.
Chapter 8
(In which van Zieks gives the most dramatic court appearance since the Reaper trial and Kazuma finally has a conversation with Norrington.)
Kazuma convinced Norrington to attend van Zieks's trial with the double-pronged argument that they had just wrapped up their own case and that he had a vested interest in the outcome since he had prosecuted members of the same crime ring several weeks ago.
"You don't need an excuse, Mr. Asogi," Norrington said with mild amusement, a knowing look in his eyes. "You are, of course, welcome to attend if we have no pressing work. I have an interest in the outcome as well, since this seems to link back to some of my old cases."
Kazuma squirmed under that knowing gaze. He didn't know if Norrington had realized he had gone to van Zieks for help behind his back or that van Zieks's 'favor' had been a ploy to guide Kazuma through the trial, but the scene in the antechamber afterwards would have been hard to miss. Kazuma had been shaken to his core, touched and grateful and bitterly melancholy, and his mood had followed him through the rest of the day. Norrington had wisely left him to the post-trial paperwork and not pressed too much.
In any case, it was a good thing that they decided to go. It turned out to be the fiercest, most dramatic trial to grace the Old Bailey in months. Van Zieks had truly pulled out all the stops. When he had said he was seizing the opportunity to try pulling this Golden Hand cabal out by the roots, he had not been exaggerating. His courtroom strategy was usually careful and controlled. He might go for big wins, but he went about it the prudent, logical way, building airtight arguments he had the evidence to back up. He would take a leap or make a dramatic statement when the time was right, but only after he had laid the groundwork and subtly pushed the proceedings in his favor.
Today, he was aggressive from the start. His arguments were bolder, his assertions more sweeping. He was pushing the scope of the trial, referencing other cases and crimes that weren't directly related and calling an absurd number of witnesses. It was clear from the very beginning that he was not only here to convict the defendant of the murder at hand but of a handful of other deaths as well—and that he intended to bring down a number of other conspirators too, some of whom he'd somehow coerced into the witness stand and others to whom testimony only alluded.
It was working, too. Little by little, he was establishing links and connections, tying all the disparate pieces together. Somehow, he'd gathered enough evidence to successfully argue another three counts of murder, several counts of robbery, and even to name another accomplice. And it was clear that he wasn't stopping there.
Kazuma watched in awe as van Zieks laid out carefully crafted arguments, prodded at witnesses a great deal more than he normally might, and clawed his way through a mounting pile of accusations with grim tenacity.
"What on earth is he doing?" Norrington murmured, watching wide-eyed. "Is he truly trying to dismantle an entire criminal organization by himself in a single trial?"
Kazuma leaned forward in his chair, unable to look away. "If anyone can do it…"
"Yes… But I hope he hasn't bitten off more than he can chew."
There was a very real danger of van Zieks overreaching himself and being reprimanded for going beyond the scope of the trial, something he had warned Kazuma against countless times. The judge had already commented once or twice on his unusually hands-on and tenacious questioning of witnesses, teasing out inconsistencies that the defense's cross-examination would usually probe.
And that was the other problem: the Golden Hand had provided the best defense money could buy. Unlike the inept lawyer Kazuma had faced in his trial, this defense attorney was sharp and savvy and cunning, with a reputation for winning by any means necessary. Perhaps not the most scrupulous or unimpeachably ethical barrister, but one who knew how to work the system. He was going to make van Zieks fight for every inch, and the raw, vicious energy with which they battled back and forth had the entire courtroom sitting on the edge of their seats and holding their breath.
Kazuma had an advantage over the other spectators in that he had worked a similar case himself and recognized several of the players. He had some basic familiarity with the workings of the organization, and he had actually won his case.
Still, this trial was a good deal messier than the one he had prosecuted weeks ago. A case so sprawling couldn't have been built on a few days of frantic scrambling, at least not if it wasn't so solidly grounded in a rich bedrock of investigation and evidence. Kazuma could only assume that van Zieks had gathered up everything he had collected spanning all these months and decided this was the moment to finally put it all together and tie it back to the case at hand. It was truly remarkable work, a case most painstakingly assembled, and Kazuma wished he had been part of the process.
Van Zieks had done well enough on his own, though. So well that despite the opposition, overextended scope, and brazen risks, he managed to establish not only the defendant's guilt but the culpability of another accomplice and three other men he had deemed ringleaders of the group. He presented a dozen other incidents following the same pattern and enacted by the same players, along with shadowy backroom deals taking place among the leaders. He had somehow tracked down stolen goods to where they were being warehoused and quietly offloaded or sold to the highest bidder. He had found the links between men who had no relation to each other on the surface, except for when they came together secretly in the shadows.
Even Kazuma was amazed. For a moment, he thought van Zieks was going to get away with it.
But then, one by one, the jurors made their excuses.
