Thank you Poet Bucky and I.K.A. Valian for the reviews. So now we get to a chapter where it's the beginning of the investigation. Gil will be officially asked to join in with the police and help solve the cases. Watch for the weird senses of inspiration he gets for clues and how he makes breakthroughs by putting his friends in the way of public humiliation.

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. Hong Kong TVB owns To Catch the Uncatchable.

"Miss Sheena Fujibyashi, can you describe your relation to the deceased, Masako Hirano? What were you doing in his room tonight, how long did you stay, and when did you leave?" the interrogation officer asked Sheena. Being the only person in the room at the supposed time of death, Sheena was considered the prime suspect, and it didn't help an eye witness, hotel manager Nick Childress, pointed to her presence there at the time.

Of course, all this did not go well for Sheena, who had never been accused of breaking the law before, let alone be branded a murderer. She fretted with worry, her hands shaking and her lips quivering as she explained herself. "Masako's a high school friend, and I ran into him when I stayed at that hotel. It just so happens that we wanted to catch up on old times, and he invited me into his room after we were cut short when you guys showed up earlier this afternoon," she stuttered, beads of sweat glistening on her head from nervousness and the spotlight-like lamp shining at her from the desk.

"The afternoon incident involved Zelos Wilder, correct?" the officer replied, not looking up from the notebook, "Isn't he part of your party, and he's vacationing with you here? So looks like we have two murder suspects traveling with each other." The swishing sounds of the pencil scribbling on the pages didn't make Sheena feel better.

"No, I didn't kill anyone, honest," Sheena pleaded, the tough girl image that she so often portrayed melting away, "All I did was get Masako off of me after he acted like a pervert. He was even worse than Zelos by climbing onto my lap, and trying to kiss me, and ripping my vest. I grabbed the closest thing to me, which was the wine bottle, and I smacked him on the head with it. I then dropped the bottle and ran out, and that was it!"

"Miss Fujibyashi, saying you 'smacked' him means a significant amount of force was used," the officer interrupted, "Initial cause of death seems to be blunt force trauma, and so it would make you the murder suspect. Now, we could wait until the coroner…"

"Wait, don't say I smacked him," Sheena begged. The surrounding grey walls seemed to collapse in on her, making her feel small and weak. "Just say I 'tapped him lightly on the head' and that made him stagger off me, allowing me to make an escape. A slight tap couldn't kill him, right?" she squeaked, looking desperately for an agreement.

But there was no sympathy from the officer, who wanted to end the interview. "That depends on the force of your tap. Is there, by any chance, that you may have tapped him too hard, and killed him off?" the officer continued, staring with half-closed eyelids.

"What? You can't be serious! How can a slight tap to the head kill a person off?" Sheena shouted, shooting out of her chair, "He was still alive and moving at the time, so he can't possibly die off, right? Besides, it's self-defence. I was trying to prevent him from assaulting my body. You can't charge me for wanting to protect myself from harm, can you?" She stared eagerly at the officer, her hands pulling on her face in anxiety.

"It's self-defence if he was still alive after the hit, but now that he's dead, that's another story," the officer explained. Closing his notes, he nodded at his two colleagues near the door, who prepared to escort her away. "Since there isn't any other suspect, we'll be holding you for the next forty-eight hours. Please take Miss Fujibyashi to the cells."

"Hey, please don't put me in the same hold as Zelos Wilder!" Sheena exclaimed as she was led away. Her incoherent blubbering continued to echo through the hallways of the police station, so much that the interrogation officer had to massage his ears. Just then, Lieutenant Arnold stepped into the room, reporting that the halls were near empty.

"Two deaths in the same hotel on the same day, and there's barely anyone left to work them," the interrogation officer groaned, "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

Arnold shook his head. "These cases are very unusual, I'll tell you that. I think we may require extra help. Both could be just simple accidents, like Candy slipping down the stairs or Masako hit his head on something else after Sheena hit him. But both could also be real murders, with sinister motives from Zelos or Sheena or some other people. And it doesn't help that witnesses and evidence are limited, even as forensics are working the entire night shift just to collect everything," the lieutenant muttered.

"What do you recommend then?" the officer challenged, "The staff is stretched, the forensics team is working overtime, and there's pressure from both the auction and the hotel to let them have the jewel and room back. How can we deal with this quickly?"

Arnold looked up, a sly smile inching across his lips. "There's only one person I can think of that can help us, and he's right here in Altamira," he announced, "But first, how long do you think it'll take us to clear Gil Irving as a suspect in both crimes?"

