Disclaimer: After much contemplation and edits, I've finally decided to upload this super long drabble. Eh... All credit goes to Shingo Nanami and the people who worked on the movie Galileo: Devotion of Suspect X. I've always loved mysteries and crime so I sort of made an AU where all the characters are on the police force. Enjoy!
Chaos Theory
Case One
After the conclusion of the Rose Incident, Ikeda and Kasane finally were able to take an evening off. After filing away the files, they picked up their coats to leave. Now that the case was finished, they no longer had to chase for the culprit. Naturally, the two detectives were dead tired from countless sleepless nights. Just as they were to part ways, Ikeda stopped and called out to Kasane.
"Kusanagi-san, about our next case, we'll be joining in with Inuchiyo and the others tomorrow."
Kasane tilted her head and nodded. "…Hm? Okay—Ah! Ikeda-san… I'm afraid that I can't come in tomorrow… I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier."
"Is there something wrong?"
He glanced down to his short partner. She looked up and swiftly shook her head.
"Oh no, it's just that… my grandfather told me he had something urgent to tell me… I've been putting it off during this case, ah don't worry! I already told Tono-sama about it and… and my grandfather is in good health and—!"
"You don't to go that far…" Ikeda raised his hands, halting her. Kasane, still waving her hands up and down, apologized to him over and over again. "However, it's quite strange… Chief Oda allowed you take a day off?"
"…Hm? Oh, yes that's true… But…" she looked away and nervously sighed. "He wasn't really happy…."
Ikeda faintly laughed, "That's just like him."
"Eh!? Karane isn't with you today?" Inuchiyo dejectedly looked at the empty space where Kasane usually stood.
"Ah, she had some family business to take care of."
"Family business? Like what?" Kuranosuke mumbled. He took out a notebook out of his jacket. As of now, they were visiting the crime scene that occurred five days ago. Now that Ikeda and Kasane were joining this case, it was procedure to brief them over with all the data. They would have to brief her at another time. He clicked his tongue and shivered from the cold wind.
"Who knows? Her grandfather is the one that called her over. She promised she will come back tomorrow night."
"She better, we have enough problems here. Eh, Shindo Masashi. 42 years old. Unemployed. Hometown: Hamamatsu, Shizuouka. Blood type: B. Estimated time of death: December 18, XXXX between 6 to 10 PM. Strangled to death. His hands and feet were burned off and his face was crushed by a nearby stone. His clothes were burnt at that garbage can. We happened to identify him a day before yesterday."
"Any suspects on your list?"
"There's one prime suspect. Akihara Miyo. 38 years old. His ex-wife. She has one daughter who is currently in junior high school, but she's not related to the victim. She currently runs a bento shop called Misato. Her apartment complex isn't that far from here either."
"Did you already start the interrogation?"
"Already did…twice." Kuranosuke grumbled. "She has an alibi." He scowled deeply at his notes.
"Is there something wrong with it?"
"Yeah, it's too perfect."
"Perfect?" Ikeda looked up from the report. "How so?"
"She was really busy on the 18th. Plus,there were a lot of stuff that proved her innocence!" Inuchiyo pipped in. "There were a bunch of witnesses that saw them and everything. Ah, and they didn't have a twisted cord."
"Then she could have hired someone. A hit man to assist her. As for the cord, she could have easily discarded it."
"Out of the question, she's raising her only daughter all by herself. After escaping from her ex-husband she wouldn't spend excess money for an assassin. There were no signs of her buying a new cord after the murder either."
"It says here she was an ex-hostess. Which means that she could have some connections. Not only that, with those looks, she could have plenty of lovers."
"But Ikeda… There weren't a lot of stuff in their house. Basically essential things, nothing really fancy. People from the bento shop say that their family is really frugal. We also checked their bank account, no abnormalities. And I don't think she'll do anything to risk her business. Also, it looks like she really treasures her daughter."
"Then was the victim somehow related to the yakuza? Does he have someone out for him?"
"Not that we knew of. The only guys after this damn victim are loan sharks. This bum had to stay at various business hotels cause he couldn't pay the rent." Kuranosuke snapped.
"Kura's been in a bad mood since we had to run around gathering reports and files. Didn't get enough sleep last night." Inuchiyo yawned. "We spent time keeping tabs on the suspect as well."
"That stupid landlady wasted three hours of our time! Of course I'm pissed off! Then we had to go straight to the suspect's place and what we get is some 'perfect day' and no results." he growled at Inuchiyo.
"How did you figure out the victim's identity?"
"First there was the hotel key in his pocket and there was also an abandoned bike at the scene. We got the fingerprints and it matched the ones at the last business hotel he stayed at. The hotel happened to file a report on the stolen key so we got our lead there."
"Then why are you so sure that the prime suspect is Akihara-san?" After tucking the documents into his bag and taking out a pair of gloves, Ikeda inspected the crime scene.
"You read the report didn't you? The mother and daughter went to a movie then ate ramen and then went out for karaoke for three hours on a Sunday! A Sunday night!"
"I don't see any problem with that. Kusanagi-san said that's quite normal with friends and close family members."
"Yeah, yeah that idiot woman is an exception with all with her two twin brothers and friends, but this is different. The suspect claims to have been watching a movie at Tsubaki theater. Employees at the theatre remember them. They got a film magazine and… the tickets were in that pamphlet."
"Well what's wrong with that?" Ikeda looked up from his inspection of the burnt trash can.
"Kura said that the tickets should have been in the drawer~!"
"Stupid dog! That's what people usually do when they're guilty! No one conveniently places their ticket back into the pamphlet! Not only that, because she has the tickets makes her the prime suspect. No normal person safe-keeps a movie ticket that way. Anyway don't people usually throw the damn pieces of paper in the trash?"
"If she has a clear alibi, then she's innocent."
"That's not all! There's the chance that she snuck in and out of the theatre! There's still a lot of holes that could be found in her alibi. Her perfect day has to have a crack somewhere! It's too much of a coincidence!"
"Says who?"
"My inspector's hunch told me."
"Then Inuchiyo, what about you?"
Inuchiyo squinted his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Hmm~. Something does feel out of place, but I don't know what is… Seems like there's an accomplice, but there's no one I can find that would help her dispose the body." Inuchiyo pouted. "I wonder what Katane is doing right now…"
"Probably it's best if I could help them somehow. Maybe Ikeda-san could text me the detail via email…." Kasane gazed onto the slick cover of her phone. Roughly 45 minutes before they land. She better email him once she can get service.
Looking out the window, she dreamily went into a trance.
Four years. It's been four years since she had seen her hometown back in Hokkaido.
After transferring to Nagoya, she never had the time to go back up to visit her family.
Occasionally Kotetsu and Masamune came down for sightseeing. But she didn't see her grandfather during that period of time.
Her grandfather….
Though he lived a healthy lifestyle, he was getting old. That could only mean two things. One, he's planning to give the dojo to someone. That someone could be her, it could be one of his old students, or it might even be no one. Two, her job.
It wasn't like he was avidly against her job as a detective. In fact, from her younger brothers, her grandfather was proud that she was helping people. However at his age, he might be worrying her future…If that's the case then… he might be telling her to get… married!?
Impossible! Impossible! Right now wasn't a good time! As of now, Shin Nagoya Metropolitan Police Department was a small and fairly new branch compared to the other police departments. Even with Chief Oda's great efforts to recruit new members, they only had a grand total of 70 employees which was clearly not enough to manage an entire city. How can she marry at a time like this? She may be 27 years old, but it didn't mean she was approaching the un-marriageable stage of her life! And what if her husband wanted her to quit the job? She didn't want to quit and… a certain chief will certainly kill her before she turns in her registration form. No, he'll probably fire her first and kick her out before making her take a really difficult case or make her fill out paperwork for the rest of her life. He might even crash the wedding. She shivered at the thought.
