It hadn't occurred to her to wonder where, exactly, they were going. But she was relieved when they stopped right outside her dorm room door.
"Clio-san," Nazuna asked. "This is an awkward question, but may I go through your bag to-"
"Because we need to get in?"
Clio's voice sounded small and far away to her ears. Everything seemed small and far away. If it wasn't for the fact she was being carried by Yuuto, that she could see and hear Nazuna and Konoha nearby, perhaps she'd be completely untethered.
But I'm untethered, anyway. Fukue-chan…
"Sure." She said, weakly, knowing Nazuna was waiting for an answer.
She passed the bag over to Nazuna, then waited for the door to be opened. Yuuto strode straight over to the bed, and deposited her there. A little ungracefully, but Clio sensed a kindness there as he stepped back and regarded her, all the same.
"Does it hurt much?"
For a moment, as she adjusted her sitting position, Clio didn't have any idea what he was talking about. But then, as if offended by her lack of attention, her legs began to throb again. She looked down at her stretched out legs. Though they were still covered by her socks, the foot portion of those socks were torn, and in some parts stained with little drops of blood. Gingerly, she leaned over and slowly peeled off her socks, wincing slightly as she did so. Not sure what to do with them, she left the socks in a crumpled heap and sat back again. Nazuna and Konoha both winced.
"Geez, that looks painful," Konoha exclaimed. "And it looked like you were starting to limp, like you'd sprained your ankle. "
All Clio really had to say to that was 'oh', which made Yuuto splutter and the other two look at each other in concern.
"I think we should have taken you to the infirmary…" Nazuna said, brow furrowed.
"I do have first aid training," Konoha said. "I can examine Clio-san's leg. That is, if you're willing?"
Clio just nodded at that. She didn't focus on anything as Konoha examined her ankles, only wincing occasionally when she touched a cut or anywhere where it particularly hurt. Instead, she thought of Fukue. Of standing across the road, watching and waiting, Fukue being there one minute and not the next. Of rushing across the road, and then….
"Fukue-chan?"
Out of breath, Clio whirled around.
"Fukue-chan?"
There were people stopping and staring, diverted from their everyday lives by her panic. She couldn't stop to look at them though. Where was Fukue? She should have been there, right there, at the crossing. Had she turned back, forgetting something? But no, she would have messaged if that was the case. The only alternative…
She sprinted a few blocks down, and around the corner.
"Fukue-chan?" she called. "Fukue-chan?"
But still, no sign of her. And then, she called out:
"Tsumugu-kun?"
If little Tsumugu had wandered out again, Fukue would have had to hurry to get him back to whomever was supposedly taking care of him. No time to inform him. But Tsumugu was never a particularly hurried child. He'd stop to stare at any rock or flower or other object that caught his fancy. If they were here, then they'd be here. Or at least, within earshot. So, she called out again, louder:
"Fukue-chan?"
But there was no answer.
Clio blinked, dragged back into the present when she became aware that Konoha had said something else to her.
"Sorry. I…I didn't catch that."
Yuuto clicked his tongue irritably, and said:
"She was saying that I was right. You've sprained your fucking ankle."
"Oh."
"You'll have to try and take it easy, though I admit that will probably be easier said than done," Nazuna said briskly. "Shall we take you down to the school nurses?"
"I…no, there's no need." Clio said. "Really, I can manage."
"But how will we get you cleaned up?" Konoha asked.
"I suppose I could go down and ask to borrow some supplies…" Nazuna started.
She was, however, interrupted by Yuuto:
"Ena has a first aid kit."
He didn't wait for a response to that, and simply walked out of the room, presumably to get that first aid kit. The three girls stared at each other in silence. Just as that silence threatened to grow awkward, Konoha remarked:
"You're becoming a bit of a flight risk, aren't you?"
Clio reddened, looking down at her lap.
"Sorry." She murmured. "I don't really know what got into me."
"I take it then you don't usually do this kind of thing?" Konoha asked.
Clio shook her head and Konoha said:
"No, I didn't think so. Hmmm."
Clio looked up at Konoha, only to cringe at her quiet scrutiny. Nazuna ran a hand through her hair, messing it up as she said:
"Well, you gave us a fright, especially Ito-kun! Please, please don't do anything like that again, alright?"
"I know. I…I'll message later. Or call. I should apologise to Kaniza-san, too. Um…."
Clio looked around for her phone, then spotted her purse was hanging on the back of her chair. She made to get up, but Nazuna stepped forward and shook her head.
"No, do that later. Let's get your feet sorted out first."
With perfect timing, Yuuto came back brandishing a small green bag that had 'first aid kit' printed on the side. He sat on the edge of the bed and unzipped the bag, taking out some disinfectant wipes and tissues.
"Um….do you want one of us to do that for you, or are you fine with Oshiro-san doing that?" Konoha asked.
Yuuto paused and looked at Nazuna and Konoha. He didn't seem particularly angry, but neither did he seem particularly pleased at the question. Clio did honestly feel a bit strange at the idea of Yuuto tending to her, but she thought she'd feel that way even if it were Nazuna or Konoha instead.
