> Till Death Do Us Part
>  by Journeyman
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Con Amore, my dear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Till Death Do Us Part

Case #: 251632
Lead Investigator: Detective Spade
Crime: Murder

Supplementary Evidence 01: Diary entries of Mrs. Sunny Clayworth
Notes: Forensic analysis of the entries, including graphology comparisons with earlier written notes, suggests Mrs. Clayworth is in good health and mentally sound. This is supported by witness testimonies. Please note that the individual “Dotty” is the moniker of Mr. Dorian Clayworth.
04/26/1012
I’m really glad I decided to splurge a little on a new diary. My old one was certainly run ragged after such a long and prolific career as most staunch companion and confidant. An item since my late teenage years, it was long due for retirement. I know Dotty frowns on what he must consider errant spending, but he hasn’t made much of a fuss otherwise. Not much for a first day’s entry, but let’s start off slow.
04/28/1012
Dotty and I moved to one of the high rise apartments on the Manehatten mountainside. There’s an absolutely beautiful view of the eastern horizon there and it is right above the river. Dotty’s calling it a late anniversary present. I didn’t know whether to kiss him or buck him where the sun don’t shine. I smacked him in the cheek out of reflex before apologizing. I’m sorry for doing that, but what did he expect? I’d jump for joy at the prospect of moving? What a hassle!
A new apartment! At double the pay grade!
Granted, we are quite well off as it is. He is in real estate and I run the city’s only art studio. He wanted to wait until the deed was transferred to our ownership before telling me, but he had been promoted to Vice President of Sales, thus the sudden influx of money for a better place, and wanted to tell me straight away. I knew he had a bit of a wild side in his youth but this is ridiculous! A promotion and a new house!? What’s Dorian going to spring on me next, he’s secretly pregnant?

Supplementary Evidence 02: Character profile of Mrs. Sunny Clayworth. 
Notes: Compiled by the Manehatten Office of Law on 11/28/1010
Ever since she had initiated the Manehatten art studio after the previous establishment went bankrupt due to poor management decisions, Mrs. Clayworth has displayed a confidence typical of a pony born to lead. 
Although running the gallery under a tight and efficient shift, there have been several complaints of emotional and verbal harassment directed at Mrs. Clayworth. In addition to a turnover rate that is double any other establishment in the city, job satisfaction reports collected at the beginning of every year reveal a high dissatisfaction with management from even low level staff. Numerous complaints have been filed against Mrs. Clayworth, but until concrete evidence for a suit has been collected, no charges of harassment can be filed at this time.
Allegations of emotional or mental instability are to be cataloged until such a time that they are needed.

