Sherlock Sparkle: Pretty in Red

>Red Lips is a model, a very famous model.
>She is tall and lithe, and she spent years getting that way. She takes utmost care of her pink mane and her cream-colored coat, and she never goes anywhere without her jeweled ear rings and makeup.
>Her mother always told her, 'What you don't have, take, and if you can't have something, find somep0ny who can.'
>Red took this advice to heart in her everyday life, and it got her where she is today. She's famous on the streets of Las Pegasus, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
>So famous, in fact, that she makes a habit out of traveling the streets at night, as opposed to in the day time.
>So famous that she chooses to go by taxi instead of walking or hiring a personal carriage.
>At the moment, she is in one such taxi, staring out the window of the carriage. Despite the city being quite crowded, all she can hear is the clopping of her driver's hooves on the stone street.
>"Been here long Ma'am?"
>It takes her a few seconds to realize the driver just spoke to her.
>He's still walking, but he's turned towards her now, a smile on his face as he looks at her through the front window of the carriage, "I recognize you from all the magazine covers. Heard you were coming to Las Pegasus. I didn't expect to get you as a taxi fair, though."
>Red returns the smile, and looks him up and down. He's quite handsome for a middle class stallion.
>"I like to travel by taxi," she says, "It's less bothersome."
>The cabbie laughs, "Yeah, can't blame you there. I've read the articles, paparazzi always on your flank. My name is Tugger by the way."
>She can't help but laugh, "That's a um... rather fitting name considering your position."
>"Whole family is taxi drivers."
>"My mother was a model. I don't know about my grandmother though." She leans forward a bit to get a good look at his cutie mark.
>It's a wheel.
>Despite the first impression that she always gives off, Red is a very polite mare. She simply knows how to get what she wants, and who can blame her when she's lived in the big city all her life?
>Every once in a while, she'll meet a nice stallion like this, and she'll give him a wide smile. "What time do you get off shift?"
------
>You are Twilight Sparkle, and you are bored.
>Your little mental issue is starting to get on your nerves again. It's hard to study when you already know everything you're supposed to be studying at the moment.
>Not only is there nothing to read, but there's nothing to examine.
>You're currently pacing back and forth in your library's main room, and you've been doing so for an hour now.
>You can already see the hoof marks forming in the wood.
>"Twilight, are you okay."
>Spike, always the sweetheart, worrying over your health.
>Normally you'd deny that anything is wrong, but you feel like you need someone to talk to right now, and Spike is the best candidate.
>You stop pacing and turn to him, taking a deep breath.
"I wish I could say yes Spike."
>How long has it been since the murder at the hotel?
>A week?
>Maybe a bit more.
>You haven't been paying much attention to time lately, yet you are also aware of every agonizing second as it passes.
"I've been having trouble concentrating."
>"Is it about what happened in Manehatten?"
>It's times like this that make you remember Spike is young, but not ignorant.
"Sort of. That's part of the problem."
>You walk to Spike and sit on your haunches next to him, patting his head with your hoof.
"I've just been having trouble thinking straight, but I don't want you to worry about me too much, okay Spike?"
>The dragon smiles and nods.
>"TWILIGHT!"
>The door to your library is pretty much blasted off its hinges when Pinkie comes barreling in, "Twilight! It's horrible, it's catastrophic! It's Horristrophic!"
>You pull away from Spike and move to comfort your hyper friend. She looks like she's about ready to explode, and you're pretty sure you don't want that when you just organized all your books for the twentieth time this week.
"Pinkie, what's wrong? Slow down!"
>"There's been a m... a m... a not happy thing!"
"Pinkie, please. Just calm down and tell me what's happened."
>"We were baking a cake, and I went out to get sugar for Mrs. Cake because we were running low and when I was at the market there were a bunch of guards there and they said they were looking for you Twilight because they needed your help with..."
"A case!"
>"Yes!" Pinkie shouts. She tilts her head in confusion, "How did you know?"
>You bring a hoof to your chin.
"This... this is good. Stagnation is NOT good. I need this."
>You feel a claw gently tap your back hoof, "Uh, Twilight?"
"Pinkie, do you know what this means?"
>"Oh OH! I'm good at guessing games! Does this mean we get to eat cotton candy?!"