"This is where you'll be staying tonight," Sheena was told as she was led into a holding cell. There was already someone in there, lying motionless on the bench in the corner. Sheena didn't need to see the face, but she had an idea who it was. Still, it didn't make her feel any better that she would bunk here for a while, especially with Zelos.

"Hey, can you not run off yet?" Sheena called as the officer locked the cell, "I don't feel comfortable here. Hey, come back here!" She waved her arm at the officer, to no avail. As the sounds of footsteps faded from the dark passage, Sheena was resigned to her fate. Sighing, she sat down at the other bench, her eyes to the floor. Choking with emotion, she covered her face and sobbed, "What will I do now?"

Sheena's whimpering was not unnoticed, as the originally thought to be sleeping figure slowly stirred and lifted his head. Sitting up properly, Zelos took a good look at his cellmate and immediately approached her. "Sheena, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Sheena gasped, shocked at the redhead inching so close to her. "Stay back, don't come any closer!" she yelled, getting into a defensive posture. She already had enough shock from Masako's advancements, and was in no mood to be dealing with sex maniacs.

Zelos slowed his movements, raising his hands to show he was harmless. "I just want to know if you're doing alright, and why you're here, that's all," he assured her. He tried to be sincere with his voice, and limiting his movements to make Sheena feel safer.

But that didn't make Sheena feel any better, as she crawled off the bench and moved to the bars. "I'm not supposed to be here, I'm just falsely accused. Besides, what do you know about making sure I'm alright, other than how my body looks in your sick romantic fantasies?" she snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Zelos.

Zelos sighed. "I do want to make sure you're alright, because I've been falsely accused as well. I never killed Candy, but right now I'm the prime suspect, and that's why I'm here." He looked at her with pleading eyes, hoping she would calm down.

Sheena seemed to have calmed down a bit, but was still distrusting of him. "You don't look like the type who commits murders, I admit, but it doesn't mean you won't want to take advantage of another woman while she's defenceless," Sheena replied with a death glare, "How do I know you didn't do that to Candy, and plan on doing it to me?"

"Why in the world would you think I would want to get myself in more trouble, Sheena?" Zelos demanded, frustration stemming from his voice. The dim lights from the hallway cast a mild spotlight onto Zelos, showing his position on the ground and looking helpless. "Look, I know you're stressed out and you're not thinking clearly, but hear me out. Not even two weeks ago they were still talking about us saving the world, and the newspapers tomorrow will state that the heroes are arrested for these crimes. I want to get out and clear my name, so do you think I'll let my hormones risk keeping me in here?"

Sheena took a deep breath. From Zelos' angle, the lights were to her back, making her an entire shadow as she pressed herself onto the bars. Slowly, she edged forward, her face emerging from the shadows and showing her still anxious expression. She timidly sat on her bench, still unsure of what to do. "I believe you didn't commit a crime," Zelos stated, "and I think you'll get out safely. But until then, we must support each other."

Sheena nodded, her face turning gloomy again as a flurry of thoughts blasted through her mind. What if there's no evidence to prove her innocence? Would they truly charge her? How much longer would they keep her in jail? "You've been involved with the police as a mole before," she asked meekly, "Do you think they'll get it right?"

Zelos shook his head. "Back then, I had files from the military that granted me immunity whenever I'm involved in my cases, so the army bailed me out if I got arrested. In fact, Gil had the same thing, and that's why he can take care of Lloyd even when he's in and out of the station," Zelos explained, "I'm no longer an active spy for the Intelligence Bureau right now, meaning the immunity is null and void. Looks like it'll take a true sleuth in order to get us out, and there's only one person who I think can do this."

"Dad, what's going on at the door?" Lloyd called as he stepped out of the room. There was a loud commotion at the hallway outside, and Lloyd didn't exactly appreciate the rude awakening. Still clad in only his underwear, he strode towards the door, which was left ajar as his crutches-holding father deliberated with a group of people.

"So you would have trouble negotiating up and down stairs, correct? And you just showed your balance would hinder you in swinging an object repeatedly," a man in uniform asked Gil as the former undercover police officer rebalanced himself on his crutches, "If that's the case, then I think we have no further questions for you."

Lloyd pulled the door open, looking confused as he scanned the hallway from the doorframe. His travelling companions were just as baffled as him, as they all observed the scene before them. Colette, Genis and Raine were all out in the hallway, still haven't changed out of their sleeping attires: Genis in only baggy blue boxers, Raine in a loose shirt and sweat pants, while Colette in pink pyjamas with matching top and bottom. "Do you guys know what's going on here?" Lloyd called from his position.

