"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Her daughter exclaimed, pointing at her.
"What?"
"You did this..."
"Meiki, I-"
"Meiki, calm down..." Seira said.
"No! All because of her, my friends...they've-"
"...If that's how you feel, Mei...ok. I'll turn myself in."
"Huh?" Meiki said.
"I love you, Mei. I don't want anything but you to be happy. And I know your friends make you happy..."
"...Mom...wait..."
"One!"
"Meimi, don't do this..."
"Two!"
"Mom..."
"Th-" Suddenly, Meiki grabs her mother. "Mei?"
"...I'm sorry." She said silently, still crying.
"Please...I need you..."
"But...your friends..."
"Mom, you can't...I'll lose you...I can't lose you..."
"...All right, honey." She holds her child. "We will get everyone back. I promise."
"Hey, Meimi...remember back when we were kids? And there was that party at the school?"
"Which one?"
"The one where everyone dressed like Saint Tail?"
"What?" Meiki asked. "You don't plan on lying in court, do you mom?"
"Well..."
"You can't...dad wouldn't like it."
"(sigh) She's right."
"Alias?"
"Yes, Detective?"
"Why would the Mayor kidnap my friends? The Mayor can't do that...right?"
"Well, Detective, the Mayor can interrogate your friends and hold them in custody. Only for about 24 hours."
"So they'll be released the next day?"
"I don't think it'll be that easy, Detective. I have seen the way the officers have taken your friends...it's not in accordance to our law..."
"So what the Mayor is doing...can be considered against the law, right?"
"Perhaps..."
"I'm curious," Meimi said, just thinking about something. "What happened to the old Mayor? I don't ever remember him resigning..."
"You drive a good point, Mom. Alias? Do you know?"
"That I do, Detective. The Mayor was forced out of office."
"What? How?"
"...Blackmail."
"Blackmail?"
"The Mayor was having an affair with another woman other than his wife."
"Whoa..." Meimi said shocked.
"Who was the other woman?" Meiki asked.
"That's not important. The Mayor's wife wanted him to resign from the office because he spent more time there than with her...and most of us here know why."
"Huh?" Meiki asked, confused.
"You'll understand when you're older, honey." Meimi quickly stated. "Please, continue."
"The plan seemed perfect: The Mayor's wife did not want him to be Mayor anymore, and he later resigned...and because of the old Mayor's age, everyone thought he was retiring. When he announced his resignation, rather than there being another election to fill in his spot, he announced his successor. He fooled everyone into thinking that they were safe with this new Mayor. That was when the Bloodboys made their debut; their illegal business tactics flooding all over the city...until your father caught Elly's father, who was #2 to the leader. He was locked away for a long time. Since his capture, the Bloodboys' activities seemed to have completely vanish, but the truth of the matter was that they were doing it under the radar...and rather easily."
"Why? How? The Mayor gave me the case of the Bloodboys over a month ago..."
"It's really simple when you think about it." Alias continued. "Think, Detective. Why were the Bloodboys able to go in secret so easily?"
"Well...dad did capture someone long ago...and it seemed he always had a case overseas..."
"There's more...keep going."
"Because dad wasn't there, there was alot more underground crime...but if that was the case, then the Mayor should've assigned someone else for the case...and he did...me...knowing my father's rep, well aware that I have his abilities, gave me those cases to capture only one person at a time...but he was unaware of my connection with Saint Tail with my magic...and that I was able to capture so many Bloodboys at once...oh...my..."
"Mei?" Meimi said, looking confused.
"Mom, the Mayor...he's a Bloodboy...the leader of the Bloodboys..."
"What?"
"It all makes sense. Leaving me and dad occupied, his partners in crime were able to commit their crimes 'under the surveillance'...and when I was able to round up most of them, he was surprised...he didn't expect me to do what I did..."
"Still sharp as ever, Detective..."
"But if the Mayor is the one behind all this...won't he let his gang out of prison?" Seira mentioned.
"No. He won't...he needs to stay in character, so they'll still be locked up until they get rid of dad...and me. We're the only ones who were able to catch them. With us out the way, they could commit all the illegal crimes they want..."
"Daiki..."
"I have a plan," Alias said, "but I will need Saint Tail's help..." They all look at Meimi. She nods. She transforms into her alter-ego. "Here's what you do..."
TBC...
End of Case 14