A/N: My first fic. This is an obvious AU completely set in a bizarre world, so the characters are going to be OOC. I certainly hope you all enjoy this, criticism is fine and in fact; I encourage it.
The story itself was inspired by "Private PI" by Siderial, I was curious to see how a gritty world could work in K-ON! and I hope I did justice to it.
Chapter 1: The Scarlet Dance
Daylight lazily streamed through the window, yet did nothing to brighten the room. Darkness had overwhelmed the once lively and ambient room, as the musk of a plethora of stenches condensed into a permeable fog ignited to life due to the little rays of sunlight. Filtered through thick curtains and blinds, it is a sad sight.
On the bed laid a body. Shifting and moving every half second it did not seem content with the light that had blinded her. Moving underneath her covers, she hoped to rid of the inferior sunlight and to catch a few good seconds of sleep.
The door suddenly slammed open, the figure in the bed winced visibly but otherwise remained idle. A woman waltzed into the room with a liquid grace not found in most people. She had chocolate brown hair tied elegantly in a neat ponytail revealing her graceful neck and sunny brown eyes. She wore strange apparel, a white and black dress with an apron; a maid outfit.
She, for the moment, ignored the sleeping girl and walked over to the windows.
"Geez, this room is so depressing and dark, you should really open the windows." The maid chided, but the latent girl did not respond.
With a single motion the maid had opened the blinds and waves of sunlight instantly lit the room. Life seemed to be breathed into the place as everything regained color and animation. The walls which were dotted with hundreds of pictures, newspaper clippings, and portraits brightened. Furniture came into view, dozens of small tables laid strewn throughout the room and were occupied by dozens more of newspaper, books, and the occasional empty coffee mug. Two large bookshelves flanked the bed which sat against the far wall, opposite of the windows, they were grand yet weathered. Large tomes filled the shelves but nothing appeared organized, some books were even occasionally tossed there.
Even the sleeping figure had reacted to the sudden burst of sunlight. Convulsing under her covers she snapped to attention and sat up, squinting at the maid.
"Can't you be gentler?" The girl mumbled. She, like the maid, had brown hair, but as it caught the light, it gleamed like a golden flare. Her hair stuck out in a horrendous fashion, draping over her forehead and eyes it seemed to reflect its owner's mood: contemplative.
"You shouldn't sleep all day, it isn't good to be so lazy." The maid countered with a coy smile. Then, in another quick motion she opened the window and a spring gust ushered inside. It coated the room with a sweet aroma, trees, sandalwood and carbon dioxide emission, it was a strange, yet appealing, mix.
"Ui, it's my day off, can't I just get five more minutes?" The girl asked, but dove underneath her covers again, impatient for an answer.
Ui smiled at this girl's imprudence and straightforwardness, gliding soundlessly over to the bed she responded kindly. Tearing the covers from her hands, Ui bundled up the blankets and glowered over the half-asleep girl, "Get up, it's already two o'clock."
With that, Ui, the maid, walked right out of the room.
Eventually, she sat up. Ui was indeed a sweet girl, but if you crossed her you can expect a powerful lashing. She shuddered to think what Ui would do. She was so unlike that other infernal girl it was staggering. That happy thought invaded her head and caused her to scowl, how long ago was it that she had her house invaded by these girls? Two, maybe three years?
She didn't have a great opportunity to think about it as the door slammed open and another girl tumbled inside. For a moment it looked like Ui, but the girl knew better, Ui would never run into this room wearing a white and pink t-shirt that says LOVELONGLIFE on it.
The new intruder looked strikingly like Ui, the same brown hair, the same sunny eyes, but there were distinct differences. First off, this person had her hair tumble down to her shoulders in an incredible mess. Although it still had the same shine as Ui's, it did not radiate the same aura of regality Ui does. And secondly, this girl smiled like a goofball at her.
"Ricchan!" She called as she ran over to the bed and enveloped her victim in a vice-like hug, "They're having a sale at the store!"
Stepping back, she showed Ritsu her spoils of war: a large plushie that depicted a frog wearing a bright yellow aviator's hat, two rubber balls that depicted stern faces with silly noses and ridiculous mustaches, and finally a rainbow-colored belt neatly wrapped around her waist.
Ritsu sighed, unsurprised at her friend's antics, "Yui, don't tell me you spent all the money I gave you?"
Yui's eyes widened and she meekly looked at her frog plushie, "No," she said sullenly.
"Yui," Ritsu rumbled more sternly, "That was for the entire week. Did you, or did you not, waste it all on that sale?"
Yui shook her head.
"Then, where is the rest of the money."
She glanced at the ceiling then pointed to her stomach.
"Yui! Don't tell me you spent it on snacks again!" Ritsu sat up straighter and glared at the poor girl.
Yui flinched slightly and dropped all of her toys, "I was hungry," she said simply, "But, but, they were having a sale Ricchan!"
Ritsu ignored the girl and stood up. Shenanigans like this were common when it considered Yui. She was always a loose cannon when it came to money, quick to spend it on frivolous toys or sweets and treats. Ritsu had no room to complain though, although she wasn't a fast spender like Yui, she did buy things for herself most of the time.
Moving past Yui, Ritsu went to one of the bookshelves. Glancing nervously at the door she did things automatically. Pulling the third book from the left back she pulled out a silver flask and quickly disposed of the book, accidentally hitting Yui on the head with it.
"Ah, Ricchan," Yui began, but Ritsu didn't pay her any mind. She took a quick swig from her flask, "Ui replaced all of your drinks with vinegar."
Ritsu spat out the vile concoction, recoiling at the bitter taste. It wasn't just vinegar, there was an eerie aftertaste… cinnamon.
She grumbled something that wasn't exactly nice towards live-in maids. Then looking at Yui she deposited her flask in the bookshelf again. Hey, why throw away good vinegar?
The duo stepped out of the room and walked downstairs to the kitchen. It was a humble duplex, two floors and since Ritsu had driven their former neighbors out with her incessant drum playing they had a free room! Walking in the kitchen/dining room Ui greeted the two with a warm motherly smile. Yui giddily hugged her sister and Ui, if possible, beamed even more upon the hug. Ritsu strode right past her but Ui grabbed her shoulder and stopped her momentarily.
"Ah, Ritsu, be sure to use some mouthwash for the vinegar. That must not be a good way to start the day." Ui said carefully, without betraying her warm smile.
Ritsu grumbled a thanks and sat down at the table where an excellent breakfast was laid out before her. She always praised Ui's culinary abilities, but then again, if you have to look after someone like Yui it is learn how to cook or be devoured. Yui sat opposite of her and started to chatter on about the cutest dog she'd ever seen and all the people she greeted this morning.
Ui gently laid out the morning, and evening, newspaper in front of Ritsu. To which the tawny-haired girl took gratefully and began to peruse dutifully. Pursing her lips slightly she rescinded the fact that her actions the other night wouldn't make the headlines much less the second page. She never received any real glory for what she did, she certainly has garnered a nice fanbase and even a few enemies here and there. They never did enjoy what she tries to accomplish.
Everything was sub-standard, as expected of the media. There were articles of all sorts, one about the oldest woman alive having her one-hundred first birthday today, another about a dog managing to save her owner by urinating on his face as he slept to warn him of a fire. Even one with a suspicious headline: POLICE DETAINED SERIAL ARSONIST. Nothing, however, about how the arsonist was caught or even the police's methods was mentioned.
It was typical and while Ritsu should not have her tail feathers ruffled, she felt a twinge of annoyance reading on.
One particular story caught Ritsu's eyes.
