Reviews for last chapter came from AccessBlade, Mandrakefunnyjuice, and Emil C. So we find out that Frank Warner has a connection to Aifread the pirate, and Senel Coolidge from Tales of Legendia is about to give a testimony. I want to thank AccessBlade for helping me work out Senel's rather "complicated" relationship with Shirley and Stella. And finally, an OC belonging to No Pain No Gain named Elyria Hanyo will show up in this fic. She's a half-elf who is Oni's girlfriend, and her traits are done in accordance to NPNG's requests. Appearance-wise, she's similar to Suki from Avatar, but has a bit of Sokka's sarcasm. Maybe this is what their daughter (if Sokka and Suki have a daughter) will be like in Legend of Korra? Anyway, let's get started!
Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. AccessBlade owns Cameryn Lachance. Fenrir of the Shadows owns Azul Kharlan. No Pain No Gain owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.
"Senel, I'm investigating a serial murders case in Iselia, but some evidence links to an event from a couple of years back in Luin," Gil explained. Gil still couldn't believe the stroke of luck when Robert found one of his mother's former students, who in turn had information to offer. Now, with Senel Coolidge in this teleconference, Gil felt a lot more confident about the case. "Can you tell me what happened in that marine accident?" he asked.
Senel took a deep breath. Leaning his head into his webcam, he pointed at the two scars on the right side of his face. "I got these courtesy of that incident," he stated, gesturing at the lines, "It was spring break, and some friends and I were going on a boating trip off Luin's coast. One friend's parents own a motorized sailboat, and they invited a few others and me on board. We were just going off for the day, hoping to have a good time, when disaster struck."
Gil and Robert watched Senel rub his face while his body swayed back and forth. "There was a sudden spring storm coming our way, and the Coast Guard told us to turn back. I was with my classmate Shirley and her older sister Stella, whose family owns the boat. Their parents tried to start the engine again, but somehow it got stuck," Senel described, his voice slightly wavering, "We were sitting ducks when that storm hit, causing massive damage to the boat."
Robert rubbed his chin, all signs of his famous sarcasm disappeared. "I assume that's how you got the scars, right?" he asked glumly, his posture slouched over, "When that thing hit, your ship nearly capsized or something like that? And you ended up getting cut in the face?"
Senel bit his lower lip, struggling to form words. His emotions were like the rough seas he faced two years ago, throwing him back and forth and all about. "Our ship didn't capsize, but part of the mast collapsed, so I threw Shirley and Stella out of the way. One piece of the mast cut into my right eyebrow, and a severed line whipped across my cheek. That's how I got my scars, but that's not the only tragedy," Senel pointed out, lifting his head to show a set of watery eyes.
Robert and Gil both stared silently at the screen, watching Senel gently dab the corners of his eyes. "A large wave slammed onto the side of the boat after part of the mast fell, and Stella went overboard," Senel continued, "I reached down to grab her, and barely held on. The fuel tank was leaking, and some of that went straight into my hands, giving me chemical burns. It was the most painful experience I've ever had, but I did everything I could to not let go. Then, before anyone could move, another wave hit and we both got thrown overboard. A few people, including Stella's father, dove into the water to get us, but they only fished me out. Stella was nowhere to be found," Senel ended, a couple of sniffles echoing off the laptop.
Robert and Gil were silent, trying to envision the dangerous and scary scene. To have a person he cared for so much go overboard must be hard. Senel had to fight a bleeding face, arm fatigue, and chemical burns on his hands just to keep Stella onboard. Yet in the end, it wasn't meant to be, as Stella would not survive the incident. "I'm guessing that's why you wear gloves, right? You use them to cover the scars on your hands?" Robert asked, gesturing at Senel's hands, "And what about Stella and her family? Did her parents ever recover the body?"
Senel held his head with his left hand, almost in a prayer pose. "The Coast Guard got her body a few days later," Senel explained, anxiety oozing from his eyes, "I still remember Stella's last words before we lost grip. She told me to take care of Shirley, and that's something I can never get out of my mind. Even though her parents insist that it wasn't really my fault, I feel I still have to honour her dying wish. That's why the last couple of years saw my parents and her parents come together a bit more, as that incident brought us all closer."
Just then, Robert snickered. "No wonder my mom kept thinking you and Shirley were like siblings," he recalled, leaning back on his chair while showing off his trademark grin once more, "She told me when you came back to school after your injuries healed, she noticed you were all protective of Shirley. It got worse when she had you two in her math class again in your senior year last year. She said sometimes when a person even looked at Shirley the wrong way you would confront them on the spot. It was kind of hard to teach algebra and trigonometry when you were glaring at people halfway across the room, you know," Robert ended with a snicker.
Senel shrugged. "When Stella told me to take care of Shirley, it was something I took to heart," he insisted, rubbing his lips with a gloved hand, "I truly love Stella, even though we were never officially dating. So when that was her final wish, then it's only right that I become big brother to Shirley and help her in any way possible. I don't see anything wrong with that."
Gil interjected the conversation between Senel and Robert by waving another folder at the webcam. "Senel, if you don't mind me interrupting, I want you to describe to me what that other sinking ship was like. You did see something like that after, right?" he asked.
Senel rubbed his chin, thinking back to the chaotic scene. "After I was pulled up, I was put in a corner of the boat. My injuries were being attended to, and Stella's parents were calling the Coast Guard for help," he recalled, eyebrows now furrowed in thought, "That's when I saw a boat in the distance getting hit. I couldn't see clearly, thanks to the blood gushing out from my cuts. The right side of my face was so swollen that I barely saw anything out my right eye, but I did notice that boat was capsizing. I don't think anyone saw what happened, other than me."
