Hidden Eye. Private Investigator

by Speedball

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I intended to question Rarity about events leading up to that night with hopes of possibly establishing a motive for the intruder or perhaps some sort of identity or intended target. I had essentially nothing to work with except a vague description. That made my job very difficult, dark colored pegasi aren't exactly difficult to find; even in a town as small as Ponyville.

Now I know what you're saying, "Hidden, she said that he has a black coat. Weren't you paying attention? There can't be that many pegasi in Ponyville with black coats." On that point you would be right. But she also said that it was dark when she saw him. So dark in fact that she couldn't make out details of his face. Now wouldn't you think that if it was that dark she wouldn't be able to determine color very well. As far as we know he could have been dark blue, brown, or any dark color for that matter. Think about it. If somepony came up to you and asked you if you were the one who had broken into somepony's house and gone through her things; would you say yes, or would you say no and then run like buck as soon as the questioner looked away? Or fly like buck in the case of our pegasus friend.

Unfortunately the questioning of Rarity was not to be as she decided to tell me stories for the duration of the walk to the train station. I wouldn't have been able to get a a word in edgewise. I tried to be patient listen to every single word that she spoke as my attention seemed to calm her down. I cannot deny that I had hopes that something she was talking about could help give me a lead on her case.

The first story she told me was a recounting of the time she met Sapphire Shores, which I must admit made me more than a little bit envious. It occurred to me that we could be dealing with a crazed fan. After all, who wouldn't be envious learning that you know somepony who had met your favorite musical act. I had my doubts that a crazed pony would break into a business and chase the proprietor through the streets just because the object of their obsession had spent several hours there many months before. You never can tell though when dealing with obsessed ponies. I learned all about just how rational fans can be the hard way when Trixie Lulamoon hired me for protection from a crazed fan who was stalking her. They are called 'fanatics' for a reason after all, but that is a story for another time.

Next it was the story of when she spent a week in the palace in Canterlot. After that she told a number of tales about her encounters with vicious creatures, a manticore, a hydra and even a dragon. I must say that my favorite story was the one when her friends encountered a patch of a plant called 'poison joke'. This recount stood out in my memory because it was the only one that did not elaborate extensively on her own role in the events. I suspect that she was with her friends when they ran into the plant but if it gave that Twilight friend of hers jellyhorn I can only imagine how embarrassing Rarity felt the effects on herself were. I decided not to try to get the information out of her.The last thing I wanted to do was offend my new client, and if I was reading this mare right, she was more easily offended than most.

During the nearly hour long walk to the station I identified many leads on which I could start pulling including some sort of convoluted plot hatched by somepony with intent of gathering information about the palace. I expected that if I did start pulling on them, they would unravel shortly thereafter as most of them seemed much too far fetched to actually be real. As ridiculous as the ideas may have seemed, they were the only ideas that I could come up with the information made available to me. I suppose I would have to start pulling on them if the conversation that I had planned with Twilight didn't yield anything.

I had become distracted by analyzing what Rarity had told me so far. I was replaying her stories in my head, searching through them for clues. My once meticulous attention to Rarity's words and devolved into a slapdash application of nods and "mhmms". My inattention was revealed when we got to the ticket window. I only noticed that Rarity had stopped talking when the ticket seller, at whom I had evidently been nodding for several minutes, presented me with with an annoyed "Ahem!" I looked up and I saw the ticket seller and Rarity staring at me. I apologized and gave them a sheepish grin.

"That'll be twenty-five bits for each of yas." said the salespony with a thick accent.

I looked at Rarity. "You don't expect a lady to pay do you?" She said with a playful pout on her face.

"I do when one ticket costs twenty-five bits. I'm not exactly made of coin ya know. Also, I believe this falls under the 'plus expenses' we talked about earlier." I replied unamused.

Her expression changed, "Well... Hmmp. I couldn't pay even if I wanted to."

"Why not?" I asked.

"It's not like I stopped to grab my saddlebag while I was chased out of my house this morning." She shot back.

"I don care who's gonna pay!" the salespony interrupted, "One of yous just pony up or get the buck out'a the way! Yous guys are delaying everypony else! " His sentiments were echoed by many of the ponies in line behind us.

None to pleased about already being out my deposit, I rummaged through the pocket of my coat to find the fare. I gave the fifty bits to the salespony and in return received two tickets and a very friendly, "Good! Now getouddahere! Train's that way. I figga I should tell ya so I can save yous the trouble of havin' to argue 'bout that too? NEXT!"

"Ponies in Manehattan are so kind." I thought to myself while we were walking towards the train. We may have been causing some delay in the line but I hardly thought that we deserved that kind of response. Rarity too seemed shocked by this treatment. Encounters like this one made me wish that I was back home in Cocodrie deep in the Appleaya Delta. Not much call for private investigators in Cocodrie, that was the whole reason I moved to Manehattan in the first place. That and I was tired of ponies I didn't know looking down their snouts at me because I spoke like I was from out of town. I never thought I had much of a Appleaya accent, despite having lived there my entire life. Even so I speak differently enough from the Manehattenites to get some funny looks.