When all his friends merely shrugged, Gil turned around and faced Lloyd. Gil was up earlier than Lloyd, and had already gotten a chance to change into his regular clothes. "The police have asked me for information regarding two deaths yesterday. You know about the supermodel's death already, but last night Sheena's friend Masako was also found dead in his room. Since Zelos and Sheena are both being held, and they're both part of our group, the police wanted me to give them some information about them."

"And why did it look like you were swinging with your crutches earlier?" Raine asked, "And why were they asking you about going up and down stairs?"

But the commanding officer, Lieutenant Arnold, interrupted before Gil could explain. "We wanted Mr. Irving here to make sure everybody's stories are straight before we move forward. We've been collecting evidence all day yesterday and we require a lot of cooperation, so it's good that there's another cop here that understands what's going on. And besides, I'm sure you taxpaying citizens want to help too, right?" he winked.

Gil nodded, much to the puzzlement of his friends. "Can all of you help out the police by telling them where you were during the times of the two crimes, and what you were doing at the time? Lieutenant Arnold and I just want to have a chat first," he stated.

"At least let us get dressed first, right?" Genis retorted, looking down at his lack of clothing for his top. This sentiment was echoed by Lloyd, who promptly stepped back into the room and closed the door. As everyone ran off to get changed, Gil told the police to give his friends a few minutes while he and Arnold stepped off to the end of the hall.

"Now, as you know, these two cases are truly troublesome for us because the evidence we collected seem pretty limited so far. I admit, the forensics team still hasn't analyzed them completely yet. But by the looks of it, we don't think we can finish putting together the puzzle in forty-eight hours. If no others suspects show up, and the evidence is still inconclusive, your friends may be charged," Arnold quietly explained to Gil.

Gil sighed. The last thing he wanted was for Sheena and Zelos to be held like this. He didn't believe for a moment that Zelos would kill Candy, and although he didn't know Sheena quite well, doubted she would kill Masako. "So what's my role?" he asked.

"Since the circumstances surrounding the cases are so mysterious, we figured that you would be a great temporary addition to our force for the next few days. We're hoping you can help us keep an eye on things around here, and analyze what's going on in the hotel so we can do our investigation easier. Of course, I know you're on vacation, and you won't be an active member of Altamira police. But if you can do the little things for us, it'll really go a long way," Arnold offered, "So what do you say? Will you help us?"

Gil's eyes were cast downward, mulling over the suggestion. It would go a long way to helping Sheena and Zelos, but what dangers would he be leading Lloyd and his friends into? But then again, Lloyd showed his competence and mature thinking when Gil asked him to defeat Forcystus, so it was worth a shot. "I'll do it on one condition," Gil replied, "Anything my son and friends observe can also be fair game. I have faith in all of them in helping you with this case, so you should let them report anything they see."

Arnold nodded. "We'll just take it as any ordinary citizen's report, so you got yourself a deal," he decided, shaking hands with Gil, "But is there anything in particular that you want to see before you start? Maybe some evidence, location, whatever?"

"I'd like to take a look at Masako's room, if you don't mind. I know they've been collecting evidence all night last night, so I want to go take a look," Gil responded, "It's just downstairs, right? If your staff is still there, then I don't think I'll require an escort."

Arnold nodded and returned to the hotel rooms, leaving Gil by his lonesome. The Iselia police officer then entered a waiting elevator and pushed for the floor below. When he was still healthy, using the stairs would have been the preferred method for Gil, but the crutches and his still battered leg were not making it easy for him. As it arrived to the floor, Gil clopped his way to Masako's room, half expecting there would still be police tape on it. But when he got there, he couldn't believe his eyes. "What's going on?"

Through the open door, Gil could see janitorial staff cleaning out Masako's room, removing the bed linen, old clothing, and emptying out the garbage can. Custodians were all over the room as Gil looked on in shock. "Where's the police?" he demanded.

A middle-aged woman standing near the door stared at Gil in annoyance. "I don't know what you're talking about. Mr. Childress told us to clean the room for the next guest. There wasn't any police," she rudely retorted, "Anything else you want help with?"

"No, this is wrong," Gil murmured, clutching his head. The police couldn't have let the room be opened again after such a quick search, could they? "There was a death in this room last night, and the police must collect all the evidence. Now, if you wipe this place clean, then there's no way we can get to the bottom of this, and an innocent person may be harmed. You want to be held responsible for that?" he snapped.