"I'm fine with Oshiro-sempai." She said. "Thank you."
Yuuto grunted at that and proceeded to first wipe away the blood with the tissues, before then ripping open a packet of wipes and gruffly warning her that it would sting before he then wiped the scrapes with one of the wipes. Despite the warning, she still couldn't help but gasp a little bit at the sensation, but Yuuto didn't even look up at her, not once. Still, he cleaned her feet in gentle motions, and when he set about bandaging her up, there was a tenderness in the motions that Clio found quite calming.
When he was done, he cleared away the supplies and stood up, going back to Clio's pinboard. He stared at it, and then said:
"Tell me about her."
"About Fukue-chan? You mean, when she-"
"No, not the day she disappeared. Just tell me about her."
Clio bit her lip. Where to begin with that?
"She was my best friend. She…always had such a lot to do, but she never complained about it. Even when I told her that she could complain to me, she didn't really. She just got on with it, mostly. We are…we were, both used to having to look after ourselves. But at least in my case, I only had to look after myself. She had her siblings to think about, too."
"I hate it," Fukue had told her, in a rare instance of her really venting. "I really, really hate it. When I've graduated, I'm leaving. But I'm a little afraid too. Because it's not the little ones' fault, but when I go, nobody's going to step in. "
"But she used to say it all evened out," Clio said. "Because she at least didn't have to worry about money. Her older sisters do at least work and pay bills, and likewise her mum. That's why it's all on her, because they go out to earn the money. Though, if she wanted anything for herself, she had to pay for it, so she still had part-time jobs. That's why Luca-kun used to pay her for the café work. But that's not really…that's not really Fukue-chan, is it? I…she's very quiet. She really liked maths and science. She didn't think she'd get to go to uni, because she was planning on getting out of Towa as soon as she graduated from here, but if she did, she wanted to do maths. Her favourite colours were blue and green, especially turquoise. I, look, I have things that she used to keep here so her siblings wouldn't snatch them-"
"Woah, Clio-san, don't strain your ankle further!" Nazuna exclaimed. "What did you want to get?"
Leaning against her bed-side table, Clio remained stubbornly standing, and was about to direct Nazuna towards the cupboard where hers and Fukue's matching frock coats hung, when somebody knocked at the door. A voice of another student called out:
"Fujita-san, are you there?"
"I-I, yeah."
Nazuna went to open the door before Clio could try to, and one of the students who'd protested against Yuuto taking up residence in Ena's room stared at them.
"Oh! There's police around, wanting to talk to you, Fujita-san. Sorry 'bout Amari-san, by the way. "
"Thanks- "
"Is she in there?"
Clio stiffened at Rin's voice, and Nazuna and Konoha both shot her concerned looks. A few moments later, Rin appeared in the doorway, accompanied by two of the detectives Clio had seen a lot of recently.
"Fujita-san," Rin said. "I understand that you must be quite upset at hearing the news of Amari-san's death. I'm very sorry for your loss. However, Detectives Hirano and Hiraoka would like to talk to you, given your closeness to her. "
"I…okay. Alright. I…are you staying here?"
If she had felt uncomfortable about the thought of Rin being her appropriate adult before, then she felt it even more now, On the other hand, he'd also lost someone. But Rin shook his head.
"I assume you mean as an appropriate adult. I will not be. I have other things I must do. However, since Yamaguchi-san sat in with you before-"
It was then Clio realised that Yamaguchi had been standing behind the two detectives.
"Oh good, Yamaguchi-san's left this unlocked for us as she said she would. That's a relief."
Clio flinched, and immediately said:
"No."
"I'm sorry?"
"No," Clio shook her head, even as she herself began to shake. "Not Yamaguchi-san. I'm sorry."
"Excuse me?" Yamaguchi demanded. "I'm taking the time out of my day to sit with you and-"
"No, I…no, no."
"Fujita-san," Rin said irritably. "We don't have time for this."
Clio tried to apologise, but the words wouldn't come out. She stumbled back, sending pain shooting through her sprained ankle. She sat back down on the bed heavily, and Konoha came to sit next to her, while Nazuna gave her a concerned look. She couldn't tell if either of them had worked out why she didn't want Yamaguchi there, but she was glad neither of them asked. But she was saved from the further terror of thinking how she would explain it by Yuuto stepping forward threateningly and saying:
"She fucking said not Yamaguchi, so find somebody else or fucking piss off and come back another time."
"Oshiro-san!" Nazuna scolded. "You can't speak to them like that!"
"Well, she's not going to fucking be able to speak to them when she's like that!" Yuuto retorted.
"Well, if this is how I'm going to get treated then, Adachi-san, I am going back to the offices."
Yamaguchi stuck her nose up in the air and strode off before Rin could protest. He sighed heavily, then adjusted his glasses and told Yuuto:
"I'm going to have to speak to your homeroom teacher about this behaviour." He said.
"Alright? And?"