>You grin, and wrap your pink friend in a tight hug.
"It means I won't be bored!"
>"YAY!"
>You pull away, still smiling.
"Okay, let's go talk with the guard."
>A knock sounds at your door, and you sigh.
"Never mind, looks like they came here."
>You open the door from a distance with your magic, and sure enough, three armoured guards step inside the library.
>The leading one in the group, a unicorn and apparently the officer, speaks up first, "Are you Twilight Sparkle?"
"Yes."
>"We are here on behalf of Princess Celestia. There's been a murder in the Shimmering Suites in Canterlot. You are to take the next train out. It departs the station in half an hour. We have procured a ticket for you and your partner."
>Well, that's generous of them.
>You turn to your assistant.
"Spike, will you be okay watching the library agin for a few days?"
>He gives you a mock salute, an expression of determination present on his face, "Don't you worry about a thing Twilight. I've got the checklists for the books and everything."
"Great. You're my number one assistant for a reason."
>The officer shuffles around a bit, and his horn starts to glow. Two tickets snake thier way from his uniform to you. You surround them with a magic aura just as he releases his.
"Well, I suppose this is our first case then."
--------
>The train station is packed, to say the least. Ponies are everywhere, and it's hard to snake your way through the crowd without bumping into someone.
>It's hard to imagine a platform built outside getting this crowded, but apparently today is a popular day to travel. You don't bother with the ticket booth, seeing as you're already in possesion of those.
>Being with Pinkie isn't helping the crowded aspect, either.
>"Twilight, can we stop and get candy for the trip?!"
>You sigh and shake your head.
"There will be services on the train, there's no need to."
>Pinkie pouts and scuffs the ground with her hoof.
>She's so adorable it's infuriating sometimes.
>"Twi?"
>You pull your gaze away from the pouting party mare to the voice that just called your name. Applejack stands in front of you, a saddlebag on her back and a smile on her face, "Twi, I didn't expect to see ya here."
>You smile right back.
"Same to you Applejack. Pinkie and I were just about to get on the train to Canterlot. There's a case that I've been called to."
>"Oh, that's the fancy cons... consultant thing? I was wonderin' when you'd get called to do that. I was 'bout to do the same. I'm headin' to Canterlot to sell some bulk that we got from the orchard. I've already got all the cargo on the train."
>That explains why the train station is crowded; it's around the time of year when traders from the country go in droves to the city, hoping to get extra money for their work.
"It'll be good to have another friend along, right Pinkie?"
>Pinkie, seemingly over her small fit, grins at Applejack, "You bet!"
>Before the three of you can talk further, the doors to the train open, and every pony in the vicinity clamors to get on like it's the end of the world.
>So desperate to get where they need to be.
>To any one pony, their life is more important than another's.
>Not in the sense that they were selfish, but one has a habit of worrying about one's life and ignoring things that fail to effect it.
>The three of you make it onto a a car near the middle of the long train with little trouble.
>The seats are split into small cubicles, each cubicle containing four seats. When the three of you go to sit down there is an earth pony there, a stallion with a light brown coat and a dark brown mane.
>His cutie mark appears to be... a small dirt road.
>Pinkie Pie sits across from him, and you sit next to her, leaving Applejack to be his neighbor.
>As the train is about to leave the station, the stranger looks to you, "You're Twilight Sparkle, aren't you?"
>You clear your throat and give a sheepish smile.
"Um... yes. Do I know you?"
>He laughs and shakes his head, "No, no you don't. The name is Dusty. I read about that murder you solved in the papers. Riveting stuff."
"Really? It was just mostly on a hunch."
>Applejack grins at you, "That's not what I heard, Sugarcube. S'far as I was reading you put on a bit of a show."
>You blush.
"Well, I don't know about that."
>Dusty leans back and laughs, "So, do you know anything about the culprit that they arrested?"
"No, nothing. I've never even met her. Her name is Shining Violet, right?"
>Dusty nods, "Yep. Turns out she was a model, just like the paper said you predicted."
>If your friends aren't careful all this praise and attention is going to start getting to your head. You smile anyways, and hear Pinkie giggle, "Looks like Twilight has a new favorite hobby~."
------
>Canterlot has always amazed you, even though you grew up here. The wide streets, the tall and glamorous buildings, and the palace itself never cease to look astounding.
