I have to call it in, of course. The guards aren’t gentle when they take Rarity and escort her to the station. She doesn’t resist. Her eyes and mouth are wide, bewildered, horrified. I follow the lot of them back to the station. They’re subtle, sticking to back streets so that none have to see a Bearer being treated like the worst kind of criminal imaginable. We slip away into the fog like thieves in the night.
When we arrive at the station, silence falls like a lead curtain. None say a word when she’s brought in. Not the guards. Not the officers. Not a word.
And I’ve never felt more disgusted with myself in my life. Something hisses in the back of my brain and I have to tell it to shut up.
There’s no ceremony. She’s brought to the cells for a bit while the higher-ups are informed. Then it’s off to interrogation, locked up behind glass and steel. I watch her from behind the one-way mirror that parts our worlds. A lady, through and through. She keeps her head high and her eyes dry. The Chief stops me from trying to slip away with the excuse that I need to catalogue the new evidence. He sends a rookie instead.
One of the top dog guard ponies comes in. He tells me he’s taking over the interrogation. I toss him my notes and tell him to knock himself out. I don’t get any amusement from his look of disappointment that he didn’t get a fight out of me. Nor from the Chief who’s looking at me like I went and grew a second head.
My guts twist as I watch him enter and spread my notes across the table.
“What the heck’s gotten into you, Sideways?” whispers the Chief into my ear. “Since when do you bend over for royal guards?”
I don’t answer. I see the guard’s lips move silently, the conversation going back and forth. My heart’s racing in my chest. Why is it so loud? Why can’t I shake this damn feeling?
“Sideways?” Hoof on my shoulder. Turn. Chief looks at me. Worried. “You alright, son?”
“Fine,” I say.
Liar. Not fine. You’re not fine and you know it. Guard inside looks down at his notes. Sort. Shuffle. Question. Rarity answers. Shuffle. I look at her eyes and I know she isn’t lying but it isn’t what the guard wants to hear.
Ringing in my ears. Hard to breathe. Coat’s feeling hot like coals and I’m sweating. Am I sweating? Cold in the back of the neck.
“Holy hell, Sideways, what’s the matter with–”
“I need air,” I gasp. I shove past him. He yells something. I don’t hear it. Keep moving, head down, ears still ringing. Outside, dear Luna, get outside. Need to breathe, walls are closing in.
Panic attack. I haven’t had a panic attack since... Since...
I burst out the doors of the station. Heart’s pounding, blood’s racing. It’s all catching up to me.
The rain comes down in a light drizzle, like the feathers of angels fluttering against my cheeks. Suddenly it’s like I’m drowning and my hooves fall out from beneath me. Someone shouts my name.
The thing in the back of my head screams.
What’s more terrifying? That I’m right? Or that I’m wrong?
Someone shouts my name. The fog vanishes and I hear it.
“Sideways! Get a hold of yourself! Where’s Doc?” Chief’s got me on his shoulder, trying to shake me. It all comes into focus.
He flinches when I grab at his neck.
“I’m okay.”
“Like hell you are, you just keeled over! Someone go get–”
“I’m fine,” I spit. My grip tightens. “Just drop it, Chief, for pony’s sake.”
He licks his lips nervously and looks back and forth between me and the cops coming to see what’s gone wrong. Keep face, damn you. I’m fine. You can’t let them think anything’s wrong.
“Right, nothing to see here, folks,” finally says Chief. “Ol’ Sideways here’s not used to the cigarettes anymore. Just had a bit of a coughing fit.” He says it so professionally that I almost believe him.
I manage to stand and look like I’m alright. Heart’s still racing. When they’re gone, I fumble for a cigarette, breathing the soothing smoke deeply. It helps.
“What the hell is the matter with you, Sideways?” the Chief barks when I try to move past him.
“Nothing,” I say. I try to keep my voice from trembling. I fail.
“Bullshit. This isn’t like you. I know we aren’t exactly pals, but for the love of Celestia, you’ve got to give me something here. One second you’re fine, and then next you look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s biting you?”
“Nothing. Just a bit of a fainting spell.”
“A fainting spell? Sideways, the hardass from Phillydelphia needs his smelling salts like a rich old mare? That’s not the pony I know.”
“Then maybe you don’t know me at all, Chief,” I shoot back, ripping the cigarette out of my mouth. “Not like that’s exactly news to you.”
“Well maybe if you spoke to me once in awhile we wouldn’t be having this problem. You can’t keep playing this game, Sideways.” He jabs me in the chest. I stagger. He’s stronger than I realize. “This is your can of worms. You’re the face of the PPD whether you like it or not. This isn’t just about you, no matter how much you think it is. There’s way too much on the line for you to run off like a prima donna scaring the daylights out of everypony. So you will get your ass back in there and–”
“It wasn’t her,” I finally say. It comes out as a shout, and what few pedestrians there are in the rain give me a strange look.
“Come again?” asks the Chief.
“I said it wasn’t her. Rarity isn’t the murderer.”
“What are you on about?” he cries, throwing up a hoof in frustration. “You found the murder weapon in her damn kitchen. She can’t explain how it got there, and with what happened–”
“It’s just too easy, Chief,” I say, shaking my head. “It doesn’t add up. None of it does.”
“What does add up is that we have a suspect with a motivation and a murder weapon. That’s reason enough.”
