Case: The Leaked Turnabout

[Blueblood]

Well, Earth had to defer to Cole as far as trial procedure went.  That avenue of questioning was going nowhere.

 

Fortunately, the unicorn reporter wasn't the only investigator on the case.  Fire's line of questioning drew a reaction from Beck; there was definitely something to be found there, if one could only find the right key...

 

"Nothing, eh?  Then I suppose you wouldn't be able to shed any light on how these got here!"  With a flash of magic that really should have been accompanied by a musical sting, he pulled out the sheaf of records that Fire had dug up from the alley dumpster.  "Isn't it rather strange, though, that the financial records of a Manehattan patent office would be in a Ponyville dumpster?"

[SymphonicFire]

"Nice work!" Fire nodded as the reporter presented the evidence.

[DavidCortez]

'This pony does seem suspicious, but, he doesn't look like he would hurt somepony.'

"That is quite odd. Do you have an explanation, Mr. Deed?"

[LostSanity]

Well, Earth had to defer to Cole as far as trial procedure went.  That avenue of questioning was going nowhere.

 

Fortunately, the unicorn reporter wasn't the only investigator on the case.  Fire's line of questioning drew a reaction from Beck; there was definitely something to be found there, if one could only find the right key...

 

"Nothing, eh?  Then I suppose you wouldn't be able to shed any light on how these got here!"  With a flash of magic that really should have been accompanied by a musical sting, he pulled out the sheaf of records that Fire had dug up from the alley dumpster.  "Isn't it rather strange, though, that the financial records of a Manehattan patent office would be in a Ponyville dumpster?"

 

"Nice work!" Fire nodded as the reporter presented the evidence.

 

"That is quite odd. Do you have an explanation, Mr. Deed?"

 

"Well?" asked Cole.

 

All eyes were on Beck Deed.

 

His shaking increased more and more. Beck also seemed to become more tense.

 

Then...

 

"I'M SSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYY!!!" cried Beck as water began practically flowing from his eyes

 

Cole facehooved.

 

"Enough with the waterworks and explain yourself. NOW." demanded Cole.

 

This only seemed to make Beck's shaking worse.

 

"It's true!! It's all true!! I threw it all out because I was so angry at everything that happened. I wrote that letter too just like that other pony said!! It's just... he... he ruined my entire business!! I built that business from scratch!! And he... he... RUINED ALL OF IT!! I'm not the type of pony who gets angry, I'm really not!! You have to believe me... I just... I just... I couldn't take it anymore. So I... I... came into the alley and let loose. But... the only way I knew how to let loose was... to write my true feelings for what I thought about Clyde Riches on paper. Then... after I was done... I wanted to start over. Start my life over with a clean slate. You know? So I... got rid of everything that reminded me of Clyde Riches and what he did to me. That's why I... I... threw my financial information away. After I had blacked out, woke up, and was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Clyde. I... put it in the dumpster when no pony was looking. I... I might have hated... no... LOATHED Clyde but... I just... I couldn't do something like that. You... YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME. Please... please... please... please..." explained Beck.

 

Then... he froze up. It was like... time had stopped around him.

"Hey... you okay?" asked Cole. There was no response.

"Hey!!" yelled Cole. No response.

"HEY!!!!!!!!!!" shouted Cole as he ran towards Beck and waved his right hoof in front of Beck's eyes. Still no response or movement. Cole became tense instantly.

"HEY!! SOMEPONY GET THIS COLT TO A HOSPITAL!! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" shouted Cole.

A police pony quickly entered the crime scene, grabbed Beck, and quickly exited the crime scene as they started hurrying over to the Ponyville Hospital.

"Well... that's just great..." remarked Cole.

Then... a slow laughter began. Which slowly turned into... a maniacal laughter. It seemed to come from... Ben Bars?!

"Oh man. That's rich. That's just rich. He did our job for us!! Everything is wrapped up nice and neatly here!! And I'll put the final nail in the coffin!!" declared Ben.

Cole glared at Ben; this actually made Ben tense.

"Go ahead. If you're so confident... give them this 'final nail in the coffin' you speak of" suggested Cole.

Ben was still a little tense after Cole's glare, but, tried to shake it off.