"Oshiro-kun," Hirano started to say. "I really don't think this is helping-"
Yuuto just snarled at that, and stormed out, pushing past the two detectives to presumably return to Ena's room. Hirano started to try and call him back, but then Hanaoka said:
"That's the kid the Chief's been taking an interest in. Leave it for now."
"Sure but…is that….his room?"
"It's Setsushi-sempai's room." Clio piped up.
"Ena Setsushi." Nazuna clarified.
At this, the detectives exchanged a look. Rin crossed his arms and glowered at them all, before stiffly saying:
"There is no use in you detectives wasting more time, so I shall have to suffice as an appropriate adult. Fujita-san, you will just have to deal with that."
Clio nodded, meekly. Her heart-rate had evened out now, in any case, and she could live with the discomfort.
"Get yourself back on that bed, Clio-san," Konoha said. "You may as well be comfortable."
"Are the two of you staying?" Hirano asked Nazuna and Konoha.
"You may well want to speak to me, in any case," Nazuna said. "I did not discover the body myself, but I did stumble across the discovery. I left because I wanted to make sure that Clio-san found out from myself, or at the very least the school, before the media. I did phone the station, however, to pass on a message. I don't expect you would have received that yet."
"Understood. You'll need to give a statement separately though, of course."
"Of course."
Rin offered for one of the detectives to sit on Clio's desk chair, and when they both declined, he sat there instead. Throughout the questioning, he watched Clio with a furrowed brow, though he said very little. Clio barely remembered what they were asking, but she knew that she answered it honestly. For all she and Fukue had both tried to not divulge too much about their respective situations, she'd been honest when Fukue had first disappeared, even though they hadn't asked her very much anyway. Why would they have, when it seemed clear that her disappearance was part of the pattern?
And even now, they didn't ask very much. But, it was still more than they had asked before, enough so one of the few times that Rin did speak up was to query this.
"What is the purpose of asking about Amari-san's family life and background when these had nothing to do with her disappearance?"
"We are pursuing every possible lead," Hanaoka said. "And this is a very complicated case. We are reviewing all of the disappearances for any clues, but especially of those students who have died in order to ascertain if there is any pattern there."
After a pause, she added:
"That does include your daughter, as well."
Rin nodded grimly, and gestured to the detectives to go on. Hanaoka did so, asking Clio:
"Did you wait for Amari-san like that every day?"
Clio nodded.
"That's right, yeah. Sometimes she'd have to wait for me, if I had an early morning dojo session and it ran over. But most of the time, I'd be finished well before she'd even left the house. You see, she had to get her siblings' lunches and school bags sorted, and pack them off to school first. Sometimes there'd be other chores to sort out too. "
"Luckily, her brother Zenbe-kun would take Yue-chan to kindergarten on his way to school. But that left Tsumugu-kun. He only starts in daycare next year. In theory, he would either stay with the next-door neighbour, or with one of Fukue-chan's eldest siblings if they were home. But he was used to Fukue-chan taking care of him, and he'd often give them the slip to come and try and find her as she was making her way to school. Well, it was mostly when Hideru-san was on duty that he'd run away, but sometimes also when it was her sisters."
She could tell the detectives were wondering what point she was attempting to make, and she continued:
"So sometimes, just as she was crossing the road, she'd spot him wandering, and she'd have to turn back to try and get him home. I'd usually cross the road so I could keep her company. That way, we'd be late for homeroom together at least. So, that day when she disappeared, even though I knew it was just the next disappearance, I did hope that maybe she'd just had to get Tsumugu-kun home."
The detectives nodded at that and made some more notes. They asked a couple more questions, about anything else she knew about Fukue's routines, if she had been worried about anyone following her. She gave the same answers she had before, but all the while she mulled over them, wondering if she had been giving the right answers. She couldn't see how the pressure for Fukue to make her siblings look like something out of a fashion catalogue (on top of basic caretaking) or the added worry of Hideru being less and less of a responsible adult had anything to do with anything. Had there been something else that she'd missed? Just as it seemed the detectives were wrapping up; she blurted that question out. The detectives exchanged looks, but it was Rin who answered:
"I think that is a question that the detectives should be asking themselves. You're not a detective, Fujita-san."
Clio blinked, unsure how to process this, but the detectives side-stepped the questions and then bade her farewell, with the usual reminder to reach out if she did think of anything else, peppered with one more condolence. They then left, ushered to the door by Rin. However, the legal counsel didn't follow them. Instead, he stood in the doorway, arms crossed.
"Why did you not want Yamaguchi-san there?" he asked.
Not expecting this question, Clio stammered incoherently for a moment before giving up and staring helplessly. Rin narrowed his eyes at her.
"It is more than a mere…discomfort, is it not?"
Clio opened her mouth to…do what? Protest? Agree? Somehow, she felt she could do neither. Rin narrowed his eyes at her, and then nodded at her.
"Very well. Once again, my condolences. Please make full use of the school's mental health services should you find you need them."
Clio nodded mutely. Rin studied her one more time, and then also left. Clio sighed, then touched the side of her blazer, where the inner pocket she'd tucked her little envelope into was.
"Does something hurt?" Nazuna asked immediately.