"And who do you think you are?" the custodian retorted, her hands on her hips and her expression mimicking Gil's frustrated look. "You're not the police, I don't see any ID. Who are you to come barging in telling us what to do?"

Gil and the woman stared daggers into each other, causing the other cleaning staff to look on nervously. Despite his crutches, Gil was still an imposing figure, and the staff members were not keen on making him angry. Likewise, their team leader was also stubborn, and she wasn't about to let Gil run roughshod over them. The entire room was silent as eyes were cast towards them, realizing that an all-out battle was inevitable.

"Is there something I can help everyone with?" a voice asked from behind Gil. All eyes turned to the door as a man with neatly combed hair and dressed in a suit and tie had appeared before them. "I understand there seems to be some problem with this room?"

The custodial staff took the initiative and barged out to their manager. "This man here is telling us to stop the cleaning and wants to come in. He said there should be police here, but who is he to start saying all that? Why should we let some stranger in?"

But Gil had ammunition of his own, as he turned to Childress and jabbed a finger in his face. "There was a death here last night, and police are upstairs questioning my son and his friends. Now, unless you're telling me that the investigation is over, you've found the culprit, and everything's dandy, there's no logical way that you can convince me the room can be closed down. So what did you do with them?" he demanded.

"Actually, the forensics team told me they're done with their investigation, and all evidence has been collected," Childress calmly replied, "I don't know what other orders are coming from the police, and despite being a VIP here, you still can't just barge into another person's room. We'll save it for the next guest, and we kindly ask you to direct any info on this crime to Lieutenant Arnold," the manager ended with a smug grin.

Gil cursed under his breath, partially at the response Childress gave, but also at the forensics team's incompetence. "There's got to be a mistake," Gil muttered. Going back to the elevators, he angrily slapped the button for going up. In fact, he was so stuck in his thoughts that he didn't notice people exiting the elevator, and nearly ran them over.

"Gil, what's the hurry?" a female voice asked as the two people Gil nearly ran into caught him before they all lost balance. Gil lifted his head to see two figures with blond hair staring at him, looks of concern plastered on their faces.

"Frank, Phoebe, weren't you with the police upstairs?" Gil asked as they regained balance and moved away from the open elevator. "They're interrogating everyone right now about Masako's death and how Sheena seems to be involved. Did you tell them…"

"We were downstairs having breakfast and we only saw the police just earlier, when we went back to our rooms. They're still busy with other people, so we'll get our chance to speak with them later," Frank assured, "Why are you down here? Isn't this where Masako's room is? What's with the commotion when you were rushing in?"

Gil shook his head in frustration. "It's either the forensics team is a group of idiots, or the hotel manager just took the law into his own hands. The room where the death occurred has been shut down and they're cleaning it up. All they're saying is that the police are done with collecting evidence and they're cleaning the room to prepare it for the next guest. I'm going to have a word with Arnold about this!" he fumed.

Just as this was said, shuffling and a door opening could be heard just down the hall. Gil and the Brunel couple turned the corner to see the custodial staff enter the stairs and emptied their trash. "There could be evidence in there, how could they just throw it away?" Gil whispered. Turning to Frank, he beckoned and pushed him forward. "You're the archaeologist, right? So you start digging for the garbage bags and get me my stuff!"

Frank was about to protest, trying to prevent being pushed into the dumpster as the custodial staff returned to the room. Gil craned his neck to ensure that Childress and the others weren't looking. "Come on, they recognize my face, so I can't do anything odd without them noticing. This will have to be your mission." With one shove, he drove the blond-haired professor into the stairway. "Phoebe and I will keep watch, okay?"

As Frank dug through the trash, Childress moved down the hallway. He saw Gil and Phoebe standing awkwardly at the door and approached them. "Mr. Irving, I see you brought along a friend. Has she given her testimony to the police yet?" he asked.

"Well, we're about to do that, but we're just waiting for my, uh…ouch!" Phoebe yipped as Gil elbowed her, signalling not to give away too much. "The police are busy with other witnesses, so we'll go in a minute, yeah!" she concluded, rubbing herself.

Childress nodded, his eyes still fixed on the door behind them. "I do hope you don't stand so close to the door, since the custodians are emptying out some garbage from the rooms. I'm sure they won't be too pleased that someone may be disorganizing their trash. Is there a reason for you standing there?" he asked, craning to get a better view.

