A/N: Hope you are all well and safe at home. This is a very difficult time, but let's all stay supportive of each other! Here's Chapter 2 of "Whodunnit?"

Chapter 2: Discord In The Library

Kanami never thought she'd see such a sight at the Origami Family Estate. The majority of the courtyard was flooded with law enforcement vehicles and police tape had already been put across Yukari's bedroom door. It all seemed so surreal; the Minoseki Toji just couldn't take it in. Origami Yukari...dead. The great heroine whom everyone admired for her courage and powerful strength. Lying cold in her bed.

'And yet, when she was alive, she was so strong!' Kanami thought.

She turned to the ebony-haired girl next to her. "Hiyori-chan, this is just a dream, right? Yukari-sama...can't be dead."

Hiyori's face was closed off. Yet, Kanami noticed her ever so carefully lay a hand on her okatana. And surreptitiously, the Heijou Toji's eyes surveyed the courtyard, studying everything. From the chief police officer talking with Maki and Suzuka, to the media reporters bombarding the other policemen with questions, Hiyori's narrowed eyes took it all in. And to Kanami's surprise, an almost cruel grin crossed Hiyori's face.

"Hiyori-chan?"

"Hm?"

"What do we do?" Kanami's face was working. Her fingers spasmodically pulled her short ponytail as she'd always do whenever her nerves were tingling.

Hiyori didn't reply, at first, making Kanami think she ignored her. But then, she sighed, saying, "Let's check up on Akane-sama and the presidents. Shidou Maki and Konohana Suzuka seem to have things covered here with the police."

They found the adults sitting in the library. It was a quaint-looking room and unlike the others in the mansion, it had a modern interior. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases were built into the walls, along with a faux fireplace. The tea tray had been brought into the library earlier, but nobody felt as though they could drink a drop. Sitting on one of the plush sofas, Ema and Iroha tried their best to comfort Akane, who was wiping her swollen eyes with a handkerchief. Yuzuki, who was smoking cigarette after cigarette, was clearly in a state of agitation. Her normally calm and serious eyes were now half-lidded and twitching slightly. It was strange to Kanami and Hiyori to see their leaders so perturbed.

Pacing up and down the room, Sana broke out into an outburst of agitated speech. "The whole thing doesn't make sense. She was in perfectly good health."

Her heart as hard as flint, Yukina let one word interrupt the atmosphere. It was a bitter tone and it seemed to make the room just as cold.

"Murder!"

Everyone stared at her. Even Kanami and Hiyori couldn't help feeling chills run down their spines at Yukina's bold proclamation.

"What do you mean by that, Yukina-senpai?" Sana asked, coolly.

Yukina set her lips tightly together, before raising her chin with fierce pride. The adults couldn't help thinking she looked so unlike the young girl she once was when they all went to school together.

"Are you that dimwitted, Director Maniwa, to not understand one simple word?" Yukina snapped. "It is obvious that somebody is a traitor against Yukari-sama and killed her!"

"Which is why we're here."

All eyes fell towards the library door. Maki and Suzuka were just entering, alongside two well-dressed men of which one of them had just spoken. Bewildered, Kanami's eyes immediately widened.

"Father?!"

"Kanami?"

Everyone's face was just as surprised. Hiyori's, specifically, read, "Explanation, please." The surprised expression of Kanami's father became a grave one, as he stared at his daughter.

"Kanami, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"On duty," she replied, shortly, adding, "with Hiyori-chan."

The short pudgy man beside Kanami's father gave the Minoseki Toji a good-natured grin, showing his perfectly white teeth. He tipped his hat with a slight bow.

"Pleasure seeing you again, Kanami-chan."

"You too, Sergeant Tanaka," came the reply.

The sergeant looked exactly the same as when Kanami last saw him, which was a few weeks ago. As her father's colleague, Sergeant Tanaka knew Kanami since she was a little girl. Whenever he wasn't working, Kanami always liked talking with him. There were many things she could share with the sergeant that she sometimes couldn't with her father and older brother. To Kanami, Sergeant Tanaka was more like an uncle than just a friend.

