A/N: Baked a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies...and already chowed through them all even though I meant to save them for the week. The weight I lost when I was studying in Japan has only been gained back from months at home. Lol.
Chapter 15: New Theories
Despite the frigid temperature, I was desperate for some fresh air. The bloody blizzard was starting to abate anyway. Plus, being stuck in a stuffy house with every fireplace burning was doing horrors for my nose, plugged up like a faucet. Taking great care to wrap myself warmly in thick furs, I gingerly stepped outside onto the terrace, my breath forming in small puffs before my eyes.
With controlled breaths, I inhaled and exhaled relishing how the air effectively started to stir the cobwebs in my brain. Then, my sense of serenity came to a halt. There was that familiar toxic smell again... Nothing was going to stop me from finding and exposing her this time! My eyes narrowing, I crept around the corner of the house and let out a sharp, "Ah ha!"
Jumping from my exclamation, Kofuki whipped around, cigarette in mouth, and gave me the blackest look ever. "Whaddya want?" she spat out, between her teeth.
"I knew you smoke like a chimney," I said.
Sulkily, Kofuki stubbed out her cigarette, crushing it under her heel. Her eyes were still fixed on me like a viper. Without a word, I held out my hand with a raised eyebrow, gesturing to the hoodie of her pocket.
"I know you have them in there," I said.
"Nothing gets past you, does it?" she grumbled, sardonically. Then, when I snapped my fingers impatiently, she sighed, "Fine..."
Shoving a hand in, she pulled out a small silver case and slapped it into my hand.
"So, when has this started?" I demanded.
"None of your concern," Kofuki replied. "I never liked smoking in the first place anyway."
"Then why start the habit?"
Kofuki looked down at the snow, her angry expression weakening slightly. "Problems, okay? Isn't that the usual reason why?"
The stubbornness I always possessed refused to accept her evasive answer. And alright, I genuinely wanted to help her. As sullen and aggressive as Kofuki could get sometimes, even I didn't like seeing her like this. We may not have been the closest of friends—quite frankly, neither of us was interested in becoming that—but I still wouldn't wish ill will on her.
"You did not want to seek help?" I asked.
Her chest heaving, Kofuki spat, vehemently, "I don't need any and I certainly don't need any from you!"
Then, shoving past me, she ran like a panther back into the house. Not fast enough though for me to not notice her wiping away the tears streaming down her cheeks...
Brushing the snow off of my overcoat, I made my way towards the library, where I knew Kanami and Sanae were waiting. Because most of the Akabane Sword Team members were now relaxing in the lounge, it was suggested by Kanami that put our thoughts together somewhere where we could speak in private. Of all the rooms I'd been into so far at Hakuchou Manor, I knew that this one was my favourite, as soon as I stepped into it
There was just something pleasantly pretty about it and less garishly extravagant like the rest of the house. It was decorated with soft colours, ranging from the light green wallpaper to the beige camelback sofas. Natural light came in through two huge French windows, illuminating the gold clock on the mantlepiece. Between the windows was an ornate mirror with what looked like the babyface of an angel carved on top of the frame. In a far corner of the room beyond the left-hand window was an Indian-carved writing desk.
Kanami had her nose stuck in a book when I entered. "Ah, Hiyori-chan! There you are."
"Just caught Kofuki inhaling tar behind the house," I sighed. "Confiscated her little cigarette case. Or at least some small silver holder she keeps them in."
"Shichinosato-san smokes?" Sanae exclaimed.
"You couldn't tell? I swear you could smell it on her breath a mile away," I snorted, sinking into one of the comfy sofas.
We would have proceeded with our discussion if we hadn't heard the tap at the door. Mirja was cautiously poking her head past the doorway with an apologetic expression on her face.
"Hello, Kitora-san. Is something wrong?" Kanami asked.
Stepping into the library, Mirja said, "I apologize. But it is just something that I had forgotten. I told you when you interviewed me that I hadn't left the drawing-room. That is not correct. Actually, I did get up once during my work that night at maybe around eleven o'clock to use the washroom. I just thought it necessary to mention that I saw Setouchi Chie and Musumi Kiyoka here in the library when passing by."
"Is that so?" Kanami murmured.
"Yes, Setouchi Chie was reading a book and Musumi Kiyoka was writing, I think...at that desk right there." She pointed at the Indian-carved writing desk in the corner of the room.
"Did either of them notice you?" I asked.
"Well, no," Mirja said, with a blush. "They seemed too preoccupied with what they were doing to notice me."
Coughing, Kanami said, "Um, thank you, Kitora-san. That was very helpful indeed."
"Oh! It was?" Mirja looked taken aback, eyeing my girlfriend uneasily.
"But of course, Kitora-san. Every detail in each account I listen to has its importance," Kanami said. "Is that all?"
"Um, yes. Thank you," Mirja said, bowing herself out. "Please excuse me."
Locking the door after her, Sanae exhaled, "So, now Setouchi-san and Musumi-san not only have each other as alibis, they also have Kitora-san. This advances things."
She stared with furrowed eyebrows back and forth between Kanami and I. "What's wrong?"
"Why would Mirja only mention this now?" I wondered aloud. "Is it true that she possibly forgot? Or is she trying to provide herself with an alibi for eleven o'clock? Notice how she said neither Chie nor Kiyoka noticed her."