>It almost seems like every time you come here you're too busy to really take in the city like you'd want to.
>You step from the train with Pinkie and Applejack.
>It's around noon, so the trip had only taken a few hours.
>If you thought the small train station in Ponyville was busy, this is absolutely ridiculous. The station is a medium sized building supported with large white pillars. Including where your train pulled in, there are five other docks for incoming trains.
>Every inch of the place seems to be packed to the brim with other ponies.
>"Well," says Applejack, "I s'pose I'll get going then. I'll try and drop by if I get this stuff sold early, but if not I guess I'll see ya'll back at Ponyville."
>You smile and nod.
"Bye Applejack."
>"Bye Applejack!"
>You turn back to Pinkie, who seems about ready to start bouncing around on the walls.
>Hardly a surprise.
>"So where should we go first? I think we should check out some of the bakeries, but Mrs. Cake always says there's some GREAT restaurants with super yummy deserts here! I really wanna see Canterlot. Last time we came we had to deal with that big ol' meanie king, and the time before that I was too busy party prepping for the wedding to go see anything. OH, do you think there's a place that specializes in wedding cakes?!"
>You sigh and shake your head.
"Pinkie, we're here to solve a murder."
>"But that doesn't mean we can't have fun while we're doing it!"
>This mare...
"Alright, tell you what, since there's not a time stamp on these tickets we'll go sight seeing after we solve the case."
>"YAY! You're the best detective EVER!"
"I've only solved one case."
>"And you're gonna solve this one too!"
>Despite her... overly enthusiastic attitude, you're thankful for Pinkie's company. She's always been the most confusing out of all your friends, but it's hard not to appreciate what she does.
"We should head to the Shimmering Suites. I'm pretty sure the guards will be waiting for us."
>"Do you think we'll get a free breakfast at the hotel?"
>You sigh.
-----
>The Shimmering Suites are the place to stay if you're an upper class citizen passing through Canterlot.
>A hotel that usually had few rooms available, and all are the best one can afford, even in a city like this. The building itself is a tall one, and adorned with frivolous decorations and pretty objects, much like the rest of the buildings in the city.
>What really stands out, though, is the sign above the door. 'Shimmering Suites' is written elegantly in bright pink letters, and the lobby the door leads too almost looks golden. The giant chandelier hanging overhead seems to be there more as an intimidation to a lower class than a decoration.
>As you and Pinkie step past the threshold, you're greeted by the sight of a group of guards conversing with a pony manning the front desk. There's five of them, and the pony behind the desk doesn't look too happy with this situation.
>"I'm telling you!" he shouts, "I didn't see anyp0ny go upstairs or come down all day. I saw Ms. Lips and her guest arrive, but no one bothered them."
>The two of you make your way to the counter, and the guards all turn to you at once.
>A lump forms in your throat.
"Um... hello. I'm uh... Twilight Sparkle. I'm here to help."
>There is a dreadfully long moment of silence after you say this.
>Finally, one of the five guards steps towards you and smiles, "Twilight Sparkle. I'm Iron Lance. My team and I have been expecting you. Who is this young mare?"
>"I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm helping Twilight out. I wouldn't worry one bit if I were you. Inspector Pie is on the case!"
>You grin sheepishly.
"She... insisted on coming along, and she has experience as a doctor."
>The guard eyes Pinkie skeptically, "Well, if you're the one vouching for her, I can hardly turn down her help. If you'd please follow me to the room where the murder took place. Corporal, continue with taking the statement," he says, nodding to one of his guards.
>The guard leads you to the right of the lobby desk, where a set of spiraling stairs ascends for three floors.
>He takes you to the second.
>The hallways with the rooms seem almost endless to you, and it's a long walk for you to reach the room that the murder took place in.
>235.
>You mentally note the room number.
>"The body was found this morning. The victim, Red Lips, checked in late last night with a taxi driver just getting off shift. This morning, the driver came downstairs and told the front desk to call the guard. Ms. Lips was declared dead on arrival. She seems to have been poisoned while drinking, and we've arrested the driver pending further investigation. Princess Celestia said to give you free reign over the crime scene. I'll be waiting down in the lobby with my team. Let me know if you find anything."
