Unsafe Room: A Detective Rarity Mysteryby RB_ChaptersPrologue: The Inciting IncidentThe Crime Scene Confusion of the Corpse and the CrimeThe Inquiries of the Increasingly Incredulous InvestigatorThe Concerningly Complete Conclusion of the CrimePrologue: The Inciting Incident"And I do say, my dear, that the inclusion of these new saddlebags into Equestria's military operations will increase their efficiency tenfold!" General Bristle said, before downing another gulp of sherry. "How fascinating," Crystal Bright replied, still looking at the volume she'd pulled randomly off one of the shelves of the heavily-book-laden study they'd found themselves in. It was, coincidentally, also about warfare—all the books in the study were. There was no escaping the topic in the house of the Baron, it seemed. "Yes, quite!" the General replied, with much more enthusiasm than she had. "And now let me tell you about these new horseshoes we've been developing—they allow you to run about 1.08% faster on muddy ground, and I really feel that this is the advantage we need over the—" Bang! Crystal laid her book down on her lap and looked around. "Was that a firework? Strange time and place for a fireworks display, isn't it?" But the General was white as a sheet. "That was no firework!" he exclaimed, leaping from his chair with more dexterity than his age should have allowed. "That was a gunshot! I'm sure of it!" "A gunshot? That seems a little far-fetched." "I assure you, I can detect the sound of a gunshot," he said. "I've got experience in griffon-made weapons, you know!" "Well, if you say so," she said. She put the book aside and slipped daintily to her own hooves. "You're the expert in killing. Where do you suppose it came from?" "I might have an idea! Quickly, before it's too late!" He scrambled out the doors, and she followed him down the hallway. "Too late for what?" "That's top-secret!" he shouted. "Half the things you've been rambling about to me for the past hour have been top secret," she replied, "and you had no qualms then." He paused. "Yes, well, um... this is top-TOP-secret! And classified! So there!" They continued down the hallway at high speed. After a while, another figure came into view, also heading that way. "Obtuse!" the General shouted. "That was a gunshot, wasn't it?" the younger unicorn stallion said. "Yes! We must hurry!" They continued on, Obtuse taking the lead. General Bristle, however, was beginning to pant behind his moustache. "Why must... the Baron... live in such a big house!" he gasped. "It's an unwritten rule that all nobles, no matter how minor, must try to one-up Canterlot Castle for housing," Crystal replied. She was having no trouble keeping up; she was used to long hallways. The ones in her mansion were twice as big. Soon, a fourth figure came into view. "George!" The General gasped out between heavy breaths. The rotund griffon looked up from the plate of ham he was carrying. "Hm? What's the matter?" "Did you not hear the gunshot?" Obtuse asked. "Gunshot? You mean the bang just now? I thought that was just a firework going off outside." "No, you enormous ignoramus!" The General said. "That was clearly a gunshot!" George blinked. "Oh, forget you!" The General shouted. They moved on, leaving a confused George behind. Together, they rushed down the seemingly infinite hallway, until at last the General pointed to one of the many doors. "There!" he said. "That's it!" He stopped, his knees buckling, his prized moustache wilting. Obtuse ran ahead. His horn lit, and a magical aura rattled the handle. "It's locked!" he exclaimed. "Here, stand back!" He backed up, turned around, and with a shout, bucked the door with full force. It burst open with a loud bang. He turned around and looked inside. A moment later, Crystal walked up and peeked in too. After a third moment, the General, too, dragged himself to the door to see. Inside was the Baron, lying facing away from them atop a deep red stain in the carpet. Dead. "Oh dear." The Crime Scene Confusion of the Corpse and the Crime"I must say, darling," Rarity said, trudging up the long path to the Baron's mansion. "While I do try to keep myself fairly fit, it's times like these that I can't help but wish I had your athleticism." Rainbow, walking along beside her, shrugged. "It's not that hard. You just have to be dedicated and train every day. Get your endurance up, y'know?" "Train?" Rarity replied. "Moi? Never." It was a cloudy night in the foothills of the Canterhorn. The only notable things for miles were the mansion and its garden. Rarity was illuminating the ground ahead of them with her horn. Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Well, with the amount of ice cream you eat, you could probably use it." "Are you calling me fat?" "No," Rainbow said. "I'm just saying you needed to have worked on your calorie intake if you wanted to make it up this hill." Rarity looked forward. Then up. Then up. "Oh dear." "Still, I can't believe they dropped us off at the servants' quarters," Rainbow said. "Are we, like, not good enough to stay in the house itself?" "I'm more concerned about the fact that the servant's quarters are so far away from the house itself," Rarity replied. "That seems... inhumane." "Yeah. You'd think your staff would be the one group of ponies you wouldn't want to piss off." "I'm surprised the Baron had any staff still working for him at all." "Maybe he pays well?" "He's a notorious capitalist of the military-industrial-complex variety," Rarity said. "What do you think?" Rainbow frowned. "Why were we working for this guy again?" "Friends in high places, darling." "Ah, right. Nepotism. Our specialty." They continued onwards. Eventually, after much walking, they reached the big doors of the mansion. A pair of guards stood on either side of the door. "Halt!" the one on the left said. "Who goes there!" "Rarity, detective in the employ of the Baron, here to solve his murder," Rarity said. "And assistant," Rainbow added. "Wait," the guard on the right said, his face scrunching up. "How can you be in the employ of the baron to solve his murder if he's already dead, thus making it impossible for him to ask you to solve his murder?" "His ghost contacted us," Rainbow replied. A moment of silence. "Wow. Tough crowd." Rarity smiled. "Actually, he hired us in advance on a different, but likely related matter. We just figured, as we were here..." "Oh. I see," Guard-On-The-Right said. "Well, carry on." They opened the doors for them, then, and Rarity and Rainbow stepped inside. The main entrance was grandiose and intimidating, at least to Rainbow. "Actually," Rarity said, turning around, "would one of you mind guiding us to the crime scene?" "No can do," Guard-On-The-Left said. "We're on strict orders. Two guards at every entrance." Guard-On-The-Right nodded. "Well, somepony has to show us to the body," Rarity said, "or else we'll never make any progress. Not in a house this big." "Do you think the Baron was compensating for something?" Rainbow asked. "Almost certainly, though probably not in the way you're thinking. You see, there's an unspoken rule—" "A-hem." Someone had cleared their throat behind them; Rarity and Rainbow turned around to find a mare in a black suit standing there. "Perhaps I can be of assistance in this matter?" "And who might you be?" Rarity asked. "Silver Plate," she said. "The butler of this mansion." "Ooh, a lady butler," Rainbow said. "Now we're talking. Gender equality at its finest." "Rainbow, most of the positions of power in Equestria are held by mares," Rarity replied, sounding a little concerned. "Did you just... forget?" "Doesn't mean I can't be happy to see it," Rainbow said. "Right..." Rarity turned back to the butler. "Anyway, Ms. Plate. I trust you can guide us to the crime scene?" "Absolutely," she said. "Right this way." "Ooh, my hooves hurt already!" Rarity exclaimed, as she walked inside. "I shall have to go to the spa back in Ponyville once we get home." "Don't start whining now," Rainbow replied. "We only just got here." "I'm not whining, dear, I'm complaining," Rarity huffed. She turned around to look back at Silver Plate. "Were you in the building when the murder occurred?" Silver Plate nodded. "Yes. I was in the kitchen when the news reached me." "And the rest of the staff?" "I was the only member of staff who was in the building. The rest were told to remain in the servant's quarters until called for." "So there's no one to vouch for your alibi," Rarity said. The mare bristled. "Are you accusing me of killing my own master?" "No. Merely stating the facts." The "crime scene" Silver Plate brought them to was a single room, far, far down one of the hallways. "Would you mind gathering the suspects into a nearby room for me?" Rarity asked. "I believe they are all already being confined to the study by the guards," Silver Plate said. "Ah, perfect. Well then, we'd best get to it, Rainbow." The room was sparsely furnished. There were no windows, and the door they'd just entered through was the only means of egress. A carpet sat on the floor, a wardrobe against the far wall, and a large painting on the left. A desk sat on the right side of the room, big and bulky. They both looked at the elephant in the room: the body. The Baron was a reddish-brown coated stallion with a black mane. A belt hung around his waist, attached to a hilt with a sabre securely fastened inside. He lay on his side, facing away from the door. "You know, I think I really am starting to get used to this 'dead body' thing," Rarity said. "Yeah," Rainbow replied. "Me too. That's..." "Concerning?" "Yeah." They stared at it a moment more. "Well, that aside," Rarity said, "let's get to work." The first thing Rarity went for, however, was not the body; it was the small pistol, lying on the carpet next to the body. She lit her horn and levitated it up. "Let's see, there should be a way to... aha!" She pressed a button on the side of the pistol and pulled out its magazine. "What's that?" Rainbow asked. "It's a magazine," Rarity explained. "It holds the pistol's bullets. I read up a little bit on griffon firearms after that case with Monsieur Râtelier." She inspected the bullets. "It appears this pistol was only fired once—I assume that's when our unfortunate client met his end." She replaced the magazine and laid the pistol back on the floor. "Alright, now for the Baron." Rarity inspected him. The wound wasn't immediately visible, so she rolled him onto his other side. There it was, a hole on the right side of his chest, a gaping wound of dark red, right over where his heart would be. "Well, I don't think we have a doctor on hand this time to confirm the details of his death," Rarity said, "but it's safe to assume that the bullet is currently lodged somewhere in his heart, I think." "Nasty," Rainbow said. "Well, he probably lost consciousness fairly quickly," Rarity said back. "So that's something." Rainbow pointed. "Look, there's something around his neck!" "So there is!" Rarity lifted it up. It was a simple iron key, tied to a string. "I wonder what this goes to?" "Beats me. The door maybe?" "It's certainly a possibility." She stood up and took a step back. "Let's see... if he was standing here, and the bullet hole is on his right side, that means the killer must have been to his right, which means he may have been..." She looked in that direction. "...in this wardrobe!" It was a large wardrobe, wooden. She opened the door; it was empty. "You think the killer could have hidden in there?" Rainbow asked. "It's certainly a possibility." Next, she turned to the left. "If the body fell straight down, and the killer was in the closet, then the only thing the Baron could have been looking at is this painting... but why would he be staring at his own painting, I wonder?" "Oh! I know!" Rainbow said. "Maybe there's something behind the painting!" "It's certainly a possibility!" Rainbow scowled at her. "Rarity, if you say that one more time, I'll deck you." Rarity let out a tittering laugh. She stepped forwards; her horn glowed, and the large painting (it was a landscape) lifted off the wall. She set it down to one side, revealing: "A safe!" Rainbow exclaimed. Yes, it was a safe, big and made of steel, inset into the wall. Four dials sat upon its surface; four numbers needed for its combination. "I guess that key doesn't go to this safe," Rarity remarked. "Let's see..." She tried the handle. It turned, and the heavy door swung open. Rainbow's eyes widened. "It's empty? That can't be a good sign." "I suspect I know what may have been in this safe," Rarity said. "And I suspect you can guess as well, darling." Rainbow nodded. She could. Stepping back, Rarity did one last sweep of the room. "Doesn't look like there's much else to uncover in here. One last thing before we go..." She lifted the key from around the Baron's neck and walked back over to the door—but something stopped her. "That's funny," she said. "The door is already locked." "What do you mean?" Rainbow asked, following