'SCARLETT INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED'
"Infamous cat-burglar that has flipped the Western world on its back has appeared to literally drop off the face of the Earth. The joint effort between the American Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency to find the woman that they have dubbed 'Scarlett' has failed. They have called off the investigations concerning the thefts of several multi-million diamonds and precious stones and famous historical pieces from such spots as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, the British Museum, in London, the Vatican Museums, in Rome, and the Louvre, in Paris. After months of searching, 'Scarlett', is nowhere to be found. Some speculate she has hidden away to the Canadian front. Others say that-
The television stirred to life as a woman appeared on the perfect high definition screen. She was a news-reporter standing outside the steps of what appeared to be a museum.
"-Twenty-fifth anniversary tonight. The director and famous treasure hunter Takashi Hitoyoshi will be unveiling his more recently claimed collection including the Carbonado or, more commonly known, the Black Diamond. One of the last one in the world possibly worth millions." The woman said, "According to Takashi, this is the greatest night of his life as he will reveal his staggering life's work tonight."
Ritsu listened intently; she was supposed to go to that event tonight. Though it certainly wasn't going to be about some silly diamond, rumors had surfaced about a thief striking the mainland. The person is off the grid and Ritsu wanted to find out who it was, if it was this Scarlett, things would turn out a lot more interesting. She glanced back at the newspaper to look at the artist's depiction of Scarlett. She had sharp eyes, a small face, and short red hair that barely reached her shoulders.
Yui, noticing that Ritsu kept scowling at the newspaper, decided to take the initiative. She sat up and with a bright smile called out, "Ne, Ricchan, let's go get some candy!"
"Onee-chan," Ui chided playfully, "You already ate."
Yui gave her an innocent pout then looked back at Ritsu who was still staring at the paper. Yui bit her lip, she hated when Ritsu was like this. She had been obsessed with Scarlett for four months, trying to get every lead that she could, she would often spend weeks isolated in her room rereading old newspapers to find more clues. Clipping up every article that barely resembled Scarlett to the walls to the point where it looked like a paper-tornado tore through her room.
Ritsu looked up and Yui could see the weariness in her eyes. Her usually bright gold-colored eyes resembled tin. Her lips twitched, as if she were trying to remember how to form a smile, and a familiar goofy grin took place on her face.
"Maybe next time Yui, when your little sister over here isn't breathing down my neck!" Ritsu said with a playful smile.
Yui could briefly take solace in her friend's false smile. At least it reminded her of good times.
This day couldn't possibly get any worse.
Traffic was a mess because of that grand unveiling of "The Greatest Collection in the World". Cars had lined up for miles since eight in the morning simply waiting to get in line for the event. It didn't make any sense first of all, since there was parking behind the actual museum, and since the actual event was going to start in seven hours.
But no, no one understood that and instead decided to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic for six hours straight!
A tall, graceful woman dressed in common police slacks stood at one of the dozens of entrances scattered throughout the two thousand meter radius. She was pretty despite the homely appearance. She had long black hair that cascaded smartly down her back, stormy gray eyes and a bored expression.
"What am I doing here," the officer grumbled. Although she was technically part of the Homicide Division she was ordered to do measly traffic redirection. Her superior had explained that an event this big needs security and while the other division could sit up nice and cozy inside the museum, she, and about a dozen others, had to stand outside on their feet for hours on end.
"Brooding, contemplating, and maybe even scheming." Another voice answered. Looking over her shoulder an officer clad in a similar uniform approached her, two cups of coffee akimbo at her sides. She offered the annoyed ink-haired officer a cup which was gratefully received.
"Thanks Ichigo," the woman said taking a sip of coffee. Not too sweet, not too bitter, Ichigo certainly knew her way around a coffee machine.
"Just wait Mio, in a few hours you'll get to see the greatest treasure on Earth," Ichigo quipped sarcastically. Ichigo Wakaouji has dark brown hair that is almost as long as Mio's with matching colored eyes. She always wears a neutral expression on her face and seldom changes unless the situation calls for it. And although she was wearing this hideous navy-blue/black officer's uniform, she pulled it off well, almost as if it were designed specifically for her. She had a regal air about her, whether it is in her mannerisms or her proper and poised stature.
Ichigo was with Mio in the Homicide Division but was stuck with traffic duty all the same. The two spent the good part of the morning talking and making jokes, anything to make standing outside as cars grumbled past them seem any better.
"It better be worth it, my feet are killing me." Mio protested, looking down at her dowdy work shoes.
Ichigo nodded silently, she was a person of few words but is known for saying dark or profane things when pushed. Mio remembered one incident at New Years where Ichigo unraveled and went nuts on alcohol. She ran around, complaining about never finding a boyfriend and dying alone, the memory was so hazy but it reminded Mio of a certain fiery superior.
"You never know," Ichigo looked at Mio and smiled coldly, "Things might certainly get a little fun tonight. Much better than doing paperwork, hm?"
Mio could only nod in response. Ichigo had been stuck behind her desk for months because of an injury sustained during a case the two took on. They were pursuing a suspected murderer when he pulled a gun and fired. He was aiming for Mio initially but Ichigo tackled her and took the bullet. It went through her shoulder blade and messed her right arm up. She had to keep it in a sling for quite some time. The time spent doing monotonous work was not good for her.
Mio would never say this out loud, but she thinks Ichigo has gotten rather unstable. She seems eager to get back into the fray, to the point where she is actively looking for an excuse to pull her gun out. But even then being stuck directing traffic must not be helping. Their radios crackled simultaneously and a raspy voice pushed through.
Mio barely understood the voice but heard something like, "Go back and check the deliveries."
She clicked her own radio, "Say again, sir?"
The voice crackled again, "I said to overlook the deliveries in the back, there is precious cargo there."
Mio shrugged and turned to Ichigo, "All right, I guess this might just be the highlight of our night."
It was a ten minute walk to the back of the museum where four armored trucks with six police cruisers sat idly. Mio didn't understand why they needed two more officers back here when there were plenty to begin with. But she understood quickly, there wasn't anyone back here. One of the trucks had its back open and burly men were unloading huge boxes into the building, three officers stood around watching everything. Mio didn't recognize them but then again she had never associated with anyone outside of her division.
"What are you doing here?" Asked a shorter officer, her eyes were hidden underneath her blond hair. Ichigo shrugged and spoke for Mio.
"We were told to come back here, but you've got everything under control right?" Ichigo said with obvious impatience.
The blond shrugged slightly, "Nothing much back here except boxes and more boxes, we don't even know what is in here. But yeah, we've got things under control. It's better than redirecting traffic, hm?"
Mio couldn't help but feel annoyed by this girl; although she couldn't see her eyes the woman had a sly grin on her face. Before anyone could say anything else one of the workers stepped on the truck again and came out holding a large pedestal type thing that was taller than he was.
She didn't have to guess what it was, she knew it already. The Black Diamond. How careless can the police be if they're letting three bored officers watch them unload something as expensive as the Black Diamond. Mio would've used officers with assault rifles, body armor, you know, the works.
"You guys can go," the blond offered with another quick smile, "Unless you think this is a lot more important than traffic."
Ichigo looked seething but curtly nodded before stomping away. Mio followed wordlessly and they walked all the way back without speaking. When they got back to their posts, Ichigo just swore and promised if she saw that woman again she would give her something to smile about. Mio agreed.
"Look! Look!" Yui cried out excitingly to her window, "Cute~!"
She pointed to a car directly next to theirs where a small pug stared back at her with big brown eyes. Ritsu rolled her eyes; they have been here for over an hour moving inch by inch. Ui happily reminded Ritsu exactly why they were stuck here, because the senior refused to get up earlier. And so, they spent the entire hour staring at the pug to their right, Yui was normally susceptible to carsickness but moving an inch a minute probably helped her.
"Yes, Yui, very cute." Ritsu muttered automatically, "You'd think a place like this would have tons of parking."