"No. I mean…there's something. I was going to show Ito-kun, and the rest of you when you got there, but…"
"But then this happened." Konoha finished. "And I suspect you don't want to tell us about it here, because of Yamaguchi-san."
"Because of…Yamaguchi-san?" Nazuna asked. "I have to admit, I also want to know why you were so resistant to her sitting with you. I know she wasn't exactly the most comforting adult to have around, but-"
"The recording."
Nazuna frowned, and Clio sighed.
"You don't remember, at the beginning of it…?"
"When the sponsor families came in," Konoha explained in a low voice. "They mentioned that Yamaguchi-san had left the door open for them…"
"Which suggests she knows what they're doing and that she's actively aiding them." Nazuna finished, also keeping her voice low. "Well. Well then. Should we tell the police?"
"And explain how it is we know?" Konoha asked with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, there are adults who already know."
"That is true."
"About that…"
When the two turned to look at her, Clio cringed, but persisted:
"What should I do…about the thing? That I have?"
"Is there a reason you didn't mention it around Detective Enjou?" Konoha asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I…um…well, I would have…"
"Ah. Detective Kuroki." Konoha realised. "Fair enough, I guess."
"What did you take?" Nazuna demanded.
But Clio shook her head:
"No, not here. I…I don't think it's safe, here."
Nazuna frowned at this.
"Alright. We'll think of something. But you'll need to take it easy with your ankle."
"Can we get her crutches from anywhere?" Konoha asked.
After a moment's consideration, Nazuna nodded:
"Yes, it shouldn't be an issue to procure some from the infirmary. Though we'll need to take you down there to do that, Clio-san."
"I guess then I should go to see the nurses, in that case." Clio then frowned. "Do you think we should do that now?"
"Did you not want some time to yourself for a bit, perhaps?" Nazuna asked.
"I mean…I suppose," Clio conceded. "But then I'll need to get something to eat later, and there's shifts at the café, and oh, I still need to go to Yama-san's tomorrow and get the newspapers-"
"Clio-san, Clio-san. Hold on-" Nazuna started.
"But-"
"Crutches, first," Konoha interrupted. "Then let's figure out the rest. Alright? You said already, didn't you? That you weren't going to be a flight risk anymore?"
"Well, I mean…that's…"
Clio stammered, and then sighed and gave in:
"Alright, then."
…
Getting crutches from the nurse's office was a simple matter, and then they went straight to the café, where she was immediately fussed over. Since it was now lunchtime, the café was busy, but Fujimori took her straight to the backroom where he and a couple of the other students talked over her shifts. Konoha and Nazuna accompanied her, which she was glad of, because they managed to talk her into taking less shifts, which she accepted was probably what she needed but was not something she would have pushed for by herself. She did, however, ask to be kept mostly by the counter, seated so that she could rest her leg, which was apparently not a problem.
She was most surprised by Konoha offering to cover some shifts herself, to make up for it.
"I've never had experience in a café, but I figure I can pick it up quickly enough, if I think about it. Besides, it's the fact I've never done something like this before that has me curious."
Fujimori frowned, and exchanged looks with the other students. One of them then said:
"But you're like, always away."
Konoha shrugged.
"Not for a while, I won't be."
"Oh. Okay. Well. We could probably do with the help, to be honest."
"And that's why I suggested it." Konoha said, drily. "Seriously, I don't mind."
"I will not be able to commit nearly as much time," Nazuna said. "But of course if you do require any assistance from me, then I will see what I can do."
"Ah, yeah, sure," Fujimori rubbed the back of his head. "I'll let you know, Sempai. Anyway, Fujita, if you want to sit in here a while and have something to eat with your…um, friends, then feel free. What do you want to eat?"
Clio thought about this, and then ordered a sandwich and her usual berry tea. Nazuna and Konoha also ordered something to eat, and then they were left alone. There were a few moments of silence, and then Clio broke it by saying:
"Thank you, both of you."
"It's not a problem. " Nazuna responded immediately.
"For what?" Konoha asked at the same time.
"Well, for all of this, really. For helping me in general. But the café…Luca-kun will be glad to see that it kept going, once he comes back."
Neither of the other girls responded to that, instead just giving her a look.
"He is coming back…"
But at the last minute, her conviction faltered, and she trailed off into asking:
"…isn't he?"
And when Nazuna and Konoha both still just looked at her, she shook her head:
"You can't answer that, I know. I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologise for." Konoha said, simply.
Fujimori arrived then, with their food and drinks, setting them down on the table and quietly leaving again. Clio went for her tea first and took a few sips before then asking.
"What should I do about Yama-san?"
"Well, you have a perfectly valid reason for not going," Nazuna pointed out. "But I suspect that wouldn't sit well with you, even in your state. That, and we did have investigative reasons for going. So, I have a compromise for you."
Clio frowned.
"Kagematsu-san and I will purchase whatever it is that Yama-san wants, and then we'll pick you up. Is there a route there that uses public transport?"
"Part of the way, yes."