Supplementary Evidence 03: Diary entries of Mrs. Sunny Clayworth
05/02/1012
I’m still angry with Dorian, but at least I’ve had time to cool down. Seriously! He didn’t run this by me! How did he expect me to react when he said out of the blue that he bought riverfront land. I love it, there’s no denying, but he’s my husband! These are the kind of things you’re supposed to discuss with your partner!
05/12/1012
That’s it, we’re finally moved in entirely. My anger’s simmered long enough that it’s boiled down to nothing. Dorian still has trouble looking me in the eye. He did have a slight bruise for a while, but a quick trip to the  hospital fixed that up. I’ve got to make it up to him somehow. He knows I didn’t mean it, but I can’t just sit on my flank and do nothing.
Speaking of the house, it’s gorgeous. Hardwood floors with a diamond polish to protect it from damage or particularly harsh hoofsteps, three full bathrooms, four bedrooms, three guest bedrooms, a kitchen, lobby, and maid’s quarters. We have a hired teenage filly that does most of the cooking and housework. I’ll see if she doesn’t mind moving in. Work would get done a little faster that way.
05/13/1012
I guess my wish was answered! While stopping at a cafe, I met a strange fellow in a very fine suit who told me about the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala. He said the pony who struck his fancy would be on a necessary business trip in Cloudsdale at the time of the dance. Having a spare entry pass, and not willing to go alone, he offered them both to me. By Celestia’s sweet flank, I snatched them up faster than a harlot latches onto a burly evening buck. No strings attached, he said. He didn’t even give me his name, but he looked very well off. I’m not particularly fond of white for dress wear, but he was wearing a white poplin tailor-made suit that looked like a Hoity Toity piece. I guess something like a pair of Gala tickets would be no sweat off his brow if he’s got bits to spare.
We chatted for a while. He was a friendly enough fellow, but something seemed... offputting. I could not put my hoof on it. It might have been because he never seemed to stop smiling. Business kept out talk short, however, he he left soon after.
I can’t wait to tell Dotty! He’s always wanted to go to the Grand Galloping Gala.
05/15/1012
Oh, he loved it! I swear he looked like when I first met him in prep school, wide eyed and dorky. Ha ha. After the shock wore off he kissed me and I dropped the tickets. He was insatiable! I guess all was forgiven because after an hour of that, I had trouble walking.
05/16/1012
I suppose he wanted to treat me after the surprise I gave him with the tickets. There’s a small cafe I like that makes just the best lattes and sundaes. They always sprinkle some cinnamon onto the vanilla. A lot of ponies aren’t too fond of it, but I love the taste.
He ordered just an iced coffee. I tried to get him to order something more; he’s always so thin! He’s a stick! A stiff breeze would blow him over. He really wasn’t feeling hungry or didn’t want to make a scene. It didn’t help that our server was making eyes at him. I glowered at her and ordered her to do her job otherwise I’d demand another server from the manager. She behaved, but I still caught her throwing him the occasional wayward glance. Dotty didn’t help things at all. He was blushing and said he was flattered. Flattered! He’s married! She was nothing but a minimum wage waitress! Does the fact they both have red hair mean anything? No!
Foolish underclass fillies, always clawing for what’s not theirs. I need to talk to Dorian later about her.

Supplementary Evidence 04: Security surveillance video at Curio’s Corner
Notes: Inquiries among the art gallery staff deduced that the cafe in question is a small establishment known as Curio’s Corner. The footage recording takes place on 05/17/1012. Due to the low quality recordings of Curio’s Corner, a still frame captured every three seconds, the monochrome nature of the footage, and the lack of sound, several facets of the video are left up to interpretation. The front door is at the far side of the screen, and a table blocks the view of the display window. A barista's counter covers the entire wall on the right. The store room, freezer, and office doors are located under the camera.
10:12
Cafe floor is clear of most ponies. Two waitresses are taking orders while two baristas are behind the counter. The filly mentioned in journal entry 05/16/1012 is not seen.
10:13
Sunny Clayworth walks into the cafe, approaches a barista, and engages in an animated discussion. The barista speaks with his coworker and the companion leaves and enters the office.
10:15
A stallion identified as Curio exits the office. He beckons Mrs. Clayworth to enter his office and closes the door behind her. The barista returns to work.
10:19
The office door opens suddenly and without warning. Mrs. Clayworth exits the office in a hurried manner. Mr. Curio runs after her, shouting in what appears to be an attempt to beckon Mrs, Clayworth to remain. Mrs. Clayworth does not react, and exits the premises. Mrs. Clayworth is not seen again that day.

Supplementary Evidence 05: Diary entry of Mrs. Sunny Clayworth
Notes: The following entry has been transcribed as best as possible, but the wild strokes and repeated crossing out of words have rendered some words difficult to discern.
051712
[ILLEGIBLE] stallion! I try TRY to tell him about how those whores harlots that will try to ruin his life and get into his good graces just so he’ll toss a few fucking bits their way. Does he listen to me? NO! I’m going over to the cafe now and see if [ILLEGIBLE] [ILLEGIBLE] and give her a piece of my mind!

