//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 "Loyalty" // Story: Equestria Noir Case 4: Skies of Cloudsdale // by Jacoboby1 //------------------------------// Chapter 3 “Loyalty” They came by for Spitfire about an hour later. The police in Cloudsdale were nothing if not efficient. I knew not to touch the crime scene or speak to the suspect until they arrived. They went about securing the area with police tape and everything. As they were arresting Spitfire the Wonderbolt didn’t even look at Rainbow. Spitfire was making an effort not to be seen by a fan of hers. I could tell there was something special between them. While they were securing the building I walked up to a crestfallen Rainbow Dash. She was sitting against the wall her wings drooped. I put a hoof on her shoulder. “Dash, it could’ve been an accident” Dash looked at me her magenta eyes fighting tears “I know it’s just…it’s hard to see Spitfire in a situation like that” She wiped her eyes with a hoof. I nodded at the cyan colored Pegasus “Don’t worry, I’ll find out what happened” “Won’t do you much good” said a rather snobby voice behind me “This case is open and shut” I turned to see a chocolate Pegasus walking out of the crime scene. He wore a detective’s badge and a newsy hat on his head. He had a cutie mark of a magnifying glass, although he hardly deserved it. His golden eyes looked at me with scorn. I returned it, I knew this guy far too well. “Well well well, if it isn’t Clippers…” I said not bothering to hide my disdain. “That’s Clipard to you! I thought you were off the force Private…” He didn’t even try to hide his contempt for me. “I’m just here to make sure that detectives like you don’t buck things up” I said mockingly. Clippers snorted at me “Well this case like I said is open and shut. Don’t you have some filly to find or something?” “I’m on vacation, so why do you believe this case is so open and shut?” Clippers gestured with his wing for me to enter the crime scene. The room was small, square and had a desk in the front and a large window on the side. CSU ponies were everywhere combing the place; Clippers puffed out his chest and spoke in that irritating voice of his. “The victim was a stallion named Texem, middle aged, male and manager to the Wonderbolt Spitfire” I looked at the corpse. Texem was lying on the floor blood seeping from a head wound. I bent down and levitated out my magnifying glass. Clippers continued “We found out that the suspect was fixing races for the guy. Then she made that little display this afternoon and you have motive and opportunity” Rainbow flew out and got in Clipper’s face “Hey! Spitfire would never kill anypony!” “Then how do you explain the gun?” Clippers said smirking “It was on the floor in front of her when she was caught” “We heard two shots!” Rainbow retorted “They could’ve been fired from Texem!” Clippers let out a huff “So what? Are you saying that the victim was suicidal?” “He could’ve shot himself to try and blame Spitfire!” “That’s ridiculous! Over one race?! Surely it couldn’t have been such a loss!” “Then where are the bullets? If there were two shots heard and only one bullet in his head then where is the second bullet?” Clippers smirked again and walked to the wall next to the door. “Right here” Rainbow flew in to get a closer look at it; I followed and looked at the bullet myself. The bullet was the same caliber as the gun that was in front of Spitfire. “That first shot might’ve been a miss and then the suspect took the gun in the struggle and shot the victim” Rainbow was about ready to pound the guy. I would’ve let her had I not noticing something. “It’s too big” Both Clippers and Rainbow looked over at me and said at the same time “What?” I pointed at the bullet hole “This bullet” I then gestured to Texem’s bleeding head. “Doesn’t match the size of the hole in Texem’s head” Clippers looked at me incredulously “What are you saying? That there were three bullets?!” I nodded “That’s what I’m saying, this bullet” I pointed to the bullet in the wall like a teacher would a problem on a chalk board. “Is a .32 caliber bullet, I know because I own a gun that uses that kind of bullet caliber” Rainbow looked at me “So what was the caliber of the bullet stuck in Texem’s head?” I looked over at Texem and turned his head to get a better look at the whole in his head. Rainbow looked like she was about ready to throw up. “Bathroom’s that way” I said pointing to my right. Rainbow zoomed out to deposit her lunch in the bank of toilet. I turned back to the corpse and looked at the hole. Sure enough, the hole was way too small compared to the bullet in the wall. “This bullet hole I’d say was made by a .22 caliber bullet…used by a sniper rifle” Clippers scoffed just as Dash reentered the room. “And just where would