//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Dead Men Tell Tales // Story: Equestria Noir Case 1 "The Big Macintosh Case" // by Jacoboby1 //------------------------------// Chapter 2 “Dead Men tell tales” “How in the name of Celestia did you convince me to let you tag along?” I complained sourly as I walked through town with Twilight next to me. I was not happy about her tagging along and she was well aware. Her violet eyes looked at me with some manner of annoyance. “It’s my town so I’d think I would have a right to try and find out what happened. Besides, it’s a little exciting actually solving a real mystery.” I couldn’t deny that she looked a little excited, and that's what had me worried. “This isn’t a picnic you know. Let’s go and find the crime scene.” It wasn’t difficult to find as there was a huge crowd of ponies gathered around a small alleyway between three buildings. There was a post office on the left, a hardware store on the right and the back wall of a hair salon between them, blocking the exit of the alley. It was a one way alleyway mainly used for garbage; today however, it was a crime scene. The crowd parted when me and Twilight came up, many of them were whispering about me. “Is that the detective...?” “I heard he’s from Manehatten...” “He’s not what I expected...” I largely ignored them and walked on. I looked at the two police ponies serving as guards and they held up the police tape for me and Twilight to duck under. Crouching near the body was an older pony with a dark coat and a mane that had long since turned grey. He looked up at me and laughed. “Well I’ll be damned, if it isn’t Private! I didn’t think you’d come.” This was Forceps; he’s a pathologist, which basically means he looks at dead bodies all day. Personally I think he’s been on the job for far too long. He had a strange fixation with some of his corpses. Forceps however was the best pony when it came to autopsies and I’d trust my left leg with him. “Good to see you as well old timer, I see you haven’t retired yet.” He laughed again. “They can’t make me retire; I’m the only one who’s any good at the job. Besides it means I get to travel often and see lots of ponies.” By ponies he meant corpses. I shook my head and smirked, Forceps had an, interesting sense of humour. “What have we got here?” Forceps stepped aside and I saw the body. Twilight must’ve seen it as well because two seconds later I heard somepony vomit in a trash can. I stepped close to the body and bent down, using telepathy to pull out my magnifying glass to examine the body. Forceps started talking as I looked at the body. “Stallion, I’d say about college age, orange mane, a light yellow coat.” He then started listing off random facts about the body. Some you really don’t want to know. “Ultimate cause of death?” I asked. “I’d say blunt force trauma thanks to somepony bucking the guy in the head, though I’d have to take him to the lab to get a closer study.” “Can you estimate a time of death?” “I’d say around midnight judging by the temperature of the body, again I’d have to take him to the lab if you want anything resembling accuracy.” I nodded and stood up. By then Twilight had recovered from her brief lapse with sickness. I walked up to her; she made every effort not to look at the body. She looked at me apologetically. “Sorry it’s just, this wasn’t what I was expecting at all…” “Happened when I saw my first murder victim Twilight, don’t think you’re the only one who’s lost their lunch over something like this.” She seemed somewhat reassured, and then I noticed she was levitating something, it was a wallet. “The victim's wallet?” “Mmhm, I found it on the ground just by the trash cans, somepony tried to dispose of it but missed the can.” She opened it and had a look inside; she pulled out one of the cards in the pockets and showed it to me. I looked at it; it was a farmer’s license with a picture of our victim and a name: Tangerio Orange. “Tangerio Orange, says here that he’s a farmhand for South Orange County Fields. That's a really big orange farm way down in the tropics.” “You know that off the top of your head?” Twilight said, sounding a little impressed. “No knowledge is useless in the field of criminal justice” I said sagely “I have subscriptions to 16 magazines of various subjects.” She smiled a little, I must have impressed her a little with my knowledge. I turned my attention back to license; at least now the Police can contact a next of kin. I walked over to one of the uniforms he turned to me I levitated him the wallet in a plastic bag. “Have the labs analyse this, and also contact his family and inform him of the bad news will you?” “Yes sir! Also detective, we have a mare over there who says she saw what happened.” He gestured to a mint green pony talking with another officer. “She says she saw our suspect fleeing the crime scene last night.” “She saw somepony? Who was he?” “I hate to say it. But it was Big Macintosh, big fella who works with his family on Sweet Apple Acres.” I had heard of Big Macintosh, or Big Mac as he’s known locally. He along with his two sisters and grandma were the resident workers on the farm. “We had him arrested on suspicion and he’s being kept at the detention centre at town hall.” Twilight, who was next to me, shook her head. “Big Mac would never hurt anypony; he’s one of the nicest stallions I know.” “Let’s talk to the witness and make sure she has her story straight.” I walked to the pony in question. She looked the same age as Twilight and me. She looked at me, her yellow eyes betraying her worry for what was going on. I spoke plainly but firmly. “Miss, I’m Detective Private Eye and I was told you saw what happened last night.” She nodded. “Yes that’s me, I’m Lyra by the way. But, I don’t think Big Mac did anything wrong! I...” “Nopony is saying anypony has done anything, just say what you saw.” She nodded again and sat