Supplementary Evidence 06: Audio interview with Iron Lockbox, friend and confidant of Dorian Clayworth.
Is this thing on?
I assure you the microphone is in working order, Mr. Lockbox.
Eh, call me Iron.
Please Iron, tell us of the conversation you had with Mr. Clayworth at two in the afternoon on the seventeenth of May.
Ah. I was doing my rounds, you know, making sure everythin’ was in workin’ order. Sometimes we get hooligans and teens breaking into Dorian’s properties, or sometimes things just break or fail over time. ’s my job to fix things and make sure the alarms all work. Dorian stops by sometimes for a chat when he’s got nothing to do.
Does he make a habit of this?
Not really. He does it when he wants. Ah knew somethin’ was up this time ‘cause ol’ Dorian was lookin’ tired, no doubt due to that bat of a wife. Turns out I was right. We cracked open a cold one–shit. Dorian told me to never tell anypony he sometimes drank a can on the job.
This is a private recording. Everything you say is legally protected and will not be shared.
...Okay. After we both opened a can and shut the blinds so no one knew we drinkin’–please don’t tell–he started talking about what happened earlier. He worked a nine to five and the witch cornered him before he left.
To clarify, this ‘witch’ is –
Yeah, yeah, Sunny, the wicked bitch of the west. Before he got to work, she jumped down his throat or somethin’. Said she was talking about how fillies were eyeing him and he had to set an example for the upper class suits. He said he wasn’t sure what she was talkin’ about at first before he realized she was talkin’ about some filly they met. He said it was just some youngin’s wish fulfillment. Dorian’s a pretty well off stud. Some random girl fawnin’ over him isn’t new, but this is the first time she lost it. Sunny accused him of baitin’ the lass, but Dorian just kept sayin’ he said it was nothin’ and she needed to stop worryin’ about it. That’s when she brought up how the other suits would see him if they knew that girls kept launchin’ themselves at ‘im. I don’t know no stallion that wouldn’t want that. Heh. He started sayin’ that’s when she made a mountain out of a molehill. She blew up and started screamin’ at him, and that’s when he left just so he wouldn’t have to listen. Said he overreacted, but he needed some time away to clear his head. Told me he kept callin’ the home phone ‘cause she wasn’t workin’ that day, but got only the answerin’ machine.
When did this conversation take place?
Ooooooooooh.... I say about two. Maybe two-fifteen.
No, I mean Mr. Clayworth’s disagreement with his wife.
Not sure. He usually wakes up two hours before work, so sometime between seven and eight-thirty – it takes about a half hour for him to get to work.
Very well, I believe I have everything I need. You may go.