Ui smiled at her sister's naiveté but answered Ritsu seriously, "The parking garage across from the museum is already full and the nearest spots available are several kilometers away."
Ritsu looked at Ui through the rearview window. She didn't wear her usual maid ensemble and instead sported a long turquoise dress that with a rather low neckline. She didn't wear any jewelry but looked elegant all the same despite how concise her fashion sense was.
Yui and Ritsu decided to go the more simplified paths. They hadn't tried to go for dresses and instead opted for casual wear despite how formal this event was. Ritsu wore a black denim jacket with a bright orange shirt underneath and black slacks with sneakers. Yui wore a white pantsuit slightly unbuttoned to show a black shirt underneath, her hair wasn't groomed properly for this event and Ui continued to fix it up from behind. Ritsu, for sake of appearances, didn't bother putting her hair up. It wouldn't have mattered and plus she'd gotten over her complex with bangs.
Over to the far right, past the sea of cars, Ritsu noticed armored trucks and police cruisers behind the museum.
"They must be unloading there," Ui noted.
They were carrying huge boxes and crates, but there were only three police officers watching it. Two tall officers who had their backs turned to Ritsu, and one shorter blond officer with her eyes covered by her hair.
"How useless," Ritsu quipped, "You have the most expensive collection on Earth, and you only get three officers to protect it?"
Yui giggled and laughed to Ritsu's left as the dog panted against the window creating fog with his droll.
"Uiiii, can we get one?" Yui begged without breaking eye contact with the dog.
"Maybe, but only if you behave yourself tonight." Ui promised. Ritsu pondered how weird the Hirasawa sisters were, Ui was the more motherly one despite being younger, and Yui was the care-free, free spirited childish girl.
Yui complained something about how she was being a good girl right now, but Ui wasn't having it. Ritsu shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind and drove ahead, "I'll get you something good to eat after this Yui." She promised half-heartedly.
It only took another hour to actually get inside the museum, and by that time it was already six o'clock. The place wasn't built like a museum but like some sort of palace. Gold and silver glittered beautifully on the walls, floors, and ceiling as tall Greek columns sprouted from the ground and reached for the sky. There were hundreds of people but the place was certainly big enough as it made the crowd of a hundred plus strong seem like a meek four man group. All of them were dressed formally and dozens wore white or black masks on their faces, as if they were trying to hide their identities.
Ritsu noted that there were massive displays for everything from paintings, to ancient ceramics, to weaponry and calligraphy. All of them looked quite old and uninteresting to Ritsu but Yui was taking everything in stride. She kept pointing at random displays asking, "What's that?" with excitement glittering in her eyes. Yui wanted to take a picture of a marble statue of a man missing his arms and entire lower body from the waist, but a guard had warned them that photography wasn't allowed.
Yui was heartbroken, for about thirty seconds, and then ran into the crowd with Ui trailing behind her.
With the crowd's excited chatter, speakers spouting out automated explanations about each exhibit, and the bright lights the place seemed incredibly lively and the spot to be. Everyone was either enjoying the exhibits, the foods and drinks, or just reacquainting themselves with famous or wealthy people. Special invitations were actually required to be on the second floor, the normal public would have to be content with the first floor with equally extravagant exhibits but they wouldn't be there to personally witness the unveiling of the Black Diamond, they would have to watch that on televisions scattered throughout the room.
Ritsu picked up a hors d'oeuvre that looks like something she would hack up during a cold. The server had promised that it was the finest hors d'oeuvre from France. Ritsu never really like French food but she tried it anyways. It could've used a little more salt. She went for a drink when a voice cut through the chattering of the crowd, "Still as graceful as ever, I'm glad to see that you haven't changed."
She had recognized the voice, someone she hadn't heard from in years. Turning around she came face to face with her junior: Azusa Nakano.
She was still as short as ever but had filled out a mature body, with silky black hair tied in her trademark pigtails and peach-cream complexion that practically glowed. Ritsu didn't see the bumbling junior she knew from high school but a strong woman in her own right.
"I see you still opt to keep your little pigtails, Nakano," Ritsu said with a devilish smirk, teasing the girl was a favorite pastime but she hadn't reacted like Ritsu hoped. Azusa wore a frosty smile as she took a sip of wine. Ritsu never realized how bright orange her eyes were. When they caught the light they looked fiery red.
"Why change what isn't broken?" Azusa mused. She looked at Ritsu's forehead and frowned slightly, "Though, I guess you would disagree hm?"
Ritsu combed her hand through her hair, briefly exposing her forehead, before sighing and staring blankly at Azusa, "No point in going through the trouble of dolling myself up." She explained simply. Though, you clean up nicely, is what she wanted to add.
"I see," Azusa smiled but it wasn't a cold one like before, it was warm and sincere, "So, what brings you here? I never thought you of all people would be interested in historical findings."
"Yui wanted to come," Ritsu lied. "She's the only one interested in stuff like this, she dragged me along."
Azusa's eyes widened for a millisecond but calmed down just as fast. Ritsu registered panic in her eyes.
"R-really?" Her voice wavered slightly, "Well, I should really be going, I have to find the bath-"
"Azunyan!" A wall of brown and love tackled Azusa. Luckily the girl was a lot more aware of her center of balance and managed not to be toppled by the rampaging glomp-machine. She even managed to not let her wine spill.
Ritsu reveled in this nostalgic sight. Nearly ten years later at these two look exactly as they were from high school. Yui happily hugged the smaller girl, nuzzling her cheeks against her own and giggling like a nut. Some people gave the duo strange looks but dismissed it. Azusa looked mortified and kept complaining about Yui's tendency to tackle first, ask questions later, but she wasn't trying very hard to break the hug.
Ui had caught up with her sister and looked at the sight with a nostalgic smile as well. She turned to Ritsu, "Onee-chan suddenly said that a familiar presence was nearby and practically sprinted over here," Ui explained, "Who would've thought it was Azusa."
Who indeed? Four years ago Azusa had left for America, and although she promised to write and call the rest of the gang that eventually stopped. Last letter Ritsu received was when Azusa was in England, vacationing around the world apparently, trying to get back to the birthplace of rock and roll.
But, that was the last she had heard from the junior. Ritsu had always wondered what happened to her, but, even if she wanted to contact her, she had no means. Azusa dropped off the face of the planet; no one knew her numbers or her address.
Ritsu was so lost in her thoughts she didn't realize that Yui had detached herself from Azusa. She almost laughed at how Azusa looked right now. Her hair was messed up; her cheeks were bright red, her eyes wild, nothing like that dangerous lioness she looked like before.
"What're you doing here?" Yui asked quickly, grabbing Azusa's free hand.
"Bu-business," Azusa managed to say in-between breaths, "I have to cover this event for the newspaper."
"Hm? You're working in Japan then?" Ritsu inquired, she had never heard of Azusa coming back to Japan much less working here.
Azusa shook her head, "Not exactly, I'm free-lance, I get picked up by random news outlets and bring the stories to them. This is the biggest event all year, I might as well cover it right?"
Yui looked like she was in heaven. She kept smiling and laughing, poking Azusa in the cheeks as if to make sure she wasn't an apparition. Ritsu was going to ask another question but Yui cut in, "Let's go over here, Azunyan! They have some tasty snacks!"
Taking Azusa's hand she dragged her away, the last thing Ritsu heard was, "You're still calling me by that nickname?"
"Things never change." Ritsu accidentally said aloud. Ui only gave her a polite smile.
"People can't change that easily, they will always have that piece of them from when they were younger, no matter how much time has passed." Ui said. Ritsu had a feeling she wasn't talking about Azusa, but she didn't feel like pointing it out.
Ui politely excused herself and went off to chase her sister, leaving Ritsu alone with her thoughts.
