hi, I know... it's been a while since last time right? many things happened... one was that my campaign (working place) closed and as a result am no longer working which kinda put a lot of projects on hold... I was planning to write the vampire ghost hunt au story after completing this one but I need to focus on my next steps for my future :(
ugh anyway I may become a virtual assistant, it may take me some time... so... pardon my lack of updates. Thank you for the understanding!
"murder?" Midori-san inquired with a shocked expression
"that's right"
"was it because of his looks?" Mai dumbly asked without meaning too
"..."
everyone shut up and turned to look at her, her face instantly turned red but surprisingly some actually agreed with her.
"certainly, you can call that glare a heart attack inducer. can't deny it's a weapon" Bou-san nodded easily.
"Takigawa-san, you should probably increase your distance... am worried that with your age, you may be the next victim "
"what do you mean!? am still young, this is what happens when you stick too close with the old hag, even Masako it's treating me like an old man"
even though he looked hurt he did took a few steps back.
Hirota frowned and called out angrily
"enough! I am someone from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's Special Investigation Department. am not referring to nonsense like that"
"..."
everyone turned to look at Naru now, he blinked his annoyed expression away and tilted his head.
sneering Hirota continued thinking that he could finally put an end to this scam.
"You are a key suspect in the case of the abandonment of your own brother Eugene Davis's corpse which was found this summer."
Takigawa stared at Hirota in mute amazement.
"... ... That guy, in other words, does that mean Naru-bou is suspected of killing his older brother?"
"Naturally, that's what I mean."
"While it may be true that this guy certainly has some problems with his personality as well as his feelings, I don't think he's ill enough to kill a person."
"He knew where to find the victim's corpse. How?"
They had received information about the corpse's discovery from the police in Nagano prefecture at the end of summer. It said that the divers discovered a corpse which was sunk inside a dammed lake. Naru had been the one who employed those divers and made them search for a corpse.
He had requested the divers to search for a corpse from the beginning. They had announced that the corpse was wrapped in a silver-colored sheet beforehand.
"I know that you're not going to accept it, but he already knew. Because this guy has got a special ability--"
"He knew because of his psychic ability, you were going to say, right? That was also written in the records. -- But."
Hirota stared at Naru's expressionless face.
"That sort of thing does not exist. Not to mention there's no proof that this guy has got that kind of power. Suppose he didn't have something like a psychic ability, then how would he have known that his older brother's corpse was there? -- Wouldn't it be obvious that he himself is the criminal or that he did it with an accomplice, right?"
Naru sighed and with a bored expression replied:
"Certainly you already investigated whether or not I was in Japan at the time of my older brother's death, didn't you?"
"Of course I had it investigated. -- However, these days there's also something we call passport forgery."
'I see,' Naru smiled. "If that means you find me suspicious, feel free to investigate me as much as you like. At your convenience."
"Convenience, you say?"
"Unfortunately I don't know Japanese law very well, but do you hold any legal force in this place as of this moment?"
"I'm still privately investigating."
"Well then, is it fine if you can let me get back to work? I dislike wasting time."
"You say it's a waste of time?" anger was evident on Hirota's voice
"Wait! sorry but am really curious since I don't know much either... Hirota-san can you really accuse Naru like this when you don't even have a conclusion to your investigation?" Mai raised her hand.
"tha- that!" Hirota stumbled and couldn't come up with a reply
"look at that! it's Mai's protection mode towards her boss! " the monk whistled and snickered which made Mai hit him.
Midori smiled at the young teen and agreed with Mai
"Hirota-kun I understand why you're doing this but you need proof, isn't that why you're here?"
"even if there's no concrete proof yet, they are not entirely innocent either, specially that girl Taniyama Mai!"
"eh?" Mai blinked and turned to look at him
"you're suspected of having burned down the Fukushima hospital in revenge for the death of your mother, you burned the hospital the very night she died"
Naru instantly felt the pull on the bond, he quickly turned to look at Mai, ignoring the shocked expressions of Masako and the monk.
Mai stepped back and felt the wall behind her, her hands instantly grabbed her head
"you infiltrated the hospital and on the basement -"
"there was no basement " Mai interrupted Hirota, her daze like behavior from back on the Vlad case was on. There was however a huge difference from then. She was in a narrative like state. The wall behind her began to show images.
"what the-"
Monk quickly shut Hirota up, he grew pale at the young brunette in front of them
"explain" Naru stepped forward squeezing the front of his chest. His voice however was calm, it was the tone he used for the hypnosis procedure"
Lin made the rest of them back away and pulled out his camera to record.
"beneath the parking lot what people refer to the basement was a hidden laboratory where the doctors conducted experiment on gifted people"
the images changed and provided a view of multiple people doing tasks and undergoing examinations including blood test and the like. people were wearing white shirts with numbers on them, while the doctors had lab coats.
"what was your number?"
"test subject 071"
the images changed to see her reflection on the metal like materials. Some images showed her reflection on glass surfaces and liquid like substances as she underwent electric shots and treated patients, her shirt number was visible on them.
Naru grimaced
"what happened to the hospital?"
".." Mai didn't answer but the images showed that when her mother died, she was dragged down against her will by the doctors and was injected some sort of liquid, she struggled... her body began to glow and then... gas tanks, and electric devices blew up and soon everything was on fire. the building collapsed on the inside and then everything went dark.
"how did you get out?" both Naru's and Mai's nose were bleeding.