"Oh no, we're just curious as to what's going on, that's all," Gil replied, copying Childress and shifting his own way to block his view, "I mean, when I entered the room earlier, it's not that I want to harass your staff. It's just that Sheena's such a good friend of mine, and the police is working so hard, we don't want our taxpayers' money to go down the drain, right?" he responded, showing a smile that even he would puke at.

Childress tried the opposite direction, only to have Phoebe block his view. "We want to help police in any way we can," Gil continued, trying to divert Childress' eyes from the back, "They have rules, you have rules, everybody has rules. And all these rules make life so difficult for everyone, don't you think? You can't even take clothes, or some washroom accessories, or whatever without procedures like warrants, even when there's a death. Oh well, best to protect people's privacy, right?" Gil asked rhetorically.

Childress nodded. "Our hotel's policy is exactly like that. People's comfort and privacy come first. Now, unless you or the police have a warrant, then I strongly recommend that you do not disturb the staff when they're working. As the manager, I do reserve the right to have you removed should anything happens. But of course, knowing you're all responsible guests, I'm sure that won't happen?" he retorted, looking on eagerly.

Gil and Phoebe shook their heads vehemently. Phoebe continued assuring the manager that they meant no harm while Gil sneaked a peek backwards. Frank had three large garbage bags in his hands, and signalled to Gil that he had the targets. Gil then waved his head upwards, telling Frank to meet him upstairs. As the archaeologist took off, Childress chose to leave as well. "If there's nothing more you require, I think it's best for us to be on our ways," he stated, pivoting quickly and headed for the room.

Gil and Phoebe breathed a huge sigh of relief. Nodding to each other, they went back to the elevators and pressed for up. "Once you get to Frank, tell him to get the bags to my room. Then you can talk to the police while I sort things out," Gil instructed. It was less than an hour since Gil agreed to help and Gil was already having second thoughts.

"Tell me why I ever get talked into doing this," Gil muttered again as he made his way up the steps of the police station with Raine. After spending an hour or two in his room with his garbage, including having breakfast delivered to him, Gil managed to sort out all the items in the bags, and could safely hand it to police for evidence analysis. He originally wanted to go by himself, leaving Lloyd and friends with Raine as they headed for the amusement park. But when Raine heard that the precious and priceless Heart of Balacruf was with police, she couldn't help but make Gil let her tag along.

"It's an ancient artefact, and it deserved to be studied properly," Raine retorted, "I refuse to let some greedy auctioneer sell it off without letting a history expert get a good look at it first. Besides, Frank, Phoebe and Grandma don't have much to do today anyway, so they can take the others to the amusement park."

Gil shook his head, still amazed by Raine's determination. He was already having enough trouble carrying garbage bags while balancing on his crutches, but Raine was so keen on seeing the necklace that she was willing to take all three bags for Gil, just so he could quicken the pace. "Let's just hope the police are willing to play with you," he muttered.

As they entered the main unit, they saw a bespectacled man signing some papers sitting right next to the evidence case containing the Heart of Balacruf. Immediately, the female half-elf's eyes lit up, her body movement grinded to a halt as she stared at the case in admiration. Never in her life had she seen such a beautiful and precious jewel. "It's so amazing, and fascinating," she murmured, sounding like she was in a trance. Then, as if she had lost control of her body, she sprang for the necklace, trying to snatch it away.

That caught the eyes of the officer, who had to bear hug Raine to restrain her. "Who are you? What are you doing?" he demanded, signalling to the man to take cover.

"No, you have to let me see that necklace! It's too beautiful and important an artefact for me to give up!" Raine exclaimed, still lunging for it. Soon, the entire unit had their eyes set for the strange battle, not sure of how to react to it.

Finally, it took a certain goateed man on crutches to settle things down. "No need to worry, she's just a friend of mine wanting to help me out with your investigation," Gil assured everyone, "Raine, come on, we have to take this evidence to the forensics unit, and then I'll have to talk to Lieutenant Arnold. But if you really want to see the jewel, then I'm sure he wouldn't mind letting you hear about it, provided there's no touching."

"What? No touching? Are you serious? Gil, how can I examine the necklace if I can't touch it?" Raine complained. However, her whining would fall on deaf ears as the former undercover police officer hobbled off, with two officers holding the garbage bags following closely behind. Raine could only look on in exasperation, not wanting to part with the Heart of Balacruf. "He can't possibly know how much this means to me."

