La Femme Fatale

by bkc56

The Box

The click-clack of the train wheels on the track was having its normal hypnotic effect. Citrine’s eyes were closed, although her head was still upright. I was feeling pretty relaxed myself. A little nap on the way to Canterlot might be a welcome relief. I glanced at Night Hunter who was looking at me with a furrowed brow. “Something wrong, Nightly?” I asked.

“Perhaps.” He stroked his chin. “This just doesn’t feel right.”

I sat up, suddenly less drowsy. “How so? What are you thinking?”

Hunter leaned forward. “It’s clear that Mr Calico was not involved beyond those initial four notes he sent. But if this was a simple foalnapping, why hasn’t anypony received a ransom demand? What if it’s some sort of elaborate ruse starting with the second batch of notes?”

I tilted my head to the side. “By who, and to what end?”

“By Miss Chapeau herself.” I opened my mouth to object but he cut me off. “Wait. Hear me out. We know she’s wealthy, but you don’t get that rich selling hats. We know she’s left a trail of broken hearts in her wake, but what if there was more to that than just a string of failed romances?”

I shook my head. “Most of them were social opportunists who just wanted to use her, or more specifically her bits. Not the other way around.”

He shrugged. “I’ve met her, you know. I know what type of mare she is.”

“And what type is that… exactly?” I could hear the edge to my voice. Citrine noticed it too as her eyes snapped open and she turned her head.

“She’s the type that can twist a stallion around her fetlock and wear him like a bracelet. And he’ll smile the whole time. That is, until he’s no longer useful.”

“She is not like that.” I stomped a hoof for emphasis.

“We know she hired a bunch of firms for an investigation. Perhaps she was looking for the best? Or perhaps… the most easily manipulated.”

“What are you implying?” I hissed.

“A new ‘bracelet’, for some unknown plan of hers. A down on his luck, single, ex cop, fired under questionable circumstances.”

I jumped to my feet, ears back. Citrine stood up too as she intervened. “Hey, Hunter, you need to back off. I was there, and the only thing questionable was the politics that ran over him.” She turned to me. “But Steel, are you sure you haven’t lost some perspective here? Hunter does have a point: there is something missing in this case. Something doesn’t add up.”

Hunter leaned back in his seat and crossed his forelegs. “You’ve fallen for her, haven’t you?” Citrine’s eyes went wide, as she shifted her gaze from him to me. “You actually think she and somepony like you…?”

At that point I did something he'd never see coming. I sat down. “Look, I know the effect a mare like that can have on a stallion. I’ve felt it. And yes, she is stunning. But we’re from totally different worlds. What’s more, she’s a client.” I glanced up at Citrine. “I would never cross that line.” She stared at me for a moment, then nodded and sat down. I looked back to Hunter. “You’re right, there is more going on here.” I thought back to Miss Chapeau’s eyes in that alley. “But I guarantee she is not involved in whatever it is.”

Hunter took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “Okay. Perhaps I pushed a little too hard there.” He paused for a moment. “I’m… sorry. Please, just keep an open mind about this as we move forward. That’s all I’m asking. If you do have any feelings, even casual ones, don’t let them interfere.”

I nodded. “If there’s something deeper going on, I’ll figure it out.”

Citrine added with a grin. “And that you can count on.”

---

I let out a heavy sigh as we stepped off the train and squinted from Canterlot’s late afternoon sun. It had been a long day. I was drained from the train ride, and knowing my luck, the day wasn’t done yet.

The universe agreed.

“There you are.” We looked around for the voice and saw Officer Mote trotting up. “I wanted to catch you right away!” She glanced around. “But let’s get off this platform first…”

There were two trains in the station at this time of day and the platform was awash with ponies exiting, entering, and transferring. In addition, at least a dozen porters tried to keep up with the baggage that needed to be moved about. We struggled against the current as we threaded our way towards the exit. Citrine asked, “So, did you make some progress with the note?”

“Progress?” She laughed. “I’ve already figured out where it was made!” Noticing our wide-eyed expressions she laughed again. “It was made using a Canterlot newspaper. I then checked specific letters from the other notes against the ones from the newspaper. They were the same. Same typeface. Same size. Everything. I came to the conclusion the entire second batch is the same, all made here.”

Citrine shook off her shock. “How did you manage all that so fast? It’s only been a few hours.”

Once out of the station, we moved off to the side where we could talk away from the noise of the crowd. “Processing the letters went a lot faster the second time. They used a different type of glue that was much easier to deal with.” Different glue was just one more confirmation that these later notes were created by a different pony. “Then I just followed the procedure Mr Steel had us use before. I started with Canterlot as he had, and found the first paper in just a few minutes of searching.”

Nightly was shaking his head. “Amazing…” I nodded in silent agreement. I had now moved past wondering about her possible interest in non-police work. When this is all over, I really need to have a little chat about her working in the private sector.

