Case Eighteen, Chapter Nine: Treasures Revealed
Promenade Deck stared at Detective Tracker in disbelief. “She couldn’t have done it!”
“I’m afraid that it really does look that way,” the constable nodded. “We found the letter in Spic Span’s office trash, and he’s the one who had the key.”
“I knew it had to be her,” Yellow Page scowled, sitting next to his friend on the porch of his mansion, patting Burney on his head as the dog lay next to him. “All those years, she wanted to be the one to find Bushwhacker’s treasure, and she found her opportunity at last. I assume that you’ve arrested them both?”
“Yup,” Tracker nodded. “Neither of them are talking, but--”
They were interrupted by a battered pickup truck, its once white paint now yellow and brown with years of grime and exposure to the elements, pulling up in front of the block and parking. The passenger and back doors opened and two familiar ponies stepped out.
Burney let out a yip and immediately charged at Daring Do, barking with every step as his tail wagged frantically. Daring flew up into the air and out of the dog’s reach. “I am not dealing with you right now,” she scowled down at Burney, who continued to bark at her, hopping up and down in a bid to reach her.
“Thanks for the ride, mate,” Phillip said to the driver, handing him a small stack of bits for his trouble. The griffon driver waved goodbye as he drove on.
“You’re back!” Promenade Deck, hurrying down from his porch to hug his nephew and his partner. As he stepped back, his eyes caught the painted waddy and the coiled stockwhip strapped to the two ponies’ sides. His jaw dropped open as he stared at their prizes.
“Are...are those…?” he gasped out.
“The dinky-di, Uncle Prom,” Phillip grinned at him, patting Burney. “We found it. It’s in Uluru.”
“Uluru!” Promenade Deck cried, dancing in place. “That’s only a two-day drive from here!”
“Better than walking,” Daring commented, slowly returning to the ground, one eye kept on Burney, who simply stared and panted at her. “Lucky we found that farm the day after we found the cave.”
“Glad to see you’re back,” Beach Tracker said, proceeding down the steps to greet them. “What happened to Sand Snake and Ingwa Wep?”
“Dead,” Daring replied grimly.
“Oh,” Tracker nodded. “How?”
Phil and Daring glanced at each other. “Animal attack,” Daring answered curtly.
“What’s been going on here?” Phillip said.
Promenade paused for a long moment, then sighed. “Detective Beach Tracker was just telling me that they’ve arrested Akely and Spic Span,” he finally said. “They think that they were the ones who stole the journal.”
Phil and Daring both glanced at each other, then headed up the path, Burney following alongside Phil. Daring headed inside while Phillip approached the detective.
“And what makes you think that they did it?” he asked.
“When we searched Spic Span’s office trash, we found a letter from Akely telling him how to get into the safe, and the envelope had the logo from her bookstore, covered in whiteout,” Sand Tracker explained. “She offered to split the payment fifty-fifty with him. And let’s not forget that he had a key.”
Phillip scowled. “Think about it, mate. If Akely was going to come up with a brilliant plan to steal that journal, you really think that she would use envelopes from her own bookstore?”
“Perhaps she’s simply not as smart as she thinks,” Yellow Page sniffed, patting Burney as the dog curled up next to him.
“Didn’t Spic Span work for you?” Phillip asked.
“He did,” Yellow nodded. “He was a fine worker, or so I thought.”
“He always carried his keys on him?” Phillip asked.
“Yes, he had them on a ring on his belt,” Yellow confirmed. “Always had them with him when he was going straight from house to house.”
“Really,” Phillip said dryly, looking down at the dog. “Uncle Prom, question: does Burney bark at Spic Span?”
“Uh…” Promenade Deck thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, yeah he does. Spic has to shut him outside so he can clean without being hounded.”
“So if Spic came in to steal from the safe, then his barking would’ve woken you up,” Phillip said. “Thus, whoever broke in was somepony that the dog knew and knew well.”
