Prologue
Work in this business long enough and you start picking up on a lot of things: the subtle changes in the air before the rain, the foul thoughts behind the smiles of the other officers, or even the creaky door of the women's bathroom. More importantly, you start getting that gut feeling when you're being watched.
Ever since dinner with Ina and Subaru, I've had that itching feeling. Call it intuition or what have you. It wasn't just the light drizzle that started after sunset, or the prying eyes of police officers, detectives and desk jockeys who wished that the new kid and I got ourselves killed in the Lemon Shark fruit cannery and turned into a ChickLin sandwich.
Chicken Gremlin.
I have no plans of giving them that satisfaction. Kiara laughed and agreed. She said that we were 'too tasty for just any sandwich'.
I'm inclined to agree.
On that note, Kiara and I went down to the parking lot and found our car. As soon as the rookie got into her seat, she drifted off to a deep sleep. Sound as a rock. Perhaps my monologues lulled her to sleep, but I don't blame her. The two of us got more work done in a day than what I did on my own in City PD. We had a lot of close calls too.
Kiara deserves every wink of sleep she can get.
After all, I couldn't have gotten through today without her at my side.
As for me, as much as I'd like to take a quick nap myself, but that's not a luxury I can afford. Not while this new kind of war is brewing on my watch. In the City, you have to sleep with one eye open - lest the shadows shift and strike when you least expect it.
Knowing this, I started the car and drove to the Central Hospital with my sleeping partner beside me.
…
Detective Amelia Watson drove through the streets of Central District while her partner slept soundly. It was a short drive to the Hospital from City PD HQ and Ame knew this. So, she decided to take her time and go down the scenic route. Ame wanted to buy her partner a few more precious winks of sleep, after all.
Either way, as the pitter patter of rain struck their convertible's roof, Ame regarded the hospital from the scenic route. She read the name of the hospital on the signs etched prominently on the brick facade of the outer wall.
The Eugenia Medical Center.
It was a state-of-the-art medical center with a large campus fenced off from the chaos around it with high walls of brick and wrought iron. From the scenic route, Ame could even make out the large fountain at the heart of the campus - the so-called 'Crying Man' weeping endlessly from a broken dream of some sort.
Everything about Eugenia Medical made Ame feel apprehensive. The whole joint was too gaudy for her tastes, but Ame knew they did good work there. After all, Ame had been a patient at Eugenia Medical many times already. The worst of the dead end cases on her desk got her hospitalized.
Those were the only times that Ame ever slept eight full hours.
Still, this was the first time that Ame was going to Eugenia Medical in something that wasn't an ambulance.
Or a hearse.
While Ame thought her grim thoughts, Ame stirred in her seat and stretched. Ame stole a glance of her groggy partner and smirked.
"Cat nap over?"
"I'm a… Phoenix." Kiara yawned.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Ame snickered.
"Hehe~"
With a small smile on her lips, Ame finally took the off-ramp from the scenic route and into the rear driveway of the Eugenia Medical.
…
After they found parking, Ame and Kiara marched into the Hospital lobby and made a beeline for the reception desk. Ame took point while Kiara followed behind, carrying the two repackaged Queenpin packages.
A tired, young nurse noticed the two ladies approaching and greeted them lukewarmly.
"Welcome to the Yuujin… I mean, Eugenia Medical Center." The nurse could barely hide her boredom, "How may I help you?"
Kiara opened her mouth and prepared to introduce herself as a City PD Detective. However, Ame beat her to the punch and took a more indirect approach.
"We'd like to visit the room of Miss Irys Hopewell." Ame answered first.
"Visit? Visiting time ended hours ago!" The nurse shrugged indifferently, "Come back some other time, yeah?"
"P-please, Miss Nurse." Kiara pleaded now, "We won't stay too long."
"Doesn't matter. Rules are rules." The nurse rebuffed. Irritation started to seep into her tone, "Now beat it before I call the cops!"
Ame watched the scene with odd calmness. All of a sudden, she scoffed. It was almost like she was waiting for the nurse to mention the police. She reached into her pocket and brought out her badge for the nurse to see.
"Watson. Badge 7331. This is an official City PD investigation. If we can't expect your cooperation, you can expect litigation!"
Kiara followed suit, showing her own badge as well.
The nurse's face went pale in the face of the two detectives. Any sleepiness she had was entirely gone and her hairs stood on end.
"Okay! Okay…" The nurse surrendered immediately, "H-How can I help, detectives?"
"Miss Irys Hopewell's room number, please." Ame spoke with deathly frost.
"R-right away. It's… 511, West Wing." The nurse revealed.
"Thank you kindly for your cooperation." Ame tipped her hat to the nurse and scoffed, "Now keep this conversation of ours between us and there will be no problems for you with City PD. Got it?"
"Y-yes, detective."
Ame and Kiara turned around and left the frightened nurse to stew in her shock. Once they were out of earshot, Kiara leaned towards Ame curiously and whispered to her.
"Why didn't you tell her we were with City PD right away?"
"That nurse didn't do jack for me when I was checked in here, Kiara. She even ate my pudding!" Ame groaned, reminiscing about her stolen desserts, "As nice as this place is, the food is crap - except for the pudding!"
"You threatened police action over PUDDING!?" Kiara gasped.
"Hey. Pudding is serious business. That's not the whole story, kiddo." Ame grinned, "I had to test her. I had to make sure she didn't react to our faces. If she knew us as Amelon and Erika, and we outed ourselves as detectives…"
"Ahh~!" Kiara's eyes suddenly shone brightly, "I see, I see~!"
