A Murder On Lilac Lane

Leaf was lost in a fog as she made her way downstairs. Although horrible things had happened at her shop, she needed to go on. Ponies would be counting on her for a calming cup of tea, for companionship at her shop. Or so she hoped. Breathing deep and puffing out her chest, she made her way downstairs. First task—set the water for tea on the boil, then unbox a case of scones, set them on a rack, and place them neatly in the glass front pastry case.

Once these were done, Leaf grinned at the normalcy of the routine as she made her way to the front door. Eight o’clock on the dot, and the doors opened wide. Some ponies trickled in, though not as many as usual. Leaf’s shoulders slumped, and she sighed as she adjusted the spectacles on the bridge of her nose.

Shrugging, Leaf made her way behind the counter. One by one, ponies queued up and placed their orders. Leaf then trotted about, getting them their choices of tea and scones, and bringing it to them at the counter if the orders were to go, or bringing out plates and small single-serving teapots for those who chose to stay. Of course, much of the gossip was about yesterday’s incident.

Through it all, Leaf failed to see the one pony she would have loved to be there most of all—Constable Reginald Haye. An hour passed, and the clock chimed nine. Odd. Haye was usually there by half-past eight. She wondered if something had happened to him. She did not have long to dwell on this as more customers poured in. First it was tea and scones, and then it was tea and triangle sandwiches when late morning rolled around, with Leaf bustling about all the while. It was entirely possible that ponies, seeing things carrying on as usual, were reassured enough to partake of her fine wares. Or, perhaps, they were here because of yesterday’s sordid events…

She took notice when the clock chimed once more, letting her know that it was noon. It was just after the clock quieted that the bell above her shop door tinkled. Putting on a smile to welcome a new customer, that smile grew when she saw who had entered her shop.

“Reg! It’s so good to see you.”

His strained eyes brightened, and he nodded to Leaf in greeting. “Leaf, my apologies for being late. I was held up by a court hearing this morning.” He sat himself at a table by the door, and Leaf joined him, carrying a pot of his favorite tea.

“Yes, of course. I understand.” She set the pot down and put her hoof over his. “Have they made a ruling?”

“Now, that is the strange part.” Haye’s gaze roamed the shop, his ears flicking all around. Turning back to her, he leaned in; Leaf followed suit. “When I was at the courthouse, I picked up Paddock’s report on Moneybags’s case. He’s already ruled the old stallion’s death as being from natural causes, but I don’t buy it.”

Leaf’s curiosity was piqued. “Well, why ever not?” she queried. “It looked like he’d had a heart attack.”

“That it did,” Haye replied. “But here’s the thing. The coroner’s report had no listing of a heart attack, aneurysm, stroke, or any other such condition that would lead to a sudden and natural death.”

“Yes, but sometimes these things do happen…”

He shook his head. “Not like this. There was no sign of natural death. None at all. The coroner would have seen something if this were the case. Instead, the ruling was listed as ‘unknown’.”

“Unknown? What could that possibly mean?” When Haye smirked, Leaf quickly added, “Oh, be quiet. I know what the word means.”

It was then that the door swung open, so suddenly that it whacked Leaf’s hat clean off her head. Leaf turned to pick up her hat when a slender stallion with a well-coiffed mane and polished hooves lifted it off the ground. By his side was a mare with a long, flowing, raven mane and tail, a shiny, cream coat that appeared to be made of silk, and bright, sky-blue eyes.

“I beg your pardon, Miss Leaf,” the stallion said as he removed his hat. “It is Miss Leaf, is it not?”

“Yes… How may I help you?”

“My name is Goldbit. Moneybags is… was my father.”

“Oh.” Leaf did not know whether to give him her condolences or to ask if he was there for her money.

“Please, if you have a moment, would you mind if we spoke in private? I have some questions.”

At this, the mare beside him spoke. “Goldbit, I don’t think this is a good—”

“Please, Pandora, don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” At this, he turned to Leaf. “Ah, yes, you wouldn’t know this stunning beauty, would you?”

“Considering I just met you a moment ago?” Leaf drolled. “Not really.”

“Well, then, allow me to introduce you. This is Pandora Blackhoof, my marefriend.”

“Charmed,” Leaf told her.

Pandora bowed her head. “The pleasure is all mine.”

Strangely to Leaf, something in Pandora’s tone told Leaf that she meant what she said. She shook her head and asked Goldbit, “You wanted to talk?”

“Yes. In private, if you don’t mind.”