her. "It's open, isn't it?" "Yes, but the bolt's thrown, look." Rarity pointed to the rectangle of metal. "Huh." Rarity fit the key into the sturdy lock and turned it. With a loud thunk, the bolt slid back. "I guess that settles it," she said. "Miss Silver Plate?" The butler looked back in from where she was standing, outside the door. "Yes?" "This key, does it only go to this door, or to the rest of the house as well?" "Only to this one." "I see," Rarity said. "And does anyone else have a copy of this key?" Silver Plate shook her head. "No, not even me. My master key doesn't open this door." "That's interesting," Rarity said. "I suppose whatever the purpose of this room was, it was considered too important for even the staff to have entry... And I see that the other rooms in this hallway don't have locks. What room exactly is this?" Silver Plate shrugged. "The Baron just called it the safe room." "Hm." Rarity nodded. "Well, I suppose it didn't turn out to be so safe after all. In any case, I think it's time we talked to our suspects. Miss Plate, if you would?" "Right this way." As they stepped out into the hallway, however, Rainbow scrunched up her snout. "Whatever is the matter, darling?" Rarity asked her. "I swear I just caught a whiff of smoke," Rainbow said. "Smoke? Perhaps residue from the gunshot?" "Yeah, maybe, but I didn't smell it in the room," Rainbow said. "Just out here." Rarity hummed. "Interesting." The study was a moderately-sized room, which meant it was only a little bit cramped on account of the group of people who were confined to it. As Rarity and Rainbow stepped inside, all eyes were on them. Rarity scanned the room. There were four unicorns and a male griffon. Two of the ponies were stallions, one old and adorned with a thick moustache and many military medals, the other closer to his prime. There was one mare, who Rarity immediately identified as a noble based on the way she carried herself, and the remaining pony was a filly, no more than ten years old, who was wearing a small dress. "Hello, there," she said. "My name is Rarity, and this is my assistant, Rainbow Dash. She is a Wonderbolt; I am a seamstress, a dressmaker, and when it suits me, a detective, which is the capacity I am operating under now. It is a pleasure to make all of your acquaintances." “Wow!” the filly exclaimed. “She’s pretty!” The noblemare spoke up. "Are you the same Rarity who the Duchess Clearglass speaks of so fondly?" "The very same," Rarity said with a smile. "And you are Lady Crystal Bright, if I am not mistaken." The mare nodded. "That would be me, yes." Rarity turned to the military stallion. "And you, I assume, are General Bristle?" He nodded. "My reputation precedes me, I see." "Indeed it does," Rarity said. "I'm afraid I do not know the rest of you, however." She held up a hoof. "Our introductions can wait. I'd like to interview each of you in private; it's part of my method, you see." "That sounds reasonable enough," the unnamed stallion said. "Excellent." She turned to Crystal Bright. "Then, if I may, I would quite like to begin with you." "That's fine by me," she said, standing up from her chair. "Anything to get out of this dreadful mansion sooner." The Inquiries of the Increasingly Incredulous Investigator"So," Rarity said, sitting down across the small table from Crystal Bright. "Tell me about your relationship with the Baron." Crystal Bright Looked confused, in an 'annoyed' sort of manner. "I thought you would be asking me about the murder." "Ah, but you see, Your Ladyship, the devil is in the details," Rarity said. "And in the details, we'll find our devil." Rainbow smirked. "See? You said it again." "I have no idea what you're talking about, darling." Rarity turned back to her interviewee. "This is just part of my process," she said with a smile. "And I can assure you, my process has, so far, yielded nothing but results. If you would, Your Ladyship?" "Fine," she said. "Von was a friend, that's about it." "How did you two meet?" "I can hardly remember. Perhaps it was in Prance." "Ah, Prance. All good friendships start in Prance," Rarity said. "Ours didn't," Rainbow pointed out. "Hush, I'm waxing poetic." "Ah, now I remember," Crystal Bright said. "It wasn't in Prance, it was in Griffonia. This was a long time ago, of course, before our relations were so strained." "What were you doing there?" Rarity asked. "I was on vacation," she said. "Odd place for a vacation." "You'd think so now, but the countryside is beautiful. And the mountains. It's a shame I can't go back." "Quite the shame indeed," Rarity said. "And what was the Baron doing there?" "Something to do with his weapons of war, I suspect," Crystal Bright said. "Honestly, I couldn't have cared less. And I still don't. All this military talk bores me." "I see." Rarity nodded. "Well, let us cut to the chase then. Where were you at the time of the murder?" "I was in the study," she said. "The General was with me, talking my ear off about something-or-other. We both heard the gunshot." "I see. And what did you do then?" "Well, the General ran off down the hallway, in the direction of the gunshot," she said. "I followed, even though I didn't think it was a gunshot at all." "What did you think it was?" Rainbow asked. "I just assumed someone had set off a firework outside," Crystal Bright said. "But I don't have any experience with firearms, and the general insisted it was a gunshot, and obviously Von was shot, so it must have been the gun." "A logical assumption," Rarity said. "What happened then?" "We made our way down the hall. We ran into Obtuse on the way and—" "Obtuse is...?" "The younger stallion," Crystal Bright said. "I see. And had he also heard the gunshot?" "Yes," she said. "So he joined us. We also ran into George, the griffon, a bit further down, but he didn't come with us. Eventually we made it to the room the Baron was in. It was locked, so—" "Excuse me," Rarity said, holding up a hoof. "The room was locked?" "Yes," Crystal Bright said. "Obtuse had to buck the door open." Rarity leaned back in her chair. "But the only exit from that room was that door, and the only key to said door was around the Baron's neck." "Well, the door was definitely locked." "Hm! Very well, carry on." "There's not much else to tell," she said. "Inside the room was the Baron's body. I didn't want to keep looking at such a horrid thing, so I walked back to the study after that. Eventually the whole mansion was swarmed with guards, and we were all told to stay in the one room, which suited me fine. I'd still like to get out of here soon, however. It has been a long night." "I know how you feel," Rarity said. "Well, hopefully we'll finish up quickly. You may now return to the study; please tell General Bristle to come join us." Crystal Bright nodded, stood up, stretched her long legs, and set out. The guard at the door followed her, escorting her back. Rarity's grin grew large. She turned to Rainbow. "Did you hear that, darling? The door was locked!" "Yeah," Rainbow said. "You seem... oddly happy about that?" Rarity let out a little giggle of excitement. "Don't you see, Rainbow? That makes this a locked room mystery!" "A locked what-now?" Rarity rolled her eyes. "Really, darling, you must start reading more mysteries. A locked-room mystery is a type of mystery story where the crime appears to be impossible to commit—the victim is locked inside a room, with no other means for the criminal to enter or exit!" She was beaming, now. "They're one of my favourite types of mystery! There's always some hidden trick to them. Oh, I've always wanted to take on this kind of case!" Rainbow rolled your eyes. "Whatever floats your boat, Rares." General Bristle was a small, thin, elderly stallion. Looking at him, it was as though all his youth had been sucked into his exquisitely-groomed moustache. "It is an impressive moustache," Rainbow whispered to Rarity. "I'm not one for facial hair, I'm afraid," Rarity whispered back. Turning to the stallion, she smiled. "So, General Bristle, what was your relationship with the Baron?" "It was strictly business, I can assure you!" the General said. "His businesses supplied weapons and equipment to the military. I was one of his liaisons." "I see," Rarity said. "What kinds of weapons and equipment?" The General perked up. "Why, all kinds! His company is responsible for designing a new type of horseshoe that can allow troops to run about 1.08% faster on muddy ground than the previous regulation horseshoes. That's leagues better than those nasty boots the griffons use!" "Fascinating!" Rarity said. “Well, may I ask you about the—" "And these new saddlebags," the General said. "Why, you can fit almost one-tenth as much equipment inside them as the old ones! Do you know what this could mean for our military operations? Why the efficiency is staggering! If war does break out, we'll win it with these!" "I see," Rarity said. "A good saddlebag does make all the difference. But about the—" "Oh, and we've invented a new type of ration," he continued. "It has .001 grams more protein than those disgusting old ones, and our taste tests show it's slightly more delicious! And—" "Hey! Mr. Military!" Rainbow said. "Did you forget we're trying to solve a murder here!?" He blinked. "Oh. Um. Yes. Quite right." "So," Rarity said. "Crystal Bright told me that you were the one to identify the gunshot?" "Yes, that's right," he said. "It was easy, to my well-trained ears. I could pick out a gunshot anywhere, even in a crowded room as a train went by." "Right. And so what did you do when you heard it?" "I immediately leapt into action!" he said. "I knew at once from the direction of the sound that it must have come from the safe room, and so I galloped there as quickly as I could!" "Really? That's pretty far," Rainbow said. "You don't look like you're in the best of shape, either..." "Hardly!" he said. "It was no difficulty for a stallion with rigorous military training such as myself." "Right..." "That aside," Rarity said, "Did you meet anyone along the way?" "Only Obtuse Virtue and George," he said. "Obtuse joined us; George remained where we saw him. With such a sedentary lifestyle as he leads, I'm not sure he'd have been of much use anyway." "No one else?" Rarity asked. The General shook his head. "What happened once you reached the safe room?" "We tried the door," he said. "But it was locked, as it should have been. Obtuse bucked it open. I could have done it too, you know, but he was ahead of me." "I see," Rarity said. "What did you do after finding the body?" "I went to fetch the guards," he said. "Crystal Bright went off somewhere else, and Obtuse stayed behind to check on his daughter." "That filly in there is Obtuse's daughter?" Rarity asked. He nodded. "Yes, Acute Virtue. A fine little girl." "Alright," Rarity said. "One final question. Do you know what was in the safe in the safe room?" The General began to sweat. "That's top secret. Classified. I can't tell you." "That's alright," Rarity said. "That pretty much confirms my suspicions by itself. Alright; you may go. Tell Obtuse Virtue it's his turn." Obtuse was a young, moderately well-built stallion. He spoke clearly, enunciating his syllables with care, and he wore a green jacket. He was also quite handsome, Rainbow thought. Not that she was into stallions. "So, Mr. Virtue," Rarity began. "Obtuse is fine," he said. She smiled. "Obtuse it is then. Would you mind telling me a little bit about yourself?" "There's not that much to tell," he replied. "I am—or, was—the Baron's secretary." "What sorts of things did you do for him, as his secretary?" He tapped his hoof on the table. "Oh, nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "Keeping his appointments, arranging meetings, answering phone calls... that sort of thing." "I see." Rarity nodded. "Where were you at the time of the murder?" "I had just put my daughter to bed in our room," he said. "I was on my way back to the others when I heard the gunshot." "And did you know it was a gunshot when you heard it?" "I was fairly certain," he said. "Of course, I'm no expert, but working for the Baron, I had some idea what a firearm sounded like." Rarity hummed. "Could there have been some reason you might have been expecting a gunshot?" He blinked. "Expecting...? No, not really. The Baron had been acting a little suspicious lately, but..." "Suspicious how?" "It's hard to put into words," Obtuse said. "Normally he'd let me take his phone calls for him, but as of about a week ago he began insisting on taking them himself. I don't know what could have gotten him so spooked." "Fascinating," Rarity said. She shared a knowing glance with Rainbow. "Anyway, what did you do when you heard the gunshot?" "I headed in the direction of the sound," he said. "I met General Bristle and Crystal Bright on the way; the General seemed to know that the shot had come from the safe room, so I headed towards it." "And did you meet anyone else on the way?" "Yes, George. He seemed... confused. We passed him and kept heading for the safe room." Rarity nodded. "And when you got there?" "Well, I tried the door," he said. "But it was locked, so I bucked it open. Inside was the Baron's body." "You're the one who tried the door?" Rarity asked. "You're certain it was locked?" "Yes," he said. "Absolutely certain." "I see," she said. "Well, that's all I wanted from you, Obtuse. You may go back to the study now. Tell George I want to see him next." He nodded, and stood up—then paused. "Are you going to interview my daughter?" he asked. Rarity looked surprised. "Why, yes, I was intending to. Why?" His face turned troubled, then. "Well, you see... I haven't told her what happened. She's only nine years old, she's too young to know about something like this. So, please, when you talk to her... don't tell her the Baron was murdered. Just say he had an accident. I'm begging you, as a parent." "I understand," Rarity said. "Rest assured, I'll treat your daughter with the utmost care." A relieved smile overtook his features. "Thank you. I appreciate it." He turned and headed for the door. "So," Rarity said. "You are George, I take it?" The griffon, who was a head taller than anyone in the room and quite a bit rounder, nodded. "That's me, yes." "You from Griffonstone?" Rainbow asked. "I have some friends in Griffonstone, you know. We go way back." "No," he said. "I'm from Griffonia, originally." Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Griffonia? I'm surprised you're here at all." "Yes, well..." He looked nervous. "I left before the, erm... current heads of state took power." "I see," Rarity said. "You're a defector." "Something along those lines." "What did you do before you left?" "I was a weapons engineer," George said. "I had hoped to leave that life behind when I came to Equestria, but the Baron quickly snapped me up and put me to work. He wanted the 'Griffonian perspective', whatever that meant." "So you make weapons?" Rainbow asked. "Like, to kill griffons? Your own people?" George winced. "I hate it when ponies put it like that. I never wanted to design weapons, you know." "You still did it anyway," Rainbow said. "Yes." A haunted look came across his beak. "Yes, I did." "Regardless of your misdeeds," Rarity interjected, "I would quite like to ask you about the murder." "Yes, please," he said, sensing the shift to an ironically more comfortable topic. "Anything I can do to help, I will." "Where were you when it happened?" "I was on my way back from the kitchens," he said. "I was hungry, so I helped myself to a ham." Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "The Baron had ham?" "I assume for me," the griffon said. "Unless he himself was partaking. You'd have to ask the kitchen staff about that." "Was there anyone in the kitchen?" Rarity asked. "No, it was deserted. Actually, the only staff I've seen since I got here is that butler. Lots of guards, though. Funny how they all seemed to show up so quickly." He leveled his gaze at Rarity. "Actually, the same could be said about you two. We are in the middle of nowhere, after all. Nothing around for miles, yet you were here no more than an hour after the body was found." "We were here on another matter," Rarity said. "I see." "Did you hear the gunshot?" "I... yes, I suppose I did." Rarity cocked an eyebrow. "You suppose?" "Well, I didn't think it was a gunshot at first. It didn't quite... sound right, you understand?" "What did it sound like?" Rainbow asked. "Well, it was certainly a loud bang," he said. "Some sort of explosion." "The General and Obtuse seemed quite sure it was a gunshot," Rarity said. "Yes, well... I suppose they must have been right. The Baron was shot, after all. Perhaps my hearing was off." Rarity leaned back in her chair. It seemed like an idea was forming, behind those blue eyes. "Hmm... well, in any case, what did you do when you heard the noise?" "I sort of wandered in that direction," he said. "Eventually, the other guests passed me by. They seemed to be in more of a rush than I was." "Where did you go after that?" Rarity asked. "Back to the study," he said. "Eventually, the others joined me, one by one. Then the guards came and told us we weren't to leave the room." "Who came back to the study first?" "Lady Crystal Bright," he said. "Then it was the General, then Obtuse and his daughter." Rarity nodded. "Yes, that makes sense. Thank you, George; your account of things has been most illuminating." "Has it?" he said. "I mean, I didn't even see the body..." She smiled. "It has. Now, off you go back to the study; send Obtuse's daughter in after you." As he left, Rainbow spoke up. "You really think that guy can be trusted?" she asked. "I mean..." "Oh, no one in this house is to be trusted, Rainbow," Rarity replied. "But that goes the other way too; everyone in this house can be trusted until the facts contradict what they've said." This just seemed to confuse Rainbow further. "If... you say so." Rarity leaned back in her chair. "I do." "And what is your name, little filly?" Rarity asked. "Acute Virtue," the tiny unicorn said. "I'm nine years old, and I go to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns!" "Oh, how prestigious!" Rarity said. "We have a friend who went there, you know." "Really!?" Rainbow nodded. "They're one of the awesomest ponies around!" "Wow!" Acute said. "I wanna be awesome when I grow up, too!" Rainbow looked at Rarity. "I like this kid." Rarity giggled. She turned back to the child. "What do they teach you at school, Acute?" "All kinds of things!" she exclaimed. "I can show you some if you want!" They both nodded. From her dress, Acute retrieved two glass marbles. They were about the same size, but different colours. She placed them down onto the table, orange on the right and blue on the left. She covered them with her hooves. "Watch!" she said, in that voice children have when they're showing off to people older than them. Her horn lit, sparked, and then went dull. "Which hoof is the orange marble under?" she asked. "That one," Rainbow said, pointing to the hoof on their right. But Acute shook her head. She was beaming. "Nope!" She lifted her hoof, and sure enough, it was the blue marble that was revealed. "Wow!" Rarity said, playing along. "But where did the orange marble go?" Acute lifted her other hoof, and there it was: the orange marble! "Amazing!" Rainbow said. "How'd you do that?" "It's a spell called flippus crossarnus," Acute explained, as she returned the marbles to her pocket. "It swaps two objects of similar shape and size." "That's a very advanced spell," Rarity said. "It must have been hard to learn." "Thanks!" Acute replied. "Daddy says I'm a prod... prodi..." "Prodigy?" "Yeah, that!" Rarity's heart melted. "Acute," she asked, gently. "What do you know about the Baron's, erm... accident?" Acute's expression turned sour. "Nothing! Nobody will tell me what happened. They think I'm too young or something." "They're just trying to protect you, darling," Rarity said. "The world can be a dark place. Better to leave that end of it till when you've experienced more of it." "I already know about dying, though," Acute said. "Mommy died when I was little." Rainbow and Rarity looked at each other. Rarity turned back to the filly. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure she'd have been very proud of you." Acute looked down at the floor. "I hope so." "Anyway!" Rainbow said. "Where were you when the accident happened?" "I was in my room," she said. "I was trying to sleep." "Did you hear a loud bang, by any chance?" Rarity asked. Acute shook her head. "No." "What happened after that?" "Daddy came to get me," she said. "He brought me straight to the study. I didn't leave until Mr. George told me to come see you." Rarity nodded. "I see. Well, that's all I wanted to talk to you about. You may go back to the study now; thank you so much for your help!" Acute flashed them a wide smile, then scrambled off her seat and trotted to the door. After she was gone, Rainbow turned to Rarity. "Can we keep her?" she asked. "I think that would be a little unfair to Obtuse," Rarity said. "But... yes." Rainbow squealed. "So what are we doing now, Rares?" Rainbow asked, as they made their way back down the hallway. "We," Rarity said, "are going to take another look around the crime scene." She winced. "Heavens my hooves hurt. Rainbow, when I'm rich and more famous than I already am, remind me to buy a small mansion." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I keep telling you, you need to get out of your inspiration room more often. Why not pick up a sport, like tennis? That'd fit your image." "I have considered it," Rarity said. "But the tennis courts in Ponyville are dreadful, and the competition is even worse. Ah, here we are." They'd arrived back outside the crime scene. The door was still open; the body was where they'd left it, thankfully. "I thought you said there wasn't anything left to find in here?" Rainbow asked. "That's what I thought at the time," Rarity replied, scanning the hallway. "But new information has come to light. Rainbow, do you still smell smoke?" Rainbow sniffed the air. "Now that you mention it, yeah, a bit." "Let's see..." Rarity turned around and scanned the other side of the hallway. Her eyes fell upon a potted plant, some kind of fern in a great vase filled with dirt, sitting against the far wall. "I wonder..." She walked up to it and used her magic to part the leaves. It only took her a moment to find what she was looking for. "Ah-ha!" She lifted something out, triumphant. "Rainbow, look at this!" Rainbow came over to look. It was a cardboard tube, singed, about an inch thick and three inches long. "Is that a firecracker?" Rainbow asked. "I suspect so," Rarity said. She turned her attention back to the pot. “You ‘could pick out a gunshot anywhere, even in a crowded room as a train went by’, eh, General Bristle? There's some ash here, too. And it looks as though the dirt here has recently been disturbed. Rainbow, if you would?" "What?" Rarity gestured to the soil. "Dig it up, please?" "Why me?" "I don't want to get dirt on my trenchcoat." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Fine." She stepped forwards and used her hoof to shift the soil aside, until... "Rarity, there's something in here!" Rarity lit her horn; a long, metallic cylinder floated up out of the pot. "What's this?" she asked, bringing it up to her eye. "There's a hole all the way through it..." Rainbow was focused on something else entirely, however. "Hey, wait a minute! Why didn't you just use your magic to dig!?" "Moi? Never. My ladylike image would never allow it." Rainbow folded her hooves. "Whatever. Not like I care. My image doesn't get in the way of anything except being lame." Rarity continued to inspect the cylinder, but it yielded nothing. She slid it into the pocket of her coat. Next, she crossed the hallway and examined the door of the safe room. "That's interesting." Rainbow craned her neck to see. "What is?" "There's actually not that much damage to the doorframe," Rarity explained. "You'd think with a bolt as thick as that, kicking the door open would have splintered the wood. But no; there's only a bit of a scratch." "What's that mean?" Rainbow asked. "I don't know yet, darling. Give me a chance." She stepped back. Hummed. Began to pace. "I think I've got the general gist of this one," she said. "It's fairly simple, actually. I just need some time for the pieces to fall into place—and how to prove it." Rainbow stepped back. She knew better than to get in Rarity's way when she was thinking. Eventually, Rarity turned to Rainbow with a grin. A dangerous grin. "I've got it!" she said. "I know who killed the Baron, and I know how they got away with it. And I may have a way to prove it, too." "Nice," Rainbow said. "Want me to gather everyone?" "I think you'll find they're already gathered, darling," Rarity replied. "But if you'd bring them here, that would be wonderful." Rainbow saluted. "Will do." Author's Note Detective Rarity has solved this mystery—but have you? Leave your answer and reasoning in the comments below, and then turn to the next chapter to see if you were right! The Concerningly Complete Conclusion of the CrimeWith the suspects gathered in front of the safe room (They had closed and locked the door with the Baron's key, to save innocent eyes from sights better left unseen), Rarity began her elegant unraveling of the crime. And she started... with a question. "Do any of you smoke?" Rarity asked. "I do," General Bristle said, raising a hoof. "Cigars." "Anyone else?" The rest of them shook their heads. "Good," Rarity said. "It's bad for your health." "Is that important...?" Crystal Bright asked. "In due time," Rarity said. "Now, I would like to tell you all that I believe I have solved this little mystery." "You have?" Silver Plate asked. "I have. It was quite simple, actually, once I had all the pieces." The General spoke up. "Well, don't keep us waiting. Tell