Clio pulled it up on her phone to show Nazuna, who nodded:
"Then, that's what we'll do. But, Clio-san, if you do decide it's too much for you, we can just go in your stead."
Clio shook her head.
"No. I think that maybe, having some things to do will be better than just…always looking across the road and waiting, you know?"
Nazuna nodded.
"I understand that. I really do. But take it from someone who knows: overdoing it won't help either. I'll be honest, I've not truly experienced grief, so I can't pretend to know exactly what you're going through. But it's the same after any stress: you need to recuperate, too."
"I'd add something else to that, but I'd say she's covered it." Konoha said drily.
Clio smiled slightly at that and took a sip of her tea, before starting her lunch. It wasn't quite right to say that it all tasted like nothing. The flavours were all still there, she felt them upon her tongue with each bite or sip. But she felt like she was experiencing them through a filter, watching from somewhere far, far away. Untethered.
And she wondered if she'd ever taste something properly again.
…
The Amari family had apparently demanded to see Fukue as soon as possible, and so the autopsy had not yet been done. However, the medical examiner had a few things to share.
"I didn't have to clean her up too much," she said. "It looks as if somebody already has. I've swabbed her skin and sent it off for testing, so we can find out what was used to clean her. The clothes are also too clean for her to have died in them, given her wounds. And that's notable, too."
"How so, doc?"
"Well, I'll update this diagram when I do the proper examination but come and have a look. Does this look familiar to you?"
Shouichi was taken over to the whiteboard, where a sheet of paper was pinned up. He studied the human-body outline, and where sharp lines had been drawn across the throat, elbows, waist and knees. Immediately, he knew why the arrangement looked familiar.
"It's the same as Chiara Kai." He said immediately.
"That it is, yes."
That means something, Shouichi thought. That the wounds are exactly the same as Chiara Kai's, but not to Kaida Adachi or Seren Nishiya.
"Is anything else the same?" he asked.
"Well, there's two things that were found on her body. One is the same, essentially. The second is new."
The doc handed over two evidence bags. The first contained a small black and white card in a format that Shouichi recognised very well by now. This time, the side he read first was the one with the handwritten message: Two makes a pattern, does it not? Have you worked it out yet, or are you still scrambling for the truth? The answer is somewhere between the two, I'd say. Still, there's a while to go before we can reach what is called a climax, don't you think? But I think the plot is going to up the ante for both of us. But is it you who will raise the stakes, or is it me?
"If you're going to ask me what that means, I'd say that's your job. But even if it was mine, I wouldn't have a clue where to begin." The doc commented.
"Mhm."
Shouichi flipped the card over and read:
THE 'BLACKENED' HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND PUNISHED.
CHAPTER 2 SHALL END HERE.
NOW, TIME FOR CHAPTER 3 TO BEGIN.
The blackened…. I wonder…? He then looked up again, to see the doc waiting expectantly, holding the other evidence bag, which contained a knife. An ordinary kitchen knife by the looks of things, with a sturdy black handle. There was blood on the blade, crusted over and dried. Shouichi frowned at it and was about to ask about the knife being tested when there was a knock on the door and a young officer peered around it.
"Uh, Chief Inspector? Kumiko Amari and one of her older children are waiting in the viewing area."
"I'll be out, and we'll be ready shortly." Shouichi said immediately.
He nodded to the doctor and left the room, going to the other door to the viewing area. There, a young man in a hoodie and jeans ripped at the knees sat with a woman dressed simply but elegantly in a black trouser suit and a lacy blouse. He recalled that Kumiko Amari worked as an estate agent, and he supposed she must have come straight from work. Noticing Shouichi, Kumiko stood up immediately, practically falling all over herself to introduce herself, while the young man sat there sullenly. Introductions were made, and Shouichi learnt that the young man was Fukue's older brother Hideru. He barely acknowledged Shouichi, and didn't look as if he wanted to be there. Kumiko, on the other hand, reached out to touch Shouichi's arm with a pleading look, and asked breathlessly:
"Is it her? Is it really our Fukue?"
"I know this is difficult for you," Shouichi said, carefully edging away from her touch. "But that is what we'll need you to confirm."
"Come on, Ma." Hideru said hurriedly. "Let's just do it."
"Hideru, I need a moment, please." Kumiko said.
"There's no rush," Shouichi said, although this wasn't entirely true. "This isn't an easy thing to ask family to do."
"Oh, please. It's not Fukue. There's no way." Hideru scoffed.
"Oh, I hope not…"
Kumiko sighed and closed her eyes, clutching her hands to her chest briefly before letting out a breath and opening her eyes. She dusted down her suit and then met Shouichi's gaze with an expression that was precisely midway between determination and sadness:
"Alright, Chief Inspector. I'm ready."
Shouichi looked through the window, where the medical examiner was waiting by the examining table. He gave her a nod, and she carefully lifted the white sheet off of Fukue's body, showing only her face. Immediately, Kumiko gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth before turning to Hideru and burying her face in his shoulder. Hideru, for his part, didn't look away. But his face drained of colour, his eyebrows knotting together in a baffled frown.
"No way…" he muttered. "That can't be."