It took every ounce of Leaf’s will to suppress a groan and an eye-roll. Instead, she stood, telling him, “Right. This way, please.” To Haye, she said, “I’ll be right back,” and then led the way to a table in the corner. Goldbit eagerly followed. When they were each seated once more, Leaf began, “Look, if this is about money—”

“Actually, it’s not, Miss Leaf. I’m here on a more personal matter.”

Her ears pricked forward. “Do go on.”

“I don’t mean to be so blunt about it, but I simply see no other way to get around the matter. Since my father died here, it’s reasonable to assume that you are the last pony he spoke to.”

“It’s possible, unless he had a discussion with another pony on the street.”

“Yes, well, I wanted to ask you this. Is there anything of interest that he may have said to you before he… perished?”

Leaf put a hoof to her chin, rubbing it, as she recalled their last conversation. “No, nothing that I can think of. He came in, ordered his usual, we bantered about his raise in my rent, and then he took a seat outside.”

“And that was it?” Goldbit pressed.

“That was it.”

The stallion’s ears drooped and his mouth sagged. “Oh.”

Leaf sighed. If the stallion was searching for answers, she could at least set his mind at ease. She met his gaze. “Mister Goldbit, I am terribly sorry for your loss, but my relationship with your father was strictly a professional one. Nothing he said to me yesterday was out of the ordinary for him.”

“I understand.” Goldbit fell silent, except for the occasional inaudible mumbling. Leaf was about to ask if he was alright when he muttered, “Perhaps Pinchpence would know…”

“Excuse me?”

“Hmm? Oh, nothing, nothing!” Goldbit flashed her a smile and stood. “Thank you for your time, Miss Leaf, and I am sorry to have wasted it. Pandora and I shall be off.” Goldbit trotted over to his marefriend’s side. She offered an elbow, which he took. With that, the two strolled out the door.

Shaking her head, Leaf rejoined Haye. “Well, that was bizarre.”

“Really? How so?” Haye took a sip from his freshly poured tea, and he passed Leaf a cup. She nodded in thanks and dribbled in some honey.

“He wanted to know about his father’s last words.” She stopped, drank her tea, and set the cup down. “Now, why do you think he would want to know about that?”

“I have no idea, but that is strange.”

“Indeed,” she replied. “Something very odd is happening. First, the case file, then the coroner’s report, and now Goldbit…”

“Yes,” Haye mused, “his visit does raise some questions. What else did he say?”

“He mentioned somepony named Pinchpence.”

“Pinchpence… Pinchpence…” His face scrunched up in thought.

“It seems as if we are trying to solve a puzzle with too many missing pieces.”

At that, Haye laid his fore hoof on hers. He thought for a moment, then looked to Leaf in wonder. “Yes, yes, you’re right. And Shetland Yard has gone through everything with a fine-toothed comb. But here’s the kicker. Sometimes a puzzle piece falls face-down or blends in, and it’s incredibly hard to see.” He grinned from ear to ear. “So what if the missing piece were still here?”

Leaf simply blinked. “Haye, what—”

“Come with me!” Haye dashed outside.

“Haye, where are you going?” Leaf cried, galloping after him. “The tea’s going to get cold!”

Haye was now examining the table and surrounding area where Moneybags had died the day before. Leaf cocked her head, her ears pricked. She would be lying to herself if she said her curiosity hadn’t been piqued. Without further thought, she searched with him.

He grinned. “Glad to have you on board.”

She smiled. “And I am glad to be aboard, though I still don’t know the destination. What are we looking for?”

“I have no idea! But do be careful. We don’t want to destroy any potential evidence by being clumsy, so tread lightly, and if you see anything out of the ordinary, speak up.”

“Right,” Leaf replied.

The two scanned the area for what seemed like hours with no success. Surely the ponies inside thought them mad. All seemed hopeless until Haye muttered, “Interesting. Come look at this.” Leaf spun and trotted over to his side. “Do you see it? Right there. But be careful not to touch. We don’t know what it contains.”

Leaf leaned in, squinting through her spectacles. “Why, it’s a dart! No larger than a bee’s stinger! At least, that’s what it appears to be. It’s no wonder the constabulary missed this.”

Pulling forensics gloves out of his pocket, Haye slipped them onto his hooves. The tea shop owner turned detective raised an eyebrow. “Do you always carry those around with you?”

“I do, actually. You never know when they will be needed, as evidenced by yesterday’s events. Ha! Evidenced. Get it?” Leaf arched an eyebrow again. Haye cleared his throat. “Yes, right. Well, I shall need to catalogue this and bring it back to Shetland Yard. It could be important. Back in a tick.”

