Trigger Happy Equines

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!”

Pinkie’s Room <> We checked each room as a group

< Argument Break >

“Wait a second, Sanscript. That’s not entirely true.”

The blue-coated stallion titled his head. “What do you mean? Everyone else here can all agree that during the room search we did so in groups, with no chance of slipping something past us. We even checked the beds, curtains, and wardrobes for potential clues, and Shetland was in clear view of us all during that time.”

“He disposed of the adhesives before that,” I stated. My heart was racing. I finally had the answer to expose Shetland for his crimes. “The very first room search was done by Shetland. Alone.”

“Really?” Reph asked, looking puzzled. “I’m pretty sure my room was searched first. I remember it very clearly.”

I glanced at Shetland whose face looked as if it might explode at any second. I was unable to suppress a small smile from appearing on my lips. “No, a room was searched before yours. Pinkie’s room.”

“Wait, what!?” Elsie cried. “How can that be?”

“After our group checked up on everyone else, with only Inky being found successfully, we decided we needed to check Pinkie’s room, which seemed like the most obvious place she could be. But without Pinkie’s keycard, we had no choice but to break through the window. Shetland did as such and climbed inside, telling Copper, Dr. Scalpel and I to go back through the hotel corridor as he would be able to open the door from the inside. Thinking about it, Copper – being a pegasus – could’ve easily followed him through the window, but he still told her to go through the hotel entrance anyway. In the time it took for the three of us to walk the distance through the corridor, he could’ve easily flushed the adhesives down the toilet before opening the door.”

“Wait a second!” Shetland blared. “If that’s the case then why would I have asked Monobunny for access to her room in the first place!? If he’d simply opened the door for us, I would’ve had no chance of doing such a thing. Why would I take such a risk?”

“Hmph.” Mesmer rolled his eyes. “I think you already know that. You’re smart enough to understand that Monobunny would do whatever it takes to provide an interesting murder scenario. Everything he’s said and done thus far points to that. He wouldn’t want to jeopardize a successful murder. If you’d been found with the adhesives or if you’d refused to be searched, or come up with some excuse, your cover would’ve been entirely blown and we’d simply have gathered here and cast a guilty verdict. Being the sick little creature that he is, I doubt Monobunny would have been pleased with something so anticlimactic. All these cameras point to one thing: he’s putting on a show.”

“So what!?” Shetland yelled, his entire face tensed. “This is all still just conjecture based on random ideas!”

“No it isn’t,” Copper said, her eyes wide. “I understand now. When the four of us were looking in Pinkie’s room for clues I checked the bathroom.” She frowned, her ire cast in Shetland’s direction. “While Greyscale was looking in the shower I remember hearing the flow of water. It didn’t strike me as suspicious at the time, but looking back, it was a sign that the toilet had been flushed not long before that.”

Shetland’s face fell. “How do we know you’re not just making things up to hurry the trial along!? If nobody else can verify your claim then why should we trust you at all!?”

“Can you really say that?” Copper replied angrily. “Right now, with all the evidence pointing to you and you alone, you really think they should trust your word against mine!?”

“You killed Pinkie!” Inky cried, tears falling down her cheeks. “You selfish, evil bastard! She was the sweetest mare ever and you killed her! How can you live with yourself!?”

“It’s understandable,” Mesmer said coolly. “With the threat of being killed by someone it’s enough to make anyone desperate. Shetland probably wanted to get out before anyone else had the chance. We’re all trapped here with our precious lives and loved ones outside these walls, after all.”

I winced at Mesmer’s words. What precious life? What loved ones? I have more to lose in here than I do out there...

“Shetland, I…” Scalpel mumbled something to herself, her lips quivering. “I was wrong about you after all. I kept trusting you despite everything the others were saying. I’m such a fool.”

“So it’s finally decided, then?” Elsie asked, sounding exhausted. “We just need to vote for your sorry flank and let you eat your just desserts!”

“Voting time already?” Monobunny said, waving his gavel like a sword. “So long as everyone’s sure.”

“Yes,” Maribelle said with a nod. “As much as it pains me to do so. My dear Shetland, may you confess your sins now and repent for your actions. Perhaps then you may find solace and forgiveness in the afterlife.”

“I’m disappointed,” Yoko said gravely, shaking his head. “Looks like I was right in thinking you were a jerk, but an officer of the law debasing himself to murder? That’s just pathetic.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling strangely giddy. I had done everything I could, and after much contention and stress, it was finally over. All that was left was to vote.

