"The matchbox was found 3 meters away from the body. I assume that you disposed of it?"
"I kicked it aside, yes."
"And then you brutally attacked an unarmed man and proceeded to violently stab him in the neck thirty five times, five stabs short of forty."
"I was attacked first. Don't forget that. I merely reacted."
The man tapped at the pictures.
"Why don't you take one hard look at these?"
"I was there when it happened and frankly I don't see the need of revisiting the event."
Izaya would not be cornered that easily.
"Are you keeping your self-defense argument?"
"It is not an argument, it's the truth."
"Odd thing for an informant to say. And a particularly callous one at that."
"Was I supposed to let him burn me alive? And cold-hearted killers don't throw up on the scene. You have all the files on me so you know that I am not violent by nature. As a matter of fact, I was convicted on charges of fraud and not crimes of blood."
"You may be indicted for murder on the account of this."
Izaya did not flinch.
"I want to call my lawyer now."
"That's your right. Just be aware that we are not giving you a trial. This is an internal investigation."
"In other words, I am considered guilty until proven innocent."
"If you are indeed proved guilty you will be transferred to a maximum security facility."
"Life without parole, I presume?"
"That is only fair. After all, the moment you separated the matches from 7890 he ceased to be a threat. It wasn't self-defense, it was murder pure and simple. As for trauma you are clearly in full possession of your mental faculties."
"I am officially requesting a lawyer."
"Very well. For the time being we are keeping you in solitary confinement."
"Why?"
"You clearly are dangerous and we have no assurance that you will not kill your cellmate."
"Ask Heiwajima Shizuo if he believes that I may do such a thing."
"Unfortunately for you, you are in no place to issue orders."
"Isn't around this time you offer me one of those deals that I can't refuse?"
"You need some time to reflect on your actions and you will have plenty of that in solitary."
Izaya was sure that he would.

"None of your business."
Shizuo knew that he could break the suit's neck even if the platoon of guards that filled the small interrogation room were to jump on him. And currently he was very tempted to do so. There was the fact that he reminded him of tax collectors, a breed of people that Shizuo hated but more than that there was the even most aggravating fact that this mouthpiece was out to frame Izaya. Even Shizuo could see that.
"It is in your best interest to answer our questions."
"Where's Izaya? What did you scum do to him?"
"What did 3456 do when he returned to your cell after the incident?"
"Again, it's none of your bloody business. I've already told you what happened at the infirmary, not that it makes any difference since I wasn't even there when it took place so I don't see why you keep asking questions that are irrelevant."
Shizuo was glad to have remembered such a word. Especially when he was being drilled like this.
"3456 is currently being held in solitary confinement. How long he remains there depends on how much you cooperate."
It took all that Shizuo had not to snap his flimsy handcuffs and just go into berserk mode.
"Fucking bastards. Izaya was very upset. So we talked some, fooled around and went to sleep."
There was some satisfaction on stating this. The man was unmoved.
"I see. And this morning?"
"I was on library duty so we went online for a bit. As we're allowed to."
"And what exactly did you do online?"
Normally Shizuo would explode at the idiocy of it all. But suspicion made him considerably more wily than usual.
"What is the point of asking this? You can check all that without having to bother yourself. Just what are you up to?"
"Answer the question."
"Fine. We played a game."
Shizuo omitted the part about Izaya's googling his sisters' messages because he knew that he had deleted all tracks on that.
"I see. So to recapitulate, prisoner 3456 after viciously stabbing a man to death had no qualms in indulging his sexual desires and displayed no remorse whatsoever, going as far as playing games online. Have that put on record, guard."