>You nod in confirmation, and the guard leaves you to do your work.
"Pinkie, do you mind looking at the uh... body while I check the scene."
>Pinkie gives you a mock salute, "You got it Twilight!"
>When you walk into the room, you don't expect it to look so... peaceful. The victim was poisoned, so there's not really any sign of a struggle.
>The room itself has a simple, but luxurious layout. There is a large living space where the bed is, along with a sofa that looks like the most comfortable piece of furniture you've ever seen. In the rear of the room is a door leading to the bathroom, and a little to the right of that is what appears to be a walk-in closet.
>The bed is large and comfortable looking, just like the couch. The blankets are slightly ruffled, and Red Lips is laying there... lifeless. Her eyes are closed, and if you didn't know any better you would think she's sleeping.
>The large living space extends into a kitchen with all the necessities to the left. On the counter by the stove there are two wine glasses and a bottle.
>Pinkie walks towards the bed, her smile gone and her lips thinly pursed.
>You make your way to the kitchen and examine the wine glasses. they're both empty, and the wine bottle looks like it is, as well.
>On one of the glasses, there are marks left on the brim from lipstick.
>Important, very important.
>You turn towards the rest of the kitchen and send a jolt of magic through it, causing all the cupboards to open at once.
>It takes you less than a minute to see what you need to see. The cupboards are all empty, save one, the alcohol reserves by the refridgerator that the hotel leaves for its guests.
>The reserves are not disturbed, save for the wine bottle on the counter.
>Perhaps...
>"Twilight, come look at this!"
>You file that train of thought away for later, and walk to the bed, where Pinkie is staring intently at Red Lips. You take position next to her.
"What did you find?"
>"Her ears," she says, pointing with a hoof.
>You lean in closely, trying to get a better look.
>It appears her ears are pierced; one hole on each ear.
>"Something stinks here," says Pinkie, "And it's not my baking."
>Pinkie is right, you scan the room once more.
>Next to the head of the bed is a small mantle with a lamp and a drawer. You open the drawer with your magic...
>Nothing.
>If she took off her ear rings, she should be keeping them somewhere near the bed.
>Unless they were taken.
"Odd."
>Pinkie nods enthusiastically, "Mm hm, mm hm!"
"Something else is off about this."
>You move to examine the body once more.
"I'm surprised they haven't taken her in for autopsy yet."
>You lean in close again, but this time you're not looking at her ears, you're looking at her muzzle.
>No lipstick.
"Pinkie?"
>"What's up? Did I do good?!"
>You give her a warm smile.
"You did amazing, let's go talk to the guard."
>"Oooo! Do you know who did it?"
"Not yet, but I know how it was done, and with some hoofwork the rest will fall into place."
>"This is so exciting!"
>Both of you exit the room and return downstairs, where it seems the guards are still busy arguing with the lobby pony.
>They're not the only ones there, though.
>As you approach the group you see another pony, with a dark moustache. His cutie mark looks like a fanciful building, "I'll have you know," he says, "That Shimmering Suites is the finest establishment in Canterlot, and I can assure you that none of our staff had anything to do with this travesty."
>The pony behind the lobby counter sighs and shakes his head, "I've tried to tell them, but they just won't listen." Now that you get a good look at him, he seems like a rather skinny fellow. His mane looks a bit haggard, and he looks like he's been awake for days with those bags under his eyes.
>His cutie mark is a piece of paper.
>Not everyp0ny can have a talent that leads to glory, sadly.
"I understand that," says Iron, "But what you have to realize is that we have to approach all avenues of... oh, Twilight. How did the crime scene look to you?"
>You smile.
"Like a... crime scene."
>Pinkie lets out a giggle snort, "You're funny Twilight!"
>You blush, clearing your throat and trying to ignore the flat stare Iron is giving you.
"I actually wanted to talk to you about something, Captain."
>"And what is that?"
"Pinkie and I were examining the body, and it appears that Ms. Lips had her ears pierced. We checked the mantel, but her ear rings were nowhere to be found."
>"Ah, yes. I'm afraid before you arrived our investigators already combed the scene. We had to start packing things up for evidence, but we knew you were coming, so on the first trip we left the important bits behind."
"Like the wine glasses."
