Chapter 3: At the Twin Fish Private Inquiries Ltd., on the corner of 8th and 13th Streets, Kita-Kawase District
His office door shot open. The head of the firm knew a lot of people who were fond of dramatic entrances but this one had a definite flair for it: Ichigo Kurosaki. It wasn't just the shock of orange hair that erupted from his head, but the scowling forehead that went with it. It was a balmy afternoon, and unlike any other young professional slacking off on the job to go to the beach, this specimen looked like he was only fit to pop his frontal vein due to stress.
Ukitake seemed almost too pleased to see him. "Why, it's our prodigal intern. I've been trying to contact you! There was a favor I wanted to ask--"
"Tell me Ukitake… why do people kill?" Ichigo interrupted as he plopped unceremoniously into the visitor's chair.
The man behind the teak desk coughed gently and put away the documents he was reading. Ukitake knew why he was here, but he played along. Kurosaki was not the only rookie policeman on the force who crawled back to his office for guidance. "Well, self-preservation is often the most common reason for people to justify violence against--"
"Why, Kurosaki, if you haven't figured that out yet, Ukitake should have fired you," drawled Shunsui Kyoraku, who had barged into his partner's office. "Thank God you left on your own. What sort of havoc you've been doing at the Met since you left us? I tremble to think."
Ukitake scratched his head. "Why Shunsui! Are you back from your stint in rehab so soon?"
"Came straight from the ferry ride," Shunsui grinned. "I wanted to see my Nanao-chan and tell her that I'm sober now."
"Sober?" Ichigo was stunned by that news more than by Shunsui's good-natured insults. He studied the dapper man standing before them. Dressed in an impeccable suit, the gaudy pink cravat Shunsui wore rather destroyed the outfit. It also rendered him a conspicuous private investigator. "You? Cut cold turkey? Is that even possible?"
The two older men looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Shunsui sank into the chair opposite the young inspector. "Ukitake's kidding! I was checking out some strange goings-on over at Seireitei involving phony land titles. I was there for a week. Boring stuff, compared to what you've got your fingers on."
"I haven't gotten my fingers around anyone!" Ichigo growled. "I just want to see if someone on the force overlooked some clue."
"Now, now," Ukitake made soothing noises. "That Rukia Kuchiki is a pretty girl but surely Kurosaki here has only the best intentions. I'm happy you're taking an interest in her case. We read about your involvement in yesterday's smash-up. It was in the news." Ichigo refused to blush and so the white-haired private investigator went on. "Regarding your question, people do kill for many reasons. Some people will do anything to protect themselves, what is theirs, and what they believe is rightfully theirs. In the case of Hisana Kuchiki, she's an innocent victim, no doubt."
"No one deserves to be poisoned," Ichigo muttered.
"That is if she was indeed poisoned," Ukitake said. "Look. I know you're quite new to be handling a murder investigation. It's not your forte yet." Ichigo nodded sullenly. For some reason, his boss always assigned him to check out smugglers and apprehend rapists. "And you didn't do the initial investigation."
"Are you leading me up a tree here?"
"Be patient, Kurosaki." Ukitake was clearly warming up to his role. "You need to double-check every step the inspector before you made. This may get you into trouble if you're not actually assigned to the case. Also, you need to know that the Kuchiki family has some secrets to hide, and more importantly, a lot of enemies."
"You think someone would murder Hisana Kuchiki to get back at the family?" Ichigo was interested.
"It's not farfetched," Ukitake answered. "It would be difficult to prove, though, especially if it's a professional hit. You might be looking for a culprit who's fled overseas."
A groan involuntarily escaped Ichigo's throat. "And Byakuya Kuchiki is known to have business interests in Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines."
Ukitake sighed. "That's true. What I am glad is that by some miracle you got a hung jury. You have a month to gather new information that will help get the defense a continuance."
Ichigo smirked. "I met one of the jurors who refused to vote guilty," he said. "Turned out that the auburn-haired girl on the jury is an acquaintance of my best friend Chad."
Ukitake looked slightly interested. "Do you remember this juror's name?"
He shook his head. "Sorry. I'm horrible with that sort of thing. Which is just as well, she won't get involved in this case again. She might be one of the jurors ferried in."
The older man shrugged. "It's good to keep tabs on everyone who makes contact with you on this matter…"
Ichigo was getting impatient with this advice. He knew all of this already. But Ukitake was not to be rushed.
"…And you need to do is to check the autopsy reports. If they are off, you need to get an exhumation order for the body. That Ishida…"
"What about him? He's the chief coroner, supposed to be the best the Commonwealth has ever seen," Ichigo furrowed his brow. "At least, that's what I know about him."
