Chapter 7 "Broken Web of Lies"
Chapter 7
“Broken Web of Lies”
“Wait a minute,” I said, in total shock as I stared at April Shower. “You mean to tell me…”
“That I was the Black Widow killer? Yes,” She said, with a smile.
“But, but,” I blubbered.
“That’s the same reaction Mayflower gave me when I tried to tell her,” April said with a sigh. “She didn’t believe me either.”
“No, I believe you,” I said. “I can usually tell when somepony is lying. You aren’t lying. But, just, why did you do it?”
“Because of my sister. When Stock hit her in front of me that was the last straw. I followed him one night, and killed him. The castrating thing was me twisting the knife...I was so angry that first time.”
“You... were avenging your sister,” I realized.
“I was, but my beloved sister didn’t realize why I did it. She was cleared of any suspicion because she had an alibi. They didn’t suspect me because I managed to cover my tracks. Tossing the murder knife into the Horsen after I was done with it,” She said, shaking her head. “I should’ve just turned myself in.”
“Your sister used your killings to start up the movement,” I guessed.
“She did,” She said with a sigh. “I tried to convince her to stop the foolishness, but she refused to listen. Stock Exchange had destroyed whatever kindness she held for stallions. She didn’t want equality anymore, but subjugation.”
“Yet you killed again…” I said.
“The second time I did it, was because it was a friend of mine being harmed. The third time...my sister asked me to kill him. After that it just got easier, I would learn of some stallion who hurt or harmed a mare in some way, be they wife, daughter, sister whatever. I would then find them, isolate them in some way, kill them and castrate them. It was a sick cycle.”
“Why did you stop?” I asked. “Guilty conscience?”
“That, and I met the love of my life,” She said with a smile. “The first time I met my husband was when I was escaping the cops after my latest killing. I hurt my leg after getting away from them, and he found me. Even after he eventually found out who I was, he told me that everybody can turn around when darkness overwhelms them. He, helped heal my leg despite what I was.”
“Stallion meets mare serial killer huh?” I said with a smile.
“Yes indeed,” She chuckled. “After that, I saw the good in stallions. Before, I would almost believe my sister’s rantings about stallions being the cause of all evil but, when I saw first hoof just how much love can come from the gender, I could no longer be Black Widow.”
“So, you hanged up the knives for good?” I asked.
“I did,” She said with a nod, “My, sister did not take it well. She tried for years to convince me that somehow my husband had bewitched me or tricked me or that he was working with the police. If he was he never turned me in. My sister’s organization fell apart without the Black Widow to keep it going...she…” She started crying, “She...eventually got to the point where she...in her insanity...hanged herself…”
“Oh my gosh…” I said, covering my mouth with my hoof.
She wiped her eyes with a hoofkerchief. “I, have mourned her ages ago. She is hopefully in a more peaceful place now. After her death I married my husband, and we eventually gave birth to two children. I knew one day they’d find out about the Black Widow killings, so I kept every newspaper article, every record I could find. I hid them in the attic until they were old enough to understand…”
“But Mayflower got there prematurely,” I concluded.
“She did, she went looking after her father died overseas...she found the articles and called me a filthy liar right to my face. She, then used that as grounds to have me kept here. Claiming I was insane.”
“But you’re not, your story makes sense.” I said. “If anything, she was crazy for not believing you.”
She gave me a tired smile. “You are so kind dear, but I’ve given up on trying to convince Mayflower to come around. It’ll take a miracle to do tha-”
I heard the sound of nurses running outside. I went out and flagged one down. “What’s going on?”
“The television!” The nurse said. “Some crazed maniac has taken a clinic hostage!”
Oh no..Dusk…
___________________________________________________________
This is the situation, as it stands, currently. A stallion recently stormed into the Red Cross Clinic, and took the place hostage. The police have arrived and are surrounding the clinic until the attacker makes a move. Suspect is considered armed and dangerous. Police have been dispatched to the scene, and civilians are asked to stay well away. Chief Insight is on the scene right now, hopefully getting this hostage crisis settled. No sign of detective Private Eye or Twilight Sparkle however...did somepony not tell them…?
