Fingering the thick card invitation carefully in her hands, for fear the ink would smudge, Rin looked up at the large boat in front of her.
Why was I invited here? I knew Mr. Shion, of course- but we hadn't spoken in a while... Still, I hope I will see some of my other acquaintances there. She thought.
She had received the invitation but a few days ago, hand delivered. She barely had enough time to get ready! But as she boarded the boat, she swore she saw a flash of blond hair walk across the corridor...
It's nothing. It was probably another one of the guests. I suppose I better go and meet Mr. Shion. Walking to a main hall of some sorts, Rin found it to be well decorated, with thick curtains adorning the walls.
I feel as if I'm in a mansion, not on a boat!
Walking towards Mr. Shion, She curtseyed slightly, out of respect. It's too bad he won't make it through the night- that's what that mysterious man said outside.
"Mr. Shion! It's so nice to see you. Thank you very much for inviting me here, it's a real honour." She said, smiling.
"Please, Rin, call me Kaito. We're friends, aren't we? Why should we need to bother with formalities!" Mr. Shi- I mean, Kaito laughed as he put his hand on my shoulder.
Shrugging it off, She chuckled back. "I thought I'd better be on the safe side, Kaito."
"Well, I'm sorry to leave you alone like this, Rin- but I think more guests are arriving. I wouldn't be a proper host if I was negligent to my other guests, correct? I'll see you later?" Kaito said, looking over to the entrance to the hall. "Help yourself to the wine, if you want."
As he walked off, she waved. Wine... That should do it. That might calm my nerves.
However, as she walked over to the table (also, heavily decorated) she came across someone else, in a long coat. Was that a sachet on the floor? Had this stranger spiked the drinks?
She moved closer, about to tap his shoulder and introduce herself, but the young man had already turned around, probably looking to go back to the dancer. "Oh, may I help you?"
Deciding to play along, Rin asked if she could have some wine. His fingers lingered on a glass of the red wine, but he, after what seemed as an eternity, chose the one to the left. Now, why was that?
"I'm sorry for being so blunt to you, miss. I was just shocked to have someone standing behind me. My name is Len Kagamine. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said as he took Rin's left hand for a kiss.
Blushing slightly at the gesture, Rin introduced herself once she regained her composure (which was surprisingly very quickly) "My name is Rin Kagane. It's nice to meet you... Len."
Boy, did she feel strange. Why could she remember Len when he was obviously oblivious to her? She'd recognise those bright blue eyes, dirty blond hair (which he had always insisted on keeping long) and quite refined sense of style anywhere. She, herself, was easily recognisable by her own white bow.
Taking a sip from the wine, she found it to be perfectly fruity- Kaito obviously had a good taste for wines.
In the midst of her thoughts, she had drained her glass, and Len had walked off. "Where did he go?"
The drink, however, left a warm feeling in her stomach- Kaito had probably picked a relatively high-alcohol beverage. Her reactions were still normal, and her eyesight was not blurred either. She decided it would be best not to have another glass.
So, she wandered off to greet more guests. Maybe she could find the murderer in the midst of this crowd.
So, as the boat had left port a few hours ago, night was falling. Rin decided to dance with the guests, almost forgetting that murders were to take place. She danced with a fairly young man with blond hair and a pale blue suit who introduced himself as Oliver. The two became quite good friends and talked often throughout the evening. She met a few other female guests too, such as the beautiful Luka Megurine, with blue eyes to be envied across the seas and pink hair like flowers. However, she was very humble underneath this beauty. She, too, had decided against the wine, finding it a bit too strong for her liking.
At ten o'clock, there was no sign of Kaito. Worried, Rin walked up to his room, to find the door ajar. A wine glass was on a small table and it was full. It looked strange, Rin decided, and switched it with one she had picked up in the hall. But as she heard footsteps coming up on the landing, Rin looked for an area to hide, quickly.
Crouching under the table, Rin managed to manoeuvre herself to avoid Kaito's feet. She didn't think he'd appreciate a spy under his table.
After hearing the glass hit the table abruptly, a coughing fit and then a rather dull slam, Rin was worried. She poked Kaito's legs. No response.