Kazuma swore softly under his breath, making Norrington's eyebrows quirk upwards. "He was right. The jury is crooked."
They weren't even good at hiding it. They sounded obviously facetious or nervous or smug. Some of them kept shooting looks at the defendant and one of the other ringleaders who had been called in as a witness.
Kazuma could read the anger and frustration burning in van Zieks's eyes, even though his face stayed largely blank.
"It doesn't look good," Norrington said. "Even with such a powerful performance. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone give such a brilliant performance and nearly pull it off."
"He's furious," Kazuma muttered.
"He looks the same as always to me, but I suppose he's smashed a truly exorbitant amount of wine glasses today."
Kazuma snorted. "It's when he stops smashing things that you need to worry."
The theatrics had been in full swing earlier, but van Zieks had largely abandoned them now. His expression had been growing steadily stonier, his anger wiped off his face and buried deeper and deeper. That was how Kazuma could tell he was really worked up. Van Zieks valued control. He might be quick to express irritation or anger or displeasure, but when he was truly livid, he was prone to clamp down tight on his emotions.
"Well…" the judge said uncertainly. "It sounds as if the jury is decided, so–"
"Pray forgive the discourtesy of my interruption." Van Zieks was not looking at the judge at all but staring intently at the jury, a furrow between his brows marring his otherwise impassive features. Tearing his gaze away, he began shuffling rapidly through the massive sheaf of papers on the bench. "If I might appeal to your patience for a moment longer…"
"What is it?" the judge asked as van Zieks paused, gaze flitting rapidly back and forth across a page.
"Objection!" said the defense. "The jury has already come to a decision. He is only playing for time. There is nothing relevant left to be added."
"Lord van Zieks, is this relevant to the case? To this specific case?"
"Compellingly," van Zieks said shortly.
"Overruled, then. But do try to keep it concise and to the point. We've already covered a lot of ground and strayed farther than we should have."
One corner of van Zieks's mouth curled into a sneer at the rebuke but was set back in a straight line almost immediately. "I would like to ask juror four a question."
"The…the juror?"
"Yes."
The judge blinked at him for a few seconds and then shook his head. "Go on, then. But keep it short."
Kazuma watched with mounting curiosity. The defense sometimes appealed to the jurors, but van Zieks rarely addressed them directly, past the occasional vague exhortation to pay attention to what was right in front of their noses.
Juror four, a dark-haired woman dressed in fashionable clothing with ostentatious jewelry to match, started in surprise. "Me?"
"Yes, madam." There was a calculating cast to van Zieks's gaze, something sharp and cold that looked very much like a hunting cat readying itself to pounce. "Pray forgive my forwardness in enquiring after a personal matter, but I was wondering if you might tell me how you obtained your necklace."
"My…my necklace?" Her hand flew to her throat, fingers curling around the large blue gems sparkling along a golden chain as if to hide them from view. Her face went the sickly shade of curdled milk. "This one? What could that possibly–?"
"Objection!" cried the defense. "This is utterly irrelevant."
Van Zieks did not even wait for the judge's decision, only raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. "Perhaps a question for the defendant, then," he said almost languidly, unfazed. "Mr. Hamel, is it not true that you own a jewelry shop yourself? A convenient front for fencing goods pilfered from other such stores in the area."
"Objection!" the defense attorney said again. "Baseless conjecture and slander."
"Not entirely baseless, given we've found stolen goods in its inventory," van Zieks said. "But I'll withdraw the inflammatory statement this time as a courtesy."
Whatever inconsistency he'd discovered at the eleventh hour seemed to have temporarily doused his rising fury, and now he was a cat playing with its prey. Kazuma had no idea what he had sunk his teeth into this time, but there was something.
"What is he doing?" Norrington wondered. "He knows better than this…"
"I don't know, but he's about to turn everything on its head," Kazuma said. "Let him have his theatrics."
In any case, it didn't much matter whether the defense objected to van Zieks's statements. The words were already out there, and they would influence everyone's opinions regardless. As long as they didn't damage his case or draw censure from the presiding judge, it hardly mattered. He could, in fact, withdraw the statement himself, and the damage to the defense's case would already be done. Van Zieks was usually more careful about those things anyway, preferring to give no one room to criticize his technique or claim he was overstepping the bounds of propriety or established fact, and Kazuma expected there was a reason for his unusually forward tactics.
"I do own a jewelry store, yes," the defendant said. He had a smug look to him, undoubtedly because he knew he had the jury in his pocket and was about to be acquitted. He could afford to be cocky. "Although I protest the accusations of dealing in stolen goods. In fact, my store was robbed as well."
The corner of van Zieks's mouth quirked upwards just barely, his mouth a sharp slash across his face. "Shortly after you were arrested last week, is that right?"
"Indeed."