With that, Haye galloped off. Leaf did not have long to wait, though, before his return. In his muzzle, he carried what appeared to be a suitcase. Setting it down before Leaf, he unlatched the front and opened the lid. In it were various brushes, powders, vials, bags, and other tools. Haye lifted out a pair of forceps and, with the utmost care, plucked the dart from the chair. He dropped it into a vial, stoppered it, marked a label, and stuck the label to the vial.

Leaf was quiet as she watched Haye work. “Fascinating…” she said. “But, Reg, are you allowed to have this? You are a part of the constabulary, but you’re not a detective.”

Haye almost dropped the vial. He gripped it close and fidgeted with it in his hooves. “Well, no,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. “But,” he said, the grin turning sly, “it does come in handy!” He winked.

Leaf smiled. “It would appear so.” It was then that the sound of a brass bell caught her ear. Looking up, she saw a pony exiting the chemist’s apothecary across the lane. As the pony passed by the hedgerow in front of the windows, Leaf’s brow furrowed. She trotted over and poked her head into the landscaping.

“Leaf?” Haye called as he soon joined her, carrying the case. “What are you up to?”

“I’m searching.”

“Yes, I can see that, but for what?”

She looked right, then left, and then down below. She let out a small gasp as her eyes landed on a brown, glass container lying on the ground. “This, apparently! Reg, come have a look.” Stepping behind the hedge, Haye soon found what it was that Leaf was calling him to. “It looks like a medicine bottle, but it’s rather odd. I don’t recall ever seeing one quite like this before.”

Haye squatted down next to the bit of glass. Peering at it carefully, he pulled out the forceps once more and lifted it to his muzzle. “That’s because it’s not for medicine. No medicine bottle would ever look like this. No, this is a trained insect vial!”

“A… what?” queried Leaf.

“They’re normally used by circus performers who have trained insect acts. Things like crickets walking tightropes, riding tiny bicycles, or such.”

“Yes, of course! I used to see those as a little foal. But what’s it doing there?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Haye told her, “but I doubt that it’s anything good.” He slid the bottle into an evidence bag, sealed the bag, and labelled it. “It’s only a hunch at this stage, but I believe we have just discovered the weapon used to kill Moneybags.”

Leaf gasped. “Killed?!”

“Yes, I’m afraid so. It appears that Moneybags didn’t die of natural causes after all.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Leaf’s eyes were bright. “Let’s go! Let’s go give this evidence to Paddock!” Leaf dove out of the hedge.

“Whoa, wait a moment! It’s not as simple as that,” Haye told her.

Leaf paused and turned back to him. “Whatever do you mean? I’m sure once he sees this, he’ll—”

“He’ll have a lot of questions, specifically about how we came to have this evidence.” Haye held up a hoof to stave off any protestations. “I’m sure he’ll want to see this, but I need to figure out how to go about this. I could be accused of tampering with the case, and my job—or worse—could be in jeopardy.”

“But—”

“No, I’m sorry, Leaf, but we’re going to have to wait on this one.”

Leaf hung her head. “I disagree, Reg. If I’m right, you could get in just as much trouble for withholding this.”

“Good point, but I do plan on submitting it. I just need to figure out how without getting my arse in a sling.” He put his hoof under Leaf’s chin and lifted her head. “So no word of this to anypony until then, alright?”

Her shoulders slumped. “No, it’s not alright. I do understand, but I don’t like it.”

“Trust me, this is for the best. Right now, we’re the only two who know something is wrong. If I’m locked up, you’d be the only one left. And Paddock would never believe that a tea shop owner found evidence while his team did not.”

“Sadly, I think you’re right. But I still don’t like it.”

Haye put a hoof on her shoulder. “Neither do I, Leaf, but it’s our only option.” He pulled away. “Now, I should take this home, get it somewhere safe. You take care of yourself. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She gave a small smile. “I’ll hold you to that since you missed this morning.”

He laughed. “Fair enough. Good day, Leaf.”

“Good day, Reg.” Haye tipped his hat and galloped away. Leaf trotted back into her shop and, moments later, watched as he drove by on his vehicle. He honked, and she waved. The day’s events had her head spinning, and she could not wait until the next to see Haye again. She had a strong feeling that, between the two of them, they would crack this case wide open. Moneybags may have been a curmudgeonly old tyrant, but he at least deserved that.

* * *

It was three days later when they saw the news-parchments. “Heir to Moneybags Fortune Found Dead in Swimming Pool at Family Estate,” the headline declared.

“Oh, no…” Leaf said as she read through the article. “Is it true?”

Dark circles hung under Haye’s eyes. He nodded as he added five sugar cubes, much more than his usual, into his cup of Earl Grey. “I’m afraid so,” he said, stirring the tea to dissolve the sugar.

