The scene of the crime was still fresh. The pie tin was sitting on top of the window sill; it was all but empty except for a few crust crumbs. It was a cliche, but the crime was real. Just Dessert’s mother, Sprinkles, had baked a pie for the family as a treat. The mare had fallen asleep at the kitchen table afterwards and when she woke, the pie was gone. The mare’s yelp of surprise altered her son to the distress. Someone has stolen the pie! It was gone!

Just Desserts rushed in to see what had happened. His mother was practically bouncing off the walls when he arrived. “What? Calm down for a second!,” he said as he tried to sooth his pudgy mother. But Sprinkles would not stay still long enough to be consoled. Instead she pointed out the window. “A thief! a thief took the treat! I just know it!”

Just Desserts climbed up the counter top to inspect the ‘crime scene’. The pie tin was covered in crumbs and few specs of berry filling. One hoof print on the window sill was left from the remains of the berry filling. It was difficult to tell if the print was incoming or outgoing. Sprinkles, however, was excitable and easily swayed to believe it must have been an intruder. She pointed at any passer by outside the window “they did it! Or him! Or her! Or that sneaky looking one over there.”

“Mum, that’s a bird. It can’t have taken the pie. And you have no evidence to base an accusation on.” Just Desserts was a believer in due process, innocent until proven guilty.

However, as Sprinkles flailed about in her sugar high-like way, Just Desserts noticed something. A smear of a jelly like substance was on her own hoof. A look around the kitchen confirmed a similar jam-ish print on the table. “. . . is that filling on you hoof?”

“Well, I did make the pie. I suppose it is.” A reasonable argument surely.

“Mum… you don’t suppose there is a chance that you ate the pie?”

“No!… No, I don’t think so! I baked it, left it to cool and took a nap there.” Sprinkles pointed to the table.

Just Desserts took closer inspection. Crumbs. Just as he thought. But one more piece of evidence was need to prove that the guilty party was in the room and not outside. “I hate to see you upset. How about a smile?” It was a tricky play, but the mare did just that, she was so easy to get along with and happy go lucky most of the time that smiling was just natural. Once she flashed her teeth, there was the proof. Berry stained teeth showed who really ate the pie.
Just Desserts couldn’t help but giggle. “You’ve been eating in your sleep again, mum. It wasn’t anyone else, their all innocent. You’re your own thief, case closed.”

If this had been a court case, it would have been the fastest open and shut case in Phony history. But it also made JD realize his true passion was in doing exactly this, but with real issues and cases that needed to be solved; absolving the innocent and pursuing the guilty! This is what the colt wanted to do with this life.