"I have the incident report right here. Your assistant submitted an inventory of missing goods to the Yard. It's quite detailed. And itemized."
The defendant's smile faded. "I'm not sure I understand what you're driving at. That's standard procedure in cases of theft, isn't it?"
"It is. And your assistant's attention to detail is commendable. He was quite thorough."
"What of it?" the defense attorney broke in testily. "As stated, that is standard procedure. You have failed to establish relevance to this case."
"Well, it just so happens that I took the time to read over the inventory in all its excruciating detail," van Zieks said. "One such item is listed as a necklace with three large teardrop sapphires on a golden chain with small accent diamonds. An expensive piece. A…distinctive piece." He cut a look at juror four, who was now looking distinctly ill as she clutched at her rather distinctive necklace. "And so, if you might indulge my curiosity, madam, I was wondering when that necklace came into your possession and by what means."
No one moved for a long moment, the silence and tension stretching tight in the air like a string ready to snap, and then the courtroom exploded in sudden chatter.
"It couldn't possibly…" Norrington said, looking faintly stunned.
Kazuma laughed. "Isn't that a twist? I don't doubt he's right. He usually is."
The judge had to slam his gavel down three times before the gallery quieted enough for them to continue.
"It's–it's not–" the juror sputtered, her eyes darting frantically around the room. "You can't say it's the same necklace! There's no proof of that."
"Very recently, would you say?" van Zieks pressed, undeterred.
"I–I–"
"Objection!" the defense cried. "There is not a shred of evidence that the necklaces are the same. This is baseless conjecture of the worst kind."
"You must admit, the resemblance is uncanny," van Zieks said.
"That doesn't mean–"
"However, you are correct. This one-of-a-kind piece does seem to have spawned a number of lookalikes. Why, only a few weeks ago, just such a necklace was listed in the itemized list of goods stolen from one Mr. Thomas Privet's jewelry shop in Hatton Garden, among the items that were never recovered. If we were to cross-reference these incident reports, it would prove a most fascinating coincidence. I will submit them to the court so that you might compare the descriptions yourself and propose your own answer to the riddle."
Kazuma sat up straight. "The Privet case is the one I prosecuted. We got the crook and his accomplice convicted, but some of the stolen goods were never recovered. The ones that weren't found on the defendant's person when the bobbies arrested him were long gone by the time we pinned the crime on the accomplice who spirited them away."
Norrington massaged his temples. "Are you suggesting Lord van Zieks has memorized itemized inventories in incident reports from weeks ago?"
"I don't know, but… He's been investigating the Golden Hand for months and collecting any reports of incidents he suspects are linked back to them. It sounds like he's at least been looking over the lists of stolen goods to find patterns or get a feel for what's being taken. It's an incredible catch, though. I barely remember what I ate for breakfast, much less a description of one nondescript item I read in a report weeks ago."
"These descriptions do look nearly identical," the judge said, looking over the submitted pages. He peered at juror four's own jewelry before looking back at van Zieks. "And that necklace does seem to match. What exactly are you suggesting is going on here, Lord van Zieks?"
"I am not suggesting anything," van Zieks said flatly. "I am saying that this necklace was first stolen from Mr. Privet's shop weeks ago and somehow made its way into Mr. Hamel's inventory. I suspect it was not put out on display with more legitimate goods but held in the back with other stolen items while he arranged appropriate buyers. After he was arrested, he arranged a staged robbery of his store to make it look less likely that he was involved in the burglaries he was likely to be accused of in relation to the murder. Either his assistant was unaware of this scheme and so submitted a scrupulous, good-faith report to the police, or he made a mistake when writing the inventory and noted stolen goods along with legitimate ones."
"That's preposterous!" spluttered the defense. "There is absolutely no factual basis for any of those claims."
"I think that if we were to cross-reference the contents of Mr. Hamel's shop and incident report with the other inventories of stolen goods in a number of burglary cases spanning the last few months, we would find several such inconsistencies. If we were to track down the buyers of his backroom dealings, I expect we'd find a good many more."
"You can't possibly–"
"In fact, we already have. The Yard took possession of Mr. Hamel's ledgers during the investigation, and we were able to determine certain indicators that marked suspicious transactions. Despite his efforts to cover his tracks, we were able to uncover the buyers in a few of them. Some of them were witnesses today. I'm sure they wouldn't mind giving an additional statement."
The defense attorney's mouth opened and closed soundlessly. He looked apoplectic with rage.
"And how did this necklace come into juror four's possession?" the judge asked, baffled.
Van Zieks glanced at the juror in question, who looked like she might be about to faint. "When it came time to bribe the jury, valuable items Mr. Hamel could no longer officially claim as his property were convenient bargaining chips."
"I–I would never–!" she sputtered.