Supplementary Evidence 07: Diary entries of Mrs. Sunny Clayworth
05/19/1012
Okay... Okay, I’ve had time to calm down. It was just nothing but happenstance. She was just a filly, even I made eyes at some stallions in my youth. It wasn’t worth blowing up in his face over it. Some things happened, but I am in no mood to write them down now. I need some sleep.
05/22/1012
The Duke of Canterlot, Prince Blueblood staged a dance and banquet in the Manehattan Skyline hotel today. We had it on our calendar for some time, but due to... recent events, Dotty and I have been having a little trouble communicating.
It was a fun outing. The crystal chandeliers were lit with candles, everything was covered in the finest linens (I hate white linen!), and the entire banquet hall was packed with enough ponies of noble birth to populate Canterlot. There were dozens of ponies of various social classes to rub flanks with, plenty of contacts to build, but I knew it was not the night for climbing social circles. It was a damage control evening.
Even though I could have broadcasted myself across the crème de la crème, I spent almost the entire night at Dotty’s side. It was time to be the supportive wife as he chatted with his friends. I could see it in his eyes, both the forgiveness and hurt. Every sweet nothing I whispered in his ear, every assurance I would stay the entire night for him, was met with a warm smile. I had memorized his blue eyes ever since I met him at school. He was quite the lothario back then, but he picked me, and I picked him. I was valedictorian, he was the charming head of math club and hoofball player. I earned everything I got, he won it by maneuvering others to his advantage, especially if they lacked a Y chromosome.
But I was the one who made him settle down and curb his promiscuity. He was mine, but tonight I was his. Even when he insisted I go and frolic with my friends and dig for contacts, I refused. Right at his side was where I wanted and needed to be. I couldn’t help but smile when his lips curved into that half smirk that always made fillies dive for him at school.
It was then that he wanted to call the night off early. I wasn’t sure what it was, perhaps it was the five star food, the stuffy if spacious room, or that twinkle in his eye. Something about him made me shiver and remember the old days. We ran from that place like giggling children, barely able to keep ourselves off each other.
05/29/1012
I just sold a half dozen Ponets to a collector from Prance. Premises payments for the next few months are in the bag, along with enough to finish up bill payments for this and next month. I have a strange craving for sushi after work. I’ll have to stop by the market later.
...
...
...
...
Note to self: That was a terrible idea. I can’t get the taste out of my mouth.
06/04/1012
Something odd just happened. Dotty finished finalizing some tax reports and paperwork about some of his houses, so he went out for a pick-me-up coffee. He came back like he’d seen a ghost. The only time I’d seen that look on his face was once when a damaged water heater overpressurized and blew a hole through the roof of one of his houses. His eyes were wide and he kept tripping over his own hooves. I asked what was wrong, but he just said he was tired and needed to turn in early. He did seem tired and he’s been at the office negotiating some offers for incoming housing.
Now that I think about it, he has been a little on edge the past few days. I’ll ask him later.
06/06/1012
There’s something up; I can smell it. He shook off the funk and said it was nothing more than a long day. I did a little snooping and found out he wasn’t lying. That shady Lockbox fellow had to drive all across the city and clean up properties. I had forgotten, but there was a hoofball game on the night of the third. A lot of the high schoolers flooded the streets and committed vandalism all over town. I heard that some of them started fires as well. What happened to proper discipline?
That still doesn’t explain why Dotty hasn’t bounced back by now. I feel bad for his loss, even if his houses only suffered minor breaking and entering damage and not fires. I’m going to snoop around a little. Perhaps taking him out will make him let down his guard.
06/09/1012
We’ve been visiting my favorite cafe for the past couple days. I’ve seen that little harlot only twice, but at least she had the sense to not stare at my husband, and he avoided eye contact with her. She’s a cute, competent thing with the same red mane as Dotty, but she looked like she’d been starved half her life. I swear I saw some ribs on her. 
But it’s good she’s barely even looking at him when taking orders. I guess my demand of Curio to straighten out his employees worked.
06/10/1012
I caught her looking at Dotty from behind the window in the storeroom door. Not just looking, leering. Glaring or something. I guess the lesson didn’t stick after all.
6/13/1012
That little witch!
I was coming home with special ingredients for celery stew and passed by the cafe. I passed by the cafe and Dorian was sitting down with that filly! Laughing! Smiling and laughing! Alone that’s not so bad, but Dorian said he was going straight home after work. The cafe is nowhere near the path back, so he had to go there to see her! Or she convinced him to come to her. What’s that little bitch doing?

Supplementary Evidence 08: Silent video recording of Curio’s Corner.
Notes: Videotape containing 34:29 (thirty-four minutes, twenty-nine seconds) of video found in a hidden closet compartment in the Clayworth residence. The Clayworths and the maid did have access to a camera capable of audio and visual recording, but it is assumed that their device did not record the tape. The recorded fidelity is much lower than the capabilities of the camera model owned by the Clayworths. The video opens to show the Curio’s Corner cafe, and although a public clock shows the time at the video’s start is 2:00 in the afternoon, the exact date is unknown.
<BEGIN VIDEO>
Although the bustling city of Manehatten never slept and never ceased movement, the lack of any noise on the video made the entire city discomfortingly silent. The camera focused on the intersection between two streets, a corner store that had several tables open to the city air. Ponies milled back and forth on the pale concrete sidewalks, but the camera was ever fixed on the front door of the corner shop.

