Twenty-Nine Degrees
Part V: From Taichi, With Love
By Pata
It took a lot of hard work, but eventually Hikari put together enough "conclusive" evidence to convict Taichi. She took Taichi's dinner knife and slit her arm to get blood on it, then she placed it strategically under his bed. She took his handkerchief and left it out near the snowdrift where the blood had been found. While he slept, she plucked single hairs from his head and left the around the crime scene, as well as getting him to touch as many suspicious things as possible.
When she was sure that everything was in place, she called the police and told them that she suspected Taichi of Yamato's murder. The story, of course, was followed eagerly by reporters.
Taichi was as surprised as anyone when a uniformed policeman appeared at the door, requesting to search his bedroom. Taichi agreed; he was sure there was nothing in his room that would incriminate him. So he was just as astonished at the policeman when they discovered the bloodied knife under his bed.
"What is this?" the officer demanded.
"I-I don't kn-know, sir," Taichi stuttered. "Honestly, i-it must be H-hi-hikari's or something..."
The policeman took out a brush and began to dust the knife. Of course, as it was his dinner knife, Taichi's fingerprints were all over it. "This calls for a trial," he said.
Taichi looked faint. Hikari put on an innocent air and said, "It can't be Taichi, sir. He'd never murder anyone."
The policeman looked at her. "I'm sorry, but we can't go against evidence. In fact, we even found some of his hair at the crime scene, and a good amount of matching fingerprints around there. And even a cloth that was identified as his."
Taichi was lost for words. He was flushed and crying. "I didn't do it," he pleaded.
"That's what they all say," the officer said.
Hikari could not quite hide a smile. Perfect...
*
As Hikari ensured, the Kamiyas lost their trial and Taichi was sentenced to life in jail without parole. He sobbed endlessly for what seemed like forever, and Hikari put on a very believable act of being sad.
One night, on Taichi's last night at home, Hikari pushed open his door. Taichi raised his head sadly, his eyes red from crying. Hikari looked as though she had been crying as well - rubbing enough alcohol into her eyes had done nicely for tears. "What do you want, Midget?" he asked good-naturedly.
"Just wanted to say bye," Hikari said, wiping her eyes. Damn, that alcohol stung. "So...bye, 'nii-chan."
"Go away," Taichi said. Hikari looked as though she might burst into tears (the alcohol was really starting to irritate her eyes). He smiled. "I'm sorry, 'Kari. I'll miss you so much..." tears traced new tracks down his soaking cheeks. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye," Hikari said, bowing, and she ducked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Taichi started at the dark wood for a long while. Finally, he threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. "I can't live without you, Yamato," he whispered. He got up and walked to the bathroom, taking his razor from the sink.
He turned it over, watching the bathroom light glint across its blade. He coughed. His heart beat hard against his breastbone. He turned that hot water on - he was told that would ease the pain.
First, however, he took a piece of notebook paper and grabbed a pencil. He wrote:
'Dear Mum, Dad, and Hikari -
None of this is your fault. I just can't go on without Yamato. I need him with me. My heart aches. And life in jail - you know I didn't do this. I would rather die than never be free again. I will miss you all. I love you.
From Taichi, with love'
And then he picked up the razor and put his wrist under the hot water. He drew the blade across it and winced slightly as the blood began to flow. He switched the razor to his other hand and slit that wrist too. He could feel himself growing lightheaded, but he felt no pain. In fact, it felt kind of nice...
He fell down, lifeless, with a smile on his face. The razor clattered the floor.
*
Hikari, her ear pressed against the door, heard Taichi collapse. She knew instantly that he had killed himself - it horrified her. She could kill Yamato or Mimi or Takeru but Taichi...Taichi was in her family! It wasn't that she hadn't been expecting it, she just didn't want to except it.
She threw open the door. "Taichi?" she rasped. No answer, of course. She hurried to the bathroom and where Taichi lay in a rapidly expanding pool of blood. Both of his wrists were slit, yet a smile graced his beautiful face.
Feeling real tears come to her eyes, she turned off the hot water and retrieved the bloodied razor from the floor. She quickly hid it in a cranny of the shower. She didn't want it to look like suicide. If they thought someone else had killed him, they might continue the search. She and Ken needed the publicity. They thrived off it. And as long as the "killer" was alive, Ken and Hikari could continue their homicides.
But no, Hikari realized, to keep it from looking like suicide, she must make it look like a murder. She retrieved the razor and hesitantly placed the blade against his throat. Swallowing, she sliced a long gash across his trachea. She took the razor and made a series of cuts along his entire body, and then gouged out both his eyes. Satisfied but not pleased with her work, she washed her fingerprints off the razor and placed it back on the shelf.
As she turned to leave, a piece of paper caught her eye. She picked it up and read it over. Taichi's goodbye. No one could see that either.
She shredded it into a bunch of tiny pieces and ran them under the water until they were nothing but mush.
*
Several days later, Takeru talked to Ken about his suspicions about Hikari. Ken, surprised at the boy's intuition and slightly worried for their safety, called Hikari immediately.
"Hullo, 'Kari?"
"Ken?" She seemed surprised to be hearing from him.
"I am calling about Takeru."
The memories of Takeru's accusations earlier came flooding back. Hikari swallowed and quelled them. She loved Takeru desperately...she knew she had to, but she didn't want to kill him.
"I know," she said, "He knows too much. He suspects too much. We have to eliminate him."
Ken cleared his throat on the other end of line. "What has he told you?"
She thought. "He thinks I am in on Yamato's murder. Possibly Mimi's too. And he is doubly suspicious now that my brother has..." she choked, "...killed himself."
"You made it look like homicide, didn't you?" It was more a statement that a question.
"How did you know?"
"Assassin's intuition. Now, tell me, do you think the police will catch on?"
"I don't know," she admitted.
"Do they suspect you?"
"Dunno. Don't think so."
He began to pelt her with questions. "Do they have any new suspects? Did you actually murder Taichi? Are there any more leads in Yamato's death?"
"I DON'T KNOW! God, what do I look like, the Scotland Yard?"
"I...I'm sorry, Hikari. It's just, Takeru's knowledge is starting to bother me. He has to be eliminated - he could prove to be a major problem later."
"Yeah. I know." She sighed. "It's just..."
"Just what?" He sounded really concerned. "You love him more than you love me?"
"NO!" Hikari massaged her temples. "I could not love anyone more than I love you, Ken-kun. It's just that I do love him, and it is not the kind of forced love we share."
Ken grunted. "Whatever. Just take care of him."
"I will."
She hung up. Oh God. How would she ever kill Takeru? She sat for a minute, contemplating, until it came to her. She would take him on a date...and kill him. It was about the cruelest death she could think of for the poor boy.
She phoned him and left a message on his machine, inviting him to come with her to Odaiba Inn, one of the fanciest restaurants in town.
He'd never be able to resist.
*
Oh, you're frail now
I shouldn't laugh about it
Tragedy sets you free but
I should have known that it was
Just another sequel
*
Miracles Gone Wrong