"Objection!" the defense snapped. "These baseless accusations should be thrown out immediately. The jury was not bribed, and it is utter nonsense to suggest so. And even if it were, it would be beyond foolish for them to come to court wearing their ill-gotten gains. It doesn't even make sense."
Juror four straightened up, color rising to her cheeks. "I am not foolish. How dare you even suggest such a thing?"
"I, ah, didn't say that, madam. I only said that if such a thing–"
"Unless," van Zieks interrupted smoothly, "you are suggesting that I have made an incorrect assumption entirely and she robbed Mr. Hamel's shop herself? That is an interesting alternative explanation."
He sounded merely politely curious, but his eyes glittered sharp and vicious like broken glass. If Kazuma hadn't been perched on the edge of his seat, heart in his throat as he waited to see if the gamble paid off, he might have laughed.
The defense attorney went abruptly still, mouth hanging open, before collecting himself. "Look here–"
"I didn't steal anything!" the juror said shrilly. She pointed an accusatory finger at the defendant, whose smug satisfaction had been steadily morphing into black fury. "Your man didn't say it was stolen! I would have never accepted it otherwise! I would never stoop to petty thievery or accept such items."
"I suppose accepting bribes is considerably more ethical," Kazuma said dryly.
"I can't believe she's admitting it," Norrington said. "I've never seen a juror admit to being crooked, even if we all know they are."
Van Zieks was in fine form today, setting traps left and right. He did not usually stray so far beyond the bounds of what he could reasonably prove with the evidence in front of him. This kind of piecing a story together reminded Kazuma more of Ryunosuke's courtroom technique than van Zieks's carefully polished and airtight cases, but with a more cunning and ruthless edge. It made a terrifying combination.
"Madam!" said the judge with a look of utter consternation. "Are you saying that you received this necklace from the defendant or some intermediary on his behalf?"
"He didn't say it was stolen!" the juror said again. "How should I have known? I wasn't going to accept any suspicious money, but it was just a necklace, you know. I thought it was pretty. And yes, supposedly expensive, but I just liked the look of it!"
Kazuma could not believe the mental gymnastics this woman had gone through to justify accepting a bribe. "What a perfectly nonsensical code of ethics."
Van Zieks somehow refrained from commenting. "I suspect that if we were given the opportunity to investigate the other jurors, we might find similar newly acquired items that could be cross-referenced against inventories of stolen goods. Or perhaps recently received lump sums of money, although it sounds as if Mr. Hamel and his conspirators have tried to avoid that particular pitfall by instead gifting items that were never officially registered as their possessions and couldn't be traced back to them. Their mistake was in staging the robbery and carelessly including those stolen items in the report. The prosecution requests time to establish the jury's innocence of such a scheme or to motion to have it dismissed and a new set of jurors brought in if their complicity is established."
The other jurors were looking distinctly uneasy now, shooting glances at each other and the defendant.
"It's insulting to be accused of such a thing," one said, trying to sound outraged but sounding more panicked than anything. "If–"
"If you are innocent, I'm sure that can be established easily enough," van Zieks said. "But if stolen items are found in your possession, I'm sure you'd agree that it would be a conflict of interest for you to remain on the jury for this case. Accepting bribes is a serious offense."
"I'd never–!"
"Burglary is an even graver one, so you might consider that when deciding which charge to plead."
The man's face went white and took on a sickly greenish tinge.
"Very serious charges indeed," the judge said. "I am astounded by this level of corruption. Lord van Zieks, I'm sure you realize these are very serious accusations, and it will be a severe blow to you if they cannot be substantiated."
Van Zieks inclined his head. "Yes, My Lord."
"Very well. Court is adjourned until tomorrow. You have until then to conduct your investigations. Bailiff, please have the jurors detained for the time being, awaiting further instructions from Lord van Zieks and the Yard." He cut a look at the jury. "I hope for your sakes that the investigations don't turn up anything…or that you confess to your involvement before they do, that your punishment might be less severe."
The jurors started shooting uncertain looks at each other again. Kazuma wondered if they would start cracking in the hopes of lessening their charges. Maybe since one had already confessed, it would pave the way for the others to fall into line.
The gavel came down, and the courtroom exploded back into gossip and debate while the judge exited the room and the bailiffs moved to take charge of the defendant, witnesses, and jury. Van Zieks crossed the room to speak with the Yard detective who had acted as the investigation's representative on the stand, and although Kazuma couldn't make out anything he was saying, there was a brisk urgency to his gestures. Having been privy to many such conversations before, Kazuma could well imagine van Zieks's clipped tone and brusque impatience as he rattled off instructions without pause. Van Zieks was going to be a very busy man today, supervising these new investigations and scrambling to make sure he had the strongest case possible before going into tomorrow's trial.
"I can't believe it," Norrington said. "We haven't seen such a dramatic trial since…" He paused and shot an uncertain look at Kazuma. "Ah… Since Lord Stronghart's trial."