that bullet come from?” I walked to the window and pulled out my magnifying glass. I saw a small hole the exact same size as the one in Texem’s cranium. I turned to Dash and gestured to a book case right next to the door. “Dash, could you remove the books from that book case?” She nodded and set about removing the books one by one until she let out a small gasp. “Private! I found the second bullet!” I walked over and sure enough on the 4th shelf from the ground was a .32 sized hole in the book case. Clippers looked about ready to kill “Spitfire could’ve hired an assassin or somepony to kill Texem!” I frowned “While she was still in the room? Really Clippers did all those years working traffic teach you nothing?” “First of all it’s Clipard! Second of all I’m working Homicide now and you have no jurisdiction here!” He growled as he got in my face. “You solve one case and suddenly you think you’re a big shot? I remember you Clippers you couldn’t solve a crime if the murderer stood up in the middle of the square and shouted ‘I did it!’” “At least I’m not a half baked detective who thinks he can do better than everypony else on the force!” “Whose flank did you kiss to get on homicide?” I said mockingly “Don’t change the subject! You’re nothing but a worthless, cowardly, and ungrateful detective who can’t keep his hoofs off a case. Why I have half a mind to-“He was interrupted by a rainbow colored blur that hit him in the chest. Next thing I know I see Dash wailing on him. “You take that back you worthless jerk!” She said why she was punching Clippers in the face. “Nopony goes around and insults Private like that!” Several officers grabbed Clippers and I grabbed Rainbow. “I’ll have you arrested for assault you ingrate!” Clippers shouted while being held back by his fellow officers. “You should thank me!” Rainbow shouted back while I did my best to hold her back. “I fixed that ugly mug of yours!” I dragged a yelling and squirming Dash out of the crime scene. She was shouting many words at the detective involving his mother and something about elder berries. We left the building and I sat Dash down in front of me while she tried to calm down. “Dash what were you thinking back there? You don’t just assault an officer because somepony insults me. You’re lucky I got you out of there before things got too ugly.” I scolded in a voice that I was used to using on Tailspin whenever he stole from the cookie jar. I never thought I’d have to use it on a full grown mare. Dash glared back at the building “I just couldn’t sit there and take what he said about you” “You punched an officer because you didn’t like what he said about me?” I said with a raised eyebrow. Dash nodded solemnly “Yeah, I just can’t take it when somepony insults or hurts one of my friends” “I’m your friend?” I said a little confused. Dash nodded and smiled “Yeah, you’re willing to help Spitfire and you gave me that ticket to the race. I think you’ve immortalized yourself as my friend” I smiled a little at the young Pegasus “Alright, just make sure you don’t wail on anypony unless I ask you to okay?” “Alright” She sighed “I’ll try to have a little restraint” I patted her on the head “That’s a good girl, now let’s go solve this case” ______________________________________________ We both walked a little ways, well I walked but Rainbow hovered along next to me. She looked at me curiously. “So where are we going?” “To talk to Spitfire” I said simply Rainbow’s eyes got wide “We’re…going to…talk to…Spitfire!?” “Ayup” I said chucking a little at my impersonation of Big Mac. Rainbow shot up in the air and stated flying circles in sheer delight. “Omygoshohmgoshohmogoshthisissoawesomeawesomeawesomeawesome!!!!!!!” She’s more energetic then Pinkie Pie when it comes to the Wonderbolts. I smiled a little, heroes can do that to you I guess. _____________________________________________ We arrived at the detention center and Dash was sweating like a leaf. She kept fidgeting with her hoofs and mumbling to herself as we walked down the hallway. I looked at her with a bemused expression. “You nervous?” “Yes! I mean no, I mean…” Dash said her face flushing in embarrassment. “I’m just…I never thought I’d meet my idol like this” We got to the door and I stopped before it. “If you want to sit out you can go ahead” Dash shook her head and puffed out her chest in confidence “No way! I’m going to find out why Texem would make Spitfire race like she did!” I smiled at her “Okay, just try not to freak out too much” Dash let out an audible gulp as we entered the interrogation room. “So you’re the detective huh?” “Oh…my…gosh…” Rainbow said looking at the mare who said that. Spitfire looked…different out of uniform. Her coat was a bright yellow and her firebrand mane was let down. She was very muscular for a mare