Several minutes pass before the recorder’s unknown operator moves his or her device. They focus on a filly as she leaves the shop. She is a lithe thing, if thinner than most ponies but not lanky. Golden fur topped with flaming red hair, she was an easy marker among the citizens, especially with her tan apron smelling richly of coca, cream, and caramel. A miscellaneous brown splash graced her flanks, but the low resolution prevented a clearer image of her cutie mark.

As she continued down the sidewalk, the operator follows her parallel to the street. The filly was quite chip, occasionally skipping and singing a tune that was not caught by the silent observer. Soon enough, the filly approaches a semi-dilapidated apartment complex, pulls a key, unlocks the door, and enters. The camera stays focused on the front door for a few moments longer before cutting to black, the operator having everything they need.
<END VIDEO>

Supplementary Evidence 09: Diary entries of Mrs. Sunny Clayworth
06/15/12
I try to tell him that the little whore is no good for either of us, and he doesn’t believe me! Why else would a little tramp like her snuggle up to Dorian? Charming and handsome as he may be, I admit there are better-looking catches that go through the cafe every day. It’s not his looks, and they don’t know each other; I would know her face. I was right. She’s a little gold digger.
06/16/1012
I told Dorian we’re not going to the cafe again. I caught him staring at her. She wasn’t doing the same, so I know it wasn’t idle curiosity. She’s getting to him. She’s a little more sly than I gave her credit for. Now Dorian’s angry with me, saying I’m overreacting. We’ll see about that.

Supplementary Evidence 10: Mrs. Sunny Clayworth’s private bank statements.
06/01/1012 - Art Gallery Purchase - $50,000; Wired deposit of funds -$80,000
06/02/1012 - Curio’s Cafe - $50
06/04/1012 - Cash Withdrawal - $200
06/06/1012 - Purchase at Monsieur Moneybag’s Fine Dining - $250
06/09/1012 - Curio’s Cafe - $30; Cash Withdrawal - $200
06/10/1012 - Curio’s Cafe - $45
06/14/1012 - Cash Withdrawal - $700
06/28/1012 - Cash Withdrawal - $2,000

Supplemental Evidence 11: Diary entries of Mrs. Sunny Clayworth
06/18/1012
5blocksnorth
06/26/1012
Something is definitely up with Dorian. He’s been making a lot of excuses the last few days to get out of the house. It’s not work; I’ve slipped some of his coworkers a few bits to get some information and he hasn’t stopped by. He keeps leaving at about one 1:30 and comes back at three like clockwork. What is he doing? He’s not telling me anything!
06/27/1012
They’re meeting! Exactly when I told him not to go there anymore! He’s meeting that little tramp during and after she’s done with work!

Supplementary Evidence 12: Security surveillance video at Manehatten Title Service LLC, owned by Dorian Clayworth. Recording takes place shortly before 13:00 on 06/27/1012. There is no audio and the camera is placed in the corner over the main office area. Dorian Clayworth’s office is in the far corner of the camera’s sight.
12:58
New tape begins. Five rows of office workers and secretaries work at desks with paperwork. Dorian Clayworth is seen in his office behind the glass door.
13:01
The individual Iron Lockbox enters the office and enters Mr. Clayworth’s office. The two converse.
13:06
Mr. Lockbox leaves the Mr. Clayworth’s office and the immediate area.
13:09
The front door bursts open, startling the majority of the staff. Mr. Clayworth looks up from his work. Mrs. Clayworth storms through the desks to Mr. Clayworth’s corner office and opens the door, shouting the entire time.
13:10
Work stops as everypony looks on at the two. Mr. Clayworth’s demeanor starts as pleadingly pacifying and changes to anger and frustration. Mrs. Clayworth displays signs of extreme anger and verbally shouts for several minutes.
13:13
Mrs. Clayworth leaves Mr. Clayworth’s office in anger. She slams Mr. Clayworth’s door shut and the glass shatters. Office workers watch as she leaves the building. Mr. Clayworth puts his head in his hooves and does not move for several minutes.

