Good morning, everyone! This lovely Sunday brings you chapter 12, and with it a lot of cross-over with Shortest Distance. Right now simply isn't the time to add more of my own stuff, especially because we get to have one of the first longer chats with these two. Feel free to head over to zero-damage's pages and cross-read. :)

Thanks to all reviews, you keep me motivated nicely.

Special thanks to zero-damage on reddit for proofing my scribbles.

Extra thanks to Ikasury for PM shenanigans and Piña Coladas.

September 13th, 2011

How soon would the provoked reaction ensue, she wondered. Would it, even? So far she had not arrived at a conclusive point in her theory which would allow her to predict the next few days.

Naoto decided to be prepared either way and provide copious amounts of opportunity for the kidnapper/murderer to strike. Facilitating them needed to be balanced with protecting herself, of course, without being too inapproachable. Further, she needed to direct the flow of rumor. Showing herself in public today would solidify her work from last night.

After getting up, she spent some time depositing her gathered files into the living room closet; heaping it in, if she was being honest with herself. Subsequently, she had showered, dressed and headed to the flood plains early. She knew the path the teens would take and was certain that they would have met to share their observations of last night's interview. Hopefully they would, and in doing so, assist in spreading the hearsay about the Detective Prince.

She leaned against a tree, giving anyone passing flat, calculating stares. She would not invite any sort of palaver with anyone except the ones she needed to speak to this morning. Accentuating her image as the mysterious young detective could start after that was done with.

When not putting up her defenses, she allowed herself to ponder last night's interview. She heard her name whispered whenever someone walked by, be them a student or house wives up early for morning errands. In that regard it would seem her gamble had started paying off. Those who had watched would mention it to those who did not and showing herself in public helped prompt people so they would continue spreading the word.

Still, she felt some anxiousness. She urgently had to ensure that the 'investigation team' knew of her measures. If she was correct in her assumptions so far, implausible and fantastic as they appeared to her, then this group of teens would be the ones who would react to her disappearance.

If she was feeling truthful, she might very well place her life into the hands of these teens. Although they were her peers, there was no doubt that they could not match her skill in both policing and deduction. It was also unlikely that they would even be needed, as she was fairly certain she was capable of extracting herself from a kidnapping situation on her own. And if not, this group of students would need to be her limited backup. She had to meet them this morning to solidify her chances of success. They had managed so far, and without clues, so her giving things a nudge should make it a bit easier for them to comprehend.

Also, she could not risk their interference fully. If she was too generous with the details of her plan, they could very well decide to foolishly play hero and impede into her abduction. An interference she had to avoid at all cost, if she wanted to gather a validation of her hypothesis and use herself as demonstration of the perpetrators method. She needed proof, irrefutable and solid, to ensure that the police would re-work the Kubo case.

Looking towards town, she saw her assumption confirmed. The teens walked up towards the school, a gaggle of chatter carrying the words 'Niteline' and 'Detective Prince' towards her. Good, that would hasten matters.

As they drew closer, she could hear Satonaka-san say "Yea! It was weird! He so doesn't strike me as the kinda guy who'd go on a TV show..."

A fitting entry point into the conversation. "Agreed. I, too, would have preferred not to do it." Pushing herself away from the tree, she stepped on the patch and approached them. She stopped several steps in front of them. Not exactly blocking their path, but making sure they would not just be able to walk past her. "Good morning. I have been waiting for you all. There's something I needed to discuss with you regarding the case."

The detective gazed over the group. Her plan's backup, even if they may not be so voluntarily. Present were only the four second-years and Kujikawa. She felt an irrational moment of disappointment that Tatsumi was not with them. He was ponderous and awkward, and yet, he was the one person she had interacted with on a cordial basis the most. His presence would have been a familiar amenity during this confrontation. Well. Nothing for it now. They will certainly inform him of what is about to transpire this morning.