Blowing her cover, and not caring one bit, she crawled out from under the table, and there he was, lifeless, lying face down on the table.
She checked for a pulse.
No luck.
Kaito had died by poison... And it was all her fault. But how was she to know that that glass was poisoned?!
"He- he's dead... I-I better g-get out of here before I say something I'll regret." Rin muttered as she backed away slowly from the body.
Back in the dancing hall, everyone was unaware of the murder that had occurred, except for Rin. She was clueless. She didn't understand why Kaito was killed.
Both Oliver and Luka picked up on her pale face, but Rin merely said it was her seasickness that caught up with her. The two believed her.
In fact, she thought this ball would carry on as normal until the orchestra stopped playing and the first-mate charged into the room, with a microphone.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your dancing, gentlemen and ladies. But I'm sorry to say, but Mr. Shion has been found dead in his room."
Rin froze on the spot as a predictable scared uproar arose. People were panicking, some women were crying and some men were shouting.
Amidst the chaos, an hand grabbed Rin's upper arm, dragging her towards an unknown destination. Rin tried to turn around and see her kidnapper, but a tie was blinding her. She tried to yell in protest but another hand covered her mouth. "Be quiet! I need to get you out of here!"
When Rin regained consciousness, she didn't know where she was. Was that tree bark she felt on her back?
Opening her eyes, she saw a mansion before her. Was that Kaito's mansion? She slowly got to her feet, realising she was standing on sand. It was still dark outside, and her dress was damp.
Did I fall off the boat and wash up here? Then who pulled me off the shore?
She decided to walk to the mansion, where she saw a light on in one of the windows. Conveniently, her shoes (luckily, she'd picked sensible shoes for the 'trip') had not fallen off.
As she walked into the mansion, she hoped the fire was burning in the hearth. I'll catch my death out here if I'm not careful. She mused.
Opening the huge double doors Rin was greeted with a warm burst of air from the entry hall. Rubbing her upper arms to get the blood flowing back, Rin let out a sigh of contentment.
Now, if I find a phone I could see what happened to the boat and find some help...
Entering a drawing room, where the fire was burning, Rin saw Len standing in front of the fire.
"Len?"
Turning abruptly, shock evident on his features, then changing to a relieved smile, he replied. "You're awake! I'm sorry for leaving you out there. I was just about to go back for you."
Rin smiled back, happy to see a familiar face. "So, are you the one that dragged me off the shore? What happened?"
Len's expression changed to a more solemn one. "The boat hit some rocks and sank. I think the rest of them are gone... I saw you on the shore so I took you away from the waves."
Rin nodded, almost urging him to continue. So the other guests are dead? Just like that man said...
"You know, I'm the one that found Kaito in his room. I'm the one who told the first mate, too." He carried on. "You know, I may only have one arm, but I'm a detective."
Is it coincidence? Or was he invited for a reason?
"So, should we solve this mystery whilst we're here, Rin? Help won't get here until morning." He flicked his arm to the side, as to suggest the matter.
Rin was petrified, all she could do was nod. She felt like she was being put on the spot for a crime she didn't commit.
"So, the first mystery- why was Kaito sitting alone in his room? He was hosting a party wasn't he? Shouldn't he have been with the other guests?" Len questioned the air to his left, holding up one finger. "Furthermore, why was he drinking poisoned wine?"
Rin quietly contemplated Len's words, brought back to reality when he chuckled.
"It's quite simple, really. He just knew he was going to die. So, who do you think the culprit is, Rin? I think you know."
After bringing their faces dangerously close, Len walked past Rin. "It all happened in front of your eyes, didn't it?"
Rin remained silent, her arms behind her back.
Len, unfazed by the lack of reaction, carried on. "And the second mystery... When they all fell into the ocean, was the murderer with them? Or do they still walk free?"
Rin withdrew a knife from her pocket, clutching it tightly. Was Len sent here by that man too? She had brought this knife in case she had found the murderer- or anyone endangering herself.
What exactly is Len getting at? Rin thought, tracing the handle of the knife in her hands. She didn't hear Len mutter. "Just another plan that the other detective was dragged into."
Rin started to take a step forward, but was met with a hand in front of her. "You'll stay right there, Rin. As I said before, I think we should solve this together, hm?"