Gil pursed his lips. While it did get him more information for the case, it wasn't a very definitive connection. What did Frank Warner have anything to do with that ship? "Bob here told me that the sunken ship was registered by someone named Aifread Van Eltia. Given that you and Shirley are in families familiar with sailing, do you know anything about this man?" Gil queried, showing Senel his page, "Is he a big name in the sailing organizations?"
Senel gave off a strange chuckle. "Aifread is what my parents, as well as Shirley's parents, call a crackpot," he responded with a tilted grin, "Aifread wanted to build a ship unlike any other, and was to sail in it that spring. He really thought he's a pirate captain off to a great adventure, and even recruited a crew. He's very irritable, getting aggressive every time someone even looked at his project wrong. I heard he even got violent with his crew sometimes, and would never admit to a mistake. I don't know about you, but I say he's out of his mind. Without sounding crude, I actually doubted his ship would survive, given how our ship was battered."
Gil turned to Robert, who was also flipping through his notes. Apparently, Aifread was not on the boat that day. "From the Luin police report, Aifread was pulled over by the police on a routine traffic stop. He became uncooperative and tried to flee, but was then arrested on the spot," Robert reported. His head bobbed up and down, alternating between reading the page and addressing Senel. "The arresting officer claimed a cadet leaving the local police academy tackled Aifread and held him until police arrived. No word on who the cadet was, but at least it's good to know that my old academy was still doing well. Did you know I was the cadet of the year when I was there? No wonder the arresting cadet was that dedicated!" Robert boasted to Senel.
Senel rolled his eyes. From beside Robert, Gil pointed out in a snarky tone, "If I told Senel how you became a flop after replacing me in my old unit, he would be rolling on the floor laughing." Shuffling his documents once more, he turned to Senel and thanked the young man for his help. "If we want you to add anything, we'll contact you again," he stated.
Senel waved goodbye to Robert and Gil before cutting the Skype connection. As Robert stepped up to disconnect his laptop, Gil asked, "So Aifread spent some time at the station while his ship sank, losing his entire crew. How does that connect to Frank Warner? I'm guessing Aifread is Frank Warner's old identity before moving away from Luin?"
Robert nodded. "Aifread moved to Iselia and changed his name to Frank Warner. If you assume he really is Pirate King on Lloyd's website, you realize it makes sense. The user name alludes to his wish to be a boat captain. He discussed the sunken boat to Death Angel, which he would have witnessed had he not been arrested. His current job as a renovator also somewhat links to his past too, given he has experience designing and building boats," Robert pointed out, yanking the wires out from the connection outlets.
Gil clacked his tongue. There was still one issue bothering him, and that was the presence of the Loni-Kyle clothing. Every deceased wore Loni-Kyle shirts and had blond hair, so why the obsession over this? Were Lloyd and Colette right in that the killer had a pattern in choosing their targets? "I think I'll have to give my friend a call," Gil decided, packing up his documents, "Bob, is it alright if you find out the details behind Aifread's arrest?"
When Robert didn't object, Gil left the conference room. He was about to head into his office to call Phoebe Brunel when Cameryn caught him. "Protection Services just called, and they say Frank Warner will come into the station today," she informed the goateed man from her desk, "They're wondering if you want to go to discuss protective custody with Warner."
Gil bit his lower lip. This could be a chance to flush some details out of Frank Warner, especially getting confirmation on several points from the man himself. "Tell them to give me a time, and I should be there," Gil replied, heading into his office. Right now, things were reaching a climax, and he could only hope that nothing went wrong.
"To ensure your safety, an officer will escort you whenever you're out on your projects," the Protection Services coordinator, a balding bespectacled man, explained to Frank Warner. Unfortunately for Gil, Warner agreed to come in only at lunch time, claiming his projects kept him busy for the rest of the day. That meant Gil left the unit unattended, while the rest of his team went to the cafeteria with Robert. Right now, all Gil could hope for was no more delays.
Yet leaving him relatively alone with Warner meant Gil could corner him on some points. After a meeting with his team before they went for lunch, Gil had several questions to add on top of the ones raised during the interview with Senel. While the car repair appointment and the university renovation team's forms justified Warner's presence at each place, it didn't eliminate him as a suspect yet. After further consulting his team on their assignments to find out more about Warner, Gil had a feeling something was amiss throughout. So, despite knowing that the sunken ship would touch a nerve with Warner, Gil was willing to run the gauntlet.
"Now, Mr. Warner, do you have any other questions?" the coordinator asked the red-haired renovator. Gil leaned his head forward, looking over the seated Warner's shoulder. The coordinator pulled some documents out from his desk, handing it across the desk for Warner to sign. As Warner scanned the papers, Gil debated how to confront Warner with the new leads.
Gil watched Warner grab a pen from the coordinator and scrawled his signature onto the final page. He handed the forms back to the balding man, who put them into a folder and got out of his seat. "I will speak with the officers to see when they can provide you with protection," he stated, "Right now, based on the schedules, the earliest they will come is Saturday."
Gil furrowed his brow. Why did they have to wait until the weekend? Tomorrow was Friday, so there had to be officers available to keep an eye on Warner. "Is there a reason why there is a day's delay with this operation?" the goateed man demanded, pressing a hand against the coordinator's desk, "You realize Mr. Warner is very important to our case, right?"
The coordinator nodded awkwardly, his lips stuttering as he informed Gil of the tie-ups. "Some of our officers are on leave this week, so we're short-staffed in terms of dealing with procedural and administrative matters," he explained, clumsily flipping through some other documents on his desk, "We're still hoping to protect Mr. Warner by Saturday, but it's unlikely we can push it any sooner. I'm very sorry for this delay, Sergeant Irving."
