Dead Silence
A/U: This is a continuation of my previous story Dead Attractive. Many people wanted more to that story but I honestly felt that the case was over; therefore the only way to give more is to do what the original series does, start a new case.
Chapter one:
The case began as most cases do with a person entering the office. She was petite with dark brown hair cut to the middle of her back. Her dress was plain but tailored, well washed and well used. She looked tired and her eyes had dark rings that aged her face. She bowed upon entering and inquired if there was someone she could talk to with regards to her case. Naru had been in the office with me when she had stepped in.
"You may join me on the couch. Let me get my other assistant to take notes. Mai, tea."
"Hai!"
Everyone was settled around the couch when I came back with the hot tea. I poured and then sat down with a cup.
"Arigato for listening to my story, you see I run a boarding school for young women, ages 12-18. We have always had our scary stories." She smiled faintly. "But recently it has escalated to more than girls scaring each other and playing pranks." Here she frowned, eyebrows drawn in concentration. "It has become more in that the girls have begun to show bruising hand prints on their arms, and more alarming on their necks. Last week a girl was late for class; we searched all the rooms only to find her in her own closet, strangled so that she was unconscious but thankfully not dead. She has gone home to recuperate." She sighed, looked up at us and asked pleadingly. "I need your help, we are not a large school and I don't know how to handle this. It is beyond my learned abilities, but not yours please help me!"
Naru seemed to consider her before turning to Lin, "We will need to get our equipment packed." Then Naru turned to me. "Are you ready for a new case?"
I was surprised that he felt the need to ask me that. But then again my last case a month ago had left me in the hospital for two weeks. The exhaustion was still lingering, or at least that was the excuse I gave when I was late yet again. I looked at the lady who needed our help.
"Hai, I am ready!" I said with a large smile for Naru.
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I was surprised to learn that the school was quite close only an hour away from the office. It was decided that because of the proximity to everyone's homes only Lin, Naru and myself would actually be required to stay at the school. Everyone else would come during the day (or night) as needed. Naru wanted to scope out the place, I guess.
The school was gorgeous with an old world Japanese feel. The gardens were perfect examples of Japanese school of thought into how a garden was suppose to interact with the house. In that there wasn't a separation but to have continuation so that the outside was inside and the inside outside. When we got there the mistress of the school Montai Minoka showed us to an empty room.
"Please use this as your base. We have cleared it out for you use and moved the two girls who had occupied this room into another's. I am going to have to leave you on your own now. I need to attend to other duties. All of the teachers know why you are here and I am sure all the girls do as well. You are free to go anywhere or put equipment up anywhere you deem appropriate. If you need to do so in a girl's room please let me know so that I might inform them and ask if they would like to move for privacy reasons. Good day and thank you for coming so promptly."
Lin and I got to work bringing in equipment. Naru helped at first but then concentrated on getting the brought in equipment set up in the room. Last I brought in our overnight bags and sleeping futons. I was a little unnerved that I would have to sleep in the same room as Lin and Naru but at least I wasn't alone with either of them!
Bou-san and Ayako arrived just as we were done with the base. Lucky bastards!
"Bou-san, Ayako accompany Mai around the campus and take temperature readings in every room and put cameras up in all corridors and classrooms. "
I wilted at his words. What more work! Where was lunch?? My stomach growled loudly at the thought. Suddenly I was aware that everyone had paused to look at me. "What!? I am hungry!"
Naru shook he head at me, and looked at Lin, "Lets' go and get food and meet some of the students."
Bou-san and I were chatting down the hall, loud and happy, Ayako next to me making sarcastic comments. Naru and Lin were in front leading the way. Suddenly I felt a cool breeze lift the hair on my neck. I turned in mid sentence from some cutting comment to Bou-san.
A girl was cowering at the end of the hall. Her head was down and arms wrapped around her legs. She was rocking back a forth. A strange moaning or whoosh of air was coming from her. Suddenly she looked up at me. Tears, streamed down her face and she made that funny moaning sound again. She straightened and I realized that her throat had been slashed open and the noise was coming from the flapping ends of the wound on her neck.
She looked at me and then drew her finger across her neck in a dreadful mimicry of the wound. She pointed at me and said very clearly, "Be quiet or she will find you."
