Equestria Noir Case 2 "Death's Front Door"

by Jacoboby1

Chapter 1: Miss Rarity

It was about a week after our last case. I’d spent most of that time settling into my new office and room space. Twilight was willing to give me her spare room at her home. I’ll admit the prospect of living in the same building as Twilight had a strange appeal. I spent most of my evenings there while during the day I was getting used to the new office. Ponyville was a charming little town filled with some interesting Ponies. I wasn’t about to run out and make friends with everypony however. The fewer ponies I involve in a case the better. The only problem was that there hadn’t been a single case since the last one. I sat in my office chair looking out my window.

Twilight was at her desk working through papers from the last case. “Is it always this quiet in between cases?”

I sighed “That’s what we get for living in peaceful Equestria. Hardly anything bad happens around here. Tangerio’s murder was a rare occasion; at least, I hope so”

Twilight lifted her eyes from her papers and looked at me from her desk “I guess I was just expecting ponies to start lining at the door in the hopes we would solve everypony’s problems”

“Well get used to the quiet sister. It’s a long wait in between cases usually. Especially if you’re a private detective”
“That’s something I’ve wanted to ask about. You’re pretty close with the police force but you’re not part of it. Why?”

“I left them a long time ago. That’s a subject you really don’t want to get into”

I heard Twilight mumble something along the lines of “Okay Mr. Mystery...”

Just then Spike came in carrying a bunch of files. “Where do you want these Private?” He said trying to balance all those files at once.

I used my magic to help balance the stack of files for him. “In the filing cabinets Spike, be sure to sort everything in its right place”

Spike walked to the filing cabinets and started filing “Why are we keeping all these old case notes anyway? I thought we solved the case”

I turned away from my window to look at Spike “It’s very important that we keep all cases on file. That way we can look back at them if we need to. Besides, something about the whole thing still bugs me”

Spike sighed “If you say so, I still think you guys are keeping them just so you can give me more work”

Twilight smiled “Well, I could always ask Owlowiscious to do it Spike...” Suddenly Spike worked like there was no tomorrow. Twilight smiled at me “Works every time” Just then a knock was heard at the door. “A client?”

I got up from my desk. “I’ll get it” I said as I stepped to the door and opened it with my magic. I was blown away by the beautiful white coated mare before me. Her mane was a shiny purple and her eyes a glistening blue. I snapped out of it when I noticed those same eyes were leaking tears. “Can I help you mam?” I said politely.

She spoke in a highly refined style I’ve only heard spoken in high class society. I was not expecting this kind of refinement from Hic-I mean Ponyville. “The sign said you were the private detective who helped Applejack?”

“That’s me" I stepped away from the door and gestured with my hoof to the room inside "Why don’t you come in and tell me what’s wrong?”

“Thank you kindly detec- Twilight?! What are you doing here?!” She said looking beyond me and at Twilight.

“Rarity? I was going to tell you about-”

“So this is where you’ve been all week? Being pencil pusher for this fine stallion here? You weren’t going to tell me there was an eligible bachelor in town?”

Twilight facehoofed “This is why I didn’t want to tell you...”

Rarity walked passed me and to Twilight. The two spoke in low voices for a second, I couldn’t guess what they were talking about. Only that Twilight seemed very defensive all of a sudden. I noticed Spike fussing over himself and I walked to him. “I take it she’s a friend of Twilight’s?” I said as he fussed with his scales.

“Yep, that’s Rarity, now do my scales look shiny?”

“Shiny? Spike, “I smirked a little. “You wouldn’t happen to be trying to impress the lovely Miss Rarity would you?”

Spike flushed deep red and went back to fussing over himself. Just then the white mare turned away from her conversation with Twilight and saw the baby dragon. “Oh Spikey-Wikey! I didn’t know you were here too! I’m glad to be surrounded by friends at a time like this.” She gave Spike a smile that Spike returned. I cleared my throat to get Rarity’s attention.

“Mam, I was hoping you could-” I was cut off by the white mare raising her hoof.

“It’s Rarity detective, I’m not that old” She said flatly but very ladylike.

“Rarity, could you tell me why you came in the first place please?”

Rarity nodded, the tears from before starting to come back. “Alright, can we…sit down? It’s been a terribly long day dealing with the police”

I nodded and gestured to the coach. Rarity sat down on it trying her best to keep calm. Twilight sat beside her and I moved my chair to face Rarity. “Could you tell us what happened Rarity?” I asked calmly

Rarity looked at me, and then at the floor, then she used her magic to open the handbag she had on her. She levitated a photo out and showed it to me. It depicted a young filly that shared Rarity’s coat, with a curly periwinkle and pink mane and huge green eyes. I also noticed her flank lacked a cutie mark; she had to have still been in school. “Detective, this is my sister Sweetie Belle. I believe she has been kidnapped”

Twilight’s eyes grew huge “Kidnapped?! Sweetie Belle!? Rarity are you sure she didn’t just run off?”

Rarity looked indignant. “Twilight, if she ran off do you think I’d be here in the first place!? I contacted both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, they both haven’t seen her. Nopony in town has seen her! So you bet your mane I am sure she didn’t just run off!” I wouldn’t want to mess with this mare on any day of the week. Whoever kidnapped Sweetie Belle had a lot of guts or stupidity trying to cross Rarity.