“You really think you’ve solved it?” Shetland said deeply, his demeanor calm and collected. “There’s one very crucial part of your theory that hasn’t even been spoken of yet.” He stood up straight, his face like iron. “Pinkie’s keycard. You’ve described how it was glued back together again, but not how it was cut in the first place.”

“Well,” I began, ready to demean his paltry excuse. But then I froze. Something wasn’t right. A terror crept up my spine as I realized what he was getting at. I was speechless.

“Wait, it’s simple,” Dish Panner said. “All we need is to show he had a chance to cut it, right? Then he’ll have no argument left. Okay, let’s get it over with.”

“Precisely,” Mesmer affirmed. “I don’t know why Shetland is so sure of himself.”

No, I said inwardly. I know exactly why. I’d never given it much thought but now, Shetland has a leg to stand on. He’s seen a hole in my argument that I didn’t know was there.

Shetland sneered. “When we visited the MonoMart yesterday evening Monobunny made something very clear. Do you all remember what it was?”

.

“Are you saying you don’t like my special little collection? They’re all top quality stainless steel! Only the biggest and best, most terrifying, most monstrous, sharpest, stabbiest, slashiest, skull-shattering, bone-crunching weapons are good enough for my lovely participants! Pocket knives? Are for pathetic cowards! Murder should be spectacular and cinematic, not sneaky and boring!”

.

“Interesting, isn’t it?” Shetland continued, a grin appearing on his face. “I could very well have concealed some small tubes of adhesive in my pocket, but any kind of knife or shears would be impossible to hide. Just as Monobunny pointed out, pocket knives were not an option.”

“That is true,” Elsie said anxiously. “I’d not even considered that fact.”

“Whatever,” Mesmer said. “This should be easy to solve.”

I hope you’re right, I said silently, for once hoping Mesmer could succeed where I had failed. For as it stood, I was utterly lost.

Truth Bullets

Ladder

Pinkie’s Keycard

Monobunny File #1

Inky’s Account

Machine Gun Cameras

Shetland: As I’ve just pointed out, I couldn’t have concealed any of the knives or shears when we visited the MonoMart yesterday afternoon. So please tell me, how did I cut the cord on Pinkie’s keycard?

Dopple: From what I saw the cut had to have been clean. He couldn’t have simply chewed through it or the cord would have been frayed.

Dish Panner: We didn’t find any knives or sharp implements in the kitchen or any other the other rooms in the hotel. It had to have been taken from the MonoMart!

Reph: But could he have snuck it out while the rest of us were present? We know that he didn’t have an accomplice.

Elsie: If he couldn’t have hidden it on himself he could’ve hidden it among someone else’s items.

Maribelle: But how? We would’ve surely noticed a knife if they are all so big.

Inky: Maybe he hid it in Yoko’s big sack of rice!

Yoko: That wouldn’t work! He’d have had to open the bag and the rice would’ve spilled out!

Scalpel: We were all walking as a group from the MonoMart to the dining room. He wasn’t carrying anything at the time, so he wouldn’t have been able to hide it amongst his things. He might’ve been able to swipe two tiny tubes, but there’s no possible way he could’ve left with a knife or shears without any of us noticing.

Copper: Let’s not forget that by the time we left the dining hall the MonoMart would have closed. He wouldn’t have been able to get inside without incurring punishment.

Dish Panner: Even when he allowed Button to use his bathroom he was standing in the hallway, and he didn’t leave at any time.

Inky: What about his police badge? Couldn’t he use that to cut through the cord?

Yoko: No way! I checked it over, remember? I even held it in my hoof. If it had some kind of sharp edge I would’ve noticed!

Sanscript: Well then, it seems to me that he simply went to the MonoMart this morning before the meeting took place.

Dish Panner: If he was meeting Pinkie at the swimming pool, he would’ve had more than enough time to carry out his crime before Greyscale, Yoko and Dopple showed up.

Mesmer: Add to the fact that he could’ve easily concealed a kinfe within a rolled-up towel and the explanation is obvious.

Button: Yeah, that’s it!

Shetland: Do you really think so?

Dopple: …

I don’t want to do this… but I have no choice. Even at the risk of shaking up my entire theory, and with everyone’s lives on the line, I must reveal the truth!