Esperando Ruth. Once an advocate for free love at the end of the '60s, he disappeared from the political eyes after he grew disgusted with the increasingly conservative and PC views of the world. Nowadays, Esperanto was one of the biggest porn tycoons in the world, but rumor has it that he hasn't completely cut his ties to Congress: over the years, several politicians had been the center of a group of shocking sex scandals, all of the victims conservative, and all of the scandals taking place right before the victims were to give their vote on a number of laws and amendments that would prove detrimental to the erotic industry and other sexually-based issues. Because said laws and amendments ended up dying shortly after the scandals, it was said that Esperando had used his porn industry and former political ties to create the scandals as a way to strike back against the sensitive and self-conscious world that was ruining his dream of a sexually-free planet.

However, proving this was impossible: there was no evidence to tie Esperando to the scandals, and the videos that were always present as proof to the scandals were all tested legit, ruling out falsification. Plus, the politicians and other people within the scandal videos always had no memory of what happened during the time of the supposed interludes, preventing them from confirming or denying anything about the events in question, including whether or not Esperando was involved. The rumors persisted, though, and Interpol has been trying without success to get to the bottom of this apparent conspiracy.

Which is why, at this very moment, Inspector Carmelita Fox and her partner, 'Constable' Sly Cooper were parked in front of Esperando's base of opperations in the Bahamas, ready to crack this case wide open.

"Okay, Cooper," Carmelita sighed, adjusting her curly blonde wig and putting the finishing touches on her makeup. "You sure you're ready for this?"

Sly nodded, idly fingering his toolbelt as he studied the tall structure in front of them. The plan was simple: Carmelita would distract the guards and Esperando, posing as a bubbly young model wanting to get in on some of the action at the main studio they were at, while Sly would sneak in and try to find any evidence tying Esperando to the scandals. It was nothing that Sly hadn't done before, in his days as a professional thief or his currently short stint as Carmelita's 'amnesia-stricken' partner, but something about it all made him feel uneasy, especially with this assignment. He couldn't place it, but something about the building sent a shiver down his spine, and he couldn't help but feel like he had done this all before. He shook it off though; there were more important matters to be concerned about, at the moment, like the mission.

Getting out of the car, Carmelita headed towards the studio gates while Sly snuck around in back, using the alleyways and rooftops around the studio lot to watch Carmelita and wait for her to form an opening for him. As he watched Carmelita work over the guards, Sly thought back to the end of his adventures as a criminal, and the start of his life as an Interpol agent. Technically, his status as a constable and the pretense behind it were a farce; after the fiasco at his family's vault, he had feigned amnesia so he could be taken in by Carmelita and live a life closer to her. She had surprisingly taken the bait, and had even convinced her boss to train him as an agent, to keep up her story to him that he was her partner. Something bothered him about it, though: like the guards Carmelita was even now sweet-talking into letting her in, Interpol and Carmelita herself seemed to fall for his deception far too easily for his taste, making him wonder if they were indeed fooled by his farce. Which made him even more uneasy about this assignment, for if Interpol was playing along with his story, was Esperando on to their plan, as well? If so, were they walking into a trap?

Sly snapped out of his musings as he noticed Carmelita being led inside the main building of the studio. Regardless of his reservations, she had done her part beautifully. Now, it was time for him to do his part just as well.

**********

Carmelita wrinkled her nose as she was led to a large swimming pool near the center of the main building. Unusual-smelling incense was constantly burning in the halls, creating a musky fog that - when mixed with the unmistakable smell of sex from the many porn videos and magazines being made - made her light-headed and horny, a bad combination on her concentration. Even more disturbing was the dress code imposed on the place: everyone, including the guards and the secretaries, were naked, further distracting her from her mission.

As Carmelita approaced the pool, another figure - an Adonis-built male black panther - emerged from it. He was definitely a sight to behold: 6'7", 270 lbs of pure muscle, with an impressive package dangling between his legs. Carmelita knew that this was the legendary Esperando Ruth, but she couldn't help but swoon over his undeniable sex appeal.

Esperando casually walked over to a table and toweled himself off, slipping on a robe before turning to Carmelita.

"So this is the young thing that wants to join our little party, is she?" Esperando cooed, his sultry Latino accent nearly bringing Carmelita to her knees. He waltzed over to the Interpol agent, smirking kindly as he looked her over. "A delightful little dish, to be sure."

Carmelita blushed, finding herself strangly attracted to her suspect. "Thank you, Mr. Ruth."

Esperando chuckled and placed his hand on her back, kindly. "Please, we go by a first-name basis, here. Call me Esperando. Now, let us discuss your future with us..."

*********

Sly looked around to make sure he was clear before dropping into the darkened room below. It was a cinch to sneak into the studio's records office, though the constant nudity and musky air surrounding the former thief proved much more distracting than he thought.