With crime rampant around the area they cover in, it took everyone's effort to control the chaos. In fact, she doesn't remember the last time she slept in her apartment. One and a half weeks ago? Two weeks ago? Let's see if the Rose Incident was on November 30th, then…. Ah, more than two weeks. Lots of dust must had accumulated. She'll have to clean it when she gets back.
She sighed. She should be helping Ikeda-san and the others… It didn't feel right to sit and wait around doing nothing. There will be plenty time to review the documents when she reaches her home.
How was the case going?
Was a suspect found?
How was everyone?
Did a new case come up right now?
After the bizarre murder they dubbed as the Rose Incident, she wondered if the next case would be easier to finish. If they actually finish before she returns… then…
"I should get a lot of souvenirs…" she sighed.
We'll be arriving at New Chitose Airport in 15 minutes. Please—
Clicking her seatbelt together, Kasane leaned back into the chair. In 15 minutes she'll be at the airport. Until then, she had to wait.
Ikeda-san, as I thought I think you should send me the documents about the case. I feel bad that I can't do anything. -Kasane
"So? What did the little missy want?"
"Hm? How did you know it was from her?" Ikeda closed his phone. The main conference was over, he was ready to eat lunch when Kasane's text came.
"Your ringtone! Ringtone! It's so obvious~! Geez, I want little missy to text me too!" Toukichirou gushed. "So what did she want? A picture of me~?"
"That would be incorrect," he bluntly cut in. "Excuse me."
He quickly left the conference room. If she wanted to help, it's best if he got Kuranosuke to send her all the details. There were plenty of things still that had to be updated to the old document. Catching a glimpse of the white-haired man, Ikeda rushed over and tapped his shoulder.
"Kuranosuke, send all the information to Kusanagi-san. She wants to review it before she gets back."
"Ha? That idiot always has bad timing…" he tiredly snapped. Black bangs stark against his pale face. Looks like Kuranosuke was trying to nap in the sleeping quarters before starting his shift at 3. Scrunching up his face, he dug out his notebook. "Here. Just give it back to me later. And don't you dare lose it! I still haven't reported everything to the Chief." He then fumbled his way into the sleeping quarters. Glancing at the black notebook, Ikeda turned towards the exit.
As of now, they were still tailing after their prime suspect. Though Inuchiyo and the others were still looking for other suspects, she just happened to be the main suspect.
Just like what Kuranosuke and Inuchiyo said, she was definitely suspicious. Even Ikeda, who was known by the entire police department to be dense, noticed. Her alibi was solid. As of right now, there were no holes. Yet… it was just too good to be true. How could this be, were they looking at this incorrectly?
Either way another viewpoint would certainly be helpful.
It's been four years since Kasane joined their department.
Only for the past three months they started working as partners. Before that was with Kuranosuke and before that, Inuchiyo and so on. There were times when she acted on her own, but those could be counted on one hand. As of now, she was an important and irreplaceable member of their department. If they were to lose her, they would certainly lose an principle asset of their team.
Though in the beginning they were off at a rocky start, Kasane successfully merged into their ranks.
Nowadays, he often checks his left side to see if she's there. She did that for everyone, no one knew why. She tells them it's an old habit of hers. Perhaps her grandfather is deaf in the right ear? Maybe she's superstitious? About what though? Either way, it was her business, not his. It did not matter to him anyway. It wasn't suppose to matter to him.
He sighed. Even with one member short, the workload sharply increased. Ikeda rubbed his temple. Kasane better come back soon. Otherwise Nobunaga will work them all to death.
"Eh? Kuranosuke-san's notebook? I wonder how Ikeda-san got it from him…" she pondered, then shrugged and started reading. There was precisely 30 more minutes until the taxi reaches her old home. She had to properly process this information tonight then.
"Eh… December 18, XXXX between 6 to 10 PM…. a body was found… huh? Naked? Someone ripped it all off? Clothes burnt… hands and feet burnt…. face crushed… Strangled…then how did they find the suspect's identity?" She clicked a few more buttons. "Hm? Nearby bike found. Stolen… fingerprints… Hotel? Ah… so that's what—Ah, Kuranosuke's handwriting is really hard to read when he gets angry." She softly chuckled. "Let's see the prime suspect is…hm? This pretty lady is?"
She blinked. This alibi… is perfect isn't it? But… something was strange. Not her day out with her daughter. No, no that was all fine. But this flow… She's seen it before. This calculating disguise.
An old case? A copycat? No… what was this? As if… as if…
For example, a quadratic problem disguised in a geometric question. Just a bunch of simple trick questions. If you can change your perspective, you can easily solve it.
Yes that's it, a disguise! …...Huh? She remembered hearing that from somewhere. Where was it?
Ikeda-san, I read that there's been a report on the missing bike. May I have a copy of that report? -Kasane
"Hm? Why would she need such a thing?"
P.S. Please send pictures of the bike as well. -Kasane
"What's so important with the bike? We checked it already! There's only the fingerprints of the victim on it!"
"Kura~ Kawane must have something in mind."
"Inuchiyo's right, Kuranosuke. Kasane-san always looked at things in a different perspective. Let's trust her." Gorouza gently chided the short-tempered man. "Besides I can't do anything to help. I'm only in the autopsy department. The only thing I can confirm are the causes and times of death. Other thank that, I'm stuck in the analysis labs looking at the samples from the crime scene."
"I sent the information to her already. I don't know what she's trying to confirm, but it has to be a key to solving this case." Ikeda agreed. Inuchiyo also nodded.
"Kadane never let us down before!"
Ikeda felt his phone vibrate, since he turned off the sound. Another message from Kasane…
Ikeda-san, mind if I call right now? I have several questions I want to clear up. -Kasane
Of course. -Ikeda
"She wants to call you? Right now?" Gorouza widened his eyes. "That's odd. There must be something that's bothering her."
Without another word, Ikeda picked up the phone and pressed the speaker.
"Hello? Ikeda-san? It's me, Kasane."
"We know it's you, idiot woman."
"Ah! Kuranosuke-san is with you too!?"
"Is that bad?"
"No, no this is good, then Ikeda-san wouldn't need to repeat himself."
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
"About the bike… why were the fingerprints on the bike?"
"Hah!? What do you mean…" Kuranosuke ruffled his head. Inuchiyo and Ikeda also frowned.
"Well… isn't it strange that the murderer burned off the fingers, yet forgot to wipe the fingerprints off the bike?"
"Maybe our suspect was flustered. There is a possibility that she forgot to do it."
"Flustered… Unnnn… Yet our suspect tried to burn his clothes. If she wanted to leave the scene as soon as possible…"
"So what are you trying to imply?" Ikeda inquired. There was a pause, they could all hear the background noise of the car engine running.
"Maybe the murderer purposely left the victim's fingerprints on the bike."
"Eh? Why?" Inuchiyo scrunched his face in confusion.
"Eh… um well… It's maybe to look like the victim came by himself on the bike and then murdered in the area?"
"Then the victim was murdered someplace else and carried here?" Ikeda murmured. Kuranosuke said nothing and jotted something down in his notebook.
"The owner reported the theft near the Ouja Apartment complex… The bike looks fairly new… Isn't that strange?"
"Strange? How so? Perhaps the victim wanted a new bike." Gorouza offered his suggestion.