"I crawled out.."
images of her digging up could be seen, it was still night and you could see her body shining to reconstruct herself as soon as she got out. She was not wearing the numbers like outfit but normal clothes, her hoodie was damaged and her pants had holes but she just ran from there. firetrucks could be seen arriving at the site.
the images stopped as Mai slumped down the wall. Lin stopped the recording and went to check on her. He instructed Naru to sit beside her, so that he could check him next.
monk finally released Hirota and turned to the women beside him that were too shocked to speak. Masako was even crying to his surprise
"what the hell was that"
Monk grimaced but explained
"that's Jou-chan for you. Not only can she astral project herself on different planes and places but she can project her memories as well. it is impossible to explain, She will forever be an enigma "
"memories? that really happened?" Hirota frowned
"isn't that something you should investigate? Lin duplicate the recording and give him a copy" Naru spat to Hirota in anger, his pained like expression gave a nice touch to his glare.
Lin nodded and checked Naru's pulse
"Takigawa-san, please tell Matsuzaki-san to bring fever reducing medicine and vitamin supplements tomorrow. we may run out of them soon, request the receipt as well"
"understood " the monk went to the phone
"Noll, do you require pain killers?"
"yes"
Nodding the Chinese man stood up "do not move yet, refrain from doing sudden movements"
Naru nodded.
"why are you like this, I kinda understand the girl fainting but your act makes no sense " Hirota glared at him, he still believed this was a scam.
"Hirota-kun!" Midori had her mother in her arms as she scolded him
"..."
Masako knelt besides Mai but answered since Naru closed his eyes in annoyance
"Naru and Mai have a psychic bond. Without Naru, this girl would be dead"
"what nonsense is that?" the cop spat with an incredulous tone
Masako sighed but she ignored the man, she won't answer any more.
"Naru did your brother had something to do with this?" The medium placed her hand on Mai's forehead.
the black haired teen frowned but nodded.
That state was not something created naturally. it was a state that ensured Mai's safety. He didn't want to admit it but Gene was better at hypnosis than him.
"it's a self protection state, not a bad thing to have"
"I see" she smiled bitterly
Lin returned just then and handle Naru some pills and water to take.
He swallowed them.
"I will move you both to the base"
his boss simply nodded, already used to this.
"The bond is hot... is her condition serious?"
"she has a fever and has fainted due to exhaustion. I will keep an eye on her tonight. There are no other issues but it is best that she remains within your perimeter due to the bond"
"..." his boss frowned, if possible Naru wanted her out of the case. She had experienced enough. He could care less if the police was after him but not after Mai.
Before the black haired teen could open his mouth Lin continued.
"we don't know what would happen if the distance increases with this state. It may be cut off, I advise against sending her home"
unknown to Lin this was the second time he regretted opening his mouth.
Midori turned to look at her mother and noticed how tired she was, excusing themselves they retired to their rooms.
"..."
Hirota frowned and went outside to make a call, he had a headache and still couldn't believe what had happened, of course he did so after checking the wall and searching for any projection device but it was weird since Mai didn't had any images on her body while the wall was displaying the images.
...
Hirota sulkily came back inside.
Unable to control his irritation Hirota wondered why Midori as well as Reiko chose to rely on a psychic more than him.
He went from the dining room to the corridor. Hirota let his gaze stop at the door of the washroom before of his eyes. The door was opened for only just a little. A cord that twisted through the corridor, disappeared through that crevice into the washroom. A camera had been placed inside by that company.
Hirota opened that door. The two cameras that were set up in the corner of the dressing room were filming the inside of the bathroom of which the glass panel was left open.
After frowning a little, Hirota felt anxious about the camera facing the bathroom.
For that reason -- He leaned a little from the washroom's door and yelled through the corridor into the direction of the base.
"Lin --. Sorry, but I'd like to use the bath."
Lin instantly showed up. He faced Hirota and lightly nodded. When he returned to the dressing room, the camera and the light element of the video cassette recorder at the camera's feet were turned off.
Hirota sighed. He shut the door as tight as possible and draped a towel over the camera just to be sure.
what was the reason for the camera there? something about temperature fluctuations was it?
he opened the faucet and washed his face.
'i want to finish this quickly'
Frowning he pulled away and opened his eyes. it smelled pretty bad, like something rusty
he froze. the sink, the floor and the bad tub were covered with a red substance like blood.
"huh?" he could see his breathing, he turned to look at the mirror.
his pale face was reflected on it. he felt chills running up and down his back.
something... behind him.. on his silhouette, a black shadow grew besides it.
"a... a.. ah.." he turned around no one was there.
he was breathing heavily, he turned to the mirror it was gone, he released his breath and swallowed hard.
"hah"
'was that an illusion?'
he turned back again and this time he was face to face with a woman
he inhaled, the stiff smell of blood filled his lungs. His body shook as he took in her appearance
"please spare that child"
red blood dropped from her lips and her lifeless eyes cried black tears, a hatchet and a kitchen knife was stuck to her body, bleeding profusely.
He blinked, he felt the cold like drops of blood splashing on his arms
"please -" she reached out to him
AHHHhhhhh!" the scream instantly left Hirota's lips
he pushed the woman away by reflex but she held onto his arms
"spare that child!"
bang* his back slammed the door open as he fell
Yeap, Hirota needs a punch xD I enjoyed writing the last part
thank yous for the reviews! I know this is short but will attempt to make the next chapter longer, see you soon!