He continued pacing, then moved behind her and carried on. "Ah, and we have a third mystery as well. What were you, as the sea-breeze brushed through your hair, thinking?" he narrowed his eyes, and covered hers.
Rin's breath caught in her throat.
"And why is it that you, a lone survivor, brought a knife with you?"
Rin remembered. It was him. He had taken her from the crowd of uproar- several memories flashed through her head of when they used to know each other.
His arm... He disappeared after he saved me from a burning building... Didn't he used to play the piano?
"Is it so that if he didn't die by the poison, he would die by the knife?"
Rin gulped, then turned quickly, aiming to catch Len by surprise.
Len easily knocked the knife out of her smaller hands- but Rin pulled his long coat off.
Still clutching at the coat, Rin gasped. His other arm was intact, clearly. But it was bloodstained.
They both stood there in slight shock for a moment, until Len started laughing. "Well, this isn't going to help anything. Why don't you just tell me the name of the killer?"
He thinks it was me... Will he kill me for it?
Len took Rin's chin inbetween his thumb and forefinger, smiling. His eyes turned to a darker shade. "Come on. Just one name? It's not that hard, is it? He's even standing right in front of you..."
"You're not the killer!" Rin shouted, closing her eyes tightly shut. There was no way...
Len frowned and let go of the trembling girl. Running a hand through his hair, he remembered his agreement. "You know, I never wanted you to find out... So, if it's mercy you want, go on. Run away. The nearest town's about a mile away."
"You didn't do it! There's just no way you'd do something like that!"
"Rin... You know the means of eliminating me as the culprit will disappear soon. So, I'm begging you. Say my name!" Len turned in annoyance.
Rin shook her head and knelt on the floor. She couldn't feel the warmth of the fire over the cold wash of anguish she felt. Len crouched down in front of her. "If you don't say anything, I will have to kill you. I don't want to, but that was the deal. You don't have much time..."
The knife was in her reach. She could have killed him, saved herself. She'd tell him it was OK, he wasn't the killer, then kill him.
But she couldn't do it.
She loved him too much.
Biting her lip, she started sobbing. "Len, please..."
Len looked down but kept his resolve. He wiped the tears from her cheeks. "It all happened in front of your eyes. Who did it, Rin? Don't make this harder than it already is!"
Rin had given up. She didn't know who had poisoned that wine.
"I had the chance to kill you earlier. That wine I didn't pick was poisoned. I knew because I poisoned it. Why didn't I kill you back then?" He said in monotone.
Rin then snapped. "You're lying!"
"I am not! I poisoned the wine."
Rin shouted back. "You're lying about everything! You know why you didn't poison me! It's the same reason I didn't kill you with that knife."
Rin was starting to get desperate. She grabbed his arm, and looked into his eyes. "Don't you remember me?"
Met back with a cold stare, Rin was oblivious to the inner turmoil in Len's mind.
Of course I remember her! How could I forget? How could she even think I'd forgot?!
I thought if I detached myself from the task at hand, this would be easy. After all, she's the one that went off with someone else.
N-not that I should care. I mean, there never was anything between us.
He didn't want to say what he knew he had to. He had to refuse, be cold-blooded. Kill her, and the city was safe. Word would never get out.
He didn't notice he was shaking until Rin grabbed his bloodstained hand.
Her hands always were warm.
Len mentally slapped himself. This is no time to be reminiscing!
Len took this moment to decide how he would have to kill her. He couldn't quite reach the knife. He couldn't end it quickly by his own hands- unless he...
No... I couldn't strangle her. I'd have to see and hear her choking, feel her hands pitifully grasp at his own in a futile attempt to stop him. I'd see the panicked look in her eyes fade to dull lifeless grey. I'd have to try to block out the sound of her cries, the sight of her tears, the blood coming out of her mouth-
He himself was struggling to breathe. His breath was catching in his throat. He felt like he was being strangled himself.
Rin saw his struggled breaths, his eyes were now hidden beneath his hair. She took a hand off of his shoulder, then cradled his chin, finding it wet from tears spilling from his own eyes.
Closing her eyes, she moved her face closer to his.