2nd Chapter – Investigation
Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Author's notes: All of the reviewers have done some great guessing as to the mystery person. Remember, ALL of the residence of Hinata could be considered close friends of Naru's.
Detective Maklie hated investigating murders, chasing after a killer is too similar to looking for a landmine. You never know when you found it and how not to set it off. The Japanese government thoughtfully didn't supply the police with weapons, unless you can consider a collapsible baton a weapon. The shoddy thing keeps breaking every other hit, when it doesn't jam. Then there was the victim's crying families, if they actually gave a damn.
Then there's the bodies.
Just one look at the injustice inflicted on them, their vacant eyes pleading for justice. How could one not put their soul to rest? Damn the dead for making the living feel so guilty!
'This is Japan! We're supposed to be better than killing each other!' Maklie could only think with exasperation.
His walk ended at his destination, a place where he hoped to get some answers.
Hinata Inn
There one resident had some questions too.
"Has anyone seen Naru? I didn't see her come back last night." Keitaro asked everyone at breakfast. He was trying to appear calm, but the quiver in his voice betrayed his worry.
"I haven't seen her since yesterday, don't worry she's a strong woman she can take care of herself." Kitsuni replied, but then said with a smirk, "Why, you worried that she's run off with another guy?"
"No, nothing like that." He replied with a nervous titter.
Everyone seemed to be down by the distress that Keitaro was radiating. Shinobu's food didn't taste as wonderful and even Su wasn't jumping off the walls as much.
Suddenly there was a knocking at the door.
"That's probably her! I'll get it!" Keitaro anxiously said while rushing to the door. The girls followed at a more leisurely pace.
Instead of seeing Naru's beautiful face at the door, he was dismayed to find an unknown man there. He appeared to be in his late 40's with an agitated look on his face. His brown eyes seemed to perfectly match his short hair. The clothes seem to contradict each other, a simple crisp pressed uniform shirt and dirty cargo pants with a ton of pockets.
"I'm detective Maklie, is Haruka Urashima here?" he simply stated.
"Um, yes my aunt is at the cafe. Is she in trouble?"
"No she isn't but I need to ask her some, questions."
Su, in an innocent voice, said, "What's a detective? Is it tasty?"
That got a smile and a chuckle out of Maklie, until Motoko said, "Keitaro you really need to calm down, have faith that Naru will return."
That new information stunned Maklie, he quickly asked, "Naru Narusegawa lives here?"
"She's been living here for over three years. Did something happen to her?" Keitaro queried in a shaky voice.
Maklie really didn't want to tell them, it's not really his job to deal with people's grief, "Yes something did happen to her and you can find out at the police station. It's at the intersection of General Mao Street and Not So Cherry Blossom Avenue."
Keitaro and the girls immediately bolted to the station as quick as they could. Maklie was left alone, free to question Haruka without interruption.
He went to the tea house, surprisingly there was just one employee there enjoying a smoke.
"Excuse me miss, do you know where I can find Haruka Urshima?"
"You're looking at her, and you are?"
Maklie was surprised, she didn't look as aged as her file implied. He flashed out his badge and said, "I'm Detective Maklie of the Hinata police department. I'm here to verify that you still are in possession of a 9mm pistol, silencer, and ten clips of ammunition. Those are some quite, uncommon possessions and responsibility, just remember you can always give it to the police if it becomes too much to bear."
Haruka appeared momentarily insulted, but quickly went to her room at Hinata Inn, with Maklie following close behind. Her room was filled with organized clutter and picture frames crowded the few shelves there. She rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a dull metal box. Haruka became absolutely stupefied when she looked in it, it was empty except for a piece of paper.
She tossed aside the gun case and rooted through the drawer again. The pistol continued to elude her as items and emptied boxes began to pile haphazardly on the floor. Haruka continued to ransack her own room throwing clothes, artifacts, and pictures every which way. Panic started to seep into her head, 'I had that gun yesterday when I…'
"Are you looking for this?"
Haruka spun around and couldn't believe it, Maklie was holding up a sealed evidence bag with her gun in it.
"I believe you need to come to the station to answer a few questions."
Haruka could only continue to gape at the bag, her burnt out cigarette dropping from her lips to join the mess she had made.
At the coroner, Keitaro couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. His mind for a moment refused to acknowledge what was there.
Naru can't be dead.
Her hair would never be tangled and soiled like that.
She would never be as lifeless as that.
Her smooth face is not the gaping hole that looked like a jackhammer went over its entirety.
The moment passed and he saw for what it is; the corpse of the woman he wanted to spend forever with. His strength left him, he collapsed into a fetal position crying and wailing at his loss and vomiting at the gory image forever branded in his brain. Motoko had to lean on the wall as she gave dry heaves. Su snuggled onto Motoko and made a growing wet spot with her tears. Kitsumi tried to comfort Sarah and Shinobi by holding them down and trying to sooth them with her quivering voice. Kanako stood petrified, her tears were streaming down her face, drenching everything she wore.
Naru just laid quietly there, the dead can't do much more for the living.
To Be Continued…
To the readers and hopefully reviewers: As I said in the 1st chapter updates are going to be erratic. Constructive feedback is greatly appreciated.
