Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.
7. The Key
DDS staff room
"Kotaro! This is what your security revamp cost us!" Hougou bellowed. "All for a surveillance system that does not work… the old one was perfectly fine!"
"Excuse me, Tatsumi, you were the one who requested an upgrade of the system, which I did…" Nanami grated from across the meeting table.
"Gentlemen, can we discuss this in a civilized manner? No point leaping at each other's throats…" Onikobe looked from the principal to Hougou and then back again. "Well…" he looked beseechingly at the rest of the faculty. Things never looked so bleak since Pluto's demise.
"I will be tendering my resignation," Hougou growled. "Be my guest, Hougou," Nanami replied.
DDS infirmary
"It had a cameo of a young Ryu inside," Megumi described the old lady's pocket watch. "It's Risa," Ryu whispered. "Grandfather gave us both pocket watches with our portraits inside. We exchanged watches before she left for New York… I lost hers some time back…" Kinta had gone out to meet Class A after updating them on the recent developments.
Kyu looked at his notes: Eighteen-year-old female suspect named Kokuo Risa. Granddaughter of King Hades. Assisted by Kerberos and other unknown persons. Motive?
"She's trying to get back at me for letting grandfather die…" Ryu groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Ryu, do you recognise this key?" Kyu held up the clear plastic bag. Ryu shook his head. "It is an unusual design, but I have no impression at all." The key was large and covered with rust on the handle, but the shaft showed signs of being recently oiled and possible use. It could be a red herring or Risa taunting them by giving them the key to Toya Kuniko's prison. If it were the latter, they needed to find the prison and fast. Based on the statistics he recalled from class, their chances of finding Kuniko alive were falling rapidly with each passing minute.
"There seems to be some etching here… Kazuma, could you run a search on this design?"
"No problem but it will take a while," Kazuma took the key and hunkered down at his laptop, typing furiously. "Done! The faint etching is an inscription in Latin. It is most likely a key from a Japanese church built in the late 19th century. All Saints. It is located near DDS."
"All Saints? That's right! Nanami-sensei and I saw Kerberos slipping into a church last night. I think the name of the church is All Saints!" Kyu added. "We better get going!" He dialled Kinta's number. Kinta and Class A would be meeting up with them in about ten minutes.
Kazuma suddenly leapt to his feet. "Bartley, I thought you left." Junior gave a smile and wheeled himself over to the window. "I simply went out to take a breather. Doctors and nurses can really get to me at times… Any clues? Or have you given up trawling the forum for more leads? My nick up there's Wheels…" he murmured almost sleepily. "Not very imaginative, but then neither are the others."
"I've been through the log and on the DDS forum. No further news from Dragonboy9… I guess Tarot-Alice is Kagome-san. She just offered me an online tarot reading," Kazuma said. "Thorsen-san's probably Thunderer. His remarks are still very cutting in cyberspace. Shanghai-doll sounds like she has a major crush on you." Junior's cheeks turned crimson.
"Meiling is a nice girl. Everyone likes her like a kid sister… I prefer not to dwell on what can never be," the green-eyed boy cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Why did you join DDS? Is it because of your father?" Kazuma asked in English. "I mean, Detective Ken Bartley is a master at cyber-sleuthing. He's a legend. Do you think you could link me up with him, ask him to teach me a few tricks on tracking criminals in cyberspace?"
"Maybe I could teach you a little. My pa's the best. He taught me all I knew… Maybe I joined DDS not to follow in his footsteps but to stand on my own feet," Junior tugged at the cuffs of his sleeves, shrugged and hummed a little melody. "Seasons in the Sun?" Megumi recognized the tune. The wheelchair-bound boy smiled wistfully.
"Hi, Bartley-san!" Meiling bounded into the room like a deer. "For you!" she thrust an armful of roses at Junior, much to the embarrassment of the recipient. "Thanks…" Junior took the roses and placed them in his lap. Class Q tried to stifle their laughter at Junior's obvious discomfort. The roses were red and set in a bouquet of white lace and black ribbons. There was a card attached, which Meiling had missed.
'To dearest Uncle, kisses from Kagome' was printed neatly on it in flowing script. Junior was not the intended recipient of the bouquet. Neither was Meiling the sender.
All Saints' Church
A few hours later, Class A, Q and E were in the church grounds. Near the font, Bartley and St Clair interviewed the priest and nuns in case they have witnessed any unusual activity. They were not making much progress. The elderly priest was almost blind and deaf. Five of the seven sisters were elderly or infirm. The church had an air of neglect about it. Class A opted to check out the crypt and sheds in the sprawling church grounds.
Megumi and Kyu obtained permission to check the back rooms of the church for clues. Kinta suggested a detailed search of the wooden floor for possible trapdoors. After fifteen minutes on their hands and knees, Kazuma and Erik gave up searching the floor and returned to their laptops in case Kuniko's abductors decide to post another video.
"The key could be for any door," Ryu groaned and got up from under a pew, and found himself looking straight at Kagome's smiling face. No one had noticed her enter the church. She slowly placed a tarot card in his hand. "A message from Alice. The Tower. Unforeseen disaster."
"Look, I am not into tarot cards or guessing games. If you know something, please tell me," Ryu replied and crumpled the card. "A life is at stake here…" His words were cut off by a bloodcurdling shriek from the loft. The scream drew everyone's attention. Even those who were outside came in helter-skelter. "What happen?" Yukihira yelled.
"Get it off! Get it off!" Meiling screamed and tore at her hair hysterically. She had climbed up the choir loft and disturbed a colony of roosting bats. Startled bats fluttered about. Precariously perched at the edge of the loft, she stepped back into thin air. Kintaro dashed forward, but Erik was swifter. The blond flung aside his laptop and threw himself under the falling girl. Meiling landed smack on Erik's back. Everyone hurried over to the pair.
"Get away from them. Meiling, you get off Erik. Can you get up, Erik?" St Clair took charge, hauling Meiling off the older teen. Erik's face was scrunched up in pain. "My back…" he groaned.
He noticed that Kagome was not too perturbed by her classmates' mishap. Guess that's the unexpected disaster… Ryu thought.
"Ambulance, call an ambulance," an elderly nun suggested. "Get him to the car, I'll take him to the doctor," the teacher said. Thorsen was helped to the car by St Clair and Sister Anna. Meiling trotted after them, concerned. The remaining nuns dispersed. The priest pottered off absent-mindedly. Class A resumed their search of the church's overgrown graveyard.
Kazuma stooped to retrieve Erik's discarded laptop. The screen was on the DDS forum page. "Dragonboy9 is back online and he left links to some videos!" he exclaimed. His friends hurried over. Their hearts sank when they saw the first video. Megumi let out a squeak of fear and turned away. Kazuma closed his eyes, shaken. Kyu paled. "Snuff videos… the creep must have got them off the web," Kinta cursed as he forced himself to glance through the remaining videos.
Next up, the Death of Toya Kuniko. Are YOU up to the challenge, Ryu-sama? The words appeared ominously on the site.
Author's Notes:
Will Dragonboy9 carry out his threat? Will Class Q find Kuniko in time?
I am not too sure how understaffed a church can be before it ceases to function as one. I suppose if there is a congregation and a pastor to preach….
