A/N: I was looking through some chapters and noticed that the clues and suspects are easy to forget on each case, so I edited them. From now on, everything will be more detailed so it is easy to remember certain clues and alibis. I'm also going to add down the bottom where you can find the other investigation files.

Also, I know I said I would write a perspective about each character just before they die, but I skipped Bankotsubo because I feel like it would be weird to write about a puppy...

That's all I have to say. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me.

BREAKING CHAINS

Chapter 17

Nothing but the sounds of Honoka's cries filled Hitomi's ears. The karateka looked over at the pink haired girl who continued to bawl her eyes out. She was currently under despair due to her puppy, Bankotsubo, being brutally murdered. Many people soon appeared and surrounded the entrance of the Seaside Market. Honoka didn't care for all the strange looks she was receiving. All she could think about right now was her precious dog.

"H-He was a happy dog… Everyone loved him," she uttered, wiping her tears. "Why would someone kill him?!"

"I have no idea," Hitomi replied, her eyes glued onto the dog, "but I am going to find out which sick person did this."

Hitomi continued to comfort the weeping Honoka until Marie Rose appeared. She made her way through the crowd and gasped when her eyes laid on the squashed dog. Eliot followed from behind and panted as he dropped all the grocery bags he had been carrying. He then let out a horrified scream at the grotesque sight.

After calming down from his outburst, he turned to Hitomi.

"We need to get everyone out of here," he told her.

Hitomi agreed and turned to the growing crowd. She could see that many people were murmuring to each other about the horrific murder. The constant chattering noises were becoming even more loud and it was starting to stress the karateka out. After demanding everyone to leave the Seaside Market and go home, she approached Bass and Rig. They remained glued to the ground.

"I need you two to stay nearby. We need to talk later," she told them.

Without a protest, the two men responded with a nod and headed over to the other side of the now empty market. Hitomi then turned her attention to Eliot. He was trying his best to make Honoka go away. However, she wouldn't budge.

"I can't leave Bankotsubo!" Honoka cried. "I need to be there for him!"

"Come on, Honoka…" Marie Rose said, linking her arm with Honoka's. "Let the detectives do their job…"

"But… But… He's only twelve weeks old… He needs me!"

"Honoka... Bankotsubo needs Hitomi and Eliot to find out who did this to him… I'll walk you home…"

The nurse sniffled in response and didn't protest this time. She allowed the servant to lead her away from the scene. Hitomi felt terrible for her.

Now that the crime scene was barren, Hitomi and Eliot grabbed their own yellow police tape from their pockets and surrounded the small area with it. Afterwards, they decided to finally inspect the scene. Eliot grabbed his pen and notebook, and decided to write the investigation report. He decided to read it aloud afterwards:

INVESTIGATION REPORT: "The victim is Bankotsubo. The body was discovered at 3:38pm near the entrance of the Seaside Market. The cause of death was being squashed by a heavy crate."

Due to the newest crime scene being a very small area, there wasn't much to inspect. The only major features to look at was the crate as well as the squashed dog underneath. Hitomi decided to look at the Pomeranian first.

The upper half of Bankotsubo's body was completely squashed by the crate. In order to get a closer look, Hitomi had to force herself to step on the flowing blood around the body. She cringed as she did so and apologised to the dog for being disrespectful. Eliot soon joined her and observed the crate.

"What we see next may disturb us, but… uh… We need to lift this crate."

Hitomi internally groaned at Eliot's words. She didn't want to see what was underneath the crate, but she knew it had to be done.

It took three attempts for the two detectives to successfully lift the heavy crate. It barely scraped the ground as Hitomi and Eliot carried it a few steps aside. As soon as they dropped the crate, Hitomi wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead. Afterwards, her blue eyes laid on the upper half of Bankotsubo's body. She shook in fear at the sight. The karateka was honestly at a loss for words...

Bankotsubo's once cheerful face was completely flat. Blood covered the top half of the face and body, and its beady eyes that were once filled with life were blankly staring up at the sky. There was no sign of life whatsoever. Hitomi quickly covered her mouth in order to prevent a scream. She then trembled as she turned around to face Eliot. It was at that moment when she realised he had already called her name several times. He didn't seem to mind her late response, though. After all, the view in front of them was terribly horrific.

