Don't get spoiled now, I don't usually update this fast; I'm just trying to finish before I leave 'cause you people seem to like it. ^_^ Anyway, I've never ever written mystery before, so hopefully it'll turn out okay. And it's almost done! (Short mystery. :P) Also, I forgot to add that I've been writing this between exams, half-stoned from lack of sleep. So I apologize for the typos and plotholes that I didn't catch. (I have another excuse too: I found an unfinished Hao/Anna in one of my files and I've been toying with that. -_- But y'all like YoNa, so I don't know if it'll go anywhere.)
"A concussion, huh?" asked Horohoro, polishing his snowboard.
"Yes, a concussion, baka," snapped Ren. "If you would pay attention while I'm talking, you wouldn't have to ask five times what happened to Kyouyama. But I forgot, you process things slower than everyone else anyway."
"Haha. I am so flattered, Ren."
"Is that sarcasm?? Don't try it Ainu, you'll hurt yourself with the thinking."
WHAP.
Horohoro introduced Ren to the underside of his snowboard.
"Why you…" Ren snatched his glaive and swung at the blue-haired boy. "Look," said the Chinese boy after a short scuffle that resulted in a few bruises each, "I've got an idea: how about you go and investigate what happened to Kyouyama and don't come back until you find out who did it." He paused, looking thoughtful. "On second thought, you stay right here. I'll investigate."
"But then you get to be the hero!" protested Horohoro. "No way, I'm gonna go; if you wanna come too, you'll be my subordinate."
"So you'll pay me as an employee?"
"…"
"…"
"Maybe we should go as equals."
They arrived at the house in good shape, their bickering on the way having only come to blows once before they reached the door. Yoh answered the door, his hair pulled back and a mop in his hand. "Hey, guys, can I help you with something?" He attempted his usual smile, but a little bit of sadness still lingered in the corners of his eyes. "I'm just cleaning up the kitchen. Anna comes home today, and I thought she wouldn't want to see the blood all over."
"Oh no," gasped Ren, pushing suddenly past Yoh and racing toward the kitchen.
Horohoro and Yoh exchanged confused glances and followed the same path to see what Ren was up to. They found him in the kitchen doorway, a relieved look on his face. "You didn't start yet."
Yoh shook his head. "No, and I really gotta get started, or I won't finish in time. You wanna help?"
Ren walked slowly along the perimeter of the room, studying the mess from every angle. The blood had dried, and some of it was smeared from Yoh's first cleanup attempt two nights before. The splash pattern was still obvious where the bowl had tipped, though. A few footprints spotted their way back and forth from the door where Yoh had walked through the crimson puddle. What interested Ren, though, were the small half-moon shaped crescents of blood, printed between the large blood splotch and the door. They faded as they approached the exit, meaning that whoever or whatever had made them had been leaving the scene.
He pointed them out, expecting to be met with awe at his superior skills of observation. Horohoro, however, brushed it off. "I saw 'em too," he declared. "But I don't think they mean anything."
"They're not mine," said Yoh, bending down to get a closer look. "I was barefoot."
"How do we know they were footprints?" queried Horohoro.
"What else would they be? It comes in pairs like footprints, but they're way too small and shaped weird."
"Um, really weird stilts? I mean, they're narrow and all."
Ren smacked Horohoro upside the head. "Stilts?? Who would use stilts to come murder someone?"
"A short person?"
"Like who?"
"Do we know any really short people?"
There was a moment of silence before Yoh slammed the mop down resolutely. "No! I don't believe it!"
"But Manta would make sense," said Ren thoughtfully. "Maybe he felt ignored with all the time you've been spending with Anna, Yoh."
"Manta hates blood," said Yoh bluntly.
"Oh. Right."
"So maybe they're not stilts," admitted Horohoro, "but it was an ingenious idea, wasn't it?"
"Maybe," agreed Yoh complacently.
"Hey, do you still have the knife?" asked Ren. "At least, I assume there was a knife around somewhere. Or did something else make the cuts?"
"Oh, yeah, there was a knife in the mess. I still have it."
"Great! Where?"
"In the drying rack by the sink with this morning's dishes."
"YOU WASHED IT???" Ren looked as if he didn't know whether to facefault or cry. He was about ready to do both anyway.
"Well, yeah, is that a problem?"
"YES, IT'S A PROBLEM! NOW WE CAN'T EVEN CHECK FOR FINGERPRINTS!!"
"Hey, no need to yell, man," chided Horohoro.
Yoh just cocked his head. "I didn't even think of that. And I was just wiping off the bowl too…"
Ren sat down on the kitchen floor with an I'm-surrounded-by-idiots sigh. And then something else caught his eye. It was a small Lego brick on the floor, a bright red, cubic one. "Look at that," he said quietly.
"Cool," said Horohoro, picking it up.
Ren smacked his forehead. "You just ruined the fingerprints on that too!!"
"Oh. Oops."
"I have to pick up Anna in two hours," said Yoh nervously, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Are you guys gonna help me clean up or not?"
"Hold on," said Ren, conveniently pulling a camera out of nowhere. "If you're gonna clean this up, at least let me get some pictures for evidence." He then proceeded to use an entire roll of film, after which he and Horohoro proceeded to actually help mop up the kitchen.
"Thanks guys," said Yoh, pulling on a clean shirt as he walked to his bike. "I never would have made it in time."
"No prob," grinned Horohoro.
"Hey," said Ren, looking as if he had just gotten an idea, "can we stick around until you get back? I want to ask Anna some questions."
"Sure," agreed Yoh. "You can hang around if you want, but I can't guarantee that Anna will really feel like talking."
So Ren and Horohoro wandered into the living room to wait for Yoh's return. Horohoro took a seat and practiced twiddling his thumbs, occasionally alternating direction just for kicks. Ren pulled a book out of nowhere and settled down to read. Horohoro noticed with dismay that it was titled 1003 Ways to Make an Ice Shaman Shut Up, but decided to ignore it and hope that it was just some kind of joke.
About half an hour later, he perked up like a dog that has just heard a cat outside and ran to the window. "They're coming!"
Ren put his book away and walked serenely to join the Ainu. Yoh was turning into the yard on the bike, Anna perched motionless on the handlebars. Horohoro drew in his breath sharply. "She looks awful," he murmured.
His Chinese friend only nodded in reply. Anna was frighteningly pale, nearly as white as the gauze that swathed her wrists. She swayed slightly each time Yoh turned, no matter how gently he steered, looking nearly ready to lose her balance. Horohoro and Ren hurried to the door to meet the arrivals, but stopped when they got a closer look.
The itako wasn't even walking, but instead allowed Yoh to carry her, cradled in his arms as they approached the house. Such a show of weakness was almost unthinkable for someone like Anna. Yoh caught Ren's eye and shook his head, indicating that his fiancée would most definitely not be answering questions any time soon. The two investigator-wannabes nodded in agreement and left quietly.
To be continued
Sorry, that was…uh…less serious on the most part, and a little rushed. Blame my capricious mood swings and limited writing time.