"Gladly!!" replied Ben

"Then tell us. Tell us what happened" suggested Cole

 

--What Happened--

-   I was leading Clyde Riches to the Ponyville Detention Center, like I was supposed to be doing, as he was being transferred to be held there
-   All of a sudden, it was as if there was a strong gust of wind that blew behind me!
-   I turned around, only to see that Clyde Riches was gone!
-   I called for backup immediately. The backup arrived about ten minutes after I called for backup
-   It took ten more minutes before we found Clyde Riches
-   He was beaten severely, and, after finding decisive evidence, we arrested Beck Deed for the assault on Clyde Riches
-   He has the motive, and, is the only one who could have done it

"What? That's it?" asked Cole

"Of course!! He was faking that little 'scene' there. He's the only one who could have done it!!" declared Ben. Another slight evil smirk appeared on Cole's face.

"Is that so? I see..." remarked Cole, then, he looked backwards towards the investigators and attempted to whisper something to them.

"Listen to me very closely. There is something larger going on here. I could really use your help with it. I now realize I need all of the help I can get to resolve this once and for all. I'll tell you all about it later. But first, break this testimony. Keep one thing in mind... you all have already pointed it out already, but, I'll remind you once more. Beck is not in the physical condition to commit such a savage assault against Clyde Riches" whispered Cole

 

((Yay. Ben's being a jerk. This might be a little harder than the last one. But I really don't think it is. You already have the evidence to find the contradiction in this testimony as well. Good luck regardless though. I guess? ))

[Blueblood]

"Hm...?"  It was a little trick all the reporters knew.  Don't interrupt with questions, just let your interviewee keep talking.  Nod, make encouraging little noises, and keep your notebook open.  Most ponies just won't shut up under the circumstances, and will eventually say something that might really sink a ship.

 

As it was, Earth Writer didn't think that Ben had launched any verbal torpedos, but there was one or two things that didn't quite add up.  "20 minutes is more than enough time for a pony who knows what he's doing to beat a stallion and run away, if they're a professional.  And this was definitely a professional job.  I would call it near physically impossible for a pony like Beck,"  The reporter nodded over towards the stretcher, "To inflict the injuries seen on Clyde.  And what's more, Fire found more evidence in this alley than you showed us!"

 

He shook his head.  "I don't think you've hit your coffin nail on the head there, buddy."

[SymphonicFire]

Fire nodded in agreement. Earth Writer was doing a good job, but maybe he was making Ben Bars a suspect a little too soon? Putting some suspicion could show that we are on to him.

[LostSanity]

"Hm...?"  It was a little trick all the reporters knew.  Don't interrupt with questions, just let your interviewee keep talking.  Nod, make encouraging little noises, and keep your notebook open.  Most ponies just won't shut up under the circumstances, and will eventually say something that might really sink a ship.

 

As it was, Earth Writer didn't think that Ben had launched any verbal torpedos, but there was one or two things that didn't quite add up.  "20 minutes is more than enough time for a pony who knows what he's doing to beat a stallion and run away, if they're a professional.  And this was definitely a professional job.  I would call it near physically impossible for a pony like Beck,"  The reporter nodded over towards the stretcher, "To inflict the injuries seen on Clyde.  And what's more, Fire found more evidence in this alley than you showed us!"

 

He shook his head.  "I don't think you've hit your coffin nail on the head there, buddy."

 

Fire nodded in agreement. Earth Writer was doing a good job, but maybe he was making Ben Bars a suspect a little too soon? Putting some suspicion could show that we are on to him.

 

Earth Writer's logic was sound. That was a fact. However, Ben still didn't seem phased by it.

 

"Say whatever you want buddy, but until you show me some evidence to back up your claim, that's all it is. A claim" stated Ben.

 

((Rackenhammer, you're right on here. You really are. However, I think I've said this before, but, when you make your claim about how their wrong, make sure you present evidence along with it. That's how it was done in the Ace Attorney series and that's how it will be done here. Basically, show the evidence that backs you're claim up. This applies to everything when it comes to 'testimonies' in this RP. I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but, here it is again reiterated. Sorry? ))

[DavidCortez]

Whitheart wasn't sure how to respond to what just happened.

"Considering the state Mr. Deed is in, and how he got there, I find it hard to believe he could have injured anypony. In fact...we may just have the reason he blacked out." Whiteheart said with a grin.

[SymphonicFire]

"OBJECTION!" ((Am I allowed to say that?))