“That does make sense…” Beach Tracker said slowly, looking down at the dog, who tilted his head to the side and panted.
“And we found these on Sand Snake and Ingwa,” Phillip continued, pulling a folded typewritten letter out of his vest. “Allegedly from Akely; envelope with her store’s logo on it, too. There’s a problem with that.”
“These,” Daring declared, exiting the door with a set of other letters in her hoof.
“What are those?” Yellow Page asked, his eyes tracking the letters.
“Your typewritten letters from before,” Daring replied coldly as Phillip held up Sand’s letter and compared it to the stack.
“Detective,” Phillip said. “Take a look at these letters. See anything similar?”
Beach Tracker looked over Phillip’s shoulder, his frown deepening by the moment. “Those y’s both have a similar drop,” he said, pointing.
“And a defect on the b, kerning’s off on the c and the r,” Phillip continued.
All three detectives looked over at Yellow Page, who was staring up at them wide-eyed, his face suddenly pale. “Care to explain?” Daring Do asked.
“It…” Yellow Page swallowed. “But I don’t have a key! How could I have--”
“Spic Span worked for you,” Daring cut him off. “You copied his key somehow when he was cleaning for you. I took another look at the back door, and there’s some wax in the keyhole.” She grimaced at herself. “Would’ve seen that last time if I wasn’t still hungover.”
Yellow Page’s eyes darted back and forth between his captors. “It...it must’ve been Akely!” he protested. “Burney doesn’t bark at her when she comes!”
“No,” Phillip shook his head. “I saw the tracks you left behind. Right hind hoof, same as Akely's injured leg. I might have been pissed that morning, but I would’ve recognized a limp like hers. Those were your tracks that you left behind.”
Yellow Page gulped loudly, eyes scanning each glaring face as if seeking an escape.
“Yellow…” Promenade said slowly, shock in his eyes. “Is it true?”
Yellow Page opened his mouth as if to speak, then sighed and lowered his head. “Of course you had to come along,” he grumbled. “All right, I admit it. I stole the journal.”
Promenade Deck hissed in a gasp and slowly sat down, his jaw hanging open as his friend went on. “When Prom found the journal, I knew it was my chance: the truth is, I’ve been in debt for years and the treasure was my chance of getting out of debt.”
“And you wanted to get back at Akely for what she said about you,” Daring added.
Yellow scowled. “That bitch tried to ruin my reputation years ago!” he snarled. “It’s not like I sent her into that ravine on purpose; it was an accident!” He took a breath and shook his head.
“Anyway, I stole a few envelopes from her bookstore one day,” he continued. “I typed up a message to Sand Snake and Ingwa Wep, offering to split the treasure three ways if they did the legwork finding it and sent it in a fake envelope. The night before I stole the journal, I had Spic Span over to clean my place. While I distracted him with some tea, I snuck the key to Promenade’s house off the belt and put it into a clamshell. I made a copy of the key and snuck in the next night, taking the journal and passing it off to Sand and Ingwa through a dead drop. Then, after the police investigation started, I put the fake letter in Spic Span’s trash, knowing that the police might eventually find it.” He huffed. “Didn’t even think that the typewriter would betray me…”
Beach Tracker shook his head. “Crikey. That’s the most convoluted plan I’ve ever heard.”
“I was hoping that I’d be gone with the money by now,” Yellow admitted.
“And you might’ve gotten away with it if it wasn’t for us meddling ponies?” Daring smirked.
Everypony gave her a puzzled look. “Been waiting months to say that,” Daring declared proudly.
Detective Tracker looked at Phillip, who just rolled his eyes. “Right,” the constable declared. “I think it’s best if you came with me, mate.”
His head hung in shame, Yellow Page allowed himself to be placed in hoofcuffs and was escorted down the sidewalk to the waiting cruiser. Promenade Deck watched in disbelief as his friend was placed into the back seat and driven off. Not once did the unicorn look up.