She lifted a hoof. “And one more thing. The headline letters from that specific note came from two different issues of the paper. The later issue came out two days before the note was delivered. So that doesn’t leave time for it to have been created in another town. I’m convinced they were made right here in Canterlot.” Mote fidgeted, then shrugged before continuing. “Or at least the one sample note I worked on was made here.”

So, the first four came from Appleloosa, with some delay between creation and delivery. Then when Calico stopped, somepony new took over with their own more threatening notes. So was it just a coincidence that there was no overlap? Was there really no connection between the two batches, and it was just pure chance that they happened one after the other? And if so, how might that still play into Chapeau’s abduction?

“Uhh, Steel? You in there?” I blinked and looked toward the source. Citrine had a smile. “You appear to have gone off to your thinking place again. Got anything to share?”

I glanced at Nightly and Mote who were both also grinning. “No, just a lot of questions I don’t have answers to… yet.”

“Detective Citrine!” We looked around and spotted an officer galloping towards us. “Detective Citrine!” He came to stop, panting hard. “The captain sent me… to fetch you back… to the precinct.” He paused to take a couple deep breaths. “We received a ransom demand for Miss Chapeau. I don’t know any details. They immediately sent me here to find you.”

After making it back to the station, we raced through the front doors of the precinct and were directed to one of the holding rooms. The officer outside filled us in. “Miss Chapeau’s attorney, Mr Writ, showed up about an hour ago. As soon as he explained the situation, we put him in here to wait. We figured you would be back soon and would want to talk to him immediately.” He opened the door, and Citrine, Nightly and I entered. The room was plain gray, windowless, and somewhat oppressive. The perfect environment for an interrogation. The left wall held a large one-way mirror, behind which was the observation room. A large gray metal table occupied the center with a few chairs around it.

Citrine stuck her head out the door. “Can we get some water in here? Quickly please.”

Mr Writ sat at one end of the table. He was a touch rotund for an earth pony, no doubt from too many decades spent behind a desk. Those same decades left their mark in some gray mixed into the brown fur on his muzzle, with little left but a hint of green in his mane. Normally an attorney adorned in a custom tailored suit crossed by a gold pocket watch chain would suggest somepony who could not be rattled no matter how dire the situation. His profession demanded it. But this stallion was visibly shaken and had his head in his hooves. At the other end of the table sat a small white box, about two hoof-widths in each dimension. He lifted his head. “Detectives, Mr Steel, I’m so glad you’re here!”

An officer zipped in and placed a beverage tray on the table then left. I filled one of the four glasses with water from the pitcher and set it before Mr Writ. His hooves visibly trembled as he picked it up to take a long drink. “Thank you.” After Citrine closed the door, she and Nightly remained close to it. She nodded at me to go ahead.

I pulled a chair over and sat down so I could speak to him eye to eye. “We were told there was a ransom demand? Please tell us what happened.”

He took another sip. The trembling was hardly noticeable now. “I was at my office when our normal courier dropped off a couple of letters and a package. I wasn’t expecting a package, so I checked it first. It was the ransom demand. They want…” He gulped. “two million bits for the safe return of Miss Chapeau.”

Nightly let out a low whistle. “That’s a lot of bits.”

“But why a box for a note?” I asked. The attorney’s gaze shifted to the box as his hooves started shaking again. I glanced over my shoulder. “Citrine? Would you please…”

Mr Writ tensed up. “No, I can’t.” He stood up, walked to the back wall, and leaned forward, resting his head on the cool surface.

I turned around to face Citrine. She reached out with her hooves and lifted the lid off the box.

“There’s a typed note.” She started to read the note as it lay in the box: “Two million bits in bearer notes for the return of Miss Chapeau. At dawn on the third morning from today. We’ll tell you where later. Only two cops. Mess with us, and the next thing we send won’t be something that will grow back.”

Setting her horn aglow, Citrine levitated the note out of the box, then gasped. After a wide-eyed glance at me, her horn glowed again. From the box rose a large section of scarlet mane tied with a length of twine. It hung down from Citrine’s magical grip, swinging slightly.

My head was spinning. I put a hoof on the table to steady myself and closed my eyes. “Citrine, please… put it back in the box, and replace the lid. But… leave the note out.” When I heard the lid slide back on I opened my eyes. I was surprised at how hard seeing that had hit me. I looked at Mr Writ. “It’s gone. Do you think you can come back to the table now?”

He glanced over his shoulder at the box, then returned and sat back down in his chair. “I'm sorry. I’ve known Miss Chapeau since she was a filly, even though to her, I’m sure I was just another anonymous business associate of her dad’s. I’ve gotten to know her better, now that I’m her attorney.” His eyes rested on the closed box. “After discovering that at my office, I just couldn’t…”

I scooted my chair a little closer. “I completely understand Mr Writ. Don’t give that box another thought.”