<Present Clyde's Medical Examination>

"As Earth Writer has said before, the way that Clyde has been beaten was not done my any regular pony. The hits were in places that would do the most damage. An angry Beck would probably just hit him on the head or the some random place on the victim's body if he did it, but he was unconscious when the crime happened" Fire said, tapping the back of her hoof on the piece of paper.

[Blueblood]

(Not actually a fan of introducing fiddly mechanics into a writing-based forum RP.  They don't transfer well between mediums, and I find they can get pretty tedious.)

 

Earth Writer nodded along as Fire presented the medical report, though he couldn't help but chime in, "You really ought to have known this already.  After all, the coroner is part of your department, and you were presented with the bloody report!  I pay taxes every year under the assumption that you ponies actually investigate crimes and use the evidence you find.  Most of the Chronicle's readership shares that assumption, but if it should prove incorrect..."

 

It was good to be part of the press sometimes.

[LostSanity]

((I understand Rackenhammer. Since this is supposed to be a reboot, basically meaning a complete redo of what I did from the other forum, and since this is a completely different forum (obviously), I suppose things don't have to be exactly the same. I'll try to be a little more flexible. So you can keep doing it that way if you want, and if it's correct, it'll probably be accepted next time. Sorry for nitpicking. I don't mean to come off that way. ))

 

With all of this... Ben really didn't have any sort of response. However... eventually...

 

"Satisfied?" asked Ben. Cole actually smiled for once.

"Of course. And you?" asked Cole.

"Hmph. I just hope you know what you're doing..." remarked Ben

"Let me worry about that" suggested Cole

"Very well then..." remarked Ben. Then... he looked very seriously at the investigators.

"Cole told you right? About how something larger is going on? Well... I wasn't really telling the whole truth. Well... I was... but wasn't at the same time. You see... I got to thinking about it... and that's when I realized it. What I actually felt behind me wasn't a gust of wind at all. It was actually another pony. For you see... I swear that as I felt the gust of wind... I felt as if somepony brushed behind me, as if they were running. However, the minute I turned around and saw Clyde Riches' gone, I saw no sign of anypony else in the area. So, of course, I instantly assumed it was nothing and just assumed that Clyde Riches was attempting to flee. After I called for backup and the backup arrived, and we found Clyde Riches, along with the suspect, we of course searched the area as well, and once again, found no pony in the area. I don't know who it was, but whoever it was, not only was fast, but must obviously be in good shape to out run and out maneuver us police ponies in order to not be spotted by any of us. So, whoever it was, must have snatched Clyde, brought him into the alley, proceeded to commit the crime, then, quickly left the scene before being spotted by any of the police ponies. Not only that, but somehow, this pony found a way to not leave any hoofmarks at the scene of the crime either. However, obviously, somepony did obviously see him. Which is of course, one Beck Deed" informed Ben.

 

Evidence Obtained - Ben Bars' Truth:
A statement containing the whole truth from Ben Bars. The gust of wind he felt behind him was actually somepony running behind him and foalnapping Clyde Riches. This pony then brought Clyde Riches to the alley, proceeded to beat him to a pulp, and left the scene of the crime before being spotted by any of the police ponies. Ben seems to believe whoever it was had to be in good shape, as they were fast enough to commit the crime and flee the scene before being spotted by any of the police ponies. The pony also found a way to conceal his hoofmarks from being left at the scene as well. The only pony who saw this unknown pony... seems to be... Beck Deed.

 

"I'm assuming you can handle it from here?" queried Ben

"Of course. You may take you're leave Ben" answered Cole as Ben then left the crime scene. Then, Cole looked seriously at the investigators.

"Are you ready for what I'm about to tell you? It's the most serious crime that's ever been committed. Well, in my opinion it is anyway" informed Cole.

"You see... we have a vigilante on the loose. Somepony has somehow been able to foalnap, and then proceed to severely assault, suspected criminals. It always seems to happen when they are transferred to the detention centers to await their trials. However... I know what you are probably asking yourselves. 'How do they know when they are being transferred in order to commit the assault?' Well... that's exactly the question now isn't it?" informed Cole.

Then... Cole became the most serious he's ever been.