>"Precisely. We knew you'd want to examine them. We simply took what we had already examined, like the jewelry in her possession, and the clothing in the closet."
>You take a deep breath.
"Captain, with all due respect, evidence is evidence. You should have waited for my arrival before wrapping it up. I'd like to examine those ear rings, if possible."
>"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that Ms. Sparkle."
"Excuse me?"
>"It's illegal for anyone but the guard to examine evidence that has been filed. The most a consultant can do is go through the crime scene. I'm sorry."
>Pinkie steps forward, a frown on her face, "But... but that's not FAIR! This evidence could be really important!"
>"I'm sorry, both of you."
>Obstruction.
>That's the word.
>Obstruction prevents you from doing your job.
>Granted, you're new to this, but that doesn't mean they should just ignore your opinion.
"Very well. Perhaps we can come to an agreement."
>Iron Lance raises an eyebrow, "Go on."
"You let me talk to the staff of the hotel... and the suspect."
>"Done. The suspect is being held in a free room on the first floor until he can be picked up by the guard. One of my men will escort you there when you're ready."
"While we're at it, I want Pinkie to help preform the autopsy on the victim."
>Pinkie's jaw drops. After a moment of silence Iron nods.
>"Twilight, I've never done one of those before. I mean, the worst I've dealt with are some broken bones, or a skinned knee, or a super bad sugar rush!"
"Excuse us for a moment, Captain."
>You grab Pinkie and pull her to the side, leaning in to whisper in her ear.
"Pinkie, listen to me, what do you think they're going to find at that autopsy?"
>"Uh... sciencey stuff?"
"That her ears are pierced. What do you think will be there so they can examine it?"
>Pinkie stares at you blankly. Then, after a few seconds her eyes widen in realization, "Oh... OOOOHH!"
"Exactly."
>"You can count on me, Twilight."
>The both of you turn back to face the guard. Pinkie beams, "I'll be going with you Mr. Captain Sir!"
>You almost feel sorry for him as he hauls Pinkie, and a few of his guards, with him out of the hotel.
>Poor bastard has no idea who he just agreed to cart around.
>Now it's just you, the two remaining guards, what appears to be the manager, and the lobby pony. The lobby pony hasn't left his post the entire time, standing behind the welcome desk while he's being drilled about a murder.
>You have to respect dedication like that.
>The manager looks stuck up, to say the least. As much as you love Canterlot, a lot of the ponies' personalities in this place leave something to be desired, and it appears he's on that list.
>You decide to approach him first, if only to get it over with.
"Excuse me sir. My name is Twilight Sparkle."
>"Ah, you must be the Princess' prized student, yes? You and your friends are particularly famous around these parts. If you'd like I could give you a discount on a stay here next time you drop in."
"That would be nice, but I'm here as a consultant for the guard."
>"You mean you're a freelance investigator?"
"That's... one way to put it."
>"My, the things people will do to earn bits these days."
"I'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."
>"I don't see how I can tell you anything I haven't told the guards already. None of our staff were involved, and the fact that they're going around questioning all of us is starting to get a bit ridiculous."
"I see. You didn't hear or see anything strange this morning when the murder happened?"
>"Not a thing, and I can prove I was down here the entire time. Also, the boy behind the counter there... it was his day off yesterday. He was visiting family at the time, and he just returned this morning. He knows more than I, but not much more. Go easy on the lad, will you?"
>You nod, and the manager takes his leave, mumbling something under his breath about ungrateful guests committing heinous acts.
>Well, that was sure helpful.
>You make your way to the welcome desk and give a smile to the pony behind it.
"Hello, um..."
>"Tilt."
"Tilt."
>Strange name.
"I know the guards have already asked you this, but are you absolutely sure you didn't witness anything strange this morning?"
>"Yes, I told them time and time again but they just keep asking me questions. I didn't see anyone go upstairs." He sighs and shakes his head, nervously scuffing the ground with his hoof, "I just want to come in and do my job. I didn't ask for any of this."
>You can understand why the guards are so adamant about questioning the staff here. None of them really have an alibi, and they were all within range when the murder happened.
>Then logically, it falls on the driver to be the murderer, since he was the closest, and had the most opportunity to do the deed.
"You didn't check them in then?"