“Is…” Promenade stammered. “Could I have prevented that?”
“Don’t blame yourself, Uncle Prom,” Phillip said, patting him on the back. “He made his own choices, and he fooled all of us. For a while, at least.”
“I’m more embarrassed than anything else,” Daring shook her head. “Teach us to get that drunk again. Never know if we’ll have to solve a mystery first thing in the morning.”
“Agreed,” Phillip said.
Promenade sighed heavily and patted Burney on the head. “Well...did you get the journal back?” he finally asked, looking up.
Daring smiled and took the battered book out from inside her vest. “Here it is,” she declared, reverently handing it over.
Promenade slowly opened up the book, gently running a hoof over the ancient yellowed pages. A smile slowly passed over his face, his eyes brightening in wonder.
“Where’s the treasure?” he asked, looking up, his face glowing with childlike exuberance.
“We left it in the cave at Uluru,” Phillip grinned, taking out a pair of rusty red keys. “But no worries. We can get back in.”
Promenade stared at the keys in unfettered joy. “Then what are we still standing here for?! C’mon, anklebiters, we have treasure to recover! Bugger me, I gotta call my friend at the museum! And Akely! She’ll want to come!” He hurried inside with Burney at his heels, listing off things that needed to be done and equipment that needed to be gathered.
Phillip sighed wearily and leaned against the wall. “I just wanted to go on vacation,” he mumbled.
Daring grinned and booped him. “You kidding? Hunting treasure, camping in the outback, and fighting bad guys! This is the best vacation I’ve ever been on!”
Phillip smiled wearily. “Of course you’d say that.”
“Now are we gonna get back out there or what?” Daring asked, following Prom back inside. Phillip went in after her, his gray eyes twinkling as he studied his mare.
Phil and Daring both placed the keys into Angkakert’s and Awely-Awely’s waiting hooves. The ponies crowded around Uluru gasped in astonishment as the illusory stone faded away, revealing the tunnel within.
Promenade Deck and Akely-Pip both started forward, then paused and looked at each other. Promenade stepped back and gestured for her to enter first. Akely proceeded forward, determinedly shuffling forth on her wounded leg. Promenade went in after her, followed by the white turquoise-maned unicorn mare from the Sydney History Museum.
Phil and Daring both looked back at the others. Rolling Thunder and Creek Fog turned to Bobby and Rain Rhythm, Bobby standing dutifully behind his wife’s wheelchair. “We’ve already seen it,” Creek Fog said, gesturing for the musicians to go first.
Bobby pushed Rain’s wheelchair forward through the sandy terrain, both of their faces lit up with almost childlike excitement as they entered the tunnel. Phil and Daring entered after them.
They paused within the treasure cave, the detectives smiling as the others all gaped about them in disbelieving awe, revolving in place as they drank in the sight.
“It’s real,” the unicorn mare breathed, her knees trembling so much that the beads of the Alicorn’s Witness rosary around her neck rattled musically. “Faust, Speranza, Celestia, Luna, Amore, and Cadenza, it’s all true.”
“I told you, Doctor Stone! I told you!” Promenade Deck cheered, dancing with joy as he scooped his hooves into a small barrel filled to the brim with gold doubloons.
Akely shuffled over to a painted didgeridoo and slowly reached out to run a hoof over the smooth, decorated bark. A smile creased across her face as she began to silently weep with joy. “After all these years,” she whispered, laughing through the tears.
Bobby and Rain both turned to beam at Phil and Daring. “Look at you!” Bobby grinned, pulling both of them into a tight hug. “Fighting crime, killing monsters, and finding ancient treasure. Rain, how’d we get so lucky?”
“The spirits must’ve smiled upon us all,” Rain smiled, leaning up to kiss all of them on the cheek.
“Museums will be paying through the nose for this,” Doctor Stone was already stammering out, running from corner to corner, trying to document everything. “So much history, all waiting in here for centuries! Oh, I can’t wait to get started! Come on, let’s get the workers in here!”