Everyone was eventually herded into the main room. It was bigger and even more impressive than the first room. Ritsu had lost sight of Yui and company, but she figured they were all here. The room was wide with no displays in the center but they were all pushed to the sides of the room, they were all covered with curtains. In the far back was a large stage, there sat a pedestal that was at least one hundred eighty two centimeters. It was covered as well, but Ritsu knew what it was.
The lights dimmed and a single spotlight highlighted the stage, more specifically, the pedestal.
A man stepped out from the back of the stage with a brilliant smile. He looked about mid-forties, maybe early fifties. It was difficult to tell because he looked like he had facial surgery to make himself look younger. He had short, combed, salt-pepper black and white hair. With an expensive tuxedo and that flawless smile, he looked like a birthday boy arriving at his own party. Which, this technically was.
The crowd applauded and cheered as he stepped center-stage, right next to the pedestal.
"Welcome!" He said with a Hollywood-type smile, "I am so glad you all could be here for this grand event. In case some of you didn't know, I am Takashi Hitoyoshi, the curator of this fine museum and avid treasure hunter."
Ritsu glanced around for Yui, but she couldn't see her in the dense forest of spectators. She noticed there were studio cameras set up all throughout the room, all aimed at the stage, at the crowd scanning the area. The entire event was broadcasted internationally, so that everyone can see that, yes, greed is still prominent over here.
Everyone chattered about, a noise akin to excited lemurs braying over the discovery of food. Ritsu ignored the chatter and combed the crowd intensively, searching for Yui, it was difficult since the girl was still shorter than the average person.
"-And after decades of hard work and toiling I have finally found my heart's desire." Takashi broadly gestured towards the entirety of the room and on cue all of the lights switched on, the audience reacted and looked around for what had changed. The previously enclosed exhibits had their covers removed and displayed for everyone to see. They were all of ancient art from Northern Asia it seemed, huge bulky battle armor, to old calligraphy, to ceramic vases, and even weaponry. Ritsu recognized some art from the Ming dynasty; she could've sworn they were owned by the Americans.
"I have finally completed my collection of art from the Ming dynasty, the era of cultural restoration and expansion!" He declared as the people stared, awe-struck at the work before them. Even in this brightly lit room she wasn't able to find Yui or Azusa in the crowd.
"But," he continued, "That isn't the best part." He stepped back toward the pedestal on the stage. "I have, in my possession, the last Black Diamond in existence!" Then in a dramatic flourish he snatched the cover on the pedestal to show a large black stone the size of a tangerine sitting on a base. Half the crowd was scrutinizing the diamond, while the other half continued to look at the Ming dynasty art.
Ritsu continued to scan the room, where was that silly girl?
"I have to admit," Takashi said, "It was quite difficult collecting all of the art. But it just goes to show you, that with hard work and dedication, anyone can achieve anything-" he let out a guttural gasp. Ritsu turned toward the stage again, shell-shocked at the fact that he was clutching his chest. His expensive tuxedo was stained with blood. He took two tentative steps forward, gurgled blood, then two more bullet wounds appeared on his chest.
A woman in the crowd screamed a blood-curdling cry. Panic aroused the crowd in a frenzy. Ritsu sprinted toward the stage but couldn't get there in time due to the heavy congestion. By the time she reached the stage, Takashi Hitoyoshi was lying at the edge of the stage, in a pool of his own blood with an ugly face contorted in pain.
Cursing under her breath she quickly checked his pulse. She felt nothing on his clammy wrist. As expected, Yui appeared right behind her, with a large lollipop in her mouth that didn't match her gloomy expression. Azusa was right behind her, which shocked Ritsu, and wore a solemn yet indifferent expression.
"Yui, check for cause of death," Ritsu ordered, although she already guessed what killed him. Yui nodded and got to work, pulling out white gloves and yanking them over her hands. She tossed a pair to Ritsu and she donned them just as fast. Two officers flanked the duo.
"What do you think you're doing?" One of them asked.
"Don't worry, Yui is a professional. She's a doctor." Ritsu promised, but it was half-hearted because of the fact that she was still eating her lollipop. "You guys, seal off the exits, and make sure no one gets out!"
The officers snapped into action and ran off to complete their orders.
Glancing at the back of the stage she noticed the curtain was fluttering. That was odd, there was no wind in the room. Jumping on the stage, Ritsu ran down the length and through the curtain. It was completely empty but a corridor yawned to her left. The killer probably used that as the quickest exit, running down there wouldn't get her anywhere. Something gleamed under the light at her feet, looking down she saw three small bullet casings.
So, the killer shot him from back here then ran immediately after, Ritsu deduced, her mind already working at amazing speeds. There are probably cameras here. I'll have to check it out later.
"You there, what are you doing?" A stern, mature voice called out from behind her. She recognized the voice, turning around the officer jumped slightly upon looking at Ritsu's face. Realization dawned on the mature officer.
"Ritsu?" Mio asked, almost incredulously. It wasn't the same Ritsu she knew from high school, the cheerful light in her eyes was gone. Instead, there was a cold mask of intelligence that made her unrecognizable.
"Mio-chuann!" Ritsu ran forward suddenly attempting to envelope her long lost friend in a hug, her lips pursed ready to kiss her. Mio reacting instinctively and punched Ritsu on top of her head, just like old times.
A comical bruise protruded on top of the tawny-haired girl as she whimpered, "Mio has gotten stronger over the years." She mused.
"I-idiot," Mio muttered, turning away to hide her crimson shaded face. An impossibly distinctive Cheshire smirk played on Ritsu's face.
"Glad to see you recognize me Mio~" Ritsu said, deliberately emphasizing her name. Mio shivered, it was a subconscious response. She hadn't heard Ritsu say her name like that in years, in an almost teasing manner.
Mio shook her head; she wasn't a little kid anymore. She was a police officer; she needed to be the one in control, "Explain yourself Ritsu. Why are you back here?" Uncertainty riddled her voice, as if she feared the answer.
"Haven't you heard the stories, Mio?" Ritsu stepped forward. It was bizarre being intimidated by her, but with her bangs down and her height being extremely close to Mio's, she looked like a stranger, "I'm a detective."
Mio had heard of the stories. About some stranger appearing in crime scenes claiming to be a detective and trying to deduce the crime using logic. She heard that this detective used to be a police officer but quit because of some horrific incident that occurred two years ago. She never would've guessed that the detective was Ritsu. The thought of Ritsu being smart and sitting down deducing murders and kidnappings faster than police officers was impossible to think. Then again, Ritsu looked different. Not just her hairstyle, but the way she presented herself. Looking at Mio as if she was an interesting specimen she couldn't wait to dissect.
Mio's ears rang; she didn't even hear what Ritsu said after that. She had always assumed that Ritsu had kept up with music, not became some sort of Sherlock Holmes!
Ritsu flicked her forehead, snapping her out of her stupor. "Oy, Mio," she said, with an annoyed expression on her face, "Are you listening?"
Mio focused on Ritsu, "A-ah, yeah, sorry."
Ritsu pursed her lips. It would've been cute if her eyes weren't so scary. She looked like she was trying to read Mio's mind. "Anyways, we should get the surveillance footage. Maybe it caught the murderer fleeing the scene or something. How fast can your forensic team get here?"
Mio was still at awe on how calm and assertive Ritsu was, completely in control of the situation. As if she's done this sort of thing a million times.
"I'm not sure," Mio admitted, her voice sounded hollow, "With this kind of traffic it'll be a couple of hours."
Ritsu nodded. "Come on, let's meet up with Yui."
Officers had already swarmed the scene. Keeping everyone away they also managed to contain everyone in the room. Oddly enough, they left Yui to do her work. Azusa was still standing afar with Ui, both watching as their ditzy and clumsy friend examined the corpse with such precision it was staggering.
"Well?" Ritsu asked as they approached the doctor.