Kumiko lifted her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She looked forlornly at Shouichi but managed to keep her composure.
"It's her," she said. "My good, responsible Fukue. Oh, oh my goodness. Oh, how will I tell my other children?"
"This is ridiculous," Hideru muttered. "Just…come on, Ma, let's go."
"O-oh, yes, I should… oh, Fukue."
She pressed a hand to her mouth, and her eyes became shinier, though the tears still didn't fall. Carefully, Shouichi asked:
"Would you like one of my officers to take you home?"
"Oh no, Chief Inspector. I couldn't possibly trouble you that way," Kumiko said. "I'll be fine, I'm sure. Although…Hideru, do you remember which way we came?"
"I'll see you out myself." Shouichi said.
Looking at the time, he realised he needed to get to Yakanabe soon anyway. He had intended to head there after Seren's funeral, but of course he'd been delayed by Fukue's discovery.
"Oh, thank you!" Kumiko simpered.
Hideru, on the other hand, said nothing, and simply stormed ahead.
"A-ah, Hideru, wait!" Kumiko called out, somewhat ineffectually.
She then turned to Shouichi and pulled an apologetic face.
"I do apologise for my son and his disrespect towards you."
"There's no need to apologise, Amari-san," Shouichi told her smoothly. "I don't take the grief of relatives personally."
"Oh, I am pleased to hear that."
Her hands fluttered, and yet Shouichi caught something satisfied in her eyes but it quickly disappeared, her expression settling back into the same mourning-but-dignified one she had been wearing all this time. Neither of them said anything else as they got close to the door, but Shouichi tried to subtly study her, wondering just why it was she wanted to put on a performance. Because one way or another, Kumiko was putting on a performance. She hadn't faked the shock of seeing her daughter's body. That, at least, he was reasonably sure of. He didn't think she had lied to him either, per se. Nonetheless, she had performed. And as for Hideru…
When they got to the entrance, Hideru was still there, leaning against his motorbike as he held his phone to his ear, hissing furiously:
"You said it would be fine, you said that she wasn't going to-"
Hideru frowned, listened, then said:
"Yes, well, you'd better make up for it. My ma's going crazy, and I'm stuck taking care of the brats until I can palm it off on Zenbe or maybe-"
Hideru looked up and saw Kumiko and Shouichi, and his eyes widened, before narrowing again:
"This isn't the last time you'll be hearing from me."
He snapped his phone shut, and gave them both a strained smile.
"Ma, I've got more deliveries to make. I'm sorry, but I've got to go."
Hideru didn't sound particularly sorry, but Kumiko seemed to take this at face value, as she then said:
"If you can get back in time for dinner, that would be good. You know I still have to go out tonight."
"Surely you can cancel? They'd probably expect you to."
"Ah, it's Zenbe's parent-teacher evening after all, I don't want to neglect my other children for the sake of one…"
Kumiko cast a coy glance in Shouichi's direction, but he chose not to comment. Instead, he said:
"We will be in contact when your daughter's body is ready to be released, and of course we will update you when we find new information. "
"Thank you, sir."
"You better bloody well." Hideru snapped.
He then took his helmet and put it on, before hopping on his motorbike and revving it a tad more loudly than strictly necessary as he drove away. Shouichi wasn't particularly impressed, but the alarm bells were ringing louder than ever. Still, without hard evidence, he couldn't do anything but watch Hideru go, loudly patterned helmet and all. And when he turned back to Kumiko, she was already walking hurriedly down the street.
Strange, he thought, something is definitely strange with the Amari family. I'll have to get one of the team to look into it while I'm in Yakanabe. And with that thought in mind, he got going.
…
Shouichi wasn't expecting to be personally greeted at Yakanabe Station's entrance, but sure enough, a large man with a bear-like build was waiting at the top of the stairs, in front of the automatic doors. He had been reading a book, but was clearly keeping an eye out too, because he almost immediately snapped the book shut, shoved it in the pocket of his jacket, and jogged down the steps, calling:
"Chief Inspector Kiyofuji?"
Shouichi stopped at the bottom of the steps, facing the man.
"That's right, yes." He confirmed.
"Yes, I thought so! Your young detective-Tsukasa, was it? Yes, he mentioned that you were on your way." the man didn't smile but seemed pleased. "Anyway, I'm Superintendent Ogawasara."
"It's good to meet you, Superintendent Ogawasara."
"Oh please, Ogawasara is fine."
"Ogawasara-san, then."
Ogawasara's mouth twitched, and then he said:
"Let me lead the way. I appreciate you and your detective coming down, given that it sounds like things are pretty hectic over in Towa at the moment."
"That is one way of describing it, yes." Shouichi said. "However, it does sound like your case has a bearing on ours."
"Well, hopefully we can help each other out." Ogawasara said.
"Mhm."
Ogawasara led him to the incident room that had been set up for Tsukiko Shinsato's case. Tsukasa was sitting at the table in the middle of the room, busily working away on his laptop, but looked up when Shouichi came to sit across from him.