As so often the case, it was Hanamura who spoke up first. "Discuss? Dude, we'll be late for class if we talk too long…" He trailed off and looked her over, puzzled. "Hey, where's your uniform?"

Naoto was pleased he noted her lack of school uniform, a vital hint for them, but spoke over his question. "Could you please indulge my current theory on the matter?"

"That again? Well..." Hanamura exchanged a look with Narukami before turning back to her. "What is it...?"

The detective turned her back on them, then took a slow breath before replying. She needed to think carefully. Leave the right clues, avoid them interfering too soon and still stress that she knew what this was about. She tucked down her cap, placed a hand on her hip and stared at a crack in the pavement for a moment before she spoke.

"First, as regards commonalities between the victims, all of them were kidnapped before they were murdered. The victims were all locals who had been the focus of recent media attention, becoming suddenly well-known...That is the most likely scenario. I don't believe there's anything intrinsically unique about the victims themselves..." She glanced over her shoulder. "Haven't you all come to the same conclusion?"

After a moment of quiet, it was Narukami who spoke up. "Yeah, we did."

Naoto nodded and looked away from them again. "Then, allow me to state my point. Will you admit that a number of you fit these identical circumstances? There was a long interval between the second and third deaths in this case. But after I applied the aforementioned criteria, I discovered several similar disappearances had taken place. Yukiko Amagi. Kanji Tatsumi. Rise Kujikawa. All of you disappeared shortly after being shown on TV. Either you escaped death somehow, or you faked your own disappearances in order to divert attention from yourselves. Since some of you had ties to the victims, there came a point where I suspected one of you must be the culprit."

There was a shocked silence. Had they really not come to that conclusion themselves? Did they not see how suspicious they have acted and what the logical conclusion of that would be?

"You thought one of us was the killer!? You can't be serious!" Satonaka sounded furious.

Naoto shook her head slowly. "You misunderstand, Satonaka-san. This was a prior theory, since discarded. Putting together everything I've learned until this moment, I believe exactly the opposite. You aren't the culprits." She hesitated a moment, sorting her thoughts to make sure she picked the right turn of phrase to convince them and to recruit their assistance. "You may, in fact, be the only ones with the means to pursue the true perpetrator. If seen as a joining of forces between the rescued, everything falls into place."

She halted for a moment, the hand on her hip toying with her gun's cord for a moment. Running her previous words through her head, she checked it for what she had revealed so far. It came down to her explaining what they had been doing, and that she knew. This indubitably would convince them that trying to hide from her, or indeed mock her, was no longer the correct course of action. They needed a new approach in their interactions with her. And Naoto could offer them one.

It was time to share something she knew which they did not for certain. "Of course, this is all speculation. There is in fact a flaw in the theory. It doesn't account for the third incident. Mr. Morooka's murder, which we previously spoke of. He has never been broadcast on television, and neither did he ever disappear."

Someone behind her shifted, took a few steps, but then halted - or was stopped. She continued. "We must also consider the condition of his corpse. The first two victims are still listed with an unknown cause of death...But Mr. Morooka died of an easily identifiable blunt force trauma to the occipital cranium. The police have not satisfactorily resolved this discrepancy, yet they are desperate to close the case."

Much of what she had just revealed would be badly misplaced if she was wrong and they were indeed involved in the killings… but if they were not, she needed to make sure they could discriminate the facts as much as she did herself.

And now that they knew, she needed to ensure they also knew what to expect next. "Further action will be necessary to obtain some sort of decisive evidence." Yes, that should suffice as a clue. She moved the hand from her hip and patted her pocket a moment, feeling the concealed pen knife. She would be ready and prepared. She just needed to make sure they were, too.

It sounded like Satonaka-san's anger had disappeared. She sounded confused and slightly anxious when she spoke up next. "Further action...? What do you mean?"