us who did it so we can put them behind bars already!" Rarity wagged a hoof. "Ah-ah-ah. All in due time, General. I need to bring to light how the criminal did it first. But before that, there is something you should know: the reason I am really here. "One week ago," she said, "the Baron contacted me. He told me that his people had uncovered the existence of a spy." "A spy!?" General Bristle exclaimed. Rarity nodded. "Yes. The Baron believed they had somehow become close to him, and that they were sending secrets to Equestria's enemies about their military capabilities. In particular, he had received intelligence indicating that the spy planned to steal a certain set of plans for a certain type of top-secret weapons system... and that they planned to act on this very night. The Baron had a few suspects, however:" She smiled. "All of you." "What?" Crystal Bright said. "Von thought I was a spy?" "Preposterous!" General Bristle exclaimed. "I can't believe he'd suspect me, Obtuse said. Only George seemed unfazed. "I am... honestly not surprised." "Did he think I was a spy too?" little Acute asked. Rarity gave her a reassuring smile. "No, not you." "Oh. Okay. Being a spy sounds cool though!" "Hush, Acute," Obtuse said. "Aw, okay." Rarity looked back at all of them. "And so, he set out to set a trap. He invited all of his suspects here, so he could keep an eye on them. The plans the spy were after were kept in the safe in the safe room—the very room we are standing in front of now. He knew one of you would try to steal them. The question was who. "So, in secret, he summoned the guard. They surrounded the entire mansion while you were inside, without you knowing. That's why they were so quick to get here after his untimely demise; they were here all along. All for the purposes of making sure the spy couldn't get away. "And then," Rarity said, "he hired me." "So you were to figure out which of us was the spy if the plans did go missing," George said. "Precisely!" Rarity replied. "I was the Baron's backup plan." "And that explains what you were doing here at the mansion," Crystal Bright said. "Still, to think, Von suspected I was a spy!" Rarity nodded. "But I wouldn't take it too personally. He was just covering his bases. Still, I think that should clear up the matter of the criminal's motive. Next, we shall turn our attentions to how they did it." "Yes, I had been wondering about that," Silver Plate said. "Apparently the door was locked when the body was found, but you yourself showed me that the only key to the door was inside the room. How is that possible?" "Ah, but that's the interesting part," Rarity said, grinning. "For you see, the door wasn't locked—in fact, the door that was attached to these hinges when the body was found didn't even have a lock!" This was met with silence. George was the one to point out the obvious—literally, with a talon. "But the door clearly has a keyhole." "This door does," Rarity said. "But this is not the door that Obtuse bucked down." "What!?" "If you examine the doorframe, you'll see that the wood around where the bolt slides in is barely damaged, despite the bolt extending a good inch into the frame and being made of a very sturdy metal. This indicates to me that there was no bolt there when the door was kicked down." "But what does that mean?" General Bristle said. "The door was locked when we got there!" But Rarity shook her head. "No, General. You were led to believe that the door was locked when you got there. By the pony who got to it first..." She lifted up a hoof and pointed to one of the suspects in particular. "...you, Obtuse Virtue!" Obtuse blinked. "What? But I swear, I tried the handle and it was locked!" Rarity shook her head. "That's what you wanted us to think. But, again, the door that was bucked open didn't have a lock. In the panic of the moment, no one noticed." "Again with this 'no lock' business?" he said. "That's ridiculous! The door clearly has a lock!" "And again, I state that this was not the door that was here when you all arrived! For, you see, this door was to be kept locked at all times. In fact, I'm fairly certain even if the Baron entered it, he would have locked it from the inside! And the only key was around his neck, inside the room! So you see, the only way it could have been open is if the door had no lock at all!" "But that's impossible!" Crystal Bright said. "Or is it?" Rarity said, with a knowing smile. "What if I told you that this door had been swapped with the one next to it? What if I told you there was a specific spell which could have been used, one that swaps objects of similar shapes and sizes? And what if—" she said this with a flourish "—I told you that there is a pony among us who knows this very spell?" The suspects all looked at each other, trying to gauge who it was Rarity was referring to. Except for Obtuse and Acute, who simply looked at each other. Acute looked worried. "Who?" George asked. Rarity took a deep breath. "Acute Virtue." "Preposterous," Crystal Bright said. "A filly can't know advanced magic like that." "On the contrary," Rarity replied. "She demonstrated it to me earlier this very night. She is a prodigy. A shame her talents were put to deception." She looked back at them all. "Here is what happened. Obtuse left the rest of you with Acute on the pretense of putting her to bed. However, before he did, he brought her to the safe room. He had her use her spell, flippus crossarnus, to swap the locked door with the door next to it, which had no lock. He then sent her to bed; once she was gone, he went inside. But the safe was locked, and he didn't know the combination. "This wasn't an issue, however. He lay in wait within the closet inside the room. When the Baron came to check on the plans, he realized that something was up when he went to unlock the door. So he rushed inside and opened the safe to see if the plans were still there. "This was Obtuse's chance. He—" she glanced at the filly in the room "—did the deed, then took the plans. What he did with those plans I'm not sure; perhaps he has a photographic memory, or some kind of concealed camera. Whatever the case, he then burned the plans and hid their ashes in that potted plant over there." Crystal Bright spoke up. "But, wait—if he did it, then why didn't we meet him leaving the scene of the crime? He was off down another hallway, going the same direction as us.. he couldn't have made it there before we passed him!" "Ah, but there was a way," Rarity said. "You see, the ashes of the plans were not the only thing in that potted plant. There was also... this!" She held up the firecracker's remains. "I believe this is the actual source of the 'gunshot' you all heard," she said. "A small firecracker, designed to let off a loud bang. I suspect this was planted with a long fuse, to give Obtuse time to flee the scene." "I was right!" Crystal and George said in unison. The General harrumphed. "But wouldn't we have still heard the gunshot first, then?" George asked. "I suspect the third thing we found buried in that pot is the key to unraveling that mystery," Rarity said, "although you'd know better than I. Could you tell me, George, what this is?" Rarity held out the metal cylinder to him. He took it in his talons and turned it around. "This is..." he said, with some astonishment. "This is a silencer!" "And what does it do, pray tell?" "It quiets the sound of a gunshot," he explained. "You fit it onto the end of the barrel of a gun and it dampens the sound." "Ah-ha!" Rarity said. "So I was correct. This is the reason you all didn't hear the gunshot." She continued. "In any case, Obtuse made his way back towards where his daughter was and waited. When the firecracker went off, he ran back towards the scene of the crime, hoping that the rest of you would do the same—and he was right. "He made sure to be in the front of the pack so he would be the first to reach the door. When he got there, he pretended it was locked to fool all of you, then bucked it open. You were all too distracted by the body to notice the deception—and who could blame you?" "So did he switch the door back at some point?" General Bristle asked. Rarity nodded. "Yes. You'll recall he remained behind to guard the room while you all went your separate ways—what he actually did was go back to his daughter's room and have her swap the doors back." "Astonishing," the General said. "Yes, indeed," Rarity said. She turned to Obtuse. "What say you?" "An interesting theory, " he said, his voice as even as ever. "But you have no proof." "I could simply ask your daughter," Rarity replied. "Acute? Did your daddy ask you to swap these doors?" The little filly looked like she was about to cry... but she was stronger than that. She grit her teeth. "No!" she replied. "I wouldn't... I wouldn't tell on daddy!" "You're a good girl," Rarity said, smiling reassuringly at her. She turned back to the filly's father. "Well, no matter; I have another idea. You see, earlier I asked if you smoked, and you said no. But you must have needed something to burn the plans and light the fuse on the firecracker, something you shouldn't have any need to carry if you don't." She smiled. "So," Obtuse," she said. "Would you mind turning out your pockets to see if there's a lighter in there?" He stared at her for a moment. Then, he grinned. "I suppose there's no putting one past the great detective Rarity," he said, shrugging. Then he dove to one side. Lighting his horn, he swept his daughter into the air. A pocket knife flew out of his jacket and opened itself to a nasty-looking blade, which went straight to the little filly's throat. "Nobody move," he said. Acute looked at him, eyes wide. "D-daddy?" "Now, we're going to do things my way," Obtuse said. "General Bristle, you will order the guards surrounding the manor not to follow me. If anyone does, little Acute here won't have a neck anymore." "You can't!" Rainbow cried. "Did you forget that's your daughter!?" "Adopted daughter," Obtuse said. "She was part of my cover, nothing more. I don't care an ounce for her." "Not an ounce?" Rarity said. "I don't think that's true." Obtuse sneered. "Another one of your deductions? I'm afraid you're off the mark for this one. I'm a spy; I have no moral quandaries killing. Why tonight I already—" His eyes shifted to Acute. "I already..." Acute was crying. "See?" Rarity said. "You can't even admit the truth of what you did in front of your daughter, you care about her so much." Obtuse grit his teeth. "I..." He sighed. "I give up." The knife clattered to the ground. Acute was lowered to her hooves; the filly stood in place, merely staring up at her father, sobbing quietly. "Guards," Rarity said, "I think now would be a good time to apprehend him." The guards rushed forwards. Obtuse was cuffed. "Daddy..." Acute said. "Why...?" "The reasons don't matter," he said. "I'm sorry, Acute." He looked up at Rarity. "Detective, I'd like to ask you for a favour." "Yes?" she asked. "Please, look after my daughter after I'm gone," he said. "She had no part in any of this, and I don't want her sent back to the orphanage." "Odd," Rarity said, tapping her chin, "normally I'm the one asking for favours after my cases. Still... I suppose I can't say no. I owe her that for taking her father away from her." Relief washed over his face. "Thank you." He turned back to his daughter. "Acute, I need you to go with Miss Rarity." "B-but what about you?" Acute asked. "Daddy has to go away now," he said. "For a long time. I'm sorry." "But I'll miss you!" He smiled a sad little smile. "And I'll miss you too, my darling angel." "Well, that was... something," Rarity said. She and Rainbow were on their way out of the house. The sky was grey; dawn was breaking. So began the long trek back to the servant's quarters. Little Acute rode on Rainbow's back, sound asleep. "Yeah," Rainbow said. "You know, when I asked if we could keep Acute, I wasn't expecting you to actually say you'd take care of her." "Yes, well, she had nowhere else to go," Rarity said. "She’ll be staying in the dorms at her school most of the time anyway. But to be honest, I feel like I've committed a great crime, separating a father from his daughter when they so clearly cared for each other." "Hey, it was Obtuse who committed the crime." "That doesn't make me feel any better, darling." "Sorry." Rarity let out a sigh. “I also worry this little incident will only bring Equestria one step closer to war.” “Not much we can do about that, Rares.” “I suppose it isn’t our job, no.” She winced. "Your hooves still bothering you?" Rainbow asked. "Yes, quite," Rarity said. "And we have so much ground to cover!" She eyed the spot next to Acute on Rainbow's back. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to—" Rainbow shook her head. "Nope! Waaay too heavy." Rarity was aghast. "Rainbow, you are calling me fat!" "Maybe just a little,” Rainbow said, grinning. “Wanna start training together?" "Maybe a little... moderate exercise couldn't hurt..." "That's the spirit!" They continued on, under the brightening sky, leaving the Baron Von Baron's manor behind them.