While police held firm and refused to let Raine go near the necklace, the man with the glasses slowly got back up and approached her. "I do understand how you feel, since this necklace is very unique. If you do want to know more about it, I'll be glad to share my knowledge about it with you while your friend talks with Lieutenant Arnold. I'm sure the police wouldn't mind, right?" he offered, a look of sympathy on his face.

Raine looked on eagerly like a child at the candy store window as the man assured the police that Raine meant no harm. As the officer slowly released his grip, Raine felt like she melted through the floor, her legs nearly jelly as she fluttered onto a nearby chair. Surrounding staff members returned to their work as the officer picked up the files from the desk and made his way to the lieutenant's office. "My name's Leonard Yancey," the man introduced himself, "What do you want to know about the Heart of Balacruf?"

"My name's Raine Sage and I'm currently finishing my Master's degree with Dr. Frank Brunel of Iselia. I've always been interested in history and artefacts, and I want to know more about this necklace," she stated, her eyes still on the evidence case.

As Raine listened to Leonard's stories, Gil entered the lieutenant's office. Arnold had just returned from the hotel after questioning all members of Gil's travelling party, and received more information from the forensics unit since. "So you gave us three more bags? That'll mean OT for those guys. Are you paying for their lunch?" he joked.

Gil smiled as he slowly eased himself into a chair. "I have to protest your decision to close down that room so quickly. There's no way evidence collecting took one night only, especially with a case under such mysterious circumstances," Gil scolded Arnold, "Good thing my friend went through the garbage bags, or you may overlook something. But let's talk about you guys. What important pieces of evidence did you analyze so far?"

"We had a loose vest that Sheena supposedly said she wore, and it did have some buttons torn off. It could be that she removed it to make herself more mobile in killing the deceased, or it could back up her story that it was the deceased who ripped it off of her. I think it'll be crucial to determine what really went on." Arnold described.

Gil nodded. "What about Zelos' case? Have you found anything in the stairs or on the necklace that gives you any leads to her death?" he asked.

Arnold shook his head. "The supermodel case is as confusing as ever. There's still the possibility that the entire thing is an accident, and with the auction crew sending Leonard Yancey to pressure us, it's not making our lives any easier," he stated.

"Are Sheena and Zelos around? I want to speak to them," Gil requested. Knowing that they were the only people around during the deaths, Gil had a feeling that somewhere in their testimonies might be clues leading to the truth.

"Wow, I never knew there was so much history behind you. If you didn't tell me about this, I would have thought you were just some sex-crazed pervert that only cares about scantily-dressed woman," Sheena murmured. Sheena and Zelos had relatively little rest the night before, and ended up only getting short periods of shut-eye here and there. Since waking up at the crack of dawn, the two had nothing to do and started discussing their life histories, with Zelos going first. And as he told his anecdotes, Sheena couldn't help but listen on in amazement at how Zelos' life was different than she had imagined.

"It's true that I'm very interested in women, and it's true that I've had my fair share of so-called one-night stands during my mole career, but everything I've said is also true," Zelos concluded, "I did it all for my sister, and now, to be connected to the death of her former best friend, I almost feel a sense of irony." His head was in downward position, with his red hair mangled and loose. Neither one of them had a great night, but it was their heartfelt conversations to each other that kept them in it. "You had some pretty sobering stories too, having to live through the Volt incident."

Sheena's head copied Zelos, staring solemnly at the ground. "I had to grow up in a hurry, I'll give you that. My family had always been involved in researching the lost art of summoning. When we had that breakthrough by harnessing electrical energy from Volt with Mark and Kuchinawa's parents, Grandpa was part of the group tried to work with the summon spirit, only to have a lightning storm kill off most of the people. So you can imagine why Kuchinawa turned to a life on the streets afterwards, even though Mark promised him he'd go back with his foster family to adopt him later on."

"So I guess there's a family member that we were both fighting for throughout our lives. You had your Grandpa, and I had Seles," Zelos replied, "I don't know how much good they'll do for our situation. We're still considered the prime suspects in our respective cases, and in about thirty-six hours, they'll tell us what they want to do with us." Zelos sighed, holding his head and fearing the possibility of not being able to see Seles again. She was freed from a Cruxis prison weeks ago after spending years captured, only to have him enter a police prison for a crime he didn't commit.

Sheena put a hand on Zelos' shoulder. "I personally don't think you did it. You tolerated much harsher conditions than Candy's hurtful words, so I doubt you unleashed your anger on her by shoving her down a flight of stairs. I just hope they can say the same about me on Masako, since all I did was wave a wine bottle in his face after he tried to assault me. But the evidence is stacked higher against me, and I'm not sure what will happen," Sheena explained, some emotion choking on her throat with her last few words.