her size and her orange eyes were half opened. She had this calm and smooth air about her that you felt compelled to respect her. She smiled at me then looked at Rainbow who was just staring at Spitfire wide eyed. “Well well well, if it isn’t my biggest fan Rainbow Dash. You made quite a splash today at the race” She said looking over at the cyan Pegasus. Dash rubbed the back of her head blushing as red as one of Applejack’s apples. “Oh it was nothing really” I looked over at Spitfire “Miss Spitfire I’m Detective Private Eye, I’d like to ask you a few questions” She nodded “Sure, ask away” We sat down at the table in the center of the room. Dash was trying her best to handle the situation mentally. I was just glad that Spitfire was being cooperative. It was refreshing having a suspect that didn’t immediately lawyer up when you first started talking. Spitfire looked at me “First of all I want to say that I didn’t kill Texem” I nodded “I believe you; we found out that an assassin’s bullet is what took care of Texem. I think I can understand why somepony would want him taken out” Rainbow looked at me “And what’s that Private?” I looked at Spitfire “You were acting strangely at the race today, like you wanted to lose” Spitfire looked at me, then at Dash. She sighed and smiled a little “Nothing gets past you eh Detective? Yes, Texem asked me to try and rig the race so I would finish second…” Dash looked at Spitfire in shock “Why would he ask you to do that?! What manager would want their flyer to finish second!?” I nodded knowingly “He was betting money against you wasn’t he?” Spitfire looked at me “Yeah, he had a lot of bits riding on me coming in second. He said to ‘make it seem like it was close’” Dash pounded the table “That jerk! Spitfire, how could you ever agree to that?!” Spitfire’s orange eyes looked hurt. Dash calmed down, and sat back in her chair. Spitfire then looked at me “He…had something on me…He said he would use it if I won the race” I returned her gaze “That ‘arrangement’ you were arguing with him about. What exactly did he have on you that would make you forsake your pride as a racer?” Spitfire spoke the next words as if she were confessing a sin before Celestia herself. “You know Soarin right?” Dash nodded “Yeah, he’s your second in command on the Wonderbolts” “Well…him and I…well we were always close. I mean it was me who taught him how to fly. But, as our careers went on we became…closer” Dash looked at me confused “What is she talking about?” Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I turned to Spitfire “You and Soarin…are dating” Dash’s jaw dropped like an anvil “Spitfire and Soarin! They’re dating! Oh my gosh!” then suddenly Dash grew quiet and then. Spring! Dash’s wings suddenly became erect and she flushed with embarrassment. “Oh Spitfire please don’t take that the wrong way!” Spitfire was trying to hide a laugh “Wing-boner spotted…” I looked at the two of them as Dash tried desperately to flatten her wings. “Wing boner?” Spitfire was trying desperately not to laugh. “It’s a thing we Pegasi do when we feel turned on by something” “Turned on?” I looked at Dash with a grin on my face. “Dash…are you thinking dirty thoughts about the two of them?” Spring!   Dash flushed even redder “No I’m not! It’s just, my wings are feeling itchy! I’m not thinking about Soaring and Spitfire doing it!” Spring! I smiled and gestured to her now even more erect wings. “You don’t need to be a Detective to solve this one” “I’ll just get some air!” Dash flew out in a rainbow colored streak. I could’ve sworn I heard her mutter. “Stupid wings” I turned back to Spitfire who smiled and said “Never thought I’d see the day when that would happen” “You have to remember” I said “You’re her idol, so imagining you doing it with another idol of hers…well that’s quite a wet dream” Spitfire flushed a little in embarrassment “That’s why I wanted to keep it private” “I don’t remember hearing anything hinting at a romantic relationship between you two in the tabloids” Spitfire nodded “Yeah, we wanted to keep things a secret because we didn’t want everypony hounding us asking what I wear during my nights with him or something” I was starting to get a boner of a very different kind from imagining this lovely mare in socks but I shook my head and refocused. “So I can guess that is what Texem had on you, he threatened to expose you didn’t he?” Spitfire looked at me, and then slowly nodded “Yeah, he threatened to tell all the papers about us, Soarin and I could never have any time alone if that happened” “So he threatens you, but you were having a fairly decent winning streak according to the papers I found on you. Why the sudden change? Why did he decide to reinforce his will over you?” Spitfire’s orange eyes closed “Because…I was going to quit…”