Leaf peered at the script through her lenses. “It says here that Paddock led the investigation—”

“Of course he did.”

“—and that he deemed it an accident. But,” Leaf asked as she folded the parchment in half, “what say you?”

Haye took his cup into his hooves and downed the concoction all in one swig. He shuddered. “Ugh, I needed that…” Setting the cup down and rubbing his eyes, Haye replied, “I say it’s suspicious. First, we find clues that indicate that Moneybags was murdered. And now his son dies just a few days later? I don’t buy that it’s an accident.”

Leaf’s hoof tapped at the chair below her. “Then I’m glad we are in agreement. This is too convenient.” She sat up straight in her chair. “Now the question is, what do we do about it?”

“Nothing we can do, I’m afraid. The entire scene has been cleaned up. Nothing suspicious was found.”

“But what about photographs?”

Haye shook his head. “Securely tucked away and locked up in the evidence locker.”

“The coroner’s report?”

“I… haven’t checked yet.” Haye abruptly took Leaf’s hooves in his own, and she blushed. “Leaf, that could be our answer! Come on!”

As he dragged her away, Leaf cried out, “My shop!”

“Sorry, dear, but we have to look into this before the report is sealed away as well.”

“But I doubt they’ll even let me in. Look, let me close up, and I’ll meet you at the Yard.”

Haye ground to a halt and let her go. “Yes, that would be a much better idea. It would look less suspicious as well. After all, I’m an everyday face. But you, the pony at whose tea shop our first victim perished? That would raise some suspicions.”

“But if I came to you bringing lunch, that would look normal enough. And if anypony asks, I can say it’s thanks for the other day.”

“Brilliant!” he declared, pulling her into his arms. “The more time I spend with you, the more I see we make great partners.”

Leaf laughed and stepped back out of his grasp, cheeks reddening. “And when was this decided?”

“When you found that bottle in the hedgerow.” Haye grinned. “And you can’t back out now.”

“We’ll see,” Leaf told him, returning the grin. “Now, you go, and I’ll meet you soon.”

“Aye, aye! See you there!”

As Leaf galloped to her shop, Haye made his way to Shetland Yard. It was a grand building, appearing much as one of the fancier brick mansions located in the city. However, the imposing wrought iron fence and towering gates gave its true purpose away, as did the ponies in uniform streaming in and out. Haye ascended the steps, pushed open the wooden doors, and made his way inside. Despite all of the excitement in the past few days, the place wasn’t as busy as he thought it would be.

Shrugging, Haye made his way to the coroner’s office. The name on the glass read, Woodruff. As he knocked on the door, Woodruff called, “Come in.” Haye entered the office. “Ah, Constable Haye.” Although Woodruff, an earthen brown unicorn, was only sitting at his desk, he still wore his medical coat. A pair of rounded spectacles framed his eyes. “To what do I owe this visit?”

“Afternoon, Woodruff,” Haye replied. “I came by for your report on Mister Goldbit. Paddock wants me to bring it up to his office.”

“You?” Woodruff blinked. “That’s unusual. He usually comes by to get it himself.”

“Yes, well, he’s quite busy today, what with these two recent, high-profile deaths and all.” He cleared his throat.

After a moment, Woodruff shrugged and held out the folder. “Guess it makes no difference to me.” Haye snatched the folder. Woodruff arched an eyebrow. “Let him know that I’ll be up to discuss the results shortly.”

“Of course. Well, see you around.” Haye tucked the folder under his arm and closed the door. Once he was far enough away, but still a good distance from his destination, he opened the cover and peeked at the report. He scoured its contents, searching for answers, eyes widening shortly after. Then he flipped it closed and headed towards Paddock’s office. Seeing the door closed and the lights off, Haye visibly relaxed. Good. Better that he wasn’t asking Haye what he was up to. He slipped the report under the door hoping Paddock would assume that Woodruff had brought it by—even better. Once the deed was done, Haye made his way outside. There, just past the gate, was Leaf, holding a brown bag and waving eagerly. He smiled and trotted over.

“Reg, there you are! I was beginning to wonder where you’d gotten off to. Oh, and your soup is getting cold.”

“You brought me soup?”

Leaf grinned. “I had a bit of vegetable soup left over from last night’s supper.” She puffed her chest out with pride. “I made it myself.”

“Then I’ll be delighted to taste it. But not here. I have something to tell you.”

“I figured you would,” she told him. “Let’s find a spot in the park, shall we?”