Zelos chuckled. "I heard from the military that you were involved in that prisoner exchange with Cruxis. You were in that group, so I thought you may have experience in dangerous situations. I guess it's different than being accused of murder, right?"

"Back then, it was the military who designed everything, and all I had to do was show up. They guaranteed that I'll be alright, and that I didn't have to do anything weird. Here, I'm the one being accused, and there's no guarantee that I'll get out safely, so what more can I say?" Sheena replied, her body slouching down again.

Just then, an officer approached the cell. "You two have a visitor," Sheena and Zelos heard him call, followed by a distinctive clopping from the hallway. The officer stepped aside, showing a tall figure with a familiar goateed face.

Immediately, Sheena charged for the bars. "Gil, you got to get us out of here. We had nothing to do with those crimes!" she shouted, reaching for Gil.

"Yeah, consider it helping a fellow mole, will you?" Zelos chimed in, moving to the front as well. "Besides, I'm not too happy that you filled those cops' minds with that psychological crap earlier, so if anything, I'm here because of your words."

"Hey, it's not crap. It's been scientifically proven before that these methods has been and continue to be working in contemporary police units," Gil responded, "I'm doing everything I can to prove your innocence, but you two must tell me your sides of your stories. Tell me what you saw at each crime scene, when you got there, what you intended to do there, and what happened just before you left."

Sheena started off with her story first, explaining the events from the afternoon, when Masako invited her for tea. She described that they were interrupted when police had to investigate Candy's death, and Masako offered to bring her to his room. "Then when I was in there, he started making moves on me, so I hit him with the wine bottle."

"And you said it was the hotel manager who delivered the wine bottle, and it's because of this that he could point to your presence," Gil confirmed, figuring that it might be in his best interests to check Childress' records just to make sure. "Alright, I think I know what to do with you. And Zelos, what about your case?"

Zelos described events from his argument with Candy in the parking lot onward. "I saw her get taken away by the auction staff, so I just went back to my room and took a long shower. I changed into my street clothes and came back down about half an hour later. I was going back to the beach via the parking lot when I saw that stalker run out from the stairs. I stepped into the staircase and found her body, and then I called police."

Gil mulled over the information. Surely there was someone in the lobby that saw Zelos there and could prove his innocence, right? Just as he was about to ask another question, he heard a unique wailing from the end of the hall. Feeling it sounded familiar, he hobbled his way to the interrogation room when the very person Zelos spoke of could be seen griping at police. "I didn't do it, please stop yelling at me!" Andrew cried.

Gil grabbed a nearby officer and asked what was going on. Apparently, the police finally located Andrew Crocker and planned to interrogate him on the events. But with the young man's below average mind, it was almost like talking to a whiney child. "Can you let me handle this? I think I have a way to get him to talk," Gil suggested.

Before anyone realized it, Gil pushed the door open and dragged himself to the table. "Hey, Andrew," he greeted, "Remember me? I'm Gil, the guy from the beach."

Seeing Gil's face only caused Andrew to freak out more. "No, don't yell at me! I didn't mean it to run over your on the beach! Leave me alone!" Andrew yelped, raising his hands to cover his face and cowering in fear. Beside him, the officers were at a loss.

But Gil was surprisingly calm in handling this. "Sshhh, it's okay, I'm not going to yell at you. I'm a police officer too, have you ever seen cops yell at regular citizens?" Gil asked soothingly, "I don't even yell at my own son, so of course I'll be nice. Now that being said, the police do want your help, and only you can give us what we want. So if you're good, I'll guide you through the process and make sure you get out quickly, fair?"

Andrew meekly nodded. Gil looked at the interrogation officers, signalling to prepare writing in their notebooks. "Now, from the time you entered the hotel yesterday afternoon, to the time you ran out, can you tell me exactly what happened?" he asked.

"So you gathered quite a lot of evidence today," Raine observed. Both spent quite some time at the police station hearing different stories; Raine on the Heart of Balacruf, and Gil on his cases. And after a quick lunch at a local café, they returned to the hotel.

"You seem to have taken a liking to that Leonard guy," Gil pointed out as they entered the front doors, "He seems pretty knowledgeable about that necklace, and it just so happens we have a history buff willing to listen in. So what'd you find out?"

"I really learned a lot about the necklace and its surrounding history. It's really fascinating, you know?" Raine replied, "But really, there's nothing between Leonard and me. I'm a keen learner and he's a willing lecturer, so we both benefited at the station."