“We’d best give them some room to work,” Promenade said, pulling himself away from the treasure with great reluctance. The civilians exited the cave, allowing the crew of workers from the Sydney Museum’s waiting truck to enter with their bags of photographic equipment, murmuring excitedly.
“Thank you,” Akely-Pip cried, her eyes still shining with joyful tears as she clasped Phillip’s hoof. “Thank you so much for this! I had given up on ever finding it for years!”
“Should be thanking you for finding that journal,” Phillip replied.
Akely paused. “How did that even get in that box?” she wondered aloud. “That journal was lost for years, and then…”
Daring turned and saw Rolling Thunder and Creek Fog walking away from the group, heading eastwards. “Hey, where are you going?” she called, hurrying over to catch up with them.
“Back home,” Creek Fog replied, smiling at her. “Our work here is done.”
“It was a great pleasure to meet you,” Rolling beamed at her. “You and Phillip have great things ahead of you.”
“Thank you both for everything,” Daring said, shaking Thunder and Creek’s hooves. “You were the best guides we could’ve asked for. Here, take this.” She pulled out her bit bag and started to pass it to the mare’s hooves.
“Oh, no, no,” Creek Fog replied, stepping back and lifting her hoof in refusal. “We can’t take your money.”
“You took us out into the desert on a wild goose hunt and nearly died a half-dozen times,” Daring said. “You’re getting paid.”
“If you really want to repay us,” Rolling Thunder said with a smile as he pulled the hood of his cloak up over his head. “Use those gifts well.” He nodded at the stockwhip coiled to Daring’s side.
He leaned in close, his voice lowering. “You’ve faced terrible things, we know,” he whispered. “And we fear that worse things are coming. But those weapons will help you.”
“Be well,” Creek Fog said, reaching up to stroke Daring’s cheek with the back of her hoof; her touch was soothingly cool, like the touch of a light drizzle on a summer night. “We will be seeing you again soon,” she added with a wink as she pulled her own hood up. “Just listen close; when you call, you will hear us.”
Daring frowned in puzzlement. “What’s that mean--?”
“Hey, Daring!” Phillip called from back at the tunnel.
Daring turned around to find Phillip waving her over before turning back to speak to Doctor Stone.
“Well, I--” Daring turned back around to face her guides and her jaw dropped.
Both of the Aborigineighs were gone. Daring looked about, scanning the bush for any sign of them, but they had vanished entirely.
“What the fu…” Daring turned and slowly walked back to Phillip, her head spinning in disbelief. When she reached Phillip, she saw that he was also sweeping the bush with his eyes, frowning in puzzlement.
“Where’d they go?” he asked Daring.
“Fuck if I know,” Daring shrugged.
Phillip pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “Right. Doctor Stone?”
“I was just saying, that waddy and your stockwhip,” the museum curator said, nodding to the weapons that were hanging off their vests. “Those are great historical treasures, belonging to two of Aushaylia’s most famous figures. The museum would be honored to exhibit those!”
“Your call, Daring,” Phillip said, turning to her.
Daring reached down and took the stockwhip from her belt, turning the decorated handle in her hoof. She felt the warmth of the magic within dancing over her hoof, up her arm; as if responding to her touch, sparks danced across the rope.
She glanced over at Phillip, who was spinning the waddy over in his hooves, studying the swirling black and blue lines painted over the red wood. He clutched the handle and his shoulders tensed up slightly as Daring momentarily felt a strange warmth brush over her wing.
“Use your gifts well.”
Daring and Phil looked at each other for a moment, then both nodded.
“Sorry,” Phillip said, returning the waddy to his vest. “But they’re not for sale.”
“Are you sure about that?” Doctor Stone protested. “If you lose those or they break--”
“We’ll take good care of ‘em, doc,” Daring cut her off. “Besides, with the lives we’ve been leading, I have a bad feeling that we’ll be needing these soon.”