The conductor made the final boarding call almost immediately after we got our tickets so we rushed onto the train through the nearest door. We were making our way to our compartment which was a few cars down from our door of entry when Rarity asked, "Hidden, do you mind terribly if I take the window seat?

"Of course not." I replied with a chuckle, "You do know that there is a bench on both sides of the compartment. We can both have the window seat."

She replied, "Oh, silly me. Of course. What I mean is... Could you sit between me and the door. I might still be the tiniest bit... on edge because of what happened to me this morning, What with the whole... being chased around town by a home invader and all. You understand. "

"Sure thing." I said. Considering some of the things I was sure I was going to have to do later, the request of a specific seating arrangement was nothing.

The ride from Manehattan to Ponyville is a long one. The train schedule said that i was supposed to take about ten hours with three stops at the different towns in between. Evidently Rarity had requested the first class private cabin. She was a bit more cavalier with her money than I was with mine. I suppose one can be cavalier with one's money, cavalier from my perspective anyway, if one has lots of it. But anyway, we did agree on one thing; nopony deserves to be forced to spend ten hours in a coach seat.

Rarity entered the cabin first, I followed shortly thereafter. The cabin was larger than I had expected, even for what I imagined a first class cabin to be like. The decoration equally exceeded my expectations. The benches were made from forest green quilted leather. Between the benches, directly under the window was a small table made of what looked like very expensive wood, on top of which rested an equally expensive looking Tiffany Lamp. The paneling was made from burled walnut which had been polished to a near mirror finish. In the middle the wall above the benches on both sides of the cabin was a small latch which, when released, caused the panel the latch was located on to fold down revealing a bed. The latch was very small. Too small to be operated by hoof. This made me wonder how earth ponies and pegasi were supposed to access the beds. I was not able to ponder this particular mystery of the universe for too long because the train lurched into motion and threw me off balance.

Rarity had already taken her seat when the sudden lurch from the train caused me to deposit myself rather unceremoniously on the bench beside her. "Do be a bit more careful, won't you. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself or that lovely lamp over there." she said followed by a giggle.

Rarity had spend a lot of time filling me in on her case details and more importantly perhaps, attempting to convince me to take the case before we left for the train station so much so that it was already well past time for lunch, getting on late after noon even. I expressed my hunger to Rarity and I asked her if she wanted me to get her anything. "Would you be a dear and bring me back a cider?" she responded, "I am awfully tired from my little run around Ponyville this morning so I will be retiring soon. I always find a nice flute of sparkling cider before bed helps me sleep."

I responded with a nod. While I was on my way out Rarity drew the blinds and extinguished the lamp. Her voice stopped me before I had shut the door, "Oh Hidden, I am going to lock the door. Say 'Opalescence' when you get back and I will let you in. If by some chance I am already asleep, Twilight told me of your lock picking abilities already. I trust you could let yourself in."

I nodded again and shut the door. I could see a faint light-blue glow coming through the frosted glass window in the door followed by a thud. Rarity must have been using her magic to put down the bed. Her comments about my lock picking abilities made me rethink how distressed she still was about the events that had gone on this morning, she was certainly doing a good job of hiding it if she was. I decided it would be best if I put an enchantment on the door that would make it near impossible to open. I trotted towards the dining car, fairly confident in the safety of my new client.

The dining car only sold cider in bottles and the pony working the beverage section was very adamant that the cider be served in a mug and that I was not allowed to take the bottle back to my cabin for some reason I did not fully understand. I was able to convince him to part with the whole bottle and a champagne flute on the condition that I not take the bottle out of the dining car. Something about not being able to get it out of the carpet. I ordered a basket of hay fries and a sandwich which I carried to a table as near to the door as possible. I ate my lunch and ducked out of the dining car as soon as the salespony was looking away.

I was very pleased to see that my enchantment was still in place on the door. I dispelled the enchantment, knocked on the door and said "Opalescence" per Rarity's instructions. There was no response so I knocked and said the password a second time. After waiting for some time and receiving no response I pointed my horn at the key hole and fired the appropriate unlocking spell at the keyhole. The door swung open silently and my eyes fell onto an empty cabin.

Empty...That's not right... I did a double take, rechecking the number on the door to make sure I had not somehow entered another room with an enchantment on the lock. I was not so lucky.

"EMPTY‽ This room can be many things," I thought, "but empty is not one of them!" I rushed out of the room leaving the beverage intended for the now missing Miss Rarity behind.

Comments

[Sorren]

This is very good my pony friend. You have my like.