down on her rump. I sat down as well, keeping my face level with hers. I had to see if there was anything funny in her testimony. She took a deep breath and said, “Alright, I was working very late last night on a new song with my friend Octavia, we were going to audition for a show in Canterlot next week and she insists on long practices. When I got out it was almost midnight. As I was walking home I heard a huge crash from the alleyway there. I ran to investigate when I saw Big Mac running out of the alleyway, he looked so scared and he ran off before I could stop him. I stepped into the alley to see what scared him and then...” Her eyes started to well up, Twilight handed the poor mare a tissue to wipe her eyes with. “Now you’re sure it was Big Mac you saw? It wasn’t just somepony who looked like him?” I asked, my voice even. “No, the street was lit last night so I could see it was him. Oh Celestia’s flowing mane tell me Big Mac didn’t do it!” She obviously felt guilty for witnessing Big Mac. In all honesty I would’ve felt guilty myself but right now there wasn’t time for that. “Thank you Lyra, You’ve been a big help...did you see anypony else leave the alleyway?” She looked thoughtful for a moment then said, “No, but I could’ve sworn I felt something fall on me when I entered the alleyway. I think it was just a fly or something.” I nodded to Twilight who understood, she trotted off to look over the crime scene again. I turned to Lyra whom had calmed down. “Thanks Lyra, We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.” _________ “Well did you find anything?” I asked as I walked beside Twilight. She had a saddlebag on containing various items inside. “One thing actually that I found interesting, I found this on the ground near one of the trashcans.” She levitated out a rather large black feather. “A feather that belongs to a Pegasus” “Twi, that feather could’ve been dropped from anypony that happened to be flying by. But hang onto it, it may prove useful.” She looked a little disappointed that what she found was not some all revealing clue. We stepped into the detention centre. It was attached to town hall and was rarely used by anypony. I would take that as a good sign if it didn’t mean I’d be out of work. I walked up to the officer guarding the door. “Detective Private Eye, I’m here to see Big Mac.” the officer nodded and stepped into a side door. In five minutes I was sitting on a chair with only a little strip of unbreakable glass between me and the biggest stallion I’d ever seen. It was obvious he was a workhorse, what with his large frame and the yoke he had around his neck. He had a red coat and blond mane, his eyes made it almost look like he was bored. He just had this well mellow look about him. I couldn’t peg this guy for murder if I tried. He picked up the phone so we could speak to each other. I started the talking, “You Big Mac?” “Eeyup.” He had a very distinctive accent. “I’m Detective Private Eye. Are you aware of why you are here?” “Eeyup.” “Are you the one who committed the murder of Tangerio Orange?” “Nope.” “Nope?” “Nope.” At least he didn’t try and beat around the bush. This was a pony of simple words. I took out my notebook and started writing things down. “Did you know Tangerio?” “Eeyup.” “How did you two know each other?” “He’s mah cousin.” So he does know more than two words! “Did you guys have any fights or anything?” “Nope.” Luna’s horn this was going to get old fast. I decided to stomp on the Parasprite here. “Big Mac, Lyra testified that she saw you last night leaving the alley Tangerio was found in. Can you please explain what you were doing there?” Suddenly his eyes turned from mellowness to serious. “That’s family business Detective. There is no way Ah’d ever even think of hurting anypony!” I apparently stepped on a nerve as big as a manticore. “I believe that” I said, trying to keep my voice level “So why were you in the alley?” “Again Detective, that’s private family business and Ah don’t think ya need to hear it.” This guy was as stubborn as a mule, and I’ve met a lot of mules to know that. “Big Mac, did anybody threaten you? There’s no way you’d be there just for a late night stroll!” His eyes looked at me, then down, and then he set down his yoke and dug something out of it. It was a note written in very fine hoof writing. Dear Big Macintosh Come to the alleyway by the post office. If you don’t I will personally buyout the farm with or without your consent. M. O. “Somepony was trying to buy your farm?” “Eeyup, some big fancy pony who don’t know a lick about Sweet Apple Acres has been trying to get me to sell the farm.” “I can tell you didn’t accept.” “Horseapples Ah didn’t accept! The farm is mah responsibility! Ah wouldn’t sell it fer nothin!” “So you went to the alley and saw Tangerio, that's when you ran?” “Eeyup, he was already dead when I got there, real shame.” he said in a sombre tone. “Did you see anyone leave the crime scene?” “Nope, but I did see a big shadow fly off, coulda sworn it looked like uh Pegasus.” So, Twi’s theory of a Pegasus being there may not be so far-fetched. “Thank you Big Mac, I promise I’ll get you out of here somehow.” “Ah’m sorry I wasn’t up front with ya, Ah’ve never told anypony about it.” “What’s important Big Mac is that we find who did this and stop him from hurting others.” “Detective, please could ya take this to mah sister Applejack?” He slid a small envelope under the little opening in the glass. I looked at it the levitated it into my trench coat. “Alright, and Big Mac, I want you to know I’m behind you.” His green eyes looked at me uncertainly. “Why Detective? Ah yelled and screamed and almost lied to ya. Anypony else would’ve called it quits when I started the yellin part.” “You just wanted to protect your family from getting caught up in this hell. I admire any pony that puts his family above himself.” I turned away and walked out.