"Oh, boy," Kimi said contentedly. "Looks like we're actually getting into the meat and potatoes of this case. 'Bout time, honestly."
"I guess it has taken us a while to get here, huh?" Takeshi replied. "Though, uh, I'm not sure if that's the right way to use that phrase."
"Yeah, I don't care," Kimi said.
"All of us can hear the two of you, you know," Bankei pointed out. "Personally, it seems like we've taken some time to arrive at this particular conclusion because it doesn't particularly make sense. After all, we are now considering whether or not someone managed to lure the both of them there, kill the both of them, and then rearrange the crime scene to make it look as though they killed each other."
"Sure, it seems weird," Naoko admitted. "I'm not gonna deny that. But at the same time, I think it at least makes as much sense as any other idea on the table right now."
"Well, right off the bat, I can't say there's anything wrong with the idea," Eryu said.
"So, part of messing with the crime scene would've been giving both of them those knives, right?" Mariko asked. "Does that mean that the killer gave one of them the knife they used, or did they give them two fresh knives that the killer dipped in blood and got rid of theirs?"
"I don't feel particularly inclined to think the specifics matter too much to us, given that the end result is the same," Mareo replied.
"Wait! I have a question," Mine interjected.
"Say what's on your mind then, girl," Ishi replied encouragingly.
"Okay, so, let's hang on one sec," Mine began. "We know from earlier that the knife that was on Haru's dinner plate was missing, right? And we figured that he could've taken it to the scene of the crime. But if he didn't do that, and the killer just planted a knife on him, then what about the knife from the plate?"
"Huh. Oh yeah," Takeshi replied. "I remember that. So, what does that mean for this whole double murder idea?"
"I would say that it raises some tricky questions," Yori said. "Could it mean, for example, that Haru actually did bring the knife to the scene of the crime?"
"Even if he did, so long as they didn't fight each other, it never saw use," Naoko reasoned. "It's not like the knife on Haru's plate being missing from his cell disputes the idea, though. After all, the killer could've just gone to his cell after killing them, saw the knife was there, and took it."
"Do you mean the killer took it to the crime scene, or that they simply disposed of it?" Bankei asked.
"I guess they could've taken it back to the kitchen," Naoko supposed. "That, or they put it in Haru's hand."
"So if the killer took Haru's knife," Bankei began, "they either took it back to the crime scene some time after having tampered with the rest of it, or they took it back to the kitchen, thus leaving Haru with a different knife, which as far as the killer would've known, would look nothing like the one he was actually given with his meal."
"...Well, alright then," Kimi responded, looking like she was having trouble wrapping her head around what Bankei had just said. "Is that supposed to debunk the idea, or…?"
"I think I understand what she's trying to say," Naoko said. "If the knife given to Haru with his meal was different from the one the killer planted on him, we'd be able to deduce it."
"So what did the knife you found look like, exactly?" Mariko asked.
"Well, the main thing that I noticed was that it was serrated," Mareo replied. "Aside from that, it didn't seem particularly remarkable. I have no doubt we have multiple knives that look just like it."
"Then what about the knife he was given?" Mariko inquired further. "Takeshi, do you remember?"
"Well, I don't…" Takeshi began to speak, but stopped and shook his head. "Yeah, sorry, but I don't remember."
"You remembered the knife was there, but you don't even know what it looked like?" Kimi asked in sheer bafflement.
"Hey, I'm really sorry, honest," Takeshi responded. "I just remember that it was there, not what it looked like. It wasn't really something I paid any mind to. It's like…when you read a book or something. You know what happens in it, what it conveys, but you don't remember every line."
"That's understandable," Yori replied. "So, would that mean that the killer somehow knew what the knife looked like, or would they simply have to bank on nobody, not even Takeshi himself, knowing?"
"The plate would've had to have been transported from the first floor all the way to the third," Naoko said. "It's possible that the killer saw it while it was being taken there."
"Yeah, well, I can't say I remember everyone I passed on my way there, either," Takeshi admitted glumly.
