//------------------------------// // An Evening with Golden Shield // Story: The Return of Mare Do Well // by L_Wolf //------------------------------// Chapter 26 Golden Shield left the holding cells and went back to his desk taking a seat behind it. He wasn't sure how much of Starbloom's story he believed or not. He knew about the corruption in the police department, everyone did. But he also knew that Mare Do Well and Silver Ghost had history, so her killing her wasn't to farfetched. He got up after a moment and went to the file room and pulled the files on the staged murder in the prison as well as a few other files going back to his desk he started to look them over. He hadn't been active in that case so most of what he knew was second hand knowledge. "So... Starbloom maybe you have been telling the truth." He said softly to himself after looking over the case files for the prison murder. It didn't take long to see the crime scene had been staged and that evidence had been planted. Even a first rate rookie could tell that much just from the crime scene photos. He looked at the time and saw his shift was over. He packed up the files on Mare Do Well, and Silver Ghost, as well as other reports into a saddle bag and placed them on his back. His interest in this case definitely peeked, he left the police station and made his way to his apartment. He didn't live to far from the station, it was a decent single bedroom, one step up from a bachelor pad. Golden Shield himself was a gruff looking stallion, big like Big Mac, red coat, with a yellow man and tail that had silver high lights and blue eyes. He had a cutie mark of a gold detective's badge on his flank. He placed the saddle bags on a table and took the files from them placing them on the table, taking a seat he started to look through them quietly looking through the files. "Hmmm, interesting.... surveillance pictures of Silver Ghost's murder.... the aura around the knife is purple." He said quietly as he pulled out the file on Starbloom from her record as a police officer and started to look it over. "Starbloom Sparkle, Ponyville, Class S telekinetic unicorn, special talents in research, evidence collection and locating missing persons, magical aura sapphire blue..." he read the file and frowned looking at the surveillance pictures again, the aura on the knife was clearly purple. "Some pony did use magic on the knife to kill Silver Ghost, but not Starbloom if her aura is blue." He got to his hooves and moved to the his kitchen opening the fridge and looked around getting a bottle of hard apple cider opening it and took a drink. "But how to prove it, as much as the image proves, it could be refuted as a camera glitch." He said to himself going to the table and took a seat. He spent the better part of the night looking over different files and images. There was a lot of circumstantial proof to show Mare Do Well never killed any ponies, as well as proof that her aura was blue and not purple as was in the images of Silver Ghost being killed. But no images of Nightshade in the area or using magic. He went to bed near eleven at night and sighed, "I'm not sure if what I have will be enough Starbloom, the evidence is just out of reach..." He said before rolling onto his side and drifting off to sleep. When he woke up the next morning he got out of bed and washed off before putting on his uniform and heading down stairs. He looked towards the police station and tilted his head seeing a lot of ponies protesting out front as well as Canterlot Guards stationed out front. "What in the name of Celestia is going on?" He said to himself as he trotted down the street. He made his way to the police station and was about to go inside when the guards stopped him, "Halt, no pony is permitted inside, Celestia's orders." One of the guards said looking down at him. "But I work here, I'm Detective Shield." He said showing his badge to the guard. "Even so, no pony is permitted inside. Here, you should read this." The guard said giving him a copy of the Canterlot Times. "Alright..." He said taking the paper and made his way down the street to a diner, he noticed a lot of the officers he worked with that would of been here missing. All of them had been on the take, he took a seat at the counter. He did notice someone in the diner he didn't expect to see though. "Coffee, black, and a plain cake donut." He said taking the paper out and started to read. It didn't take to long to figure out what had happen, it was front page news. "Breaking News out of Manehattan, late yesterday an envelop arrived at the chief editors desk naming multiple officers of Manehattan police force who had been taking bribes. There was also photographic evidence of a staged crime scene to help the dangerous criminal Silver Spoon to escape. Plus a recording of the Commissioner and an unnamed female officer talking about shading dealings and taking bribes from a third as of yet un-named pony. Princess Celestia has launched a full investigation into the corruption of Manehattan's police and judicial system. She has promised a swift resolution and harsh punishment of all corrupt police officers and judges involved." Golded Shield tilted his head folded the paper and put it away. "Hmmm.." he took his cup of coffee sipping it. "I get the feeling your involved in this..." He said softly, smirking softly into his cup. "Of course, it was the best solution." Starbloom said moving to sit next to him. "Though, I never expected I would get released myself...." she said softly, "Maybe having an alicorn princess as a mother can come in handy after all. Nightshade is still a problem though." Shield looked over at her, "Nice to see you free, I did find some evidence to prove your case." He said pushing the donut over to her. "Not a lot though, this Nightshade is tricky to find evidence against." She nodded at him floating the donut up and nibbled one on it quietly. "There... was one piece of evidence in what I sent to the reporters. Her name on the sign in sheet from the prison showing she was the one who visited Silver Spoon when she escaped and her murder in the prison was staged." Shield nodded over at her sipping his coffee quietly thinking for a moment. "What are you going to do now? Even if you've been released I don't the police is going to trust you. There is always going to be that doubt, if you killed her or not." He said quietly watching her. "I don't know, Nightmare is still out there... but after what happen I might just head to Ponyville and spend time with my family for a little while." She said finishing the donut. "I do want to thank you for your help Officer Shield." Shield smiled at her and nods sipping his coffee, "Sounds like a good idea, your suit is probably still in evidence lock up." He said looking over at her. "When I can get back into the station what do you want me to do with it?" She considered for a few minutes. "Hang on to it. I'll pick it up wen I get back." She said smiling at him moving to her hooves. "Thank you again for the help." "Your welcome, Starbloom, have a safe trip." He said watching as she left the diner sipping his coffee before paying for the coffee and donut getting up. He left the diner he went back to the station one of the guards calling him in to speak with him about the current situation. It was going to take time, but with most of the officers either arrested or suspended for corruption a platoon of Canterlot guards was going to have to be stationed around the city to help until new officers could be hired. Starbloom got herself a ticket to Ponyville and sighed softly watching the station move by as she was finally on her way out of Manehattan, and on her way back home to Ponyville. She still felt uneasy about leaving the city like this, but the stress and what has happened was becoming to much for her to handle.