Disclaimer: Duh. I. Don't. Own. It.
~ Ooh… who do you think done it? ~
Chapter 2: Nuriko
By: omni82
Nuriko fidgeted. And not just a little, but a lot. Houki sat regally as her male counterpart nervously paced the room, wringing his hands. Had time allowed, Houki was sure that Nuriko would have worn away layers of carpeting in that one spot. As the purple haired seishi walked, Houki tried to analyze Nuriko's possible motives but it was difficult to remain objective. She and Nuriko- that is Lady Kourin- had been friends in the harem. Houki didn't really want to consider the possibility that Nuriko had done it even though his reputation in the seraglio was one of a vicious little bi-
"I didn't do it!" Nuriko declared suddenly. Houki was a little taken back by the outburst and Nuriko immediately look chagrined. "Great," he muttered. "Now I sound like I'm hiding something. I really didn't kill Tamahome though," he added anxiously.
Subtle. Nuriko was definitely hiding something.
"What on earth would you be hiding?" Houki asked sternly.
"I didn't see them!" Nuriko burst out.
"Didn't see who?"
"Who?" Nuriko parroted back. This was his great strategy of attack. Houki was not impressed.
"You said you saw someone. Who was it?" Nuriko fidgeted once again.
"I can't say. I made a promise."
Houki sighed. This witness was driving her crazy. She sighed and decided to take another approach.
"Here is what I know, Nuriko-sama. Tamahome is dead. He was murdered recently so the killer must be amongst us. Miaka heard a groan and then the sound of someone, presumably Tamahome, hitting the floor. Did you see something else?" Houki stared intensely into the seishi's downcast eyes.
"Maybe-" Nuriko began slowly. Houki brightened. Maybe she would get something from this witness after all.
"At dinner, Tamahome grabbed the last meat pie. Mitsukake had been reaching for it at the same time and he was pretty angry. I think I heard him mumbled something about Tamahome getting his just desserts. But I don't know anything about that." Nuriko finished hastily. "Its just that I saw him puttering in his lab late tonight, talking to himself and laughing."
"So you believe that Mitsukake-sensei did it?" Houki asked curiously. The doctor. She hadn't thought he was capable of murder but suddenly it all made perfect sense. He was jealous of Tamahome's popularity and mad with rage over the former seishi's greed. He concocted a potion meant to help him sleep - permanently.
"No, no!" Nuriko protested. "Mitsukake couldn't have done it!"
"Calm yourself, Nuriko-sama. Sometimes you just don't know someone like you think you do…" Houki explained, trying to reason with the distraught seishi.
"But he doesn't have the reasons that Tasuki does!" Nuriko burst out, immediately clamping a hand over his mouth in mortification.
"Tasuki-sama?" Houki inquired. Well, as a criminal, the flame-haired seishi was the logical suspect for such a violent crime. He had the temperament for it.
"I promised them I wouldn't tell but seeing how Tamahome is dead…" Nuriko began waveringly. "You see, two weeks ago Tamahome and Tasuki were brawling as usual out by the ornamental ponds. They fell into the water but both came out unscathed. When they went back into the palace, Tamahome made some lewd comment about the pretty maid who cleans his room. He even boasted to Tasuki that he had had her only the week before. Tasuki got really mad and swore that he would kill Tamahome for cheating on Miaka. That's when I walked in the room. Tasuki had his hands locked on the collar of Tamahome's coat and he looked serious. I managed to separate the two and later, Tasuki made me promise that I wouldn't tell anyone, especially Miaka, what I had seen. He didn't want her to be hurt." Nuriko fell silent but his eyes burned bright his fury over the remembered incident.
Houki began recalculating. Now Miaka had a motive but only if she knew about Tamahome's cheating. Nuriko and Tasuki had the same reasons. But did Nuriko have an alibi?
"I have one last question for you, Nuriko-sama." Houki told her friend in a soothing voice. "Where were you tonight?"
"I was in bed, alone."
Houki frowned and dismissed him. Nuriko didn't have a credible alibi and managed to implicate himself as well as two of his fellow celestial warriors. It seemed that more investigating was called for. Striding regally to the door, she gave her next command to the guard.
"Bring me Tasuki-sama."
TBC…
Preview of Chapter Three:
"Yeah I hated Tamahome, who didn't?" Tasuki uncrossed his legs and leaned forward intently. "But I didn't fuckin' kill him!!"
