A/N: There are only four more chapters until this fanfic is done. This story is significantly shorter than my other mystery fanfics—mainly because the dénouement is very straightforward. However, as I mentioned before, I already have finished the plotline for the fifth installment of this series, so I will start that probably right after I finish this one (if schoolwork doesn't bog me down around that time—hopefully). Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 9: Loss Of Tempers

At the Kamakura Hospital, Sergeant Tanaka and Hiyori tried to swerve through the hallways as hurriedly as possible. However, like a busy freeway, always something would be blocking their path. A patient being transported by nurses on a gurney or wheelchair, a medicine trolley being wheeled their way... The two investigators veered around these obstacles, weaving in and out around them.

Heads raised and turned to stare in confused awe at the Head of the Origami Family as she passed by. Hiyori tried to not meet their eyes—she hated hospitals. Although she'd visit them on some occasions for charities, her skin would crawl every time at being surrounded by such a foul atmosphere. An atmosphere that reeked of pain and death. Hiyori remembered how one time she had to shake the hand of a patient with an injured leg. Even though his wound was wrapped in white surgical bandages, it took her all her strength to not throw up on the spot.

Eventually, they reached the room where Maina was recovering. With a display of Sergeant Tanaka's badge to a doctor and a brief explanation from Hiyori, they were allowed in. The female theatre performer didn't force herself to smile at her two visitors. It was strange to Hiyori to see Maina's face wiped clean of makeup, and couldn't help thinking she looked more attractive without it.

"Maina-san, we hope you're feeling alright," Sergeant Tanaka said.

"My house is gone and I'm suffering the after-effects of a concussion. And you seriously think I'm alright?" Maina grumbled.

Hiyori's mouth set itself into a straight line, before asking, "Did you happen to catch a glimpse of your assailant before he knocked you out?"

The light green eyes of Maina seemed to waver slightly. "Yes, it was a man about five feet with orange hair."

'A description that matches none of our suspects...' Hiyori thought. 'Could this possibly have been a different crime altogether?'

Her thoughts were interrupted by the unannounced presence of another visitor. Both Hiyori and Sergeant Tanaka raised their eyebrows at who it was.

"I heard what happened," Taiyo panted, a little out of breath. "Maina, are you alright?"

"For God's sake, I'm sick of people constantly asking if I'm alright! No! I'm not! I-I just w-want to—"

Maina never got to finish her complaint because she, without warning, violently burst into tears of vexation. The stage manager went up to his colleague and patted her on the shoulder, murmuring encouraging words.

"Come on, Maina. Pull yourself together. This isn't like you."

A dry cough from Sergeant Tanaka attracted the attention of everyone in the room. "Kawamura-san, just for routine's sake, where were you at around midnight?"

"At home."

"Why bother asking Taiyo a question like that? I told you what the man looked like—and Taiyo looks nothing like him!" Maina cried.

Sergeant Tanaka cast an abnormally cold eye on the theatre performer. "And you, Maina-san, on the morning of your husband's death, arrived late. Now you told Kawamura-san that your train had been delayed. However...Hiyori-sama looked into that and discovered that every single train yesterday was on time—including the 7:40 that you always take. What have you to say about that?

Maina almost looked like a frightened deer that got caught in the headlights. Her pupils dilated slightly and her skin turned almost as white as a wraith's. However, her fear only lasted a second, but it was enough for Sergeant Tanaka and Hiyori to notice.

"It was nothing," Maina answered rather pathetically. "I did nothing at all."

"You refuse to answer truthfully?" Hiyori asked.

"I've said everything I can say. Period."

Taiyo took a step forward threateningly with his fists clenched. At that moment, he looked like a beast ready to charge at its prey. Sensing the danger, Sergeant Tanaka stepped in front of Hiyori, protecting her with his portly body lest Taiyo tried to spring any moment. The Origami Head pretended to take no notice of the stage manager's intimidating advances and kept her eyes trained on Maina.

"If you don't mind my asking, Nishiyama Maina, what do you plan to do next?" Hiyori asked.

"What? You seriously think I can do anything now?!" Maina exclaimed with a gesture to her injured body.

"I mean after you are released from the hospital," specified Hiyori.

Maintaining a disgruntled expression, the stage performer rolled her eyes. "Leave this place probably."

"Kamakura?"

"No, this whole country entirely. I don't want to stay here—not after my husband has been murdered," Maina said. "People will constantly point fingers at me, if not shy away from my presence altogether."

Hiyori fixed a cool gaze back and forth between Taiyo and the hospital patient, before turning again to the latter. "I see. I thought perhaps you might remarry again."

The green-eyed woman stared at Hiyori in the face. She was evidently not impressed by the remark.

"I have nothing else to say to you. And I certainly won't be talked to in such an impertinent and proud manner," Maina spat. "You may be all rich and powerful, but I won't stand anyone who acts all high and mighty."

"I apologize if I came off rude, Nishiyama Maina. It was unintended," Hiyori said, her face still blank. "In the meanwhile, I think it wise to not leave anytime soon though. Not until this investigation is over. Do you agree, Sergeant Tanaka?"

The sergeant nodded. "That is so."

"Look, if you think Maina is involved in this whole murder business, she isn't, okay?" Taiyo growled. "And if she doesn't want to say anything, she has a right to."