>"No." He looks to the side and takes a deep breath, shifting weight from one side to the other.
>He obviously fidgets a lot. Before, when the guards were talking to him, he showed none of these signs, but now he's moving around and trying not to keep eye contact with you.
"Are you okay?"
>"Y...yeah. I just get uh... nervous around cute girls... I mean... dammit, I didn't..."
"Tilt, it's okay. Thank you for the help. I'm going to go talk to the suspect now."
>This entire affair seems a lot more complicated than the first case you put together.
>Granted, on the surface it seems simple, but there's something that doesn't sit right with you, and you're hoping that the driver can answer a few questions that are nagging at you.
>You turn to the guard.
"I'd like to see the suspect now."
>One of them nods firmly, and leads you to the left of the desk and down a hallway just like the one on the second floor.
----
>You are Pinkie Pie.
>And oh my gosh you are so nervous right now!
>You've never done an autopsy before, or anything that has to do with cutting anyp0ny open.
>Just the thought of it turns your stomach.
>You have to do it, though. You told Twilight you would, and breaking a promise is the fastest way to lose a friend... forever.
>After telling some of the guards posted to deliver the body to the hospital's morgue Iron Lance led you through the streets of Canterlot.
>You ended up arriving at the hospital before the body.
>Iron says he'll come and retrieve you when they're ready.
>While waiting, you sit in the lobby and blow raspberries at a little foal sitting across from you. Eventually the mother takes the giggling child away, giving you a death glare.
>What a party pooper.
>After minutes that seem like an eternity in your mind Iron finally emerges from the wide hallway leading deeper into the hospital.
>He gives you a firm nod and you follow him through the labyrinth of a hospital. The hospital back at Ponyville is a lot smaller and a lot easier to navigate.
>He leads you down some stairs to a much more dark and sombre hallway. A few more seconds of walking and you both come upon a room to the right. There is a sign next to it...
>'Morgue'.
>You feel a shiver go down your spine.
>These poor ponies would never be able to talk with their loved ones again, or have another surprise party.
>Iron opens the door, and after a moment of hesitation you enter.
>"It's alright," he says, "Judging from the evidence, we won't have to cut her open. I know Sparkle's not stupid. She wants a look at those ear rings, and I'm willing to show her."
>You give a meek nod.
>At least there's that.
>The room is lined with metal cabinets, paper labels stuck to the end of them with names and numbers. In the center is a metal table with what you presume to be Red Lips laying on top of it, covered in a black tarp.
>Next to the table is a caramel stallion in a lab coat. He gives you both a firm nod, "Captain. Who's the pretty girl?"
>Flatterer.
>Iron opens his mouth to answer...
"I'm Pinkie Pie!"
>And then promptly closes it.
>The doctor shakes his head and smiles, "My name is Dr. Gray. I presume you're here to examine the body and get my results from the autopsy."
>Iron nods, "Should have figured you would jump the gun. What'd you find?"
>"Well," Gray moves forward and brings a hoof to the blanket covering the body. He pulls it back, and you frown as he continues, "Not much. I'm not cutting her open without permission from the family, but they're... difficult to find."
>"Why?"
>"Her mother is a retired model that lives off the grid, and she has no next of kin. If it comes down to it we'll do it anyways, but I want to make sure."
>Iron sighs, "Some autopsy this is turning out to be."
>"I did examine the body, though. There are trace amounts of a cleaning agent on her muzzle. Perhaps to hide what she was poisoned with."
>For some reason that doesn't sound right to you. You'll have to talk with Twilight about it later.
"What about her ears?"
>"Well, yes," says Gray, "Her ears are pierced, but I don't see how that's..."
>You frown, and that's enough to stop him in his tracks.
"My friend Twilight says it's important, so it's gotta be important!"
>"Okay, okay. They were delivered from the station with the body for the autopsy. I'll go get them." Gray exits the room, shaking his head the whole way.
>Iron turns to you and raises an eyebrow, "You're really pushy, you know that?"
>You stick your tongue out at him.
>After a few minutes of waiting the doctor returns with a small plastic bag in his teeth. He sets it by Red Lips, and you move forward to look at it.
>Inside are two clip on ear rings, golden in color with a small diamond. Two small needles protrude from the attaching point.
"Hmmm. OH!"