"I'll tell you why... it's because somepony has been leaking classified information from the Ponyville Police Headquarters. Basically... we've got a 'dirty cop' on the loose who is more than likely collaborating with and assisting the vigilante in the assaults on the suspected criminals." announced Cole

 

"I've wanted to do an investigation to figure out who it is, however, since the culprit probably works for me, I can't really do the investigation myself. Conflict of interest can be a pain sometimes. So, I'm only going to ask this once. I need outside help. My co-workers may not like it, but in order for the investigation to be unbiased, it's pretty much the only choice, so, they'll just have to get over it. We already have a suspect. But... did they really do it? I just don't know. So I need your help. I have to admit, you lot did a pretty good job here. You could probably find the corrupt cop in my department that's helping with these ridiculous and illegal attacks. So... will you help me find the corrupt cop?" asked Cole

 

This was a lot to take in, but, his question still stood. He needed help to find a corrupt police officer in his own department. Would these ponies help him? He could only hope for the best.

 

Confrontation Complete

 

Ponyville Police Headquarters (PPHQ) has been opened for investigation

 

((You thought this would be over so quickly? Hah. Yeah right. I'm so mean.   This is going to probably be a lengthy RP. I can only ask that you maybe continue this to the end. Please? ))

 

 

[SymphonicFire]

Fire did a hoof pump as Ben confessed. Well, she only presented evidence, Earth Writer did the thinking. "I'll definitely help! I could exercise a little" Fire smiled. 

[Blueblood]

Wait... so all of this was a test?  A puzzle set up in order to see if the outside investigators had the gumption and know-how to get to the bottom of a nasty business?

 

Earth wasn't sure how this affected his opinion of the Ponyville Police department, honestly, but he had to admit that they weren't the incompetent fools he'd been about to lambast them for being in his article.  "Hm... Well, I have to give you credit for being willing to go outside the box to do your duty, chief.  I'll admit, you've got me curious about what's going on, and it would sure make a great story once we get to the bottom of it."  The journalist lifted his pen in mock salute.  "Count me in!"

[LostSanity]

Fire did a hoof pump as Ben confessed. Well, she only presented evidence, Earth Writer did the thinking. "I'll definitely help! I could exercise a little" Fire smiled.

 

Wait... so all of this was a test?  A puzzle set up in order to see if the outside investigators had the gumption and know-how to get to the bottom of a nasty business?

 

Earth wasn't sure how this affected his opinion of the Ponyville Police department, honestly, but he had to admit that they weren't the incompetent fools he'd been about to lambast them for being in his article.  "Hm... Well, I have to give you credit for being willing to go outside the box to do your duty, chief.  I'll admit, you've got me curious about what's going on, and it would sure make a great story once we get to the bottom of it."  The journalist lifted his pen in mock salute.  "Count me in!"

 

There was nothing else to say. Cole simply led them to their next location. The Ponyville Police Headquarters. Or 'PPHQ' for short.

 

---

 

Monday - 3:00 p.m.
Ponyville Police Headquarters (PPHQ)

 

They group of ponies arrived at the Ponyville Police Headquarters, or PPHQ for short. There was a new pony there as well in the middle of the PPHQ. He was in professional attire as well. He didn't like it, but, just like Cole, he had to 'look the part' so to speak. It was none other than... Lane Logikin.

 

 

He wasn't the only other pony there though. Obviously. Police ponies were all over the place as well.

 

 

The PPHQ was basically like any other police station or headquarters. Right when you entered, there was a strew of desks in front of you. Most of those desks belonging to other police ponies. However, right from the entrance, if you looked to the right, there was an office. the door was opened but the name on the door could still be read. It read 'Lane Logikin; Detective' as it was Lane's office. Cole's office was near the back of the PPHQ on the far right hand side that also had his name on it, except his door read 'Cole Gotem; Chief.' His door was open as well. At the back of the PPHQ, to the left-hand side, was two double doors that seemed to lead to another area of the PPHQ. The sign above the double-doors read 'Records Room.' However, there was a police pony standing in front it, currently barring entry to it.

 

At the left side of the room, was the holding area for criminals, where you could speak to them. There also seemed to be some papers on a few of the desks as well.

 

Lane spoke up.

 

"That was fast" remarked Lane

 

"They're pretty decent investigators. They should be able to help." replied Cole.

 

"I see." commented Lane.

 

Cole then turned back towards the ponies that had followed him.

 

"I apologize for the chaos, but, we can't really shut down the whole PPHQ for an investigation. Besides... somepony here in the PPHQ is definitely the one leaking the classified information. So, we couldn't kick everypony out anyway, because, we would risk kicking out whoever is leaking the information as well and them getting away. So, you'll just have to deal with the chaos. Sorry."

