When the officers returned, they still hadn't quite made
heads or tails of the situation. There was something fishy going on,
undoubtedly, but nothing illegal. They wanted to pursue it further, investigate
more thoroughly… but without an idea of what they ultimately wanted to
discover, they didn't have much chance of getting anything approved.
As soon as Chief Nakashita heard they were back, they were
summoned into his office. "You're called off the Sakumu case," he told
them.
Officers Kawazu and Makiyama looked at him blankly. "But
we didn't find anything yet—"
"You're not going to," snapped Nakashita. "They
have nothing to do with it."
Officer Makiyama blinked. "You've completely ruled them
out, sir?" he asked. "It's very common that the first person to call for
help is often the last one who saw them alive—"
Nakashita shook his head. "That's not it… we've got
a confession from someone else. They've turned themselves in."
Officer Kawazu's eyes widened. "After this much time,
someone's been overcome with remorse and guilt?" he asked skeptically.
Nakashita shook his head. "Hardly. It seems like it was
just some of your run-of-the-mill gang warfare. Sakumu was lured there for some
drug deal and was killed. Some members of the Yanada gang 'fessed up… and as
you know, there's no love lost between the Yanada and the Urana."
He proceeded to give the details.
*********
Neon fluffed at her hair irately with a hairbrush. It was
wavy from its recent rasta-braided confinements, and difficult to get
straightened.
"You really need a manlier hairstyle, Joker," she said
crossly.
Joker shrugged. "If my hair was as short as Gashakura's,
you would've had to shave your head," he responded.
"Hardly," she answered primly. "We would have gone
with the Other Plan in that case."
Joker pouted. "And what was wrong with the plan we went
with? I thought it was kind of cool. I'm sure the officers thought it was a
pleasant change from the usual sordid mess they deal with." He posed
dramatically. "Forbidden love. Secret rites. After-death experiences. It's
terrific."
"A goober could have come up with that plan!" exploded
Neon. "It's so… infantile! Cheesy! Stupid! I felt like a fool!"
"But it worked," he contradicted her. "I don't see
them coming around anymore."
"Probably because they don't want to be infected with
idiotitis."
"Huh." Any harder, and it would have been a snort. But
then he decided it was best to change tack. "You really need to loosen up.
Become more relaxed." He moved behind her and placed his fingers lightly on
her shoulders, beginning to rub. "See how tense you are? You're too
uptight."
Now it was Neon's turn for a "Huh." But she didn't
move away. If there was one thing Joker was good at, it was shoulder rubs. She
gave up trying to straighten her hair, and clipped it up instead so it was out
of the way. She quietly submitted for a few moments. "It was just so
ridiculous," Neon finally repeated, in a considerably calmer voice.
"Mmmhmmm. Perhaps we're just ridiculous people,"
suggested Joker. "I mean, c'mon. A bunch of grown people running around with
killer toys like ours, wearing funny costumes and living a secret life in a
mansion in the forest. That's pretty nonsensical right there. If we add
another silly story to our list, well, it's just another story. That's
all."
Neon nodded, feeling ashamed at her outburst from earlier.
"Perhaps you're right. It's just one more story at the end of what's
already a long list." She stared ahead for a little while before adding,
"But I can't help but shake the feeling that whoever wrote it was in a
quirky mood when she started."
"Isn't that usually the case?" replied Joker lightly,
and they were lost in their own thoughts.