"Small caliber bullets, most likely from a pistol, pierced his chest, barely missing the heart but it was enough to kill him. Entry points are from behind and at considerably close range. It has to be from backstage," Yui explained grimly.
Ritsu nodded. Mio was still numb from watching two of her best friends talk so seriously about a murder case, Ritsu as a detective was hard to believe, but Yui as a doctor? When did this happen?
Suddenly, Yui's face brightened into a smile, "Mio~!" She got up and hugged the ink-haired girl, as if she wasn't just touching a corpse a few seconds ago. Ritsu smiled at the sight and quickly examined the room. From the stage there were two exits on either side of the room about ten meters from the end of the stage, both of which are blocked by the audience, so running through there would be difficult. On top of each exit sat security cameras that rotated, it seems, every four seconds. But… wait.
Ritsu jumped off the stage and ran over to one of the exits. She stood underneath the cameras – right in the exit entrance, and noticed it was a blind spot. The cameras wouldn't catch someone if they stood directly underneath them two. She looked around the room for more cameras, there were some in the opposite side of the room, right at the front entrance but they were so far that their range was probably limited. Spotting one person in a heavy crowd would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Ritsu smiled bitterly at that overused analogy. She needed to check the cameras in that back corridor. She walked back to the stage but stopped when Mio approached her with a serious expression.
"Detective or not, you guys are civilians. You contaminated the crime scene, you could be arrested for obstruction of justice you know?" Mio chided. Ritsu grinned idiotically at her, the smile that Mio ached for.
"You wouldn't arrest little ol' me would you?" Ritsu pleaded with a puppy-dog voice, Yui followed her example and gave Mio a heart-breaking expression as well.
"That's right Mio," Ichigo called out. Walking towards the group she smiled nostalgically at this odd bunch, "Ritsu is, after all, the rumored Great Detective of the century. It wouldn't be right to arrest someone of… great importance."
"Thanks, Wakaouji," Ritsu muttered under her breath. "Anyways, shouldn't you be busy doing police work? Or are you satisfied being a traffic jockey?"
Ichigo smiled coldly, "The police have already begun taking testimony, but it is a waste of time. There are hundreds of people in this room, all potential suspects. Including yourself, Miss Detective."
Ritsu shook her head, "It would have to be someone hiding behind the curtains-" she pointed at the back curtain, "The bullets came from behind, plus there were bullet casings back there. There is a corridor there as well, a great chance to escape."
"And where is your evidence?" Ichigo accused.
Ritsu simply pointed at Yui, who grinned and waved at Ichigo.
"Entry points, Ichigo-chan!" Yui said, "They are all from behind. Since there wasn't a flash or even a gunshot, I'd say it must've been from a suppressed weapon!"
"Have your lackeys comb the back corridors, apprehend anyone back there, and check the footage for any suspicious activity." Ritsu ordered. Ichigo turned beet red from rage, but she turned around and stomped towards two idle officers. They couldn't hear what she was saying, but it was clear she was yelling at them, the two terrified officers ran off to the back.
Mio watched as Ritsu and Yui worked, so confidently and so efficiently. A pang of guilt grasped her heart, she hadn't kept up with what they were doing all this time and they changed so much. Mio was too concerned with herself and her career that her friends slipped from her mind. Even Azusa, the sweet, innocent junior, had changed. It was made evident when Azusa had coldly regarded her with a curt nod.
She wanted to ask Ritsu what had happened to her. Wanted to know why she had changed so much. How ironic, Mio who wanted badly to change from that shy, timid girl she used to be, hadn't changed at all. Seeing her friends like this made her crumble. All of that confidence she'd gained from years of police works, all went to waste upon seeing old faces.
Ui touched Mio's shoulder, causing her body to shiver in response. She looked at the younger girl, her eyes filled with concern.
"Are you okay Mio?" Ui asked.
Mio stuffed those feelings in the back of her mind, she was a police officer first, "Yeah, I'm fine. I need to take your testimony," she looked at Azusa and Ritsu, "All of yours. Follow me."
They had found a private room in one of the many corridors. Mio swore this place was built like a maze, with multiple hallways and rooms it was dizzying trying to navigate through there. The room was small with a black leather couch against one wall and a small television opposite of it. Ritsu and Ui sat on the couch while Yui stood right next to Azusa, who looked both mortified and happy at the same time.
Ritsu was leaning against the couch, her feet propped on top of the coffee table in front of her. She looked at ease and almost bored, but she kept looking around the room, as if searching for clues.
"Right, can you guys recall exactly what happened?" Mio asked. Normally, it was a dumb idea to get testimonies from more than one person while they are in the same room. But Mio trusted these guys; no way any of them could be murderers.
"I was trying to feed Azunyan some caviar, but she didn't want, so, I suggested feeding it mouth-to-mou-"
Azusa stepped forward, interrupting Yui's wonderful explanation, "Yui! She meant about the murder!" Azusa protested, her face a dark shade of red.
Yui pouted but proceeded to explain about the murder. She wasn't able to get a good view on the murderer but was able to see Takashi fall in perfect view of the world. She explained the cause of death, how the first bullet completely missed his heart and actually was pinned underneath his shoulder blade, the next two bullets were the ones that killed him. Two into the chest, he died from internal bleeding and shock.
Mio noted, and documented everything. Her studious mannerisms still apparent even after so long, she was even able to stomach the mental image of Takashi's corpse and horrific expression. She had to be able to do so. Being an expert in homicide it would be strange if she got ill every time she looks upon a dead body. Thankfully, her work isn't as extensive as the folks down in forensics; Mio didn't think she could handle dissecting bodies.
Ui, Ritsu, and Azusa delivered similar stories. None of them had been able to identify who killed Takashi. Ritsu suggested the video cameras in the back corridors, Mio had already dispatched Ichigo to check them out. The regal woman was less than eager to do pathetic grunt work, but she complied.
A knock at the door startled Mio out of her thoughts. She ushered in the visitor and an officer came in with four other people.
"Officer Wakaouji had told me you were here, ma'am," the officer appeased quickly. He stepped aside to let his four companions walk in the room, "They were found in the corridors, in the bathrooms more specifically, none of them are holding any concealed weapons."
Mio bit her lip but allowed for the four suspects to step inside. To be in a small room with eight people staring at you was bad enough, being in a room when you need to maintain an air of superiority with four complete strangers and four former close friends made that task impossible.
Out of the four, three were male. The lone female was a tall, willowy woman with luscious blond hair and a permanent scowl on her face. She hid her eyes behind a dark pair of sunglasses. She was dressed for the party, wearing a beautiful dark, backless, blue dress that complimented her pale skin. Expensive jewelry glittered on her wrists and on her necklace, diamonds, by the looks of it.
Another was a simple man, mid-forties, with a large potbelly, sleepy, half-lidded eyes that couldn't see past a delicious bowl of rice. He reminded Mio of sloths, lethargic and a glutton.
The one to his right was a taller, younger man, probably late twenties. He had wicked spiky black hair, a smile worth millions in gold and eyes that glittered with deceitful curiosity. Someone with too much money from mommy and daddy and has obtained an arrogant personality as a result.
The last was a salary man. At least, he looked like one. He was the tallest of the bunch, lean and lithe like a long distance runner. But he wasn't muscular by any means, he was painfully skinny. His business suit looked too big for him, his thick bifocals covered his eyes completely, but he didn't look nervous. He looked more annoyed if anything, as if he were expecting a very important business call.
"Right, who are you guys?" Ritsu asked, looking at all of them intensely.
Mio was about to protest when the woman spoke up first.
"Tomoko Ueda," she said, "What on Earth is going on here? I leave the party to go to the bathroom for a few minutes, and I am dragged out by a police officer. Am I under arrested?"
