What are you going to do now?
"Well, tell her, of course." Chitaru answered, her voice sounding a little stupid to her ears. "What else?"
Inukai smirked. She leaned herself against Chitaru's filing cabinet and then turned to regard both her and Kenmochi again.
"Like Cold Case Geek here said, no investigations? Nothing official-" A light went on in Inukai's eyes suddenly, as if something had occurred to her. "Because for one thing, do you have anything….actual? As opposed to resemblances and coincidences?"
"Erm, you were the one getting all happy that we'd gone and confirmed something for you and-HEY, I'll have you know you wouldn't have been able to close many of your cases without geeks behind the scene!" Kenmochi bared her teeth at Inukai, who did the same, and they immediately started arguing about cop work and forensics. The fact that both of them were well versed in the topics for different reasons didn't help either side.
Are you for real? If they weren't having a serious discussion, Chitaru would have laughed at them both and changed the subject. But as it was, she just rapped at her desk a few times. The two women turned and stared at her.
"Well, Inukai, if you really must know, I had a DNA test done. By a private company." Chitaru hurried to clarify when her eyes narrowed. "Move away for a moment." Chitaru got up, strode over to her filing cabinet, and then rifled through everything she kept in there until she found the fateful envelope that summarised the results of the DNA test. She shoved it at Inukai, and waited for her to react. And sure enough, her jaw dropped.
"Well, that tells me." Inukai tossed the sheet and the envelope so they landed on Chitaru's desk, and then returned to leaning on the filing cabinet.
"Good for you." Kenmochi retorted acidly. Inukai just gave her a dirty look.
"Okay, Namatame, I'm not going to ask any more about what you did or how you did it. The why I'll beat outta you later. For now, I have actual crimes to solve, so you know where I'll be." And Inukai clipped out, just as rapidly as she had come. Wryly, Chitaru observed that doing that seemed to have become a habit of Inukai.
"Seriously, who does she think she is?" Kenmochi puffed, eyes flashing with indignation.
"A highly decorated detective who works extraordinarily well, despite her appearance. Alongside our Lieutenant, she's closed so many hot cases I've lost count. And we've been friends a long time."
Kenmochi had the grace to look suitably embarrassed. She adjusted her glasses.
"Well…I guess I'd better leave too. Things to do, people to see. And also, my involvement ends here, doesn't it?" her expression was a mixture of resigned and sheepish.
"Yes. It's for the best" Then, regretting the harsh tone of her voice, Chitaru hurried to clarify her stance. "But, when I've told Hitsugi, and we've figured out things, then perhaps we could see each other again? As friends?"
Kenmochi hesitated. Then, her cheeks pinked and she grinned, sticking her hand out for Chitaru to shake.
"Sounds like a plan." She grinned. Chitaru shook her hand, and then bid her farewell. Kenmochi's exit was akin to a tornado, which made Chitaru chuckle for a while before remembering herself and sobering. Looking at the letter that stated the DNA results, she gritted her teeth. Gathering that and the rest of her 'evidence' , she shoved it quickly into her handbag and zipped it up. Then, she straightened her clothes and composed herself as she sat at her desk and waited for her next appointment.
…
Whatever her thoughts about Chitaru, Chiasa and the mysterious house may have been, all of them disappeared whenever they went to Suzu's place for dinner. Of course, as the old woman was family to both of them in different ways, they saw each other often, but there was something about dinner that was just special. The last time they had been there, they'd had an interesting dinner table discussion about the Meiji period. As Suzu's childhood had followed on the heels of those times, she'd been their expert. This time around, Suzu had acquired more rabbits to befriend the ones she already had, and so they ended up in the conservatory, sneaking bites of food whenever the rabbits weren't hopping or crawling all over them. The end result was hilarious, and rather messy –as if they were hyperactive middle schoolers as opposed to a trio of grown women- but Hitsugi liked that. A lot. So she wasn't even thinking about any of her doubts or plans as they walked home in a happy haze. Instead, as usual, they chatted and teased each other, and partially as a result of the happy haze, couldn't keep their hands off each other.
Which is why when later, in the small hours, when Chitaru sat up and looked at her with serious eyes while saying she had something important to tell her, Hitsugi's heart plummeted.
"S-something important? To do with me?" Hitsugi also sat up, and then stared as Chitaru climbed out of bed, put on a dressing gown, and went to the cupboard to find her handbag. Silently, almost apprehensively, Chitaru retrieved a lot of papers and then came back to the bed and fanned these all infront of her.
"I…I just want you to know, none of this changes what we are to each other, or anything like that."
This is bad. "Okay..." absently, Hitsugi looked down at the papers in front of her, and then she saw her name. Stunned, she grabbed at it, and goggled at it. And as if that wasn't enough of a shock, she saw Sachika and Mami's names on the same page.
"What….what is the meaning of this?" Hitsugi couldn't prevent her voice from shaking, and when she looked up at Chitaru, it was to see a sad face. Why are you so sad? You instigated this, didn't you?!
"Just-" Chitaru held out her hands as if fending Hitsugi off. "Just, let me explain."
And so, she did.