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Prologue: Meeting2,974 words
Case 1: The Saddle Arabian Treasure (Part 1)3,383 words

Case 1: The Saddle Arabian Treasure (Part 1)

Author's Note:

Look who's back, and feeling Prime!

The Intriguing Mysteries of Deduction and Stethoscope

Narratives compiled by Dr. Stethoscope, Ph.D

Case I: The Saddle Arabian Treasure

When I first stepped into the flat that fateful night, I, in my years as a surgeon and medical consultant, would have never begun to fathom the turn my life would take after meeting the peculiar stallion that was walking silently at my side. Indeed, throughout my days of study and working in Twilight Town, I always envisioned my life being nothing more that providing my services to the sick of my home town. However, as I’ve come to learn in the years following the events that I am about to narrate, life is not so predictable as one believes.

And so, there we were: two unlikely companions silently trodding towards an unknown destination (unknown to me, at least) in an ordinary dark and frigid Trottingham evening. It had been nearly an hour since we hastily left our lodgings at 344B Buckshire Street after receiving a call from the police. At the time, the only thing I could gather from the call was that the police were in need of his presence. As I thought back to our short meeting at the flat, he explained to me that he was what he named “consultant” to the police, a rather peculiar position to be sure. As he described it, his duties involved assisting ponies who could not find help with the city constabulary to solve their problems. He told me that he was not an inspector as he was not part of the police and as such he could operate without any boundaries.

I looked at my flat-mate, studying his features curiously. Etched upon his face was a visage of determination and concentration. He did not speak to me throughout our journey, but his eyes and the slight smile upon his lips told me that he was eager to arrive. His pace was long and quick that I found myself struggling to stay at his side.

As we passed the bank in Horn Street, my curiosity got the better of me. “Excuse, Mr. Deduction, but where are we-”

“Just Deduction, if you please,” said he, still staring at the sidewalk in front of us. “If we are to live under the same roof, then we must be rid of such stifling formalities.”

“I see. Very well, Deduction.”

“Thank you. Now then, what was your question?” He turned his head towards mine.

“Well, I have multiple questions, actually. Firstly, we are we headed?” I inquired. His talk of our destination being close seemed to lack any truth behind it. Already, my hooves were becoming more and more exhausted to the point where each step was met with discomfort.

“We are headed for a certain house at the very end of Horn Street, so we are not too far off now,” he answered. I gave out a small sigh of relief at the prospect of an end to our incessant walking. “Now, you had another question, I believe?”

“Yes. Why are we headed there?”

“Well, as you saw, the police contacted me and requested that I met them at the house.”

“But why do they want to see you?”

“They did not say why.” His smile grew. “But I very much prefer it that way. It is good to go into a case without any prior knowledge so as to not make any baseless assumptions.” He suddenly came to a stop and turned towards me. “That reminds me: you would not perchance have a notepad and pencil, would you?”

I shook my head slowly. “No, I do not.”

“Hmm, a pity, but it should not be a problem. For the next time, do bring one, for it is always imperative to have testimonies written down. Do you understand?”

I nodded.

“Excellent. Come, we are nearing our destination.” He turned away and we resumed our trek.

---

He had been speaking the truth this time when he said we were near our final point. As we approached the house, I could see the the police had been there for a good while. Two rather large earth stallions were guarding either side of the main gate that led towards the house. About the house, it was truly a marvel to look at. From what I could gather, it was around two stories and it covered a rather substantial area. The windows were awash with light, which I assumed was done by the constables as all the other homes in the area were dark.

We approached the two officers in front of the gate whom eyes us suspiciously. “This is a crime scene, citizen. Please return to your home,” said the guard on the left, a brown stallion.
Deduction’s smile did not falter even under the stallion’s scrutiny. “Good evening, honourable servant of the law. Forgive my intrusion, but we are here under the auspices of the Chief Inspector. Might we see her?”