"We're investigating a murder. We need to get testimonies from-"
"Wait," the young, rich guy interrupted Mio, "A murder? Who was killed?"
"Takashi Hitoyoshi." Mio answered simply.
The fat, older man spoke up, "Shouldn't you be looking for him then? Why are we here?"
"That's right," the salary man chimed in, "If he was killed a few minutes ago, then shouldn't you be interrogating the people in the crowd? Weren't we all found in the back?"
Mio put her hands up, "Enough questions. All of you, state your names."
"Seiji Yamaguchi." The young man said.
"Nobu Sakamoto." The fatter, sleepy man said.
"Masaso Oshima." The salary man answered politely.
"Now, I need you all to explain where you were from when the party started up until a few minutes ago."
Their stories weren't quite long, or even as suspicious as would suspect. Although they all spoke deliberately and at their own pace, they were quick to not say anything that would, otherwise, deface them. Tomoko had explained that she came to the opening with her husband, to enjoy the new exhibits as she worked as a museum curator in the next town over and was mildly interested in what this place had to offer. She had a bit of wine and had to excuse herself to the bathroom. When she was finished, officers came in wanting to detain her.
Seiji explained how he had come with his famous girlfriend – whatever her name was – in his expensive car – whatever that was – to enjoy the sights. Someone as grand as him should be surrounded by objects of equal quality. He went to the bathroom after Takashi had come out on stage, claiming he was bored by the man's speech and wanted to, as he put it, "Freshen up for the lady,". He said he had trouble finding the bathroom but when he did find it, he did his business, and an officer came in detaining him. He struck Mio as an idiotic playboy with too much money to burn through. When he gave her a lustful wink, she turned to the next suspect.
Nobu spoke quickly. He was red in the face and sweating. Mio figured he was nervous but probably had stage fright. She could sympathize. He was a journalist, on site for the grand unveiling of the Black Diamond, the last of its kind. He said it would be a big scoop, and it would land him a huge contract. Ritsu stopped him half-way through.
"Wait," she said, "You claim you're here to cover the Black Diamond, then why did you leave as it was unveiled?"
Nobu looked like a deer caught in the headlights; his stench became to perforate the sweet-smelling aromas of the women's perfumes combined to create a sickly combination. Even the ever sweet Ui had to side-step away from him.
"W-well, it isn't that I wanted to miss it. I had a weak bladder and I couldn't hold it any further." He admitted sheepishly. Ritsu didn't buy it.
"Where is your camera? Notepad? Digital recorder? Anything to document what went on?" Even though she was sitting casually on the couch, her words pierced him as he staggered back.
"You're the murderer!" Seiji accused. His eyes lighting up as if he always wanted to say that, a sly smirk played on his face, a cruel sneer, like one a snake might use.
"N-no." Nobu protested, "I didn't kill him!"
"Then," Ritsu stood up, "Why did you lie about being a journalist?"
The other suspects started to rally, they started yelling at him and accusing him of murder. Ritsu didn't help either, glaring at him until he answered the question. Mio had to step between them. Stepping in front of Ritsu and Nobu, she caused the miniature crowd to quiet down.
"Enough, I decide the suspect and questioning. We will not resort to barbaric methods." She took a second to glare at Ritsu who gave her a half-hearted shrug, before turning back to Nobu, "Why didyou lie about being a journalist?"
Nobu looked straight into Mio's eyes. Her stormy gray eyes were intimidating, even despite her uniform; she looked poised and ready to take him down if he dared to lie again.
"I am a journalist, but I wasn't here covering the Black Diamond. I was here because of the rumors about how he acquired his assets and the entire collection of the Ming Dynasty. Rumors say that, uh, he basically stole the entire collection from a private owner when they refused to sell, but they also said that he financially destroyed the private owner by buying out their company."
Mio, for one, was surprised. She hadn't heard anything like that, her eyes widened, and she turned to see her friend's reactions. Yui was too busy playing with Azusa's hair to care, Ui looked at Mio with concerned eyes, while Ritsu was still looking at everyone with those dark eyes. She didn't physically react to what Nobu said, but kept her eyes fixed on him.
The others reacted differently; they all kept their eyes to the ground, as if they were guilty. As if they had already known about it and, somehow, played a part in it. All except Masaso.
Mio decided to dismiss what Nobu said and told him to continue. He explained that he was feeling ill from the food he ate and had to go to the bathroom. Once he calmed down officers detained him.
Masaso was simple as well. He explained that he had been working in this museum for close to twelve years and he was one of the persons assigned to overlook the opening. When he had finished his job he decided to sit back and watch Takashi unveil the Black Diamond and everything else. But he had to go to the bathroom and left before the aforementioned treasures were unveiled.
All of these stories were simple, even the suspicious Nobu's, nothing really stood out. Plus, if the killer really did murder Takashi from the backstage, he wouldn't hang around the back corridors, waiting for police to arrive. He, if he were rational, would have escaped. These people cannot be the murderer out of sheer logic.
"Are we free to go?" Seiji complained. Mio didn't have anything she could pin on them, they were, legally, free to go. But why did she have a nagging suspicion that something was off?
"I really do need to be going." Tomoko announced simply. She turned on her heel and promptly walked out of the door. Much to Mio's disdain. But she couldn't hold them there. Nodding silently she allowed everyone to go. Even Azusa and Ui had left.
"It doesn't add up," Ritsu admitted. Mio blinked and stared at her. She was so focused it was certainly a foreign sight. She paced around the room impatiently. Yui calmly stood in the corner, waiting for Ritsu's orders it seems, as if she were used to such an act from her.
"Why kill someone in front of millions? Why not do it hours, or even days beforehand? When everyone is distracted by the exhibits or even by the traffic? If he was killed a while ago, getting police in here would be nothing short of a miracle. But why in front of everyone? Almost as if he were trying to prove a point."
Mio nodded. It was odd that a murder would occur while the victim was in the spotlight. It was like the murderer was sending a message.
"When he was unveiling the treasure, the lights dimmed," Ritsu continued, "That was the perfect time to kill him since he would've been hidden by the darkness. But he waited until the Black Diamond was unveiled."
"Was that the goal then?" Mio asked, "Was he trying to get the Black Diamond?"
Ritsu looked at Mio as if she just realized she was there. Mio resisted the urge to punch her.
"No," Ritsu said plainly, "It can't be the goal. The culprit must've realized the police's response upon a shooting, getting the diamond would be close to impossible. No, he waited until the Black Diamond was shown to send a message. As if trying to explain that he was killed because of his greed."
Mio was going to ask another question when her radio crackled. Ritsu took the chance to silently confide in Yui for a few seconds.
She answered her radio and the voice of Ichigo Wakaouji pierced through the static, "We've got nothing on cameras," she confessed, "No one coming from the stage to the corridor, or going to the stage from the corridor. The back corridor was completely untouched; the only people on there were all the way in the front corridors near the bathrooms."
With a sigh, Mio sheathed her radio and stared at Ritsu. She was looking straight at her with a certain gleam in her eyes, with that great big smile she looked like a child at a toy store.
"As you heard, there was no one in the back corridors, logically speaking, those four cannot be suspects." Mio explained.
Ritsu shook her head, she had donned white gloves, "That is where you are wrong, Mio. The only possible culprit is one of those four, and I know how they did it," she turned back to Mio and smiled widely, "Bring back all of the suspects to the stage. And I'll explain."
That was, of course, a bluff. Ritsu had a hunch on who the murderer was and how the murder was pulled off. But the thing she needed as evidence, she couldn't exactly show up, accuse the suspect and not present evidence. Walking around the back corridor she searched all over but couldn't find what she was looking for. One of her hunches, however, was correct.
There were cameras set up around the hallways, one on each corner with another directly next to it. They were all operating correctly, but the only problem was: their range was limited.
