the city part 1

by keithsterling

Chapter 9 (cat burglar p 5)

(One month before Cadence Aperture returns from San Pranciscolt and two weeks before Rarity Radiance returns from Prance.)

It was early evening at my mother’s manor in the City of Grazing hills at her annual Film Guild meet and greet. The yearly Film Guild meet and greet is a huge party held at my mother's manor; at this party, numerous film producers try their best to woo my mother into investing in their motion pictures.

Our family success in investing in blockbuster movies about ninety-nine percent of the time, with the only exception of a film called 'A dozen sisters,' we withdrew our investment into the cinema after the star actress killed herself. Due to the expense of making the film, the producer released it to the public; to our surprise, the movie was a hit after the death of a leading actress and the public interest in up and coming young actress's death.

I walk out of the main ballroom in my mother's manor into the garden to get some fresh air outside as my sisters and mother continue listening to the movie pitch from the producer.

Along with the movie producer, sometime they would bring the likely star of the film to help with the movie pitch; that is how I met a lovely unicorn mare actress and befriended her.

As I walked onto the garden landing, standing in front of the staircase leading into the garden was a stunning gorgeous light gray unicorn mare with a pastel magenta whitewashed streaked mane and tail. Her 5ft 10in curvy equine figure was in a pale pink short-sleeve below-the-knee-length cocktail dress.

On her eleven-inch long, elegantly looking light gray mare bare feet with natural beauty painted with shiny pink nail polish were black closed-toed strappy T-strap sandals with three-inch kitten heels. Dangling from her symmetrically shaped shoulders was a black lace evening handbag with a chain strap and all her possessions. This unicorn mare was Unicorn Actress Fleur De Lis Glitter and a friend of Justice from the last annual Film Guild meet and greet.

"Hey, Fleur!" I called her to get her attention as she looked over her shoulder, her pale light grayish violet eyes shining with pleasure, seeing me approach her.

"Well, greeting Justice." Fleur greeted me as she hugged me and kissed me on the cheek.

“Is your Talent Agent Gavin fancy pant Bankroll proposing a movie script to my mother this year?” I asked as Fleur giggled softly to herself and kissed me once again on my cheek.

"No, Justice…your mother invites me to this year's annual Film Guild meet and greet. To help look over the numerous film scripts submitted to her for investment. She wanted to narrow it down to the most profitable movie scripts. Since I know the movie business very well, she wants me to choose from ten movie scripts." Fleur explained as she took a sip from the small glass of hard apple cider she was holding.

"I see Fleur…but beyond that, you look like you were thinking about something else? May I ask what?” I asked as Fleur gestured her head, asking me to take a walk with her in my family garden to talk.

“I don’t know how much you were up on the last war?” Fleur comments as our heels click-clacked over the cement footpath that weaves through the garden border by the small patches of grass.

"As much as the newsreels would show in the cinema and speak on the radio," I answer as Fleur sighed softly and took another sip of the small glass of hard apple cider she was holding.

"Then you know of Midnight castle robbery during the war," Fleur said, her voice a lifeless monotone that I picked up on the moment she spoke.

“Was one of your family parts of that midnight castle robbery during the war?” I asked as Fleur's pale, light grayish violet eyes misted over, and she nodded.

"My father, Staff Sergeant Archer Miller, was the pony accused of masterminding the whole robbery with no tangible evidence. Even though there was evidence accusing a high-born Major of masterminding the robbery that mysteriously vanishes before the court case." Fleur said with a hitch in her's voice as I slammed my fist into my open hand, angry.

"Dammit! That was one of many cases I was accused of stealing key evidence. Because the area was still under reconstruction after the war, and the accused was from Los Ungulas. They forwarded the case files to Los Ungulas Police department detective bureau, and they landed on my desk. I read over the case files and saw the evidence that the real mastermind was the major. Just as the case was going to court, the key evidence of the Major guilt vanished. They pin the crime on me, the first nail in my coffin." I said testily as Fleur's face glazed with shock at what I said.

