//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: A New World, a New Lifestyle // by Omega_code //------------------------------// Xerox stepped into the black and white tile kitchen floor, glistening black counter tops, stove, oven, refrigerator and pretty much any other kitchen appliances. Someone likes black... he commented before his eyes began to slowly scan the area. He was looking for anything out of place... something that just stands out to him and says, ‘Hey, look at me!’. He tapped his chin slowly as he walked around room, hearing off in the background Maxim talking to Grace, the mare who informed them of who the victim was. The deputy was asking questions that would hopefully shed some light on who Cello was and try to get some background information about her. Information that Xerox made note to ask about later. He walked over to the counter, looking at the smooth surface closely, his mind searching for fingerprints. He went on searching for a moment longer before it clicked that the ponies didn’t have any finger to lay prints... only hooves. He let out a small sigh and shook his head lightly. Need to stop going into autopilot, he told himself before he resumed his study of the counter. His eyes were soon drawn to a cutting board along with a knife stand. The Zoroark strode over there and gazed upon the stand, immediately noticing a knife was indeed missing. And from what he could gather from his years working in a diner and slightly pulling out the remaining knives to glance at them, it was possible a bread knife was missing. Well... that would explain why it took a while to hack through the metal grating on the amp... he noted with a small frown. Now the question is... where is it... and who was last in this kitchen? he pondered as he straighten his pose and glance around the kitchen once more. He began to sniff randomly over the knives and over the counter top area. While it might look strange to anyone who might walked to see some human walking about sniffing like he was a dog, Xerox relied on his Zoroark’s senses to help him out as much as he can. And while his nose might not be as strong as a Arcanine or an Absol, it got the job done where he need it. He smelt several smells... which wasn’t a surprise since he was standing in the middle of a kitchen. However, the one thing he smell well enough was the scent of blood. Hmmm.... so the killer returned here after slicing up Cello, Xerox noted to himself with a small frown. But why... The Zoroark lifted a finger and rubbed it across his chin as he resumed walking around the kitchen looking for clues. He still felt there was something he was over looking... something he’s not focusing on that could be a key point in figuring out the case. His eyes slowly scanned the area once more, before looking past the table and fell upon a neatly folded apron resting on top of it. Xerox frowned slightly as he walked over and leaned down to study the apron. It was an ordinary white apron folded into a neat little square... not real out of the ordinary. Yet somehow Xerox’s mind seemed to be very interested in it and few questions began to appear in his mind. Like, why was it folded at all? Normally someone just hangs it over a chair or on a hook on the wall. Xerox glanced up and quickly gazed the walls, indeed find some hanging racks next to the side of the refrigerator. Well... that is odd... Xerox told himself as he reach to pick up the apron. “Did you learn not to touch evidence with your bare hands?” Lone Star’s rough southern voice spoke up suddenly from behind. Xerox’s fur jumped up behind his illusion and he quickly whirled around to see the earth pony standing in the middle of the doorway. “Oh... sorry... old habit,” he said, his illusion of his human self fading away back to his Zoroark’s body. “That and I don’t have any gloves with me...” The sheriff simply shook his head as he walked in up to the Pokemon. “So, Maxim told me what you ‘discovered’ so far about how Lance couldn’t have committed the crime. And after looking at the body myself, I do agree slightly.” “Slightly?” Xerox asked with a frown. “Yes, slightly. There’s still a possibility your friend could’ve done it and I won’t release him until you can fully prove otherwise,” Lone Star explained. “How can you even say that?” Xerox asked with a dumbfounded expression. “The doors and windows are intact, there’s no way he could have got inside to kill some random stranger.” “He could’ve been let in,” the sheriff replied simply. Xerox blinked blankly in confusion of the answered, causing the pony to sigh. “Look, I’ve lived long enough to know some ponies will either close their doors shut upon seeing a weird new creature, or opening them up widely to be friendly with it. So the possibility of either happening is in the realm of possibility still.” “But there’s a complete lack of blood on him or his blades to even put some or any of the blame on him,” Xerox pointed out. “It was raining heavily for around thirty minutes during the time