Now that they were in agreement, Ame and Kiara called for the elevator. However, Ame's intuition kicked in yet again. It was the same feeling she had when they were leaving City PD HQ. Spurred by her instincts, Ame grabbed Kiara by the wrist and walked with her to the stairwell instead.
Ame suddenly paused. She grabbed Kiara by the wrist too and got her to stop.
"Ame-senpai…?" Kiara tilted her head while she stumbled forward.
"Shh!" Ame shushed, "We're taking the stairs."
"But the elevator…"
"I think we're being tailed." Ame whispered.
When Ame mentioned this, Kiara fell silent and nodded cooperatively. The two of them whispered their plan and cautiously stepped into the stairwell.
Kiara started to climb the staircase while Ame pressed her back against the wall beside the door. Ame steadied her breath and waited patiently.
Just as Ame suspected, the stairwell door opened again. It was a feminine figure clad in a long trench coat and a fedora hat who rushed up the stairs after Kiara.
Then, Ame pounced!
Ame tackled the stalker and tried to overpower heel, but the stalker was incredibly strong! All Ame was able to do was knock the fedora off the stalker's head! Before Ame could react, the stalker thrust her knee into Ame's gut.
"Oof...!"
Ame wrestled with the amazonian through the pain. With great effort, she managed to pin the stalker to the wall!
Kiara came rushing downstairs to help Ame when she saw the stalker's face and gasped.
"Detective Ouro!?"
"Tell your partner to get her FILTHY hands off of me!" Kronii lashed out at Kiara.
"Ame!" Kiara urged.
Ame snorted but let go of Kronii.
"Hmph!" Kronii dusted off her suit and scowled at Ame, "I know your career's in the crapper, Watson, but that's not an excuse to step out of line and steal my spotlight!"
"What? Because eleven front-page covers on the Daily Rattler ain't enough for you!?" Ame glared back at Kronii, "Turn a simple purse-snatching case into national news, why don't you? You act like a war hero, but you didn't even FIGHT in The War!"
"HUH!?" Kronii spat and loomed over Ame, "I'm not gonna take that from a disgraced detective with more cold cases than an icebox AND talks to herself in her office with the lights off like a freaking madwoman!"
"Say that again, you freaking narcissistic snake!"
"As many times as you want, you frothing-mouth mongrel!"
"You want to take it outside!? I'll pound you into the GROUND!"
"Round two, huh!? This hospital's gonna have a new Crying Man fountain when I'm done with you!"
Kiara watched the exchange and a bitter frown formed on her lips. She clenched her fists and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"STOP IT, YOU TWO!"
Her booming voice reverberated throughout the stairwell and silenced the squabbling detectives. Kiara put herself in between Ame and Kronii and intervened. She turned to Kronii first and reassured her.
"Detective Ouro. We're not here to take credit from you in the Nephilim Club shooting case." Kiara then showed Kronii the packages she carried, "We're here to deliver care packages to Miss Irys from the Queenpins themselves."
"Packages from THE Queenpins!?" Kronii raised her brow.
"We've already inspected them thoroughly. They're safe." Kiara insisted, "Ame-senpai and I are here for a simple delivery job to move our case forward. It won't even make the last page of a tabloid."
The rookie's words silenced Kronii and she finally backed off. However, Kiara wasn't quite done. She also turned to Ame and berated her too.
"As for you, Ame-senpai." Kiara started sternly, "I don't know what history you have with Detective Ouro, but we're on the same team here. At least that's what I'd like to believe!" She folded her arms and added, "Plus you two are more alike than you think!"
When Kiara said this, Ame and Kronii argued in tandem and pointed at each other.
"SHE'S THE MOST INSUFFERABLE PERSON I'VE EVER MET!"
"Hehehe~ case in point." Kiara grinned. She then placed her hands together and made her proposition, "So why don't we do this? Ame-senpai and I aren't here for fame or fortune, Detective Ouro. We'll be in and out before you know it. We'll let you know if we find out anything to help you with the Nephilim Club case, too. All we want is for you to let us do our jobs. Get out of our hair and we'll get out of yours."
Kronii paused for a moment. Then she snorted.
"Hmph. I don't trust Watson, but I think you're sincere enough, Detective Takanashi. I'll hold you to your promise."
"I can live with that." Ame added, albeit halfheartedly.
Still, Kiara took Ame's and Kronii's wrists and forced the two squabbling detectives to shake hands.
" Alles gut! Alles gut! " Kiara spoke in German while she brokered peace, "Now, let's get to work, shall we?"
Once Kiara let them go, Ame and Kronii turned away from each other. Neither of the squabbling detectives wanted to talk to the other, but at least they weren't trying to smash each other's faces in anymore. Kiara considered that a win in her books.
Kronii scoffed at Ame and marched out of the stairwell as she promised. Ame, on the other hand, couldn't look Kiara in the eyes.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." Ame buried her hands in her pockets, "Thanks for intervening."
"Glad I could help." Kiara beamed, returning to her usual joyful expression. Despite the sweet facade, she gave Ame a clear warning, "Don't do something stupid like that again or I'll get angry for real. You do know that Phoenixes are a bird of prey!"
"Duly noted." Ame nodded obediently.
Then, the two partners smiled and carried on with their job. Ame let Kiara lead her upstairs to the fifth floor. Together, they made their way to Room 511 and entered it.
The lone patient, a maroon-haired Nephilim in a hospital gown, turned towards the open door. She was confused at first by the unfamiliar faces. However, when she saw the packages in Kiara's hand, she managed to wear a small smile and greet them.
"HiRys! I'm Irys!"
…
Queenpins
Mother Hen
…
To Be Continued