__________________________________________________________
Police Carts were pulled up on the side of the road, barriers blocking the roads, alert police ponies keeping guard at them, sending civilians away. The police ponies kept a close watch on the clinic’s door, worried eyes staring into the place, not knowing that the hostage-taker was up to. The police ponies were all nervous, and the atmosphere was electric. It was obvious that the ponies were concerned about the hostages in the clinic.
I made my way through the crowd and saw Mayflower was there, she was arguing with Insight, “Look! I know him! The hostage taker is my brother!”
“Ma’am, even if that were true I can’t risk running in there while he’s got hostages.” The old stallion said.
“He has my coltfriend too!” I said, coming up.
He looked at me, raising an eyebrow, “Have we, met before?”
Yes, you tried to get me arrested for doing my job, tried to blame me for all your failings and oh yeah, you were a complete asshole to my marefriend too.
I shook my head and said, “No sir, I’m a freelance reporter, my coltfriend was in there. Please, I have to get in there and help.”
“And just how do you plan to help?” Insight asked.
“I’ve frequented this place before,” I said firmly. “I know there’s a back entrance in the alleyway our hostage taker doesn’t know about. I found it out a long while back. If you send Mayflower over, I can sneak behind them and try and subdue the hostage taker, or at least help distract him long enough for your boys to head in.”
“It’s insane!” Mayflower said. “Why would my brother do all of this?!” She asked.
“What were his demands anyways?” I asked.
“He was asking for some kind of pendent.” Insight said.
“You mean this pendant?” I said, reaching into my pocket to pull out the pendent held in the evidence bag.
“That’s my pendent!” Mayflower said, “It’s supposed to be in a safety deposit box! How the hell did you get it you thief!”
I sighed, “Look, a detective friend of mine told me to hang onto it. It’s probably our only ticket to getting the hostages freed, do you have any idea why he would want it?”
She shook her head, “I have no idea, I never told anypony what was inside it.”
“Inside it?” I asked.
“It’s a trick lock...see you have to…”
______________________________________________________________
Perspective: Dusk Shine
I was glad the hospital gown covered my wings. When the nurse first saw them she freaked for a minute but didn’t ask any questions. She just patched me up and told me she’s seen stranger things. I didn’t expect to be rounded up in the waiting room while some masked gunpony was holding all of us hostage…
I couldn’t teleport or anything, I can’t give away who I am in front of all these ponies. The waiting room hadn’t changed, though the atmosphere was incredibly tense. It was still the same restful blue, the chairs were still comfortable for the ponies waiting for their loved ones. The pictures were the same five paintings you see in every clinic and hospital waiting room. They were obviously meant to be soothing. They were not so very soothing, now. The gunpony paced, glaring at us, his firearm in his mouth. I was huddled with Nurse Red Cross, and several other patients. Good thing she didn’t have any super serious cases, or else the guy would have to deal with a ponyslaughter charge… I just wished I could help, somehow, but I was as helpless as everypony else, there.
“Alright!” The gunpony said as he walked, he was clad from head to hoof in black, his face covered with a ski mask. He was definitely an earth pony though. That I could guess. “Nobody moves until I say so alright!”
What did he want with a pendent of all things? That’s twice somepony has demanded a pendent. All we know is that Mayflower kept that above everything else she had of the Black Widow stuff. August Wind told us…
Wait...I know I’ve heard this guy’s voice...August?!
“August Wind!” A familiar voice shouted over a megaphone. It was Chief Insight!
August opened one of the windows and shouted outside, “No funny business! I’ll shoot one of them if my demands are ignored!”
He’s pretty desperate…
“Look, we’re bringing your sister over with the pendent now!” Insight shouted. “We won’t send anypony with her, she just wants to talk.”
“Fine! But make it quick!” He yelled, closing the window.
About a minute later, Mayflower entered the clinic, the pendant around her neck. Mayflower looked on her brother and said, “Why are you doing this August?”
“You told them who I was are you nuts?!” August yelled at her.
“What was I supposed to do? Ignore the fact my brother has gone completely mad!?” She yelled at him. “Just what do you want with mother’s pendent anyways!?”
“You and I both know you kept something inside that thing! Just give it to me and we can get out of this mess!” He said firmly.