"Oh, my stars! You were the detective looking into my father's case? (I nodded my head) We received your personal letter saying you found the evidence of the major's guilt. My mother fell gravely ill soon after and died. As the case was coming up, I saw the news report of the detective stealing the key evidence. I was quite upset that the detective had betrayed our family. Now I understand they did the same thing that they did to my family. They framed you like my father." Fleur said, her voice cracking as she hugged me and forgave me.

"Still, Fleur, why are you thinking about that case?" I asked as Fleur made the glass she was holding in her hand disappear, and she sat down on the edge of the fountain, crossing her long light gray unicorn legs, one knee tossed casually over the other, tapping her sandal-clad foot soundlessly in the open air.

"A few months ago, I was in Pearis in Prance on holiday at one of the small bistros in the city. As I was finishing my meal, I noticed one of the city papers mention an auction of some gems. Wondering if they could be those stolen war gems. I went to the auction house; being a well know supermodel in Prance, the auctioneer allowed me an exclusive preview of all the lots. To my surprise, they were the stolen war gems. I asked about the gems, and the auctioneer told me many bidders had already bid on that lot. Went I heard that I toss my hat into the ring." Fleur explained as I sat on the edge of the fountain next to Miss Fleur De Lis Glitter.

"So why would you place a bid on stolen war gems, Fleur?" I asked a bit puzzled and, at the same time, very disappointed with Fleur. As Fleur looks like the proverbial cat that ate the canary.

"If I won the auction, I would have turned the stolen war gems over to the Pearis field office of the international police force. I would have told them my full story and hoped it would clear my father's name for the crime." Fleur explains, her voice cracking as I padded her on her back.

(Back to the present C&J detective agency)

“What!! Miss Glitter told you that? If you tell me that, I will assume that you think these two cases are linked together, Justice." Cadence exclaims as my pink mare face glazes with shock.

And I knew she was in shock as my finger was scratching right in the center of her perfectly smooth and shallow arch, the most delicate part of sweet mare slenderly gracefully rounded, gorgeously shaped barefoot, and she didn't react.

“Stahahahahaaa! Stahaahaahaha!”Cadence exploded with maniacal laughter as the itching and tingling sensation in her ticklish arch finally struck.

She was in hysterics in no time as the sensations shot up her leg and exploded in her brain. I soon withdrew my finger from the center of her perfectly smooth and shallow arch, allowing my pink mare to gulp much-needed oxygen into her oxygen-deprived lungs. Cadence's slightly plump elegant, and dynamic slender long toes twitched as she slowly caught her breath and regained control of her overstimulated nerve endings in her luscious light pink sole.

“If we follow that line of thought, Justice? That these two cases are the same? Do you think Miss Radiance would be involved with something like this?" Cadence inquired as she uncrossed her long Alicorn legs but left her single strappy sandal off to allow her foot to recover from being overstimulated.

"That easily answered, my dear mare…No, Rarity would not be involved with something like this. She is more concerned about her reputation in the fashion industry and not trying to increase her wealth illegally." I answer as I watch my mare unbuckle her other strappy sandals and float them over to the sofa, leaving her barefooted.

"But my dear mare…we know one other Fashion Designer mare that would do something illegal," I commented as I caressed her warm, slenderly gracefully rounded, gorgeous shaped barefoot.

"Suri Polomare from the city of Detrot, the head of Buttonbelle syndicate." We said simultaneously.

"This does sound like a scheme of Miss Polomare! But there is one huge glaring problem with that, my dear stallion!” Cadence said, her voice edged with tension as she tapped her painted fingernail on the lower half of her snout.

"That is?" I inquire as I continue caressing her slenderly, gracefully rounded, gorgeous-shaped barefoot with my hand.

"This scheme is too complex for the small Buttonbelle syndicate to pull off on its own." Cadence commented as my face glazed with shock, realizing she was right.

"By the light! From our days in PD, the Buttonbelle syndicate does mostly forging and counterfeiting. As a matter of fact, Fashion Designer Suri Polomare running the syndicate, makes quite a nice profit in counterfeit fashion design. So why was she involved with them?" I asked Cadence as she tapped her fingernail faster on the lower half of her snout.

"(snapping her fingers) their international shipping contacts…Whoever stole those war gems would find it very difficult to get those stolen war gems out of the country with the International Police Force looking for them. So who better than Buttonbelle Syndicates?" Cadence comment as my breath catches in my throat.

