//------------------------------// // Chapter III: Incognito // Story: Danger Around Every Corner // by Gleaming //------------------------------// Two vans pulled up to Gold Record's studio apartment, as a group of investigators with detectives walked into the apartment. White flashes from a set of cameras took photos of evidence around them, cracks in the wall, and a pool of blood made up their set of evidence they scoped the scene for anything else they could find. Bloody hoofprints caught Trixie by surprise, her wide eyes followed each blood-stained print when the trail ended at the kitchen counter. "Looks like it won't take long to wrap this case up. But we need to test it at the forensics lab later, Octavia how are you holding up?" Octavia, with the instrument case hauled over her back, answered Trixie's question in the most eloquent tone. "I'm holding up just fine, thanks." Roseluck walked over to the assault rifle and pocket knife left on the floor of the apartment, "Trixie, Octavia, you might want to come over here." The two detectives gazed down at both weapons, rubbing their chins intently. "What kind of idiot leaves weapons behind?" "An idiot who wants to get caught," Roseluck snickered, sealing a bag of the cracks in the wall and drops of blood inside of small tubes. "Got that right. Trixie is getting kind of hungry," Trixie's stomach started to rumble at the thought or mention of food. "Me too. Let's head out to Perfect Slice's Pizzeria for a slice, what do you think, Trixie?" Octavia gestured her right forehoof for the other investigators and detectives to head outside. Trixie's cheeks changed to a visible beet red, rubbing her shoulder, "Oh no, we shouldn't! Perfect is probably closing shop as we speak," Watching the detectives exit the apartment, Trixie daintily rushed down the stairs out to the front doorstep. The evidence was moved into the two white vans as they closed each door that shook the vans, but noticed eventually to keep the vans steady. They patted each other on the back for a job well done, Roseluck tapped Trixie on the shoulder. "Still hungry? We should seriously head out to Perfect Slice's Pizzeria, it's not that far away," Roseluck furrowed her brow, looking intently at Trixie. "There is absolutely no way that you will drag me to go there! You guys think that I have feelings for Perfect Slice?" "Octavia and I don't think that at all. But, now that you mention it," Roseluck dragged Trixie into the back of the van, closing the doors shut and speeding off to the police station downtown. "Octavia, do you want to go with the other detectives to the forensics lab?" "Sure, but be sure to bring some food back for me." Octavia rubbed her belly, her ears flopped down at the sides of her head. "Of course, we will," Roseluck mimicked the steps in Pinkie Pie's promise, topped it off by crossing her heart and covering her eye with her hoof before struggling to keep a hold of the steering wheel. She regained control of the wheel, opening the back doors of the van as Octavia stepped out to the sidewalk with the evidence in tow. Roseluck turned the car around in a u-shaped formation to the opposite direction of the station. The wheels of the vehicle left behind skid marks of burnt rubber and a thin trail of steam, she turned her head to check on Trixie bouncing around the walls of the van like a rubber ball. "How are you doing back there, Trixie?" Trying to regain her composure, or in this case her lunch, Trixie steered the wheel to the right with her light blue aura. The van came to a complete stop, parked near the pizzeria. She grabbed a plastic bag to empty out the grotesque contents that filled up her cheeks as a river of green bile rushed out of her mouth and into the bag, letting out an exhausted sigh. "Trixie will deal with you later. Let's just get this over with." Perfect Slice's concentration broke once he heard the friendly chime of the bell. That bell always gave him something to look forward to, no matter if the next pony he serves badmouthed him without giving a hint of consideration for good service, sometimes Perfect would just stand there and smile like a mindless zombie. "Good to see you again, Trixie. You even brought a friend with ya!" "I'm Roseluck. Nice to meet you, Perfect Slice," Roseluck pulled her hoof back after Perfect placed a delicate kiss upon it. "The pleasure is all mine. What can I get for you two?" Perfect pulled out a notepad and pen from his mane. "Where did you get-" "It's better not to question it, Roseluck," Trixie touched the cold metal at the bottom of her stool, spun around happily on the stool like a happy filly playing in the snow. "Whatever object that comes out of my mane is usually an unexplained occurrence. Would you like to try two pepperoni pizzas and two egg creams?" Perfect's hazel eyes looked away from the notepad. "Actually, we were just leav-" Trixie's words only came out as muffled, incoherent sentences from Roseluck reaching a hoof over to close her mouth. "We would love that. Thank you," Roseluck pushed the azure unicorn's face, their cheeks literally brushing up against each other. "Coming right up, I'll be back in a jiffy." Perfect trotted off into the back of the kitchen with a little pep in his step, happily humming an old song his father used to sing to him when he was little. Providing happy customer was grand, Ponies would travel all across the land, Just to take a bite out of a freshly prepared dish, With every savory bite, I knew they got their wish. The pizzeria loves bringing happiness to all, Make sure to come back and give your friends a call, I guarantee they won't miss a thing, That bell warms my heart every time it goes ding. Perfect, I want you to remember me. Cherish my memory after I'm gone, please. I leave this place of business to you, I hope to see you soon, kiddo. The giddy stallion grabbed two tall glasses from the bottom cabinet under