Ch.40 Hilda, Ace Detective
Once Asia had heard about Giras' movie career, she insisted on watching a few of her movies. In fact, Gerhilde has all of Giras' movies in her personal collection. Issei isn't opposed to watching some of these films either. They are currently finishing the first movie she ever starred in and this movie gets everyone watching it get their eyes welling up. They have popcorn and drinks while watching it, and Issei is suddenly noticing something that he hasn't question since he arrived.
"Hey, Giras keeps her eye covered by her hair. Why does she do that? Is it for fashion or something?"
Gerhilde turns off the movie as the credits roll as she sadly explains.
"No, she doesn't…Giras lost her eye last year…."
Gerhilde apparently doesn't want to talk about it. However, Issei isn't willing to just let this go as asks.
"What happened to her!? Did she get into a fight? Did she trip or something?"
Gerhilde immediately gets defensive for her sister and says.
"Not at all! Giras would never make those kinds of mistakes. She is just simply…perfect."
Issei appreciates her sentiment and asks her gently.
"Why do worship her so much?"
Gerhilde puts her hands behind her back, walks towards the television and turns on the dvd player again and plays an interview with Giras from the extras. This recording was from when she was twelve and she explains something about her roles.
"Well…I think I just understand how these girls feel. I understand the flawed person who hates themselves and wants to improve. I have a little sister, who said she hated herself because of her flaws. So I became the whimsical person she needed that had to deal with life's troubles. I believe that to help those you love, you have let go of your own weight to help them with their own. She still needs me, and I'll be there for her when she needs me…."
Gerhilde turns off the movie again and explains.
"She was talking about me. I have this embarrassing secret that I can't tell anyone about. This secret made me angry with myself and I hated myself even. Giras came to me, and she gave me so much love and attention. She tutored me, she comforted me, and she taught me so much despite being only a couple years older than me. Giras isn't just some devil with talent. I believe that she is a goddess. A goddess that was given to us from somewhere far away.
Issei brings up the eye issue. Gerhilde can only manage to say this.
"Her eye is evidence…evidence of a shattered bond and broken girl for whom the nightmare was only just beginning. The tragedy was over, but the true culprit will always be on the loose. Poisoning the hearts of certain people so that they can seek only darkness…and its name is revenge."
Suddenly, Gerhilde gets a phone call and she answers it immediately. After a few seconds, she asks in a serious tone.
"Where at?"
She nods upon hearing her answer and replies.
"I'll be there in a minute.
Issei and Asia are both wondering.
"What was that about?"
Gerhilde sighs as she just bluntly says.
"There's been a murder at Kuoh, and Saji is the prime suspect."
This immediately gets the two's attention as they immediately head for the school.
Kuoh Academy
Upon arriving, there are police cards surrounding the academy and a woman sucking on a lollipop with short brown hair and purple eyes wearing a black suit with a red tie is standing in front of the gates. She is the first person Gerhilde talks to as she explains to her.
"Glad you came, Hilda. I know you're busy with the other case, but this needed some quick solving. Lady Sona wanted our help and we can't say no to her.
This woman is Houzuki, Gerhilde's partner in investigations. She isn't affiliated with devils, but does know Sona personally through her job. She's also in league with Rias. The facts as they know are this, the victim is a teacher named Tai, and without an autopsy, the first guess is that the victim died from being stabbed with a sharp object. The body was discovered at 5pm in the teacher's office, and the evidence gathered is the supposed murder weapon, a letter opener with Saji's fingerprints, a piece of paper covered in blood, and a witness statement saying that the victim was seen alive around 3:30 PM. The body was seen in a sleeping position and the person who called the police was Ion Sitri. She was here to ask a question and discovered the body.
Gerhilde is the only one allowed inside as the others are outside waiting. Issei and Asia then spot Ion Sitri as she has a rather uncharacteristically anxious look on her face as her father is being escorted inside a car. She is starting to pace around a bit. Out of concern, Asia approaches her and asks.
"Are you worried for him?"
Ion simply replies in her anxiety.
"Yes, I am. My father might be going to jail."