These cameras, it seems, had a dead angle. One specific spot where it couldn't be seen by the cameras, and Ritsu guessed that these cameras didn't record sound. If one could time it right, they wouldn't show up on the cameras at all. She found each camera – a total of twenty four – and all of them had the dead angle. They rotated about forty degrees and back, which made the dead angle a lot more useful.
All she needed now was that crucial piece of evidence. Ritsu had made her way to the far back and discovered the kitchen. After questioning them, the chefs had explained that only a few minutes ago the fire alarm went off, startling all of the chefs, and causing them to leave the kitchen not through the corridor, but by the emergency exit.
"But, when we got back, there was no fire." The chef said, obviously annoyed.
"Thank you!" Ritsu replied with a huge smile. The pieces were falling into place; she just needed to be quick. She made her way to the bathrooms and right in front of the bathrooms were two huge garbage disposals. Not exactly an appropriate place to put that, but Ritsu didn't argue. White gloves at hand; she opened one of the dumpsters and almost immediately saw it.
Smiling cleverly she took out a plastic bag and with careful movements, stuffed the objects in the bag. Zipping up the bag she looked toward the entrance and, to her surprise, Masaso Oshima stood there looking at her.
"Tainaka-san," he said calmly, "Officer Akiyama has asked for your presence."
The grand hall was nearly empty. Only a few officers milled around, Ritsu noted that forensics still hadn't showed up. Traffic must be terrible. Everyone was waiting on the stage, but no one was happy. All of the suspects started arguing with Mio. She looked panicked and when she saw Ritsu she gave her a pleading look, asking for help. Ritsu would be happy to oblige.
Jumping on the stage she silenced everyone with her presence.
"Most people here were specially invited by Takashi himself," Ritsu began, "Others got here by way of connections. If you knew someone famous or wealthy, most likely, you could get yourself in here. That's what I did anyways.
"But, why would someone come here, if they hated Takashi?" Ritsu asked. The group looked confused, staring at each other and at Ritsu, silently demanding an explanation. "Would they come to spite him? Or come to attempt to deface him?"
With one finger he pointed at Tomoko, who jumped slightly, "Like, perhaps, a jealous museum curator. Wasn't your museum thrown in the gutter when Takashi announced his collection?"
Tomoko paled. She slowly began to shrink behind the others until Ritsu pointed at Seiji. "Or, a playboy, in over his head and manically obsessed at having everything in the world."
She pointed at Nobu, "Or, maybe, a docile journalist, trying to find a way to bury Takashi socially."
The group began to protest, yelling, and screaming at Ritsu. She took this easily and shrugged it off, turning right on her heel she pointed unmistakably at Masaso. "Or an employee of twelve years."
"Ritsu," Mio hissed in a low voice, "What are you saying?"
"These people have plenty of reasons to kill Takashi, it isn't strange to consider any of them murderers."
"But your cops had searched us," Seiji refuted, "We weren't carrying weapons."
"Plus, the back cameras hadn't gotten anyone, right?" Masaso asked.
Mio's eyes widened, Ritsu smiled dangerously. She walked to the end of the stage slowly, like a snake on the prowl. "Hmm? How did you know the cameras didn't catch anything Oshima-san?"
Stunned silence blanketed the room. Despite the endless chatter from idle officers, an uncomfortable thick atmosphere ensued.
"I-I heard it when you were talking inside after I left," Masaso claimed, "P-plus, none of us were back there."
Ritsu turned again on her heel and walked in the opposite direction. To the far back where Yui stood attentively. After exchanging a few silent words, Yui nodded her head fiercely and ran off the stage and disappeared into the museum.
"There wasn't anyone on camera in the back," Ritsu admitted, "But, that's only because the murderer was invisible."
Seiji was the first to react with a raucous laugh, "And here I was, taking you seriously, Miss Detective! Are you saying, the murderer was a ghost?"
Ritsu regarded him with a cold, murderous glare that shut him up quick, "Idiot! I said he was invisible, that's the only way someone can get by the cameras. By, following the dead angles."
On queue a large white screen descended from the ceiling and hung in the back stage. A projector lit up from the heavens, it seemed, and depicted images on the screen. The picture was black and white but it was clear. It was Ritsu walking around observing everything, and it was in the point of view of a mounted camera.
"These are the back corridors," Ritsu explained, "About twenty four cameras in all, but all of them are incredibly flawed." She gestured to the screen. Ritsu, on the footage, stared directly at one camera, and then with two steps completely disappeared from sight.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the dead angle." The footage switched from a different camera, then to another, and another, but none of them had Ritsu on there, "None of the other cameras would be able to see anyone in the dead angle either. Anyone taking advantage of this blind spot could, for instance, become completely invisible.
"And don't worry, the blind spot exist for every single camera in this building." Ritsu finished with a cocky flourish.
"All right," Tomoko said, annoyed, "What does that mean? There is no way one could escape from the back stage and to an exit using just the blind spots. Someone would've seen him."
"Or her." Seiji corrected. She shot him a deadly glare but said nothing.
"True, true, but what if there was a distraction?" On queue the screen flashed and it depicted security footage of the kitchen, "A.. fire for example?" Fire alarms lit up, creating a black and white strobe-light affect on the entire kitchen. Chefs looked around confused but almost immediately recovered and began to herd to the back of the kitchen to an emergency exit.
"That… was five minutes before the murder of Takashi Hitoyoshi." Silenced panned out. Ritsu took this opportunity to continue, "The reason the fire alarms didn't blare here was a bit puzzling at first, but it isn't that hard to figure."
Ritsu walked over to the left, right underneath a sprinkler system. Mio protested but Ritsu ignored her. Taking out a lighter she lit it up and held it underneath the sprinkler.
Nothing happened.
"The fire alarm system was disabled in this room."
"All of this planning, all of these preparations. Who would go through great lengths?" Mio asked.
Ritsu grinned as if she were happy someone asked. Capping the lighter she stood confident and defiant as she pointed right at Masaso Oshima, "The only person capable of doing anything. The culprit is Masaso Oshima."
Masaso clapped. He looked pretty calm for someone accused of murder, he adjusted his glasses and even laughed a little.
"You areinteresting, Miss Detective. I'm surprised I haven't heard much about you. But, tell me this, where is your proof? You cannot go around playing police without anything concrete, you admitted yourself that there cannot be any video evidence – even if I was the culprit, and you know that I was found in the bathroom completely unarmed. You have nothing, you silly little detective. Your story was very entertaining, but you should leave the police work to the police."
Ritsu stood there silent for a few seconds. Mio figured she would soon start laughing and claim that she has plenty of evidence; just like in those detective animes she watched when she was younger. But, in a complete twist, Ritsu looked up with a sheepish expression, sticking out her tongue in a silly manner as she scratched the back of her head.
"Sorry, sorry~" Ritsu said, "I must be mistaken then, tee-hee."
Mio snapped and punched the top of her head, "Oy! Ritsu! I thought you were better than that! Don't screw around like that in a serious situation!"
Ritsu patted the top of her head, wincing at the pain; she had brandished a small object. A plastic pipe. She stuck it in her mouth and when she blew, bubbles erupted.
"I am serious, I am mistaken. After all, evidence is impossible. Not even if we found, oh, I don't know, some fingerprints."
Masaso's eyes widened.
From her jacket she took out a small plastic bag, the contents were fairly humble. A large pistol with a cylindrical suppresser screwed on the barrel, and right next to the gun was a single black glove.
"You were careful, careful enough to use gloves. But you were also pretty stupid. You tried to create an alibi that you were in the bathroom the entire time by hiding in it after the murder. But you had to get rid of the gun and glove, since you didn't have any time to spare, you threw them both in the trash."
