Friday pointed out, "There's only one person that did it to Keiichi Maebara, and murder the now-clean Tomoki Kuroki, in the process…" She called out, "The murderer is…"

She boomed out, pointing at the nightclub, "YURI NAKAMURA!"

Shiratsuru asked, "The bartender? Why?"

Friday said, "It's simple… I would've solved the mystery faster, if I wasn't on-time for the dead bodies. But the strangulation marks were a dead giveaway. Keiichi's hands were normal-sized, but the grip was from a strong woman. Keiichi Maebara was the #1 suspect, as he was responsible. So what did Yuri do?"

Shiratsuru nodded, "She intoxicated him, and he went to the nightclub. You said that he stopped by first, and then when he had his stiff drink, it was off to the Angel Wings Club."

"Correct. Tuesday, get Wednesday. She needs to investigate the bar. I'll stay here and check out the nightclub."

"Right."

Shiratsuru left, as Hota said to her, "I'll enter the nightclub with you. We're getting to the bottom of this!"

XXXXX

Friday was with Akari, Enju, Mugi, Mei, & Fu, as they were the only people at the nightclub.

"I called you all here to tell you the news. Mio Stelar is dead…" they all gasped, "And we believe that the Prat Raff Club's Yuri Nakamura is the culprit."

Enju cried, "Nakamura?!"

Mugi said, "Well, it's true. Yuri Nakamura used to own Mio Stelar, but she was fired for flashing."

Friday said, "Yes. Nakamura also gave Tomoki Kuroki a talking, out of good grace. Sadly, it made it worse. Keiichi Maebara started the fight, spitting in the face of Mr. Kuroki. Then the fight began. One week later, everything was in place. Mio appeared at 9pm, after she asked for the night off… worried about the drama that happened. At 10pm, Tomoki Kuroki died, but… one hour later, his body was dropped into the alley. Mugi saw the body, while Hanao and Saion-Ji were heading home, among everyone else."

Enju nodded, "That makes sense. But what about Nodoka Manabe's death?"

Friday said, "Her death was unfortunate. Miss Hanao, you fired her, didn't you?"

Akari nodded, "Yes."

Friday said, "Then, after that, what happened?"

Akari said in a sad voice, "She took a taxi home… I saw her drive out, without a second glance. After that, it was raining. So I rushed back inside."

Friday said, "And her death happened at around 1:20am. Her body would later be discovered, four hours later. Same markings on her neck, same cause of death." She held up the photo of Mr. Kuroki's neck and said, "This was Mr. Kuroki's marks on his neck." She compared it with Nodoka and Mio's neck, "And these are the same marks. Now, how could they be Keiichi Maebara's grip? He cannot murder people, since he was too buzzed. Only a woman's hand caused it. Knowing the five of you, along with Miss Nakamura, you could be possible suspects. But I know the truth. At 9pm, Keiichi Maebara was escorted out of the building, the moment Miss Hanao stepped out. That same time, the late Mio Stelar was with Mugi Ginti, having tea, after the incident, the week after. At 10pm, which was one hour later, Tomoki Kuroki was dead, according to the autopsy. A woman strangled him to death, in anger and fury, only because he had gone straight. But we want to know more. The murderer had the same hands as Keiichi, thinking it could be him. So, before the visit to the club, Yuri Nakamura gave him a stiff drink, enough to make him forget what happened that night. And since there is a four-drink maximum…"

Enju huffed, "Ahem! Two-drink minimum… but four drinks are allowed. Anybody who drinks more than four will be thrown out. We don't pay good money for hard liquor!"

"…Keiichi showed himself out. But he was so queasy and tipsy that he was near the scene of the crime. Keiichi Maebara, the week prior, lost his girlfriend, Shion Sonozaki, who days later lost her sister, via suicide. Maebara and Kuroki were going to make peace, but things went worse, when a drunken Maebara blamed Kuroki for Shion's death, and chaos ensued."

But it was then… I realized something was amiss.