"I think we should check what's inside this crate..." Eliot suggested. His voice was strained.

Hitomi, with her hand still covering her mouth, nodded in silence and headed over to the male detective. It took many tries as well as various different tools, but the duo were eventually able to open the crate. Hitomi had a grim look on her face as she realised what was inside.

Ceramic pots consisting of many different sizes filled the inside of the crate. They looked awfully heavy and most of them were broken due to the crate being dropped on top of Bankotsubo's body. Hitomi recognised this large, wooden box as Leon's missing crate. The good thing is that they found Leon's stolen goods. Unfortunately for the gardener, though, most of the ceramic pots were broken.

After observing the large crate some more, Hitomi and Eliot took their investigation further by inspecting the rest of the area around them. Unluckily for them, there were no more clues. The only thing to note was the large stone wall that surrounded the area. Numerous boulders were planted in front of it. Other than that, a few small boxes also surrounded the area. Hitomi frowned when she realised nothing was inside.

Hitomi felt frustrated about this particular crime scene because there were almost no clues this time. What she deemed as suspicious is that there was absolutely nowhere that the murderer could have hidden - unless they were near the scene and decided to stay there. This made Hitomi think back to how she found Rig and Bass near the squashed body. After telling Eliot everything, they headed over to the two men.

Bass and Rig were standing near Muramasa's shop as they viewed the miniature television set in front of them. Despite their current situation, they chuckled at the episode they were watching. As soon as Hitomi called their names, both men turned around. Their looks of amusement were instantly wiped from their faces and replaced with serious expressions instead.

"What were you two doing near the crime scene?" Hitomi demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

Bass was the first to answer. "I was trying to get the chickens away from my new shoes," he explained, pointing to his now dusty boots. "My back was facing the scene. I swear it wasn't me!"

"It wasn't me, either," Rig intervened. "I… uh... was also near the scene, but I was looking at the empty stall… Too bad the owner wasn't there. I could have used them as an alibi."

Hitomi crooked her eyebrow at the bartender. She then fixed her attention to Bass as well.

"And you two definitely aren't each other's alibis? None of you saw the other?"

Bass and Rig both shook their heads in response. Hitomi sighed. Even if they were telling the truth or not, they were both still suspects.

"We will ask you both to come and visit us at the police station sometime soon," Eliot informed them. "We would like to question you both separately."

"We will probably call you in a few days from now," Hitomi concluded. "Anyway, you're both free to go."

After when the two men made their way out of the Seaside Market, Hitomi and Eliot headed over to Leon's stall. Hitomi was curious as to why the Italian man was closing his miniature market.

"Why are you closing?" the karateka asked.

"Why do you think?!" Leon spat. "We're the only people here now. That stupid murderer will pay for messing with my business! Now there will be less customers and I will need to fight even harder to pay my fucking rent!"

Hitomi felt bad for Leon. After losing Rolande, it must have been twice as hard for him to pay his bills. He must have missed his wife, too. Aside from his foul language, the karateka couldn't blame him for being so hot tempered all the time.

"Anyway, we came here to inform you that the missing crate was found," Eliot told him. "Unfortunately... the crate was used as the murder weapon and all the ceramic pots are broken."

"Well, that's just great!" Leon said with a sarcastic tone. "Those pots were an expensive order! They don't give refunds!"

"I will offer to pay for the other order for you," Hitomi said, digging into her pockets for some spare cash. However, her face fell as Leon shot her down.

"I don't think so, little girl. I'm a tough guy. I can pay my own dues."

Eliot wrote something else in his notebook just before speaking to Leon once more. "Since you were at your stall this whole time, there is no possible way that you could have murdered the dog."

"Of course I didn't!" Leon snapped. A vein was now visible on his forehead. "I have more important things to do than kill a stupid dog!"

Hitomi ignored Leon's anger since there was something else she wanted to know. "One last question... When did you realise the crate was missing?"

"I arrived at the market this morning with the crates and set up my stall. Then I had to go to the bathroom and when I came back, it was gone. There was nobody else around, which pisses me off even more. Just make sure you find the damn thief!"