"But why would he pick a new and chained bike? I've passed by there multiple times. There are many unchained bikes both old and new. In addition, the bike is brand new…"
"You can't be saying that he picked a new one and broke the chain on purpose right? What's the point?"
"I think… it's to make certain the owner reported the theft." Her voice hesitantly rang out to them.
"Eh!?" Ranging from various reactions, they all stared dubiously at the phone.
"I believe it would have somehow benefited the murderer…. Well, I don't know how but… What's certain is that—"
Kuranosuke heavily sighed, cutting into her . "Alright, alright. That's enough. We got an insight on our suspect's personality. Thanks."
He pressed the end call.
"Eh~! Kura~ that's no fair, I wanted to hear more!"
"That's right, Kuranosuke, you shouldn't hang up like that." Gorouza chided his childhood friend.
"No, even though she's an idiot, she has a sharp mind to details like this. If her hunch is right, which usually is for some reason, then we can profile this suspect."
Ikeda's phone vibrated once more. Another message from Kasane.
If Akihara-san really is the suspect, she must be very calculating. Please be careful. There may be other things that we haven't unveiled just yet.
-Kasane
"Hmph. Look at her worrying about us. If she has time for that, tell her to hurry up and come back here. Come on, Inuchiyo! We've got work to do!"
"Ah, he hanged up…" Kasane pouted. Kuranosuke was always so hasty in these sort of situations. "I should text Ikeda-san about this though…"
Quickly typing her last message and pressing the send button, she sighed. If she were only there at the scene, she would be able to help them more. She's been with them for four years already. During this time… Gorouza-san would be on break. Kuranosuke-san and Inuchiyo-san would be on their shift. Ikeda-san would be doing paperwork… Nobuyuki-san and Nouhime-san are probably doing autopsy right now. Kawafuji-san and Mori-san were most likely in a conference with the higher ups in main Nagoya Police Department. Toukichirou-san was probably in his room, filing away old cases. Saitou-san and his team were probably working on another case together. Tono-sama… was probably napping at the moment…
She sighed once more. There was no time to think about this. The taxi was now in front of her house.
Four years.
It's been four years since she had last seen her family and friends here in Hokkaido.
First things first, she had to have a talk with her grandfather.
What will happen, will depend on the results.
Paying the taxi driver, she stepped out of the car toward the old wooden gate. With six careful steps, she reached the tall gate and pressed the doorbell.
Five seconds later, she heard scuffling at the door.
"Nee-chan!"
"Kasane-chan!"
Her two younger brothers popped their heads from the door and rushed to push it open. Beaming, she studied their tall forms. It's been 9 months since she had last seen them. They were now 18 years old. Still in high school. Oh how they've grown since then!
"Masamune! Kotestsu! How are exams going?" She ruffled their fluffy hair.
"Good!" Kotetsu grinned.
"Great." Masamune nodded. They pulled her into the house. "Grandpa's been waiting for you."
"Ahahaha… Am I that late?" she weakly chuckled and check her watch.
"Geez~ Nee-chan, you're still working even when you have a day off."
"Ah, well we just got a new case. You know our department~."
"Grandpa was looking forward for today. He told us to wait until you came so we can eat dinner together," Masamune pursed his lips in a mock frown. Entering through the door, she slipped off her shoes.
"I'm home," she announced into the hallway.
"Welcome back," a reply came in front of her.
The elderly man in a gray kimono stood intensely with sharp eyes almost glaring down her figure.
"It's been a long time, Kasane."
"Grandfather, I'm sorry for visiting home now after all this time." She bowed. Kotetsu and Masamune hurried into the kitchen to prepare for dinner, leaving her with her guardian.
"Well, we still have plenty of time to talk. Come in." Promptly turning his back, he walked into the living room with soft, calculating steps. As usual, he strongly reminded her of Saitou-san and Tono-sama. Of course she would never tell that to the latter; he'll be mad if she compared him to an 'old man'.
"Yes."
Four years. Though she hadn't grown a centimeter since then, everything seemed to have changed. The paint was peeling in one corner, the creaking of the floor, the new shoes that were lined up near the entrance. Ah, there's the middle school graduation photo of Kotetsu and Masamune on the counter. That time she was in the hospital and couldn't make it in time… Oh dear, there was dust on the ceiling… Wait, no, don't think of cleaning now! The curtains changed. The tea cups were new. All these four years, she had missed all sorts of precious memories.
Not to mention, it's been six years since she properly hanged out with old friends and acquaintances. Everything revolved around her job now. Crime waited for no one, being a detective means to marry their job.
"Kasane, don't just stand around at the doorway."
"Ah, sorry."
Scooting up to the circular dining table at the floor, she sat at her grandfather's left side.
"Um, grandfather, what business do you have with me?"
He held up his hand and with an noble-like fashion and slipped his arms back into his sleeves.
"First let's eat. We talk afterwards."
Kasane meekly nodded.
"Ah, alright."
"O—Omiai?" Her jaw dropped. The twins also gaped. After eating dinner together like old times, they cleared all the plates. Masamune washed the dishes while Kotetsu prepared the tea. "But, that's impossible!"
"Kasane," her grandfather firmly breathed out, with a grim frown he looked at her and her brothers with stern eyes. She and her siblings snapped her mouth shut.
"I'm getting old Kasane. It won't be long before I will pass away. After I die, who will take care of you? There are no other relatives you can turn to. Kotetsu and Masamune would only have you to turn you after I am gone."
"However, I can't…"
"I have found several men that were willing to meet you after hearing your circumstances. They are willing to meet up with you in Nagoya anytime." Producing three folders from his haori, he handed them to her then, sliding them across the floor. Hesitantly, she looked at the three embroidered portfolios lined up in a row and followed her gaze back up to her grandfather.
It was true. He had aged greatly since her transfer. Though he still had a straight back and rigid posture, his movements were faintly slower than before.
Her job required long, and erratic shifts. The pay… wasn't that high either. In her apartment room, she only has a small foldable table and a futon. There were a few pictures she placed on the kitchen counter… in the cabinet were some bowls and utensils, a pot and pan, a rice cooker… She only bought things she was sure to use in her time at Nagoya. There were times when she was short on money to pay the rent. Especially when she went to the hospital three years ago… If her grandfather didn't back her up, she would surely be sleeping on the streets by now. He's probably still worried about that incident as well…
Kotetsu and Masamune had to go to college. Though they do now work part-time, their priority was to study, not worry about money. If he was to die, she would have to support them. They couldn't rely on Grandfather's savings all the time.
Kasane will turn 28 next year. She was no longer a child and there will be time when Grandfather will be gone from her life. The man who took care of her after her parent's died, the man who strictly brought her up the way she is now, will soon depart from her. The man whom she can turn to for comfort…
He was right. They had to secure for the future.
Considering her grandfather's order, she took one of the portfolios.
This was her grandfather after all, if the men he picked passed his preferences, surely they can't be all that bad… right?
Looking down at the neat embroidery of the folder, she traced her fingers at the pattern. What is listed in the three documents could be her future husband.
She only hoped that she wouldn't regret this sooner or later.
"Ikeda~ what time's Kamane coming back?"
Inuchiyo balanced himself on the swiveling chair. It was now 7 AM in the morning. Kasane wouldn't have taken the 5 AM flight. It's been four years since he had gone home after all. It would be cruel of them to have her return right away. Perhaps that's why Nobunaga grudgingly allowed her to come back in the late afternoon.
"She should be back before her 4 PM shift." he fixed his glasses and went back to the report. With Kasane's insight of the bike, they gathered a profile of the suspect. They still kept tabs with Akihara Miyo, but haven't approached her since. It wouldn't be good to have her and her daughter continually pressured. Still, the case was confusing. Something was missing, a third person… Or perhaps it's just one more person….
