A/N: Ugh, I'm starting to dislike being back in school already. Only went through the first week of my semester and my brain isn't functioning properly. Drinking lots of coffee once again...lol
Chapter 12: Suzumoto Hana
After Yui had left, Sanae exclaimed, "Was the mysterious person that Yamashiro-san and Suzumoto-san had seen possibly the murderer?"
"It is a possibility indeed," Kanami replied, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"Okay, so who had the chance then? According to Yui, she and Hana saw the mysterious person at eleven o'clock. Right now, the only person who could've done it is Kitora Mirja. She was the only one without another person with her at eleven. In other words, she has no alibi," I pointed out.
"And she said was alone in the lounge for a good solid hour," Sanae agreed. "Between 10:15 and 11:15."
Taking a sip of tea, Kanami added, "Unless, of course, as we said earlier, this crime was committed by two people."
"So then, one person goes in Murasaki Fumiko's study, murders her, escapes through the window, and comes back to the house—while her accomplice does nothing but provide an alibi?" I suggested, then with more uncertainty, "Or they both go in together—one escapes through the window and the other back through the study door, locking it up again? No, that idea sounds too farfetched."
Holding her head in her hands, Sanae sighed, "None of this makes sense to me."
"Cheer up, you two. Perhaps Suzumoto-san can provide more insight," Kanami said.
Our last suspect entered the room with the grace and dignity of a queen. She had more grand airs than those at Buckingham Palace, I would say. Queen Elizabeth and the whole royal family rolled up into one teenage girl. Hana perched herself onto the sofa in front of us, placing her palms delicately on her lap, and her legs crossed at the knee.
"Hello Hiyori-sama, Kanami-san, Sanae-san," she greeted us in turn. "I hope that I can be of help to you three."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Suzumoto-san," Kanami said.
After obtaining the information she needed from Hana's Toji ID handbook, Kanami proceeded with the interview. Hana was mostly compliant throughout the entire session, putting the details of her story in a straightforward manner.
"I went to my bedroom at exactly ten o'clock. I did not go to bed straight away, however, having wanted to read a few chapters of a library book I recently borrowed."
"Oh? Which book is it?" Kanami asked, curiously.
"The Devotion of Suspect X," Hana replied. "It's written by Higashino Keigo."
"Ah, yes! I know the one. Very good read," my girlfriend said. "Anyway, sorry for interrupting. So, you were in your bedroom reading The Devotion of Suspect X and then what happened?"
"Maybe fifteen minutes after I started reading, Yui came into my room," Hana said.
Her cheeks became a tinted shade of pinkish-red, as she bit her lip. I remembered how Yui also blushed when mentioning the same part of her story. Something was going on...
"And so, we...talked. Nothing serious," Hana laughed, nervously. "I think it was at eleven o'clock that we heard a noise from between my window. Like a loud ka-thunk, if you know what I mean. I opened my window and Yui and I stuck our heads out to see someone going round the house. Couldn't tell who it was though."
"Your bedroom is right underneath Murasaki Fumiko's study, right?" I said. "We have reason to believe that the anonymous person perhaps came out of the study window, after committing the murder. When you and Yui poked your heads out, did you both witness the person actually coming out from the window of Murasaki Fumiko's study?"
"Well, no. But when we looked out, the person was right under it, running towards the entrance of the house," Hana explained.
"So, what did you do next?" Kanami asked.
Shrugging her shoulders, Hana replied, "Nothing. Just continued on talking. Yui and I weren't too concerned about what we saw. Although I did think it odd for someone to be running out in the blizzard in the middle of the night. But moving on, Yui left at 11:10 and I went to bed."
She rubbed her neck with the same awkward flush on her cheeks. It was an unlucky move on her part. Hana only had to look into my eyes to realize why. For just that one motion was enough to brush aside the black collar of her uniform blouse, revealing the same hickey I caught sight of at breakfast. Her eyes widening with aghast remembrance, Hana tugged up her collar again, but it was no use.
"So...where did you get that from, hm?" I asked. "Actually, more specifically, I think I should be asking who did you get that from?"
"It is none of your concern," Hana snapped.
"No need to be evasive, Suzumoto-san," Kanami said, with a smile. "I think I can speak for all of us that we already have a good guess on who it is."
Then, with a suggestive smile she'd only reserve for me, she added, "And what you two were really doing last night..."
By that moment, Hana's face had turned so red that it almost looked like hot steam would whistle out of her ears at any second like a kettle. No doubt Kanami's choice of words triggered certain...hot memories. Sanae and I were almost just as embarrassed as Hana. There was definitely much left to the imagination and I struggled to not reflect on my own sleepless nights. Forcing myself away from rather provocative details, I listened as a disgruntled Hana spoke in response.
"Forgive me if I sound impertinent, but you and Hiyori-sama kept your affairs private even when paparazzi kept smothering you. And I think they should've respected that. So, could you please respect mine?"
I gave a shallow nod of my head. "Sorry, Hana, we meant no disrespect. We'll do as you ask and keep our mouths shut about those matters."
"Thank you."
"Unless necessary," Kanami cut in. "This is a murder case we are investigating and anything can come up that may seem irrelevant, but are key to solving it."
Hana's eyes appeared closed as she sipped her tea. However, I wondered if she was actually narrowing them at my girlfriend. Well, even though it wasn't related to Fumiko's murder, that was one secret exposed. It didn't take a genius to know that Hana was not impressed. However, she was right about one thing. I did indeed wish that the media would stop harassing Kanami and I about our relationship. Even before our love life became public, we were constantly scrutinized. But one thing I learned since becoming the Head of the Origami Family, fame and wealth can grant you almost everything in the entire world but privacy.