Doctor Stone looked like she was going to protest, then sighed. “Very well. But I’ll keep an exhibit for them if you ever change your mind.”
“Now,” Daring said with a grin. “Can we help with the packing?”
Two nights later was Nightmare Night. As the sun set, Sydneigh became alive with jack o’lanterns and illuminated displays of skeletons and beasts; foals and fillies in costumes paraded the streets in search of the best candies, their laughter rising up to the sky.
Away from all the noise, Phil and Daring trotted alone across the beach, allowing the crashing water to wash across their hooves. The full moon hung low over the sea, its light reflecting off of the dark, rippling water. Shouts of joy and cheers sounded from the sail-shaped rooftops of the Sydneigh Opera House in the distance, their pearl-white paint illuminated by many spotlights.
“Our last night in Sydneigh,” Phillip said, looking over at the opera house. “You sure you didn’t want to see that Nightmare Night show?”
“Forget the crowds,” Daring replied. “I’ve had enough of being around other ponies for the moment, especially ones that are shoving cameras into our faces. I just wanna be with you tonight.”
“Should I be honored?” Phillip said with a small grin.
Daring chuckled and kissed him on the cheek, draping a wing over his withers and pulling him close. “Definitely.”
They walked on in comfortable silence for a bit longer, watching their hoofsteps being washed away by the tide.
“Hold on,” Phillip said, pausing and staring at the water for a long moment; Daring could feel his body shaking slightly through her wing.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, pulling him a little closer. “You cold?”
“No,” Phillip replied. He swallowed and took a breath. “No, I…” He was silent for a moment longer, licking his lips, then turned to look at her.
“A little over a year ago, you walked into my life,” he said, his gaze fixed steadily upon hers. “At first I thought you’d just be my partner. But then you became my friend. And then I fell in love with you.”
He paused and licked his lips again, eyes flicking away as Daring tilted her head to the side. “You gave me so much,” he continued. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be dead by now and Ponyville would still be a bloody mess. A-and…” He wiped his face and took a breath, his shoulders heaving.
“What I’m trying to say is,” he forced himself to continue. “Daring...would you…?”
Daring smiled and cut him off by pressing a hoof against his lips. “Phil, a little over a year ago, I walked into your office with no job, no home, no friends, and no hope,” she said, looking up at his warm gray eyes. “You gave me a life again and helped me move on from my past. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be back in jail or dead by now.”
She lifted up her hoof to reveal the small velvet box that she’d sneaked out of Phillip’s vest. He blinked in surprise as she popped it open. The pair of small identical golden hoops within were among the most humble pieces of jewelry that Daring had ever seen, but the sight of them still made her heart flutter in her chest.
She lifted out one of the earrings and clipped it to Phillip’s right ear as he stared in silence; Daring could feel him shaking with joy as tears formed in his eyes. She then took out the other earring and clipped it to her left ear.
“So the answer is yes,” she beamed up at him.
A smile slowly creased Phillip’s face and he hugged her tight to him, kissing her on the lips. She melted into his embrace as his joyful tears mixed with her own.
“I love you, Daring Do,” Phillip whispered into her ear.
“I love you, Phillip Finder,” Daring replied, nestling into the warm safety of his hug.
Huzzah! We finally tied the knot! I hope you've enjoyed this series and this conclusion! There was, indeed, a curious incident with the dog that night, and it turned out to be the key to everything.
Next chapter: the wedding!
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Well thats a rather ominous...
Laughing asside, that's an exciting development in their relationship and I look forward to seeing how that turns out.
10829131
Well, you won't have to wait long!
A happy ending, but with a warning of what is to come. Scarlet’s boss still comes to mind, not to mention what other unspeakable horrors that might be hiding nearby
Seems like it should be longer than just one year and some change. But nevertheless congratulations you two.
As to the mysterious guides...outside of the obvious, something tells me that they weren't exactly your average everyday equines.
10836096
Care to venture a guess as to who they actually were?