Spike puffed up his chest and sat on the other side of Rarity “Don’t worry Rarity! Private will help find her! I’ll do everything I can to help too!”

Rarity turned her sapphire eyes to me. “You’ll do it? Help me find my sister?”

I looked at Twilight who nodded. Kidnapping cases aren’t my expertise but I wasn’t about to turn down Rarity. Maybe I was just getting soft by coming here. I nodded and smiled “Yes, I’ll help you find Sweetie Belle”

Rarity leaped off of the coach and hugged me with her front legs “Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!” She suddenly realized what she was doing and let go of me. “Sorry, I lost myself there. Thank you Detective, I’m happy I was able to turn to you”

“Alright, when was the last time you saw Sweetie Belle?”

Rarity let out a breath “Well, it was the night before last. I was working on a dress for a very important client and my parents were out of town that evening”

“Dress? You’re a fashion designer?”

“The very best!" She said with pride "I design for ponies in Canterlot you know”

I might need to ask what she thought of Fedoras. They needed to make a comeback. “So anyways, what happened next?”

“Well, Sweetie Belle and I got into an argument...oh it was a silly thing” I could suddenly feel the earth shake as Rarity was ready to snap. “SHE WOULD NOT STOP NAGGING ME TO PLAY HER STUPID GAMES!!!! I TRIED TO REASON WITH HER, BUT NOOOOOOO! IT WAS ‘RARITY! WHY DON’T YOU EVER PLAY WITH ME?!’ I TRIED TO BE A KIND AND CARING OLDER SISTER BUT HOW CAN I WITH SUCH AN ANNOYING YOUNGER SISTER!!!” Mental note: don’t piss off the marshmallow colored mare. Doing so is generally bad for one’s health, both physical and mental.

Rarity let out a breath again “Sorry that was very unladylike. After our little...disagreement I sent Sweetie Belle up to her room. About ten minutes later I heard a crash...I thought it was her throwing something out of anger. I ignored the first couple of crashes but then, I heard her scream. I ran up to her room as fast as I could...but then...she...was gone...” She started sobbing softly; Spike put a hand on her shoulder for comfort. Rarity smiled at Spike and levitated a handkerchief out of her purse to dry her eyes.

“Did you get a ransom note or anything?”

“Yes, it arrived this morning” She levitated out the note and showed it to me. I looked at it.

Dear Rarity

If you ever want to see Sweetie Belle again you will deliver 10,000 bits to the edge of Everfree forest. If you don’t, Sweetie Belle will be hanging from a tree...

I took the note and just glared at it. “Nopony threatens a filly like that!” I shouted as I threw the note. I couldn’t stand it; some sick bastard had a scared filly trapped in...Wait, calm down Private. I let out a breath and put the note on my desk. “Rarity, do you know of anypony who would do this?”

Rarity shook her head “Not that I know of, I can’t think of anypony who would be willing to do something like this”
“I’ll find her Rarity. Twilight, get everything together” Twilight nodded and went to work packing the gear. I looked to Rarity and removed my trench coat. “Rarity, would you be so kind as to give this thing a patch job? A hole has started to form in some of the pockets”

Rarity looked at the trench coat with an expert’s eye. “Well, when was the last time you had this cleaned?”

“You have to clean trench coats?”

“My point exactly, I’ll take this to my shop and clean it up at once!” and with that Rarity was out the door. Twilight and Spike looked at me like I just convinced her to grow wings and become an Alicorn.

It was Spike who finally spoke. “Her sister is missing and you want her to give your coat a patch job?”

“It’s to distract her" I said knowingly "She needs something to do to keep her from completely breaking down”
Twilight looked at me again like I said she’d grown a second head “But shouldn’t she be helping us look for Sweetie Belle?”

“She’s better help staying out of the case as much as she needs to. Clients don’t always make the best help on a case. I’ve had way too many clients on kidnapping cases do something stupid or breakdown. Doesn't help anypony when they do and it’s best to give them something keep them occupied”

Twilight sighed “Alright, I’ll trust you on this one Private. You are the expert”

Spike crossed his arms “I still don’t like leaving Rarity out of the case”

I chuckled “You just want her around so you can stare at her flank all day Spikey- Wikey”

Spike turned beet red “I do not! And don’t call me that!”

“I won’t, I’ll just let that be Rarity’s pet name for you lover boy” I replied smiling cheekily.

Spike turned even redder as I said that. Twilight tried not to laugh at the whole thing. Young love, something that is always so innocent and so fun to make fun of. We walked out with the gear in tow as well as a grumbling Spike.
Twilight looked at me as we walked out of the office “Rarity will probably be buying things for your trench coat. Her house is just down the street”

I nodded “Alright, let’s see if we can’t find clues as to the whereabouts of Sweetie Belle” A new case had begun and I was in full detective mode now. It happened whenever a case began. For some reason it wasn’t as strong as it used to be. I felt more obligated to help Rarity find her sister then to just find the truth. Maybe it was just the atmosphere here that caused me to think like this. Either way, I wasn’t about to let this kidnapper hang Sweetie Belle from anywhere. I wasn’t going to rest until that filly was brought safely home.