“Thank you.” He took another drink of water.

I laid a hoof on his shoulder. “Mr Writ.” He looked up at me. “You’re Miss Chapeau’s attorney. Do you have access to the kind of funds needed to put together this ransom?”

He shook his head. “No, but I think her business manager might. When I got here, I had them send for Miss Jade. She should have been here by now.” He pulled out his pocket watch as if by rote without even glancing at it.

I looked back. “Citrine, can you check?”

She nodded, “Sure,” and left the room. Almost immediately, the door opened again. “She was just outside. They had her waiting until we were ready.” A light-green unicorn followed Citrine into the room. Her ears were down, partially hidden by an impractically coiffed lavender mane. She quickly scanned the room ending at the table, her brow furrowed in worry. Citrine gestured towards the empty chair close to Mr Writ.

Miss Jade’s eyes never left the box as she moved from the door to the chair. As she sat down, she laid a hoof on Mr Writ’s foreleg. “You look really stressed. Are you okay?”

Mr Writ looked at her. “I will be. So, have you heard the latest?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “The detective told me. Two million bits, and in just two days.”

His voice was soft, pleading. “Please, tell me Jasmine has that much in liquid assets.”

Miss Jade’s horn glowed as she levitated a notebook out of her saddlebag. “You’re aware that I have both direct as well as cosigner access to a number of Miss Chapeau’s business and personal accounts?” Mr Writ nodded. She opened the notebook to a bookmarked page and tapped on it. “Two of them are rather substantial.” She looked up at Mr Writ. “If you can get an emergency court order to bypass the co-signing requirements, we should just make it. Barely.”

Mr Writ was suddenly all business. He had just needed a legal problem to focus on to get his mind off that box… and its contents. He checked his pocket watch again. “I’ll get the documents prepared today. I know a judge who’s a personal friend of Miss Chapeau’s. Between the police reports and the ransom note, I’m confident he’ll sign the order. If I get it to you mid-morning, will you have enough time?”

She closed the notebook. “A day and a half? Yes, no problem. I can move the funds to one master account, and then get the bearer notes prepared.”

“Excuse me,” I asked, raising a hoof. “How did you know they specified bearer notes?”

She glanced at me. “It’s kind of obvious. Two million literal bits would take multiple wagons with full teams to carry. And a bank check would need personal ID verification and fund confirmation with a multi-day delay. But ten thousand bit bearer notes would cover the entire amount with just two hundred total notes. Those would easily fit in a pair of saddlebags. Plus, they’ve already been paid for, if you will, so there’d be no holding period. On top of all that, the magic seal prevents counterfeiting.” She tapped the table for each point, “Portable, secure, guaranteed, and anonymous. They have their legitimate uses, but for a criminal, they’re perfect.” She looked over to Citrine. “Once I have the notes ready, then what?”

Citrine replied, “We’ll meet you at the bank and secure them until the time of the exchange. They’ll be under continuous guard.” Miss Jade nodded.

Mr Writ stood up. “Alright, I have some documents to prepare for the morning.” He headed for the door, but gave the other end of the table a wide berth. As he passed the two detectives, he mumbled, “I don’t ever want to see that box again.”

Comments

[ArcherStern]

Hostages and negotiations, what bitter work.

The future is not going to be any easier to navigate than the past. There are still many questions with no answers and missing pieces to this puzzle.

We know the culprit had to be close to Miss Chapeau, close enough to know about the threatening notes being sent to her so they could send their own to throw off the investigators. That puts us with close friends, her legal team, and the staff of her Main Store where the notes were delivered.

Not much was given into regarding Miss Chapeau's inner circle. The socialites she encountered the most would be likely suspects, the cafe would be a good start.

It would be easy to suspect the legal team entrusted with Miss Chapeau's situation. They would be directly notified of any new note's arrival as soon as its appearance, and have some deep knowledge of her available assets to bear. I particularly find it suspiciously coincidental that Miss Chapeau was kidnapped right before the planned time after informing her attorney.

Of the Store Staff, upper management should be checked first. Considering Dark Steel's words on his initial investigation into Miss Chapeau's employees, had the general staff known about the death threats towards Miss Chapeau, Dark would have likely found someone mentioning it. Since Miss Jade is already here, asking her a few questions would be an easy start, and I'd keep a close eye on her reactions.

Those are the biggest things at this time. The only other thing I can think of right now is possibly getting a recording of the magical signature from the spell that hit Dark, that way they can cross-check it with anyone they catch that matches the description of his assailants and Miss Chapeau's kidnappers. That would be really slim now though since hours have already passed.

But those are my thoughts on the matter. I look forward to the rest.