The brown pony turned to his companion on the right and signaled him inside without saying a word. The other seemed to have understood what he meant and made his way into the habitation. A few moments later, he stepped out, along with another pony in tow, a mare to be exact. She was around the same height as the guards, a rather rare sight amongst the mares in Trottingham. She was a white coated unicorn with a grey mane. The uniform she wore was rather plain, though the badge that pinned on her breast was slightly larger and more ornate than the badges of the other two. Her face showed the tell-tale signs of aging, but even so she still carried a certain air of beauty.

“Hello, Deduction. I trust the walk here was pleasant enough?” she spoke, holding out a hoof in front of her.

Deduction, still smiling, took her hoof between his and shook it in greeting. “Pleasant enough,” he answered. “May I ask, are you having any problems at home?”

I looked at him in confusion. Was that not a little personal for him to be asking? How did he figure out such a thing?

To my surprise, she did not respond to his question with anger, but with a dry chuckle. “What gave it away?” she asked.

“Well, for a start, your clothes are always in pristine order every time we’ve met, yet today they are all wrinkled and dishevelled. Now last month, you told me that it was your wife that made sure your uniform was always in order, so I merely deduced that you were either evicted from your house or, inversely, she left you. Also, I noticed that you do not have your wedding bracelet around your hoof,” he explained.

I was, for lack of a better word, amazed. How was he able to deduce correctly that she had marital problems just by pointing out such inconsequential things? I thought back to what Healing Touch had told me about Deduction when we met. Perhaps he was right in calling this stallion “peculiar.”

The inspector sighed. “We… we just need to be away from each other for a bit. In any case, there are more important matters to attend to.” She turned to me. “And who might this be?”

“Allow me to introduce to you my new flat-mate, Stethoscope,” said he. “He is here as an observer so he may better understand my profession. Stethoscope, this is inspector Looking Glass.”

“A pleasure to meet you, madame,” said I, tipping my hat to her.

“The pleasure is mine,” she responded with a curt nod. “I pray Mr. Deduction here has not frightened you in any way.” She gave out a wry chuckle.

“Well I-”

“Never you mind that, Stethoscope. We have more pressing matters to attend to,” said he with a dismissive hoof. “Inspector, can you tell why the police are in need of my services.”

A frown formed on the mare’s face. “By all intents and purposes, it appears that the owner of this humble abode is a tragic victim of burglary.”

Deduction shook his head. “Ah, but were it that simple then my presence would not be required, would it?”

The inspector smiled. “We would not bother you were it so. Come, I am sure that you would prefer to see for yourself.”

Inspector Looking Glass turned towards the large house and beckoned us with her hoof. We obliged her, speaking not a single word as we made our way inside.

When the three of us passed through the threshold into the foyer, the sight that greeted us was a complete contrast to the habitation’s exterior. Whereas outside, the house appeared to be splendid and well-kept, the interior looked as if the entirety of the Royal Army had marched about after traversing a mud soaked plain. Various pieces of furniture had been knocked over, and the smooth wood floor had been caked in dirt. The inspector led us then to the living room, which seemed to have suffered even worse than the foyer.

As we entered the room, my ears perked up at the cacophony of voice that permeated the vicinity. A mixture of unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony constables were spread out throughout the area, discussing matters \to this particular case. Above the din, I could make out the exasperated shouts of a distressed unicorn stallion who I assumed was the owner of the defiled abode.

“Hoodlums! Vandals! How dare they defile my home like this?” he exclaimed at two officers recording his testimony.

“He is certainly not pleased with this turn of events,” said I.

“What he feels is of no relevance,” spoke Deduction. “Now then, may you explain the details of the problem, inspector?”

“Very well. The owner, who goes by the name of Daring Venture, had just returned from an extended trip to Flankfurt when he found his home in its current state that you see before you. Suspecting he had been burglarized, he called the station immediately.”

“Yes well, it does appear to be a simple robbery,” said I, examining mine surroundings.

“Normally, I would agree with you, Mr Stethoscope. However, there two facts that make this a rather strange case.”

“Oh?” spoke Deduction, his brow raised in interest. “And what might those be?”

“First, the guards, myself and Mr. Venture investigated the rest of the house, only to find that all the other rooms had been spared ransacking. Added to that, it appeared that nothing of import to owner had been stolen from the premises.”