"I remember I passed by you," Ishi spoke up. "Of course, I can't say I remember anything about that knife, either. So, y'know, I guess I can't blame you for not remembering."
"That…" Bankei said annoyedly, only to suddenly end up trailing off. "...Well, that aside, perhaps you have a point. It seems possible that someone caught a glimpse of the knife on the plate Takeshi delivered, and have decided to keep quiet about it. Knowledge like that would certainly help when tampering with the crime scene…but I'm afraid it would only go so far."
"Why's that?" Mareo asked.
"Well, the killer would surely have to do more than give the two of them knives to make it look like they killed each other," Bankei reasoned.
"Of course," Naoko agreed. "We know that just by looking at the way that their bodies were positioned. Just looking at them, it looked a lot like they were facing each other, and then collapsed backwards. If they killed each other, that's not that weird, but otherwise, it doesn't make a lot of sense if that was just how they fell."
"So, one of them was jumped by the killer, and the other one, based on where he fell, just kinda…stood there?" Mine contemplated. "Yeah, I guess that is a little crazy. You'd think the one who the killer got to second would've tried to run away, or stop the killer, or something. Fight or flight, that sorta thing."
"So, that means that one of the bodies would have had to have been moved, or at least repositioned," Yori reasoned.
"If that is indeed the case, then that causes there to be a discrepancy between what we saw and what happened," Mareo replied. "Both of them were found in a pool of blood, that much is obvious. However, there's no other indication of blood anywhere else in the PA room."
"Well, that's easy," Naoko responded. "The killer would have just had to remove the blood from anywhere that didn't make sense with the tampered crime scene."
"Removed the blood, you say?" Mareo asked. "Do you mean they went all the way to the laundry room on the second floor to get cleaning supplies, after already having tampered with the crime scene?"
"It's not like they'd have to go to another floor," Ishi interjected. "Y'know those bathrooms we got on the third floor? In them, there's a stall that's just for cleaning stuff. The killer could've just gone there instead of trekking up the stairs to the floor above."
"That does seem like a more practical place to get cleaning supplies, sure," Eryu said. "But hang on a second. No matter how short the trip to go and get the supplies needed to clean up any unwanted bloodstains, the killer would've been risking leaving a trail of blood from the PA room to where the cleaning supplies were taken from."
"The same thing is true if we're to assume that the killer went and got Haru's knife from his dinner plate, all the way in his cell," Naoko pointed out. "The killer had to make sure they wouldn't leave any bloodstains behind after having killed the both of them."
"That would prove to be quite troublesome unless said cleaning supplies were in their possession at the time of the murder," Yori surmised.
"In their possession?" Kimi asked bemusedly. "You mean as in they had the stuff with them at the crime scene already? What, did they bring a big-ol bag full of the shit with them?"
"Well, sure," Naoko supposed. "The killer had time to prepare, after all. They could've brought the supplies with them, or better yet, placed them at the scene of the crime beforehand."
"You mean they hid the stuff somewhere in the room?" Mariko asked.
"It's definitely possible," Naoko said. "In the northmost corner of the room, there's a couple of large lockers. We checked them ourselves and saw that there was very little in them. There would've been plenty of space to store cleaning supplies."
"Oh yeah, that's right," Mine replied. "So, with all that, I guess that means that the killer could've messed with the crime scene however much they wanted, and it'd be alright."
"Yes," Yori replied, "and as we've gone over, it seems as though that would include moving one or both of the bodies. That, in itself, seems interesting to me."
"I could imagine moving around Hoshi's body well enough, but Haru's body?" Ishi said. "I dunno, man. He was a big dude. You'd have to be strong as all hell to lug a guy like that around."
"Even if the killer was able to move Haru's body," Naoko responded, "if the killer had to do so, I'd imagine that would mean that the killer went after Hoshi first, and then Haru."
"Like we've said, the killer would've had time to plan things out," Eryu said. "I would have to think that they'd decide to get the jump on Haru, since he'd be the more dangerous one between him and Hoshi if either decided to fight back."
"Exactly," Naoko agreed. "So Haru was the first victim."
"But he was stabbed in the chest and not the back, right?" Takeshi asked.