From seemingly out of nowhere, Sona appears before her daughter wearing a very nice suit and skirt combo with a purple tie. She simply puts her hand on her daughter's shoulder and says.
"Saji won't be going to any prison. Gerhilde and Houzuki are on the case."
Looking at the two closely, they are definitely daughter and mother. Inside the school, Gerhilde and her partner are inspecting the room and see a bloodstained body. There are three people called in as they were the last people around at the time. The other staff were in a meeting during the murder. The three that are being questioned are two women named Mia and Nao while the other is a man named Iso. Saji is suspected as the murder weapon is apparently the letter opener he keeps in his office. It is distinct because it was a gift from Sona. Gerhilde insists on questioning all three of them after seeing the evidence.
Iso
"Well, I was in about 2:00ish to grade some tests. Tai was drinking her coffee as usual and about 3:00, I noticed she just dozed off. She usually gets pretty tired after working, so I didn't bother her. I left about a half hour later since I finished and I had to meet my wife at the store. That's last I remember before leaving."
Mia
"Let me see….I got in about 2:00 and I had to go in to discuss something with Saji. He told me he was going to be late for some reason, so I left to the teacher's lounge maybe two minutes later. I figured that I could get some work done and forgot about Saji. Yeah, I left about 2:50 and wanted to go get something to eat with Tai, but she wouldn't wake up when I tried to shaking her, so I left her alone."
Nao
"I got here at 2:30 to finish my paperwork and that lazy Tai was snoozing at her desk when I noticed her. I didn't pay too much attention to anything besides my work because I wanted to go drinking to get a load off after work. I left maybe around 3:20ish. I didn't really bother her because Tai isn't the best worker, but she deserves her space.
Gerhilde and Houzki always record the statements for a little reference. Gerhilde's first response is to examine the space where the body is found for any evidence. The two ladies are trying to be thorough in their investigation. Gerhilde then thinks for a second and asks to see the body. She inspects the corpse thoroughly with her partner adding commentary for anything they find. Houzki comments.
"I can't believe somebody stabbed this poor broad like this."
Gerhilde thinks of this for a second and then says.
"Yes, but this seems strange to me. The wound is more jagged around the entry than normal and the grip of the letter opener is bugging me."
The letter opener had a sticky substance on it and this bothering the investigator as it doesn't make any sense. It is strange but then she begins to think further into it as she inspects one area of the wound that the knife should have pierced. She notices a small hole in the victim's lung by using her dragon eyepiece while nobody is looking and she thinks.
"I got it! I know who murdered this woman, and now I just need the proof. But how…"
Gerhilde makes a quick call to Sona to ask her a question, and what she hears makes her smile as Gerhilde now has the proof she needs. She then gathers all the witnesses, the police, and even Issei with Asia as a special request. Issei is curious to see how his daughter handles her cases. When gathered, Houzuki asks.
"You figured it out, Hilda?"
Gerhilde gets serious as she explains.
"Yes, I do. This case tripped me up for a couple seconds, but I know there's more than meets the eye in this case. Namely, the cause of death for the victim."
An officer immediately says.
"But we found her stabbed in the back with that letter opener. I think it's pretty obvious that's what caused the death."
Gerhilde extends her arm and wags her index finger as she rebukes this.
"But that's exactly what the killer wanted us to think. I think the killer realized their mistake in the manner in which they killed the victim. The real cause of death wasn't blood loss from a stab injury, it was suffocation."
This makes everyone's faces light up as Gerhilde explains what she's talking about.
"I couldn't help but notice that the victim has a hole in her right lung. It is very tiny, but it is more than enough. You see, lungs are like a pair of balloons and when in a hole is poked into it, it deflates as air can no longer pass through it. The murderer stabbed the victim in the lung with a needle-like object probably a sewing needle or something."
Houzuki, impressed, still has to point out.
"We checked around, and we didn't find anything that would help someone even do that. I mean, you need something to hold the needle in place when you stab it."
Gerhilde nods as she agrees, but has the answer to this as well.