Prologue: The Inciting Incident"And I do say, my dear, that the inclusion of these new saddlebags into Equestria's military operations will increase their efficiency tenfold!" General Bristle said, before downing another gulp of sherry. "How fascinating," Crystal Bright replied, still looking at the volume she'd pulled randomly off one of the shelves of the heavily-book-laden study they'd found themselves in. It was, coincidentally, also about warfare—all the books in the study were. There was no escaping the topic in the house of the Baron, it seemed. "Yes, quite!" the General replied, with much more enthusiasm than she had. "And now let me tell you about these new horseshoes we've been developing—they allow you to run about 1.08% faster on muddy ground, and I really feel that this is the advantage we need over the—" Bang! Crystal laid her book down on her lap and looked around. "Was that a firework? Strange time and place for a fireworks display, isn't it?" But the General was white as a sheet. "That was no firework!" he exclaimed, leaping from his chair with more dexterity than his age should have allowed. "That was a gunshot! I'm sure of it!" "A gunshot? That seems a little far-fetched." "I assure you, I can detect the sound of a gunshot," he said. "I've got experience in griffon-made weapons, you know!" "Well, if you say so," she said. She put the book aside and slipped daintily to her own hooves. "You're the expert in killing. Where do you suppose it came from?" "I might have an idea! Quickly, before it's too late!" He scrambled out the doors, and she followed him down the hallway. "Too late for what?" "That's top-secret!" he shouted. "Half the things you've been rambling about to me for the past hour have been top secret," she replied, "and you had no qualms then." He paused. "Yes, well, um... this is top-TOP-secret! And classified! So there!" They continued down the hallway at high speed. After a while, another figure came into view, also heading that way. "Obtuse!" the General shouted. "That was a gunshot, wasn't it?" the younger unicorn stallion said. "Yes! We must hurry!" They continued on, Obtuse taking the lead. General Bristle, however, was beginning to pant behind his moustache. "Why must... the Baron... live in such a big house!" he gasped. "It's an unwritten rule that all nobles, no matter how minor, must try to one-up Canterlot Castle for housing," Crystal replied. She was having no trouble keeping up; she was used to long hallways. The ones in her mansion were twice as big. Soon, a fourth figure came into view. "George!" The General gasped out between heavy breaths. The rotund griffon looked up from the plate of ham he was carrying. "Hm? What's the matter?" "Did you not hear the gunshot?" Obtuse asked. "Gunshot? You mean the bang just now? I thought that was just a firework going off outside." "No, you enormous ignoramus!" The General said. "That was clearly a gunshot!" George blinked. "Oh, forget you!" The General shouted. They moved on, leaving a confused George behind. Together, they rushed down the seemingly infinite hallway, until at last the General pointed to one of the many doors. "There!" he said. "That's it!" He stopped, his knees buckling, his prized moustache wilting. Obtuse ran ahead. His horn lit, and a magical aura rattled the handle. "It's locked!" he exclaimed. "Here, stand back!" He backed up, turned around, and with a shout, bucked the door with full force. It burst open with a loud bang. He turned around and looked inside. A moment later, Crystal walked up and peeked in too. After a third moment, the General, too, dragged himself to the door to see. Inside was the Baron, lying facing away from them atop a deep red stain in the carpet. Dead. "Oh dear."
The Crime Scene Confusion of the Corpse and the Crime"I must say, darling," Rarity said, trudging up the long path to the Baron's mansion. "While I do try to keep myself fairly fit, it's times like these that I can't help but wish I had your athleticism." Rainbow, walking along beside her, shrugged. "It's not that hard. You just have to be dedicated and train every day. Get your endurance up, y'know?" "Train?" Rarity replied. "Moi? Never." It was a cloudy night in the foothills of the Canterhorn. The only notable things for miles were the mansion and its garden. Rarity was illuminating the ground ahead of them with her horn. Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Well, with the amount of ice cream you eat, you could probably use it." "Are you calling me fat?" "No," Rainbow said. "I'm just saying you needed to have worked on your calorie intake if you wanted to make it up this hill." Rarity looked forward. Then up. Then up. "Oh dear." "Still, I can't believe they dropped us off at the servants' quarters," Rainbow said. "Are we, like, not good enough to stay in the house itself?" "I'm more concerned about the fact that the servant's quarters are so far away from the house itself," Rarity replied. "That seems... inhumane." "Yeah. You'd think your staff would be the one group of ponies you wouldn't want to piss off." "I'm surprised the Baron had any staff still working for him at all." "Maybe he pays well?" "He's a notorious capitalist of the military-industrial-complex variety," Rarity said. "What do you think?" Rainbow frowned. "Why were we working for this guy again?" "Friends in high places, darling." "Ah, right. Nepotism. Our specialty." They continued onwards. Eventually, after much walking, they reached the big doors of the mansion. A pair of guards stood on either side of the door. "Halt!" the one on the left said. "Who goes there!" "Rarity, detective in the employ of the Baron, here to solve his murder," Rarity said. "And assistant," Rainbow added. "Wait," the guard on the right said, his face scrunching up. "How can you be in the employ of the baron to solve his murder if he's already dead, thus making it impossible for him to ask you to solve his murder?" "His ghost contacted us," Rainbow replied. A moment of silence. "Wow. Tough crowd." Rarity smiled. "Actually, he hired us in advance on a different, but likely related matter. We just figured, as we were here..." "Oh. I see," Guard-On-The-Right said. "Well, carry on." They opened the doors for them, then, and Rarity and Rainbow stepped inside. The main entrance was grandiose and intimidating, at least to Rainbow. "Actually," Rarity said, turning around, "would one of you mind guiding us to the crime scene?" "No can do," Guard-On-The-Left said. "We're on strict orders. Two guards at every entrance." Guard-On-The-Right nodded. "Well, somepony has to show us to the body," Rarity said, "or else we'll never make any progress. Not in a house this big." "Do you think the Baron was compensating for something?" Rainbow asked. "Almost certainly, though probably not in the way you're thinking. You see, there's an unspoken rule—" "A-hem." Someone had cleared their throat behind them; Rarity and Rainbow turned around to find a mare in a black suit standing there. "Perhaps I can be of assistance in this matter?" "And who might you be?" Rarity asked. "Silver Plate," she said. "The butler of this mansion." "Ooh, a lady butler," Rainbow said. "Now we're talking. Gender equality at its finest." "Rainbow, most of the positions of power in Equestria are held by mares," Rarity replied, sounding a little concerned. "Did you just... forget?" "Doesn't mean I can't be happy to see it," Rainbow said. "Right..." Rarity turned back to the butler. "Anyway, Ms. Plate. I trust you can guide us to the crime scene?" "Absolutely," she said. "Right this way." "Ooh, my hooves hurt already!" Rarity exclaimed, as she walked inside. "I shall have to go to the spa back in Ponyville once we get home." "Don't start whining now," Rainbow replied. "We only just got here." "I'm not whining, dear, I'm complaining," Rarity huffed. She turned around to look back at Silver Plate. "Were you in the building when the murder occurred?" Silver Plate nodded. "Yes. I was in the kitchen when the news reached me." "And the rest of the staff?" "I was the only member of staff who was in the building. The rest were told to remain in the servant's quarters until called for." "So there's no one to vouch for your alibi," Rarity said. The mare bristled. "Are you accusing me of killing my own master?" "No. Merely stating the facts." The "crime scene" Silver Plate brought them to was a single room, far, far down one of the hallways. "Would you mind gathering the suspects into a nearby room for me?" Rarity asked. "I believe they are all already being confined to the study by the guards," Silver Plate said. "Ah, perfect. Well then, we'd best get to it, Rainbow." The room was sparsely furnished. There were no windows, and the door they'd just entered through was the only means of egress. A carpet sat on the floor, a wardrobe against the far wall, and a large painting on the left. A desk sat on the right side of the room, big and bulky. They both looked at the elephant in the room: the body. The Baron was a reddish-brown coated stallion with a black mane. A belt hung around his waist, attached to a hilt with a sabre securely fastened inside. He lay on his side, facing away from the door. "You know, I think I really am starting to get used to this 'dead body' thing," Rarity said. "Yeah," Rainbow replied. "Me too. That's..." "Concerning?" "Yeah." They stared at it a moment more. "Well, that aside," Rarity said, "let's get to work." The first thing Rarity went for, however, was not the body; it was the small pistol, lying on the carpet next to the body. She lit her horn and levitated it up. "Let's see, there should be a way to... aha!" She pressed a button on the side of the pistol and pulled out its magazine. "What's that?" Rainbow asked. "It's a magazine," Rarity explained. "It holds the pistol's bullets. I read up a little bit on griffon firearms after that case with Monsieur Râtelier." She inspected the bullets. "It appears this pistol was only fired once—I assume that's when our unfortunate client met his end." She replaced the magazine and laid the pistol back on the floor. "Alright, now for the Baron." Rarity inspected him. The wound wasn't immediately visible, so she rolled him onto his other side. There it was, a hole on the right side of his chest, a gaping wound of dark red, right over where his heart would be. "Well, I don't think we have a doctor on hand this time to confirm the details of his death," Rarity said, "but it's safe to assume that the bullet is currently lodged somewhere in his heart, I think." "Nasty," Rainbow said. "Well, he probably lost consciousness fairly quickly," Rarity said back. "So that's something." Rainbow pointed. "Look, there's something around his neck!" "So there is!" Rarity lifted it up. It was a simple iron key, tied to a string. "I wonder what this goes to?" "Beats me. The door maybe?" "It's certainly a possibility." She stood up and took a step back. "Let's see... if he was standing here, and the bullet hole is on his right side, that means the killer must have been to his right, which means he may have been..." She looked in that direction. "...in this wardrobe!" It was a large wardrobe, wooden. She opened the door; it was empty. "You think the killer could have hidden in there?" Rainbow asked. "It's certainly a possibility." Next, she turned to the left. "If the body fell straight down, and the killer was in the closet, then the only thing the Baron could have been looking at is this painting... but why would he be staring at his own painting, I wonder?" "Oh! I know!" Rainbow said. "Maybe there's something behind the painting!" "It's certainly a possibility!" Rainbow scowled at her. "Rarity, if you say that one more time, I'll deck you." Rarity let out a tittering laugh. She stepped forwards; her horn glowed, and the large painting (it was a landscape) lifted off the wall. She set it down to one side, revealing: "A safe!" Rainbow exclaimed. Yes, it was a safe, big and made of steel, inset into the wall. Four dials sat upon its surface; four numbers needed for its combination. "I guess that key doesn't go to this safe," Rarity remarked. "Let's see..." She tried the handle. It turned, and the heavy door swung open. Rainbow's eyes widened. "It's empty? That can't be a good sign." "I suspect I know what may have been in this safe," Rarity said. "And I suspect you can guess as well, darling." Rainbow nodded. She could. Stepping back, Rarity did one last sweep of the room. "Doesn't look like there's much else to uncover in here. One last thing before we go..." She lifted the key from around the Baron's neck and walked back over to the door—but something stopped her. "That's funny," she said. "The door is already locked." "What do you mean?" Rainbow asked, following her. "It's open, isn't it?" "Yes, but the bolt's thrown, look." Rarity pointed to the rectangle of metal. "Huh." Rarity