Yukina, who was getting impatient, interrupted the reunion. She pointed at Kanami's father and Sergeant Tanaka, demanding, "Who are you two? What's going on?"

Kanami's father took charge. "Madams, I am Inspector Etou and this is my colleague, Sergeant Tanaka. We are responsible for investigating Toji-related crimes and shall likewise be investigating this one."

His words were not met with jubilation nor even the slightest hint of cheer. No matter how many times he had to give announcements such as this, Inspector Etou knew he'd never get used to it. Secretly, he always hated the sour ambience that would follow, the angry and despairing protests, the firing of questions at him...

"Do you really think this is a crime, Inspector Etou?" Ema asked, lifting her face imploringly to the man's.

"You're suggesting that one of us—one of Yukari-sama's own friends—killed her?" Sana accused, with a frown she normally reserved for Kaoru. "Is that what you're implying?"

Inspector Etou raised his hand to try to calm the disorder. "Ladies, if you please. While the authorities do consider Yukari-sama's passing to be indeed suspicious, until the medical examiner has identified the cause of death, we are not releasing a definite statement just yet. For now, the police are looking for evidence in the room of the deceased, along with the rest of the estate grounds."

"We'll speak with all of you individually in a few minutes," Sergeant Tanaka added. "However, we must also inform you that until the investigation is completed, you are all to remain here at the mansion."

Inspector Etou's words caused grumbling, but when everyone heard the sergeant's, several voices simultaneously broke out in objection—Yukina's, in particular. Her arms crossed in front of her, Maki snuck a glance at Suzuka, who had her eyebrows raised quizzically. The dark red-haired girl couldn't help observing the behaviour of the five presidents with a suspicious eye. All of them were clearly desperate to leave the estate as soon as possible.

'Too desperate...' Suzuka thought, with narrowed eyes.

Exasperated, Sana leaned against the fireplace mantle, saying, "I have work that needs attending to."

Yukina, who made it her new goal to cause everyone to be as annoyed as she was, yelled, "Don't we all?! Especially me! Inspector, you really expect us all to just sit tight here, when there's paperwork on our desks that are probably piling up these very seconds as I speak?!"

While everyone's attention was on Yukina letting out her fits of temper, Kanami felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and was slightly shocked to see Maki with such a stony expression.

"What is it, Shidou-san?"

The Elite Guard took care to look around and make sure nobody was watching them. She pulled Kanami to the farthest corner of the room, before covertly whispering into the Minoseki Toji's ear.

"What I'm about to say will be troubling and you won't like it," Maki said, vaguely. "As you know, despite the mansion being very traditional, it also has state-of-the-art security. Which, I must add, was working perfectly. Any outsiders entering last night would've immediately set off several alarms."

She paused, letting her words sink in so that Kanami could think over them.

In a low serious voice, the Elite Guard said, "You realize what that means, don't you, Etou?"

A heavy weight seemed to start pressing against Kanami's chest, as she tore her gaze from Maki's to scan around the library. Like terrified prey that was keeping a watch out for a nearby predator, the Minoseki Toji looked at those in the room. Akane was still wiping away her tears. Ema and Iroha were no longer comforting her, now sitting rigidly upright with their faces full of confusion. Yuzuki was still smoking, her eyes glazed over. As for Sana and Yukina, they were verbally fighting and staring each other down with the best glares they could muster. When Kanami's eyes met Hiyori's, she was taken aback. Hiyori's normally determined eyes now wavered with a hint of terror.

In her overflowing mind, Kanami thought gravely, 'If Yukari-sama was indeed murdered last night…the killer is with us in this room right now…'

A/N: Who could possibly be the murderer? I will reveal subtle clues in the later chapters, so pay attention! Chapter 3 will go over what happened on that fateful night. I'd love to know your thoughts and theories. Feel free to leave them in the reviews below!