Preys
Chapter 4: Method clash
They were waiting in the Mayor's private office. Tokio had phoned Kondo immediately after identifying the body. He had returned to the reception, and would get the Mayor to meet them.
Saitoh took his lighter and cigarette pack from his pocket, but she warned absently: "Don't smoke in here. He doesn't like it."
She was behaving like at home. The guard in front of the elevator had greeted her, and opened the office door without questions. She knew where was the light switch and had sat down on a small couch, not on the chairs in front of the desk, which would have been more appropriate. He raised a brow, and observed the room. Trophies, pictures of the Mayor receiving trophies, pictures of the Mayor with celebrities, pictures of the Mayor everywhere, in fact. The man was known to be the biggest narcissist. He noticed some private pictures, too, and the girl, whose body was still lying on the asphalt, not faraway, was on each of them. She looked better than on her ID. She was not really pretty, but there was a kind of innocence in her smile. Probably why she attracted the murderer in the first place.
" You knew her well?"
Takagi faced him several seconds with a blank face. The door opened as she was about to answer, and Kondo came in with the Mayor. It was a tall and muscular man, who looked way younger than he was. Miracle of modern surgery, guessed Saitoh.
"Takagi-san! And detective Saitoh, I presume? Take a sit." The detective declined silently, leaning against the wall.
"Hiko-san, there is something we have to talk about," began Tokio, at Kondo's pressing glance. Her composure was perfect, and Hiko mistook the gravity of the situation.
"I know, I know. The Narcotics' director bothered me all day on the phone and during most of the party. Don't worry about that. All I want is results. You just made my day, and probably my year. Stupid journalists or the opposition whining about my security policy? I can take the guy out of my hat."
He was pouring himself some whisky, and as they all refused a glass, gulped one straight. He flashed them his trademark teeth-shining smile. It was notorious that women voted massively for him. "My predecessor didn't have enough brains and guts to go for your idea, Kondo, but I could see it was a good one. One of the best decisions I've ever made, and I make a lot."
"Hiko-san.." Her voice was soft this time. The politician turned to her, surprised, and his eyes grew serious, then dark, as they exchanged a long glance.
Saitoh frowned. Yes, she knew him well. He wished she wasn't there. She had no idea on how to lead a first interrogation. She'd better avoid poking her nose into it.
"Who is it?" Hiko finally asked.
"Tsubame. I'm so sorry."
She didn't want him to be told like that, but Saitoh had been adamant to come and Kondo had insisted. There was no way he was a suspect, for heaven's sake. The more comfortable the witnesses felt, the more they spoke. Cops were so paranoid.
He refilled generously his glass, swallowed it. "Is there a..chance, if I can say so, that it was an accident? Or that it's an identity mistake?" As she shook her head, he sat down, and said calmly. "Tell me everything."
Saitoh stared at him, surprised at Hiko's self-control when he had just categorized him as a buffoon. He could see in the man's eyes that the full realization had hit him. Usually, if the victim's families were not collapsing immediately, it was because they didn't really understand. That was not the case here.
"We have to ask you some questions before answering to yours," he pointed, more politely than he had intended to. The man's attitude deserved a little respect.
Hiko nodded. Tokio sat on the couch again and Kondo, still silent, took one of the chairs. He was even more an observer than Saitoh.
"Can you first tell us about your relation with your niece? Were you close?"
"I took care of her after her parents died. She was six. She lives with me.was living with me from then on. I consider her as my own child."
" Do you have an idea of what your niece was supposed to do tonight?"
"She had a date with her boyfriend. When I left for the reception tonight, she was still home."
"What time was it?"
"6 o'clock."
"Her boyfriend was supposed to pick her up?"
"At first. But he called before I left, saying that he had a task to do for his supervisor, and asked her to wait for him at the restaurant."
"In front of it?"
"Inside, of course. Not enough of a precaution, it seems." Hiko had seized the whisky bottle and took another glass.
"Do you know how she got there?"
"In her own car. I asked her if she wanted the driver to take her there but..." He contemplated the bottle, with a cynical smile.
"Was that the last time you talked to her?"
"Yes. She told me to try to have fun, and to wait for Yahiko and her before going to bed. He was." He hesitated.
"He was supposed to propose tonight," provided Tokio. She knew that Saitoh and Kondo wanted to hear the facts from his mouth, but she couldn't help herself. Hiko thanked her with a rapid glance.
Saitoh went on, ignoring her and his annoyance at her intervention. "What about her boyfriend? What do you know about him? At what time were they supposed to meet?"
"At 8 o'clock, La Promenade." The cop acknowledged the name of the famous French restaurant by a quick nod. "His name is Myojin Yahiko. He's studying economics at Tokyo University. His father is a general, very respectable family. Tsubame and him have known each other for years, and have been dating since high school."
" It's now 10 o'clock. You didn't hear from him? Isn't that strange that he doesn't worry about her?"
Hiko smiled, melancholy fugitively softening his features. "She is always late, one hour at best. Especially tonight, she was frantic. She even talked, as he was going to be late, about going shopping again before her date. She was complaining she had nothing to wear.. Wait!" he added suddenly.
Reaching for his cell-phone in a drawer, he frowned. "He tried to call me from 9.30 on." The phone rang again.