Ritsu handed the bag to Mio and walked toward Masaso, talking as she did so, "Here is how I see it. A couple of minutes before Takashi came out on the stage you initiated your plan. By making sure the camera in the main room saw you going into the side hallway and making sure the hallway cameras saw you going into the bathroom. Then after timing the camera's movements you stepped into the camera's blind spot and ran all the way to the stage, taking advantage of the blind spots so you were never caught on camera. Only you could possibly know that, since you were the one who designed the camera system. You also set off the fire alarm in the kitchen to make sure the hallway was clear, killed Takashi, then ran all the way back to the bathrooms, threw away the evidence and stayed in the bathroom until police arrived.
You were also concerned with the evidence, so you tried to make sure it couldn't be traced back to you and was going to dispose of it later on. But I found it first, is that right so far?"
Masaso looked dangerous. Like a cornered animal. Despite being much taller than Ritsu, he cowered. Regaining his composure, he stepped forward, challenging the smaller girl, "Evidence? Where is the evidence? This is all conjecture!"
Ritsu turned around and walked back on stage.
"There were three bullet wounds found on Hitoyoshi's body. That is expected. Even at the range Masaso was at, he didn't have a great shot on him. If he risked a headshot, he might've startled Takashi and missed his chance. That's why he aimed at center mass, the chest. But, the first shot didn't kill him, he missed. So, he needed to readjust himself. Needed to make sure Takashi would die from the wounds, so, he fired two more shots. And in doing so, he slipped up."
On the screen new images flashed. They were in color, incredibly high definition, and played sound. The crowd's cheering echoed throughout the room like a ghostly echo. Takashi stood center stage; he was proud, excited, and brimming with such life it is hard to believe he was killed. The pedestal had become uncovered revealing the Black Diamond, which gleamed and shined against the spotlight. Then, moments later, Takashi doubled over.
Blood painted his chest. He attempted to recover when two more coughs rang out and he fell over, dead. The camera panned out and showed the crowd in a frenzy. Ritsu and Yui both sprinted to the scene, but the playback ended there.
"You may have memorized every single camera in this building, you may have tampered with the security system, but you forgot one important thing. Your violent act was displayed on television for millions to see." Ritsu pulled out a laser pointer and the tape rewound to the point a few moments before Takashi collapsed. She aimed the laser directly on the top right hand corner of the screen.
Mio gasped, Masaso crumbled to his knees. Because, right where she was pointing there was a man standing, half-covered by shadows and half-covered by the curtain, he held a small pistol and donned a single black glove. His face was horrific, angered like a wild animal, and it was irrevocably the face of Masaso Oshima.
"You had to step forward to ensure your shot; you knew for a fact that no one in the crowd would be able to see you and that none of the cameras would catch you. But you forgot about the studio cameras." Ritsu explained quietly.
Mio, soundlessly, walked over to Masaso. He didn't resist as she placed handcuffs on his wrists.
"So," Ritsu called out, "Why did you do it? The jerk didn't pay you enough? Didn't get that nice promotion?"
Masaso looked up and fury glowered in his eyes.
"The Black Diamond," he answered, "He stole the Black Diamond and his entire collection from a small private collector. My parents. When they didn't want to sell, he had his people rob them and left them with absolutely nothing! He admitted this one night when he was drunk," Masaso's eyes were crazed, gleeful even, "If you ask me, the bastard deserved what was coming to him. My dad went crazy, his life work was taken right before him and he was helpless."
"This was just some weak Robin Hood attempt to redeem your family? Tsk, how weak man." Seiji complained, a bit more confident and calm now that the pressure was off him.
Ritsu walked past Seiji and stood right in front of the pedestal where the Black Diamond sat idly. It shined unnaturally against the light. Gleaming beautifully, like a sparkling river.
"Wrong," Ritsu said. She proceeded to remove the glass case from the pedestal, "Stealing the diamond wouldn't have benefitted him."
"Oy, Ritsu, what are you doing?" Mio asked.
Ritsu ignored her and dropped the glass, startling every police officer in the area. But, before anyone could react, Ritsu picked up the diamond with one hand and showed it to everyone.
"Because, it's fake." She said as she crushed the diamond in her hands. It crumbled to dust as the pieces fell to the earth.
"Fake? Then…" Mio yanked at Masaso's collar, "What did you do with the diamond?"
"Mio, I told you, he had nothing to do with the diamond. It was probably taken hours ago, maybe even days ago." Ritsu looked sad standing underneath the light. As if burdened by the weight of the sky. "No one would've noticed, since, it was covered the entire time. Black diamonds don't shine, they absorb light. That's what makes them so unique."
"Who took it then?" Mio demanded, tired of the ambiguity.
"Hm, I wonder."
The sun was nearly down and a million stars blazed overhead despite the light pollution. Cars thundered below, causing an almost melodic symphony to shake the world. A massive landscape of city lights and skyscrapers laid out before the rooftop. She stood there, confident and proud, as always, almost as if she ownedthe city.
The door cracked open, but the woman didn't turn around. She already knew who it was.
"Yui-senpai," Azusa called, "How did you know I was up here?"
Yui was a mess. Her clothes were ragged, her hair was disheveled, her big brown eyes distraught with concern. Azusa turned, she was still wearing her dress and she looked incredible against the pale nightlight. Her eyes caught the light and appeared as a raging fire.
"I know you Azusa," Yui said with a small smile, "You aren't that hard to figure out."
Azusa's eyes flickered dangerously, "That's where you're wrong, you don't know me. You don't know anything about me."
She laughed bitterly, the elder girl didn't react. Azusa pulled away from the railing and walked towards Yui.
"Tell me senpai, was it fun with Ritsu? Was it fun with the others? Or are you just going to drop them as fast as you did me?" Azusa sneered, enjoying the sight of Yui, squirming uncomfortably. Yui managed to regain her composure.
"It didn't happen like that Azusa, you should know that I would never do something like that to you." Yui stepped forward, closing the distance quick and extended her arms in an attempt for a hug. Azusa was quicker. She stepped back and instinctively lashed out.
Despite the sound of the city drowning everything in its melodious chaos, the slap resonated far and wide. Yui, shell-shocked, felt her cheek. It stung.
Azusa looked surprised, her eyes registered fear but quickly iced over to her frosty exterior.
"You are charming, senpai, I'll give you that. One look into your innocent brown eyes will melt anyone's heart. You can't melt mine anymore." Azusa said as she turned right around and headed for the edge.
"Azusa, what you're doing is wrong. You need to-"
"Do what, senpai? Return everything and apologize? You don't get it, Yui, I'm not the naïve girl from high school. I've changed! I guess I have you to thank."
From her dress – right where her cleavage is – she pulled out a thick black jewel. As big as an orange. She looked at it, bored, maybe even apathetic, then at Yui.
"The police officer overlooking the delivery," Yui mused, "Heh, I almost didn't recognize you immediately." Yui said sadly.
"So, who figured it out first? You? Or that no-brained detective? Personally, I have my money on Ritsu, as dim-witted as she is, she does have her moments." Azusa played with the diamond with one hand.
Yui shook her head, "I knew all this time. Like I said Azusa, you aren't hard to figure out. I wanted to give you a chance to turn yourself in, a chance for you to forgive yourself… and me." Her voice faltered with the last two words.
"You should've turned me in yourself, senpai. I'm afraid you won't get a chance next time." Azusa took one step back, closer to the rail.
"I'm warning you, I will catch you, and treat you like every other criminal. Don't do this." Yui took a step forward.
"Let the games begin, Yui-senpai." With a swift movement she dropped two pellets; explosions erupted at her feet and dense smoke kicked up, wrapping Azusa's small body in a camouflage of shadows and smoke.
Yui ran to the edge, Azusa was gone, again. And she just watched her get away.