"The Reaper trial, you mean."
Stronghart's trial had been a thorny mess of its own, but his guilt had already been largely established going in. There had been other shocking details to bring to light and the simple awe of bringing down such a powerful man, but all the biggest scandals had already been uncovered. The true showstopper had been van Zieks's trial, when the entire sordid scheme had been unearthed.
"Well," Norrington said awkwardly. "That too."
Kazuma pressed his lips together in a tight, bloodless line. He still didn't like to think about that trial too much. About the mistakes he'd made and how close he'd come to doing something unforgivable. He had begun gradually coming to terms with some of it, but obviously not everything, given how quickly he'd fallen apart just a couple of days ago when faced with the prospect of an innocent defendant. And as he had grown to respect and even like van Zieks more, the thought of that trial had become even more uncomfortable.
He did not fault Norrington for his caution in bringing it up. It had been a complicated, messy, ugly affair, and they did not know each other well enough that Norrington might understand Kazuma's feelings on the matter.
Kazuma sighed. "Yes, you're right. The fact that he's managed to implicate so many high-ranking members of the organization and build such a strong case around it, not to mention this upset with proving the jury is being bribed… It's impressive that he's managed to use a relatively small case to wedge open the door to try rooting out the entire organization."
Norrington eyed him warily before nodding. "His work is as impeccable as ever, but his strategy is different than usual. It reminds me of someone else, actually."
"Ryunosuke?" Kazuma suggested.
"Who?"
"You know, Ryunosuke Naruhodo. The Japanese defense attorney who kept facing off against Lord van Zieks while he was in London. He defended Lord van Zieks in the Reaper trial."
Norrington's face cleared. "Oh, him. I suppose that makes sense. Now that you mention it, there are some similarities there. Lord van Zieks seems to be doing more of his own detective work and uncovering truths during the trial, at any rate. I do remember your friend making such bold accusations. But no, that wasn't who I had in mind."
"Oh?"
"His technique reminds me a lot of yours, Mr. Asogi."
Kazuma started in surprise. "Mine?"
Norrington smiled. "Yes. The way he questions the witnesses and the unusual aggression in pushing the scope of the case remind me a lot of your approach. And the way he's taken a simple case and expanded it to drag down more conspirators with it… It all reminds me a good deal of how you approached your own case with this organization. The Privet case, was it?"
Kazuma opened his mouth and then closed it again. The insightful observation hit him right between the eyes, with enough force to make him see stars. He had not considered such a thing until Norrington pointed it out, but… It must surely be a coincidence, though.
"I don't see why he'd mimic my techniques for anything," he said. "He doesn't have to. He's brilliant on his own, and I've learned all of my prosecutorial skills from him. He knows them all already."
"Ah, but the mark of a truly brilliant man is to always keep learning and adapting instead of becoming complacent. He has always acknowledged your exceptional skill, and he is not too proud to take inspiration from it when the situation calls for it. Besides… He's been having trouble getting anywhere meaningful with this organization, hasn't he? Your unusual technique worked surprisingly well in the Privet case, so perhaps he's changing tactics and following your lead."
It had never occurred to Kazuma that van Zieks might find something to learn from him. Their lessons had always seemed one-sided, with van Zieks imparting his knowledge and savvy to his apprentice. Kazuma hadn't considered that the link might go both ways. It felt a little strange, but also…satisfying, in a way. That he had been able to give something back after all, and that his ability had been deemed good enough for even the undisputed best prosecutor in London to take notice.
"Oh," he said very quietly.
Norrington regarded him with something like fond indulgence. "Come along, Mr. Asogi. Perhaps we can catch Lord van Zieks in the lobby and congratulate him on his riveting performance."
Kazuma glanced back down at the courtroom floor to see van Zieks disappearing into the prosecutor's antechamber with the detective on his heels. He jumped to his feet and headed out of the gallery. If Norrington was going to suggest speaking to van Zieks, Kazuma wasn't going to complain.
It took them a few minutes to maneuver through the clusters of people huddled around the gallery and lobby discussing the trial, but then Kazuma spotted van Zieks heading for the doors out of the Old Bailey. He was still speaking with the detective, who was trotting at a quick clip to keep up with his long-legged stride. Kazuma made a beeline for them before Norrington could decide that it wasn't a good idea to bother van Zieks while he was obviously still working.
He was still several paces away when he noticed a bailiff escorting the defendant in the same direction, undoubtedly back off to jail.
"Reaper!" the defendant said sharply as he drew closer, their paths converging.
Van Zieks turned towards him without a second thought, and Kazuma thought it a little sad that he still responded so easily to the moniker that doubled as an accusation. It seemed he should finally be free of the Reaper now and all the damage it had done to him, but perhaps such things did not disappear so easily.