“That sounds wonderful. And we can talk along the way.” Leaf’s grin turned into a full smile, and the two walked side by side along the sunny lane. Despite the reason they had come together on this day, their stroll was a pleasant one—until they rounded the corner. Haye glanced around them, and then whispered to Leaf, “The report checked out.”

“Drat. And here I was hoping for another lead.”

“So was I,” said Haye, “but it’s confirmed. Death by drowning. No alcohol, medicines, nor toxins in his system.”

“It’s still suspicious, though,” Leaf told him. The way she rubbed her chin made it obvious that she was merely speaking her thoughts.

“Of course it is, which is why we need to get to the bottom of this. If only we hadn’t reached a dead end…”

It was then that Leaf’s ears pricked up. “Maybe we haven’t? That article I read mentioned that the reading of Moneybags’s will is taking place in two weeks. We should go.”

“What for? He wouldn’t have left anything to you, and he barely knew me.”

“But it could give us a new lead.”

Haye grinned as his mind caught up with Leaf’s. “Because, depending on who will be there, we could find a new suspect.”

“Exactly!” Leaf beamed, as did Haye.

“Leaf, have I ever told you how brilliant you are?”

“No, but you can go ahead and tell me all you like.”

That got a laugh from Haye, and he told her, “Alright, then, you’re brilliant!”

“Why, thank you.”

And so, confident in their plan, the two found a bench in the park and settled in to have a pleasant lunch. Little did they know that things were about to take a turn once again.

* * *

“Well, well, look who’s here,” Leaf whispered to Haye as they arrived. “Miss Pandora Blackhoof.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” Haye whispered back. The two took seats in the back and listened as Moneybags’s will was read. Almost everything would have been left to Goldbit, but, with Goldbit’s passing, everything went instead to an unnamed party. Leaf and Haye were shocked. “Pandora receives nothing?” Haye murmured. “You saw the way Goldbit looked at her. He was absolutely smitten.”

“Maybe it was a new relationship,” Leaf returned, just as quietly. “Or maybe Moneybags didn’t approve.”

“Maybe,” he conceded. “But then, why is she the only one here?”

“Well, it’s possible that she thought they would read Goldbit’s will as well, if he had one. I’m sure she would have benefitted greatly from his death.”

“Good point.” Haye nodded. “But, for the moment, let’s ask about this unnamed party. Excuse me!” he called out to the executor. She looked down her nose at him as he approached. “Sorry to bother you, ma’am, I’m Constable Reginald Haye. If you don’t mind, I’m hoping you could give us any more information? Such as who will be inheriting Moneybags’s estate, how much it’s worth, things like that?”

The mare gave him a stern gaze. “I’m sorry, sir, but the will is sealed. Only the remaining heir can be given that information, and they wished to be anonymous.”

“There’s nothing more you can tell us?” Leaf chimed in.

“No, nothing. Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to my office.” She put the will into a briefcase, locked it, and trotted away. The room was empty except for Leaf, Haye, and Pandora, the last of whom stood and made her way to the exit, dragging her hooves.

Seizing an opportunity, Leaf called out, “Miss Blackhoof? May we have a word?”

Pandora stopped and turned to look at them. Her eyes were puffy and rimmed with red. Her coat was dull. She held her head down low and sniffled once in a while. Seeing Haye’s badge, she said, “I’ve already talked to the constabulary and I’ve been cleared of all charges—wait, I remember you,” she added as she spotted the mare standing next to Haye. “You’re the one Goldbit wanted to speak with.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Leaf replied, sorry she had ever suspected Blackhoof when she saw how distraught Goldbit’s marefriend was. “Then perhaps you can help me.”

“With what?” Pandora eyed Haye suspiciously.

“It’s alright,” Leaf told her as she followed Pandora’s gaze. “Reg here is a good friend, and we’re both working to get to the bottom of these mysterious circumstances.”

Pandora gave a sigh of relief. “Then I am not alone?” she said cryptically as she trotted over to the door and shut it. She put her ear to the door, listening for hoofsteps and, hearing none, turned back to the pair. “I don’t think Goldbit drowned.”

“Well, that’s putting it bluntly,” Haye told her. “What makes you say that?”

“It’s true that Goldbit would always take a swim in the morning, just before dawn. He absolutely insisted! Said it kept him vigorous, not that he was old to begin with…” Her voice shook and her chin trembled. Closing her eyes, Pandora continued, “I was used to awakening to the sound of his splashing about, but, on the morning he died, I heard something unusual. At the time, I thought it was a dream, and so I rolled over and went back to sleep. If only I had known, perhaps I could have made some difference, and he would still be alive.” Tears fell from her eyes. “It was when I awoke later in the day and went to make him breakfast that I found him dead in the pool.”

