Chapter Eleven
Granny's diner at the edge of Konoha was always the best place to sit and think. It didn't hurt that her breakfasts were glorious and the coffee likewise. It was also big on privacy if the need called for it, which it did. I wasn't surprised when Granny Ophelia led us back to a booth far from prying eyes and ears.
"Anything I can get for you dears?" Granny asked pleasantly.
"Coffee, black as my soul." I couldn't help but quip. She tutted but nodded before turning to Detective Akasuna.
"And you?"
"Same." Sasori answered briefly looking around. Granny nodded.
"I'll bring you some food while I'm at it." She smiled at me. "You're both too thin." I chuckled watching her walk away before turning to Detective Akasuna. His face was enough for me to know that the next topic wasn't one to take lightly.
"Go ahead, spill. I'll try to answer your questions as best I can."
"Uzumaki?" I winced. "You're from the notorious thief family?"
"Yes." I continued on. "I know what everyone says about how we're thief royalty since we've pulled off every escape and heist possible but honestly that's just stupid."
"And murder?"
"It's uncomfortable but do-able. We're not serial killers you know, we do have our reasons for murder."
"... Your 'nii-san' told two people to teach Raul and Sochi a lesson." Sasori continued.
"You're not going to budge on this are you? Teaching someone a lesson is just my brothers way of getting men to step off and leave me and my sister alone." Well, not for Anna anymore. "Nii-san is over-protective."
"From what I saw the other day you don't need protection." I tilted my head trying to think when I kicked someone's ass in front of him. "When you were leaving The Circle, Deidera and I saw you."
"Oh." I nodded remembering. "Yeah I don't respond well to being grabbed. Especially by strangers."
"Who doesn't?" Granny reappeared with a rolling tray that held two coffee's and two special breakfast plates.
"You're killing me woman." I whimpered seeing a steak omelet.
"Hah, you can cook nicely without any help from me." Granny quipped. "You just don't like doing the dishes."
"You caught me." I smiled turning to Sasori. "Granny's food is the best in this district." She left with a promise to return if need be. Sasori and I ate in silence until halfway through when he started again.
"Have you found anything in your sister's murder?" I glanced up at him before sighing deeply.
"If I tell you anything it'll hinder us from doing our job right."
"That's for the police to decide." I leaned back crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow.
"The police force is nothing but a farce. Half the cops in all the districts are dirty. I've never worked with Akatsuki before nor had a reason to but I'm willing to bet you have a mole in your precinct." Itachi notwithstanding. The guy was loyal to Akatsuki and to us.
"You might have a point with that. But Akatsuki is different." He argued.
"Uh-huh, so every criminal you've captured has never walked?" He glared. "I heard about Gatou and how he walked after the witness was killed. Then something about Zabuza- although that was different. Not to mention Orochimaru." Sasori stiffened when I said the last name. I pretended to ignore it in favor of popping a mushroom into my mouth. "Every time there's lack of evidence or witness' and everyone knows the bad guy did it, he walks. Most of the dirty cops come to Kiri or Iwa just to show they can get away with anything and everything. We don't like it."
"So you and your family get to make the call for justice?" Sasori hissed.
"No. We let the justice system work but when it fails we gather evidence if we can. Uzumaki's aren't cops and we know we're not above common criminals, but at least we try to make a difference. Not everything we do is for our own benefit."
"I doubt it." There was a glimmer of self-satisfaction in his eye that I longed to break. His ego was as big as Konoha, and I really had to restrain the urge to knock him off his high horse. Who was he to judge my family? "Tell me. Maybe we can work together."
"Like how I wanted to work together earlier and you threw me out of the precinct?" He growled. I smirked raising an eyebrow at him. He may be a man but he was prettier than I was. How he was a cop with his thin arms was odd. We entered into a staring contest. While glaring at him I noted his shaggy hair and somewhat golden eyes with dark circles underneath. I subconsciously dubbed him as a workaholic with no wife, fiancee, girlfriend or girl in his life to help him relax. Unless he was gay. I sincerely hoped not. It would be such a waste to the female population.
"I'm at a dead end. Everything keeps coming back to who knew about the diamonds." His eyes softened making me think he really was trying to help.
"Bastard." I sighed. His smirk was enough for me to know what he was asking.
"All's fair in love and war. Or something like that." I snorted a laugh.
"Whatever. Fine." I grabbed my coffee. "We found the man who inherited the diamonds from a maid."
"The files you grabbed from the Skyfell's." I nodded. "Doesn't make any sense does it?"
"Nope. I think the documents were forged and the originals destroyed. The woman was coming to be with her family." Sasori nodded.
"Any suspects on your sister"s murderer?" I sighed.
"No. Karin our resident techie has been going over the surveillance cameras from that night. She's looking over the park and the cameras a few blocks out for any cars leaving. Raven and Fox are looking at the park's maps and if there are any places where someone could stay for an extended period of time in case whoever killed Anna never left."
"You think someone just stayed there?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Wouldn't be the first time. And Nagato's been pushing at us to find anything unusual."
"I have Deidera doing that with two of our best tech masters."
"You call them tech masters?" I asked in amusement.
"They demand to be called that." He rolled his eyes. "... You actually call your brothers Raven and Fox?"
"No. Not really." I murmured. "It's just that Raven and Fox are younger and their siblings are well-known criminals and or other recognizable figures in society. Nagato and Weasel came up with the idea after Weasel graduated school. Anna, Karin and I were already exposed and known as thieves so we didn't bother hiding ourselves. But Raven and Fox were only eight when we formed our family so we decided to keep them safe by covering them with masks and hoods."
"I understand that. But they will have to let the mask go one day."
"I know, but hopefully by then they won't need to steal." He nodded.
"And Weasel?" I snorted.
"He'd kill me if I told you his real name. He's good at running background checks on people and he's a good guy. It's not that hard to keep his identity a secret from certain people since he's usually weasel-like anyway." He nodded before steering the conversation back to Anna's suspected killers.
"The only people who could have killed her would have to have known about the diamonds that Mr. Skyfell kept locked in his house."
"A guy like that wouldn't tell people unless he thought it would serve a purpose or he could gloat. And not to mention Mr. Hasegawa's fury when he realized the diamonds were missing." We went silent trying to think and figure this puzzle out.
My phone rang.
I blinked before picking it up seeing Itachi's number.
"Yes?" I asked answering. Sasori continued to drink his coffee.
'You need to come home right now.' Karin's voice came.
"Where's Weasel?" I asked, tensing.
'He and Nagato are interrogating a man who tracked us down. He says he saw Anna the night she died.'
"I'm on my way." I hung up. Sasori looked up. "I have to leave. It was nice trying to catch up on the case with you." He grabbed my arm making me look down at him in shock.
"You'll let me know if something on the case comes up. Right?" The hard edge in his eyes let me see the determination to catch my sisters murderer. Sarcasm and flirtation were my fall back response.
"Don't worry, I'll call you for another date soon." I leaned down and pecked his cheek. His shock allowed me to wrench my arm free before leaving the diner and running down the street to the alley.