Hearing loud thudding noises down the hallway everyones' eyes in the office stopped their work turned to the door.
BAM!
"Kura~ you're gonna break the door~."
"SHUT UP! !" The white-haired man bellowed. Taking his chair in one hand, he roughly slumped into it and rubbed his head.
"Akihara Miyo and her daughter have a solid alibi." he growled. Inuchiyo frowned and furrowed his brow.
"Huh? How so?"
"The daughter's friend came up for testimony. They were watching the movie together when the murder happened…. Damn. Now what? She's now no longer qualified as the prime suspect."
"Back to square one?" Hanbei inquired as he passed by. The young high school prodigy of their department scanned over Ikeda's documents. "Don't you think you're looking at this incorrectly?"
"What?" Kuranosuke warningly glared at the short boy.
"I mean, maybe Akihira-san is could have been framed to look like she murdered her ex-husband. Or, she hired a close friend… or maybe even got help from a stranger who helped her murder the victim while she and her daughter perfected their alibi. For all we know, the crime scene is too calculative for a woman like her to do. I say this is a work of another person."
"And you think we haven't considered that!? Her neighbors!? Her freakn' old customers!? Her ex-coworkers!? I spent the whole night checking on all of their backgrounds. Nothing!"
Holding up his hands defensively he replied, "Like I said, maybe it's someone we don't expect—."
A ringtone interrupted him before Hanbei tried to calm Kuranosuke's rage.
"…What does that idiotic woman want now?"
May I see the layout of the apartment complex? There's something that's been bothering me…" -Kasane
"Why the apartment complex?" Inuchiyo pondered, tilting his head to the side. "Does she think the murder occurred from there?"
"Can't be… How can she move the body without being seen by her neighbors. For all I know, they haven't heard a thing on December 18th."
"… I'll send her the documents. Kuranosuke get some sleep. I will check the victim's past history."
"That's right, Narimasa-san. You should get some sleep, it's been two weeks since you properly rested." Hanbei encouraged the irritated man.
"Kura, you should listen to them. It's not good if you collapsed."
"Argh! Fine, fine. I'll listen to you guys." Scratching his head, he pushed himself off the chair. "You better find something when I wake up!"
"We will~" Inuchiyo reassured. He then turned to Ikeda and Hanbei. "Well. I'll be going to check up on the records. I might find something there."
"I should also go. I have to finish my report for my case. Good luck, Ikeda-san."
"…"
Which only left Ikeda at his desk. Well he had to send the document to her. What made Kasane worry about the apartment though?
…There will be plenty of time to talk about it when she comes back.
Sighing, he sent the photos to her.
7 AM
"Nee-chan? You're still reviewing your current case?"
Masamune placed a cup of coffee in front of her. "It's Christmas Eve now, plus it's a rare day off, you should rest."
"That's right, Kasane-chan!
"Ahahaha… Just that this case reminds me of something."
"What case?"
"Grandpa? / Grandfather!"
The old man entered the living room.
"What is this case about?"
"Eh? Oh… Well my colleagues are currently investigating a murder…. A rather strange one…"
"How so?"
He folded his arms under his sleeves and sat regally into the cushion. Kasane straightened her back, a habit of hers when she spoke something important to him.
"Well, the suspect's actions are strange. It's as if the whole crime is a disguise of something…"
"A disguise? Why do you think so?"
Kasane looked up from her clenched hands. She glanced up at Masamune who nodded and left the room. Turning her attention to her phone, that vibrated, she quickly checked the contents before grimly setting it down.
"According to all the documents I've received, the body was found in a park close to a baseball field. The coach found the body when he was getting out the club supplies. The victim was strangled to death by a certain type of twisted kotatsu cord around 6-10 PM. The murderer proceeded to burn the victim's clothes, hands, and feet, then smashed the victim's face with a blunt object. Though the suspect did burn the clothes, traces of the cloth still remained… The stolen bicycle that was disposed near the body still had the victim's fingerprints on it. A few days after the murder, the police department received a theft report from a small hotel where the victim stayed. From there, they were able to match the fingerprints on the bicycle to the fingerprints found in the room and match the fibers from the scene to those found at the room. That is all the informations I have about the case right now."
Kasane breathed out while her grandfather gravely nodded. He too was part of the police force before retiring to teach iaido.
"I see. The bicycle and the burnt clothes is what got you."
Hearing that, she ferociously nodded. "As I thought, Grandfather…. You found it strange too."
"However, that's not all, is it?" His sharp eyes still fixed on her, urging her to tell him more.
"…No… There is… one suspect we have in mind.…"
"Who?"
"The victim's ex-wife. For roughly five years she and her daughter hid from him until this incident. Though she is out prime suspect, she has an alibi, a really solid one… However, something feels off about it. It's like…" Kasane scrunched up her face in great thought and crossed her arms. "...she planned this beforehand or… was at two places at the same time. But that's impossible isn't it?" Kasane rubbed the back of her head and sheepishly laughed.
Her grandfather snorted and sipped his tea. "Kasane, don't try to assume things like that. Do you think she murdered the victim at the crime scene?"
Kasane furrowed her brow and stiffened her back. Opening and closing her eyes, she went deep into thought. Could this woman, with a perfect alibi, murder this man? She tried to imagine the scenario. A woman with a child managed to lead her ex-husband away from the apartment and strangled him to death. Why that place? How could she have gotten the upper hand? Was she really the one who could have the sensible thought to burn the clothes, but then leave the new bicycle unattended and then make up a perfect alibi at the same time? No. That's not possible it was too consistent for one person to do all that. Someone had to help her.
"…I… don't know." She shook her head.
"Oh? And why's that?" He frowned.
"I don't think she murdered the suspect… But I'm sure she's part of this… Somehow… but I think… the murderer is someone else. Like... a mystery variable in an equation. There's that one person who hasn't revealed themselves into this case."
"…" With a serious gleam in his eyes, Kasane's grandfather sighed. "I see… I have the same suspicions. There is indeed still a missing link: a Suspect X. Finding him could be your only chance in solving this case."
"Him?"
"In these sort of cases, 90% of the time, there will be another man involved. As long as you stay in the Criminal Investigation Bureau, you will start noticing these more in time, Kasane."
"No… it's just that… I think you've confirmed my suspicions." Her eyes trailed down to her phone. He followed her gazed and after a period of silence and contemplation nodded his head solemnly.
"…Well then, there's no time to lose."
Knowing this was farewell, she bowed. "I will see you when I have time again."
Gathering her belongings, she bid the twins a hasty farewell and left her house without another glance.
2 PM
"…"
"…Katsusaburou? Oi~, Katsusaburou… Why aren't you listening to me?" Nouhime waved her hand across the man's blank face.
"I was listening," he exhaled softly.
"Then what did I just say?"
"…."
"See? Why are you out of it today? Kasane should be back soon. You don't need to check your phone or the door every five seconds."
"…"
"Come on, don't give me that look. You made lists of errors on your Rose Incident report. You better explain this passage better… I know you're tied up in the current case, but we're all on the same boat. The faster you help me here, the faster we can proceed in our respective cases."
"…I apologize…" He promptly bowed.
Kasane was hardly late for anything. If she were to return to work by 4:15, she would promptly come 15 minutes before. Same if it was 2: 00 or 12: 34 or any other bizarre time. Especially when Nobunaga orders her so. Turning his head towards their commander, he wondered how the man wasn't irritated by Kasane's tardiness. Or maybe he was just hiding it. Judging by his behavior, he seemed to be in a better mood. They infiltrated mafia and gangster dens earlier and found nothing. After using all of the people in the building for this case alone, they lost precious time on their main work.