fit the key into the sturdy lock and turned it. With a loud thunk, the bolt slid back. "I guess that settles it," she said. "Miss Silver Plate?" The butler looked back in from where she was standing, outside the door. "Yes?" "This key, does it only go to this door, or to the rest of the house as well?" "Only to this one." "I see," Rarity said. "And does anyone else have a copy of this key?" Silver Plate shook her head. "No, not even me. My master key doesn't open this door." "That's interesting," Rarity said. "I suppose whatever the purpose of this room was, it was considered too important for even the staff to have entry... And I see that the other rooms in this hallway don't have locks. What room exactly is this?" Silver Plate shrugged. "The Baron just called it the safe room." "Hm." Rarity nodded. "Well, I suppose it didn't turn out to be so safe after all. In any case, I think it's time we talked to our suspects. Miss Plate, if you would?" "Right this way." As they stepped out into the hallway, however, Rainbow scrunched up her snout. "Whatever is the matter, darling?" Rarity asked her. "I swear I just caught a whiff of smoke," Rainbow said. "Smoke? Perhaps residue from the gunshot?" "Yeah, maybe, but I didn't smell it in the room," Rainbow said. "Just out here." Rarity hummed. "Interesting." The study was a moderately-sized room, which meant it was only a little bit cramped on account of the group of people who were confined to it. As Rarity and Rainbow stepped inside, all eyes were on them. Rarity scanned the room. There were four unicorns and a male griffon. Two of the ponies were stallions, one old and adorned with a thick moustache and many military medals, the other closer to his prime. There was one mare, who Rarity immediately identified as a noble based on the way she carried herself, and the remaining pony was a filly, no more than ten years old, who was wearing a small dress. "Hello, there," she said. "My name is Rarity, and this is my assistant, Rainbow Dash. She is a Wonderbolt; I am a seamstress, a dressmaker, and when it suits me, a detective, which is the capacity I am operating under now. It is a pleasure to make all of your acquaintances." “Wow!” the filly exclaimed. “She’s pretty!” The noblemare spoke up. "Are you the same Rarity who the Duchess Clearglass speaks of so fondly?" "The very same," Rarity said with a smile. "And you are Lady Crystal Bright, if I am not mistaken." The mare nodded. "That would be me, yes." Rarity turned to the military stallion. "And you, I assume, are General Bristle?" He nodded. "My reputation precedes me, I see." "Indeed it does," Rarity said. "I'm afraid I do not know the rest of you, however." She held up a hoof. "Our introductions can wait. I'd like to interview each of you in private; it's part of my method, you see." "That sounds reasonable enough," the unnamed stallion said. "Excellent." She turned to Crystal Bright. "Then, if I may, I would quite like to begin with you." "That's fine by me," she said, standing up from her chair. "Anything to get out of this dreadful mansion sooner."
The Inquiries of the Increasingly Incredulous Investigator"So," Rarity said, sitting down across the small table from Crystal Bright. "Tell me about your relationship with the Baron." Crystal Bright Looked confused, in an 'annoyed' sort of manner. "I thought you would be asking me about the murder." "Ah, but you see, Your Ladyship, the devil is in the details," Rarity said. "And in the details, we'll find our devil." Rainbow smirked. "See? You said it again." "I have no idea what you're talking about, darling." Rarity turned back to her interviewee. "This is just part of my process," she said with a smile. "And I can assure you, my process has, so far, yielded nothing but results. If you would, Your Ladyship?" "Fine," she said. "Von was a friend, that's about it." "How did you two meet?" "I can hardly remember. Perhaps it was in Prance." "Ah, Prance. All good friendships start in Prance," Rarity said. "Ours didn't," Rainbow pointed out. "Hush, I'm waxing poetic." "Ah, now I remember," Crystal Bright said. "It wasn't in Prance, it was in Griffonia. This was a long time ago, of course, before our relations were so strained." "What were you doing there?" Rarity asked. "I was on vacation," she said. "Odd place for a vacation." "You'd think so now, but the countryside is beautiful. And the mountains. It's a shame I can't go back." "Quite the shame indeed," Rarity said. "And what was the Baron doing there?" "Something to do with his weapons of war, I suspect," Crystal Bright said. "Honestly, I couldn't have cared less. And I still don't. All this military talk bores me." "I see." Rarity nodded. "Well, let us cut to the chase then. Where were you at the time of the murder?" "I was in the study," she said. "The General was with me, talking my ear off about something-or-other. We both heard the gunshot." "I see. And what did you do then?" "Well, the General ran off down the hallway, in the direction of the gunshot," she said. "I followed, even though I didn't think it was a gunshot at all." "What did you think it was?" Rainbow asked. "I just assumed someone had set off a firework outside," Crystal Bright said. "But I don't have any experience with firearms, and the general insisted it was a gunshot, and obviously Von was shot, so it must have been the gun." "A logical assumption," Rarity said. "What happened then?" "We made our way down the hall. We ran into Obtuse on the way and—" "Obtuse is...?" "The younger stallion," Crystal Bright said. "I see. And had he also heard the gunshot?" "Yes," she said. "So he joined us. We also ran into George, the griffon, a bit further down, but he didn't come with us. Eventually we made it to the room the Baron was in. It was locked, so—" "Excuse me," Rarity said, holding up a hoof. "The room was locked?" "Yes," Crystal Bright said. "Obtuse had to buck the door open." Rarity leaned back in her chair. "But the only exit from that room was that door, and the only key to said door was around the Baron's neck." "Well, the door was definitely locked." "Hm! Very well, carry on." "There's not much else to tell," she said. "Inside the room was the Baron's body. I didn't want to keep looking at such a horrid thing, so I walked back to the study after that. Eventually the whole mansion was swarmed with guards, and we were all told to stay in the one room, which suited me fine. I'd still like to get out of here soon, however. It has been a long night." "I know how you feel," Rarity said. "Well, hopefully we'll finish up quickly. You may now return to the study; please tell General Bristle to come join us." Crystal Bright nodded, stood up, stretched her long legs, and set out. The guard at the door followed her, escorting her back. Rarity's grin grew large. She turned to Rainbow. "Did you hear that, darling? The door was locked!" "Yeah," Rainbow said. "You seem... oddly happy about that?" Rarity let out a little giggle of excitement. "Don't you see, Rainbow? That makes this a locked room mystery!" "A locked what-now?" Rarity rolled her eyes. "Really, darling, you must start reading more mysteries. A locked-room mystery is a type of mystery story where the crime appears to be impossible to commit—the victim is locked inside a room, with no other means for the criminal to enter or exit!" She was beaming, now. "They're one of my favourite types of mystery! There's always some hidden trick to them. Oh, I've always wanted to take on this kind of case!" Rainbow rolled your eyes. "Whatever floats your boat, Rares." General Bristle was a small, thin, elderly stallion. Looking at him, it was as though all his youth had been sucked into his exquisitely-groomed moustache. "It is an impressive moustache," Rainbow whispered to Rarity. "I'm not one for facial hair, I'm afraid," Rarity whispered back. Turning to the stallion, she smiled. "So, General Bristle, what was your relationship with the Baron?" "It was strictly business, I can assure you!" the General said. "His businesses supplied weapons and equipment to the military. I was one of his liaisons." "I see," Rarity said. "What kinds of weapons and equipment?" The General perked up. "Why, all kinds! His company is responsible for designing a new type of horseshoe that can allow troops to run about 1.08% faster on muddy ground than the previous regulation horseshoes. That's leagues better than those nasty boots the griffons use!" "Fascinating!" Rarity said. “Well, may I ask you about the—" "And these new saddlebags," the General said. "Why, you can fit almost one-tenth as much equipment inside them as the old ones! Do you know what this could mean for our military operations? Why the efficiency is staggering! If war does break out, we'll win it with these!" "I see," Rarity said. "A good saddlebag does make all the difference. But about the—" "Oh, and we've invented a new type of ration," he continued. "It has .001 grams more protein than those disgusting old ones, and our taste tests show it's slightly more delicious! And—" "Hey! Mr. Military!" Rainbow said. "Did you forget we're trying to solve a murder here!?" He blinked. "Oh. Um. Yes. Quite right." "So," Rarity said. "Crystal Bright told me that you were the one to identify the gunshot?" "Yes, that's right," he said. "It was easy, to my well-trained ears. I could pick out a gunshot anywhere, even in a crowded room as a train went by." "Right. And so what did you do when you heard it?" "I immediately leapt into action!" he said. "I knew at once from the direction of the sound that it must have come from the safe room, and so I galloped there as quickly as I could!" "Really? That's pretty far," Rainbow said. "You don't look like you're in the best of shape, either..." "Hardly!" he said. "It was no difficulty for a stallion with rigorous military training such as myself." "Right..." "That aside," Rarity said, "Did you meet anyone along the way?" "Only Obtuse Virtue and George," he said. "Obtuse joined us; George remained where we saw him. With such a sedentary lifestyle as he leads, I'm not sure he'd have been of much use anyway." "No one else?" Rarity asked. The General shook his head. "What happened once you reached the safe room?" "We tried the door," he said. "But it was locked, as it should have been. Obtuse bucked it open. I could have done it too, you know, but he was ahead of me." "I see," Rarity said. "What did you do after finding the body?" "I went to fetch the guards," he said. "Crystal Bright went off somewhere else, and Obtuse stayed behind to check on his daughter." "That filly in there is Obtuse's daughter?" Rarity asked. He nodded. "Yes, Acute Virtue. A fine little girl." "Alright," Rarity said. "One final question. Do you know what was in the safe in the safe room?" The General began to sweat. "That's top secret. Classified. I can't tell you." "That's alright," Rarity said. "That pretty much confirms my suspicions by itself. Alright; you may go. Tell Obtuse Virtue it's his turn." Obtuse was a young, moderately well-built stallion. He spoke clearly, enunciating his syllables with care, and he wore a green jacket. He was also quite handsome, Rainbow thought. Not that she was into stallions. "So, Mr. Virtue," Rarity began. "Obtuse is fine," he said. She smiled. "Obtuse it is then. Would you mind telling me a little bit about yourself?" "There's not that much to tell," he replied. "I am—or, was—the Baron's secretary." "What sorts of things did you do for him, as his secretary?" He tapped his hoof on the table. "Oh, nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "Keeping his appointments, arranging meetings, answering phone calls... that sort of thing." "I see." Rarity nodded. "Where were you at the time of the murder?" "I had just put my daughter to bed in our room," he said. "I was on my way back to the others when I heard the gunshot." "And did you know it was a gunshot when you heard it?" "I was fairly certain," he said. "Of course, I'm no expert, but working for the Baron, I had some idea what a firearm sounded like." Rarity hummed. "Could there have been some reason you might have been expecting a gunshot?" He blinked. "Expecting...? No, not really. The Baron had been acting a little suspicious lately, but..." "Suspicious how?" "It's hard to put into words," Obtuse said. "Normally he'd let me take his phone calls for him, but as of about a week ago he began insisting on taking them himself. I don't know what could have gotten him so spooked." "Fascinating," Rarity said. She shared a knowing glance with Rainbow. "Anyway, what did you do when you heard the gunshot?" "I headed in the direction of the sound," he said. "I met General Bristle and Crystal Bright on the way; the General seemed to know that the shot had come from the safe room, so I headed towards it." "And did you meet anyone else on the way?" "Yes, George. He seemed... confused. We passed him and kept heading for the safe room." Rarity nodded. "And when you got there?" "Well, I tried the door," he said. "But it was locked, so I bucked it open. Inside was the Baron's body." "You're the one who tried the door?" Rarity asked. "You're certain it was locked?" "Yes," he said. "Absolutely certain." "I see," she said. "Well, that's all I wanted from you, Obtuse. You may go back to the study now. Tell George I want to see him next." He nodded, and stood up—then paused. "Are you going to interview my daughter?" he asked. Rarity looked surprised. "Why, yes, I was intending to. Why?" His face turned troubled, then. "Well, you see... I haven't told her what happened. She's only nine years old, she's too young to know about something like this. So, please, when you talk to her... don't tell her the Baron was murdered. Just say he had an accident. I'm begging you, as a parent." "I understand," Rarity said. "Rest assured, I'll treat your daughter with the utmost care." A relieved smile overtook his features. "Thank you. I appreciate it." He turned and headed for the door. "So," Rarity said. "You are George, I take it?" The griffon, who was a head taller than anyone in the room and quite a bit rounder, nodded. "That's me, yes." "You from Griffonstone?" Rainbow asked. "I have some friends in Griffonstone, you know. We go way back." "No," he said. "I'm from Griffonia, originally." Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Griffonia? I'm surprised you're here at all." "Yes, well..." He looked nervous. "I left before the, erm... current heads of state took power." "I see," Rarity said. "You're a defector." "Something along those lines." "What did you do before you left?" "I was a weapons engineer," George said. "I had hoped to leave that life behind when I came to Equestria, but the Baron quickly snapped me up and put me to work. He wanted the 'Griffonian perspective', whatever that meant." "So you make weapons?" Rainbow asked. "Like, to kill griffons? Your own people?" George winced. "I hate it when ponies put it like that. I never wanted to design weapons, you know." "You still did it anyway," Rainbow said. "Yes." A haunted look came across his beak. "Yes, I did." "Regardless of your misdeeds," Rarity interjected, "I would quite like to ask you about the murder." "Yes, please," he said, sensing the shift to an ironically more comfortable topic. "Anything I can do to help, I will." "Where were you when it happened?" "I was on my way back from the kitchens," he said. "I was hungry, so I helped myself to a ham." Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "The Baron had ham?" "I assume for me," the griffon said. "Unless he himself was partaking. You'd have to ask the kitchen staff about that." "Was there anyone in the kitchen?" Rarity asked. "No, it was deserted. Actually, the only staff I've seen since I got here is that butler. Lots of guards, though. Funny how they all seemed to show up so quickly." He leveled his gaze at Rarity. "Actually, the same could be said about you two. We are in the middle of nowhere, after all. Nothing around for miles, yet you were here no more than an hour after the body was found." "We were here on another matter," Rarity said. "I see." "Did you hear the gunshot?" "I... yes, I suppose I did." Rarity cocked an eyebrow. "You suppose?" "Well, I didn't think it was a gunshot at first. It didn't quite... sound right, you understand?" "What did it sound like?" Rainbow asked. "Well, it was certainly a loud bang," he said. "Some sort of explosion." "The General and Obtuse seemed quite sure it was a gunshot," Rarity said. "Yes, well... I suppose they must have been right. The Baron was shot, after all. Perhaps my hearing was off." Rarity leaned back in her chair. It seemed like an idea was forming, behind those blue eyes. "Hmm... well, in any case, what did you do when you heard the noise?" "I sort of wandered in that direction," he said. "Eventually, the other guests passed me by. They seemed to be in more of a rush than I was." "Where did you go after that?" Rarity asked. "Back to the study," he said. "Eventually, the others joined me, one by one. Then the guards came and told us we weren't to leave the room." "Who came back to the study first?" "Lady Crystal Bright," he said. "Then it was the General, then Obtuse and his daughter." Rarity nodded. "Yes, that makes sense. Thank you, George; your account of things has been most illuminating." "Has it?" he said. "I mean, I didn't even see the body..." She smiled. "It has. Now, off you go back to the study; send Obtuse's daughter in after you." As he left, Rainbow spoke up. "You really think that guy can be trusted?" she asked. "I mean..." "Oh, no one in this house is to be trusted, Rainbow," Rarity replied. "But that goes the other way too; everyone in this house can be trusted until the facts contradict what they've said." This just seemed to confuse Rainbow further. "If... you say so." Rarity leaned back in her chair. "I do." "And what is your name, little filly?" Rarity asked. "Acute Virtue," the tiny unicorn said. "I'm nine years old, and I go to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns!" "Oh, how prestigious!" Rarity said. "We have a friend who went there, you know." "Really!?" Rainbow nodded. "They're one of the awesomest ponies around!" "Wow!" Acute said. "I wanna be awesome when I grow up, too!" Rainbow looked at Rarity. "I like this kid." Rarity giggled. She turned back to the child. "What do they teach you at school, Acute?" "All kinds of things!" she exclaimed. "I can show you some if you want!" They both nodded. From her dress, Acute retrieved two glass marbles. They were about the same size, but different colours. She placed them down onto the table, orange on the right and blue on the left. She covered them with her hooves. "Watch!" she said, in that voice children have when they're showing off to people older than them. Her horn lit, sparked, and then went dull. "Which hoof is the orange marble under?" she asked. "That one," Rainbow said, pointing to the hoof on their right. But Acute shook her head. She was beaming. "Nope!" She lifted her hoof, and sure enough, it was the blue marble that was revealed. "Wow!" Rarity said, playing along. "But where did the orange marble go?" Acute lifted her other hoof, and there it was: the orange marble! "Amazing!" Rainbow said. "How'd you do that?" "It's a spell called flippus crossarnus," Acute explained, as she returned the marbles to her pocket. "It swaps two objects of similar shape and size." "That's a very advanced spell," Rarity said. "It must have been hard to learn." "Thanks!" Acute replied. "Daddy says I'm a prod... prodi..." "Prodigy?" "Yeah, that!" Rarity's heart melted. "Acute," she asked, gently. "What do you know about the Baron's, erm... accident?" Acute's expression turned sour. "Nothing! Nobody will tell me what happened. They think I'm too young or something." "They're just trying to protect you, darling," Rarity said. "The world can be a dark place. Better to leave that end of it till when you've experienced more of it." "I already know about dying, though," Acute said. "Mommy died when I was little." Rainbow and Rarity looked at each other. Rarity turned back to the filly. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure she'd have been very proud of you." Acute looked down at the floor. "I hope so." "Anyway!" Rainbow said. "Where were you when the accident happened?" "I was in my room," she said. "I was trying to sleep." "Did you hear a loud bang, by any chance?" Rarity asked. Acute shook her head. "No." "What happened after that?" "Daddy came to get me," she said. "He brought me straight to the study. I didn't leave until Mr. George told me to come see you." Rarity nodded. "I see. Well, that's all I wanted to talk to you about. You may go back to the study now; thank you so much for your help!" Acute flashed them a wide smile, then scrambled off her seat and trotted to the door. After she was gone, Rainbow turned to Rarity. "Can we keep her?" she asked. "I think that would be a little unfair to Obtuse," Rarity said. "But... yes." Rainbow squealed. "So what are we doing now, Rares?" Rainbow asked, as they made their way back down the hallway. "We," Rarity said, "are going to take another look around the crime scene." She winced. "Heavens my hooves hurt. Rainbow, when I'm rich and more famous than I already am, remind me to buy a small mansion." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I keep telling you, you need to get out of your inspiration room more often. Why not pick up a sport, like tennis? That'd fit your image." "I have considered it," Rarity said. "But the tennis courts in Ponyville are dreadful, and the competition is even worse. Ah, here we are." They'd arrived back outside the crime scene. The door was still open; the body was where they'd left it, thankfully. "I thought you said there wasn't anything left to find in here?" Rainbow asked. "That's what I thought at the time," Rarity replied, scanning the hallway. "But new information has come to light. Rainbow, do you still smell smoke?" Rainbow sniffed the air. "Now that you mention it, yeah, a bit." "Let's see..." Rarity turned around and scanned the other side of the hallway. Her eyes fell upon a potted plant, some kind of fern in a great vase filled with dirt, sitting against the far wall. "I wonder..." She walked up to it and used her magic to part the leaves. It only took her a moment to find what she was looking for. "Ah-ha!" She lifted something out, triumphant. "Rainbow, look at this!" Rainbow came over to look. It was a cardboard tube, singed, about an inch thick and three inches long. "Is that a firecracker?" Rainbow asked. "I suspect so," Rarity said. She turned her attention back to the pot. “You ‘could pick out a gunshot anywhere, even in a crowded room as a train went by’, eh, General Bristle? There's some ash here, too. And it looks as though the dirt here has recently been disturbed. Rainbow, if you would?" "What?" Rarity gestured to the soil. "Dig it up, please?" "Why me?" "I don't want to get dirt on my trenchcoat." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Fine." She stepped forwards and used her hoof to shift the soil aside, until... "Rarity, there's something in here!" Rarity lit her horn; a long, metallic cylinder floated up out of the pot. "What's this?" she asked, bringing it up to her eye. "There's a hole all the way through it..." Rainbow was focused on something else entirely, however. "Hey, wait a minute! Why didn't you just use your magic to dig!?" "Moi? Never. My ladylike image would never allow it." Rainbow folded her hooves. "Whatever. Not like I care. My image doesn't get in the way of anything except being lame." Rarity continued to inspect the cylinder, but it yielded nothing. She slid it into the pocket of her coat. Next, she crossed the hallway and examined the door of the safe room. "That's interesting." Rainbow craned her neck to see. "What is?" "There's actually not that much damage to the doorframe," Rarity explained. "You'd think with a bolt as thick as that, kicking the door open would have splintered the wood. But no; there's only a bit of a scratch." "What's that mean?" Rainbow asked. "I don't know yet, darling. Give me a chance." She stepped back. Hummed. Began to pace. "I think I've got the general gist of this one," she said. "It's fairly simple, actually. I just need some time for the pieces to fall into place—and how to prove it." Rainbow stepped back. She knew better than to get in Rarity's way when she was thinking. Eventually, Rarity turned to Rainbow with a grin. A dangerous grin. "I've got it!" she said. "I know who killed the Baron, and I know how they got away with it. And I may have a way to prove it, too." "Nice," Rainbow said. "Want me to gather everyone?" "I think you'll find they're already gathered, darling," Rarity replied. "But if you'd bring them here, that would be wonderful." Rainbow saluted. "Will do." Author's Note Detective Rarity has solved this mystery—but have you? Leave your answer and reasoning in the comments below, and then turn to the next chapter to see if you were right!