Lane spoke up again.

"You're here to help us find who's leaking the classified information right? I'll just assume you are. Anyway, you're allowed to investigate here, my office, and Cole's office. But not the records room. Well... unless you can prove the records room is important to the investigation that is." informed Lane

 

"Lane... there's nothing of importance in my office" remarked Cole

"Sorry Chief, but, when it comes to investigations, everything has to be available for investigation. Isn't that what you once said to me?" reminded Lane

"Good. I was hoping you would say that. There's still nothing important in my office though, so, there's really no reason to investigate it" remarked Cole

"Anyway... I'm sure Cole already told you we already have a suspect right? Well... we do. Her name is Fiora Case. She's being held in the second holding area over there. You can try talking to her if you want, but, it may not do much good, because, her being arrested for leaking classified information came as much as a surprise to her as it did everypony else here" informed Lane as he pointed towards the holding areas with his left hoof.

"Her desk is the last one on the left." informed Cole.

 

Lane then seemed to attempt to whisper something to the investigators.

"I'll be honest with you all. I've never seen Cole this defensive about his office. I think it goes without saying that you should investigate his office as well. Especially since he kept saying that there's nothing important in it, which only tells me that there is. I'm not saying that Cole is the one leaking the classified information. He wouldn't do something like that. He's not that type of pony. However, it's definitely strange that he doesn't want you guys to investigate his office. There must be something important in there. Though, the only way you may be able to investigate it, is if he is distracted by something, while somepony else sneaks by and investigates his office" whispered Lane
 

Begin Investigation

 

There were only three items that were obvious. There was a yellow manilla folder on Fiora Case's desk. There was also two pieces of paper, one that was thicker than the other on the second desk on the right. Everything else must either be in Lane's office, Cole's office, or the Records Room.

 

((When you choose to investigate Cole's office, you're going to have to work together with one of the other participants in this. One will have to distract him while the other investigates his office. Just trying to help I guess. ))

 

[Blueblood]

Well, it seemed that there was going to be one more ally in the trio's fight for truth, justice, and the Equestrian Way.  Earth Writer had heard of Lane Logikin; the name had appeared from time to time in the Chronicle, usually in connection with some ongoing mystery.  From what the reporter could remember, Lane was usually successful in that regard, which boded well.

 

After hearing a summation of the situation, Earth Writer had to smile at the parallels between the 'test case' and the real one.  "A prime suspect, the police hiding something, all not being as it seems... I think we'll be able to handle this."  He whispered to Lane once the chief had left.  "Just a couple more questions, before we begin.  Just when did all this vigilante business start happening?  Was there any sign of trouble right about or a little before then?  Complaints about acquittals, failures of prosecution, and the like?"

 

Vigilantes didn't appear out of nowhere; they were usually born out of a feeling that the 'system' had somehow failed.  Tracing the origins of the thoughts might go some way towards pinning the doer of the deeds...

[SymphonicFire]

Fire put on her serious face as she walked into the room. She wanted to keep a low profile while she snoops around to look for evidence. She spotted a yellow folder on a desk and look around, slowly walking towards the desk. She quickly examined it, trying to avoid being caught.

[LostSanity]

Well, it seemed that there was going to be one more ally in the trio's fight for truth, justice, and the Equestrian Way.  Earth Writer had heard of Lane Logikin; the name had appeared from time to time in the Chronicle, usually in connection with some ongoing mystery.  From what the reporter could remember, Lane was usually successful in that regard, which boded well.

 

After hearing a summation of the situation, Earth Writer had to smile at the parallels between the 'test case' and the real one.  "A prime suspect, the police hiding something, all not being as it seems... I think we'll be able to handle this."  He whispered to Lane once the chief had left.  "Just a couple more questions, before we begin.  Just when did all this vigilante business start happening?  Was there any sign of trouble right about or a little before then?  Complaints about acquittals, failures of prosecution, and the like?"

 

Vigilantes didn't appear out of nowhere; they were usually born out of a feeling that the 'system' had somehow failed.  Tracing the origins of the thoughts might go some way towards pinning the doer of the deeds...

