*** Okay, my 4th gift. It's probably my last gift before I go to bed. Phew, making gifts are hard... I put the song magnet here, you'll see. I didn't make the song, someone did. I can't think of any other Vocaloid song that uses piano... Oh well, happy reading ***
Chapter XXXVII: Inaccurate Time of Death
Every string instruments known to man was there. Sort of. The room was actually large, but it's filled with so many instruments, so it seems small. The right word to describe that room was: crowded. Cello, violin, acoustic guitar, all from the string family. Too bad there wasn't a piano.
"By tomorrow, this is going to be her house too. I really need to clean this room up." Thomas walked around the room, and so were Rin and Len. They walked around, looking for anything suspicious or something that cries 'murder'.
"Are you left handed?" Len looked at the violin. The sound post, bass bar, they're mirrored. It's supposed to be in the other side. He didn't know much about violins, but he knew the basic of it.
"Yes. This is a left handed violin. It's rare, not many people use this kind of violin. Especially those who are in an orchestra."
"Why not?" Rin didn't know anything about the violins. She preferred the piano more, rather than the violin. And, Rin didn't even know how violin sounds like.
"Usually in an orchestra, at the end of their performance they bow down. Most people are right handed, in an orchestra you have to bow. When you use a left handed violin, your 'bow' wouldn't be the same with all the other players. It just doesn't seem right, that's all." Rin didn't really understand what he meant by that, so she decided to look around the music room. It'd be more interesting if there's a piano there.
Rin finally found something interesting in that room. A music sheet. There were lyrics there, written in cursive. The title was 'Magnet'. The writing was a bit messy, but Rin could still read it.
Draw me closer, as if we are two magnets,
That even if we separate, we will reunite again.
Let's become one; it's okay not to able to turn back.
That's fine, for you're
It wasn't finished yet. The last bar of the song hadn't been filled with lyrics yet. It'd make a wonderful song, for a piano. Something tells her that song was made for a piano. Rin isn't the expert in piano or violin, but she knows violin can't be played with 2 hands. There's a bar for right hand, and there's a bar for left hand.
"Len…" Rin decided to show the music sheet to Len. If he couldn't answer the question, Len could. "Isn't this for piano?" Len checked, and with 1 look, he knew it's for piano. There's no way it's for violin. Well, it could be converted for violins, or cellos, or other string instruments, but why?
"Did you make this?" Thomas looked at the song and answered. Len gave it to him so he could have a closer look at it.
"Yes, it's a song I wrote for Catherine, but it's not finished yet. I'm thinking of finishing it, but I've got list of things to do for the wedding." He took the sheet with him and left them alone in the music room.
"Don't you find it strange, that he wrote a song for piano, but he doesn't have it here?" Len said with a low voice. Who knows? Maybe Thomas is still near them. Rin just nodded, but does that information important to the case? If there is any.
"That piece might be really important to him, and he didn't want us to examine it. He isn't a very good liar." That's something new to Rin's ears. Len could tell someone's lying without even looking at them in the eye.
"How did you know he's lying?"
"He was nervous. He suddenly went out of the room, saying 'there are lots of things to do'. He forgot about the promise, he said he'd agree to give us a tour. 'Forgetting' something is one of a trait of a liar." Well, that makes sense.
Rin wanted to know what's so important about the sheet. If it's really important, she should've memorized a bit more. The good news was, she remembered the last part of the lyrics. 'That's fine, for you're'. Rin wondered what comes after that. You're my love? You're beautiful? You're invincible? Since it's a song made for Catherine, it's probably something romantic.
"Anyway, let's go back to the inn. If we stay any longer they'll be suspicious."
The rain didn't stop. It's been raining hard, since, a few hours ago. Since the wedding is delayed, Rin had no other choice but to sleep. She'll keep in mind, the next case they're going to do, Rin have to bring a book so she wouldn't be bored waiting.
Maybe it's a dream, but there's a sound of footsteps, followed by a sound of an opened door. No, that's not a dream. Len opened the door to Rin's room and with a voice that nearly shouted, said to her.
"Thomas is found dead, we have to go to the crime scene, now!" Rin only rested her eyes for 5-6 minutes, but she knew it's time to go back to work. That was probably the shortest break Rin ever had. Now that she thinks about it, she hardly ever get any breaks when they're in a case, other than sleeping.
Thomas Conner. Time of death: Approximately 5 hours ago. Place of death: The back of his house. Current state: Dead. Large amount of bleeding from his head. And a crack on his skull. No other injuries. Suspect: Catherine Barlow. Prime suspect: Catherine Barlow.
That's what Len said, and Rin didn't understand one thing. Time of death, 5 hours ago? That's not possible. They were there 5 hours ago, in the house as well! Len had the same question with Rin. That means he died a few minutes after they left. What, did Catherine kill him? The man she loved? It's not impossible, but she could've done a better job than that. The case seemed so easy, but it wasn't. The officers already announced that Catherine killed him, because she was in one house with him, alone, no one else but them.
"5 hours ago? But we were with him 5 hours ago…" Catherine Barlow was the only one at the crime scene that time, not to mention they were alone. Rin was right, it might be a trick.