"Katsusaburou! Come on, snap out of it. We really need to—"
"I'm sorry I'm late, Ikeda-san!"
He felt a familiar presence at his left side. Turning his head he came face to face with the partner he had for three months.
"Kasane! When did you come back?" Nouhime smiled.
"Ah, I came back at 9 AM… Sorry, I didn't bring back any souvenirs right now…. I came back early to check up on some things about the case." she turned to Ikeda and bowed. "I'm sorry for all the inconvenience I imposed on you."
"That's fine… Putting that aside, you went to check on the suspect?" Nouhime inquired her sister-like figure.
"Ah, no… Not Akihara-san…." Kasane shook her head. "It's… someone else."
"Who?" Ikeda glanced down at her. His partner's face twisted into a sad and painful expression. As if she couldn't tell him or as if she was unsure about telling him. With a sigh he turned to the door. "Let's go."
"Ah, yes!"
"Katsusaburou! We weren't finished yet!"
Nouhime heaved a sigh and gave an exasperated laugh. "Well, look's like Kasane found something once more, Nobunaga."
"Hmph. After a break, it's obvious she should make up for lost time." She heard his low voice snort out a reply behind the piles of paperwork. His narrowed crimson eyes were directed to the documents before him, but she knew he stole a peek at their returnee. With a small, soft chuckle, she tapped the table with her pen.
"So you knew she was coming late."
"She sent me a message."
"Hm~." She hummed. Admit it, you missed her when she was gone… is something she wanted to say, but she didn't say that out loud. Nobunaga wasn't an honest guy after all… Besides, her shift would end soon, it's best if she avoids to direct any snide remarks to him until her break is over.
Well now that Kasane is back, everything will turn all right for them in the end.
"Sorry, Ikeda-san, I need to check this one place. In the meantime, could you check Ishigami-san's school for me?"
"Ishigami Kazuhiko?" Ikeda frowned. "Akihara's neighbor? Do you think he's our suspect?"
"I'm… not entirely certain…" she sheepishly ruffled her head. "I'm still trying to piece things together… Um… I'm counting on you! I'll see you at 4!" Kasane ran off, leaving Ikeda all alone once more.
In the end, he couldn't find out why she wanted to investigate Akihara's neighbor. For all they know, that man was curt, prompt and unsociable. Even if he was to murder Shindo Masashi, how was he related to Akihira Miyo? The motive? Love? Devotion? Lust? In the first place, how did she suspect him in the first place? With a deep sigh, he hurried over to Ishigami's school. Even during Christmas, the school should be open. After all, he worked at an elite private school. Teachers would often meet up to plan the next semester beforehand. Getting to the files may take some time, but with a push here and there, they will provide all the intel he needs.
Ikeda quickened his pace, it was getting cold. It might snow tonight.
Pulling his coat closer together, he checked the closed gate. Kasane said she called the school, so they should be expecting him…
"Detective Ikeda?"
An elderly man in a black suit greeted him behind the bars of the school. Ikeda wordlessly nodded, and the man opened the gate, sliding it just enough for Ikeda to slip in.
"I am the principal, Suzuki Takeru, please come this way."
Walking in the empty courtyard to the brightly light office of the principal, Ikeda was handed the teacher's attendance booklet.
"I do not know why you would want to investigate one of our teachers, but it's best if you don't announce this to the public. We don't want to denounce our school."
In his mind, he rolled his eyes. Of course the school would worry about its image. He flipped through the pages. Ishigami Kazuhiko. A rather uncommon name, he was able to spot his name right away. December 18th… 19th… he was absent. But… he was always absent once a month. However, this month he was absent for two days in a row. Strange, probably coincidental, but still...
"Tell me, why is Ishigami-san absent once a month?"
"Ishigami-kun? Ah, he usually stays up at night doing research so he is absent once a month. On the 19th, though, he called in sick."
"Sick?"
"Yes, is that strange?"
The old man worriedly looked up from the book.
"…" Ikeda forced a professional smile on his face. "No, of course not."
5:45 PM
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Kuranosuke grumbled. "I thought the idiot woman came back already. What do you mean she left after looking at the booklet?"
"It's possible that she went to check on Akihara-san."
"Ha? I thought she was tailing that Ishigami guy."
"Kusanagi-san still hasn't seen her, she must have wanted to come to her own conclusions if she meets that family."
"Still that's—"
"Oi! Kura! Big news!" Inuchiyo hurried over to them.
"What is it, idiot dog?" Kuranosuke turned to his taller partner.
"A guy claiming to be the culprit of this case, turned himself in!"
"What? / HA!? Say what!?"
Ikeda widened his eyes while Kuranosuke gaped.
"Identity? Who is it?" he demanded Inuchiyo to speak.
"It's… Inugami Kazuhiko… Akihara's neighbor." Inuchiyo reported.
"Wait… what? So… that idiot woman was on the right track?"
"Is he an accomplice of Akihara Miyo?" Ikeda inquired.
Inuchiyo looked puzzled at them both and shook his head. "He's not saying her helped her. He claims to have killed Shindo himself!"
"But that's…" Kuranosuke hand ran through his hair. His tired eyes widened with shock."It doesn't… That can't be."
"…" Ikeda glanced at the copy of the booklet in his hands.
After meeting up with Kasane, they went out to discuss about the case in a nearby cafe. She had told him of her suspicions of Ishigami then.
"The truth is, I know Ishigami-san" Kasane crumbled the napkin. Looking down at the table, she carefully pulled her coffee cup away from the edge. "He was my high school math teacher in Hokkaido. I only knew him for one year, but he has taught me many things before he left the school for a research group…" She trailed off, as if reluctant to tell him this tale.
Ikeda patiently prompted her, "Such as?"
"Well certainly not much about math. I am still not skillful in mathematics. However, he taught me several tricks… you can call it. After he heard I was planning to be a detective… Ishigami-sensei provided a calculation of creating a perfect murder and analogies and such…"
"Then he is?"
Kasane slowly shook her head.
"…Ikeda-san… What I have to say right now… Can you keep it a secret from the others for now?"
With those chestnut eyes staring at him like that, he had not the heart to decline.
" It's likely that Akihara Miyo-san murdered Shindo Masashi. And, as of now, I don't believe Ishigami-sensei is directly involved in the murder."
"Not directly?"
"It's possible that Shindo-san was already murdered by the time Ishigami-sensei found out about him."
"How sure are you about this?" Ikeda placed his empty cup back into its saucer. Kasane took in a deep breath.
"If Akihara-san sought help from Ishigami-sensei before the murder, he would've came up with another solution. He would never have resolved to murder. He wouldn't do such a foolish thing. If Ishigami-sensei discovered the body after the murder, he would either conceal it or find a way to divert the attention of the police. He would create an alibi for Akihara-san and instruct her when and how to release new evidence and how to respond to the police."
Ikeda remembered Kuranosuke's confusion with the series of evidence that came… the tickets… the receipt… the pamphlet, the witness… Now that he really thought of it, it did seem like someone was instructing her to do something. However, this still couldn't break her perfect alibi. So everything was his calculated moves?
"When did you realize this was the work of your teacher?"
"…I had a hunch since I saw the bike… and the list of the neighbors confirmed my suspicions."
"Are you sure the bike and the clothes weren't a mistake on his part?"
She furiously shook her head. "Ishigami-sensei wouldn't make such mistakes."
"He may be good at math, but that doesn't make him a professional murderer."