Leaf and Haye shared a look. Turning back to Pandora, Leaf asked, “And what makes you think that you were dreaming?”

“I heard a lot more splashing about than usual, and shouting, like there was some sort of scuffle going on. And I thought I heard another voice other than his, but here’s the strange thing.” She looked straight into Leaf’s eyes. “The other voice sounded like a filly’s.”

Haye and Leaf stared at each other for a moment, astonished, before turning back to Pandora.

“What? What did I say?” When Pandora received no answer, grief turned to rage. “If there is something that you know, I demand to be told!” She stomped a hoof on the floor.

Leaf put a hoof on her shoulder. “Pandora, I’m sorry to say this, but we think that Goldbit was murdered.”

“And that it’s somehow connected to Moneybags,” Haye concluded.

“You… what? But why? Who would want to hurt Goldbit? He was harmless!”

Haye nodded. “We know, but—”

Pandora’s rage deepened. “He… he never harmed anyone,” she growled, her eyes narrowing. “All he ever did was love me, take care of me when no one else would. I loved him with all my heart. I’d suspected something was amiss that morning, but it was merely suspicion. Now you have confirmed my worst fears.” At that point Pandora’s rage was uncontrollable, and she couldn’t stop what happened next.

Haye got no further as a strange, buzzing noise came from Pandora. Her eyes glowed, and she was poised as if she were ready to pounce. Her teeth were bared, and the two incisors grew into fangs. Suddenly, her whole appearance shifted. Her mane and tail turned scraggly and scarlet, her eyes a shade of teal. Her skin, once a soft tan, turned a ghastly shade of deep, charcoal gray. The buzzing noise came from a pair of translucent, insectoid wings sprouting from her back.

Leaf’s and Haye’s jaws dropped as they warily stepped back, frightened. Their knees shook. Screwing up her courage, Leaf spoke. “Pandora… what… what are you?”

This caught the changeling’s attention. She glanced down and, seeing herself exposed, pulled the shades down with her magic. “Please, don’t tell anypony!” she begged, hooves pressed together in front of her.

“You’re a changeling!” Leaf blurted out. Haye continued to stare in baffled shock.

“I thought you were all supposed to be in Equestria,” Leaf continued. “What are you doing all the way out here?”

“How… how do you know about changelings?” asked Pandora, confused.

“I have a friend who lives in Equestria,” said Leaf, calming, “and is familiar with your kind. She’s told me all about changelings.”

Pandora hung her head. “I was from Equestria, from Queen Chrysalis’s hive, in fact. But the truth is, not all of us changelings believed in her and her ideals. Life under her was brutal. Only she was allowed to go out and find love, and she would only feed those who were in her favor the most. The rest of us had to survive on scraps. And the only way to win her favor was to fight each other, fight our way through the ranks.” She lifted her gaze. “I didn’t want that. I slipped away during the invasion at Canterlot and traveled as far as I could. Eventually, I came to Great Bretton because it was as far away as I could get. I doubt very much that she’ll be able to find me here, if she’s even still alive.”

Seeing a bewildered Leaf and a skeptical Haye, Pandora’s ears fell. “You don’t believe me.” She stamped a hoof again, her voice rising. “Please, you have to believe me! I didn’t come here to harm anypony—I never wanted to harm anypony. I only wanted to escape and make some kind of decent, normal life. That’s it, I swear!” Their gazes softened. Pandora’s voice did as well. “Is that really so much to ask?”

Haye sighed. “No, I suppose not. But that still doesn’t explain what happened with Goldbit.”

“You can’t possibly think I had something to do with that?”

Leaf shook her head. “No, not after that display of yours a moment earlier. But look at it this way. You didn’t see anything actually happen, and, as far as anypony else is concerned, you were the only other one in the home at the time of his death.”

“And,” Haye interjected, “it’s likely that you have the most to gain from this.”

Leaf pointed a fore hoof at Pandora, eyeing her purposefully. “Right now, you are the most likely suspect.”

“W-what?! You can’t be serious! I didn’t kill him. I would never have harmed him! I loved him!” gasped Pandora, tears streamed from her eyes.

Leaf and Haye felt a pang in their hearts as Pandora sank to her haunches, her head hanging. Moved, Leaf embraced the broken-hearted changeling. Pandora screwed her eyes shut as sobs wracked her body. She wiped at her nose, sniffling, and she said, “I wasn’t always in love with him, you know.” Leaf and Haye stepped back. “At first, I was only interested in feeding off him, and in his money. I know how that sounds, but I swear that harming him never even crossed my mind.”