“And what is the second factor?” Deduction asked.

Inspector Glass said nothing, choosing instead to point her hoof towards the wall behind us. On it was some sort of writing. However, in my eyes, it appeared to be some sort of nonsense message written in a foal’s hoof.

I looked towards my companion. “What do you make of this, Deduction?”

“From what I am seeing, it appears to be written in the same script that is used in Saddle Arabia. However, I am unable to translate it at this moment. Inspector, can you copy this message so that I may examine it in my flat? I do believe I have a book on Saddle Arabian script.”

The mare nodded, producing a writing pad and a pencil from her coat pocket with her magic. “I assume that you wish to speak with the owner?” she asked Deduction.

“Very much so, if you please.” She turned around and led us to the distraught stallion arguing with two police mares near the fireplace. He was an older pony, his mane a dark shade of grey and a coat of white fur. His muzzle was a mixture of moles, wrinkle, and tired eyes that were hidden behind a pair of old spectacles.

“Hoodlums! Vagabonds! No respect for their elders!” he shouted, his face contorted into a most distraught frown. He had almost begun another tirade before he found us standing aside him. With a quick clearing of his throat, he composed himself and turned towards my companion and myself.

“Yes?” he said, adjusting his glasses, “May I help you, sirs?”

“Good evening. My name is Deduction and this is my companion, Dr. Stethoscope,” Deduction answered. “I presume that you are the owner of this house, correct?”

The old stallion nodded. “That is correct. My name is Daring Venture, professor of Archaeology at the University of Trottingham. I am also quite displeased, as you can surmise.”

“Yes, I can see that. Now then, I was hoping if you could give us your story of tonight’s events.”

Mr. Venture looked at us in confusing, his head slightly cocked to the side. “Pardon my rudeness, but you don’t seem to be part of the police.”

“Appearances can be deceiving, Mr. Venture, but fret not, for we are working alongside the police in this case,” Deduction said, slightly reassuring the old stallion.

“Very well, though there is not much to say,” he said, beginning his recollection of the events. “I was out in the countryside, visiting my colleague, Steel Spade, who lives in his estate near the outskirts of Flankfurt. When I arrived, I found my home in the state you now see before you.”

“Do you have any servants, anypony who would have been here at that time?”

“Servants, yes. However, they are griffins and yesterday was one of their holy days. As such, I was obliged to allow them to observe their rituals and what not. Apparently, this is my reward for being a gracious master.”

“A tragedy, for sure,” said Deduction, with no emotion in his voice. “Was there anything of value stolen. Any jewels, money, priceless antiques?”

“Aside from any feelings I had of being safe, no. Strangely enough, all of my savings were intact. Of course, that does not excuse this….this travesty.” Mr. Venture frowned, clearly still angered by his ordeal.

“Yes, a tragedy.” Deduction turned to the side, his face demonstrating a ponderous look. “Tell me, Mr. Venture, have you, by any chance, an insurance policy for this house?”

Daring Venture looked at my companion with a hint of suspicion. “Well, I do not see what bearing that has on the investigation, unless…” He glared at Deduction, realizing what he was the implications of his question. “How dare you imply that I caused this calamity?! What right have you to come to my house and accuse me of fraud?! I should have you charged with libel!”

Deduction did not turn towards the irate pony. In fact, he seemed to ignore him whilst he released a barrage of curses and threats, gaining the attention of the officers in the room. Only after Mr. Venture began to calm himself did my companion turn to meet his gaze, his face as serene as ever.

“Pardon me. I did not mean to accuse you of anything. I merely wish to gather any and all relevant information so as to aid me in finding who ransacked your humble abode and why.”

The old stallion re-adjusted his spectacles in an effort to compose himself once more. “Yes, well, I still don’t understand how that is of any use in apprehending the worthless vandals who ruined my home.”

“It will, I can assure you of that.” Deduction turned towards me. “Doctor, I do believe we have learned all we can from the scene of the crime.”

“I see,” said I, “What do you intend to do now?”