Gil pursed his lips and inhaled deeply. Turning a set of helpless eyes to Warner, the renovator was bound to think twice about accepting police assistance. Part of the reason Gil and Robert orchestrated the flower pot drop was to allow them to keep an eye on Warner. If Warner pulled out of protection due to what he felt was negligence, then the plan would go up in flames. "I assure you this is temporary," Gil described, leading Warner away, "Just let them sort it out."
Warner opted to just drag his feet alongside Gil, silently strolling through the hall. Before they reached the main entrance, Gil tried to provoke Warner. "Mr. Warner, I think you realize from the latest news that our last suspect, Peter Cook, was killed. Mr. Cook is an interesting individual, posting weird comments about my book on a website. It's quite coincidental that all the deaths mirror my novel. Do you agree?" Gil queried with a hint of sarcasm. His team called the hotel Cook delivered to prior to his death again, and their cameras caught an unauthorized person entering the electrical room. Did Warner black out the building so he could poison Cook?
Warner, slogging along on Gil's right, remained silent. "This killer made some difficult kills look so easy. But I find it odd that in a private email on the website, there was a reference to a sunken ship in Luin. I wonder what significance that may have?" Gil questioned, lifting an eyebrow and shooting a side-glance at Warner. Before lunch, Gil got a call from Jade, who confirmed that Pirate King went onto the website at the very computer Warner was at on the tape. It all but confirmed that Warner was the mysterious Pirate King that they were looking for.
It got a wave-like inhale out of Warner, who licked his lips gently. "It was quite a tragedy too, given the entire ship's crew went down. But from what I heard, the captain of the ship was not on board. In fact, he was arrested for a traffic infraction. I guess the cop who made the arrest could be considered his saviour, huh?" Gil commented, gently nudging Warner's elbow, "I know it sounds like I'm disrespecting the dead, but that captain really lucked out on that day."
Just then, Warner slowly turned to face Gil. The two men were about the same height, so Gil got Warner's icicle stare head-on. "Tell me, Sergeant," Warner began in a slow and ominous voice, "What do you know about sailing? Do you know what a captain's responsibility is?"
Gil shook his head, suddenly feeling a chill straight through his leather jacket. The Iselia native tugged on his sleeves, curiously watching Warner who paused his trudging completely. "A captain's job is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of his crew, and that means being there to guide them when the ship sets sail. Now, how well do you think the captain can lead if he's in a police interrogation room, fielding questions from aggressive officers while his crew was being battered by a storm? Care to comment, Sergeant?" Warner challenged, hands now on his hips.
Gil cocked an eyebrow. While he had dealt with many uncooperative people before, this one had a different ring to it. Warner seemed very passionate about defending this sunken ship, which was registered under his former alias. Would Warner reveal more if Gil pressed the issue further? "It is regrettable that this incident occurred, but you do realize the police have a role to play as well," Gil retorted, shoving his hands into his pants pockets and casually shrugging, "If all citizens cooperated with investigations and didn't run off like chickens without their heads, maybe this inconvenience wouldn't have happened. How embarrassing is it for someone to be tackled by a cadet who hadn't even graduated the academy yet?"
Before Warner could reply, a series of sounds echoed from the hallway. Gil and Warner both turned in time to see Gil's whole team exit the cafeteria, laughing and chattering along as they returned to their unit. "Done lunch already?" Gil called, gesturing at them.
Cabalina was the first to return the greeting. "Hey Sarge, we're going back to the unit to finalize those leads," she described, beckoning her teammates to stroll over to their leader, "Why is Mr. Warner with you? Did you want to ask him about those issues?"
"No, Mr. Warner was with Protection Services earlier. I just went to work out some final details before he gets an official escort," Gil answered. From beside him, Warner had a frown on his face, twitching and glancing around in a blatant expression of his agitation.
"Speaking of which, how does Protection Services work anyway?" Oni asked, his eyes darting around his team, "Do we have to watch Mr. Warner constantly, just to make sure no one jumps him? I mean, the only time I arrested someone outside of duty was when I was still a cadet in Luin, and that was totally out of the blue too…"
"Seriously, Oni," Azul chided his trainee, shaking his head at the blond half-elf, "We don't have to do that. Protection Services have their own officers to handle any threats directed at Mr. Warner, so just relax, will you? Don't forget that you have to train with Genis tonight, and tomorrow you're all by yourself. The kid's got a dance that's also serving as his birthday party."
"I wonder if you should show up at the dance, just so he can introduce you to his friends. And if you're wearing your Loni-Kyle shirt to the dance, like you're wearing it now, I would love to see what happens," Cameryn snickered, holding the unit door open for the others to enter. The friendly banter showed that despite this hard case, the team was not stressed at all.
Gil then turned to Warner with a huge smile. "See? You don't have to worry at all. My team is on the lookout for the killer, and it won't be long before we catch them for real," he guaranteed to Warner, "By then, we can release you from protective custody so you can go back to your work. Now, would you like an escort by yours truly to the front doors?"
Warner grunted, glaring through the open unit door before hurrying off. A blast of chilled air was all that was left when Warner headed down the stairs and out the station. By then, there was only one officer left in the hallway, and she wasn't particularly impressed with the scene. "You think he's up to something, Gil?" Presea asked, rubbing her hands together.
Gil pursed his lips. "You noticed too, huh?" he responded, tilting his head into the unit, "The second Oni started mentioning his training in Luin, Warner's face just went dark. It was like that comment ruffled his feathers or something. I'll call Bob later on to see if he has answers out of Luin for me. Until then, let's focus on the task at hand."