Now that he had finished packing, Leon grabbed his belongings and shoved the two detectives aside so he could walk through. Hitomi subconsciously rubbed her now throbbing shoulder as she thought back to everyone else who was also at the Seaside Market. It was also possible that the murderer planned to kill Bankotsubo at the entrance just before leaving the place. Maybe they didn't stay inside at all.

With a million doubts in her mind, Hitomi tried her best to forget about the crime scene and move onto something else. She attempted to help Eliot by picking up the grocery bags once more. Since they were the only two people at the Seaside Market now, they agreed that it would be best to take the groceries back home.

When they arrived back at Eliot's home, Hitomi immediately ran towards the kitchen and dropped her share of bags on the counter with a loud thud. A huge feeling of relief overwhelmed her as the pain in her arms were starting to subside.

"We should inform Brad about the incident," Eliot suggested as he placed the groceries down. He then dusted his hands against his cargo jacket.

"I agree. Half the town probably knows about Bankotsubo's death by now," Hitomi replied.

Since Brad told them he was going to have a nap just before the two detectives left to do their shopping, Eliot assumed he was still in the bedroom. After taking a quick check, the British man came out and shrugged his shoulders at the karateka.

"He's still asleep," he confirmed. "I don't understand how one person can get so much sleep every day…"

Hitomi, however, saw this as a great opportunity to talk about the case without any interruptions from the drunk man.

"That should work in our favour because it allows us to talk about the case without Brad being nosey."

"I guess so," Eliot chuckled. He slumped onto the chair next to the karateka. "Okay, so we saw Rig, Bass, Jann Lee, Leifang, Marie Rose, and Honoka at the Seaside Market today..."

Hitomi nodded. "Don't forget about Leon and Lisa."

"Right," Eliot agreed. "And we know that Honoka and Marie Rose didn't murder the dog since they were talking to us while it happened."

"Leon was also at his stall," the karateka noted. "Also, Jann Lee and Leifang were heading in the opposite direction. They were having an argument."

"So that leaves Rig, Bass, and Lisa… again."

Hitomi frowned as she looked through Eliot's notebook. She scanned through the past three murder cases.

"What are you looking for?" Eliot asked.

"I'm looking for the suspects," the German girl answered. "Lisa, Bass, and Rig are the only three suspects in every murder case so far… I'm trying to see if they had any motives."

"My question is: why would any of them want to murder a dog?"

Hitomi thought about Eliot's question for a moment until she remembered something peculiar that happened in the hospital the other day.

"I was talking to Lisa in the hospital the other day when Bankotsubo appeared. She was really mad and even told me that she hates animals… I think it might be her."

Hitomi couldn't help but notice that Eliot's face looked strange. When he realised that the karateka was looking at him, he forced a smile.

"What's wrong, Eliot?"

"Well… I don't know if I should say this or not…"

Hitomi was confused. "Just tell me."

"Okay, fine…" he said, taking a deep breath just before continuing. "I think there's a part of you that keeps being biased against Lisa because she used to date Hayate."

The female detective felt as though she had been betrayed by the British man… Or perhaps she had confused the sudden feeling with anger… Or maybe even guilt. Even so, Hitomi refused to admit to Eliot that she was being biased against Lisa. And even if she was, then she definitely didn't mean to come across that way.

"I am not being biased against Lisa," she argued. "You have to admit she is suspicious. She was cautiously looking everywhere a lot at the Seaside Market today."

"I get that. You just always seem to jump your conclusions onto her," Eliot replied. "But I apologise for being rude."

"It's okay. And I… I don't mean to be biased… But thank you for telling me. I'll try not to do it anymore," she promised. "That being said, let's move onto Rig and Bass."

Eliot shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe they were near the crime scene again..." he said with a sigh. "They were either at the wrong place at the wrong time, or they really did murder Bankotsubo."

Hitomi noticed something else. "It took us a few tries to lift that heavy crate… But Rig and Bass are both very strong..."

"You're right, Hitomi. They could have easily lifted the crate together, or even on their own... Especially Bass."

After discussing the newest investigation some more, Hitomi and Eliot began to pack the groceries away. Once when the two detectives were done, they realised it was too late to eat lunch together. That, and Brad was still asleep.

After deciding that it was best to go with a rain check, Hitomi headed back to her apartment.