“What are you saying? DO you realize what will happen to the cause if I’m a fugitive?!”
“Forget your stupid cause! All you’ve ever talked about is your stupid Mares for Justice crap! You ruined my life, Mayflower! You ruined all our lives!”
“And now you’ve just ruined yours!”
I turned and saw Pruena coming in, levitating Blackhawk in her magic.
“You! Don’t think I won’t shoot one of these hostages!” He yelled.
“Do you really think that by pulling a stunt like this you’re fooling anypony?” Pruena asked. “The truth is the Black Widow killer has been inactive for years.”
“Oh don’t tell me you believed Mother-” Mayflower began.
“Quit lying to yourself Mayflower.” Pruena said firmly. “Your mother told me everything, how she was the real killer. But she gave up that life because she fell in love with a stallion. Your whole life you’ve tried to build has been built on a lie.”
“She’s not the real Black Widow!” Mayflower yelled. “The real Black Widow would never give herself to a miserable stallion who left us!”
“He died…” Pru said. “You just couldn’t accept the fact he was gone, and in your grief you tried to continue your aunt’s work. You felt somepony had to pay for what happened. So you took things out on stallions as a whole. But the truth is, all relationships have to be a give and take. One cannot dominate over the other...Harmony is what you should preach, not dominance.”
“So...did you kill Gavel…?” August asked his sister. “To help with the cause?”
“I didn’-” Mayflower began.
“As far as the world is concerned...you did…” Another voice said.
I looked on as another mare came in, dressed in a nurse’s uniform. She pointed a gun at Pru!
“Drop the gun, reporter,” She said. “What a simple freelance reporter is doing with a piece like that is beyond me.”
“Hello Bedside, came to come clean up your mess?” Pruena said with a smile.
“She was the one who ambushed us in the alley!” I yelled, “I recognize her voice!”
“Bedside? But, why?” August asked, looking to her. “I loved you, you said we were going to get out together.”
“Truth is, August, you were just a tool to get what I needed,” Bedside said. “Dear Old Gavel was most helpful in procuring the pendent, but I needed a scapegoat in order to cover everything up.”
“SCAPEGOAT?!” Mayflower asked.
“She wanted you to be considered the killer,” Pruena said.
“It all makes sense now,” I said. “The killer took time to make sure it matched Black Widow’s Modus Operandi exactly. Bedside knew that Mayflower would come running as soon as she heard of how Gavel died. You planned to use her to draw the police to arrest her, knowing how she would react.”
“And throwing the town into discord was icing on the cake,” Bedside said with a smile. “Thank you, dear Mayflower, you’ve been most helpful, but now, your usefulness is at an end. Give me the pendent, now!”
“Why do you want the pendent so badly?” I asked.
“Because it was the only thing she kept from her mother’s things! Dear August told me so. She kept it in a safety deposit box, to which only a judge can open legally. I gave dear Gavel a little of what he wanted, and blackmailed him into getting the pendent.”
“You, you were the one he was having the affair with…” August said, in shock.
“Oh don’t look so surprised,” Bedside said. “As if I’d marry a stallion as foolish as you are, now give me the pendent!”
“Wait, Bedside, please,” Mayflower said, coming forward. “I’ll give you the pendent, I’ll even open it...it has something more precious than anything..”
“At last! So what’s in it? A jewel? A message to treasure…?” Bedside asked eagerly.
Mayflower took the pendent, and twiddled with it for a minute...and it opened...inside...was a picture of a mare and a stallion.
It wasn’t a pendent, it was a lockett!
“A lockett! All this for a lousy picture?!” Bedside yelled.
“It...was the first picture mother ever took with father,” Mayflower said, in tears. “I couldn’t get rid of it, it was the last thing I had left of him. I... put it in a safety deposit box, because I thought it would make me weak in my resolve...but...I...now see what my cause has done...and...I’m such a fool…” She looked to August, “I’m sorry August, so so sorry.”
August looked down for a minute, and said, “No, it was my fault, the only reason I took up this hostage situation was so that I could help Bedside. She said we were going to get the pendent and use what was inside to run away together...I can see that was a lie.”