"That doesn't matter. We will find out," Hiyori said before she and Sergeant Tanaka exited the room.

"Both of them got rather defensive, didn't they?" the sergeant commented, once they reached the car.

Hiyori made no reply to this and simply buckled herself up. She couldn't help thinking about Maina and Taiyo. Why did Maina lie about her train being late? Who was her attacker? And why did Taiyo seem so prickly when she interrogated the female theatre performer? Could it be possible both of them were mixed up in the murder together?

A funky ringtone started blaring from Sergeant Tanaka's pocket. Too preoccupied with the road, he whipped out his cellular device and handed it to Hiyori.

"Mind answering that for me?"

The cranky voice of a police officer answered from the other end, which immediately became apologetic once he realized to whom he was talking to. "H-Hiyori-sama, I-I didn't mean—"

"Apologies aside—it's fine. Sergeant Tanaka is just driving right now. Is there anything you need me to communicate?"

"Yes, Hiyori-sama. We were finally able to get CCTV footage from the street cameras near Nishiyama Maina's house, and it looks like we've got a shot of our guy."

"Right then. We're on our way to the police station currently. See you in a few minutes."

Kanami dawdled around the theatre auditorium with a lazy mobility about her. She went around the back surveying the trash cans against the wall. They were round cylindrical bins with gold-plated ashtrays on top. If one chanced to see the Minoseki Toji, one would have thought her strange, if not wondered what she was up to. Which was exactly what a certain inspector was thinking as he stood a few feet away, watching her slowly go round the large horseshoe-shaped hall. When she'd pass a trash can, Kanami would lift up the lid before rummaging through its contents.

"Just what are you searching for?" Inspector Etou sighed at last, once his daughter came to the last trash can.

Kanami didn't answer and simply began her forage. Then a wide grin crossed her face, as she triumphantly presented in her now-dirty hands what looked like a small black box.

"This."

"What is it?"

"It's a small combustion device."

"Combustion device?" Inspector Etou repeated. "I don't understand."

The heavy thud of a door made the two investigators whip around. Jun had just come out of a side emergency exit, cigarette in hand. The tobacco was starting to give his eyes a glazed look. Despite the Kishinouyes closing the theatre for the day due to obvious circumstances, some people still showed up to work for the sake of extra practice—Jun being one of them. For the past few hours though, he'd done more smoking than rehearsing. Noticing Kanami and Inspector Etou, the theatre performer gave a gruff jerk of his head in greeting. Like a slow animal with a clumsy build, Jun padded over to the trash can next to the two investigators, stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Matsuno-san," Inspector Etou said.

There was a faint insinuative lilt to his tone of voice. Jun's sharp ears picked it up immediately and he shot a pointed look at the other man. Inspector Etou drew a folded piece of paper from his pocket and opened it.

"Would you care to explain what is this all about, Matsuno-san?" he asked, politely.

Kanami could see that it was the same document Officer Kimura printed last night on Keishi's bank records. She observed how Jun's face did not change its expression.

"I have no idea. Don't even know what that is. Just a bunch of numbers, if you ask me," the theatre performer said.

"It's a statement of Nishiyama Keishi's bank records," Inspector Etou said. He pointed a finger, indicating a list of figures. "And these are the accounts that got money transferred to—one of them being The LeRoux Bar."

"So what?" Jun snorted.

Inspector Etou said, "That is the pub you frequent, no? We have reason to believe that hundreds of thousands of yen have been stolen from Nishiyama Keishi's bank account every month, and put into that which belongs to the pub."

"Just because I go to that pub a lot doesn't mean I'm involved in that shit," Jun retorted.

"Where were you at midnight last night?" Kanami asked.

The change of topic only made Jun more suspicious. "At home."

The Minoseki Toji put her hands behind her back, squaring her shoulders. "Can I offer a piece of advice, sir?"

"What?"

"Nishiyama Keishi has just been murdered, his wife attacked, and their house burned down. If you were indeed helping yourself to Nishiyama Keishi's hard-earned cash, I say that you're playing a very dangerous game."

Jun had been very apathetic and uninterested when the investigators had questioned him yesterday. Now, his countenance was quite different. His face was suffused with redness and it looked as though steam would start coming from his ears any second. The theatre performer actually stamped his foot when he yelled.

"You damned pig-headed girl! I tell you, I haven't been stealing from anyone!"

"Sir!" Inspector Etou protested.

But Jun took no notice of him; he was only concerned with the girl before him. Something about the Minoseki Toji put him on his guard. When he first saw Kanami, she struck him as a nosy individual with fluff for brains—someone that couldn't be taken seriously. Now, Jun realized he was quite wrong. For underneath that innocently cheerful personality was a very perceptive and smart girl.

"I've nothing to do with anything—not Keishi's death nor this business with his money. And if either of you brings this up again, I'm calling my lawyer," Jun said, before storming off.

"So, he's not a robot after all," Kanami said, with a smirk.

But Inspector Etou was not interested in Jun's emotional reactions. His mind was more distracted by the matter at hand.

"Kanami, I think we'd better go across the street to that pub."

A/N: Fanfiction has been crashing on me recently. Not sure if it's the same with you guys.