"…" Her eyes averted his gaze. "This morning right after I got back, I happened to meet him on his way to his apartment. He told me… he won't be climbing mountains for a while…"
"Mountains?"
Kasane nodded. "It might be because he's too busy to climb them due to his job. However, it's just that… It felt so much like a farewell…"
In the end, he couldn't pry too much on her short conversation with her old teacher. Right after he showed her the booklet, she left in a hurry. It seemed much too private to have to her say to him. If he were Nobunaga, she might have recited everything word by word. But he wasn't him.
Ikeda rubbed his head, watching the interrogation of Ishigami and Kuranosuke behind the one-way mirror with Inuchiyo, Koheita, and Shinsuke.
"I met Shindo on December 18 at about 7 AM," the black-haired man duly reported. "That man was wandering around my apartment when I got home. I immediately knew he was Akihara Miyo's ex-husband."
"How did you know it was him?"
"I had known she had been running from him." Ishigami shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I started a conversation with Shindo. I told him that Akihara Miyo no longer lived at this apartment, that she moved near Oomori Park. I handed him a note with a fake address to lure him somewhere out of sight."
"Hold a second," Kuranosuke snapped his notebook shut and crossed his arms. "You decided to kill Shindo when you first met him?"
Without skipping a beat, Ishigami blankly replied, "Of course. I strangled him to death with a kotatsu cord. To make sure he couldn't be easily identified, I covered his face with a plastic sheet and smashed it with a rock and burned his fingers and feet with a burner. I cut up his clothes with a knife and burned them in an oil can I found lying around." Ishigami paused looking up into room as if trying to remember something. "...I returned to my apartment after midnight. The kotatsu cord, burner, and knife are all in my room."
"Does that woman know about this?" Kuranosuke narrowed his eyes. Unfazed by Kuranosuke's intimidating remarks Ishigami's features remained still as if bored and tired.
"She doesn't know anything. I can't have her saying something that would cause the police to suspect me. I've had absolutely no contact with her."
"How did you contact her until then?"
"I listened to her voice through a mic in the wall."
"Mic?" He tilted his head. Ikeda and the others thought the small way. Isn't that something that a classic stalker would do?
"She pretends to talk to her daughter, but she's actually sending me secret message."
"He's a textbook stalker isn't he?" Koheita murmured to Shinsuke. The latter nodded. In the interrogation room, Kuranosuke placed his elbows on the table with his hands clasped tightly together.
"Why did you turn yourself in?"
Ishigami paused and lowered his eyes. "Because that woman betrayed me."
By 8 PM, the case was closed. After confirming Akihara Miyo on her stalker, they review the threat letters that were given by an anonymous 'admirer'. They had gotten all the evidence found in Ishigami's messy apartment room and the secret mic in the wall. They collected all the evidence, locking it into a box for later use.
This case was closed.
Inuchiyo and the others knew this already.
Kasane still hasn't come back this entire time. No matter how many times they messaged her or called her, she wouldn't answer. Hanbei tried searching for her at her apartment, but she wasn't there.
Where was she?
"Kura~ I'm going to look for Kayane~!" Inuchiyo announced. His paperwork was finished, he had nothing to do. Tomorrow they will escort Ishigami to court less than twelve hours.
"Do whatever you want. I'm going home." his partner for this case snapped.
"Kay~." He hopped into out of his chair. Ikeda was probably reporting everything to the Chief. Gorouza was back home, most likely sleeping. Koheita and Shinsuke were filing documents somewhere. Noting each one in the file at the back of his mind, Inuchiyo skipped out of the office and down the hallway.
Out of everyone in the department, he worked with Kasane the longest. And that gave him the most advantages when noticing her behavioral patterns. You see, what most people didn't know, was that she often loitered around a certain bar during nights like these… Or that's what his memory files said.
Let's see… when you exit the police department and turn right… go straight for two blocks then turn left… after that go through the open mall and turn left. Go into the alleyway to find the bar called Atsuta.
Opening the door, he found her sitting at the counter, playing with her glass of beer.
"Found you Katane!" He beamed. Kasane jumped and turned to his voice.
"Inuchiyo-san!? Why are you here?"
"Everyone was worried. Since Karane didn't come back. The case is over you know~?" Inuchiyo took a seat next to her. "Ojii-san, one small beer please!"
The bartender nodded and handed him his order.
"What's the long face, Kayane? It's not like you."
"Eh? Ah… sorry. I'm kind of in shock at the moment." Kasane dejectedly sighed. "I had too many surprises in the last two days."
"Hm?"
"Ahahahah… that's more or less my problem though. As for this case, I have to say this is the most tiring one yet."
"Kamane, we're friends. Friends shouldn't hide things from each other." Inuchiyo firmly scolded, puffing out his cheeks. Kasane forcefully laughed then quieted down. He waited.
"Inuchiyo-san, Ishigami-sensei was lying to you…."
"Hm? But everything fits into place. He's our murderer."
"However finding the truth of the matter, won't make anyone happy."
"…" Without another word, he glanced down at her small form. The usual Kasane was bright and optimistic. She was one who would always do her best no matter what. He didn't like this Kasane. This Kasane looked older, more sullen as if she were a lifeless doll.
He heard from Ikeda that Ishigami was Kasane's teacher from high school. Was she depressed from that? Or was it something else that bothered her?
"Kabane… What were you doing? Chief wasn't very happy that you disappeared."
"Ah, I forgot to report to him…" Kasane slapped her hand to her face, now dreading the time she will have to face Nobunaga. "I had to investigate the homeless."
Inuchiyo tilted his head. "The homeless? Why?"
"…" Kasane's mouth wavered and she gulped down her drink. With the way she shook her head, Inuchiyo knew she wouldn't answer his question. Not yet. "Inuchiyo-san, could you… let me handle the rest of this case? I want to talk to Ishigami-sensei one more time."
"Eh, but Chief isn't going to accept that. Plus we need to transfer Ishigami to the detention center tomorrow morning."
"I'll be the one who'll convince Tono-sama! Even if he docks my pay or dumps me with endless paperwork, I will meet Ishigami-sensei one last time. So please, Inuchiyo-san, convince everyone else to let me finish this case."
Her eyes weren't bright, her voice wasn't brisk or clear with optimism. What in the world is going on? Nevertheless, Inuchiyo patted her back and smiled reassuringly.
"Whatever happens, I'll be at your side, Kagame!"
"Mou… Inuchiyo-san, my name is Kasane."
It was 3:30 AM when Gorouza left his apartment. After his evening shift, he went home and slept without eating anything. An unhealthy habit, but it was to be expected with all the bodies and pieces of evidences that rushed in during the week. He heard from Hanbei that Kuranosuke and the others finished up their case last night. Stretching out his arms, he breathed in the frosty air.
Judging from the white sheet of snow on the ground, yesterday was a white Christmas. He softly chuckled. Many children must have been happy to open their presents that time. He smiled and hummed a small tune. Hopefully his little sister and older brother were happy with their presents.
Crossing the bridge, he normally took to go to work, Gorouza spotted a familiar girl sitting at a bench next to the river. If it weren't for the sudden urge to turn his head at the right moment, he would have missed her.
"That's… Kasane-san?"
Before he could call out to her, he saw another woman sitting next to Kasane. A beauty like Nouhime, but more slender and delicate. She looked as if the wind could easily blow her away. There's no mistake, that woman was Akihara Miyo. The main suspect of Kuranosuke these past three days. Ignoring the time and keeping his distance safely from the pair, he listened in to their conversation.
Why was Kasane talking to her? Surely Akihara-san would have already been notified that this case is over. And there was no need to call her out this early in the morning.