"Thanks for having me up here, Phoebe," Gil stated, marching into an office on the top floor of Iselia General Hospital with the blond woman. Yesterday, before Warner came to the police station, Gil left a message on Phoebe's cellphone, asking her for help from the psychiatry unit. Luckily, Phoebe got the message during lunch break, and retrieved someone to advice Gil. She managed to call Gil before he got off work, asking him to come the next morning for a visit.
"I know how important this is for your case, Gil," Phoebe responded, knocking on the large wooden door, "Frank, Colette, and I have all been paying attention to it, and we all want you to get to the bottom of it soon. Whoever this killer is, they're really terrorizing everyone."
A muffled voice told the two to enter, and Phoebe gently gripped the doorknob and pushed the door open. Behind a desk was a bespectacled man dressed in a beige shirt and a dark blue tie. The man's greying hair had Gil guessing that he was in his fifties. As Gil and Phoebe sat down on chairs before the large desk, the man was busy putting some documents away. If Gil didn't remind himself that this was a hospital, he would have thought the massive paperwork resembled his own office. "You are Sergeant Irving, correct?" the man asked, lifting his head to face Gil, "My name is Dr. Ken Thatcher. Phoebe told me you wanted my help on a case?"
The two men shook hands. Gil whipped out a manila envelope and pulled out some notes. "I think you've heard of the recent murders in Iselia, Dr. Thatcher," he explained, going through some details on the deaths, "My team found a pattern to the killings, in that they follow the exact order my novel's deaths occur. In addition to that, the killer seems to be targeting people with certain characteristics. I was wondering if you can comment on that."
Thatcher leaned back on his chair and scratched his chin. "Sounds like your suspect is quite obsessive with details, which may indicate obsessive compulsive disorder," Thatcher pointed out, describing the condition's background. Gil pulled out a pen and scribbled down notes, highlighting unreasonable insistence on doing things a certain way. "This person will get frustrated and angry at those who don't conform, leading to poor interpersonal relationships."
Gil nodded. Flipping a page, he showed Thatcher a couple of other issues. "The suspect also does some things that seem contrary to that disorder," Gil described, noting that Warner did not like to give details at the first interrogation with Cabalina, only to do the exact opposite when Cameryn met with him at the mall, "He didn't actually meet with my secretary until several phone calls after. In fact, he didn't even reply to them during the first few days. How do those fit into the situation that you mentioned earlier, Dr. Thatcher?" Gil asked.
Thatcher leaned forward and clasped his hands. "After hearing that, Sergeant, I think this may be in the realm of antisocial personality disorder, or ASPD," Thatcher commented, listing off some more traits of this disorder. Gil scrawled more notes on his page, suddenly noticing some pieces starting to fit. Things like using aliases and deception, aggression, irresponsibility in honouring agreements, all these were seen in Warner throughout the times they met. "Can you describe your suspect's behaviour when you or your team were around?" Thatcher queried.
Gil winced, recalling the limited but memorable times Warner came at his team. From being uncooperative with Cabalina, to refusing to answer requests to bring in his evidence, to getting aggressive twice, once at the mall with Cameryn and again on Gil yesterday, there was no end to the things he did. Yet, there was one set of stories that Gil wanted to focus on, namely the ones provided by Senel Coolidge. "Our suspect used to live in another city, and he was described as a reclusive weirdo. He was obsessed with building a ship, and even recruited a crew," Gil regurgitated Senel's testimony to Thatcher, including the details of Warner's dictatorial methods in treating his crew. "Senel basically called him a nutcase. What do you think about that?"
Thatcher pursed his lips, giving his mouth a gentle wipe. "It does sound like ASPD. Pending on what his history is like, this may be evidence to show that your suspect does have the condition," he replied, his eyes slightly wavering, "I know that sometimes, these people start off in a fragile mental state. Even the slightest event happening to them will lead them to developing these disorders. Do you know anything about his history that may indicate such an event?"
Gil flipped to the final page and showed it to the middle-aged doctor. It contained notes Gil wrote down from Robert's identity search, and it included the arrest made two years ago. It led to Warner being interrogated while his ship was struck by a storm. "He supposedly lost his ship and crew on that day," Gil stated sombrely, "Do you think that might have done it?"
Thatcher read the notes before slowly lifting his head back up. The sun seeped through the blinds behind him, creating a strange silhouette. "Research has shown that sometimes, an event may provoke one to go further down this path. If your suspect is upset by his crew being killed, then he may hold the police accountable for that. It may explain his aggression to your team during interrogation," Thatcher explained, his tone now more serious than ever, "Moreover, if he sees someone or something that resembles his past arrest, it may trigger the memory in his brain. Since those with ASPD have questionable morals, to the point where they don't conform to regular social norms like obeying the law, it may lead them to killing the triggering actor."
"Wait a minute," Phoebe interjected, sitting up straighter on her chair to the right of Gil's, "Are you saying this serial killer is actually a psychopath? And as long as something keeps triggering the memory of his arrest in his mind, he'll go on a rampage? How does one keep track of that, considering how he's been eluding police so far?" she asked, rubbing her arms in fear.
"Just because one has ASPD doesn't mean one is lacking in intelligence, Phoebe," Thatcher corrected the nurse, "The fact that this suspect designed a ship all by himself shows he has quite a bit of brainpower. It's the fact that he's impulsive and disregarding others that point to his ASPD, as shown by him ruling his crew with an iron fist. All in all, it's a complicated psychological situation, and it's one that cannot be treated easily."
