It was late in the day and we hadn’t made much progress towards figuring things out. We’d been at the club for quite awhile, trying to come up with ways to solve the case. During the long hours, I once thought I saw a few snowflakes falling outside the window. Despite my earlier positive attitude, harsh reality was beginning to take its toll. The six of us brainstormed around one of The Metronome’s tables until the evening came and it was time for the club to open.

Iridium and Octavia went about to perform their duties. Vinyl, Gilda, Jenna, and I stayed put for a while longer, but didn’t seem to be making much headway.

We had a few plans, but mostly that involved going back to talk to Little Puffy Joe or his lackeys. Ice had shown that he wouldn’t provide direct help, and other than small sympathy the lunar guard I kept encountering was little use.

Ultimately, there were only a few options open to us. We could proceed with questioning and gathering information. Alternately, we could go to the press with what little evidence we had and try to expose the operation, banking on public outcry to get what we wanted.

The first was the equivalent of banging our heads against a wall. We’d already shown that it had little effect and caused headaches. The second plan meant exposing the public to the idea that the government had contacted other worlds and hoping that everypony would believe the limited amount of proof we had. Neither of them sounded very hopeful.

It was still awkward with Gilda not being up to speed on the whole story. By the end of the night, I’m sure she was suspicious. It’s hard to have a conversation and keep self-censoring yourself on half the topics.

I was despondent that we hadn’t made any progress by the time the club closed for the night. At the same time, I was looking forward to getting some rest. Maybe an idea would come to me. However, the thought of losing precious time to sleep set me on edge again.

“You’ll think better if you're rested,” Jenna prodded. I noticed she was gently herding me towards the stairs. I don’t know if she noticed, however, or if it was just an effect of her being just a little taller than me for once and exerting her subconscious will.

Regardless, I took the hint and went up to the bed Octavia had lent us for the night. It was large enough for two, and Jenna snuggled close to me under the covers. Cold night that it was, I found the shared body heat very comfortable. It wasn't easy to sleep, but now that I was in bed I couldn't just keep worrying. Hopefully I wouldn't dream too much. I couldn't imagine what sort of bad things my mind would come up with in the state I was currently in.

Equestria must have some kind of dream police or something because I slept far better than I expected to. Something nagged at me as I awoke, a half remembered thought or something, but a few seconds passed and it slipped away.

I didn’t know what had awakened me. The light coming through the thin curtains was still dim. Jenna continued to sleep, her mane a little tousled and wings spread out under the covers. One was on top of me, and I gently ran a hoof along the leading edge. Reflexively, the primary feathers spread like a fan at my touch.

“Mmm, good morning,” Jenna purred, now awake. She brushed aside some mane and smiled at me.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked.

“Excellent, since it was next to you.” She grinned wider, apparently recognizing the sappy romantic angle.

I chuckled and rolled slightly to my side, a little closer to her. I felt feathers creep down my back as she folded her wing around me.

“I know yesterday I said how much I missed you, but I don’t think words really do it justice,” Jenna observed.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

She moved her head forward slightly and planted a kiss on my lips. The kiss was a mild surprise, but not an unwelcome one. I was happy to be so close and intimate with my wife again. Honestly, the most unnatural thing about it was how far our faces were apart. Kissing when you have a muzzle to get in the way is weird.

Her hoof touched my cheek gently, sliding down my neck while carefully avoiding my knife scar. She moved to my chest, sliding lower.

There was a knock on the door. I heard Iridium’s voice. “Good morning. I hate to trouble the two of you, but we have a bit of a situation downstairs.”

Thank God he’s so polite to knock first. Iridium went up several points in my book, just for that. I reluctantly took my lips from Jenna’s, turning my head to talk to the closed door. “What is it?”

“Ms. de Lis has arrived and she has some very bad news.”

Jenna gave me a quick peck on the lips. “We’d probably better go see what this is about.”

I agreed, but I didn’t have to like getting out of bed. The two of us opened the door to find Iridium standing there. He looked preoccupied, perhaps with what was going on, and led us downstairs to see for ourselves.

Octavia and Fleur were facing off in the middle of the floor. I say it was a faceoff because neither looked pleased to be talking to the other. Also, they were practically shouting.

“What have you been doing behind my back?” Fleur demanded.

“There’s nothing in our contract that says I have to tell you about everything.” Octavia’s voice was harsher than I had ever heard it.

“What was Photo Finish doing here?” asked Fleur. Octavia’s eyebrows went up and Fleur chuckled. “Oh yes, I have a few spies of my own. She thought she could just sneak in and I would never notice.”

“Photo Finish was visiting her daughter,” Jenna put in. “You know, Vinyl Scratch, the DJ? She’s friends with Octavia.”

I thought I detected a slight expression from Octavia that indicated that friends was pushing it, but she looked grateful for the support.

“Then why has the furniture been rearranged?” Fleur glanced around the room. “Some of it cleared away for sight lines, some organized to appear casual but still easy to access...Photo Finish wants to take pictures here, doesn’t she?”

“She wanted to, but she hasn’t,” Octavia told Fleur.

“And see that she doesn’t,” Fleur spat.

Octavia gritted her teeth, and I could see that she’d found some resolve deep inside her to take no more of Fleur’s attitude. “You can’t give me orders. I’m the majority shareholder of The Metronome.”

That gave Fleur pause for a moment, but then she put on a nasty smile. “You know, I bought forty percent because you couldn’t afford it. I could afford the whole thing if you’d sell.”

“I won’t.” Octavia glared at her.

Fleur shrugged, her sudden shift to a causal manner putting me on edge. “You say that now, but unusual circumstances might happen. For instance, fines and complications that might come up if the city found out that you were living upstairs, in a building that is legally designated as a place of business.”