Later that night, Hitomi found herself seated on her couch. The lounge room now had a messy appearance to it. This was because there were photographs and other documents spread all over the wooden floor. She was currently scanning through the notes she had collected for Bankotsubo's investigation.

The female detective ran her fingers through her tangled hair in frustration. No matter how many times she looked through her notes, nothing made sense to her. There were barely any clues at the Seaside Market and she had looked at her writing so many times that every word was starting to look like alien language.

The only thing Hitomi noticed was that the same three people were suspects for every single murder case. That, and every victim was attacked on the head. Hitomi even counted Bankotsubo as one of those victims since the upper part of his body, including the head, was completely squashed. Hitomi believed there was a high chance that all these murders were committed by one person. It was a risky conclusion to make, but she had to admit it made even more sense each time she thought about it.

A knock on the door soon interrupted Hitomi's thoughts. She quickly placed her notes inside her backpack. Did she order pizza? She didn't remember ordering anything. She wasn't even sure if she had eaten dinner or not... Or perhaps it was Rig? Maybe he had run out of milk again for the umpteenth time.

Hitomi realised every guess of hers had been wrong when she finally answered the door. The mysterious person at the door was revealed to be Leifang. Her usual looped braids were finally let loose once more. A smile grew on the karateka's face. She didn't realise how much she had missed Leifang's untouched hairstyle during high school.

The Chinese woman also wore a panda themed hoodie as well as a black skirt. What made Hitomi feel peculiar is that there was a large tub of ice cream in her hands.

"Alpha 152's Famous Neapolitan Ice Cream…?" she questioned as she read the company label.

"Yes. Now let me in!" Leifang demanded, pushing Hitomi aside.

Hitomi watched from afar as her best friend ran over to the dining table and placed the ice cream tub down with a sigh. Hitomi figured that her hands must have been cold after carrying it for so long. She then rummaged through the kitchen drawers and dug out two spoons.

"And now we can eat!" she said with a cheerful grin.

Hitomi followed Leifang over to the couch and sat beside her. She still had no idea why the waitress had decided to visit her.

"What is all this?" the German girl asked. "Why are we eating ice cr- Did Jann Lee break your heart?!"

Leifang giggled as she tried her best to restrain Hitomi. "No. I mean, he's a moron, but I don't care about what he thinks. I just wanted to eat ice cream with you."

However, Hitomi wasn't having a word of it. "Leifang…"

Leifang paused as she was about to scoop some ice cream into her mouth. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. I came here because that creep wouldn't listen to me and I need some cheering up."

"At least you can finally move on from him," Hitomi replied. She dug her own spoon into the chocolate section.

"Oh, gosh no. You know I never give up," Leifang laughed. "Jann Lee will admit his feelings for me sooner or later."

Hitomi playfully rolled her eyes. Leifang was always very stubborn and also full of herself. It was a great attribute to have at times, but the karateka knew she could never be that confident. The only thing she felt confident in lately was her job as a detective, but she was even starting to doubt that now.

"I need to talk to someone who isn't Eliot…" Hitomi mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Leifang asked. She figured it was serious, so she placed the lid back onto the ice cream tub. "Is it about the case?"

"Sort of…" Hitomi admitted. "Eliot thinks I'm being biased against Lisa. And while that might be slightly true, I don't mean to be... Plus, I think I've been more invested in these cases lately because it distracts me from Hayate and his amnesia."

"If Lisa is a suspect, then you have every right to be biased, Hitomi," the Chinese woman said. "But that's just my opinion. And to be honest, I also came here today just in case you were traumatised by the whole dog situation… I know how it feels to be near a murder scene..."

Hitomi's gaze lowered to the floor. She remembered how scared Leifang was when she told her that she heard Rolande being murdered that night at the diner and thought nothing of it. In a way, today's incident was kind of similar since she heard the loud banging of the crate as well as the shriek which came from Bankotsubo.

"You're such a good friend, Leifang," the German girl smiled. A few tears then fell down her cheeks. She blushed in embarrassment and wiped them away with the back of her hand. Ever since she became a detective, Hitomi hated showing any signs of emotional weakness.

"Are those happy tears, or sad tears?" Leifang asked. "Tell me what's going on."