“Then why did you do it?” Haye asked.

“If I went around in my true form, I would have terrified everyone as you just were. I would have been hated and feared. I had to live in the guise of a normal pony and that meant finding necessities, such as money and a living space.” Pandora floated a hoofkerchief to herself and dabbed at her eyes. “When I saw Goldbit, I knew right away that I could easily acquire both with him. He was clearly wealthy. You could see it in the way he dressed, and the way that he flirted with any pretty mare he saw… Well, you can see how easy it was for me to change my form to suit his needs.” She gave a sad chuckle. “He fell for me right away.”

Leaf tilted her head. “Then what changed?”

Pandora lifted her head. “He changed me. At first, I thought he was being silly, but he would always hold the door open for me, always pull out my chair, always buy me the finest jewelry and clothes. But, more than that, he would always put my needs above his. And, once he was with me, his attentions never wavered. Not once.” She paused. “He treated me like a princess. He made me feel loved and appreciated, and, through him, I came to know what real love was. And the fact that somepony murdered him in cold blood…” Her eyes flashed dangerously once more. “I want to help you.”

“What?” Leaf and Haye both replied.

“You heard me.” Pandora’s voice was completely level. “I want to find my lover’s killer.”

“I’m sorry,” Haye told her, “but you’ve been going around masquerading as somepony you’re not. How can we trust you after that?”

“I did it because I had no choice!” Pandora shouted. “If you had been in my place, what would you have done?”

“Well…”

“And besides, I could be quite useful to you.” The two gazed at her, confused. “My abilities, remember?” Pandora turned back into the form they had first met her in, then that of the will executor, Leaf, Haye, some of Haye’s colleagues, then somepony that neither had ever seen before, all within mere seconds of each other. It was dizzying to the investigators. Pandora finally changed back to her first form. “I could go into places you could never dream of going without being caught. As long as I see a pony meant to be there, I can turn into them.”

“That would be useful,” Leaf mused.

Pandora nodded. “And, on top of it all, I do have magic.”

“That could also be of use,” Haye conceded. “But let me ask you this.” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know anything about changelings,” Haye said, “so if you would be so kind to tell me… can changelings appear as a different gender?”

“Yes,” said Pandora plainly. “If I see somepony I wish to impersonate, I can change my form to match theirs, regardless of their gender.”

Haye pondered his next question for a moment. “Can you transform into a child?” he asked pointedly.

“What? No!”

“But you did just say that if you see somepony, you could turn into them.”

“Yes, I did. But here’s the thing,” said Pandora, and she held up a hoof to about filly height. “When changelings are small, we’re still learning how to control our abilities. It’s only when we’re older that we try to transform ourselves, and then we can only take the form of somepony around our stature.” She set her hoof over her heart. “I do not know of any changeling who has the ability to transform into someone larger or smaller than they. It’s just unheard of.”

Leaf and Haye glanced at one another. “But it makes no sense,” Leaf said. “How could a mere filly take on somepony like Goldbit and kill him?”

“I don’t know,” Haye said. “Unless…”

His eyes widened at the same time as Leaf’s. They spoke together. “Unless there’s another changeling involved!”

“Weren’t you listening?” Pandora told them. “I just said that no adult changeling that I know of has the ability to take on the form of a child!”

“Yes, none that you know of,” said Haye.

“But what if there’s one that you don’t know about?” Leaf continued. She turned to face Pandora. “Do you think there could be more than one changeling in Great Bretton?”

Pandora said nothing more, but her eyes darted about nervously.

Haye stepped close to Pandora, eyeing her carefully. “Come on, then! Out with it! You’re hiding something!” he growled intimidatingly.

“Yes! Alright, yes!” Pandora blurted, “There are other changelings in Great Bretton, but they’re like me! They’ve escaped from their hives. They just want to make normal lives for themselves, nothing more.”

“Well, that certainly answers that question,” said Haye as Leaf stared, astounded by this revelation. With that, Haye turned to go, bidding Pandora good day before he did so.

“Hey, what about me?” Pandora cried, running after the two as they stepped out of the room.

“Sorry, but I’m not sure it’s best that you join us,” Haye told her. He held up a hoof to forestall her protestations. “I do agree that you have abilities that could help us, but I’m just not sure it’s a good idea.”

“Why not? She could help us,” insisted Leaf.

“And she could get herself or us both hurt or worse,” Haye told her. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“Neither do I,” Leaf replied, “not like you do. But you’re teaching me as we go. Who says you can’t teach her?” Haye glanced between them. “Besides,” Leaf continued, “she could be a huge asset.”