If that wasn’t a threat, it at least sounded like one. Fleur seemed to think that was the last word and prepared to leave. While her eyes still locked with Octavia and she was turning to go, the front door of the club started to open.

Fleur walked face-first into Gilda, who was just coming in. She stumbled slightly, as if running into the fit griffon was like bumping into a brick wall.

“Watch it,” Gilda growled.

Fleur wasn’t about to show her intimidation in front of the rest of us, but quickly scooted out the door. Vinyl came in, glancing over her shoulder at the departing Fleur. “Did we miss something?”

“Just Fleur being unpleasant,” Octavia said.

Gilda shrugged. “Anyway, we’re here now. How do we want to continue this investigation?”

“Hold up a moment,” I said. “Since when are the two of you hanging out together?”

“Gilda showed up this morning. Apparently the hotel is on the way to her place. Anyway, she wanted to talk and I didn’t see any problem with that.” Vinyl tilted her head. “Information sharing and all that. We’re working together, after all.”

That did make sense. I cleared my throat. “Alright, I guess we need to decide how we’re going to go about today’s schedule: who we need to talk to, what we need to do.”

“I actually have plans for that,” said Gilda. “I was thinking about some places that need to be checked out.”

Her attitude so far made her a natural leader. I felt a little miffed that I, the one who was trying hardest to send myself and my wife home, was not in charge, but quickly acquiesced. This was about results, not about figurative genital measurements.

Gilda laid out her plan. “Vinyl and Octavia, you should go to the city coroner. Do what you have to in order to obtain medical records on all the deceased. Iridum, you should stay here to handle any problems that come up. Millie and Curtain Call, come with me. We’ll meet back for lunch and discuss what we’ve found.”

I could already tell that Vinyl and Octavia weren’t pleased with this plan. Gilda’s tone and seeming experience kept arguments from breaking out, however. She put on her gloves and headed for the door. Jenna and I hurried to catch up.

Gilda set a quick pace for the first few blocks, her breath trailing behind her in the cold air. Looking at Jenna and seeing the confusion on her face reminded me that I, too, had no idea where we were going.

Pausing for a moment, Gilda looked around and said, “Let’s go up there.” She nodded to the roof of a nearby building.

I opened my mouth to remind about my lack of flying ability, but Gilda simply grabbed me by the forelegs and beat her wings hard, hauling me into the sky. I flailed slightly in surprise before deciding that it might actually be a worse idea. I did not want to be dropped. Jenna was quick to zoom after us.

After the initial surprise, I found myself set down gently on the building’s flat roof. It was breezy up here, and the snow hadn’t been removed like the sidewalks below.

“What’s so important about being up here?” I huffed.

Jenna landed softly beside me. Gilda glanced between the two of us and a businesslike look settled onto her face. “Before we go any farther with this investigation, the three of us need to have a talk.”

I asked the obvious question. “About what?”

“From what I’ve picked up, little pieces of conversation and a few questions I asked your friends, the two of you are hiding something.” Gilda’s tone was level, as if building up to a point. “I dug into your backgrounds and came up with a big blank. Your identities don’t exist.”

“Just what do our names have to do with the problem of tracking down a serial killer?” I asked.

“Has it ever occurred to you that we have a very good reason for not using our real names?” added Jenna. “Maybe we don’t want certain ponies to know why we’re investigating?”

“Yeah, it has.” Gilda stared at us. “I also checked you out through some sources. You aren’t undercover. You don’t have any kind of clearance. No PI license, either.”

I snorted. “And just who are you to have that kind of access?”

Gilda glowered at us, ignoring my question. “I think it’s more important that you tell me who you really are.”

Jenna and I traded glances. Back home, we didn’t quite finish each other’s sentences, but were still pretty in tune mentally. I gave her a questioning look. She nodded.

I turned back to Gilda. “All right, normally I’d ask to see a badge, but you’re exactly the same kind of ass that every other law enforcement representative in this city seems to be, so I guess you check out.”

Gilda gave me an ugly look but said nothing. I sighed and began my story.

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, my wife and I lived together. We were happy. Then, Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns had a magic accident and I was transported to Equestria, Canterlot to be specific. That was three months ago. The sacking of the top drug barons in the city was my doing.”

Gilda’s eyes popped wide open, looking astonished and off balance. Good. I went on. “After that, I was sent home, however the Lunar Guard saw what had happened and decided that I was the perfect candidate to solve their little serial killer problem here in Manehattan. This time, it wasn’t an accident that brought me here, it was a straight up kidnapping. They put me in the body of a mare so nopony would recognize me. Also, they brought my wife along by mistake.”

I paused long enough to gesture at Jenna. “Anyway, due to political and ethical pressure, I’ve been informed that if I don’t catch this killer very soon, the Lunar Guard is going to cover up our existence and strand us here. We aren’t supposed to be ponies, and we aren’t supposed to be in Equestria. Now do you understand why your background checks didn’t work?”

“Wha...how...” Gilda babbled a little, her eyes wide as she tried to process my little speech. “Did you say you were in Canterlot?”

“That’s right.” I nodded curtly. I had her shaken up and needed to press this advantage while I could. While I didn’t like talking about what happened in Canterlot to earn me my unfortunate reputation, this was not the time to hold anything back.

I took a breath and forged ahead. All or nothing. “My name is James Miller. Maybe you’ve heard of me. I’m Miller the Killer.”

Gilda jerked in shock, looking like she’d been punched in the gut.

“Now,” I said, taking a step forward to get in her face. “Who the buck are you?”

Author's Notes:

Treilacl seemed to think the original ending didn't have enough emotion and feeling. So I did this.