"Yes, he was," Yori replied. "That discrepancy came up earlier, I believe. The proposed solution was that the killer could have stabbed their knife into his chest from behind. I suppose that that could be the case, so long as the killer knew what they were doing."
"Sure," Mine said. "Just hold the knife the other way, and that could totally be done. So…yeah. I guess that's that. The killer snuck up on Haru, and reached around from behind."
"Ha!" Ishi laughed. "Nice one, Mine."
"What is?" Mine asked, clearly unaware.
Most of the others there just stayed quiet about it, apparently uninterested in humoring the situation. The main exception ended up being Bankei, who responded with a good deal of displeasure.
"There was never any need for that sort of behavior, Ishi," she scolded. "Besides, the only real purpose that sort of remark can serve is to distract us from a serious issue with the concept."
"...I'm sorry, what?" Ishi asked in bafflement.
"I said that there's an issue with the idea that Haru was attacked from behind," Bankei repeated. "How likely is it that a stab wound or two would cause him to become unable to fight back? If the killer attacked by reaching their arm around Haru, that would mean that they would most likely be reaching around Haru's arm."
"And why the hell does that matter?" Kimi questioned.
"Certainly, Haru, even if he were jumped, would have at least a small window of opportunity to fight back," Bankei answered. "He could have thrown his arm up to knock the killer's knife away, or elbowed the killer in the stomach. All he would need would be the physical fortitude and the strength to retaliate. I have little doubt he had both, and based on what we know, there shouldn't be anything that would suggest the contrary."
"Hang on a minute," Naoko replied quickly. "Just because Haru could potentially have retaliated doesn't mean that he did. Mareo said himself that at least one of the stab wounds inflicted on him must've hit something vital. For all we know, that could've made it so that Haru couldn't fight back."
"You're saying then that the killer managed to stab Haru in just the right spot to immobilize him?" Bankei questioned. "And from behind? On the first or second stab? I sincerely doubt it."
"Well…" Mariko trailed off. "I guess that makes sense. I mean, I've never been stabbed before, but I'd imagine if it doesn't hit anything super important, you can still control your body just fine."
"Exactly," Bankei replied graciously. "The only way he wouldn't have been able to fight back is if he were a particularly weak individual. However, I highly doubt that he was in any way weak at the time."
"What do you mean 'at the time'?" Naoko asked.
"Well, if he were for some reason in a poor state already," Bankei reasoned, "then perhaps he'd be too weak to fight back. However, I see no way he would have been in such a state to begin with. There shouldn't be anything in this facility that could weaken him to such a degree."
"Wait, huh? Really?" Mine asked. "That's funny. I feel like there might be something that could do something like that."
Mine looked deep in thought, and Naoko was right beside her. He was intrigued by what they were considering. Bankei was saying that there was no way that Haru wouldn't have been in an optimal state at the time of the murder, and perhaps she had a point. He seemed to be eating well, and probably wasn't exposed to anything that could've made him sickly. Then again, maybe Takeshi was a better authority on that, since he was the one that took care of Haru's needs throughout all of yesterday.
Although…maybe there was something that could've happened to him. Mine looked like she was still pondering the idea. Granted, she wasn't the only one that looked in deep thought, but it still made Naoko think in turn. Could she have had something particular on her mind? What could she have known about that the rest of them didn't?
That was when Naoko remembered something the two of them were both involved in just a couple of days ago. Perhaps the reason why she seemed like she showed such interest in the idea was because of that. Maybe, just maybe, she had picked up on something most of the rest of them hadn't yet. It was a long shot, but if what he was thinking about was right, they were already in a decent position to figure things out from there.
"Say, Mine, I think I know what you're thinking of," he said.
"You do?" Mine asked. "Because I dunno myself. There's something I think I should know, but I haven't quite figured out what it is. It's on the tip of my tongue, though!"
"Well, I remember you and Ishi were involved with the whole 'decorating with flowers' thing from a couple days ago," Naoko explained.
"Right!" Mine said excitedly. "And you helped too!"