"—You alibi must have been the truth. On the night of December 18th, you and your daughter really saw a movie. You weren't lying about that."
"That's correct," the delicate lady softly confirmed. Her head was bowed lowly compared to Kasane's straight form.
"That's why you could endure the police's interrogation…" Akihara meekly nodded while Kasane paused. With a shaky breath she continued, "But you must have wondered, why did you have no reason to lie?"
Hm? What was she talking about? Gorouza furrowed his brow. No reason to lie?
"Why did the police keep asking about December 18th?" Kasane paused, still looking into the dark reflection of the river. "Because… the day you killed Shindo Masashi was the previous day, December 17th. Akihara's head snapped up and Gorouza's eyes widened with shock.
That can't be true! Shindo Masashi died on December 18th. That was no mistake. No matter how much you try to preserve the body to delay its decomposition, there was no way to trick the autopsy department, and he was the one who personally checked that body. However, Kasane seemed to be hinting something else.
"And that's how Ishigami-sensei…" Akihira turned to her gaze to meet Kasane's. "…in order to protect you and your daughter… paid the ultimate price without your knowledge."
With that, Kasane stood up and straightened her brown coat. Bowing deeply to the woman, she then left Akihara all to herself.
The woman remained at the spot, unmoving as if in shock. Then, with trembling legs, she too left the scene.
Meanwhile Gorouza followed after his colleague. He thought of calling after her, but with that serious and grim face, he could not. There were only a few selected times when he saw that face. For now, let's keep that conversation to himself for now, he concluded. Kasane had her reasons, she proved that during her four years here in Nagoya. With a sigh, he watched the white puff of mist float into the sky. Until the case is truly over, there will be time to properly hear everything.
"Wait here, idiot woman. We'll bring him to you."
"Ah, thank you, Kuranosuke-san." Kasane took a seat in the gray room. "I really appreciate this."
"…Don't take too long. We have to send him to the detention center in thirty minutes."
He slammed the door and stormed off.
Twiddling her thumbs, she looked out of the window across the room. There she could see the thin light of the morning sun peeking through the blinds.
Ten years was a long enough time to change a person. She certainly wasn't the same person as her 17 year old self. Surely it was the same for Ishigami-sensei.
The teacher she knew would never put anyone before his research. He would never break the rules. He would never waste his potential away like this. Stalking? Impossible. Murder? Impossible. If this was ten years ago, he would never have done that.
However, this was the present, not the past.
Things have changed since then. She didn't even know what he went through for the past ten years.
Hearing a soft taps, on the door, Kasane snapped out of her thoughts. Out of all the people in the department, Inuchiyo was the only one that tapped on the door more than three times. Feeling the rush of air as the door opened, she apologized without turning her head. "I'm sorry for this."
"Don't worry about it. Get in."
With a shuffling of feet, she saw her teacher take a seat in front of her. Only a small white table divided them. The door closed.
Her teacher studied her face with a mildly surprised look. For a few moments they sat in silence.
"This is what you meant… when you said you'd never climb again."
Ishigami lowered his gaze and softly said, "So you were working for this department. You've come a long way, Kusanagi."
"…Let's finish up our conversation from before." Kasane stared at the slouching, meek form of her ex-teacher. "The one who murdered Shindo Masashi was Akihara Miyo."
Ishigami looked up slightly as if to disprove her statement, but noticing her determined gaze, lowered it once more.
"The location of the murder was her apartment. You noticed it from the noise. It was that time when you then decided to help cover up the crime. But if the body was found, the police would definitely visit them. It is unlikely that they could keep up the act forever. And that's where you devised a plan…"
At his avoiding gaze, she took a deep breath and continued. "Prepare another body and make it seem like Shindo Masashi. The body found in Oomori Park was a total stranger. In order to protect them, you committed another murder."
Ishigami made no facial expression. His face gaze uninterestingly turned to the space behind her.
"The person you killed… was an existence nobody would notice if he's gone missing. From there, I knew it had to be one of the homeless people around this area. Someone who wasn't acquainted to that life yet. Someone who you could easily use for your plan. After bribing him with a potential job, you gave him the apartment key you took from the real Shindo Masashi and made him stay there until evening. Your objective was to leave that man's hair and fingerprints in the room where Shindo Masashi rented. He changed into Shindo Masashi's clothes at night and met up with you. Using the bike you stole, he rode to Oomori Park. And then you… killed him."
Ishigami didn't even blink. By this time, Kasane felt her hands shake. It was hard for her to continue like this. She wanted to scream, to cry, to ask what went wrong. What she wanted wasn't acceptance, but answers. She hoped she was wrong; that this was some sort of lie. A bad dream. Say something! Look at me! Don't just sit there!
"To make the police think it was Shindo Masashi, you smashed his face and burned his fingerprints because you had to stay consistent with the murderer's motives. You left the fingerprints on the bike and left pieces of the burnt clothes behind on purpose so that they can match with the evidence left at the inn. What the police thought were the mistakes by the murderer were all your calculated actions. And then, you intentionally made an alibi that's too good to be true to have the police focus on Akihara Miyo. However, the police can't possible discredit her alibi. Why? Because she had absolutely nothing to do with the body found in Oomori Park."
Kasane could hear the muffled sounds of disbelief behind the door.
" 'A quadratic problem disguised in a geometric question. Just a bunch of simple trick questions.' you used the same logic here. You made it seem like an alibi trick when it was actually the switching of the bodies. You disposed Shindo Masashi's body at the same time as the murder of the homeless person. Most likely, you cut him up to pieces and threw the cut parts somewhere. This explains why you were absent two days in a row…... This is the truth behind this case."
Finally Ishigami spoke. Without breaking his deadpan expression, he commented, "Truly amusing." He at last returned her trembling gaze to his steady, distant ones. "You are free to hypothesize all you like."
Kasane leaned forward, placing her clasped hands on the table.
"There is one other reason for your trick. If you simply wanted to turn yourself in to the police instead of Akihara Miyo, even you would succumb to pressure and unconsciously spill out the truth. But, if you really did kill someone… you can insist on your crime…. So you can protect the person you love."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" He scoffed at her declaration.
"Ishigami." Kasane firmly cut in, eyes glistening from holding back tears. His expressionless face turned to mild surprise at her outburst. "You turned a completely innocent man into a gear in your clock. In order to protect the person you love, you took another life."
"Let's stop this. We're done. We've talked enough." He stood up and shuffled to the door.
"I told her!"
Ishigami halted he looked down at his former student's thin frame. Her eyes glazed wet with incoming tears.
"I told her everything."
There was a paused and in that interval she saw his face turn from disbelief to grief and finally acceptance. He formed a tiny, sad smile and with a quiet voice, "Even if another body was found… my trial would be over by then. If I don't appeal after the first verdict… it's the end of the Shindo Masashi murder case."
What Kasane to do was to retort back, but no words came out. He was right. Her shoulders slumped down in defeat.
"It's a shame… that you wasted your brilliant mind for such a pitiful purpose."
Without another word or a pause in his steps, he left the room. Her head bowed down in frustration.
Just when did things go wrong?
The murder of the real Shingo Masashi?
His devotion to the Akihara family?
Just what made him care so much toward that family?
Love. It was unconditional love that pushed him to protect the happiness of that family.
Akihara Miyo was indeed a pure woman. She possibly only wanted to hide from her ex-husband, to start a life without the man who gambled away her life savings and abused her daughter.
It's highly possible Shindo Masahi's death was purely due to self-defense.
It wasn't planned. But either way it would still be murder.
