The police parked their flashing cars outside the concert hall and the crowd was blocked from getting inside. Ponies were trying to peek over the blockade around the backstage corridor. Trixie and Starlight were allowed in, since they were part of the, now cancelled show. Thankfully, I knew one of the officers, so I convinced him to let Lyra and me in.
The explosion came from Hinny Hendrix’s dressing room. The door was blasted open, the walls and floor singed heavily. But the explosion wasn’t large enough to knock down any walls, or even cause major injuries. That last part we can only assume, as Hendrix himself was nowhere to be seen. I looked around the dressing room, while Lyra questioned Starlight and Trixie.
“Hendrix had some unexpected ideas for the show.” Starlight explained. “He had this cannon and wanted to shoot fireworks out of it, during the song Fire.”
“It was originally going to be some standard pyrotechnics,” Trixie added, “you know, sparks flying out of the neck of his guitar, some puffs of flame around the stage, you know, that sort of stuff. But we had some spare fireworks left and he asked if he could borrow it. I told him, ‘sure you can have it’!”
“And now we’re here.” Starlight finished the train of thought.
“So you just put a bunch of fireworks in the dressing room?” Lyra asked in disbelief.
“Hey, I was going to teach him how to deal with them,” Trixie clarified, “I didn’t even give him any of my fire orbs. It’s not my fault he found a way to light them regardless.”
“Are you sure about that Trixie?” I asked as I lifted a fire orb, out of a pile of ash that I assume was the box that contained the fireworks.
“Interesting!” Lyra said in a very accusatory tone, as she turned back to Trixie.
“Hold on!” Trixie exclaimed. “I did not put that in there!”
“Then how did it get in there?” Lyra pushed Trixie further.
“Hendrix took the fireworks himself.” Starlight stepped in. “And if you remember, the fire orbs ignite immediately. Which means, it was put there when Hendrix already had the fireworks.”
Lyra stopped to think as she realized, her judgment was too hasty. “That is true.” She said. Though, I could tell she was not going to let that lead go that easily.
“Ugh, I’m not surprised by Lyra’s reaction!” Trixie complained. “Everypony’s been suspecting me from the start. ‘Hack performer plans to blow up greatest guitarist of all time’ says the newspaper,“ she gestured dramatically with her hoof, ”false rumours all around. It was only Hendrix who trusted Trixie, but his agents were trying to convince him otherwise, as if I couldn’t hear them whispering.”
“Trixie isn’t as bad as you might remember Lyra.” Starlight continued. “She’s changed, she realized her grudge for Hendrix was silly and offered an apology tour. Which he happily accepted.”
“This is just typical Starlight,” Trixie complained further, “I try to do something nice and everypony just assumes the worst.”
“Right,” I said, “but we still need to find Hendrix and find out what happened.”
“Perhaps it was a ghost.” Starlight offered an explanation.
Lyra’s face assumed a displeased expression. “A ghost...” She said in a similarly displeased tone.
“It is said,” Starlight carried on, “that this dressing room is haunted by the ghost of Pranceley.”
Lyra’s expression did not change. “A ghost...” She repeated, further highlighting what she thinks of that explanation.
“It is true,” an officer approached us. He was carrying a roll of tape and a big padlock, “Pranceley died in this very dressing room and other ponies who used it reported paranormal activity.”
“Exactly,” Starlight continued, “and Pranceley had a feud with Hendrix as well.”
“Yes,” Trixie continued, “Trixie followed the events very closely.”
“You thought Pranceley’s death was Hendrix’s fault.” Lyra sneered at her.
“Eh, Trixie never believed that herself.” She replied.
“But he and Pranceley never made up.” Starlight added. “Maybe this whole thing is his revenge.”
"Oh come on!" Lyra sighed. "A ghost? Really?"
"Do you not believe in ghosts, Lyra?" I asked her.
"Yeah, next to all the weird things that happen in this world," Starlight inquired, "it's ghosts that you don't believe in?"
"Look, I don't know for sure whether ghosts exist or not," Lyra explained, "but every time ghosts are brought up, it always turns out to be something else. I am certain, that that's the case here as well."
"And what do you think that is, Ms. Officer?" Trixie asked mockingly.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
"Well, feel free to have a hard think about that, because you're not going in this room." The officer put the door back in its place and locked it up. “I’m going to be watching this door all night, so don’t even think about doing any detective business here!” He then left.
Clearly, that officer wasn't the one who knew me. I knew a way Lyra could find the answer. All I needed is some alone time... And a maneclip.