Naoto turned to face them. Slowly looking in each of their eyes, she hoped they understood the urgency of the situation. Her case depended on them, but saying so could make them take matters too far into their own hands. She needed to remain in control and she would need a certain head start to do so. By her current estimations, they would have found her to be missing in a day or two, by which time the perpetrator certainly will have taken action. She would then, in turn, be in an adequate position to free herself, escape and possibly count on the assistance of these teens, should she actually find herself unable to do so on her own.

For a brief moment the thought that she might be found as the next victim tried to surface, but she stamped down on that particular thought. Hard.

"Well, whatever the outcome...the evidence should come to light. You said something interesting to me not long ago."

She smiled briefly, tapped the brim of her cap at them and headed back towards town.

Hanamura turned as she walked by and called out to her. "Hey, where are you going? You'll miss class if you-"

She stopped and softly replied. "This is not a game for me, either." In simple games, one does not gamble ones' life.

The last she heard as she departed was Amagi's very quiet "Naoto-kun…".

She spent the rest of the day being exceedingly visible and as prominent as she could manage.

A slow stroll through Junes rewarded her with excited whispers about "that interview last night" or "so young and already so many solved cases". Generally she detested people speaking about her, but right now she needed to cause as much incitement as she possibly could.

She visited every store in the shopping district, too, making sure to be noticed and commented about. She answered a few short questions by curious passersby. She ate lunch outside of Souzai Daigaku, making sure she sat outside and well visible. The weather played along nicely, the late summer sun was warm and if she had not been carefully keeping her surroundings in mind, she would have been able to fully enjoy the day.

As it was, with all her preparation in place, she still wondered if the abductor would strike at any moment or if they first formulated a plan.

She spend her evening on the hill, not to jovially watch the sunset, but to memorize the topography of the area. If she were to be taken to somewhere in Inaba, she was certain she could find her way around promptly, but she wanted to be sure that she could do the same in case she was taken somewhere near the city as well.

She even walked up to the station, but remembering the broadcast, changed her mind. She should at least wait a few days before she would reach with both hands into that specific wasps' nest.

By the time she left, the sun had long set and she was wandering back home by a route using many detours. She wanted to be ready. She needed to be. This was her highest gamble yet and without utter focus and concentration, she might well end in a serious predicament.

And so, as Naoto found herself slowly promenading southbound through the late-night shopping district, she heard a call from behind… and, unanticipatedly, above. She turned, not seeing anyone behind her. Peering past the glare of the street lamps, she tipped back her head to look up.

"Yo, Naoto! Wait!"

She quickly realized that she was beside Tatsumi Textiles. Her muscle memory had turned her down this street to take her to the bus stop, but she had not anticipated being noticed. This was absolutely not what she needed right now. A distraction.

As much as she would have wished to see Tatsumi this morning, she needed to avoid his interference now. He had shown a protective streak towards those he considered friends in the past, and his recent behavior since Port Island would indicate that he considered Naoto Shirogane as someone that fell in that group.

She whirled back and started to quick-march herself down the street, headed towards the bus stop. There was no time to waste with repartee and his very own brand of witticism.

There was, however, a problem when trying to put any amount of distance between oneself and Tatsumi. His gait had considerable reach and she found herself swiftly outpaced when he decided to dash after her. She had barely managed to get past the shrine's ground, when his steps thundered to a slower pace beside her.

"Dammit, I was calling you!" Tatsumi snapped, slowing from his jog. Not even out of breath.

She didn't respond. There was no need for it, this was not the time for it, and if he just-

She was grabbed. Her immediate reflexes, honed by some rather rigorous martial arts training when younger, kicked in at once. She ducked out of the grasp, dancing back and sideways. She felt the hand – Tatsumi's – slide off her shoulder, tugging at her shirt for a moment and she ended her motion by slapping his wrist away from her. She stood, right leg forward, left back, both slightly bent, the balls of her feet balancing her. Her hands were open, but on the height of her hips, ready to reach or redirect as needed.