“And if you don’t allow me to join you,” Pandora said, “I’ll go looking for answers on my own.”

Haye bridled at the threat. As much as he still distrusted Pandora and didn’t like the idea of her participation, he disliked her implication even more. At that, Haye sighed. “And I don’t doubt it.” He glanced between Pandora and Leaf. “I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“No,” came Pandora’s flat reply.

“Not really,” Leaf told him. “Besides, I suspect she’s being sincere. The least we could do is give her the benefit of the doubt.”

Haye sighed. Although Leaf was inclined to give Pandora the benefit of the doubt, his years of training cautioned him to be wary of the changeling. There was always the very distinct possibility she was lying to protect herself. That would be reasonable, since it appeared Pandora had motive, opportunity, and she was at the crime scene at the time of Goldbit’s death—prime considerations, to be sure, and ones which put her at the top of the suspect list. Then there was Leaf’s insistence that she felt Pandora was being sincere and, as Haye thought about it, he saw that her impassioned pleas did seem to ring with truth, although this could be yet another well-crafted and skillful trick perpetrated by a species he knew nothing about.

“What is it, Reg?” asked Leaf. He turned to look at her, saw that her eyes were pleading rather than curious, as if Leaf already had an idea of what he was thinking but framed it in the form of a question, that she might approach him with it. Pandora was also watching Haye, and both mares clearly understood the expression on his face.

“I didn’t kill Goldbit!” pressed Pandora again. “If I had, would I be talking to you now? Were I guilty, I could easily have slipped out, changed my form, and slipped away never to be found again!”

“She has a good point, Reg,” said Leaf. “She could have, but here she is, and she wants to help us. I think that says quite a lot right there.”

Haye’s ears twitched and fell a little, as was his habit when thinking deeply about something. He closed his eyes and scratched his chin with the tip of his hoof, debating the various points in his mind.

Just then, Pandora impatiently reached out and, accompanied by Leaf’s startled gasp, grabbed an equally startled Haye by the head, forcing him to look at her.

“Stop it! What are you doing?” cried Leaf as she attempted to pull Pandora away from the constable.

“It’s all right,” Pandora assured her. “I’m showing him what he needs to see. I’ll show you as well, if you wish.”

Relaxing, Leaf let go of Pandora.

As Haye watched, Pandora’s eyes began to glow, and he felt a sense of something reaching into him, penetrating his consciousness. A moment later, his mind was filled with memories not his own, as if he were remembering something through someone else’s eyes. It was disconcerting, to say the least, even quite disturbing, but, as the images unfolded behind his eyelids, Haye realized that what he was seeing were Pandora’s memories from the morning of Goldbit’s death. The images were sharp, clear, and they were accompanied by Pandora’s feelings of confusion, fear, shock, and ultimately horror and pain, but no trace of anything which could remotely be called duplicitous or indicate guilt of any kind.

After a moment, Haye violently pulled himself away from Pandora’s grasp and shook his head. “Well, that was certainly different!” he muttered. “But I do believe you’ve proved yourself to my satisfaction, unless that’s some kind of changeling trick.”

Pandora glared at him darkly, a snarl on her lips. “If you won’t believe me after that, then what’s the point?” She barked that last.

“What did she do, Reg?” asked Leaf.

“She just showed me her memories of the morning of Goldbit’s death,” he said quietly, still trying to take it all in.

Leaf stared at Haye for a moment, and then turned to Pandora. “Can you show me as well?”

Pandora nodded, a trace of a smile touching her lips. Reaching out, she took Leaf’s face in her hooves, as she’d done with Haye, and passed her memories to Leaf.

Blinking and shaking her head a few seconds later, Leaf turned to Haye, her expression resolute. “That’s it, Reg! I think she’s well proved herself to us,” said Leaf with absolute certainty. “We’re going to let her help us, and that’s that.”

“Looks like I’m outvoted,” Haye at last relented, shrugging. He turned and looked at Pandora, smiling. “Welcome aboard,” he said, before turning to go. The two mares, now satisfied,  followed him out of the building.

Although, Haye still held some infinitesimally small doubt in his mind about Pandora’s participation in their investigation, what he’d just witnessed was sufficient to give him reason to be cautiously optimistic about her help. After all, it might not be some elaborate ruse and Pandora might be most sincere in helping find Goldbit’s killer, and she could do things they couldn’t, which he agreed would be quite invaluable. Finally, with a shrug, Haye reluctantly accepted Pandora’s help, put it in the back of his mind as they headed back toward Leaf’s shop considering what they would do next.