"But then again… Enju Saion-Ji said that there's a two-drink minimum… Only how? You said that the liquor license was revoked."

Enju gulped, as she said, "We, uh, reinstated the liquor license, and we only have one per custom-. Uhhh… Mmmgh…" she sniffled, "If you want to blame it on my mistakes, blame it on the service! We were losing customers! I had to reinstate it, days ago, before Mio died!"

Friday suggested, "Then why bring it back? Mio died, in your cold hands, just because she saw what happened that day? Fu Sagami told me about the fight. Tomoki wanted to apologize, but… Keiichi spat at him, Tomoki lost his cool, and they were thrown out."

Akari pleaded, "I was at fault. I didn't realize that they were drunk, but… OUTSIDE drinking?! Keiichi was drunk somewhere else!"

Enju barked, "That's it! NO MORE OUTSIDE DRINKING ALLOWED! If anyone has drank before, NO ADMITTANCE!"

Friday roared, "YOU SHUT UP, AND LET ME FINISH! It's bad enough you were doing business, but you know what went on, because of what Nakamura did!"

She went close to her, and glared, "Are you trying to be a bossy tsundere? I want the truth!"

Enju was sweating bullets, as she moaned, "Uh… I, uh…"

Akari said, "She didn't do anything! I ended the liquor ban, but…"

Mugi cried, "NO! It's my fault I let Mio back in… I didn't know that Mio killed him!"

They gasped, as Friday said, "Mio didn't do it. But if that's the case, Yuri Na-."

She got a phone call, and she answered, "Good Friday."

Cy said, "Fwiday, dis iz Wenns-Day. Tsuwu-pyon and I are at the baw. We found Yuwi…"

Friday was shocked. She asked, "How?"

She nodded, as Cy continued. And then said, "Right. Cy, you and Shira report back, and bring the police here to the club. I found the perfect criminal."

She hung up, as Enju asked, "Well? Did Nakamura struck again?"

Friday said, "No… Yuri Nakamura's dead. Same strangulation to the neck, as did the others. But one of you did it." She glared at each girl, and then said, "I know who it was…"

She pointed at the culprit, "The murderer of Tomoki Kuroki… is YOU!"
They gasped, as Mugi was shocked. "TSUMUGI GINTI!"

Mugi stammered, as she sobbed, "But… I was there, when…"

Friday said, "That is true, except… You were nowhere near the club, at 10pm. At 9pm, you and Mio were at the club, having tea. And one hour later…"

"The Angel Wings Nightclub used to be a strip club, before Hanao took over. Then the incident with Maebara and the drunken attitude… and the liquor license was revoked…"

"What else happened?"

Mugi sighed, "That is all I know."

"What does Maebara do for a living?"

Friday glared, "What else happened, while you were at the club?"

Mugi glared, as she was angry, "What else happened? I'll tell you what else that asshole did…"

Mugi explained her story, as she was up on the roof of the nightclub. She was waiting for Tomoki, as she said, "I was waiting for Tomoki to arrive at the nightclub. He was banned from admission, so I let him in at 8:30pm. But since there was only the back way… I let him in through the fire escape, at 9. We spoke with each other, and we'd meet at 9:30. I decided to step out for a moment, after tea, and that crybaby Mio would be finally pacified."

Tomoki said, "I'm here. What do you want to talk to me about?"

Mugi held up a plastic bag of pot, "What the fuck is this?" She threw the pot into the ground and said, "You know what happened. You never changed. My husband was smoking on this stuff!"

"So? That wasn't me."

"Liar! This belonged to him, and said that he bought it from a man in black hair… looked like a punk."

"So, there's a lot of people. I didn't sell drugs. My drug days are over."

