Zipp Storm Investigates!-The Mystery of the Missing Butter

Hitch's office at the station was normally the image of neatness and tidy information. Today, however, it was not the image of neatness and tidy information.

Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact.

Hitch had moved several boards into the centre of the main room and had stuck lots of pictures onto them, arranged roughly in the street layout of Maretime Bay. Between the various images he had connected large quantities of red tape, which seemed to be trying to connect the different incidents together.

Zipp peered at it in surprise. "You sure are good at this," she said.

"Well, I trained under the best in the Force, and I do have a number of useful qualifications in the field," Hitch replied. "I presume you used the same method too?"

Zipp nodded. "Yeah. I used to sometimes find mysteries that needed solving around the palace, and often set up evidence boards like this to try and figure out how they were connected."

"The palace must have had a lot going on for there to be so many mysteries."

Zipp shrugged. "Turned out that mom was setting them up to give me something to do. I know we've had our disagreements, but I really do owe a lot to her. Even if being reminded that I'm the Crown Princess ad nauseam gets old after a while."

Hitch nodded as he finished adding some new string. "Well, if it ever helps, you can pop down here to help with cases if you need a detox from palace life."

"Thanks, Hitch."

Hitch backed up from the board. "OK then. That's some more evidence in place. Let's get down to business."

"To defeat the Huns?"

"Zipp, I'm not really sure fourth wall humour is appropriate right now." Hitch stepped back again to where Zipp was. "OK. Here's what we know so far. Three stores have been broken into, all at night. And all three cases have something in common- only peanut butter was taken. That's an oddly specific item to steal."

Zipp thought for a moment. "It could be a stunt to try and stir up tensions again. The upcoming Festival will see members from all three pony kinds attending, and if something bad were to happen earth ponies may try and pin it on either unicorns or pegasi. But who would try to do that?"

Hitch glanced over to the desk where his (long since fired) deputy used to sit. "I know I've got the samples out at the forensics lab, but there's just a nagging feeling in my gut. Sheriff's gut, so to speak."

"Do sheriff's normally rely on their digestive system for this sort of thing?" Zipp asked.

"Figure of speech, Zipp. I just have a suspicion that somepony, and I think you know who, might be behind all of this. He might be able to hide behind his family for now, but eventually the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice. You're dismissed for now, Zipp. Me and Sprout are going to have a little talk."

That evening, Zipp arrived at the Mareiott and showed her reservation.

The receptionist typed it into the system. "Zephyrina Storm?" she asked.

Zipp nodded. "Yes, that's me. Here's some ID as requested." Looks like my attempt to get the info changed to my preferred name didn't work, she thought to herself.

After some more clicking, the display updated once again, and the receptionist handed over a keycard. "Here you go, Your Royal Highness. Enjoy your stay in Maretime Bay."

Zipp smiled. "Thanks." Sure enough, she headed off down the corridor and to the elevator. After stepping in, the elevator began to rattle upwards until it reached the floor that Zipp had selected.

She stepped out of the door and trotted along the corridor before finding her room and pressing the keycard to the lock. With a quick buzz, the door opened, and Zipp was inside.

After ensuring all the things in the room were in order, Zipp popped down the corridor to Sunny's room and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" called a familiar voice. Moments later, Sunny opened it, her green eyes reflected in the mirror on the back of the door. "Hey Zipp! How's the investigation going?"

"No leads so far," Zipp replied. "This is frustrating. Can I discuss it with you?"

Sunny quickly glanced at the clock in the room. "Given it's almost dinner, I was going to suggest we discuss it over some food. Food for thought and for the stomach, eh? Besides, the food here is really nice."

Zipp nodded. "Sounds good to me. Lead the way, Sunny."

"I'll just grab my things and we'll be on our way."

A little while later, Zipp and Sunny were eating. Zipp had decided to try the seafood- seafood was a delicacy in Zephyr Heights as it had to be hauled all the way from the sea by airship, but given Maretime Bay sat next to the sea it made sense seafood was plentiful.

"So, Hitch thinks Sprout did it," Sunny mused. "Sorry, but I'm not so sold on that. He's in enough trouble as it is, given he already has a vandalism charge against him."

"All a clever ploy by you to bring down my family."

Sunny looked over. "Hello, Sprout, so lovely to see you," she said, in a tone of voice which indicated the exact opposite sentiment.

"Thanks to you, my inheritence is being wasted on building a lighthouse- when we have no ships. I mean, what's the point?"

"Well, you did destroy a historic landmark. It's only natural the town would try to rebuild it," Zipp countered.

"Don't get involved, featherbrain. I think I know what really happened. You put explosives in your house and blew it up to make it look like my machine did it!"

"How do you explain the lack of explosions?"

"That's easy, thermite. You set this all up to humiliate me- all because you're jealous of me."

Sunny rolled her eyes. "Why would I be jealous of a clown like you?"

"This way, sir," said a voice. And with that, Sprout was dragged away.

When Zipp and Sunny arrived in the lobby the next morning, the space was a scene of pandemonium.

"WE'RE DOOMED! DOOMED!" shouted a voice, and a stallion ran into a closet.

"MARETIME BAY HAS A CRIME WAVE!" shouted somepony else.

"Where is my peanut butter sandwich?" asked somepony other.

"Where's my jars of peanut butter?" asked a second.

An older stallion with a beard peered around, squinting. "Where are my glasses?" He then reached up. "Oh. On my head."

"What is going on?" Zipp asked. Then her eyes were drawn to the TV screen, which was playing a news report.

PEANUT BUTTER THEIF STRIKES AGAIN! ran the headline.

"I don't think you spell thief that way," Zipp noted.

"This news station frequently has typos in the headline banner," Sunny explained. "They're often in a rush to get the news out before any other station."

A stallion sat behind a desk. "Breaking news: Maretime Bay is seemingly on the verge of a new crime wave after a series of unexplained thefts. I am Justin Thyme, and joining me from Maretime Bay is Ana B. Ceeswater. Ana, what's the news?"

The camera abruptly cut to a reporter in the streets of Maretime Bay. "Thank you, Justin. Maretime Bay has been hit by a series of bizarre robberies this last week. Grocery and convenience stores have been broken into throughout the town, and the only things that have been taken are peanut butter- nothing else, just that."

"Do you think we are looking at the start of a gang stealing this stuff?"

"Not clear as of yet. Sheriff Hitch of the MBPD is yet to issue a statement and has declined our requests for an interview. In the meantime, though, this shocking image has appeared."

A very blurry photo then appeared on the screen. What was interesting, however, was there was a subject clearly standing inside a building.

A figure who had wings.

This caused another wave of hysteria from the crowd. "A PEGASUS IS DOING IT!" somepony cried, before running into a lamp and falling over.

"I KNEW WE COULDN'T TRUST THEM!" said somepony else.

Zipp shook her head. "This is ridiculous."

"This sort of hysteria was par for the course for the town back in the day," Sunny replied. "We'd best be getting down to the crime scene."

The duo soon left the Mareiott and stepped outside, soon realising the situation outside was little different to inside. Ponies were moving in fear, some hiding in buildings and others hiding behind bins and similar.

As they trotted along, Sunny went over the clues. "Peanut butter, convenience stores, wings... that would suggest a pegasus. But I don't know any pegasi who have moved here yet."

Zipp thought to herself. "Who in the world could be behind all of this? What does stealing this stuff achieve?"

"Well, whoeverpony it is, I hope it's not a penguin."