This story was inspired by, and dedicated to, Carlmike94.
As he finished reading the letter, Amon turned it over to see if there was anything more on the back – like a "just kidding" or "gotcha" written to say this was some sort of prank – but it was blank. He flipped to the front and read it again.
The handwriting was neat, if a little childish – the writer purported to be fourteen so that fit – and the grammar and spelling were indicative of someone with no formal education, yet it was clear and concise. When he got to the end of the letter, he read it a third time. Each time he read Mado's name he grew both sadder and angrier.
Quinque, Kagune, Doves: surely this is one of my subordinates making a joke, calling me out for being soft on Ghouls, for failing to defeat Eye Patch, he thought. Very funny…
He crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it in the trash can at his knee. I've better things to do than waste my time. He shuffled the pairs on his desk, straightened them, and opened the next envelope, a report request from Itsuki Marude.
But, what if it isn't from my staff? No, of course it is.
The report that needed his attention wasn't going to fill itself out; he took up a pen and began checking off boxes.
A CCG member wouldn't defame Mado's name like that…
He opened the next piece of mail – a request for a signed autographed photo – and shook his head. Another time killer, he sighed. I could be doing real investigative work instead of playing the role of an Idol. He grabbed one of the photographs the department had insisted he have taken just for this purpose and hastily scribbled his signature and the admonition: Be ever vigilant!
As the shift wore on, Amon dealt efficiently with the rest of his mail – all interoffice memorandums, meeting notices, and request forms – and tried to put the missive out of his mind.
Notebook paper, he mulled. The paper of an ordinary school child.
Once he'd cleared all the other paperwork, the envelope from the disturbing letter sat alone on the center of his desk, mocking him silently, daring him to believe. He picked it up and studied it. There was no return address, but it was post marked was from within Ward One. It had been addressed neatly, in the same handwriting as the body of the letter. He lifted it to his nose, smelling a lingering trace of coffee, but that wasn't unusual. The department reeked of that particular beverage and whether or not he drank it personally didn't matter, he always stank like it at the end of the day.
He considered the envelope. It was a standard Chou #4, available anywhere. The custodian was making his rounds among the cubicles and just as the man reached his station, he put up his hand.
"Wait, I think I threw something away in error," he explained, and retrieved the rumpled paper. The man waited patiently, then emptied Amon's trash before moving along to the next.
Amon smoothed the wrinkled paper flat and read it for a fourth time.
What if Eye Patch isn't unique…No! No, I can't afford to think that way. He picked up the letter and instead of crumpling it this time, he held it over the shredder, uncertain. If they aren't all 'Monsters', then what does that make me? He folded the letter in two, then again, and a third time until it was barely the size of a credit card, then he looked both ways before he pulled out his wallet, and tucked it inside.
It doesn't matter if the damn thing is real or a fake,he consoled himself. I've got to…he sigh, unsure what to do other than continue digging. After all, the only thing he knew with any certainty, was that he was a damn good CCG investigator.