Sly looked up to us with a smokey smile. "Oh,Hello. How may I help you gentlecolts today?" He asked as his eyes went down to see Dusty's badge.
"Well, we're from the P.V.P.D. and we came here to ask you a few questions." Dusty said.
"Ask away officers." Sly said as he flicked the ash off his cigarette.
"Well, first off you can tell us if you've seen the Cutie Mark Crusaders as of late." I say walking forward with Dusty.
Sly sat back in his chair pondering with his hoof on his chin for a moment. "Hmmm, oh you mean those three little fillies? I saw them yesterday at around noon, why do you ask?" He asked as his cigarette burned further down with a deep inhale.
"Well you see Sly, they went missing yesterday. After speaking to you of course." I inform him not telling him he was suspected.
"Oh? Well I'm sorry to hear that. You want me to keep my eyes open for them then?" He asked.
I turn around swiftly looking at his inventory of pornography. "Well, we wanted to ask a few questions as to why they were here yesterday. As you well know this isn't exactly a place for young little mares; now is it?" I saw picking up a hardcore bdsm DVD from the shelf.
"Hey, they came in just wanting some help with a cutiemark, I told them they can't be in here and asked them to leave." He defended.
"And what did they ask exactly?" I asked putting back the DVD and moving down the shelves.
"I can't remember, I was a bit hungover from the night before. Something about how I got my mark." He said referencing his bold 'XXX' cutie mark as he put out his cigarette in his ash tray crammed with butts.
"Hmm, Anything about working?" I asked looking at him out of the corner of my vision.
"Eh, Maybe. I of course turned them down." He answered taking another cigarette out and putting it between his lips.
"Well before they left did they mention where they were going?" I asked taking out my notepad.
"I think I heard them talking about going to 'Shady Corner' that arcade down the street from the burger shop." He said taking a puff of smoke as I walked closer to the counter.
"Also, Might I ask where you get your smokes?" I asked looking at the near empty cigarettes display on his counter.
"I get a supply from Flim and Flam ever week or so. Why do you ask?" He questioned looking at me.
"Oh, Just wondering how you get them. May I buy a pack?" I asked as I heard Dusty's jaw drop behind me.
Sly smiled. "Of course! Their two bits a pack." He said excited to make a sale.
I went into my bag and pulled out a couple bits and paid him promptly. I took the pack of cigarettes and throw them in my bag.
"Anything else?" Sly asked.
"Yes, May I possibly see your sale records?" I said nonchalantly.
Dusty looked to me confused as to where I was going with this, but remained silent. "I can't, I keep a strict privacy policy for my patrons." Sly informed me as he fiddled with his lighter to get his smoke lit.
I looked at the lighter noticing it was a plain silver flint lighter that was rather beat up, and worn. "I can understand, However I do request that we see them." I politely demand.
"sure you can look at them...Once I see a permit." He said blankly as his cigarette lit and a wisp emitted from its end.
I sigh. "Fine, We'll get our permit. Last question. How much was that lighter?" I asked curious.
"Five bits, Why?"
"I collect lighters and I was just wondering, Where did you get it?" I inquired.
"I bought it from Flim and Flam." He answered a bit confused.
"Thank you. Hope you have a good day, Sly." I say as trot past a confused Dusty Prints. He gathers his thoughts and nods to Sly as he leaves with me.
Dusty looked to me. "What was all that about? And you smoke!?" He asked.
"Narrowing down our suspects,I don't think Sly had anything to do with it. And I don't smoke, I got the pack for something else." I said as we walked down the cobble street.
"And how do you figure that? We saw he was smoking flim-flams." He pointed out, Not asking about the cigarettes.
"Yes,But did you notice the lighter? The one at the club house was a nice expensive lighter. His was five bits and it looked worn." I said looking through my notes.
"So?" He asked tilting his head.
"Well, If he was able to afford a gold lighter why would he buy one for five bits?" I questioned.
"Maybe he has more than one?" Dusty answered as he shrugged.
"Smokers in Ponyville only have one lighter, And only buy lighters when they lose one; Now the age of the lighter showed he had it a while. Plus his cigarette stock was low; What that means is he hadn't got in his new stock, which means he hadn't seen Flim and Flam for at least a week." I explained.
"Okay? what why would that matter?" Dusty asked scratching his long black mane.
"It matters because lets say that lighter at the scene was his okay?" I said as Dusty looked at me.
"Okay."
"Well if he lost it yesterday there isn't a way he could buy a new lighter from Flim and Flam as they wern't in his shop lately; If they were he would have had more smokes." I said.
Dusty looked at me. "Good point, But what if he bought it somewhere else?" He asked.
"Hard to get lighters in Ponyville, Only places that sell them are Flim and Flam, a few shops in northern Ponyville, Or the convince store clear across town. However, The only places in his price range are Flim and Flam and the convenience store
" I stated as I put my notes in my bag.
"Okay, that all makes sense, But why did you want to see his sale records?" He asked.
"Well, our foalnapper is a heavy smoker, so they would be a regular buyer,If they buy from that shop we could find out the times they go in,or if they use credit their address." I stated as I shivered.
"What if they don't buy from Sly?" He asked.
"Well, That's why we find out what shops sell them." I said.
"And we do that how?"
"We get the info from the suppliers themselves." I said in a dry tone.
"You mean the brothers?" Dusty asked.
"Yep, Now you go find them and try to get them in for questioning,or a copy of the records for the orders. Also pick me up a five bit lighter." I requested.
"Huh? Where are you going?" He asked me as I started walking to the burger shop.
"First; Some burgers, I'm fucking starving, And second; I'm going to ask the owner of the arcade for any info." I said walking off.
"Good luck Keen, I'll meet you at the station." He said. I thanked him as we parted ways and I walked towards my destination.