Hamel's face was contorted in fury, a far cry from the smug nonchalance he had begun the day with. "You have been a gigantic thorn in our side from the very beginning," he snarled. "And now you've gone too far."
He twisted away from the bailiff and lunged forward, bending low to snatch something from his boot. Silver glinted in the light as he charged, and Kazuma's breath caught in his throat.
Van Zieks rocked back half a step, his hand dropping to the pommel of the sword at his hip. But then, inexplicably, his hand fell away. Instead of drawing his sword, he merely shifted position to angle his body aside.
Hamel crashed into him, the knife sinking hilt-deep into his chest. Van Zieks didn't make a sound, only staggered back a step as his assailant wrenched the knife back out and stabbed again.
By the time the bailiff grabbed the defendant and wrestled him back, van Zieks was bleeding profusely from two wounds in his chest. People were screaming and backing away while police raced in to get things under control.
Kazuma felt sick to his stomach as van Zieks pressed a hand to his chest and blood bloomed across the white of his glove. He ran.
"Lord van Zieks!"
Van Zieks looked up as Kazuma skidded to a stop beside him. Aside from the way his brows pinched together in pain, he did not look particularly distressed. In fact, his eyes glittered with cold triumph as he dismissed Kazuma and looked back at the defendant, who struggled against two bailiffs holding him back.
"You've grown careless," he said, his mouth a sharp, satisfied slash across his face. "It was beyond foolish to attack me here. I intend to get you convicted of your crimes and drag the rest of your group down with you, but if you manage to escape my grasp yet again, I assure you that I will, at the very least, get you charged for this. Not even your corrupt jury can wriggle you out of this one, with so many witnesses. You're finished, Mr. Hamel."
The man hissed and spit like an angry cat as the bailiffs dragged him away.
"How did he get a knife in here?" the detective barked at the bailiff who remained behind with the confiscated knife. "He should have been searched when taken into custody, and again before entering the courtroom!"
"I–I don't know, sir," the bailiff stammered, looking petrified.
"Bribed someone to overlook it, I'm sure," van Zieks said, unfazed.
The detective and bailiff shared a grim look.
"Lord van Zieks," Kazuma said more insistently, puffing up to twice his normal size. "Did you really just let yourself get stabbed to make sure you could get him imprisoned for something even if this case falls through? I know you could have stopped him."
Van Zieks shrugged. "It never hurts to have a contingency in place. If he's going to hand it to me on a silver platter, I might as well take it."
Kazuma's horror was mixed with a healthy dose of anger. "Being stabbed is not an opportunity!"
"Everything is an opportunity, Mr. Asogi, if you know how to take advantage of it."
"You could have been killed!"
"Not likely, given I saw him coming. The tricky part is ensuring he does enough damage to be charged with a serious crime but not so much that it is truly dangerous." Van Zieks pulled his hand away from his chest to regard the wounds critically. "We might have enough to charge him with attempted murder. But even if he somehow worms his way out of that one, I can at least pin assault and battery on him. It should carry a hefty prison sentence. Even if he slips through my fingers on the murder charges, it's vanishingly unlikely that he can talk or bribe his way out of this one. And I suppose I must be getting very close to the heart of this case if he is willing to take on such a charge in order to try stopping me from dragging his accomplices down with him."
Blood was already soaking through his jacket, staining the dark fabric even blacker and dripping to the floor to splatter droplets on the marble.
Kazuma made a guttural sound of protest in the back of his throat, raising his hands helplessly but not quite daring to reach out. "You utter fool. You're hurt. Do you want me to patch you up?"
Van Zieks pressed his hand back to the wound. "No," he said, looking immensely irritated. "I shall have to go to the hospital. An inconvenience I can ill afford right now."
Kazuma's gaze darted to the cross-hatched scar between van Zieks's eyes. "You hate the hospital."
Was the injury truly that grave? Van Zieks didn't seem worried enough for it to be that serious, but then again…
Van Zieks heaved an exasperated sigh. "If I treat the injury myself, it will give the defense an opening to claim it was not a serious wound and try to minimize the violence and motivation of the attack. It will be harder to refute the hospital's assessment. I truly don't have time for this, but…" He shot a look at the detective still hovering nearby. "Inspector, kindly carry out the investigations as we've discussed and take statements from the witnesses of this incident. I will return as soon as the hospital releases me to assist you. I trust you will be able to handle the matter in the meantime."
"Yes, sir!" the detective said smartly.
Van Zieks did not look entirely pleased—Kazuma didn't doubt he would rather be here supervising the investigations—but nodded and turned away.
"Can I help?" Kazuma asked. "Or can I take you to the hospital? You're bleeding everywhere."
"No, Mr. Asogi," van Zieks said, but he gentled his voice just a little despite his obvious impatience to get moving. "I am able to take care of the matter myself, although I appreciate your consideration. If you would like to assist me, kindly give your statement to the inspector here so that I may use it as substantiating evidence if necessary."