He place a hoof under his chin, pondering our next course of action. “For now, I believe that the best course of action is to analyze that message left by whoever infiltrated Mr. Venture’s home. I think I can have it translated in an hour or two.”

“What about the griffons?” I asked Deduction. “Would they not be prime suspects in this case? Should we not question them?”

My companion shook his head. “Unnecessary. Griffins are proud creatures; for them, robbery is as dishonourable as cold blooded murder. They would not sink so low, even if their stations were
less than desirable by griffin standards.”

“Then who do you believe caused this mess?”

“That, my dear friend, is what we must discover.” He gestured towards the Chief Inspector, the fatigue on her face now more pronounced than earlier. “First, let us retrieve the note from Inspector Looking; I pray that she was able to transcribe the script with nary an error. Then, we shall return home, where I shall get to work translating it.”

I nodded, and we approached the older mare. “Had enough of him, I reckon? He certainly is a hoofful.”

“Well,” said Deduction, “robbery brings out the worst in ponies, I’m afraid. Pray, have you written down the message?”

“Aye.” Inspector Looking Glass’s horn glowed as she used her magic to levitate a strip of paper before Deduction’s face. He took the transcript and place it under his hat. “Thank you, I believe that is all that we can gather tonight.”

“I am not entirely sure how gibberish can help us catch this lowlife.”

“Ah, Inspector, you must not underestimate these things. In cases like these, even the smallest of clues can lead to great discoveries.”

The old mare rolled her eyes and smiled. “Always the poet, eh Deduction? Very well, be sure to call the station once you have any information.”

Deduction smiled as well and bowed slightly. “I will make sure to provide you with answers post haste.” He turned to me. “Come doctor, we shall take a cab this time. The more time we have to translate this, the better.”

I followed my companion towards the street, silently releasing a sigh of relief at the prospect of not having to cross the long road back to our flat on hoof.

---

We had arrived at our flat in scarcely twenty minutes, far quicker than it would have been had we walked. Mrs. Parsley had brought us a kettle of delicious mint leaf tea, which I drank heartily. My companion’s drink, however, lay still at his side, his attention turned towards the message the Inspector had transcribed and a copy of Saddle Arabian: A Guide to Saddle Arabian Script and Grammar. He had been working tirelessly for the last hour or two, seemingly unaffected by neither fatigue nor stress. A quick look at the clock showed that it was almost time to retire to bed.

“I say, Deduction,” said I to my flat mate, “how much longer until you finish?”

“Not a moment longer,” replied Deduction, not turning towards me, “I am almost finished.”

“Thank the Goddess. Surely you must be tired.”

“When I am working on a case, sleep is merely a distraction I cannot afford.” Deduction smiled and placed the writing contraption onto the desk. “There, it is finished.”

“Excellent!” I ejaculated, “What, pray, does it say?”

“According to the Guide, this message translates to the Saddle Arabian word Almaut.”

“[i[Almaut?” I asked, “What does that mean?”

“Simply put, Stethoscope, it means ‘death.’” replied Deduction with a grave look etched upon his features.

“Good Heavens!” I cried, “Why on Earth would somepony write such a vile message?”

“I do not know, but I feel that Mr. Venture’s life may be under peril.”

“Then we must call the police, they must warn him.”

The moment those words left my lips, the telephone began to ring. Deduction quickly took the call, a sense of urgency prevalent in his movements.

“Deduction,” he said in a terse voice. For the most part, he remained silent. However, I could see a look of disappointment slowly forming on his muzzle as the call continued. At times, he would interject with short phrases including, “when,” “how,” and “I see,” the context of which I had no knowledge of. Eventually, Deduction ended the call with a short “very well,” and hung up the phone.

“Who was that,” asked I.

“The police,” replied Deduction. “Come, we must make haste back to Mr. Venture’s home.”

“Why? What has happened?”

“It seems my fear have sadly come to fruition.”

“Fears? What do you mean?”

With a solemn sigh, he looked into my eyes.

“Mr. Venture was found in his home, a victim of murder.”

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