Supplementary Evidence 13: Diary entries of Mrs. Sunny Clayworth
6/28/1012
I suppose it should be of no surprise that we’re sleeping in separate rooms now. I brought him my accusations that the filly he’s been seeing behind my back is a skank and a gold digger, and he got defensive. Defensive! Then I asked him nicely why he was going behind my back to see her. 
Then he had the nerve to get angry and call me a possessive hag! Well, he’s not getting any for the immediate future! He didn’t even deny the accusation. I need to call in a favor.
7/01/1012
I know it. He’s eyeing up every mare that passes us on the streets. I know it’s not just harmless eye-wandering. I know he’s still meeting that filly; I’ve caught him in the act with a little investigation and exchange of money on my part. It appears he’s sunken back into his school lothario ways; it’s clear he doesn’t trust me. I thought I had gotten rid of them a long time ago, but appears I missed a part of the root. I have work to do.
7/03/1012
I got it now. I knew things were getting bad between us, but I admit: I didn’t see this one coming.
SHE’S FUCKING PREGNANT!
I didn’t want to believe it. really, I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t! I had him followed, though. I had to know. What was he doing? Why was he always gone for so long? What did he keep doing with that waitress? I suppose the answer was obvious. I caught him sneaking about after all several times. I already knew he was meeting her and not telling me. 
I never thought he would do this to me...
I payed an investigator to follow Dorian and report to me. He said Dotty had made an appointment at the Manehatten hospital. That filly was going with him. What made it worse was that it was the Manehatten National Institute of Medicine. They specialize in pregnancy and child-related care.
I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to.
I watched as they entered the clinic, which was adjacent to the maternity ward. They approached the counter and spoke with the receptionist., smiling like children opening their first Hearth’s Warming Eve present.
The receptionist came back with a paper. I recognized it. It was a maternity report they use to record identities of kids. Dotty looked it over, smiled, hugged her, and then gave her a peck on the cheek.
I’m going to go now...

Supplementary Evidence 14: Police report regarding a break-in at the High Rise Apartment Complex on 07/05/12.
At 14:30 in the afternoon, the manager of the High Rise Apartments spotted a broken lock on the third floor. The room in question was rented to a filly named Lily Sunrise. Ms. Sunrise rented the room four months previous, stating that she came to Manehatten looking for something. Her dame is registered to live in Canterlot, but has an unlisted sire.
Ms. Sunrise’s apartment shows signs of forced entry. The lock shows signs of lockpicking scratches, but because the lock received damage, it is assumed the perpetrator could not successfully complete the task. Several items show signs in the room in question, including several broken dishes, a fallen bookshelf, and disheveled rugs. 
As Ms. Sunrise’s bag and personal belongings are present at the scene of the crime, preliminary conclusions point toward kidnapping and not robbery as a motive. Further on site investigations into Ms. Sunrise’s personal history and known associates are ongoing. CSI report finding an appointment on her calendar for date 07/02/12 at the Manehatten hospital. Investigators have been dispatched accordingly.

Supplementary Evidence 15: Audio and video surveillance tapes collected from a private server on the Clayworth premises. Timestamp places the footage at 15:29 on 07/05/12. Camera and video were recovered and placed in evidence.
Dorian exits the bathroom. A fresh wave of steam signals his presence, fogging up the appliances and reflective surfaces.

“Hello, honey!”

“Wah!” Cutting through his usual dignified demeanor, Dorian yelps in surprise and falls on his rear. Sunny stands before him, a packed lunch suspended in the air with her magic.

“I know you haven’t eaten yet today, so I scrounged up a snack for you. Just come back quickly, okay?”

A smile creeped across her face. Dorian returned it, but for a moment, his smile faltered. Something about his wife was... off. He knew she could be uptight and demanding, but their past troubles weren’t at the forefront of his mind as he took her lunch. Something about her smile seemed pained. Forced.

“Thank you...” His voice trailed off as his eyes explored hers as if staring at them long enough could expose whatever trouble or secret she might be holding. “...Is everything alright? I know we’re going through a rough patch, but – ”

“Oh, it’s nothing, Dotty!” She punctuated her sentence with a laugh. “Just come home soon, alright?”