"Yes, I did notice that," Kanami said, nodding her head.
"Do you think she perhaps got the wind about Yui and Hana spotting our Suspect X escaping around the house last night? And suppose she actually was X, so she then...tried to make up something quickly?"
"Even if she wasn't Suspect X, she must've had some reason for suddenly bringing us this extra claim to her testimony," Kanami said.
"But if she wasn't the murderer, then why would she?" Sanae asked. "I understand nothing. Nothing at all."
Bringing out her trusty notebook, Kanami said, "I think, first of all, we should focus on two very important facts. I already mentioned one earlier before we had our lunch—the diary page that was torn out. The murderer did not want it discovered. Why? Because it would immediately place under suspicion anyone who was personally affected by the 11/9 attacks. Keep that in mind. We'll come back to it later when I tell you my theory of everyone who is possibly a victim of it."
Before she could continue, however, Sanae burst out, "But the only person who has outspokenly expressed connections with the attacks of November 9 was Musumi-san! And Kitora-san maybe—since she lost a few personal friends from Ayanokouji."
"But remember Kiyoka's reaction when she told us?" I reminded Sanae. "When we asked her if she was intimate with anyone killed that day, she was about to say 'yes' than abruptly changed it to a 'no'. She wanted to hide that fact and she was quite scared about it being revealed."
"Could that not have been from mere fright of being accused? Musumi-san is a very timid and frightened girl in general," Sanae said.
She had a point. "Maybe. What was the other fact you wanted to mention, Kanami?"
"I was getting to that—something you said when we were in Fumiko-sama's study this morning. That she had aradama noro in her blood and was, therefore, stronger than a normal human being...unless that person also had supernatural aradama strength. In this house, we know someone who retains those powers."
"Who?" I asked.
Kanami and Sanae now had their eyes fixed on me. At last, the significance of my girlfriend's words hit me and it was like a punch in the stomach. I sprang from my seat with violent agitation.
"Kanami! Y-You're seriously accusing me?!" I cried. "I was friggin' with you in bed all of last night!"
"In bed?!" Sanae almost-shrieked with a tomato-red blush. "H-Hiyori-sama? E-Etou-san?"
"Hiyori-chan, I am not accusing you," Kanami said, in a steady voice. "But...there are some facts I am certain of. You are one of the few people who knew Fumiko-sama was responsible for the 11/9 attacks. You were once a great aradama yourself. As I was in a deep sleep, you could've easily feigned being drowsy as well, crept downstairs when the coast was clear, and hanged Fumiko-sama. And another thing, Fumiko-sama outright threatened you, along with my family and I."
I was now steaming mad, but also deeply hurt that Kanami would doubt in my innocence. I roared at the top of my lungs, "For God's sake, Kanami! IT! WASN'T! ME!"
"Stop it, you two!" Sanae commanded, getting between us.
There was a long pause as Kanami and I stared each other down.
"Yes...I know it wasn't you."
"Huh?!"
Getting up from her seat, Kanami pushed past Sanae, walking over and wrapping her arms tightly around me. Burrowing her face in my long black locks, she whispered, "I know you wouldn't have done such a thing, Hiyori-chan. You fight for good's cause and wouldn't hesitate to put your life on the line. But you're not a murderer."
"If you're just saying this to make me feel better—"
"I truly mean it, Hiyori-chan. I'm sorry if I sounded accusative," Kanami said, pulling away. "And anyway, it wasn't you that I was suggesting to begin with."
"Then who were you talking about?" I sighed, blowing a strand of hair from my face.
My rage had calmed down, but I still wasn't ready to completely forgive her. I always thought that there would be trust between Kanami and I. And even though she said she was sure of my innocence, Kanami putting hard facts forward that practically pointed fingers at me plastered a frown on my face that stayed there for at least an hour afterwards. Definitely, I was not letting her sleep with me tonight.
"As I said before, there is someone we know—on the suspect list—who retains aradama powers," Kanami said.
I reflected upon that, before exclaiming, "You don't mean Mihono?! But even though Kanayamahime is in her body, for what reason—"
"You said during lunch that Mihono-chan confessed about becoming deaf in her left ear after fighting with an aradama last year," Kanami interrupted. "Suppose she indeed lost her ability to hear from an aradama—but one that was set loose from one of the trains carrying noro in the 11/9 attacks."
"My goodness! It is an idea, that!" Sanae cried. "But wait. Asakura-san surely couldn't have though. She was with Shichinosato-san for most of the time."
Bringing my hands to my temple, I sighed, "Hang it all. Things are getting too strange for me to handle. To begin with, Mihono seriously murdering someone over a damaged ear? That's just hard to believe. And second of all, she doesn't strike me as a person who would string up her victim from a rope. It's not in her psychology."
"I know. And that is the dead-end that bothers me," Kanami said. "About those 11/9 attacks, I think we should speak with Musumi-san."
A/N: Only three more chapters to go. BTW, for those of you who are worried about Hiyori being the murderer, don't be. She isn't. That's one of the "rules" for writing a mystery. The detective can't be the killer. The culprit is definitely among the Akabane Sword Team. The question is...who among them is it?