"So, I've been looking through the footage of the storage locker," he said. "And apart from Kiyomizu, there's only a few other people who come to it. There's people working on identifying them, but one of them's wearing their motorcycle helmet, and trying to turn away from the camera."
"So, you think they are trying to obscure their identity?" Shouichi asked.
"Yes, that's what I think anyway!" Tsukasa said. "I'll show you, after this."
Ogawasara introduced the others who were in the room, and then explained:
"Two of my detectives are still talking to the family, but they'll be here shortly."
"That isn't a problem."
Shouichi exchanged a couple of pleasantries, and answered one of the Yakanabe detectives questions about the case, before turning to Tsukasa.
"While we are waiting, would you be able to show me that footage?"
"Sure!"
Tsukasa loaded it up, then played it for Shouichi to look at. He watched as the person-a male, by the looks of things-walked up to the locker, wearing his motorcycle helmet and looking both ways rather furtively before going to the locker, taking boxes out, and then disappearing off of screen, again looking around furtively as he walked quickly.
"Most of the clips are like that," Tsukasa said. "Sometimes he's putting boxes in there, but he doesn't meet anyone or anything like that."
"Show me a couple more."
Something was nagging him about the young man. The grey-brown hair peeking out of the helmet, or the helmet pattern itself. That loud pattern, could it be-
"Hey, is that Hideru Amari?"
Shouichi turned to look at the Yakanabe detective he had just been talking to in some astonishment.
"You know of him?"
"Ah, it's mostly the helmet I recognise," he said. "He and his friends sometimes hang out by the bars here, smoking and drinking and making a general nuisance of themselves. They also hang around a mechanics' place near here that's known for particularly hooliganism with motorbikes."
"Are they part of any organised crime groups?" Tsukasa asked.
"No, no, this lot are too lazy for that. They're all adults, but Hideru's mother covers for him way too much. She's always making some silly 'kids will be kids' or 'let's not overreact' type of excuse for him. And annoyingly, nothing he or his buddies do rises to the level of needing more than a slap on the wrist, or anything longer than a night in a cell to sleep off the excesses. But it's annoying. Anyway, if that is him, what is he doing there?"
"That locker has been used as a pick-up and drop-off point for our abductor to get supplies for the captive students." Shouichi said.
"On top of that, "Tsukasa said. "Our latest victim is one of his sisters."
The detective's mouth opened and shut a few times, before he eventually spluttered:
"Fukue Amari, the SHSL Hairstylist, is related to this little shit?"
"You were not aware of this fact?" Shouichi asked.
"Well," the detective was still clearly astonished. "I knew he had siblings, and that his mother's also some kind of wannabe 'mommy blogger' type on the side, but that was about it. It never really came up when we're trying to explain to him why, say, he shouldn't be speeding on his motorcycle right outside a daycare."
Shouichi absorbed this information, then looked at the screen of Tsukasa's laptop one more and at the paused video of Hideru Amari (if indeed it was Hideru Amari) striding away with a parcel. It certainly gave the conversation Shouichi had overheard a disturbing new slant.
"If you are able to send me what records you have on Hideru Amari, that would be appreciated," he said. "Meanwhile, Detective Tsukasa, get someone in Towa to do a more in-depth look into his background."
"On it."
As Tsukasa did that, two more people entered the room. These, according to Ogawasara's introductions, were the detectives they were waiting for. Once they were seated, Ogawasara took them through the particulars of the case.
Tsukiko Shinsato was 37 years old, and since November 2022, had been working from home as an IT consultant for a recruitment firm. It was quite a step down from her previous job at Hope's Peak, which had been left abruptly. She had not talked very much to her friends or families since moving homes and jobs, and not many of her new colleagues particularly knew her, though they did all at least have a vaguely positive impression of her.
The detectives who talked to her family reported that she had apparently become more withdrawn, but 'laughed off' any attempts to probe into if anything was wrong. She had not become fully reclusive, but the few times anyone had actually met up with her in person, she was always looking over her shoulder, and never sat anywhere in a café or the bus where she wouldn't be able to have a full view of anybody. She had also seemed particularly rattled by any news coverage of the Hope's Peak disappearances but refused to be drawn into conversation about those. As one of her friends had said 'we weren't quite at the stage where alarm bells were ringing, but we were definitely concerned'. However, as she was 'usually quite good at bouncing back' they weren't prepared to do anything radical about it just yet.
The alarm over her disappearance had been raised by Ichizo Izawa yesterday morning, having been trying to reach her the day before in connection with what had been happening in Towa. At this point, Ogawasara let Shouichi stand up and briefly explain the discovery of the list in Ririka Enjou's office, and how it was possible Tsukiko may have been the one to leave it there. Ogawasara then took over to explain that a neighbour had seen her with a bag on late Saturday evening, walking in what had been described as an 'odd manner' as if 'like maybe she'd hurt her leg but also like she was in a hurry'. Apparently, she had said something about 'leaving', but the neighbour had assumed maybe they were going to the doctor, which was why they had said something about Tsukiko being 'out' when Ichizo had turned up the first time. Later on, they assumed maybe Tsukiko was moving out when she hadn't returned later, but still hadn't seen anything wrong until Ichizo had turned up again on the Monday, still looking for her. And then, of course, Ichizo and the neighbour had discovered the damaged door.