Her head snapped up and she stared at him. "Do not do that again" she muttered. The tall young man had taken a step back as well, seemingly startled. She relaxed a little, her heels gently touching the ground, and adjusted her collar with both hands. Her glare remained fixed on him. Personal boundaries! Did such things not matter to others?

"You wouldn't stop!"

As if that- How does that- "You - I seem to encounter you every time I-" Naoto folded her arms tightly across her chest. Her mind and tongue battled for their say; outrage and confusion vying for attention first. She turned her head and gazed to the ground. Another diversion. One she could simply not afford to have right now. "I am positive there are other activities you could be pursuing, Tatsumi-san."

"Kanji. You called me that before, back on the trip." He sounded as if trying to reason with her.

"Tatsumi-san." She barely even knew him! "Why are you following me?"

"You were walkin' past my house!" He gestured with his open right hand up the street, as if that were any kind of an explanation.

"And you ran downstairs to meet me." She squared up. He is just way too tall. Her chin tilted up, her stare hardened, her hand settled on her hip. "I am simply returning from the police station. This is the most direct route to the bus stop."

"Thought the cops didn't want you 'round no more," Kanji mumbled, rolling his shoulders as if getting ready to tackle her again.

Naoto bristled, but her voice dropped to a near-freezing point. "My professional affairs are none of your concern."

"But you didn't come to school." He looked confused at that, possibly even worried. Her assessment that he considered her someone to look after seemed on point. Further: Really not something she'd need right this moment. His eyes tried to peer at her in the poor lighting between street lamps. "You sick or something?"

"No," she said flatly, coldly. "I simply wanted to check on a few things. Ensure matters are settled." She had ended up not yet daring to enter the building, but he did not need to know that. The officers would not care much either way right now, and she had a feeling even if she would be taken, no one there would understand the urgency of the matter.

Tatsumi let out a grunt and ran a hand through his hair. "The case is over, Naoto, Kubo's in jail. You got to be on television and be the big man, and you-"

This was too much. Be the big man? He is naïve, but did he truthfully not understand what the goal of that appearance was? Naoto rounded on him, eyes blazing, fists clenched. Her voice vibrated in her throat as she practically growled at him. "Do you really think that is why I'm still in Inaba?" She kept advancing, glowering, her chin pushed forward. Even looking up at him, she felt him take hesitant steps backwards. "That I- I went on that ridiculous show to-"

Had she come across as gloating? As taking credit? She had said in the interview, that this was not yet the time for any congratulations.

She stopped short, jolted back, her breath caught painfully in her throat. Tugging angrily at her cap she twisted half away from the young man. "You must think I am-"

"That ain't it, I just..." His voice trailed off.

Naoto turned and glared up at him. "Just what?"

His voice was much quieter now. "You - you're gonna come back to school tomorrow, right?" He looked down, brow furrowed. Something seemed off in his voice. The pitch was wrong. His stance was wrong. He was not challenging her any longer. He just seemed confused and possibly... worried? "You can't keep missing it. S'posed to be the smart guy."

This gave her pause. It was one thing to try and keep him somewhat at bay while she needed to ensure the trap would work. It was another entirely to possibly burn yet another bridge. She had already damaged her relationship with the local law enforcement. Being willfully disruptive with the young man felt unwise. He was still Kanji Tatsumi. Ponderous, quicksilver-mooded, confusing. But each interaction with him had been cordial and indeed to her advantage so far. And when considered further; disgruntling him could mean she could lose a possible ally in a situation she could not yet fully penetrate or plan ahead for.

She relented. Her glare melted into a gaze and she took a step back.

"I have no other option," Naoto muttered. But she needed him to know that right now, she was still in control. She felt her shoulders tensing and the muscles in her jaw tightening. "I..." How to finish this? "I trust I will see you again soon. Kanji-san."

It was an olive branch, if a small one. He seemed startled, but pleased at hearing her use his given name.

She nodded at him, turned, and walked quickly to the bus stop, fighting Kanji Tatsumi out of her mind.