Shunsui shook his head sadly. "Oh, you naïve boy. Your recent promotion makes me forget that you've only been on the force for six months. Chief Coroner's an appointed position. No. Ryuken Ishida is a great doctor, but he's better with saving live bodies, not figuring out what killed dead ones. He's not a forensic scientist. It's not his fault. The last person to hold that position – the best damn scientist this Commonwealth will ever see – he's gotten quite dotty."
"So, who are the new go-to people for hard evidence?" Ichigo inquired, although he knew where this was leading.
"This place, of course," The twinkle in Ukitake's eyes was unmistakable. "Nothing like a private inquiry agency to keep everyone on the staff on their toes. From shadowing to lab work, we do it best and we don't cut corners. If you could handle the red tape, we wouldn't mind lending our guy to be at the exhumation."
So things were looking up. Ichigo knew he'd have to file a ton of paperwork to get an exhumation order now, and he would need a good reason to file one. Inspectors weren't allowed to dig up dead people on solely on their gut feelings. Still, he took mental note of the offer.
Shunsui cocked his head to the side and added thoughtfully, "I've met Byakuya Kuchiki. He's rather ruthless. If someone was to kill his wife, he'd want to get revenge on his own."
"Thanks for the warning," Ichigo said. "Seeing that I'd have to bump heads with him to get any new information on his family."
A knock on the door made them all pause, but it was only Nanao, the agency's executive assistant. She wheeled in a tea cart laden with baked sweets. She also pulled out a thick wad of paperwork from under the tea things including a folder labeled Shunsui's Tasks.
"It's time for our meeting," she reminded the two older men. She barely glanced at Ichigo. "Should I come back?"
"No need," Ichigo rose to go. "What's that favor?"
"Not important anymore," Ukitake said. "But wait. You don't know everything yet, Kurosaki."
Damn this old coot, Ichigo thought with chagrin. Leaving the most important information for last. He always does this. His hand was on the doorknob. "What is it?"
"The man who was stabbed yesterday?" Ukitake folded his hands before him. "Kisuke Urahara."
"Yeah? He was just some courtroom nut."
"That's not his real name," Ukitake said. "When he was much younger, he used to be known by the moniker Benihime."
"Rather gay, don't you think?" Ichigo blurted out.
"The newspapers didn't recognize him, he's changed so much," Shunsui interjected. "He's not gay… but he can get rather jolly." Significant pause. "And he's the eccentric genius we were just talking about... he was the commonwealth's duly appointed Chief Coroner before Ishida."
Oh fuck.
"He used to be an acquaintance of ours," Ukitake explained. "He used to be a friend of your boss, too. A very good friend of hers, but the Shihoin wouldn't mention that to a subordinate like you."
Shunsui snorted. "You're so discreet. You might as well say as soon as the Shihoin forgives him for being a stupid ass for that trick he played on her two years ago, they'll be tighter than thieves. Nobody's going to get close enough to kill him while he's lying unconscious in the hospital. The Shihoin's love, like her wrath, is a scary emotion to provoke."
Double fuck. Now was not the time to admit he was stupid and dismissive.
"He was trying to tell me something about the Kuchiki family," Ichigo said slowly. "But it didn't make sense."
Shunsui smiled contentedly, nostalgia on his face. "That's Benihime all over. He likes his little riddles."
Ichigo's curiosity got the better of him. "Why Benihime?"
"Because whenever he got to dissect a new corpse, it was like he was having an audience with royalty," Shunsui answered. "He could cut a fresh body and make its blood dance."
Whenever Shunsui started using his poetic license, Ichigo took it as a cue to be gone.
The young inspector was almost out the door when Shunsui took his parting shot. "Good luck with the case, boy. If you get Rukia Kuchiki off the hook, just remember don't push her into falling in love with you out of gratitude. Give her time and make her come to you. She's a real keeper. Maybe you can put some life back into her pale face. She's no match for my Nanao-chan, but…"
His face was turned away from them, but Ichigo's nape was hot.
Nanao tut-tutted. Ukitake merely swallowed his smile.
As soon as the door closed behind him, however, Nanao turned more serious than usual. "I don't understand," she asked the two older men as she poured out their tea. "If this man Urahara is so important, why aren't we the ones checking out this case?"
"Nonsense," Shunsui told her. "It's Ichigo's job to be curious."
"And what about us?" She was unconvinced. "Isn't this a major conflict of interest?"
Shunsui gave her a warning look, and Nanao did not continue the rest of her thought out loud.
"Never forget the difference between us and the Met," Ukitake reminded her. "We neither choose our clients nor the cases they ask us to investigate, and our loyalties are to them during the duration of the case. We must keep our thoughts to ourselves. Ichigo, on the other hand…" the head of the firm suddenly beamed. "Ichigo is at the mercy of the common taxpayer. So everything and everyone is his business and his responsibility. And I suspect he likes it like that."