And then he was gone, striding off past gawking onlookers and disappearing out the door. Kazuma stared after him, hands clenched into fists, and the detective had to say his name twice to get his attention.
After Kazuma had given his statement, Norrington took him by the arm and steered him gently away and into a carriage bound for the Prosecutor's Office.
"Are you alright, Mr. Asogi? You've gone ashen, and you look unwell."
Kazuma swallowed hard and looked out the window at the street rolling past. He felt shaky and unmoored and desperately worried.
"He could have stopped the attack," he said. "I saw him reach for his sword, and he moves like lightning. But then he…stopped. He just let himself get hurt."
"It's…an unconventional tactic," Norrington said cautiously.
Kazuma laughed hollowly. "That's one way of putting it. He's going to get himself killed one of these days. He knows how to survive, and he's very good at it. But sometimes it seems like he gets these foolish ideas in his head… He doesn't care if he gets hurt, really. It's a small price to pay if it gets him what he wants or helps him do the 'right' thing. It makes me nervous when he won't let me help, because when he does everything himself, sometimes he's his own worst enemy."
"You care about him a lot," Norrington observed.
Kazuma fisted his hands in his lap and stared out the window for a long time without saying anything.
"He's done a lot for me," he said finally. "Much more than he ever needed to. Much more than I deserved, honestly. I was horrible to him… During the trial, and afterwards too. I meant to hurt him, and I did. A lot, I think. And frankly, I don't think he liked me much either. He didn't even want to keep me on as his apprentice, but he did because I asked him to, because he didn't think anyone else would be willing to put in the work to keep me in the country when there was talk of sending me home, even though I made it miserable for him. Don't get me wrong… He's no saint. He can be cold and abrasive and unsympathetic, and he rips my work to pieces every single time.
"But he also told me to hang back and stay out of his fights when he was attacked, and when I refused and got hurt, he patched me up and taught me how to take care of my own injuries just in case. He dragged me out for sword fighting lessons to teach me the underhanded tricks crooks use so that I could defend myself better. When I was struggling to write to my friends in Japan, he gave me advice. When he found pictures with my father in them, he gave them to me because he wasn't sure that I had much of my father left. He was going to publish the findings of the Reaper case to clear my father's name and give me the satisfaction of some kind of revenge, even knowing London would turn on him again, and I had to talk him out of it. He put his reputation on the line and fought for me to be able to prosecute my own cases again, and he arranged the best opportunity for me that he could. And then afterwards, he…"
Kazuma closed his eyes. The memory of that one fleeting smile and the camaraderie they'd shared after their win, the wine shared and pride expressed and the dinner party afterwards where they regaled Iris and Sholmes with the tale… That still felt dear and poignant and bittersweet.
"When I got hurt," he said, "I mean, when I got hurt really badly this last time, he carried me through the streets to the hospital even though he was injured himself, and he bullied all the medical staff into taking care of me. He arranged for me to convalesce with Iris and Mr. Sholmes because he wanted me to be comfortable and spend more time with them to make their flat home. And then he went behind my back and transferred my apprenticeship to you, because he didn't want me to get hurt again. I hate him for it sometimes, but I always knew he was only doing what he thought was right for me."
Norrington considered this for a long moment. "He's more than just a professional mentor to you," he said finally. "He's been guiding and protecting you on a more personal level as well."
"…I suppose so, although it didn't always feel like that. We were very careful not to interfere in each other's personal lives too much. We have too many shared ghosts. But I guess…in the end… Yes, that's probably right. If you asked him, he'd tell you that he was only fulfilling his responsibilities as a mentor, but he did a lot more than that. I owe him a lot."
"That's why you were so angry about the transfer. You could learn prosecutorial skills from anyone else, even if you'd rather it be from him because he's acknowledged as the best. But you don't have that same personal connection to me, and you resented me for taking his place."
Kazuma winced. He had been hoping they'd never have to acknowledge his standoffish refusal to build more than a superficial rapport with Norrington. One of those unacknowledged open secrets like the kind he and van Zieks had shared in droves.
"I… I guess," he muttered. "It's only… He was the only person I knew in London after my friends returned to Japan. I mistrusted Mr. Sholmes and didn't really know Iris yet. And I hated him, but… He was still my anchor. His office was the closest thing I had to a place to belong. And the thing about Lord van Zieks is that he will always do what he deems to be the right thing, even if you don't agree with him on what that is and he goes about it the most discourteous way possible and ends up hurting himself. Even when we despised each other, he always looked after me and acted as both my connection to the rest of London and my shield from it. There was never a time I couldn't rely on him, even if I didn't always understand that then.