The shadows through the blinds danced once more as Thatcher turned back to Gil. "If I have one piece of advice for you, Sergeant Irving, it's this," he stated, leaning his head forward and staring straight into Gil's eyes, "If you can identify what triggers your suspect into killing people, it'll make it easier to track and potentially arrest him before he can kill again. But time is of the essence, because you may never know when he'll be triggered again. If you don't find out about this trigger, Iselia residents will have another death facing them soon."
"Yes, Raine, I'm coming out!" Genis hollered, turning off the shower and reaching for his towel. He dried off his body and straightened out his mullet-like hair with it before wrapping it around his waist, grabbing his old change of boxer shorts, and whipping the door open. His sister was outside, her arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face. "Hey, I'm out, aren't I?" Genis retorted, throwing his hands up in annoyance.
Raine sighed. "Genis, the dance is starting in fifteen minutes, and you're still not even dressed," the female half-elf sighed. Raine promised Lynn that she would drive her little brother to the community dance, but it irritated her to no end how Genis was so careless about this. "You're turning thirteen today, so at least be act a bit more your age? Being punctual to your events is crucial, you know," Raine stated, resembling how she handled her students.
"Raine, way to put pressure on the birthday boy," Genis muttered, stepping into his room and closed the door in Raine's face. Tossing the towel on his bed, he rummaged through his closet for a new pair of boxers and his usual clothing. "I'm getting dressed right now, and I'll be down in five minutes. Don't leave without me, okay?" he called to his sister.
Raine sighed, shaking her head before going down the stairs. Earlier, when Genis returned home from school, Lynn already bought all the ingredients for a cake. This was for when Genis returned from the dance, where the Sages could celebrate his thirteenth birthday at home. Both Lynn and Raine knew that this was extra special for Genis, as it might be the last time he could celebrate with his two best friends Lloyd and Colette. With both graduating high school this year, they might attend college elsewhere. With Genis' birthday being in the middle of the school year, they might not be in town for Genis' fourteenth birthday.
Raine plopped herself down on the living room couch and stared intently at the clock. From what Lloyd told Raine in a phone call earlier, Colette and him might be late to the dance. They would drive Genis back after the dance, where the cake would be ready for them all. It didn't help that Gil visited the hospital to speak with the director of psychiatry earlier today, and now wanted more of Lloyd's help in his investigation. Somehow, Raine had a feeling that Gil's case would only get more complicated, and would hit much closer to home than originally anticipated. Just what was the motive of this killer anyway?
Yet when Raine thought about it, this case said a lot about her friends overall. Lloyd had willingly gotten involved into the investigation, displaying calmness and being methodical and analytical along the way. Along with that, Colette was the one who originally came up with the idea to contact the suspect, albeit they targeted the wrong one. Both of them took another big step in their growth in this event. Out of their foursome, Raine saw herself as big sister to all of them, not just to Genis. Seeing them grow was like watching her own students achieve their potentials, and it made Raine happy to see them stand up for what they believed in.
"Raine, Grandma, can I get your advice?" Genis called from the stairs. Raine went to the staircase with Lynn, who came in from the kitchen. Upon arriving, they saw Genis standing on the bottom step, wearing only his navy blue slacks and his socks. His top was completely bare, and he held two shirts up to them. "Which one of these do you think I should wear?" he asked.
Raine rolled her eyes. "Genis, does it really matter? They're both blue shirts, and if I know you, they'll both go under your vest. Can't you just pick one?" she responded, shooting a teacher's death glare at her little brother, "You're wearing this to a dance and a birthday party. It's not like it's the last suit you'll ever wear. So why don't you just make up your mind?"
Even Lynn was slightly shaking her head at her indecisive grandson. Normally, Lynn was pretty loose and soft with Genis, allowing the boy to have reasonable freedom to live his life. As long as he didn't break any rules, Lynn was alright with whatever Genis chose. But this time, even Lynn thought Genis was being a bit too much. "If you can't choose, maybe just flip a coin or something. No point in delaying your sister anymore, okay?" she reprimanded Genis.
Genis' body literally deflated at that thought. "Fine, fine, I'll just flip a coin," Genis murmured, trudging back up the stairs, "I'll get dressed and be down here in a few seconds, so don't start the car without me, okay?" he reminded Raine before closing his door once more.
Lynn and Raine glanced at each other, smiling helplessly and shaking their heads. Genis was another basket case in Raine's foursome, having this notion that growing up should be done his way. As if his usual sarcastic remarks weren't enough, now Genis added mana manipulation to his traits. It just made this already awkward young half-elf even quirkier, as Oni once pointed out. Despite this, Lynn and Raine still believed that Genis was on the right path, albeit a different one than everyone else, in his growth. As long as they guided him enough, they doubted he could go astray. "I'll start up the car then," Raine informed Lynn.
Raine stepped into the garage and opened her gate, hopping into her Honda Civic and slid the key into the ignition. A minute or so later, Genis finally stepped out of the house, adjusting his shoes, zipping up his vest, and pulling his open-fingered gloves from his pockets. "Okay, let's go," he stated, slipping into the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt. As Raine pulled out of his garage, Genis put his fingerless gloves on, the final pieces of his attire.
The drive to the community centre was uneventful, but Raine did speak with Genis on several issues. The main one was how Oni was coming with his spells, given Raine was still intent on researching Genis' belly shot. "Since I have the dance tonight, I can't really coach him. But he told me there's a pool at the basement of his apartment building, and he could go there to practice," Genis replied, "His girlfriend is a half-elf too, so he'll ask her if she's interested."