"Yahiko-kun? ..Yes, I know. Where are you?... Tell the guy to go to my office.. Yes, she had an accident...I can't tell you now. I'm waiting for you." They could hear a yelling voice through the phone as he cut.
" He took a cab as she wasn't answering her phone. Me neither, I always leave it here during the receptions. He should be there in 5 minutes. I guess you want to hear him too."
"Hiko-san, thank you for your understanding. I don't say that as somebody working in your administration, but as a cop. Few people would collaborate without questioning, with that calm."
" I know the difference between a compliment and a flattery, Kondo. I've been in politics long enough." He had retrieved his aloof, cynical expression.
"Just one question. Was she..abused?" he asked.
Definitely not a buffoon, thought Saitoh. He now looked dangerous. Kondo turned to him.
He pondered his answer for several minutes. "We can't tell for now. I would tend to say that it's unlikely...But we have to wait for the forensics' report."
"Where was she found?"
He could reveal that. "Few blocks from here. Takagi-san identified the body after we found the ID, but we'll need an official one."
"I will. I want you to catch the lowlife bastard. I can't understand why somebody would have wanted to kill her, but." Hiko's anger was cold, conveyed only in his eyes and voice, yet Saitoh understood why the City Hall was now working like a perfect mechanic. He probably scared the hell out of all the tedious bureaucrats there.
"There is the possibility of serial murders.."hinted Tokio. She couldn't tell about the other body, but at least..
Saitoh sent her a disapproving glance. Stupid woman.
The office's door flew open. "What happened? Where is she? Why the hell didn't you explain?"
A man in his early twenties rushed in, his hazelnut eyes wide with worry, his voice aggressive.
" She has been murdered," stated coldly Saitoh.
Tokio stiffened. Bastard.
The other froze. His face went through all the conceivable emotions, from disbelief to revolt, searching on Hiko's face for the truth. He finally ran to Saitoh, his body shaking with anger. "What are you saying?"
"Just the facts."
"Myojin-san, calm down, please." Tokio's voice was calm and her tone sensible. The boy looked at her, his gaze turning into a plea.
"No.."he whispered.
"I'm sorry. There's no mistake."
Tears began to run down his face. "You said murdered. That's not possible. Nobody could..would want to..she is so.."
"Get a grip. We need to make some details clear with you." Saitoh was getting unnerved. He hated to see people with no self-control. And he NEEDED a cigarette right now.
"We should give you a few minutes to put yourself together," proposed Tokio, with a fake smile. "We are going to wait outside."
"Good idea, Takagi-san," approved Kondo, standing up and going to the door, with an imperative look at Saitoh.
As soon as they were outside, Saitoh surrendered to his craving, Tokio doing the same as she walked away, her cell phone in her other hand.
"So," began calmly Kondo. "Why did you ask for Takani? She was on another crime scene. You know that the faster they arrive, the better."
" As soon as the inspector called me, and told me about the state of the body, I had an intuition. It rang a bell."
"Takagi used the word "slaughter". She didn't say anything clearly, but I think she found your attitude a bit odd. She's intuitive, you know."
Saitoh's eyes traveled through the corridor and stopped on her.
She was speaking dryly: "Sagara, I don't care. I want you to go first to La Promenade, to verify a reservation for two, name Sanjo or Myojin. If they came, when, etc... The manager knows them so no, you don't need to wait for a picture. I said now. Then.."
He took a drag. "And when I arrived on the crime scene, my hint just got confirmed. I don't need Takani's report to know that the murderer used a blade."
Kondo's calm demeanor didn't alter, but Saitoh knew him enough to feel his tension. " Anything similar to an old case?" he asked cautiously.
"Unfortunately, yes. I have no proofs yet, but I'm sure of it."
"Copycat."
He shook his head. His superior sighed "I'm going to check on Myojin-san. You've been too harsh, by the way."
Only Takagi's voice was echoing in the empty space. " I trust you to inform Makimachi on what she has to do. Unless I call you again, you can go home or wherever you want afterwards. Meeting tomorrow at nine."
She was pacing nervously, attracting his attention on her legs. He turned his glance away.
She cut the communication and turned to the door as Kondo reappeared. She faced them inquiringly. Saitoh had that superior smirk that made her nerves cringe, but the old man demanded:
"Detective Saitoh, I want you to share your intuition with your section's chief. Takagi-san, you are officially in charge, but I want to follow this case closely. Myojin-san has calmed down, you can go."
Saitoh and Tokio bowed to him, and as soon as he turned his back, stared at each other with hostility.
"Try to behave.." she hissed between her teeth, opening the door.
"My exact thoughts," he snapped on the same tone, following her inside.
To be continued..
Author's Notes:
Thousands of thanks to Mara& Firuze, for their help, valuable advices, encouragements and reviews! I hope this fic will justify it. Gambarimasu!
Hiko is probably very OOC here..I like him a lot, but it was difficult to have him deal with a loss. I think that he can give this impression to be a shallow narcissist, only to reveal his "scary shishou" side afterwards..
Was Saitoh too mean here for once? I think he only behaves when he considers people worthy of his respect.otherwise he can be that cruel.
Ok, it was the last "slow" chapter, more events from now on..I have a plot, I swear! More hints about the "old case".major Saitoh/Tokio confrontation (I guess it's obvious!) and a shocking new in the next one.
See you!
Kamorgana.