Gil smiled. "Well, if you're going back to your room, then I'll just stick around at the lobby. I got to type up that info as well," he stated, sliding into a nearby chair. Having worked as a mole for ten years, Gil also developed quite a good memory, as he still had most of the details from Sheena, Zelos, the forensics unit, and even Andrew etched into his mind. Now, after some food for energy and a quiet afternoon, he could truly analyze the situation for real, and get a better understanding of what happened to his friends.

It didn't take long for Gil to be absorbed in the details, as his ideas poured all over his laptop screen. For starters, he learned that Zelos was about to enter the staircase just as Andrew Crocker blasted out, nearly bowling him over when he noticed the body. Prior to that, Zelos claimed to be in his room the entire time. Andrew's story was that he wanted to see Candy again, and to apologize to her for the commotion he caused at the beach the day before. "That means he may not be a killer either, because he obviously won't push his own idol off the stairs, especially when he's apologizing, right?"

As for the Masako case, Gil realized that Sheena entered the room at the same time Childress delivered the wine, meaning Childress' eye accounts were believable. But the question was: what happened in the so-called battle? "There are loose buttons in the garbage bags, and Sheena's vest is missing buttons. So how did they come off?"

Gil was so wrapped up in his case that he didn't even notice two figures approach him. A gentle clearing of the throat caused Gil to snap his attention away from the screen and lift his head. Standing before him was a tall, muscular man with marine-coloured hair and a shorter, grey-haired man with a moustache and wearing a cardigan. "Regal, what brings you and George here?" Gil greeted the two members of the Lezareno Company.

"We heard about the deaths at the hotel recently and we're seeing if everyone is doing alright," Regal answered, "I'm pretty worried about it too, since Zelos has really got me involved in the Cruxis affair, with Altessa and all that. And Masako is a new manager at my company, meaning…"

Gil wasn't really paying attention to Regal's speech anymore; rather, his eyes were on George's cardigan vest, and the number of buttons going up the centre. Sheena had a vest almost identical to that at the crime scene, Gil thought, so what if I could try something new? Turning to Regal, he interrupted the CEO and asked George for help. "George, can you button your vest tightly and stand up straight?" Gil requested.

The older man stared at Gil with a puzzled expression. But nonetheless, he heeded to Gil and did up the cardigan. Regal looked on as Gil struggled to his feet without his crutches and hopped his way towards George. Then, without warning, the goateed man lunged at George, grabbed the cardigan by the middle and violently shook George. All the Lezareno CEO could see was the flailing of limbs and shaking of bodies as Gil shook George like a money tree. "Gil, stop! What are you doing?" Regal wailed.

And as suddenly as it began, it ended with both men tumbling backwards. Gil flopped onto his chair, losing balance after operating with no crutches while George stumbled back a few steps. "Mr. Irving, I protest this rough treatment!" he scolded.

But Gil ignored the Lezareno head advisor. "So it obviously takes a lot more force or shaking to get it off," he murmured, staring at the still-intact cardigan. Turning to the muscle-strapped man, he told Regal to take over in shaking George. "And get the refusal look out of your face," Gil ordered, "You said you owed me big after I helped you find and heal Presea, so you can pay me back by doing this."

Regal looked around nervously. Already passing tourists were staring at them like a circus show. Mouthing "forgive me" to George, Regal mimicked Gil's earlier actions and violently shook his assistant. With Regal's bulging biceps and triceps, George got the ride of a lifetime. As he was thrown about like a rag doll, a circular object broke free from his chest and rolled to the floor. "Stop," Gil called, lifting one of his crutches and pointing it at the floor. "We used all that strength and time, but it finally broke loose."

Regal and George looked on as Gil pushed the button towards them with his crutch. "So that means there was a battle in that room, and the button did go loose. In this case, Sheena may be telling the truth," Gil concluded, "We must look at other people that may have accessed Masako's room. Do you know if he has other friends, Regal?"

Regal mulled over the question while George glared at Gil in anger. "Masako does do something that I'm not too fond of, but given he has no real residence, I usually let it go," Regal recalled, "He would let his clients go into his hotel room to talk about new or continuing deals. Recently, he's been following up on three ladies, all of whom have investigated large sums into his programs. Would you care to see the files?"

Just want to tell Bucky and I.K.A. that because I'm throwing my readers on a loop, your cameos won't appear again for a little while. I'll try to make I.K.A. debut next chapter and put you guys on hiatus, before you show up again later on. Thanks for reading!