Raine nodded thoughtfully, relishing the idea of studying this unique technique. "Do you plan to teach it to anyone else? Maybe someone at school or something?" she queried.
Genis shook his head. "My two best friends are both humans, so they can't use mana like me," he answered, referring to Lloyd and Colette, "I have two other good friends at school, both of whom are coming to this dance, and they're both humans too. As for the guy who's always in direct competition with me for the honour roll, even if he's an elf or half-elf, I won't teach him even if he pays me," Genis spat, this time referring to Mighty Washington.
Raine slightly grimaced at that thought. Mighty was a human boy, but had a rivalry with Genis since elementary school. They always finished first and second for top marks in class, and due to that there was a bit of animosity between them. Sometimes Mighty made fun of Genis and his friends, and other times Genis made off-putting remarks back to Mighty in return. Either way, this rivalry wasn't ending soon. "Shouldn't you guys just let it go?" Raine suggested, "It's been almost five years since it started, so when will you guys stop?"
Genis shrugged. "I don't really care what Mighty thinks anymore. If he wants to say more crazy things, I'll just tell him to say it into my belly button," Genis retorted, giving his tummy a rub, "But if he steps out of line and starts insulting my family or friends, he's toast in a second. He'll realize that messing with my belly button is the biggest mistake he'll ever make," Genis concluded, rubbing his hands and grinning deviously.
Raine shook her head once more. "I just hope that if Mighty shows up at this dance, you don't cast a spell on him and end up destroying the community centre," she warned Genis, giving him the teacher's look once more, "I don't think you should get yourself into a lawsuit at this age. Your future is way too bright to be wasted on something that trivial."
Genis shrugged again. To him, this was going to be an unforgettable night. Even with Lloyd and Colette arriving late, he had a feeling a surprise would be waiting for him. Raine pulled into the final lane, the community centre finally in sight. Genis took a deep breath and prepared for whatever would come his way. He doubted he had to do anything crazy like casting a spell or getting into a fight with Mighty, but something told him tonight was going to be wild.
"Okay Gil, what do we have so far?" Noishe asked, taking a seat across from his staff sergeant in Gil's office. Thanks to the ethics commissioner and other issues in Major Crimes, Noishe barely had a chance to deal with this case in the past few days. Now, hearing that Gil had some breakthroughs, the former Protozoan was eager to get some updates.
"Well, let's start with Frank Warner's secret identity," Gil began, handing some sheets from a folder to Noishe, "From the archives, Bob found that Warner used to be called Aifread Van Eltia, and had a ship registered under his name at the Luin branch of the ship registrar. Two years ago, he was arrested by Luin police for a traffic infraction, and during the time he was at the station his ship sank, killing his entire crew. Bob said he'll get more detail into that for me."
Noishe nodded. He handed the file back to Gil, and in turn the goateed man pushed another one his way. "I also spoke with Dr. Ken Thatcher, the head of the psychiatry department at Iselia General Hospital today. I told him about some observations we made on Frank Warner, and Dr. Thatcher believes Warner may have a psychiatric condition," Gil reported.
"ASPD?" Noishe asked sceptically, a quizzical expression on his face, "So Frank Warner might not be just a regular killer, but a psychopathic one? How can this be possible?"
Gil pointed out all the observations listed on the sheet, all of which matched behaviour of someone with ASPD. "Dr. Thatcher said we have to find the triggering event that made Warner react violently," Gil explained, "If we can do that, then it's possible to limit the targets for his next kill. There's no telling when it'll happen, so we have to act soon."
Noishe clacked his tongue and cupped his chin. Somehow, he wasn't entirely convinced of Gil's move. "Are you sure we have enough evidence to show Warner is the one?" he asked.
Gil nodded. "The car repair appointment doesn't account for whether the van actually did break down at the camp. Warner could have made that up just to stay and saw off the chains holding the sign," Gil stated, checking his list of suspicious factors, "The renovation team's assignment sheet doesn't say if Warner went back to the site after everyone left. He has no evidence to his whereabouts when Ruffin was killed, but a camera caught someone resembling him entering Ruffin's dojo at that time. Jade confirmed Warner is Pirate King with the IP addresses. Sheena and Zelos both claimed someone resembling him was at crime scenes shortly before a death. And the camera at the hotel where Cook was killed caught someone resembling Warner sneaking into the electrical room. If that's not a trail of crumbs, I don't know what is."
"And that's why you and Bob insisted on the flower pot drop, right?" Noishe retorted, handing Gil back the file, "You guys were lucky the ethics commissioner wasn't around, or he would go ballistic. Seriously though, what is the inspiration for bringing him into protective custody? Is it, as you said, to watch him more closely?"
Gil nodded sagely. "With Warner out and about like that, it'll be harder to keep an eye on him. If he truly is the killer, here is a chance to watch for what triggers him," Gil described, pulling all the evidence together now, "So far all the victims are male, have blond hair, and wear belly shirts. But their histories seem very different from each other, so I'm guessing it may be the appearance that drove Warner crazy. So is there something about this look that affected him?"
Before Noishe could even respond, the phone on Gil's desk rang. Gil took one look at the ID and immediately pressed the speaker button. "Bob, it's Gil Irving. Captain Noishe is with me in the office, so if you have findings on Warner, let us both hear it," Gil requested.
"Sarge, Captain, you're not going to believe this," Robert's voice sounded off from the phone, the rustling of pages echoing from the background, "I called up Luin Archives to look up this arrest, and I found out who the arresting officer was two years ago. Remember I told you a cadet from the Luin Police Academy helped out? How about Cadet Oni Sheikah?"