“But it wasn’t her. I know she isn’t lying.”
He cuts me off with his hoof. “Hold it. Is this about your whole ‘reading ponies’ thing again?”
My silence answers as a ‘yes’.
“For crying out loud, Sideways, use your damn head. This is police work! I respect your intuition, but that’s not going to stand up in court. You know that!”
“If you respected my intuition, then we wouldn’t be having this argument,” I answer dryly, letting my cigarette fall and grinding it into the dirt.
“You have got to be...” he presses a hoof into his brow. The veins on his temples bulge like ugly scars. “Sideways, you’re lucky Doc isn’t here. Because if he was, he’d agree with me and you’d be clinically diagnosed with a case of being out of your fucking–”
“Excuse me?”
“What?!” the Chief screams, turning on his heel. He bites his tongue after finding himself face to face with the guard who took my notes.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asks cautiously.
“No, no,” apologizes the Chief, straightening his uniform. “The detective and I were just having a little bit of... a debate. That’s all. Is uh... something the matter?”
I know what the guard’s going to say before he even says it. I mouth out the words like they’re the lyrics to my favorite song.
Not enough evidence against her. Can’t link the murder weapon. Suspicious but not enough. No strong motivation. Not enough information. Alibi checks out.
The Chief nods through the whole speech, and nods politely when the guard hands him my notes.
I keep my head down and walk past him, trying to grab my notes. He doesn’t let go.
“Sideways,” he says slowly and quietly.
“Chief?”
“Tell me honest, son. Do you have another lead?”
The words hurt my throat. It’s like coughing up pine needles. Or maybe a kitchen knife.
“No. I don’t.”
He nods slowly, eyes vacant. He doesn’t get angry. There’s only disappointment, and that hurts even more.
“Go home, Sideways,” he murmurs sadly.
“Chief–”
“I said go home. I’ll have Miss Rarity taken care of. I’m going to need to file a report on this anyways. Just... get some sleep, son. Take tomorrow off.”
I should defend myself, tell him he’s wrong, tell him to shut up and that he doesn’t know any better. Take a drag, shrug him off. Instead I’m numb.
Night falls. The rain swallows me whole and I feel myself disappear into the cold fog.
2intense4me
It looks like Rarity knows something.
2721620
Then again, Rarity is a neat freak, so the cuts would fit her.
However, I think she DID kill Pinkie, but she didn't actually want to do it, she was commanded or something.
2725891 There's a progression here. Cake Testimony linking last hours to Twilight. Twilight linking the book to Fluttershy. Fluttershy linking the dress to Rarity. She's keeping silent, so I'm imagining she's protecting someone. Rarity has Applejack's hat. Best bet is that we'll be meeting with AJ next, and yet somehow this can only end with Dash (because one does not simply leave out Rainbow Dash), if it's one of the bearers at all.
2727553
That... Is a very good prediction.
2727553
I wonder, though, if we should be examining the case for clues, or the story itself.
2727808 Pinkie's place has windows, but there were no remarks made on broken locks. If a trusted Pegasus (like RD or FS) was allowed in the front door, I imagine he or she could easily lock the door and fly out the window afterwards. There's nothing to link to her yet but she's the only one of the six who hasn't got mention yet and Chromo mentioned that Noir is often about things that are left unsaid.
2727826
That has nothing to do with with what I said.
2727846 I must have understood your intentions then. Were you not talking about using the information within the story to figure out things logically, rather than using meta-knowledge of story structures to try to guess the thematic progression? I covered a bit of both with my reply comment, but seeing as that was not to your liking, could you please reiterate your previous comment so I may understand what you WERE saying?
2727880
In the case itself we are being presented the observations and interactions of the perspective character.
However, as a reader we may have greater insight into the lives and natures of these characters than the characters themselves do.
There are several things that may or may not have significance but would only have such to the reader rather than the characters.
So what do we know that Det. Sideways does not?
And what does he know that we know he's not telling us?
2727938 Ah, a good view to take. For a start, I'm fairly certain that given the show we know that NONE of them would do something like this. Still, this isn't exactly the show (AJ/Rarity), so I imagine that Sideways would have a greater understanding of events than we the readers.
2727969
Well Rarity has had her fashion career nearly ruined by her friends 3 times before. No deaths resulted. He does not know all the stuff they have put each other through in their personal lives. Only their noteworthy exploits. That kind of perspective is something only we have.
Also there are some little things that tug at the awareness. Like Sideways' name. But who knows?
Only The Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hearts of ponies. ;P
Also your handle is rather appropriate for a mystery fan.
2728138 Everything tends to go sideways around Sideways, to be sure. Mind like a steel trap though (took Luna showing up for even his gender to appear). I have to admit that I've never actually listened to The Shadow series, but I recognize that it has influenced many things (Darkwing Duck, for example).
My handle is about bringing forth understanding and illuminating the path. Rather, wouldn't you say that this is appropriate, as it embodies all that we mystery fans seek to do?I am a blind, blind reader. Apologies :D2727553 my progression of thought is strange indeed.
*reads comment
*some part of my mind expect it be none of them
*imagines the killer appears "It's ah me: MARIO!!
*faceplams*
On the one hand, I'm not surprised. On the other, I'm now totally lost as to who it could be.
Ah, it hurts when you interrogate an innocent.