Mugi was angry, as she was furious, "You son of a bitch… You never change. You would ruin people's lives…"

"I did not! Keiichi Maebara is a jerk! Shion's death wasn't my fault!" he explained, "I wanted to offer penance, but Shion wanted no part of it. I told her it was out of respect, because he and I used to be friends. I gave up the drug! I started a life! And I chose to start again. But the moment she stepped forward, she slipped! And her body fell to the ground!" he growled, "Keiichi wouldn't believe me. I tried to tell him it was an accident, but… That was my first mistake. My second mistake was losing my temper. I didn't want to leave this bar! Honest, I don't!"

"But that doesn't mean you'd sell my Ginti this bag of weed?!"

"He wanted to relax, after a hard day's work! So I offered him some of my old stash, free of charge! He didn't mind. He likes me!"

Mugi was furious. "And then…" she narrated, "I snapped…"

Mugi strangled Tomoki towards the ledge of the nightclub, and then snapped his neck. She roared, as she was still gripping onto his neck, blinded by rage.

Mugi sobbed, "I couldn't take it… The man gave weed to my husband… and I didn't want to have him baked. I lived a clean life, and… And…" Mugi cried.

Friday said, "And at 10pm, you planned this, so that you were setting up your alibi."

Mugi grinned, "Of course… Tomoki was dead before the fall. By the time my break was over, I left Tomoki's body near the edge, waiting for the right time. Since I want only me to witness his body, I chose a dark and desolate area, near the alleyway. One hour later, I left the nightclub, as usual, and then the body fell, as I planned. All I did was drape his corpse over the ledge, and then when his body slipped, by closing time, it was done."

Friday asked, "And what about Nodoka? And Mio?"

Mugi grinned, "When I heard that Nodoka was fired, I tried to talk to her, but… She told me to go away. She was unhappy that she lost her job… but… She was a part of the chaos that happened, and she figured she would rat on you… so, at around 1am, I met with her at the park. We had tea together, at the park bench, and then she was dizzy."

Friday said, "You drugged the tea, did you?"

"As did Mio… And it all happened, hours ago. No one knew it was me. I couldn't have done that. But you do not have proof."

Hota said, "No, but the autopsy report showed something inside Nodoka's systems." She stepped in and said, "You laced Miss Manabe with a drug in her tea; the same drug that you put in Miss Nakamura's coffee, this morning. Her body was found dead, in the Prat Raff Club, this afternoon. However, no visible marks were shown on her neck. Good Friday was incorrect on her assumption of the murder."

Mugi smirked, "See? I was only innocent. Keiichi Maebara did all that, and I was only lying to you. It was all Mr. Maebara's doing, as you got your conclusion wrong."

"No, ma'am. I was only bluffing." Friday said, as Mugi gasped, "I said the same cause of death, as did to the others, but Cy told me that Nakamura's markings were clean. No trace of scratches or abrasions to the skin. You were gonna finish off Nakamura, before you arrive at the club, this evening."

Hota smirked, "And, like, we have bad news for you… Yuri Nakamura was still alive. The drug you gave her was lethal, but it wasn't totally fatal. Mio's autopsy will show the same drug that you used on Nodoka, by this week."

Friday explained, "Cy told me about the drug, on the phone, recently."

Cy said, "Fwiday, dis iz Wenns-Day. Tsuwu-pyon and I are at the baw. We found Yuwi…"

Friday was shocked. She asked, "How?"

She nodded, as Cy continued "Well… Yuwi's neck is fine, but… her pulse is fadin'. Iz wike… Hmm…" She sniffed the coffee and said, "Her dwink smells funny. Could be dwugs inside."

Mugi was astonished, as Akari growled, "How… could you? Tsumugi Ginti, how could you kill Nodoka and Mio?"

Friday said, "Your motive, Mugi… you wanted Keiichi Maebara out of your hair. You succeeded in having him banned from the club, but Nodoka was smitten with him."

Mugi was on her hands and growled, "Yes… I did it all… That bastard was a lecher… a pervert! A hentai! A CREEP!"

Enju roared, "HEY! That's my line!"