 

"It seemed to start a couple of months ago. There was no sign of trouble as far as I know, but, to be honest, we do so much that there might have been something that we missed or haven't considered. That's kind of what all of you are here for though. You might find what we missed. As for complaints... we pretty much get those all the time. If that's the cause of this... everypony would be a vigilante." answered Lane
 

 

Fire put on her serious face as she walked into the room. She wanted to keep a low profile while she snoops around to look for evidence. She spotted a yellow folder on a desk and look around, slowly walking towards the desk. She quickly examined it, trying to avoid being caught.

 

There was something in the folder itself... opening it up would reveal...

Evidence Obtained - Fiora's Complaint Report:
A multi-page complaint report on the demeanor, attitude, actions, and everything you could possibly imagine for Fiora Case. There are several pages of complaints on her with a wide range of what the complaints were about. Not only that, the complaints comes from everypony imaginable as well. Not simply just from suspects and defense attorneys, they are there as well though, but also complaints from prosecutors, detectives, other police ponies, and even complaints from witnesses and victims believe it or not. It seems to have been unopened and unread as of yet, until now that is. Perhaps reading the entire thing will provide more information?

[Blueblood]

It was a little worrying, the extent to which warning signs could be lost in the rush.  On the other hand, most so-called 'warning signs' were only significant in hindsight, which brought Earth Writer back to where they were before.  "Complaints from within or without the office, though?"  He murmured, joining Fire in looking over Fiora's complaint report in further detail.  That would certainly answer his question, at least.

[LostSanity]

((Not sure what happened to SymphonicFire, but, hopefully they come back soon.))

 

It was a little worrying, the extent to which warning signs could be lost in the rush.  On the other hand, most so-called 'warning signs' were only significant in hindsight, which brought Earth Writer back to where they were before.  "Complaints from within or without the office, though?"  He murmured, joining Fire in looking over Fiora's complaint report in further detail.  That would certainly answer his question, at least.

 

From reading the entire thing, one thing remains absolutely clear. No pony seems to like or care for the way she interrogates suspects and questions witnesses and victims. There is one common place of agreement however. She always yells at them and to “tell her everything” and claims that they “aren’t telling the truth and are obviously hiding something” as well as claiming that they “have to remember everything because it’s impossible to forget something that happened or obviously happened” even when they truly don’t remember what happened. Basically, she treats everypony, suspects, victims, witnesses, and so on, the same way when she questions them. Most ponies request another officer, too, however, she forces them to stay and questions them anyway claiming that “no pony else is available” or “everypony else is busy at the moment.”

 

Evidence Update - Fiora's Complaint Report:
A multi-page complaint on the demeanor, attitude, actions, and everything you could possibly imagine for Fiora Case. There are several pages of complaints on her with a wide range of what the complaints were about. Not only that, the complaints comes from everypony imaginable as well. Not simply just from suspects and defense attorneys, they are there as well though, but also complaints from prosecutors, detectives, other police ponies, and even complaints from witnesses and victims believe it or not. Reading the entire thing reveals that one thing remains absolutely clear. No pony seems to like or care for the way she interrogates suspects and questions witnesses and victims. There is one common place of agreement however. She always yells at them and to “tell her everything” and claims that they “aren’t telling the truth and are obviously hiding something” as well as claiming that they “have to remember everything because it’s impossible to forget something that happened or obviously happened” even when they truly don’t remember what happened. Basically, she treats everypony, suspects, victims, witnesses, and so on, the same way when she questions them. Most ponies request another officer, too, however, she forces them to stay and questions them anyway claiming that “no pony else is available” or “everypony else is busy at the moment."

[SymphonicFire]

((I'm back! I was moving stuff over to my new house))

"Bingo bango" Fire smirked. She looked around again before casually walking into an office. "This must be Cole's office. Let's see what we have here" Fire snickered, starti to search through everything.

[DavidCortez]

((Sorry for the absence. I'll be getting a new comp soon, so I'm preparing to copy some stuff to send it over. Anyway, back to the rp))

 

Whiteheart tried his best, but found he was falling short again.

'If this keeps up, I'll never find anything...'

Whiteheart decided to check his surroundings, to see if there was something or someplace interesting.

[Blueblood]

Hmph.  Well, it seems this time Earth Writer isn't going to get the pleasure of poking holes in obviously faulty evidence.  In all honesty, Fiora's complaint file builds a plausible case for the prosecution.  Her methods seem to stem from a great impatience with procedure and a priori conclusions about cases before the proper sifting of evidence.  Pretty much the M.O. of a rogue cop with vigilante tendencies.