>This is good. This is very good.
"Mr. Doctor Sir!"
>"Yes?"
"Look at the ear rings."
>He walks next to you and leans in with a frown on his face, "What about them?"
>Your face splits into a grin, "You can't pin two tails on a donkey!~"
>Your sing song voice causes the doctor's eyes to widen, "By George she's right!"
---------
>You are Twilight Sparkle, and you are standing outside the door of the room that the suspect of this murder is being held in.
>The guard who escorted you here steps forward and opens the door.
>There he is, laying stomach flat on the bed.
>He looks up as you enter, his eyes widening.
"Hello. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm here to talk to you about the... about the murder."
>"Tugger."
"Nice to meet you."
>You step into the room and make your way to the foot of the bed, sitting on your haunches.
"I need to clarify some things before I wrap this up, and your testimony is going to be a part of that."
>He scoffs, "I already know I'm getting locked up. Nothing I can do about it now."
>You smile.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Tugger. In fact, I believe I'm onto something."
>"Oh? And what's that?"
"Why don't we start with the questions? I like to be sure I'm right before jumping to... unfortunate conclusions."
>"Fine. Shoot."
"How did you know the victim?"
>His face goes red, "I uh... I met her when she hopped in my cab. I gave her a ride to the theatre, and when I got off shift I picked her up and we came to the hotel."
>Ah.
"So she wanted to..."
>He nods.
"I see."
>"When I woke up, she was dead, and I smelled something weird... head felt funny, too."
"How funny?"
>"Like I was dizzy. Took a few minutes before it wore off and I was able to walk straight. I went down to the front desk and let the boy at the counter know she was... uh... she was dead."
>Important. Very important.
"Thank you for the help, sir."
>"I don't see how that helps. The guards sure didn't believe me."
>You grin.
"That doesn't matter. What you should be concerned about is whether or not I believe you, and it's your lucky day. One more thing before I go, did anything strange happen when you checked in?'
>He frowns, "Nothing I can really remember. The pony at the desk seemed quite taken with her. He was all nervous, and fidgeting about. I remember him asking for her autograph or something, and she told him no."
>You nod and turn to the guard.
"Can you do me a favor and gather everyp0ny in the lobby?"
-------
>The lobby is uncomfortably quiet now. As you had asked of him, the guard gathered everyone here: The manager, Tilt, and Tugger. All the guards are there as well, save for one posted in front of the crime scene to make sure no one goes inside.
>It's already been about ten minutes.
>"Excuse me," says the manager, "But what precisely are we waiting on, again?"
"We're waiting on..."
>"TWILIIIIIIGHT!"
"... that."
>Like a storm tearing apart a city, Pinkie runs into the hotel lobby, Captain Iron Lance barely keeping up with her and looking like he's on the verge of fainting purely out of exhaustion.
>Pinkie stops dead in front of you, her nose inches from yours, and her chest heaving in an effort to regain air, "TwilightohmygoshIfoundoutwhat'swrongwiththewholethingandIknowwhyyousentmetolookattheearrings!"
>You hold up a hoof.
"Calm down, Pinkie. Take a breath."
>"What in Tartarus is happening?" asked Iron, trotting over and taking a deep breath to recover.
"Pinkie, what did you find?"
>Pinkie takes a few deep breath and shakes her head violently, as if to lock her brain back in place, "The ear rings that they found in the room didn't belong to Red Lips at all! They were planted by the big meanie that killed her! The ear rings they found had two thingies, and her ears only had one hole each!"
>The lobby's dead silence returns.
>The manager fidgets, "Wh... what do you mean?"
>It's time to close this case once and for all.
"When I went through the crime scene with Pinkie something kept bothering me all that time. Captain Lance told me that she had been poisoned, and there was strong evidence to suggest that the murderer had done the deed through the wine left on the table. However, there was something wrong with this theory. If the murderer had indeed poisoned her with the wine, then he had waited until the last drink, or nearly the last drink, to do so. The bottle was clearly empty. Normally a killer doesn't wait when they're using poison; it would be clever, yes, but I don't see Tugger being capable of something like that."
>"That doesn't mean he didn't do it, though," says the manager.
"I was just getting to that, if you'd let me. Furthermore, while examining the body, I noticed something else."
