word, and he's a fox! They're known liars and thieves!" Benezio snarled. "We have evidence of the video footage for the interrogation room being tampered with during the course of the interrogation, and evidence of you picking him up from the waiting room," Milius said.

"We trusted you, Benezio," Judy said. "Half the force trusted you and looked up to you," she continued. "Hopps, not now," Bogo said. "Now, as I was saying. Benezio, please hand me your badge," Bogo requested. Benezio reluctantly took off his badge and handed hit to the cape buffalo. "Thank you. You truly were an exceptional officer, Benezio, but this... this is unacceptable," Bogo said sadly. "Um, excuse me," Duke said with a chuckle, causing everyone to turn their attention to him. "I know that this has been a bit of a rough day, for everyone, but if it's at all possible, well... I'd rather not spend the rest of this day STRAPPED TO THIS FUCKING CHAIR!"

In the next chapter, Finnick is on his way to being free, but our heroes have unknowingly made themselves targets for the rest of Lisker's ring. This chapter may not have been as dark as the previous two, but the next one is going to entering some dark and potentially uncomfortable territory.

And, yes, the final line was indeed a paraphrased reference to John Carpenter's THE THING (1982).