Mugi said, "But Nodoka wasn't into that… He loved him, because he was lonely. They were in love! I couldn't stand it! Ginti, he was going to leave me, on account he knows my adult lifestyle, as a dancer and a ninja hostess to the club… but I told him that I was making money for us, and our child! Now, I can't look at him in the face, anymore, on the grounds that Nodoka cares for a HEARTLESS DRUNKEN ASSHOLE!" She wept, "I killed her… and blamed it on Maebara… all because he was in love, and this nightclub was his home, only for the bosses to take it away from him! IT WAS PERFECT! Until…"

Enju said, "Until you killed Mio, later on."

Mugi said, "Same motive, same death. Mio would've been let go, but she knows too much. That's why that bastard dies… Tomoki Kuroki was close to him, and I'm not going to let this friendship get mended! NO! I was gonna ruin it…"

Friday said, as she nodded to Hota, "And in the process, you killed a straight man, after going clean, all while making amends to a man that has found a new lover. But you went greedy, when you drugged Miss Nakamura, before the bar opened."

Mugi smirked, "You're right as rain. I figured that you would arrest Miss Nakamura, on the grounds that she fired Mio! And more than that… But you were too early to jump the gun! You wanted Keiichi to suffer more!"

Friday barked, "NO, I WASN'T! I wanted to see if he was guilty of hurting him, but thanks to the clues, it all makes sense. He did nothing wrong. And you killed Mio, for nothing."

Mugi was handcuffed, as Akari roared, "Tsumugi Ginti, you're fired! AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" She stormed off in tears, as Enju glared, "You make me sick. Mr. Kuroki and Mr. Maebara would've apologized and I would've given them another chance, until you did this. I HOPE YOU ROT IN JAIL!" She barked, "Get this blonde whore out of my nightclub!"

Hota said, "Tsumugi Ginti, you're under arrest for the murders of Tomoki Kuroki, Nodoka Manabe, and Mio Stelar. You have the right to remain silent."

Mugi muttered, "I hated him… I admit it. I hate all druggies. That guy goes clean, but I can sense a guy can go back to being a dirty guy. That's why I did it. But then I hear that Keiichi and Nodoka were dating… and this was the guy that is perverted towards all of us. That's why I did it! I hated his guts! He is a disgrace to all men! But you, Detective Friday, had to go and ruin my fun…"

Friday said, "Take her away!"

The police arrived at the nightclub and arrested Mugi. Shiratsuru and Cy arrived, as Shira said, "Good! Good news! Miss Nakamura is coming to, and the drug's effects are slowly wearing off."

Cy asked, "Wut happen to Moogi?"

Friday turned to the stage and said, all forlorn, "Nodoka… You would've been happy with Keiichi."

Good Friday and her team left the nightclub, as the case came to a close. Tsumugi Ginti killed Tomoki Kuroki, out of hatred, and that she was blinded by the truth.

XXXXX

That night, 9:12pm - I returned to Keiichi Maebara, at his hotel, and he was sad.

Friday smiled, "Good news. I got the news from Miss Hanao. You're welcomed back to the club."

He sniffled, "I don't care. It didn't bring Nodoka back."

"No. It doesn't…" She said, as she held up a small photo, "Here. You dropped this."

It was a photo of Nodoka and Keiichi, at the nightclub. He asked, "Where did you find it?"

"At the alleyway. It was left there, when I found the body. I knew in my heart that you were in love with her."

"Thanks… but I don't think that I can find another girl like her."

Friday smiled and said, "Well, I hope you recover soon."

Keiichi said, "Miss Friday, I'm going straight." He offered, "Arrest me. I would like to start again. I want to quit drinking. My partying days are over. If I party too hard, I may lose everything I have with me."

Friday nodded, "I will see to it that the judge will give you that offer. But it's all up to you. This is something you have to do."

He hugged her and sobbed, "Thank you… Thank you!"

Friday smiled and patted his back. She knew that it was now over.

The story you have just seen is fictional. The names were changed to protect the impotent.

Next chapter, the epilogue to the story, and afterwards, the results of Mugi's fate.