Bleary eyed, Zuko stared at the young woman from across his desk. She returned the look with somewhat puffy, swollen sea blue eyes.
"Miss Roualt. I believe I owe you an apology. My previous interrogation was insensitive and unprofessional. Please accept my sincere regret." The forced words left his lips stiff and numbed. The taste of floorboard dust contaminated his tongue.
She nodded. "Yes. You were completely out of line, exposing me to the loss of my fiancé like that. I… if I hadn't seen that photo, I'd never have believed it. It… it still seems like someone decided to play a cruel trick on us. On him. On me. Maybe if you would let me see him, I could…"
She stared at him with reignited hope. Zuko shook his head hastily. "No, I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment, Miss Roualt. Your fiance's remains are still at the pathologist's. So far, they've been unable to determine a cause of death."
Yes. This morning, just before he'd been called into the suspended D.I. Zhaos's office to receive a stern reprimand from his uncle Iroh and Deputy Chief of Police Hakoda for the insensitive interrogation of the latter's daughter, Zuko had received a text from Mai, of all people. No, she hadn't complimented him on his new haircut or asked him out on a date. Instead, she'd curtly informed him that due to some unusual findings, she had called off some of the regular autopsy procedures and was keeping the body of the tattooed victim intact whilst conducting special analyses. So, no bone saw then. And whatever the hell Mai was up to, Zuko trusted her professional knowledge with his life.
The blue eyes stared at him insistently, glistening with emotion. "You… You know, when we were in high school together, Aang was in an accident. That bitch… I mean, another student caused an explosion in chemistry class that hurt him badly. Aang wasn't even supposed to be there, he'd just turned up on an errand. Luckily, I have some first aid skills and managed to revive him before the ambulance arrived. Pardon? What was I doing there? Oh, I was one of the students of the class. Aang just knocked on the door to bring me my… well, never mind! He's stayed with my brother and I ever since he arrived here in Caldera. Our father's an international police representative, so we've stayed in campus quarters ever since we went to high school."
Zuko's brow knitted. "Er… Miss Roualt, would you mind clarifying a few things for me here?" He examined his computer screen. "Is it correct that you are a Senior year nursing student at Caldera University?"
She nodded. "Yes. I'm majoring in Obstetrics. My brother's an Engineering Graduate. He's writing his thesis on Mechanics. Or at least he should be. I don't know how that's coming along." She snorted.
Zuko's frown deepened. "I see. And your late boyfriend, Aang Duc, was a student in the Theology programme?"
The girl vinced slightly at the word "late". "Yes! Oh please, call me Katara! I know Aang would prefer it if you did. I mean, he'd been… well, he'd been voicing some fanciful ideas lately. Like talking about stopping time, and having these recurring dreams about his late relatives. As I'm sure you are aware, in the past century his country has been severely ravaged by war and extensive natural disasters."
Zuko nodded. Yes, some of the island countries way out west had indeed had their populations severely decimated in the last 100 years or so. Still, he found her story disjointed and hard to follow. On a hunch, he caught a thread in the thick knot and pulled experimentally.
"So, that accident where his back was hurt, who caused it? Are you sure that it was accidental?"
The dusky face turned hard. "No. I wouldn't put it past that girl to hurt him deliberately. A mean, spiteful, stuck up bitch like that… The school authorities kept telling us it was an accident, though. They tried to excuse the girl by saying that she'd been upset about some family issues, and being bullied about her father's jail sentence. As if Aang would ever bully anyone! He was an innocent bystander. If anyone else in our class angered her by pointing out her father was a crook, I'm quite sure they were right. It's not our fault that she blew up."
Zuko stared at her, slightly greenfaced. "You… you wouldn't happen to know the name of that girl? I mean, she was the one who caused that… injury on his back, right?"
The girl nodded. "Yes. Just as Aang turned to exit, she blew up and hurled a Bunsen burner at the door. Oh, I don't know why. The whole class had been ribbing her about her Dad being a swindler and her Mom being a… well, let's just say that there were rumours. And Azula... well, she was just such a perfect, haughty bitch. Her grades were always the best. She always wore designer outfits. She didn't seem to have any flaws. She just needed to be put in her place, you know?"
The greenfaced look turned into full-blown nausea. Zuko fought hard not to vomit into the nearest waste paper basket.
My kid sister. They did this to her at school. And where was I? With Mother, picking out gifts to compensate for having to move house. I really had no idea.
His voice was strained. "I see. You were part of a group of students who bullied a girl until she acted out in anger. Unfortunately, a younger student, Aang Duc, got in the way and was injured. He was taken into hospital care and survived unscathed, although with a minor scar. Now…"
"Well, I wouldn't call it minor! Did you bother to take a look at…" The girl's blue eyes flared at him. However, this time Zuko was less inclined to take her parentage and relationship with the victim into account. His voice was cold.
"Yes. That's quite enough. I get the picture. Thank you very much. Now, Miss Roualt…"
"Katara! Please."
"Miss Roualt. How would you describe the life of your fiancé? I gather that he was a dedicated student. You and he were in a long term, serious relationship. What did he do in his spare time? Did he have any hobbies? Any friends?"
She stared at him, slightly redfaced. "Well… well of course he had friends! My brother for a start. And Toph. That's Toph Kivanoff, with a K. Yes, her father's a multibillionaire media tycoon. And yes, she stands to inherit the title of Duchess in her own right. She never makes a big deal out of it, though. She studies Modern Art and is a good sculptor. Also, she's 95% blind. Wonderful girl. Don't you dare harass her with your inquiries, do you hear!"
Zuko regarded her noncommittally. "I wouldn't dream of it. Who else is there?"
"Well there's Yue, Aang's classmate. She and Sokka are kind of… well they used to be… Oh, I just don't know with him! Anyways, she's graduating in Theology. Lovely girl, very caring and selfless. She wouldn't hurt a fly." She glared warningly at the detective.
"Hm. For a murder case, there seems to be an awful lot of peaceful people around."
Katara's blue eyes erupted. ""Well, I don't know! Maybe for you, that's abnormal! For us, it's just the way things are! Believe me, Aang did not have any enemies! Everybody loved him!"
Zuko nodded patiently. "I'm sure you did. Now, did he have any hobbies or habits in his spare time? What did he like to do? Apart from spending time with you, of course." His golden gaze on her was completely neutral.
Katara returned the look, momentarily taken aback. "Why… Why thank you, Officer Duchamps! Well… In his spare time… Oh, he used to meditate a lot… And eat fruit pies… And tell bad jokes…" She smiled involuntarily. "And… of yeah, of course he was very dedicated to studying his forefathers, their culture and beliefs. To preserving his roots."
Zuko frowned. "So, he read a lot?"
A vigorous headshake. "No! Aang hated reading! In fact, it was something of a joke among us. He liked learning by doing. So, he travelled back to his native islands every second or third week or so. Yes, I don't mind telling you it took its toll on our relationship, but each time he returned with the packages, he was so happy. Positively glowing."
"Packages?"All neutrality was gone with the wind from Zuko's tone.
The girl made a flowing gesture. "Oh, the goods. I thought I told you about that? Aang was helping some local distributor here in Caldera in order to earn his way through college. You know, until he obtained his degree and a steady salary . Then, we could get married. He always considered it his way of chipping in to continue the family heritage. His relatives are all dead of course, but people from up North moved to the Islands in order to continue the manufacture. Sorry, what did you say? Oh, for what? They grow and manufacture tea, of course. Aang brings it here so it can be sold under the White Lotus brand."