"I just… I just think I'm a bad detective…"

Leifang glared at her best friend. "What?! Who the hell told you that?!" she demanded. "Tell me so I can kick their butt."

"No one said it," Hitomi replied with a sniffle. "I just never thought it was going to be this hard… I've promised so many people that I will figure out each of these murders, and I can't!"

Leifang felt bad for Hitomi. She scooted closer to the detective and gave her a hug. "Don't give up," she said. "Hopefully you will find more clues. Do you want any help? Maybe I can be your sidekick."

"Thanks, Leifang, but I don't think so," Hitomi sniffled. "We will end up distracting each other. Plus, I need to figure these cases out on my own."

"If you say so," Leifang shrugged. "But just know that I'm here whenever you need me."

Hitomi smiled with gratitude. "Thank you."

"And no matter what, you can't give up," she continued. "I was the one who convinced you to become a detective in the first place, so I don't want you to fail."

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "You know I would never give up that easily. I just needed someone to talk to, and you made me feel better."

"That's the spirit," the waitress smiled. "Now, let's eat some more ice cream and talk about fun things!"

After her pep talk with Leifang, Hitomi felt much more calm about everything. She didn't know why, but talking to her best friend always made her feel better. Maybe Leifang would be a good use of help within her investigations… However, it was already Eliot's job to help her. Hitomi sighed. She just hoped that she would be able to solve these crimes soon. With her newfound determination, she believed she could. She just needed to be patient.

A/N: If I have to write the words 'Seaside Market' one more time, I will punch myself. But anyway... Who thinks Leifang and Hitomi would make a good team? I feel like they would disagree on everything.

Thanks for reading!

...

Where you can find the other investigation files:

Rolande: Chapter 6

Kokoro: Chapter 10

Tina: Chapter 15

...

INVESTIGATION PROCESS #4

Time of murder: 3:38pm

Place of murder: The Seaside Market

Murder Weapon: Wooden crate

Who found the body: Honoka

...

INVESTIGATION #4 SUSPECTS/PEOPLE AT THE SEASIDE MARKET

Rig: [Main suspect because he was found at the crime scene / has been a suspect in every case] Claims he was looking at an empty market stall nearby. No alibi.

Bass Armstrong: [Main suspect because he was found at the crime scene / has been a suspect in every case] Claims his back was facing the scene while trying to get the chickens away from his shoes. No alibi.

Lisa Hamilton: [Main suspect because she was at the Seaside Market / has been a suspect in every case] She was seen buying a plant at Leon's stall just before leaving in a hurry.

Jann Lee: [Suspect because he was seen at the Seaside Market earlier] He was seen arguing with Leifang, trying to walk away from her. (cleared by Hitomi)

Leifang: [Suspect because she was seen at the Seaside Market earlier] She was seen arguing with Jann Lee, trying to chase him. (cleared by Hitomi)

Marie Rose: [She was at the Seaside Market shopping for Helena's groceries ] She was conversing with Hitomi, Eliot, and Honoka at the time. (cleared by Eliot)

Honoka: [She was at the Seaside Market shopping for candy and walking her dog] She was conversing with Hitomi, Eliot, and Marie Rose at the time. (cleared by Eliot)

Leon: [He was at the Seaside Market serving customers at his stall] He sold a plant to Eliot just before the crime took place. (cleared by Hitomi)

...

INVESTIGATION #4 CLUES

~ Small area - There is nowhere for the murderer to hide. Either they were found at the crime scene, or they snuck out the entrance. There are no surveillance cameras.

~ Crate - The murder weapon. Ceramic pots were found inside; most of them being broken. Confirmed to be Leon's missing crate.

~ Injury - The upper half of the dog is squashed, including the head. This links to Rolande, Kokoro, Hayate and Tina's head injuries.

~ Leon's account - The crate was stolen in the morning when no one else was around. There is nowhere the murderer could have hidden the heavy crate.

~ Strength - The murderer was able to lift the heavy crate on their own. It took Hitomi and Eliot a few attempts to lift it together.

...

Explanation #5: I got rid of Bankotsubo because I got sick of killing people. I needed to add a twist somehow. Also, I can't stand dogs, so I'm really not that sorry for killing him.

Death count: Maria Douglas, Rolande, Kokoro, Tina Armstrong, Bankotsubo.