the sink, placing them down on the counter with a thud. He twirled a spoon around his right forehoof, and scooped up an one inch amount of chocolate syrup into the spoon. After the chocolate syrup was ceremoniously dumped down in the glasses, he added two-point-five centimeters of whole milk covering the syrup in its white, milky contents. He poured some cold seltzer water into the glass, making sure that the amount was similar to that of the chocolate syrup and stirred vigorously until his creation foamed up to the top. Perfect flattened a ball of dough on his cutting board, and tossed the ball high up in the air. The flat dough ball spiraled around its own center of gravity coming down towards him, balancing the rotating dough on the tip of his muzzle. "Aw yeah!" Roseluck's eyes were zoned out to Perfect, who sprinkled pepper on the pizzas, and finally added the pepperoni. She didn't pay any attention to Trixie waving a foreleg in her face, trying to snap her out of her trance. "Rose, why do you keep staring at Perfect?" Trixie wondered, her eyebrows raising up and down with curiosity piqued added to the mix. Trixie rolled her eyes, a smug grin etched across her face, "No reason. Let's not insinuate anypony of liking that grease ball, even if he has a soft heart." "See you do like him," Rose's pearly white teeth formed a cheeky grin, pointing over to the back of Perfect's grease-covered apron, showing off his flank to Trixie's open eyes. "Like I said earlier, Trixie will deal with you later," Strands of Trixie's mane blowed away from her eyes, the strong winds forcefully opening the double doors of the pizzeria. [/hr] Octavia stepped onto the pressure pad of the forensics lab, a door automatically opened before her as she walked over to the police station's main computer database that tracked the most dangerous criminals in Detrot. Prying open the containers of forensic evidence, she poured the blood into the spinning test tubes and placed the weapons under the luminescent light of a microscope. A device spun three test tubes in three hundred and sixty degree motions as the computer scanned down the list of possible suspects that would match the blood type. Scrolling further down the list, Octavia spotted two names at the end results of the list. SCANNING RESULTS: Blood Types: Type A and B List of suspects reduced to two: Gang leaders and hired murderers that reside in Detrot. "This will get us nowhere to finding out who killed my friend-" Buzz! The vibrating phone moved about on the desk, its bumping around ceased to stop when Octavia grabbed the phone, "Hello?" "Octavia, I'm outside of High Energy, how are Trixie and Roseluck holding up?" Twilight spoke softly into the phone, tuning out the distraction of ponies that couldn't handle their alcohol waiting outside for the club to open for tonight. "They went over to Perfect Slice's pizzeria after we finished gathering evidence. Quick question, do you know any gang leaders or hired murderers that would want to kill a music producer?" "About that, you might want to hear this. They announced on the news that Golden Record died from the surgery they performed on him, his injuries were so severe they couldn't save him. I'm sorry," Taking off her fedora to place on her chest, she bent her head down to wish that Celestia had mercy on his soul as she backed up to the brick wall that was leading to a dark alleyway. "I'll try to come to terms with this, Twilight. For now, good luck on finding the guy, see you later." Octavia cut the conversation short, her head face down on the desk. A bouncer guarding the door to High Energy, released the red velvet rope, letting each pony that waited for hours inside of the club. He watched aimlessly for the next set of ponies, but still kept his eyes open for anypony who would attempt to get past him or sneak in undetected. Twilight closed her eyes as her horn sent a wave of magic that washed over her, completely changing her appearance into her disguise. Long black fishnets traveled up her flank and down to the bottom of her hooves, curly long mane reached the tip of her shoulders. Black roses with sharp thorns replaced her original pink sparkled cutie mark as the bouncer let her inside of the club. She started scoping out each corner of the club, her senses keeping her on high alert for anything suspicious. Nothing out of the ordinary but drug crazed, crazy ponies who enjoy partying on a Saturday night. Rowdy crowds of party goers shuffled their hooves along the colored tiles while others relaxed behind closed curtains with a stripper, neon bracelets wiggled around the raving ponies with each step that they took until they couldn't dance anymore. Squeezing herself through the crowd, rubbing against hot sweaty bodies around her. She gingerly walked over to Ace, flipped a lock of curly hair away from her red ruby eyes exchanging looks with the notorious gang leader. "Excuse me, are you, Ace?" Ace popped his collar, letting out a quick chuckle. "Yes I am, whose asking?" "I'm new to Detrot, and I was wondering if you would let me give you a little entertainment?" Twilight fluttered her eyelashes, seductive eyes caught a glimpse of his hidden bulge pointed straight up directly to her waist. "Who am I to say no to a beautiful lady?" Ace didn't have time to react once Twilight grabbed him by the wrist, whisking him off to the private backstage area and sat him down forcefully on a stool. "Let's get started," Twilight reached into her trench coat and jingled a pair of hoofcuffs in the air. She applied a little pressure on the handle, a clinking noise opened the hoofcuffs as she tucked his forelegs behind the chair, locking the cuffs around both wrists. "You are under arrest for-" Twilight quickly turned her head to four members of the Aces and Eights gang, stalking her from the four corners of the area. "Untie me you idiots!" "We will, as soon as we deal with her."