The Concerningly Complete Conclusion of the CrimeWith the suspects gathered in front of the safe room (They had closed and locked the door with the Baron's key, to save innocent eyes from sights better left unseen), Rarity began her elegant unraveling of the crime. And she started... with a question. "Do any of you smoke?" Rarity asked. "I do," General Bristle said, raising a hoof. "Cigars." "Anyone else?" The rest of them shook their heads. "Good," Rarity said. "It's bad for your health." "Is that important...?" Crystal Bright asked. "In due time," Rarity said. "Now, I would like to tell you all that I believe I have solved this little mystery." "You have?" Silver Plate asked. "I have. It was quite simple, actually, once I had all the pieces." The General spoke up. "Well, don't keep us waiting. Tell us who did it so we can put them behind bars already!" Rarity wagged a hoof. "Ah-ah-ah. All in due time, General. I need to bring to light how the criminal did it first. But before that, there is something you should know: the reason I am really here. "One week ago," she said, "the Baron contacted me. He told me that his people had uncovered the existence of a spy." "A spy!?" General Bristle exclaimed. Rarity nodded. "Yes. The Baron believed they had somehow become close to him, and that they were sending secrets to Equestria's enemies about their military capabilities. In particular, he had received intelligence indicating that the spy planned to steal a certain set of plans for a certain type of top-secret weapons system... and that they planned to act on this very night. The Baron had a few suspects, however:" She smiled. "All of you." "What?" Crystal Bright said. "Von thought I was a spy?" "Preposterous!" General Bristle exclaimed. "I can't believe he'd suspect me, Obtuse said. Only George seemed unfazed. "I am... honestly not surprised." "Did he think I was a spy too?" little Acute asked. Rarity gave her a reassuring smile. "No, not you." "Oh. Okay. Being a spy sounds cool though!" "Hush, Acute," Obtuse said. "Aw, okay." Rarity looked back at all of them. "And so, he set out to set a trap. He invited all of his suspects here, so he could keep an eye on them. The plans the spy were after were kept in the safe in the safe room—the very room we are standing in front of now. He knew one of you would try to steal them. The question was who. "So, in secret, he summoned the guard. They surrounded the entire mansion while you were inside, without you knowing. That's why they were so quick to get here after his untimely demise; they were here all along. All for the purposes of making sure the spy couldn't get away. "And then," Rarity said, "he hired me." "So you were to figure out which of us was the spy if the plans did go missing," George said. "Precisely!" Rarity replied. "I was the Baron's backup plan." "And that explains what you were doing here at the mansion," Crystal Bright said. "Still, to think, Von suspected I was a spy!" Rarity nodded. "But I wouldn't take it too personally. He was just covering his bases. Still, I think that should clear up the matter of the criminal's motive. Next, we shall turn our attentions to how they did it." "Yes, I had been wondering about that," Silver Plate said. "Apparently the door was locked when the body was found, but you yourself showed me that the only key to the door was inside the room. How is that possible?" "Ah, but that's the interesting part," Rarity said, grinning. "For you see, the door wasn't locked—in fact, the door that was attached to these hinges when the body was found didn't even have a lock!" This was met with silence. George was the one to point out the obvious—literally, with a talon. "But the door clearly has a keyhole." "This door does," Rarity said. "But this is not the door that Obtuse bucked down." "What!?" "If you examine the doorframe, you'll see that the wood around where the bolt slides in is barely damaged, despite the bolt extending a good inch into the frame and being made of a very sturdy metal. This indicates to me that there was no bolt there when the door was kicked down." "But what does that mean?" General Bristle said. "The door was locked when we got there!" But Rarity shook her head. "No, General. You were led to believe that the door was locked when you got there. By the pony who got to it first..." She lifted up a hoof and pointed to one of the suspects in particular. "...you, Obtuse Virtue!" Obtuse blinked. "What? But I swear, I tried the handle and it was locked!" Rarity shook her head. "That's what you wanted us to think. But, again, the door that was bucked open didn't have a lock. In the panic of the moment, no one noticed." "Again with this 'no lock' business?" he said. "That's ridiculous! The door clearly has a lock!" "And again, I state that this was not the door that was here when you all arrived! For, you see, this door was to be kept locked at all times. In fact, I'm fairly certain even if the Baron entered it, he would have locked it from the inside! And the only key was around his neck, inside the room! So you see, the only way it could have been open is if the door had no lock at all!" "But that's impossible!" Crystal Bright said. "Or is it?" Rarity said, with a knowing smile. "What if I told you that this door had been swapped with the one next to it? What if I told you there was a specific spell which could have been used, one that swaps objects of similar shapes and sizes? And what if—" she said this with a flourish "—I told you that there is a pony among us who knows this very spell?" The suspects all looked at each other, trying to gauge who it was Rarity was referring to. Except for Obtuse and Acute, who simply looked at each other. Acute looked worried. "Who?" George asked. Rarity took a deep breath. "Acute Virtue." "Preposterous," Crystal Bright said. "A filly can't know advanced magic like that." "On the contrary," Rarity replied. "She demonstrated it to me earlier this very night. She is a prodigy. A shame her talents were put to deception." She looked back at them all. "Here is what happened. Obtuse left the rest of you with Acute on the pretense of putting her to bed. However, before he did, he brought her to the safe room. He had her use her spell, flippus crossarnus, to swap the locked door with the door next to it, which had no lock. He then sent her to bed; once she was gone, he went inside. But the safe was locked, and he didn't know the combination. "This wasn't an issue, however. He lay in wait within the closet inside the room. When the Baron came to check on the plans, he realized that something was up when he went to unlock the door. So he rushed inside and opened the safe to see if the plans were still there. "This was Obtuse's chance. He—" she glanced at the filly in the room "—did the deed, then took the plans. What he did with those plans I'm not sure; perhaps he has a photographic memory, or some kind of concealed camera. Whatever the case, he then burned the plans and hid their ashes in that potted plant over there." Crystal Bright spoke up. "But, wait—if he did it, then why didn't we meet him leaving the scene of the crime? He was off down another hallway, going the same direction as us.. he couldn't have made it there before we passed him!" "Ah, but there was a way," Rarity said. "You see, the ashes of the plans were not the only thing in that potted plant. There was also... this!" She held up the firecracker's remains. "I believe this is the actual source of the 'gunshot' you all heard," she said. "A small firecracker, designed to let off a loud bang. I suspect this was planted with a long fuse, to give Obtuse time to flee the scene." "I was right!" Crystal and George said in unison. The General harrumphed. "But wouldn't we have still heard the gunshot first, then?" George asked. "I suspect the third thing we found buried in that pot is the key to unraveling that mystery," Rarity said, "although you'd know better than I. Could you tell me, George, what this is?" Rarity held out the metal cylinder to him. He took it in his talons and turned it around. "This is..." he said, with some astonishment. "This is a silencer!" "And what does it do, pray tell?" "It quiets the sound of a gunshot," he explained. "You fit it onto the end of the barrel of a gun and it dampens the sound." "Ah-ha!" Rarity said. "So I was correct. This is the reason you all didn't hear the gunshot." She continued. "In any case, Obtuse made his way back towards where his daughter was and waited. When the firecracker went off, he ran back towards the scene of the crime, hoping that the rest of you would do the same—and he was right. "He made sure to be in the front of the pack so he would be the first to reach the door. When he got there, he pretended it was locked to fool all of you, then bucked it open. You were all too distracted by the body to notice the deception—and who could blame you?" "So did he switch the door back at some point?" General Bristle asked. Rarity nodded. "Yes. You'll recall he remained behind to guard the room while you all went your separate ways—what he actually did was go back to his daughter's room and have her swap the doors back." "Astonishing," the General said. "Yes, indeed," Rarity said. She turned to Obtuse. "What say you?" "An interesting theory, " he said, his voice as even as ever. "But you have no proof." "I could simply ask your daughter," Rarity replied. "Acute? Did your daddy ask you to swap these doors?" The little filly looked like she was about to cry... but she was stronger than that. She grit her teeth. "No!" she replied. "I wouldn't... I wouldn't tell on daddy!" "You're a good girl," Rarity said, smiling reassuringly at her. She turned back to the filly's father. "Well, no matter; I have another idea. You see, earlier I asked if you smoked, and you said no. But you must have needed something to burn the plans and light the fuse on the firecracker, something you shouldn't have any need to carry if you don't." She smiled. "So," Obtuse," she said. "Would you mind turning out your pockets to see if there's a lighter in there?" He stared at her for a moment. Then, he grinned. "I suppose there's no putting one past the great detective Rarity," he said, shrugging. Then he dove to one side. Lighting his horn, he swept his daughter into the air. A pocket knife flew out of his jacket and opened itself to a nasty-looking blade, which went straight to the little filly's throat. "Nobody move," he said. Acute looked at him, eyes wide. "D-daddy?" "Now, we're going to do things my way," Obtuse said. "General Bristle, you will order the guards surrounding the manor not to follow me. If anyone does, little Acute here won't have a neck anymore." "You can't!" Rainbow cried. "Did you forget that's your daughter!?" "Adopted daughter," Obtuse said. "She was part of my cover, nothing more. I don't care an ounce for her." "Not an ounce?" Rarity said. "I don't think that's true." Obtuse sneered. "Another one of your deductions? I'm afraid you're off the mark for this one. I'm a spy; I have no moral quandaries killing. Why tonight I already—" His eyes shifted to Acute. "I already..." Acute was crying. "See?" Rarity said. "You can't even admit the truth of what you did in front of your daughter, you care about her so much." Obtuse grit his teeth. "I..." He sighed. "I give up." The knife clattered to the ground. Acute was lowered to her hooves; the filly stood in place, merely staring up at her father, sobbing quietly. "Guards," Rarity said, "I think now would be a good time to apprehend him." The guards rushed forwards. Obtuse was cuffed. "Daddy..." Acute said. "Why...?" "The reasons don't matter," he said. "I'm sorry, Acute." He looked up at Rarity. "Detective, I'd like to ask you for a favour." "Yes?" she asked. "Please, look after my daughter after I'm gone," he said. "She had no part in any of this, and I don't want her sent back to the orphanage." "Odd," Rarity said, tapping her chin, "normally I'm the one asking for favours after my cases. Still... I suppose I can't say no. I owe her that for taking her father away from her." Relief washed over his face. "Thank you." He turned back to his daughter. "Acute, I need you to go with Miss Rarity." "B-but what about you?" Acute asked. "Daddy has to go away now," he said. "For a long time. I'm sorry." "But I'll miss you!" He smiled a sad little smile. "And I'll miss you too, my darling angel." "Well, that was... something," Rarity said. She and Rainbow were on their way out of the house. The sky was grey; dawn was breaking. So began the long trek back to the servant's quarters. Little Acute rode on Rainbow's back, sound asleep. "Yeah," Rainbow said. "You know, when I asked if we could keep Acute, I wasn't expecting you to actually say you'd take care of her." "Yes, well, she had nowhere else to go," Rarity said. "She’ll be staying in the dorms at her school most of the time anyway. But to be honest, I feel like I've committed a great crime, separating a father from his daughter when they so clearly cared for each other." "Hey, it was Obtuse who committed the crime." "That doesn't make me feel any better, darling." "Sorry." Rarity let out a sigh. “I also worry this little incident will only bring Equestria one step closer to war.” “Not much we can do about that, Rares.” “I suppose it isn’t our job, no.” She winced. "Your hooves still bothering you?" Rainbow asked. "Yes, quite," Rarity said. "And we have so much ground to cover!" She eyed the spot next to Acute on Rainbow's back. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to—" Rainbow shook her head. "Nope! Waaay too heavy." Rarity was aghast. "Rainbow, you are calling me fat!" "Maybe just a little,” Rainbow said, grinning. “Wanna start training together?" "Maybe a little... moderate exercise couldn't hurt..." "That's the spirit!" They continued on, under the brightening sky, leaving the Baron Von Baron's manor behind them.