“...Okay. I shouldn’t be long. No more than two hours. I have something to tell you when I get back.”

“I do too!” she said enthusiastically. “Just come back quickly.”

Supplementary Evidence 16: Tape recording from the Clayworth’s personal camcorder. The on screen time stamp dates the footage at 18:15 on 07/05/12 and takes place in the Clayworth basement.

Sunny fiddled with the camera, but dropped a small black device.

“Stupid battery.” In a fit of anger, she kicked the battery away from her and it rolled under a water heater. “I can never get this in right.”

Sunny hissed in anger and adjusted the camera’s angle to better view the room she was in. It contained some basic maintenance supplies that she left for the maid or the occasional tinker. The main attraction of the day was a stallion – Dorian – tied to a chair, out cold with a lump on the back of his head.

“You can’t even get home on time,” she murmured at Dorian. “It was six when you got back.”

Sunny kicked a wrench out of her way. Specks of fur and blood stained one end. It was the first thing she found that contained the proper weight after she finished setting things up in the basement.

Doran stirred. While not completely unconscious, the blow had knocked out his ability to survey and understand his surroundings. Luckily, the occasional TV show had prepared her for such a possibility. She uncorked a flask of water and dumped the contents over his face.

“Wha–” he said with a start.

Sunny gave him no time to gather his bearings. She wrenched his head to force him to look her in the eyes. “We need to have a little talk, dearie.”

He flinched away from her gaze. Her usually perfect mane was unkempt, her eyes bloodshot. “Sunny...?”

“We need to have a talk about your infidelity problem.”

It took a moment for Dorian to focus his eyes on his wife. The earlier blow that had rendered him momentarily unconscious left him dazed and confused, incapable of grasping his situation as well as he could if he were not so wounded. His brain was slow on the uptake, but he knew something was wrong with his wife.

“Infidelity? I’ve never betrayed you, Sunny... my head...”

“Liar!” Her voice echoed in the basement. It gave Dorian the impression that several other mares were shouting at him alongside her, echoing her rage. “I know about that girl!”

“Lily...? You know?”

Sunny hissed in anger. He admitted it! He admitted it, and he knew her name! He was on first names basis with her already? “Yes!”

Dorian shook his head, “Sunny – sweetie – I –”

“Don’t you sweetie me!” she roared. Dorian flinched once again. “You admitted it! You’ve been having an affair all this time. Did you think I didn’t notice? Did you think I didn’t catch all those glances you kept stealing at each other?”

He shook his head again. “You’re mistaken. You’re not thinking clearly.” Her eyes were bulging and looked ready to pop out of her skull. He kept speaking in a low and quiet voice, desperate to placate her, to try to find any means to calm her down. “I can explain everythign. Just give me a moment.” 

Sunny turned on her hooves. Dorian took the moment to test his bonds. They were secured pretty tight, but before he could do anything else, Sunny returned her attention to him. A large butcher knife was in her hooves.

“Well if she’s not the homewrecker, I suppose you won’t mind if I take this to her.”

“NO!” In an instant that haze that had been clouding his mind lifted. She was mad. She was truly mad.

Sunny only smiled triumphantly. “It appears you do have feelings for that little whore. I thought you abandoned your skirt-chasing before we married, but it appears I was mis–”

“She’s my daughter!”

The following silence was enough to cut through Sunny’s tirade. It seemed to take on a life of its own, twisting around them, strangling whatever accusation she wished to throw at him next. Seeing the advantage with her momentary pause and look of bewilderment, Dorian pressed forward.

“I didn’t know at first either. Lily heard stories from her mother that her father mentioned he thought about moving to Manehatten. I met her mother in college. Her name was Aurora... I remember she always liked to stargaze.”

Dorian chuckled sardonically. Sunny was still frozen in place. If she weren’t standing or breathing, he would have thought something was wrong with her. “I met her at a bar. It was nothing special. It was the day after finals, everypony was celebrating. We got drunk, flirted, and it ended in a one night stand. She got pregnant, but she didn’t know for a few weeks. By then I had an internship prepared in Manehatten and never saw her again. I had no idea she was pregnant.”