Part of me wondered how Fumiko and her family were able to go into seclusion so easily. No doubt shady methods and dirty money were involved. I wouldn't be surprised if they had former connections with the yakuza or the black market.
"Um, about Murasaki Fumiko...what did you make of her, Hana?" I asked.
"It is funny that you should ask that because I had a strange feeling about her. I couldn't help thinking about how she seemed to be a person with a dark secret," Hana said. "You may remember that I was sitting next to her during dinner. I just had the creepy-crawlies the entire time. I was downright scared of Fumiko-sama! Those red eyes of hers—ugh!"
With a swallow, she choked out, "They reminded me of my own—when I was controlled by Tagitsuhime. Fumiko-sama's eyes just stirred up bad memories. Maybe that's why I felt so tense around her."
Kofuki was right. Hana really was still "hell-bent with herself". I felt a twinge of pity for her, in remembrance of when Ichikishimahime forced me to merge with her. Wait a minute. If I could still feel the aftereffects of being a great aradama, did Yui and Hana also have them too? Normally, in the presence of other aradama, I'd just sweat and have chills. Occasionally blurred vision too, if it was a big one. Being around Fumiko made me feel all three symptoms...so, did that also apply to Yui and Hana? Or maybe not because they only had noro injected in them? It didn't hurt to ask.
"By the way, Hana, can you sense aradama on instinct without your Spectrum Finder?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I can—because I merged with Ichikishimahime before. Just wondering if you could too since you and Yui were...Myouga Tojis," I said, delicately.
"Sorry, I can do nothing of the sort," Hana said. "And I'm glad I can't. It doesn't sound pleasant."
"It's not," I admitted, bluntly.
Kanami put forth, "But continuing on from what you said earlier, Suzumoto-san, your suspicions of Fumiko-sama were indeed correct. She did have a dark secret. And there's a reason why her eyes were red. Fumiko-sama had noro in her and her family experimented with aradama. They planned to infuse all humans with noro, in fact."
Hana gritted her teeth. "Then, I'm glad the bitch is rotting in Hell. Using noro like that is not just wrong; it's awful! Oh, you must think I'm such a hypocrite. I admit that I relished the power that the noro gave me when I was part of Tagitsuhime's Imperial Guard. It felt good—more than that! It was like a drug. Addicting to all of one's nerves and hormones. But afterwards..."
"I understand, Hana," I said, quietly. She nodded weakly, grateful to not have to carry on.
"Suzumoto-san, there is another secret that Fumiko-sama concealed. She was the mastermind of the 11/9 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers of the International Toji Headquarters and the Special Sword Administration Bureau," Kanami informed.
Hana's face became closed off. For a long time, she said nothing but kept a firm gaze fixed on us.
"I don't believe you," she said, at last.
"Believe it or not, it is true," Kanami answered.
With a toss of her head to the side, Hana let out a "tch" and scowled at the fireplace. "And for her to have gotten away with it! Just the thought of her walking around free after those bloody violent acts!"
"Well, she's not walking around free now, is she?" I remarked, not bothering to roll my eyes. "She's cold in her own bed."
"Struck down by the wrath of those above!" Hana almost shouted. "And rightly so!"
"Not struck! Strangled! Strangled and strung up on a noose," Kanami exclaimed.
Despite her disgust towards Fumiko, a violent shudder rushed through Hana. The elegant façade she had when she first entered the room had crumbled completely by now. She rubbed her arms as though the temperature had dropped several degrees, even though the fire was still roaring and giving off a rosy glow to the room.
"I'm sorry, but in my opinion, Fumiko-sama deserved such a death. She should have gotten capital punishment in the first place," Hana said. "My late aunt was a former Toji and later became a Shinto shrine maiden. Even she would say that what Fumiko-sama committed was a sin that even the great sun goddess, Amaterasu, can't forgive!"
"Do you think any of your friends feel the same way, Suzumoto-san?" Kanami asked.
"Why? Have you told them too?" Hana demanded.
"Yes, we have."
"Well, of course. I'm sure none of them would stand for such injustice as Fumiko-sama getting away with it!" Hana cried, then noticing our expressions, "What? Are you actually suggesting that one of them took matters into their hands? Nonsense!"
Her eyes suddenly had a frightened look to them, constantly darting about.
"You believe in the Akabane Sword Team's innocence?"
"Innocence? Of course, they're innocent! You seriously think one of my friends would actually do such a thing as kill someone?" Hana asked. "Even though Fumiko-sama was a monster, none of the other Akabane Sword Team members would do something as wicked as taking a human life."
"Okay, Suzumoto-san, thank you for your time. Many apologies, of course, for the sensitive topics we were forced to discuss," Kanami said.
Hana gave a short bow, before drifting from the room like a shadow. Left to ourselves once again, Kanami, Sanae, and I all leaned back against the sofa, sighing simultaneously. Flipping through her small notebook, Kanami carefully went over the details.
"Well, there we go. We should also maybe do a search of the entire house for anything suspicious, but I'd also like a quick word with the servants," Kanami said.
Glancing at my watch, I said, "We can talk with them first—it shouldn't take long. And besides, it's almost time for luncheon. We'll search the house right after. Amazing how we got all our suspects questioned that quickly."
"The real question is which of them is it?" Sanae asked.
A/N: All the suspects have been interviewed. In the next chapter, there will be other clues, so pay attention!
Higashino Keigo's book, The Devotion of Suspect X, is indeed a good read as Kanami said. He's the most popular mystery writer in Japan and I read a few of his books. I really recommend him!