>"What was that?" asks Iron.
"That she had no lipstick. Captain, let me ask you something, did you find a cloth with lipstick residue on it?"
>"No."
"Tugger, did you both erm... go directly to bed after the wine?"
>Tugger nods.
"Very well. I can only reason then, that the lipticks had been wiped off, or accidently removed by some other means when the murder happened. Pinkie, what did you find when you went to speak with the doctor?"
>"Her face was clean!"
>You frown.
"Well, yes, but why was it clean?"
>"Because it was wiped off."
>That's better.
>Iron nods, "I remember Dr. Gray saying something about a cleaning agent."
"Yes, the killer was smart and deliberate, he wanted to hide what she had been poisoned with."
>You turn towards Tilt, and your eyes narrow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ceLdI5MZeA
"Tilt... why did you do it?"
>Tilt grits his teeth and shifts his weight, "I... I don't know what you're talking about."
"Was it because she rejected you when you asked for an autograph? Or... perhaps you asked for more than an autograph? I remember you telling me you get nervous around cute girls."
>"I didn't kill her!" he shouts.
"No matter how much you lie, Tilt, it doesn't make it the truth. I'm sorry."
>"You can't prove it!"
"I don't have to. You suffocated her with something, more than likely chloroform. There was no struggle because of the chemical, and you used it on Tugger to a lesser extent, so as not to kill him. It would have been a shame if he woke up while you were murdering his bed mate. After the deed was done you cleaned her face, and... perhaps out of pity for her, took her ear rings as a memento."
>Tilt's eyes are wide, and tears are freely falling from them. He falls to the ground and starts sobbing.
"I'm sure with a thourough search of your belongings and home, the guards would find Ms. Lip's missing ear rings, along with the chemicals if you haven't already disposed of them. You probably didn't have much time to do so considering you came back to work right afterwards."
>The manager turns to Tilt, a look of shock and horror on his face, "Tilt, you wouldn't. You couldn't..."
>"I'm... so... sorry..."
"Your story was the thing that made me sure you were the one, Tilt. You said you saw noone going upstairs after you came in for work, and I'm sure several staff saw the opposite. Customers check in late at night and early in the morning most of the time. Your nervousness was what gave you away, and a small lie made an assumption into a logical conclusion."
>Iron turns to you, "The Princess was right about you."
>You look at Tilt, drowning in his own sorrow, and a small frown etches your features.
"... I wish she wasn't."
>You feel a hoof wrap around your neck, and turn to see Pinkie giving you a warm smile.
>"It's okay Twilight," she says softly.
>You wrap her in a hug and take a deep breath.
>Murder is dirty business...
>You'd rather not be a part of it, but your passion for the investigation, for doing the right thing, is what will keep you going.
>The guards detain Tilt, and he starts screaming at the top of his lungs.
>It's not a sound that comes from a pony. It's a gutteral, primal sound of suffering and hatred. His screams echo from the walls of the lobby, and they shake you to your core.
>They are the screams of a damned soul, forever trapped in misery.
>Then, as the guards are hauling him out the lobby door, you pull away from Pinkie.
>You turn to him as he struggles to break free, and he looks you right in the eyes.
>"ANONYMOOOOOUS!"
>Then he is gone.
----------
>The restaurant you and Pinkie go to afterwards is bustling with activity.
>You're still feeling worse for the ware, but having Pinkie with you helps brighten the mood considerably. She sits across from you blabbing about some new dessert the Cakes are planning on inventing.
>You look up from you small salad and give your friend a soft smile.
"I'm glad you came Pinkie. The first time wasn't so bad, because I didn't see the pony who did it, but this..."
>Pinkie smiles at you, "Of course I came. I wouldn't let a friend of mine go out all by their lonesome to do scary stuff like solve murders."
"Thank you."
>A moment of silence passes.
"Before the guards took him away... he screamed a name, Anonymous."
>"Yepperoni. I heard it, too."
"I don't think he planned this murder. I think someone gave him the drive and the tools to do it. This is the second model in a week, they have to be connected somehow."
>"Well, whoever this Anonymous is, we're gonna find him and bust him! Then we'll throw a party to celebrate."
>You smile and take a deep breath.
"Yeah, I would like that."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLlt0cK4uA0