Sunny gave no sign of acknowledgement. She wasn’t even blinking. Believing he was getting through to her, Dorian continued his story. “Lily saved up everything she had and moved here to find me. All she had was a name and Aurora’s reminder that she had the same colored mane as me. 

“She approached me early last month. She thought I might have been the stallion Aurora described and I was. She just wanted to get in touch with me, to see if I was really her dad. We met off and on, but I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry, but I thought you were right. I thought she might have been all smiles and manners, just a grifter who wanted to charm me. But she didn’t. She just wanted to get to know the dad she never had.”

Dorian looked his wife over. She still hadn’t moved an inch. “Honey...?” Nothing. Hesitantly, Dorian pushed forward. “We talked again and again, about Aurora, what we’ve been doing since college, Lily talked about how she was saving up for college classes. I didn’t say anything to you in case I was wrong and she was a grifter. I needed proof, absolute proof that Lily’s suspicions were right and she was my biological daughter. I payed a friend at the hospital to test our blood.”

At this, Sunny twitched. Some emotion swirled in her bloodshot eyes. Dorian wasn’t sure what it was, but now that most of it was laid bare, he needed to finish the story. “I was going to tell you about her, but I didn’t want to tell you until I had some hard evidence to back it up. I was going to tell you tonight, tell you that something from my past had come back to bite me in the flank. I wasn’t afraid that I had a foal out there to take care of, I was afraid that you would think I betrayed you.” He gave a half-hearted laugh. “I was half right.”

Sunny looked towards the door that led to the breaker box. It was the first sign of life she gave since Dorian’s sudden reveal. Something beeped behind her. Craning his neck, he saw a red light flashing on their camera. It was almost out of battery.

“Listen, Sunny. I had a daughter without knowing. Even though she was conceived in the days you knew me to be a little less scrupulous, that doesn’t negate the damage I did. I was going to tell you after I came home tonight. I was going to bring her here and introduce you to her, but she didn’t answer the door. I know you’re sick, Sunny. I know you’re confused right now, but despite that and my error... I was hoping you wouldn’t mind having a daughter in the family.”

Sunny burst out laughing. It gave Dorian the chills. Just like before, her eyes were bulging as she clenched her gut in maniacal laughter.

“So, that’s it. That’s everything.” She almost sauntered over to the breaker box door. She flung it open, reveal the contents to her husband. “Well, I’ve made a mess out of more than one thing then.”

Tied to a chair was a filly with shockingly bright red hair, just like Dorian. A large pool of blood had congealed on the floor from several cuts and stabs in her chest. Lines of blood streamed from a word cut right above her breastbone.


WHORE


With an audible blip, the camera’s battery was finally gone.

Supplementary Evidence 16: Manehatten Police forensics report.
The filly, identified as Lily, was DOA. Ms. Lily’s cause of death is a confirmed case of exsanguination by multiple stab wounds. Angle of penetration suggests the perpetrator was not practiced with cutlery or other bladed instruments and the wounds show several signs of hesitation strikes.
There are no signs of foul play indicating either Mrs. Clayworth killed Mr. Clayworth, or Mr. Clayworth killed Mrs. Clayworth in self defense. No further sign of either individual was detected at the crime scene other than what was indicated in the video gathered at the crime scene. The bindings that secured Mr. Clayworth to his seat were found next to the chair he was tied to in Supplementary Evidence 15. The bindings were cut with a sharp instrument, but no further trace was found of Mr. Clayworth. An APB has been placed on both individuals with a warrant out for Mrs. Clayworth’s arrest on the charge of murder.





Don’t fear my madness; it just stems from a lack of a conscience. Fear those whose madness stems from love. Even a monster like me won’t dare cross them.

~Author Unknown



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Story Commentary: LINK
Edited by: Reader Review, Genesis1212
Prereader: Softy8088