//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Painless Murders // by bkc56 //------------------------------// “Do you know what today is?” She smiled innocently at me. “Tuesday?” I offered, hoping against hope. “No silly. What’s today to us?” Do you know what today is? A simple question, but one that drives fear into the hearts of stallions everywhere. I’ve seen a hardened E.U.P. veteran reduced to a simpering foal under the assault of that question. My mind raced hoping to shake loose some answer, any answer that might save me. I had only seconds. If today was to be my end, I would meet it with bravery, and with grace. “Sorry, Citrine, I don’t know.” My ears fell as I awaited my doom. Citrine’s sister was across the room, her head buried in a filing cabinet. Without looking up, she declared, “After you’re dead, I get your stuff.” “Not helping, Opal,” I shot back. She replied with a dismissive flap of her wings. Citrine rolled her eyes, then with a big grin she said, “It’s our anniversary.” I tilted my head and cocked an eyebrow. “What? No. That I do know. Our anniversary isn’t for several months yet.” There was still hope. It wasn’t our anniversary. It wasn’t her birthday. That meant it was a trap, one I might be forgiven for falling into. “No, no. Not that anniversary. Today marks one year since our first real date.” I sat up straight, my ears up and alert. “Ahh… And just which first real date would you be referring to?” “Oh, you and your attention to details. I’m talking about just after the changeling invasion of Canterlot and that missing pony case. You took me to dinner and dancing. It was different. You were different. That was the first time I felt like you were looking for something more than just a fun evening.” I nodded. “You’re right. I had… changed.” I never see happy couples in this job. But that one case, for Quicksilver and Misty, was different. I saw something in that couple, a closeness that I wanted for myself. “Well, I noticed the change.” She gave me a soft smile. “And I was thrilled when it looked like you were willing to give us a chance. And look where it led.” I smirked. “I think it led to a strange land where I get asked if I know what day it is.” She laughed, and the light seemed to dance in her eyes. “Anyway, happy anniversary. And tonight you’ll take me out somewhere nice, right?” “Absolutely I will. And I suppose dancing too?” She nodded enthusiastically. Opal added, “So does that mean I don’t get your stuff?” Citrine and I glanced at each other and snickered. As Citrine returned to her desk, I surveyed the office. Discrete Discovery Private Investigators had come a long way since I worked solo from that old office-slash-apartment I used. These days the paint was fresh, the building clean, and there was no family of mice subletting behind the bookcase. Perhaps the biggest change was that the plural ‘Investigators’ was no longer a lie. After her twenty years, Citrine retired from the police force and became my business partner. Not long after, we hired her younger sister, Opal, to manage the office. I smiled to myself. Perhaps the universe had decided to finally give me a break. Then again... There was a thump at the door. We all looked up as the door opened, revealing a light blue pegasus. I recognized her immediately. “Misty?” She was panting. Her ears were down, and her face was stained with tears. Her usually beautiful mane was disheveled and dirty, and her wings hung low at her sides. She fell against the doorframe and slid down to her knees. I sprang from behind my desk and knelt down in front of her. “Misty, what’s wrong? What happened?” My mind was already grasping at possibilities, none of them good. Her voice was tight and hesitant. “Please... I need your help.” She closed her eyes and sobbed. I glanced towards Citrine and tilted my head towards Misty. Citrine moved next to her, sat down, and gently stroked her mane. Opal took a few steps closer, her brow wrinkled with worry. Misty looked at me. I felt my body tense as I saw the fear and pain reflecting in her eyes. “Please, Mr Steel.” Another sob racked her body. “Quicksilver has been arrested. They say he… They claim he murdered somepony.” Her head dropped as the sobbing overwhelmed her. My heart stopped. None of the possibilities I’d imagined had been that bad. “He what?” I glanced at Citrine, who returned my wide-eyed gaze, shaking her head ever so slightly. “I don’t believe it.” I gently lifted her chin to look at me. “We’ll figure this out. First, you need to tell me everything you know.” I paused for a moment. “No, wait, I need to do something first.” As I stood up, I touched Citrine on the shoulder. “Take care of her.” I stepped around them and bolted towards the office at the end of the hall. The sign on the door read Legal Eagle, Attorney at Law. I burst in, relieved to see the gray unicorn sitting at his desk. Startled by my abrupt entrance, he looked up. “Steel. In a bit of a rush there… Uhh, is something wrong?” I slid to a stop in front of his desk. “I need your help with a client. Right now. This is really important. Can you come?” I took a tentative step backwards inviting him to follow. He stood up and gathered a legal pad and pencil in his magic. “You’ve always been there when I needed help with a case. What’s the problem?” I turned part way around. “It’s a former client of mine. His wife just showed up saying her husband had been arrested for murder. I don’t know anything about the case, but I wanted you there to hear her explanation from the beginning.” “Absolutely. Let’s go.” He stepped around his desk, and we left the office. As he closed the door he asked, “Am I working for you, or for her.” We started trotting down the hall. “I don’t know. But