"He accepted me even after everything I did, put up with me lashing out at him and kept reaching out anyway, and that's probably helped me heal more than anything. I trust him more than anyone else in London, even though sometimes I have no idea what in the world he thinks he's doing. It's not his fault that I was never really fair to you. He always told me to give you a chance. He said you were probably a better teacher than he'd ever be. I just…wasn't ready to let go, I guess. It feels wrong to replace him, and sometimes I probably take that out on you."
"It's alright," Norrington said. "I'm getting a clearer picture of what's going on here, but it was rather obvious from the beginning that you weren't ready to take a different teacher."
Kazuma grimaced and glanced back at him. "You probably realized I went to him for help on our last case, didn't you?"
Norrington smiled, eyes shining with amusement. "I considered the possibility that you might go to him if you didn't like the guidance I gave you. You kept looking to the gallery once you started panicking."
"Oh. Well, in his defense, he told me to ask for your guidance first, and he only agreed to talk me through it because I was obviously losing control of the case. He said I shouldn't openly seek his mentorship over yours because it was disrespectful to you, and he wouldn't say anything against your counsel, only offered alternative techniques for if I wasn't going to follow it."
Norrington chuckled and said, "Peace, Mr. Asogi. I am not offended. Lord van Zieks is correct in terms of managing relationships and social expectations, but I personally do not mind. You should have a care when dealing with people who may be less understanding, but I am too secure in myself and my position to feel particularly threatened or undermined by such a thing."
"I asked him to stand in for you during the trial, and he refused point-blank. But I guess I was so insecure and panicked… He thought it was because of what happened to my father, but mostly it was because of that damned Reaper trial. I was wrong and nearly lost myself…and he almost hung for it. The thought of potentially getting another innocent convicted… It just really messed with my head. It wasn't enough for me to do nothing and hope for the best. He must have tried really hard to find a way to help me without insulting you. But I still shouldn't have gone behind your back and put him in such an awkward position, so… I'm sorry, I guess."
Norrington didn't look angry or offended at all, merely sympathetic. "It's alright," he said kindly. "Although I should hope that you would feel able to talk to me about your options first next time, so that we might come to an agreement and decide on a plan together. Then you needn't feel like you're going behind my back at all."
"Yes," Kazuma mumbled, looking down at his hands in his lap. "I'll try to do better."
If nothing else, this was the first truly serious, personal conversation he'd had with Norrington in all these weeks. The first time they had really delved below their surface-level interactions and discussed something real. Even if it was only because Kazuma was so shaken by van Zieks's reaction to the attack that it had loosened his tongue, it could be the start of something, if he let it be.
"I've known Lord van Zieks for a long time," Norrington said after a moment. "From a distance, mostly. We aren't friends, but we have worked together on occasion and interacted in passing. I can't give you any deep insight into his mind, but what I can tell you… He has never welcomed anyone else into his workspace but you. He has never entrusted anyone else with so much responsibility on his cases or built that kind of rapport. I've never seen him interact with anyone else the same way, indulging their impudence and bickering back. All these years, he has always been very, very alone. You may owe him a lot, but I think you might find that you have done a great deal for him as well. I don't think he would have gone to such great lengths if he didn't care about you too."
Kazuma looked back out the window, pressing his trembling lips together. "Thank you," he said, gesturing vaguely. "For…listening, I guess."
"Of course. It's about time we had a proper conversation, don't you think?"
"I suppose so."
"I expect Lord van Zieks will be very busy until tomorrow's trial, but perhaps you could drop by towards the end of the day and check in if that will make you feel better about it. Just don't take up too much of his time if he's working on his case."
"Maybe I will."
Norrington hesitated and then added, "Have you ever told him any of those things you just told me?"
Kazuma frowned at his reflection in the glass. He and van Zieks did not always speak their feelings so openly, but they had an understanding. He had thanked van Zieks for at least some of the things he did and had admitted to caring about his health and wanting to remain with him. They spoke mostly through actions and small kindnesses that they could pretend not to notice or acknowledge. It had always been enough for them.
"I don't know," he said. "Some of it, I guess. He knows I appreciate it, anyway. We don't always talk about it, though."
"If I might make a suggestion… Even if you think he already knows something, it's never a bad idea to say it."
"I don't know. We don't really–"
"Yesterday, when he said he was proud of you, your entire face crumpled," Norrington said gently. "Even though you must have already known that. Even though he's already said it in a dozen different ways. It still meant something to you, that he said the words. It might mean something to him too."
Kazuma swallowed hard and tugged restlessly at the cuffs of his jacket. In this, Norrington was absolutely right.
"I see your point," he said. "Although he isn't really the type to bother with those things."
"Well, he's had no one else to tell him such things. When one is unused to affection, it becomes harder to understand and accept it. Just think about it." Norrington paused and added, "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you too, Mr. Asogi."
And it didn't hit Kazuma with the same visceral gut punch that van Zieks's pride did, but it still meant something.