"Let's ask a few questions first." Len was about to interrogate Catherine, when his footsteps stopped.
'This isn't good….' Len said to himself as he saw, him. The mayor. He showed up now, when he's about to solve the case. What to do now? Back out? If he's seen, then the mayor would accuse him as the murderer. A father would do anything to protect his daughter, and that includes lying to the public.
"I think it's better if I hide for now. Rin, can you ask some questions to Catherine? I don't think the mayor recognizes your face, so you should be fine." Rin could see him too. The mayor, he was trying his hardest to defend his daughter, but it isn't working. Within minutes, they're going to jail for further questioning.
"What kind of questions?" Len faced away from the mayor so he couldn't see his face, so far, the mayor hadn't seen him.
"Any questions, related to the murder. What had she been doing, when did you last see him, anything." Len walked away slowly. If he runs, it'd be too suspicious. He hoped Rin could handle the interrogation alone.
'Calm down…' Rin took a breath. This is her second time handling an interrogation. She'd done it before, she could do it again. But this time, if she makes 1 mistake it's all over. Rin hoped the mayor doesn't recognize her. 'All I need to do is ask her questions. That's it. It's normal for me to ask questions. Don't think about what happens if I fail.'
Rin was about to walk up to them, but stopped. Someone caught her shoulder.
"This is restricted area, you shouldn't be here now." One of the officers told her. What now? Go back? No. It's her job to do as Len said, and he said Rin have to interrogate Catherine Barlow.
"But I'm…" 'I'm her friend!' 'I'm the detective's assistant!' 'I'm a witness!' The last one was good, Rin decided to use it. "But I'm a witness! I was there as well, 5 hours ago!" Now that Rin said it, it doesn't sound like such a good idea. It means she's also a suspect, not a witness. Bad idea to say she's a witness.
"Then, do you mind if you tell us your side of the story?" Rin was 100% sure she's not the culprit, so Rin decided to tell the truth. But she didn't mention Len in her side of the story.
"Well, we, no… um I was invited to Thomas & Catherine's wedding, so I went there, um, here. Then it started raining, and the wedding decoration got wet. So w… I decided to help Catherine put all the decorations back to her house. After that she served us... me tea, then after that I got a tour of the house from Mr. Thomas and, I went back my inn." 100% true. Aside from the 'I'. Lucky for her, the officer suspected nothing.
"What about Catherine? Is she, um… okay?" Well, she's supposed to interrogate Catherine, but as long as it's related to her, it's probably okay.
"She was the one who contacted us. She found Thomas' body at the back of his own house, but she had no idea who it was. Catherine Barlow confessed that they were alone in the house, so she's our prime suspect for now. But you're also a suspect. I'm gonna have to take you to the police station now for more questioning." Not good. Not good. Not good. Things aren't going as planned. There isn't a plan to begin with, but surely Len didn't want his assistant to go to the station, right?
'What should I do now…?' Wasting time is bad. Before all the evidence fades away, Len have to solve a case. Rin was very confident that Len could solve the case without her, but now he needed information.
"Then take me away with her too. I'm also a 'witness'." It was Len. For now, he probably didn't care about the fact that the mayor might accuse him. His assistant is in trouble, and what kind of master would he be if he leaves it like that. Besides, Len already have an idea on how the alibi is.
"I was with her when we carry the decorations." He continued, in his head he thought, leaving Rin alone doing the interrogation is a bad idea.
"Then let's head off."
They walked in the cold rain, as they passed Catherine and her father, Len and the mayor exchanged glares. At first he was shocked, then furious, then back to shock. Now he knows that Len is somehow involved in the case, and he's probably thinking of ways on how to set his daughter free from the accusation free from being a prime suspect.
"Are you sure it's okay for us to go there?" Rin whispered when Len was done glaring at the mayor.
"You didn't kill him, so there's nothing you should be worry about. We're innocent. I'm not sure about Catherine yet, the officers are right, she's the prime suspect. She might be the culprit."
"But I haven't interrogated Catherine yet." Rin just realized her job wasn't finished yet.
"It's okay, we can do it later."
That'd really help. Rin didn't have any intention on being a detective, but she thought learning how to interrogate would really help her on doing her job.
"Oh, that reminds me. How did you know he died?" Rin remembered Len barged in to her room, without knocking.
"I saw the paramedics, officers, and thought it's got something to do with those two. I'm glad I was looking out the window that time."
"You brought your sword with you?" Kaito looked at Gakupo. He can speak with him normally now. Without thinking, Kaito could think of something to talk about with Gakupo.
"Just in case something happens." Just in case. Just in case they have to fight for your life because it's such a dangerous task? He's taking it too seriously. What's the worst that could happen? They're visiting a dome. Run by women. How can 'something happen'?
The carriage stopped a few minutes after they had that small talk. Kaito really thinks that Gakupo should change clothes, and he regret for not doing it earlier. Well, there's no backing down now.
The dome wasn't large, Kaito thought it'd be bigger, half the size of his school. Actually, it's half of half of Kaito's school, twice the half. They were ready to get information, by force if needed.