If there was a way to prove that Akihara's actions were due to self-defense, her teacher would have found a way to help her. However, looks like it was impossible.
Hide it all you want, no matter what, the truth will eventually come out and no one will gain happiness. The gentle mother and her young daughter will have to live through the guilt.
The unbearable guilt of sending their savior to a life behind bars.
The footsteps in the corridor had long since disappeared. Ishigami was probably in the car by now. There was nothing else she could do.
Preparing to leave the room, she wasn't able to scoot her chair when she heard a loud wail.
The painful cries rang out through the empty corridor. Mixed into through those heartbreaking, animal-like cries where a woman's soft sobs. Akihara Miyo's voice.
'I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!'
Her voice repeated over and over again. The howls of Ishigami grew wilder and louder until it disappeared in the vehicle. The woman's sobbing, apologizing voice remained.
Giving up, she pushed her face into her hands and felt warm tears flow down her face. Finding out the truth, that was their jobs as detectives. But the outcome never meant that it would always be a happy one.
Minutes later the commotion turned to still silence. With eyes still wet with tears, Kasane stared blankly at her hands. The door opened once more and careful steps clicked into the room. She heard the chair scrap. A few seconds later, she heard the sound of someone slumping into it.
The person in front of her said nothing at first.
"What are you crying for? You wanted this, didn't you?"
A deep voice echoed the room. It was definitely the Chief. He came to check the results, she presumed.
"The case is over. There's nothing we can do about the outcome. Wipe your tears, it doesn't suit you."
Kasane scrubbed her eyes with her sleeve and sniffed, but the tears wouldn't stop.
"We had many cases like this in the past. Just because he was your precious teacher, doesn't make it different than the others. Move on." he commanded. Kasane lowered her eyes, silent in thought.
"… If Ishigami-sensei lived his entire life without ever knowing love, he would have never committed murder… Yet he was capable of loving someone this deeply."
"…"
"Akihara Miyo and her daughter is what kept him alive."
"…"
Nobunaga frowned and exasperatedly exhaled. Crying girls always irritated him. The main problem being that he had no clue who to comfort them. However, this didn't mean he was completely heartless.
"Stop crying," he ordered.
"I… can't," she furiously wiped her tears.
"…" He closed his eyes and sighed.
"There's nothing you could have done. We cannot change the past, the only things we have to do is find the truth, no matter what the cost. You did well today, Kusanagi Kasane. Do not accuse yourself for something you had no control of."
With a rough ruffle on her head, he leaned her closer to him as an attempt to comfort her.
He felt her head nod.
"Kaname… your eyes are really red."
"Ahahaha… sorry about that…." Kasane rubbed the back of her head. "I couldn't control my emotions. I'm sorry for all the trouble." She nodded her head, chuckling weakly at her coworkers.
"Kasane-san. It's okay to cry. He was your high school teacher after all." Gorouza poured tea for her. She accepted it and tapped her pen on the document. "It must have been a big shock for you."
"Ah… yes, it was." Her attention turned to her hands. "He was the one, other than my grandfather, who first taught me criminology. I owe most of my skills from him…"
"Hmph. But you didn't get his brains."
"Kuranosuke! You don't need to say it like that!" Gorouza scolded. He shook his head condescendingly to the white-haired detective who was leaning against the wall.
"Apologize! Kura!" Inuchiyo followed up. Kasane shook her head.
"No, Ishigami-sensei was a genius. I have never seen anyone else calculate as fast as him. And truthfully I never understood his lessons either…"
"Seriously? And what's a genius teaching at a high school? Shouldn't he be doing a lot more serious stuff?"
"…He moved to Germany to do research there afterwards… The school told me, he was handpicked…" she sulkily pouted. It's not like she could keep contact with him after he went off to a foreign country. And she couldn't help the fact that she wasn't smart.
"The heck? Then why did he come back here? You'd think he'd be smart enough to stay there."
"I'm actually curious as well," a voice intervene into the conversation.
"Ikeda-san!"
Entering the room, he seated himself at the couch next to Inuchiyo and accepted the cup of tea from Gorouza. Looks like the confession of Akihara Miyo had just finished.
"Do you know why, Kasane-san?"
"…He told me he had to take care of his parents… And when they passed away, he decided to take offers only in Japan."
"Surprisingly, that's a quite a normal reason," Gorouza commented.
"Ah! Katane, you didn't tell me why you were looking at the homeless that time. Just how did you figure that out?"
Kasane widened her eyes, "Ah… that…. 10 years ago when I happened to take a walk with Ishigami-sensei, we passed by a group of homeless people living near a river. Just then he told me, 'They live precisely like clockwork.' At that time, I didn't understand his words. However now, I realized what he meant was 'Even those homeless people can fulfill a role for a greater purpose like gears making a clock function'. So after I saw him, everything sort of clicked." She rubbed the back of her head, laughing sheepishly into the air.
"That still doesn't explain how you knew there was a second body."
Kasane paused then nodded thoughtfully and explained, "Before I graduated, he told me how he made his tests. By making an assumption, he was able to trick students into solving the problem incorrectly. By taking the time to find your mistakes, to find the disguise, will you be able to solve it correctly. We assumed that we found Shindo-san's fingerprints because of the bike and the room. So as a result, we assumed Akihara-san had a hole in her alibi… but we never thought that another body was prepared. If another body was prepared, it had to be someone whose existence didn't matter to this world."
"But the homeless here have really tight communities. Even they would have reports of someone who suddenly went missing." Ikeda said.
"But what if that person just became homeless?" Kasane offered back.
"So you mean?"
Kasane nodded.
"After checking all the homeless communities, I was able to find one where one of their newcomers left on the 18th. The man's name was Kanzaki Shin. He recently lost his job and was kicked out of his apartment. The leader of the community said that he was rather reluctant to help work with them due to his pride as a former business man. They saw him take an offer from someone, and he was never seen again."
"That's why you were late." Kuranosuke heaved a heavy sigh. "Geez, you should've called us to help you."
"But I was sure everyone had something to do! Besides, I was free so it was fine—"
"Idiot. What I'm saying is, you that you should at least tell us everything beforehand so we could help you! We can't do anything if you don't ask! We could have avoided the last few hours of drama and-!"
"Ah, Kura's blushing."
"Oh, you're right." Gorouza chuckled.
"SHUT UP!"
Inuchiyo and Gorouza laughed while Kasane softly smiled.
"…"
Ikeda silently watched in the background. This case took a rather big emotional toll on Kasane. But he knew that optimistic smile will eventually return to her face. And soon enough she will return to the field in her usual way. She will never forget, but she will learn to move on as they have all done in the past.
Just another usual day at the Shin Nagoya Metropolitan Police Department.
Case of Suspect X was now officially closed.
TBC?
Hmm I'm not quite satisfied with it, but I guess considering that English is one of my weak points, it will do for now. I believe will continue this... or at least write a proper conclusion... or write multiple side stories about this AU. You see, I'm horrible at writing long stories, trust me I tried many times and I never finished. Ahahaha (^v^;).
Hopefully I made this story fun and enjoyable to read and I especially hope everyone was in character.
Let's see... Some fun facts. The title means Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven, which is actually known as the legendary Japanese Sword and of the three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It is known by it's popular name: Kusanagi no Tsurugi. It's funny how the Kusanagi family, except Kasane, are named after famous swords.
The Atsuta Shrine, not the bar, is located in Nagoya and it is known to house this sword, though it is not available for public display, so its existence cannot be confirmed. Apparently Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the Tokugawas also contributed in donations to maintain the shrine.
I suggest you read the book (there's an English version) and watch the movie: Devotion of Suspect X. It's really good!