“OH! But now the truth is you are all going to die!” She said, pointing the gun at everypony. “I’ll kill you all! Pruena came in! A gunfight ensued! Killed eveypony including the hostages!” She grabbed Pruena and held her tightly. PRU!
“PRU!” I yelled.
“Not so fast tall boy!” She said, pointing her gun at me. “You stay put, otherwise I’ll blast your marefriend’s brains out!”
“Pru…” I said, looking at her.
She smiled at me, and said, “Dusk, whatever happens...know that I love you…”
“No...Pru I’m not going to let you die!” I said, my horn glowing and suddenly August’s gun fired itself and hit Bedside in the foreleg. She screamed as Pruena elbowed her in the stomach. She then knocked away the gun and pinned her down. “I’m sure the officers will love to hear all about your story!”
“Get off me you filthy bitch!” Bedside yelled.
“Time to shut you up!” I saw Red Cross come with syringe, she stabbed in Bedside’s flank, the mare went out cold.
Pruena wiped her brow as the hostages converged on the unconscious. The police then burst in, and saw the situation. Utterly confused.
“Officers,” Mayflower said, “she was the culprit of the false Black Widow killing. I...will explain myself to Chief Insight.”
“Alright, get the guy and we’ll take the girl.” The uniform said, as the officers hoofcuffed August and went to take care of Bedside.
Mayflower looked to August and said, “I’m, so sorry brother. I was such a fool for ruining your life like this.”
“Hey, we’ll get by, we always do.” He said with a smile.
Mayflower watched the pair get turned away.
“Well, a job well do-” I said just as I was glomped by Pruena. I fell onto the ground as she kissed me all over. Wow...Pruena...she’s amazing...I..just wanna…
NO! BAD BRAIN YOU STAY!
She smiled down at my goofy looking face and said, “Nice shot by the way.”
I frowned and grumbled, “I was aiming for her head…”
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Wow. I actually didn't see the true culprit coming this time. Good job increasing the mystery, you deserve a medal. Unfortunately, I'm wearing them all right now.
The expansion of April's past and her motives were a nice touch; this was certainly one case I did not see coming of who the killer actually was.
Yeah. My favorite case. Awesome. The ultimate treasure was a picture!!!!! Awesome. I can't wait for the epilogue. Great job. Great case. I love it.
Great job, as always. One of your best cases yet.
And that was a Criminal Minds reference in reverse. Great story yet again.
You know, I was absolutely convinced it was Mayflower....nice job. And that last line was a hoot
4205737 Could you possibly elaborate what the reference was? I love Criminal Minds, and I would like to get that reference.
That reminds me of something, but what...?
Oh...
4206110 only one thing to say to that "LOL"
4205979 this is relating to the Last couple sentences in the chapter. In the episode LDSK where the unsub is holding Reid and Hotchner as well as other civilians in a hospital. The final confrontation sees Reid shoots the unsub square between the eyes. Hotch remarked "Nice shot" and Reid replied "I was aiming for his leg". I said it was a reference in reverse since the opposite occoured.
4207010 I guess I was wrong. I never saw Castle, but the video in the comment after yours seems to be the real reference.
I.... I feel bad for May now. I don't like what she did but still.
Wow, so I was wrong, I admit it. I still want an award though.
You aim for something and miss, but end up doing something good anyways.
interesting... but it seems as if the spell will soon be wearing off for both of them, but oh well. It was fun while it lasted to see them a different gender.
and I have my reasons to think this way. But you never know... you never will know.
Not quite sure if I'm going to believe a happy ending will happen just yet though
One of these days Raizuo you are going to start writing stories again... one of these days...
4205979 I personally saw the reference in an episode of Psych. Jules shot a dude in the hand and said she was aiming for his head.
4214651 You have an alter ego Too?
YAY! MORE PSYCHO FRIENDS!
i certainly did miss Something beacause i still don't get Bedside's motive. Why did she wanted the pendant ? She says it is beacause it was the only thing mayflower kept from her mother, but why does it bother her ?
8287065
Greed really, she figured if it was kept in a safety deposit box it had to be valuable.
4221841
It was also in a "Firefly" episode. That joke seems to be a lot more common than previously thought.