I will personally guarantee your fees for now, at least until we get some kind of a handle on this.” He nodded in reply. We entered my office to find that Misty had been moved to a chair by my desk. She still looked a mess, but she was calmer and sipping from a glass of water. She looked up as Mr Eagle and I entered the room. “Misty, this is Legal Eagle. He’s an attorney I’ve worked with before. Given the situation, I thought it prudent to get legal help immediately. So, please, start from the beginning and tell us absolutely everything you know. You never know what might be important.” I sat down at my desk. Legal sat in the other chair next to Misty. “Oh, Mr Eagle. I’m sorry. I must look a fright.” She nervously pawed at her mane. “Misty, is it?” She nodded. “Please, don’t give it a thought. Right now, all we care about is helping you and your husband. So let’s start with his name and just what happened.” “My husband’s name is Quicksilver. He’s an alchemist with a degree from the Canterlot School of Gifted Unicorns. One of the projects he’s been working on for the last few years is a mixture to send messages great distances. Steel has seen it.” She glanced at me, so I added, “I used it in a case for Misty and Quicksilver about a year ago. Absolutely brilliant work.” The barest hint of a smile momentarily crossed her lips. She returned her focus to the attorney. “He’d finally got it to the point where it was ready to be used commercially in controlled situations. Perhaps ambassadors sending messages to the princesses, or something similar. So yesterday afternoon, he took the completed paperwork, copies of his notes, and a sample of the mixture to the Bureau of New Product Registration. His appointment was for 4:30, and he got home about an hour later. We went out to dinner to celebrate after that.” She paused to take another sip of water, then closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Letting it out slowly, she continued, “He said the appointment went smoothly. Everything was turned in and recorded. The clerk said she would do a quick check for prior art that evening and start the official filing process in the morning. “This morning around nine, the Canterlot police showed up at our house. They knocked once and entered before we could even answer the door. We were in the front room, reading, and they arrested Quicksilver right there. They said it was for murder, but they didn’t say who. I heard one of them say it was an open-and-shut case.” Tears started to well up in her eyes, and once again her voice got tight. “They dragged him out of the house. I didn’t get to speak with him. I didn’t even say goodbye.” She sobbed a couple times, then looked me in the eyes. “I didn’t know what to do, or who to turn to. Then I remembered you and how you helped us before. I got here as fast as I could.” Eagle finished taking notes on his pad and looked at her. “Misty, I promise we will figure this all out. Trust me when I say we will do everything we can to help your husband.” She mouthed, “Thank you,” but little more than a squeak came out. He continued, “Do you have someplace you can go where you won’t be alone?” She nodded. “I could go home as Tinker would be around. But I’d rather go to my parents’ house.” I then asked, “So I gather that your handypony Tinker Cob still works for you guys?” She nodded again. “Okay, Opal here will accompany you.” I waved her over. “You go home, pack some things, and have Tinker watch the house. Then you go to your parents’ place and wait there until we contact you.” Eagle added, “Do not talk to any reporters under any circumstances. If the police want to talk to you, do not say a word until I’m there with you. They can’t force you to talk without your lawyer, so just keep asking for me until I get there.” Misty nodded her acknowledgment. I glanced at Opal. “After you get Misty to her parents, come back here. All current cases are on-hold. If any new clients come in, collect their information and tell them we’re booked for at least a week. You hold down the fort, okay?” Opal moved next to Misty. “No problem. You all do what you need to do. I’ve got this.” She reached out and laid a hoof on Misty’s shoulder. “If you’re feeling up to it, we should head to your parents.” “Yes, of course,” Misty replied. She then glanced between me and Eagle. “Thank you. Thank you both. I don’t know what I’d do without...” I grasped her hoof. “You’re welcome, Misty. You go on with Opal now. And try not to worry too much. We’ll know a lot more in a few hours.” Opal helped Misty stand up, and they slowly walked out of the office and closed the door behind them. The three of us sat quietly for a few moments. Legal broke the silence. “So, do you think he did it? Could Quicksilver actually have killed somepony? It will make a big difference in how I approach this case.” “Absolutely not,” I replied, slamming a hoof on the desk. “I know them.” I glanced at Citrine. “We both know them. We’ve gone out together several times. They attended our wedding. I will not believe Quicksilver could hurt, let alone kill anypony.” And I meant every word. Yes, ponies can surprise you with what they're capable of. But not this pony. Not Quicksilver. “Okay. Then we approach this as a false arrest. Rather than working to build a defense, we’re working to prove his innocence. I also need to try and get him released on bail.” “So what’s first?” Citrine asked, sitting down in the chair Misty had vacated. Legal was prompt and direct with his answer. “As his attorney, the law provides for my access to arrest reports and other case information. That extends to my staff, which in this case we’ll specify as you two.” He stood up. “We need to get to the police station immediately.”