“That sounds very logical, my dear mare…But the question comes up, who is pulling the strings?" I asked as Cadence hopped off my desk and pip-popped about in her slenderly, gracefully rounded, gorgeous-shaped bare feet in the office to think about my question.

“We can for sure eliminate most of the know Syndicates…Having stolen war gems will bring way too much heat on your syndicates…Maybe a new syndicate?" Cadence says out loud as the office door opens.

From the hallway, enter a gorgeous-looking white pegasi mare with a Spanish blue mane and tail. Her physically fit 5ft 7in equine figure was attired in a silica blue tiered fluttered sleeve A-line dress.

On her ten inches-long, flawless, and unblemished white-shaped bare feet with clear toenail polish were wine-red dress pumps with one-inch heels. On her hands were berry red silk-lined leather gloves and on top of her head, between her ears, was a baby pink mare’s fedora. Plus, folded on her back were her standard-sized white-feathered bird wings. This white Pegasi mare was Reporter Anita Stormchaser the top reporter mare from Los Ungulas chronicle in downtown Los Ungulas.

"I might be able to answer that question, Mr. Silverlight and Miss Aperture," Anita commented as she closed the office door with her foot and sat down on the sofa in the office.

"Mind you, this is just a rumour…no newspaper reporter has been able to confirm it or have the PD," Anita said as she glanced slowly at the unicorn stallion and the Alicorn mare in the office with her.

"Before you say anything, Miss Stormchaser, May I asks why you want to help? Mind you, we tickle torture you to make you talk." I asked as Cadence noticed the subtle look of rapture on the face of the Pegasus mare went. I mentioned her being tickle torture.

"I have worked for the Los Ungulas Chronicle newspaper for many years. In my career, I had to be as tough as any stallion reporter to move up the ladder to be the top reporter for the paper. During that time, I had to put aside my marehood to do my job. Then you and your mares took me captive, tickle tortured me till I talked. I felt my fake toughness melt away and my marehood return. I enjoyed feeling my toughness go away and allowing my marehood to enjoy the weakness. In other words, Mr. Silverlight, I want you to tickle torture me more; that's why I want to help." Anita explains as she finally notices Miss Aperture walking about in the office in her gorgeous bare feet with her light purple eyes shining with pleasure.

"Heheheh…Well, Justice, it looks like you got another willing mare, a Pegasus, this time. But anyway, Miss Stormchaser." Cadence comment as the Pegasus mare raises her hand to stop Cadence.

"If you don't mind, please call me Anita…If I am going to allow my sensitive feet to be exploited like that. I would prefer to be called by my first name." Anita asked politely as Cadence and I agreed to call her by her first name.

"As you wish, Anita…So Anita, what is this rumour you mention?" I asked as Cadence hopped up in front of my desk and sat down before crossing her long Alicorn legs.

"I don't know if you heard about the killing of the three nightclub singers in Tampa Neigh some time ago?" Anita asked as Cadence, and I looked at each other, blinking with surprise.

"From that look on your faces, you probably didn't hear about it. The authority in Tampa Neigh quickly put a lid on the killing of those three nightclub singers. To protect the reputation of Tampa Neigh being a very safe city.” Anita explains as the breath catches in our throats.

"The three-night club singers were suspected of being the heads of the siren syndicate in Tampa Neigh," Anita said as Cadence, and I gasped at the information Anita told us.

“As for the rumor…word on the street has it that a new syndicate based in Chicoltgo is the one that orchestrates the killing of the heads of the Siren syndicate. If the rumor is true, there's a good chance the new syndicate looks for those stolen war gems and is pulling the strings on the Buttonbelle Syndicate."Anita explains, flipping the palm of her hand right side up toward the ceiling.

"Let's say that the rumor is true, that the new syndicate is looking for the stolen war gems. The question that comes up is why?" I inquired as I drummed my fingers on my desk, waiting for an answer.

"From my mentor, who has been following the story since the beginning. Before he retired from the Los Ungulas chronicle newspaper and left me with all his notes. Three gems in the collection are worth more than the whole collection. They are a Pink Diamond, Black Opal and Red Beryl." Anita explains as Cadence, and I gape in stunned silence.