"That is true, but in this case, it wasn't needed. You see, the killer used a ring and a piece of string to hold the needle in place. I couldn't help but notice that our three suspects are each wearing rings on their hands, but the prime suspect, Saji, does not."
Despite this, someone has to bring up an obvious issue.
"Why go through the trouble of stabbing the victim in this case?"
Gerhilde looks at the other suspects and explains.
"Because all three suspects are wearing the same clothes and because them victim was stabbed in a violent manner, the killer should have gotten blood on their clothes, but in this case they didn't."
Issei actually comments on this with a somewhat iffy look.
"Yeah, but if someone was suffocating, wouldn't they flail around or something?"
Once again, Gerhilde has the answer.
"The victim was asleep. Drugged if you will, and she had no way of moving around in that case."
Houzuki approaches her partner, and simply asks.
"Then who did it?"
Gerhilde lifts her arm and points at her suspect and announces.
"The murder is….You Miss Mia!"
This gets the other suspects to gasp. Mia then says.
"But I wasn't here when Tai had her coffee, so how could I drug her?"
Gerhilde wags her finger again and replies.
"When did I say it was her coffee? I already suspected you when you mentioned you had a meeting with Saji and saw the note. I called Sona Sitri, a woman who he is smitten with and she told me that their chess game lasted until about 4:30. You must have murdered the victim with your original plan, but seeing Saji gone from his office for a long period gave you the idea to frame him. It didn't matter if he didn't have blood on him since his fingerprints are all over the letter opener. You must have worn gloves while handling it and that's why yours weren't on it."
Iso becomes a bit disturbed as he asks.
"Did she kill Tai in front of us?"
Gerhilde nods as she answers.
"Yes, she killed the victim when she tried to wake her up. She must have disposed of whatever drug she used by using the furnace outside the building, but the fact that she actually was close to the victim is also proof of her guilt."
Mia, now nervous, thinks of one last excuse.
"Okay, then how did I stab Tai without getting any blood on my clothes?"
Nao then says.
"She's right, Detective, you said that it didn't matter if Saji got blood on his clothes, but I don't get what you mean."
Gerhilde's final logic is about to come up.
"Easy, she used a simple household substance, glue. She glued the handle of the letter opener to the victim's desk and then pushed her corpse into it and carefully put it back into place without getting blood on her clothes. The proof that what I am saying is true is the one piece of evidence she didn't think to dispose of before the police arrived, that is my decisive proof."
Houzuki pulls out her lollipop and asks.
"And what is that exactly?"
Gerhilde points to something that anyone would use and says.
"Her pen. She hid the needle that she used to murder the victim inside that pen."
Houzuki walks to Mia, searches for her pen, and pulls out the ink carrier. Inside, seen in the light, is a needle. Mia sighs and says softly.
"I thought that was the perfect hiding spot too….Detective…you win."
It turns out that Mia was being blackmailed by her peer. Tai discovered that Mia was engaging in inappropriate activities with a younger male student. Not wanting it to get out, Mia murdered Tai and tried to frame Saji because it seemed convenient as rumors about him hitting on female teachers were spreading around.
Outside, Saji is getting out of a police car as he hugs his daughter, who is relieved that her father is cleared of those charges. Sona is on the scene too as she sees Gerhilde and Houzuki and wants to thank them for their help. Issei simply has to comment.
"That was so cool, Hilda. You are a pro!"
Gerhilde blushes a bit as she replies.
"Oh no, I'm just pretty good is all."
Giras appears out of nowhere as simply smiles at her younger sister and says.
"You give yourself too little credit. Not anyone can do what you just did."
Gerhilde's face lights up as she looks as if she's about to faint. Giras then giggles a little as she leaves immediately after. Issei wants to learn more about his eldest daughter, so he says.
"Hey, Giras, I want to come with you."
Giras turns and says.
"Sure, I don't mind. But I can't promise you'll like spending this evening with me."
Issei doesn't believe this as he runs to Giras to join her. Asia simply stands with Gerhilde who is still standing in the same spot with her red face. Gerhilde returns to normal as she asks Asia.
"How about some more of Giras' movies?"
Asia likes that sound, so she agrees.
