Taking the Case in Hand

by IGIBAB

Chapter 6 - Range of Possibilities

Silence falls in the living room, while we all watch the piece of plastic that just now landed, two ponies evacuating the body.

Whooves moves forward, putting on a hoof glove, and picks up the wrapping to give it a closer look.

"A candy wrapper," he enounces with a serious tone. "Probably from Sugarcube Corner."

I get closer as well to examine it. No doubt:

"It's the same wrapping as the one found in the cash register."

Whooves looks at the plastic from all different angles, declaring:

"There's an "O" written with black ink on the inside."

An O. As in Open Skies?

"Maybe there are also imprints on it," I suppose.

Whooves nods to one of his agents and hands him the piece of plastic.

"Go analyse it. Now."

"Yes, captain!" answers the cop while putting the clue in a bag with precaution, before leaving the room with it.

Another silence falls. A silence during which Whooves and I are thinking about everything this single wrapping just brought to the table.

"Looks like the suicide hypothesis is off to a bad start," he ends up sighing heavily. "That paper can't have ended up here by accident, someone put it there."

"And that someone seems meticulous enough in his crimes," I say right after. "Unless Open Skies didn't fought back at all, the murderer stayed here long enough to clean up everything and disguise this as a suicide."

"And it almost worked," admits Whooves. "Whitout that candy, I would have classified this as a suicide and the case would have been closed."

"Something isn't right..." I suddenly say to myself out loud.

"What?" he interrogates.

"Why... leaving this wrapping?" I say, plunged into deep thinking. "Everything was picture perfect in that little deception. Yet, the assassin left this clue, and I'm almost sure he did it deliberately. Why go through all this trouble for nothing?"

"Psychological problems. Maybe we're hunting down someone mad."

I cogitate on what Whooves just said. It can make sense. Maybe even...

"Someone mad... A maniac," I say, starting to understand. "He left a clue, exactly like at Sugarcube Corner. He enjoys leaving a trail just to see if we're good enough to spot it. The first candy was in the cash register, and the cash register is the first thing to check, to see if the motive of the murder is theft or not. And here, the wrapping is placed such that it can only be spotted if you look carefully. It's a test."

A shiver climbs up my spine right when I end my sentence, understanding the reach of what I just deducted. It's not a murder under the influence of anger, that one was premeditated. Someone planned to kill Open Skies, and that person did it, all while playing with us. And Mr. Cake's murder was done calmly as well. It's just... awful.

"We have to find Rose as fast as possible," suddenly says Whooves, turning his gaze on the two agents left. "You two, go look for her! Now!"

His subordinates don't hesitate one moment and rush outside, leaving us alone. Whooves and I, on the scene of the crime.

"It's been at least an hour since she went missing, you know..." I say slowly. "I don't want to break your hopes, but she's probably..."

"Dead," he finishes with a serious face. "I know. There were only three possibilities when we found the body already: That she went away for something, the criminal lured her somewhere else to kill her, or she's the assassin herself. And the first option just went out the window."

Of course he realises it... Whooves isn't stupid, even if I like to think so. But it's one of his subordinates I'm talking about. And someone close, from what I know... He must not expect to find her, nor to make it personal.

"But I refuse to give up until I find her, even if it's her corpse I'm searching for!" he adds firmly while stamping his hoof.

A new moment of silence comes. And in the meantime, I notice a new element which sends an internal shiver.

"You know what's the worst thing about that case...?" says Whooves to me right at the same moment.

"That the murderer is most likely someone we know..." I answer, as I just thought of the same thing.

Ponyville is a small village of a couple hundred ponies, at most. Everypony knows each other. Everypony more or less trusts each other. Enough to follow someone asking you to leave your guarding duty, or to open the door to someone coming to kill you.

And somepony, amongst all those honest and smiling people, took advantage of it to commit murders.

"I think I can already qualify this as the "worst case in the history of Ponyville"," sighs Whooves once more.

"What would be the motive of this murder, according to you?"

"Hm," he says, thoughtful. "Given the sequence of events, how little time there's been between this murder and Mr. Cake's murder, and the fact that Open Skies is probably the last pony to have seen Mr. Cake alive, I'd say: silence an unwanted witness."

"That's what I think too. But on the other hoof, if he had truly seen something compromising, he would have told us before, don't you think?"

"Maybe..." murmurs Whooves, seemingly thinking. "Or he just had some doubts and was afraid to denounce an innocent..."

It's a hypothesis, indeed. Facing such an event, especially in this small tranquil town, anypony would think twice before laying charges. But if that's the case, this hesitation cost him his life.

"In any case, we have the motive of the second crime," he sums up, trying to regain some composure. "Only a motive for the first one left to find. The stranger from Manehattan seems excluded from the plausible suspects now, since ponies have attested they saw him leave town yesterday evening. I'm going to make a list of all the ponies close to Mr. Cake and we're going to interrogate them to see if they know someone that would have meant him harm."

"Good idea," I approve with sobriety.

Good idea, even though there's little to no chance of it working, it's the best we can do in the current state of things. This and wait for the hoofprinting, as well as Open Skies' autopsy.

I need to relax... I didn't take anything when leaving my place, I need my sugar dose.

"I'll let you handle all this. Let me know if there's anything new."

"Count on me."

