Author's Note

I'll do my best to keep this story from being exceedingly long, though i'm on chapter ten and have barely touched the murder.

(Chapter 10) Case: An Apple Away

I have never slept so bad in my life. Tossing and turning like a maniac. I want somepony to snuggle up with.

Dammit.

I have to get up. It's morning.

I groan and sit up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

To get out of bed, I have to lay on my side and pull my hind legs out from under me. This way I can stand up and hop off the bed.

Exiting the bedroom and deciding not to shower, I head to the kitchen. Choosing to make a quick bowl of hot oats, I then notice the piece of paper on the fridge. I pick it from under the magnet with a wing.

Andreah,
Thank you for letting me to sleep here, I left quietly and early enough not to wake you. See you Sometime during the week.

-Silver

Well than.

Back at the lab, after what seemed like a week. Though only being two days, I sure doesn't feel like it.

"Hi Andreah." Somepony says sulkily from behind me. I turn from the remains to look.

"Hello there, Qwick." I respond, then turn back to the bones. There is a slight anomaly on the top of the left radius. But not anything like all the scavenger marks. It's too straight and perfect. Looking closer, it seems to be a small channel.

"Find anything interesting?" He asks, heading to the table side across from me and throwing on gloves.

"Yeah, what does this look like to you?" I ask, holding up the radius. He grabs it and brings it closer to his face.

"Well, I'll tell you it's not natural. Got to be from some kind of tool." He looks back up at me, returning the bone back to my hoof.

"You've been studying. Good. Now, reading her b-"

"It's female?" He cuts me off.

"I've told you before."

"Not that I recall."

I let out an annoyed groan.

"Anyway, I read her record. She's been arrested for Possession of drugs and other things relating to drugs. So if I had to guess, it would be a 25 gauge needle."

"But look at it more." He grabs it from my hoof again. "It's too precise at where a vain would be. It also looks forced. I'm not a drug addict, but I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't shove it hard enough to damage a bone." He places it back onto the table.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm saying I think she was murdered. Somepony could've taken advantage of her, shoved a needle into her leg and overdosed her. Effectively killing her, while making it look like an accident." He tells me.

"Well, you have a badge for a reason. Grab the file off my desk and I want you to go talk to the others who knew miss Murky." I demand, taking off the gloves and throwing them at the trash bin. Making it.

"Wow, so assertive. I kinda like it." He flirtatiously says to me. My eyes roll.

Quick walks over to my desk and picks up the file.

"Okay... So... Murky Sky. Looks like she knew a... Lucky Strike. And a Postal Card. Hmm. Their parents weren't very creative naming them." He says, placing the file in his bag. I watch as he turns around and walks over to the door.

"Hey Andreah." He calls, turning around.

"What?"

"How about dinner later tonight? I know it's a Monday, but after I catch these leads and your stuck at a dead end, I figured it'd be good for us to unwind." He inquires, turning around, his eyes glinting towards me.

"What." I say plainly, this not being a thing I expected. Not remotely.

"Well. I've recently received a paycheck..." Drawing out the word check, he walks over to me. Then places a hoof under my chin, slowly moving along. "And you, malady, are just a beautiful sight that should be treated to a nice dinner." He purrs. Lowering his hoof, but bringing the distance between our faces closer.

"You know 'malady' is a disease, right?" Smile.

"Uhh.."

"You Mr.Qwick, have a silver tongue." I say, turning away, then walking towards my desk. My left ear flicks with slight amusement.

"I'm not sure whether that is good or bad." He admits.

Giggling, I look back at him over by flank.

"Yes. I'll let you treat me to dinner." Full 180. "But don't get too carried away. Or think too much of it." I say, getting an agreeing nod.

"Of course." Turning, he walks towards the door. "Malady."

The two way mirror separates me and the cocaine addict sitting in the interrogation room. Quick hauled in Postal Card. Lucky strike is on his way.

Quick is doing his interrogation thing where he stands, staring at the guy until he says something.

It's been like this for ten minutes.

"What ever you t'ink ah deed, ah deedn't do eet." Postal finally breaks the silence.

"Is it true your a drug addict?" Stone Cold, unmoving.

"I want my lawyer." Shit.

A very very, VERY skinny mare walks in and sits next to Postal.

"So, again Postal Card, is it true that you're a drug addict?" Quick repeats.

"You don't have to answer that." The lawyer says. So Postal he exercises his right to remain silent.

"What gauge needle do you use?" Qwick continues.

"You don't h-"

"SHHHHHHT!" Qwick shushes her.

"I'm the l-"

"Shhhhh!" He does it again, this time quieting the mare. "Anyway, Postal. We found one of your old..." He coughs. "Buddies. 'cept here's the twist. She's dead."

From the booth I can see the muscles in Postal's neck muscles flex than relax.

Fear.

I grab the hoofheld radio to tell quick through his earpiece.

"So? My friends die all the time." Card says defensively. Quick ignores this.

"Did you know somepony named..." He looks at a paper, most likely to set Card on edge. "Murky Sky."

I catch it again. Fear. And this time surprise. His eyes buldged for a second.

He knows something. I tell Qwick.

"So you know her?" He asks.

"You don't have t-"

"Yes. I know her. And I was there when she was killed."