Noishe and Gil stared at each other in shock. They both knew Oni lived in Luin and was trained there, but nowhere was it revealed that Oni was involved in this arrest. "Tell us what you know," Gil ordered, "How did Oni make an arrest when he was still a cadet?"
Robert chuckled from the other line. "Aifread Van Eltia was at a routine traffic check when he got impatient, claiming he was in a hurry. When officers told him to get out of the car, he ran off instead, leaving them chasing on foot," Robert recalled, "He ran right through the main entrance of the police academy, where a cadet heard the officers shouting for Aifread to stop. The closest cadet was our rookie friend, who just tackled Aifread and held him there."
Just then, Noishe interjected into Robert's story. "You said Oni was leaving the police academy when the suspect ran through. Do you know what he was wearing at the time?" he asked, "We know Oni has blond hair, but what was his fashion sense like two years ago?"
"Well, I don't have a time machine, so I can't tell you what he wore exactly," Robert replied sarcastically, "But I do know from Elyria that Oni was one of the first people to buy into the Loni-Kyle collection. Something about those shirts just resonated with Oni, and he's usually seen wearing them. I guess Oni might have worn that when he left the academy that day?"
"It might just be possible," Gil pointed out, flipping through another set of notes, "I went on Skype to do a teleconference with Regal Bryant. He told me the main store that marketed the Loni-Kyle did open a branch in Luin, and had those clothes in store two years ago. If Oni is the one to arrest Aifread, then Aifread may just blame Oni for the death of his boat crew."
"Male, blond hair, Loni-Kyle shirt, Oni fits the description of the targets so far," Noishe added, pointed at the pages spread across Gil's desk, "Aifread moves away from Luin, changes his name to Frank Warner, and goes from ship builder to renovator. He thinks nothing from his past will resurface, but then the Loni-Kyle gets remarketed by Lezareno. When all those other folks wore the clothing, it triggered Warner to think back when Oni tackled him."
"Let me point out one more thing," Robert chimed in from the phone, "Like I said earlier, Warner has the skills to pull off all these improbable kills. His background in ship designs means he uses all sorts of materials and chemicals, and his knowledge in things like metallurgy and electronics are helpful in executing each kill. But more importantly, he's a fan of the book Sarge wrote. I think he felt inspired by what went on, and wanted to play this twisted game with you."
"But if we go according to my book, he's onto his last kill," Gil replied, checking over the deaths once more, "We concluded that there was an inconsistency because Zelos claimed he saw someone resembling Warner kill Cook by placing cyanide in Cook's drink. This is not found in my book, so it's either he's moving away from my book's techniques, or he's trying to find the last target. In that case, it happens to be…oh no!" Gil exclaimed, covering his mouth.
Both Noishe and Robert were silent, looking on as Gil pondered the last point. "In my book, the killer was inactive for a while. Later on, the detective found out that the real target was his own assistant, who was kidnapped by the killer," Gil pointed out, his voice hoarse and his hands shaking, "Right now I think Warner has seen his target, who also happens to be someone I supervise. That explains why when Oni mentioned his training days in Luin, Warner's face just went dark. And with Protection Services busy until the weekend, Warner has enough time to take out his final target. He's pulling out all the stops to make me follow my book, that's for sure."
Immediately, Gil shuffled his notes around. "Bob, if you can, keep searching up info on Warner's Luin arrest," he ordered. Turning to Noishe, he requested his captain find Protection Services once more. "Tell them to get the forms all ready, so we can get Oni and Elyria to sign them. I'll try to contact our team to watch Oni until Protection Services is ready. With Warner now knowing who his target is and where he may be, we don't have another second to waste."
"And…Fireball!" The fire from Oni's lighter flickered before squirting a few small flame spheres forward. Oni took Genis' casting method to heart, and was now practicing with it at the pool located at the basement of his apartment building. Wearing only a pair of blue trunks, Oni sat on a long lounge chair, placing various elementals near his navel and watching the results. While the spells weren't as dramatic as those cast by Genis, Oni was really getting the hang of it.
"Are you still trying out that crazy casting technique?" a female voice called from the pool. Oni glanced up to see a young woman with her head above the water, leaning her torso against the side of the pool. The young woman had shoulder-length dark brown hair, and her hazel eyes gave off a mischievous twinkle. "That little kid really rubbed off on you, huh?"
Oni smiled. "Genis is quite a character, alright. I'm sure he's willing to teach you too, if you're interested. You're a half-elf, Elyria, just like me!" Oni exclaimed, waving his girlfriend over. Elyria Hanyo was the main reason Oni chose to apply to the Iselia Police Department, as she found a job related to her field of work in this city. Like Oni, Elyria was in her mid-twenties, and had an elven father. "I think neither one of our fathers can cast, right?" Oni asked.
Elyria dragged herself out of the pool and trotted over. Oni could see she had on a purple string bikini. The top was tied around her neck and back, while the bottom was tied at both hips. "Casting is okay, but there's something a lot more fun I'm looking forward to," she replied, standing before her boyfriend with a nonchalant pose, "Did you know they're releasing the latest DDR with full body motion? Maybe you should play along and cast your spells out your belly button with a dance. Won't that be fun?" Elyria suggested, swinging her body back and forth.
Oni wiped parts of his body, Elyria's dance spraying some water from her bikini onto him. Trying hard to stifle a laugh, he placed down the lighter and pointed out, "Sergeant Irving and Azul told me Genis was quite a dancer. When Sarge was on vacation in Altamira, Genis visited a dance studio with him to interrogate a suspect. I think he did some belly dance where he was rolling his stomach or something? Maybe he should dance along with you!"