some of the first calls of Pokemon sightings came rolling in, which is around the murder time too,” Lone Star remarked. “Meaning any blood on him could’ve washed away when he step outside.” Xerox frowned deeply. “That’s completely hypothetical!” The earth pony’s eyes dart up to the Zororak’s, causing the Pokemon to step back slightly from the hard glint in his dark black eyes. “Yes it is, but it’s my job to be like that. To make sure I don’t let any subjects just walk away from a cases, especially if it’s a murder case. So I will continued to detain Lance until I’m one hundred percent convinced he didn’t do it. Understood?” Xerox nodded his head quickly. “Crystal...” Lone Star nodded his head once. “Good... now, did you find anything interesting in here?” he inquired, glancing around the kitchen. “Well...” Xerox began, his ears perking up at the sound of hoofs walking in the hallway. He turned his eyes to see Meadow and Maxim walking by, their horns glowing as a black body bag floated between them. The Zoroark grimaced slightly as they walked out of view and he continued on speaking. “I notice there’s knife missing in a set... along with the faint smell of blood here.” “And?” Lone Star asked in an inquiring tone, his left eyebrow arching slightly. “And.... this apron just seems out of place to me,” Xerox replied hesitantly as he pointed a claw to the folded apron on the table. The sheriff looked at the Zoroark with a flat, expressionless stare. “Out of place?” he asked slowly. Xerox fiddle with his claws as he glanced away slightly. “Yeah...” “Any reason why?” Lone Star asked. “It... just does,” Xerox replied. “I can’t put my finger on it, but something about it just...doesn’t seem right, or is out of place.” The pony looked at him skeptically. “Right... and what exactly is ‘out of place’ of it?” “Well... for one, it’s folded,” Xerox stated. “I mean, I used to work at a diner and... well, the only time I’ve ever seen one folded is when I was handed a brand new one. The rest of the time I had to hang it up. Second... why is it on the table? Why not on the counter where it’s closer to all the cooking equipment? Not only that but....” He walked over to the table and carefully grab onto one of the straps and pulled it up. The apron unravel and right on the front as clear as day were small spatters of blood stained across it. “I think this was worn by the murderer when they killed Cello...” the Zoroark finished, glancing slightly at the sheriff. Lone Star stared deeply at the blood stains. “Well... I can see why you thought it was out of place,” he said calmly as Xerox place the apron back down on the table. “Yeah... especially considering that the missing knife is the murder weapon. Now why would they take that but not the apron?” Xerox mused to himself as he raised one of his hands and let his claws scratch slowly across the bottom of his chin. Once again, the jewel on his mane glowed and he effortlessly took on the guise of his human form. He pondered in his mind for a short moment before the sound of the front door opening caught his attention, and a new voice spoke up. “Grace? What are the sheriff's deputies doing here?” a mare’s voice inquired, a fidgety tone underlining her voice. Both Lone Star and Xerox exchanged small glances at each other before they headed out of the kitchen and into the living room. Standing in an open doorway was another unicorn pony, a cream coat contrasting the yellow raincoat she was wearing. Her green eyes widen slightly upon seeing the sheriff and they widen more upon seeing the weird creature standing next to him. “Sweet Celestia!? What is that thing doing in our house?” she asked out loud, taking a few steps back. “He’s here to help investigate the murder that took place here, madam,” Lone Star answered in a very casual tone. The mare’s eyes widen even further. “What?!” Grace got up from her spot on the chair and walked up to the mare. “Sanitary... Cello’s been... killed,” she said slowly, her voice quivering Sanitary blinked disbelieving, her mouth opening and closing as words refused to form. Grace nodded her head in agreement as she wipe away tears from her redden eyes. “I know... it’s hard to believe...” the teal unicorn said with several sniffles. “Who... would do such a thing?” Sanitary asked, her voice finding itself through her heavily shocked mind. “That’s what we’re here for, miss,” Lone Star stated. He then gestured his head over to Xerox. “This is Xerox, he’s helping in figuring out what happened here. I’m sure he and I would like to ask some questions for the two you,” he informed the two mares. The two of them turned their heads upward to the ‘human’ with a concern frown. Xerox’s eyes darted between their two faces. He swallowed a lump in his throat and let a look of confidence cross his face. You can do this Xerox... you have the clues and now it’s time to figure out how they all fit together. And to do that... these two will have the answers. He took in a deep breath and let it out. Let’s end this case.