 

*Of course, it's still circumstantial evidence.  Without direct stuff about her actually doing anything, we can't throw the book at her without giving our real perpetrator further justification for their actions.  Oh, Buck!  What is she doing?*  

 

The reporter's musings had been cut off by the sight of Fire making a beeline for the chief's office, without even checking to see if Cole was watching out for her!  He needed to cover her advance.

 

"Hey chief!"  He called out, waving the thick file as he approached.  "Been looking through Fiora's file here; is she unique in getting this kind of feedback, or have multiple officers been showing impatience in interrogations?  After all, we can't be sure of just one suspect; there may be more we have to catch."  While somewhat relevant as a question, the main purpose of the journalist was to cover Fire's investigation of the office.

[LostSanity]

Whiteheart tried his best, but found he was falling short again.

'If this keeps up, I'll never find anything...'

Whiteheart decided to check his surroundings, to see if there was something or someplace interesting.

 

There were still the two pieces of paper on the second desk on the right side of the PPHQ that no pony had looked at yet and Lane Logikin's Office. Plus, none of the other investigators had chosen to talk to the current suspect as of yet.

 

Hmph.  Well, it seems this time Earth Writer isn't going to get the pleasure of poking holes in obviously faulty evidence.  In all honesty, Fiora's complaint file builds a plausible case for the prosecution.  Her methods seem to stem from a great impatience with procedure and a priori conclusions about cases before the proper sifting of evidence.  Pretty much the M.O. of a rogue cop with vigilante tendencies.

 

*Of course, it's still circumstantial evidence.  Without direct stuff about her actually doing anything, we can't throw the book at her without giving our real perpetrator further justification for their actions.  Oh, Buck!  What is she doing?*  

 

The reporter's musings had been cut off by the sight of Fire making a beeline for the chief's office, without even checking to see if Cole was watching out for her!  He needed to cover her advance.

 

"Hey chief!"  He called out, waving the thick file as he approached.  "Been looking through Fiora's file here; is she unique in getting this kind of feedback, or have multiple officers been showing impatience in interrogations?  After all, we can't be sure of just one suspect; there may be more we have to catch."  While somewhat relevant as a question, the main purpose of the journalist was to cover Fire's investigation of the office.

 

Cole looked at Earth Writer and spoke to him. His main attention now on him. Earth Writer probably did just save Fire.

 

"It's mainly just her unfortunately. To be honest, it just might be an issue of taking her job too seriously and always assuming that whomever she's talking to is hiding something or the guilty party" answered Cole
 

 

"Bingo bango" Fire smirked. She looked around again before casually walking into an office. "This must be Cole's office. Let's see what we have here" Fire snickered, starti to search through everything.

 

Luckily for Fire, despite the fact that she chose not to cooperate with another investigator, Earth Writer had her back this time and was currently distracting Cole.

 

 

Cole's office was relatively small but it was what you would expect from a chief of police. There were file cabinets to the left and right once you entered the office. There was also a bookcase filled with books behind Cole's desk itself. It looked like there was really only one item of interest in the office itself. Which was yet another yellow manilla folder that was on the right side of Cole Gotem's desk.

 

 

[SymphonicFire]

"How careless of me, must thank Earth Writer later" Fire sighed, frowning. She looked around and noticed a yellow Manila folder sitting on Cole Gotem's desk. She put on a cheeky grin on her face as she examined it. There was a chance that Cole could have hid something after the crime occurred, but that is if he had something to hide. Fire had this habit of making everypony a suspect even if there are no leads. Maybe she was just excited.

[Blueblood]

With Fire still in the chief's office, Earth needed to continue distracting him until she was safely out.  He decided to go on another tack of questioning.  "Motive and intent is all very well, but we won't figure out who has been leaking information until we learn how it was leaked.  You may have looked into this already, but I'd like to know where all this information came from, who wrote it down, and who would have access to it during all the times when it wasn't under your personal supervision and security.  I'm assuming the original files were not actually lost, only copied or had the contents related.

 

"Once we find an intersection of all the ponies who would have been able to do what we know was done, it will narrow our suspect list considerably.  At this point, we only have one name and the whole department under suspicion.  There has to be a way of narrowing it down.  Could you walk me through how the office operates?  That'd be a good start to collating all this."