"I did," Naoko replied. "And I'm guessing you or Ishi must've looked through that folder that contained information about all the different flowers in that room."
"Wait," Eryu interjected. "Is this going where I think it's going?"
"I guess so," Naoko surmised. "You brought up the idea earlier, but I think you did so in the wrong context. I would imagine that among the many different kinds of flowers in that room, at least a few would be poisonous."
"I have the folder in my possession," Yori said. "I would imagine if I went through all the different varieties of flowers described within, I'd be able to find something that would make sense for our purposes."
"So, wait, what the fuck is going on now?" Kimi interjected. "Are we discussing whether or not Haru was poisoned by a flower, or what?"
"I guess so," Ishi replied. "I kinda skimmed through the pages myself, so I don't know much. I feel like IMONO wouldn't want us having poisonous stuff, though, y'know?"
"Actually, hang on a minute," Takeshi responded. "I think I remember one thing from when I first looked through that folder. There was something about a variant of an 'Angel's Trumpet' that caught my eye. Maybe it was just the name, but…I remember there was something about it. A warning, or something."
Yori already had the folder in her hand and was flipping through it as he spoke. "Here it is. It says here that this specific breed of the Angel's Trumpet flowers is meant to be less poisonous than most breeds, but still contains some poison, especially in the seeds. If ingested, the symptoms include headaches, confusion, dilated pupils…and severe muscle impairment."
"Oh, shit!" Ishi exclaimed. "I didn't know that, that's for sure. Good thing we just left it in the nursery and didn't put it in, like, the cafeteria or something."
"That's not all," Yori said. "This specifies that the symptoms are fairly muted until approximately four hours after ingestion. Based on that, and considering what we already know…"
"There was one way that poison would've been able to enter his system," Naoko continued off of her. "We know that he ate his dinner last night. The fact that the plate was mostly barren is proof enough of that. Takeshi, when did you give him his dinner?"
"Around 6:45," Takeshi answered. "I remember because Hoshi called me up to have me deliver it, and he was kinda particular about the time."
"Wait, does that mean that Hoshi poisoned his food?" Mariko asked worriedly. "If they met around 10:45, and the poison in the flower had a four hour delay…then how did he even do that? Did he just sprinkle some of the flower's seeds on it?"
"I feel like that might've been a bit too obvious," Naoko replied. "There could've been some other method that the killer could've used. Maybe…crushing them into a powder and adding it to the steak Haru ate? Just a thought."
"Whatever the case may be, I think it's fair to say that Hoshi wouldn't have been the one to do so," Yori said. "If this was a double murder, orchestrated by a third person, then that third person had to have been the one to do so."
"Then we simply have to deduce who had the opportunity to lace Haru's meal with poison," Bankei said. "But…oh. Oh my. This is concerning."
"What is?" Ishi asked.
"Well, it's just…" Bankei was clearly hesitating, as if she didn't want to finish the thought. "I didn't want to consider it for too long, but…Takeshi. You were the one who delivered it, were you not?"
"Wait, what?" Takeshi responded, looking like he was some combination of worried and flat-out bewildered. "But…you said because I was a man of faith, that I…"
"I didn't want to consider it for that reason, yes," Bankei replied gravely. "But…you were the only one who had the opportunity to do so, didn't you? You were the only one that could have even been in the plate's proximity long enough to do so. I doubt someone could do it while moving past you in the halls."
"Well, sure, but…" Takeshi said, nervousness rising in his voice.
The whole thing just seemed odd. Bankei was really retracting what she said earlier? And more importantly, was she right to do so? It didn't seem like it to Naoko…and he thought he knew why. She was saying nobody else could've done it, but he knew from his own experiences that there was one other possible suspect. If he was right about what he was thinking, then things were only going to get even stranger as everything fell into place.
"Actually, there's one other person that could've poisoned his food," Naoko interjected. "Someone who was in the room with him when he was preparing Haru's meal."
"But I thought he did everything by himself," Mariko pointed out.
"That he did," Naoko replied, "but that doesn't mean somebody couldn't go inside the kitchen in order to do so. Isn't that right, Bankei?"
INTERMISSION