I leave the house, thoughtful, walking without really looking in front of me. The question that plays on my mind now is: Who's next? Was Mr. Cake the only target, and Open Skies was just an embarrassing witness who needed to be silenced? The set up seems to point towards the killer looking for a way to close the case, all the while playing with the police. And what if he was to get too hooked on that game? What if the murderer was to continue? Just for the pleasure of displaying his genius, of leaving clues, of taunting us.

I can't imagine what would happen if a series of crimes took over Ponyville. Already, just by walking in the town square and looking around me, I see that Mr. Cake's death is in every conversation. Here, someone whispers it's a murder done by that pony from Manehattan, there the discussion is about a crime of passion, done by a colt madly in love with Mrs. Cake. Some even argue that it was committed by Mrs. Cake herself, to get freed from a too possessive husband.

Gossips are everywhere. Some use this opportunity to slander the princess, arguing that since she came to Ponyville, it's been disasters after disasters. Others point the blame to Discord, without reason, simply because they still don't trust him.

Deep down, I'm scared. Scared that the news of a second death, so quickly, will spread panic amongst ponies. Open Skies' suicide has to be the leading hypothesis that is presented in public, or ponies might start to fear for their lives.

But this is Twilight and Whooves' role, not mine. Me, I investigate.

As I'm thinking, a crowd forms a few feet away from me. I recognise Applejack's hat, in the midst of it, and get closer.

"Twilight is goin' to make an important announcement," she says to the ponies around her. "Spread the word, in ten minutes, everypony has to be in front of the castle."

Ponies look at each other with worried faces. Then finally disperse, to tell that to other ponies or to go towards the castle.

The farmer sees me and closes in on me.

"Hi Bonbon, Twilight told me you were investigatin' on this story," she says with a bit of trouble in the voice. "She didn't told me how things were, but ah saw her more worried than yesterday, and ah know it's not a good sign... Will... other people die?"

She was scared to say this. Awfully worried by the simple idea that it might happen again.

"Everything moves fast. What's important, for now, is to reassure as many people as possible. It must be made clear to the inhabitants that they don't risk anything. What's going on is tragic, but everything will soon be back to normal. Well, as normal as can be after such an event."

Sorry Applejack, I'm not as honest as you are. Judging by her face, I'd say it reassured her a bit, that's all that counts.

"Ah hope you're right. Twilight's speech is about to start, you're comin'?"

For what reason? I have an investigation to work on. It's not Twilight who's going to tell me something new. In fact, she doesn't even know that Open Skies' death is a murder, since she left before we found the wrapping. And Whooves will be quick to inform her on that point.

"I don't think so, Applejack."

"You have a lot of work, I understand, sugarcube. I'll leave ya."

In reality, not that much. I have to wait for the analysis and the results of the autopsy. Whooves is finishing to inspect Open Skies' house and a team is already actively searching for Rose.

I could help, but not alone. I'm not even coordinated with the searching team, I would encroach on their zone. And if it happens, even if I doubt it, that Rose is the murderer, I'd rather not find myself alone in front of her.

In the end, I have as many reasons to come as I have to not go.

"Maybe..." I say, thoughtful, after a moment of reflection.

No answer. I look around me. Applejack went away without me realising it.

Oh well. I'm still coming. At least I'll be able to see how Twilight manages the problem, or tries to. It could influence the investigation. On my way to the castle then.

I see there's already a small crowd starting to mass. Twilight and her close friends are at the top of the steps, whispering to each other.

I can guess, seeing their faces, that they're talking about Open Skies. Or rather, that Twilight just told them about his death. All five of them are shocked and I see Applejack interrupting Twilight, as if she's asking for clarifications. The latter answers, probably explaining this whole suicide story. They still look stupefied, scared that Open Skies could do such a horror, but at least the case seems closed. At least, it's what Twilight concludes, by the looks of it.

The conversation lasts a bit longer, as ponies are gathering around the palace, still spreading the same news.

"The one time that something is happening in this dump, it has to be a murder, if that's not bad luck I don't know what it is!" says a familiar voice next to me.

I turn my head, looking at Colgate who's holding this morning's journal. On the front page, of course, is Mr. Cake's murder.

"It's true that being attacked by Tirek, Discord, Nightmare Moon, an ursa minor, parasprites to name a few, it's not phenomenal enough to be important," I reply with irony.

"But here, it's not a problem that can be fixed with a magic trick, with stones or whatever. Unless the Elements of Harmony can resurrect someone."

Of course it's impossible, and she knows it. But Colgate has this unique talent to make inappropriate sarcasm, and to act it so perfectly you'd think she does believe it. She's always been a little irritating because of that.

"Is that really all that Cake's death does to you?" I say while looking at her with little disbelief. "We knew him for fifteen years, and your only reaction is "That's bad luck"?"

She closes the journal and looks at me with big eyes, seeming offended.

"Who do you think I am!? Of course I'm sad for him! He was someone good! But he's dead, like hundreds of ponies every day. And there's already going to be enough people to cry on him, with his wife and children, no need for me to join them."

It's a way of seeing things. A pretty awful one, but coming from a dentist who barely anaesthetizes her patients, it doesn't really surprise me.

I lift my head towards the palace's entrance. Looks like the speech is about to start.

Author's Note:

What can friendship do against greater forces?

Comments

[MatTheBook]

"Who do you think I am!? Of course I'm sad for him! He was someone good! But he's dead, like hundreds of ponies every day. And there's already going to be enough people to cry on him, with his wife and children, no need for me to join them."

He is still a person to mourn, not a body count!
Do ponies die in your town everyday?