"Huh, you think he can beat me at a belly dance? Not a chance!" Elyria retorted. She repositioned herself beside Oni's chair, her toned stomach right before Oni's face, before doing a version of a belly dance herself. "If Genis wants to challenge me, he'll have to contend with this. It's a special move I created all by myself," Elyria boasted, pushing her abdomen back and forth.
Oni turned to his left, almost getting the strings from the sides of Elyria's bikini bottom swinging into his eyes. The only things in his vision were Elyria's tanned skin, the purple bikini bottom, and the deep hole-like navel at the front and centre. It caused Oni to rub the edge of his navel, still getting used to the strange feeling of digging inside it. Just then, a strange smirk-like grin crawled up on Oni's lips. Could he turn his girlfriend into a belly button fanatic like Genis?
Reaching out with his hands, Oni placed one palm on each of Elyria's hips, hooking a finger through the strings on each side of the bikini bottom. "You are special, Elyria," he stated, the weird smile still plastered on his face, "At least you're more special than Genis, because I'll never do this to him." Before she could respond, Oni lunged forward. Pressing his face against her midsection, Oni planted his lips onto Elyria's belly button and blew a raspberry into it.
Elyria pushed Oni away and bounced back several steps. The female half-elf plunged a finger into the deep depression on her gut and swirled hard around it. "What did you do that for?" Elyria snapped, shooting twin hazel-coloured daggers at the laughing Oni.
"Well, Genis has a custom belly move for casting, and you have a custom belly move for dancing. I thought I should have my own custom belly move for kissing!" Oni replied, slapping the arm of the lounge chair in laughter, "Your face had the most priceless expression ever when I did that!" Oni concluded to another fit of giggles, watching Elyria clear the saliva from her belly.
Just then, Elyria balled her hands into fists and planted them onto her hips, a fake pout entrenched on her face. She certainly didn't expect Oni's move, given her boyfriend was a quiet and serious type. Yet she couldn't help but enjoy seeing Oni's lighter side, since it was stuff like this that made them a great pair. "Hey, you have no problems with me planting my lips onto your lips, so why are you against me planting my lips on your belly button?" Oni challenged, sitting up again and patting his six-pack abs, "You can do the same to me, if you want."
"Well, now I guess I know how much you really care about me," Elyria fake-fumed. Marching to the edge of the pool, she posed dramatically before stating, "Since the one I love never cared for me, I might as well end my life right here. Goodbye, cruel world." With that, she threw herself over the edge, falling into the water with a large splash that sprinkled onto Oni.
Oni chuckled at his girlfriend. Just when he was about to return to his spells, his cellphone shrieked at him. Oni snatched it from the nearby table, but was a bit surprised at the person on the ID. Pressing the receive button, he greeted the caller. "Hi, Sergeant Irving?"
"Oni, your life might be in danger right now," Gil replied amidst frantic flipping of papers, "We identified who the real killer may be. Do you remember two years ago, when you were still a cadet, you once tackled a suspect who was running from police?"
Oni replied affirmatively, his back now shooting up straight. Even the sarcastic Elyria paid attention, swimming back to the side of the pool and watching her boyfriend intently. From the call, Gil described Frank Warner, formerly known as Aifread Van Eltia, was a psychopath targeting people with similar traits as Oni, namely blond hair and Loni-Kyle clothing. The killing methods were from Gil's novel, and Warner was now on his last kill. "Warner saw you when he was with Protection Services that day, so he might target you," Gil warned, "If need be, we may send you and your girlfriend into protective custody. When will you guys be ready for the staff?"
Oni's face paled, goose bumps shooting up and down his bare body. "Sarge, this is really bad," he murmured just as Elyria pulled herself from the pool and trotted towards him, "Do I have to remove myself from the investigation or something? Is there anything I have to sign?"
"You can still investigate the case, since you will be protected at the station. But unless you have to urgently go somewhere, I recommend you stay at home and lock the doors," Gil responded, his tone flat and sombre, "We can have the forms for protective custody delivered to your home, as that's an acceptable procedure for Protection Services. Do you want us to do that?" Gil described, referring to the time this service was offered to Chocolat and her mother. Unfortunately for Gil, the Cult of Martel got to her before the police did, kidnapping Chocolat and Robert along the way. This time, Gil vowed not to make the same mistake.
Oni glanced at Elyria, who anxiously squeezed her towel in her hands. "Why don't I just very quickly come to the station and get all the info?" Oni replied, "That way, I can bring them home earlier to show Elyria. I'll return home in an hour, so I doubt Warner can ambush me."
Gil was hesitant in allowing that, but Oni insisted on that method. Quickly hanging up, Oni told Elyria to get changed and go back to their apartment. "Do not open the door for anyone until I'm back, okay?" Oni warned her, grabbing his towel and phone. He watched Elyria fetch her belongings as well, hurrying into the women's change room with a nervous expression. Without another thought, Oni headed into the male change room and took a quick shower.
The water rushing over his body did little to soothe Oni's uneasy feelings. Even as he stepped to the lockers, stripping off his blue trunks and retrieving his clothing from within, the paranoia was sinking in. As he dried his body once more and slipped on his white boxer briefs, Oni wondered what would happen next. With the killer making each kill so efficiently, and no one so far could stand in the way of his targets, it felt like nowhere was safe anymore.
Well, another bombshell! What do you guys think about that? Warner used to be called Aifread, and Oni was the one who helped with the arrest that led to Aifread not being there when his ship sank. It's my take on the Aifread sidequest in TOS, albeit with a more sinister twist. Can Oni get out of this alive, or will Warner make his final kill a success as well? Find out next time!