"Her upstairs neighbours recalled hearing banging and shouting Saturday morning while they were having a lie-in, but since they had banged on the floor asking for quiet, and it stopped soon after that, they hadn't pursued it. Though they did mention it was unusual for Shinsato to be making that much noise." One of the officers said.
"Yes," another agreed. "All indications were that she was a quiet, polite, and respectful neighbour who would say hello but mostly kept to herself."
"Which fits with her apparently withdrawing from the world, doesn't it?" Tsukasa asked. "Did anyone else see anything?"
"We did door-to-doors with the building surrounding her apartment block," one of the Yakanabe detectives said. "And while nobody remembered seeing anything, someone's doorbell camera captured two suspicious adults coming back and forth both on Saturday afternoon and Sunday night."
The detective then pointed to a screen hanging on the wall and asked an officer sitting at the room's computer to pull up the video. This one was from Sunday night, as indicated by the time stamp and the fact the footage was in night-vision mode, casting everything with an eerie green glow.
In it, two adults jumped over the fence of the house, hauling a bag with them. They landed in the front garden, and jumped over the fence on the other side, presumably disappearing into the alleyway next to it. The way they moved had a practised ease to it, as if they had scaled fences and garden walls many times before. However, apart from the impression they were adults, and one male and one female, there was very little to identify them. Their clothes were plain, dark grey or black, and looked like clothes one would wear to the gym, with coats on over the top. They wore hats that covered their features and hair, and scarves around their necks that helped to obscure their faces.
When one of the videos from the afternoon was shown (this time, they were coming from the alleyway rather than heading to it, and they carried no bag) Tsukasa exclaimed:
"Did nobody else report seeing these two? Their actions aren't exactly inconspicuous!"
"We're still trying to see if there had been any more sightings, but the family whose house this is had been away for the weekend visiting relatives," the detective who'd brought this up said. "Which was why they weren't aware of these people themselves until we asked about it."
"But presumably, nobody fitting that description was seen around Shinsato-san's place?" Shouichi asked.
"So far, that's correct." Ogawasara confirmed. "Now, let's move onto the state of her flat."
He indicated to the forensic and crime scene investigators who had joined the investigation. Itsuki, Nanao and Hori, if Shouichi remembered correctly.
"Though the blood on the walls was splattered an alarming amount, it's likely that the wounds Tsukiko sustained weren't deep," Hori began. "And the haphazard placement of the splatter suggests that she may have been struck in her bedroom first, and that she managed to fend off her attackers up until she reached the hallway, where they may have inflicted their worst damage. Obviously, without Shinsato-san present, or any footage or pictures, we don't know what injuries there are."
Pictures were put up on the screen, showing the extent of the damage as Hori continued:
"However, we found that she had a first-aid kit which was severely depleted, and some bandages in her bathroom bin, suggesting she did try to patch herself up as well. And of course, we do have witness statements that she walked out of her house safely. "
"There aren't any traces of any fingerprints or DNA of anyone apart from Shinsato-san herself." Itsuki piped up.
She then blushed and hunched her shoulders, and Nanao smoothly picked up where she left off:
"Mind you, we're still going through everything that has been brought back, because something may turn up there, especially considering how thoroughly the place was ransacked."
"Do we know if anything is missing?" Shouichi asked.
"She has a work laptop, a personal laptop and a mobile phone, none of which are in the house. There's no sign of any credit or debit cards, or cash. It's impossible to tell what might be missing from amongst her papers, although her birth certificate and passport are still there. There is one thing, however…"
"What is it?"
The photos on the screen changed to show some packaging for what looked like a variety of different security cameras. Some were wall-mounted cameras, and others were ones that could be placed on flat surfaces. Others were smaller, clearly meant to be hidden. Next to this, a picture of what looked like one of the cameras' mounts affixed to a wall was displayed, but without the camera.
"It appears that Shinsato-san kept cameras around her house," Nanao said. "But whoever ransacked the house took them all-"
"Oh, not all of them."
They all looked to Ogawasara, who gestured to a now blushing Itsuki. She held up an evidence bag which she'd apparently had in the pocket of her lab coat. It contained a small, round black object.
"That's a camera?" Tsukasa asked incredulously.
Itsuki nodded, and looked a little helplessly at Ogawasara, whose half-smiles finally became a full grin as he said:
"Flick back to the other pictures."
When this had been done, Ogawasara tapped the screen and enlarged one of the crime scene photographs on the screen and pointed. There, covering the lightbulb that hung from the ceiling of Tsukiko Shinsato's hallway, was a lamp covering made of many, many black beads dangling down from threads.
"She camouflaged it." Ogawasara concluded grandly. "If you didn't know to look, or if you're just not Itsuki, then there is no way you would have noticed that."
"It does just look like one of the beads." Tsukasa conceded. "But, how would you get footage from that? It's tiny, it surely can't have been stored there."
"It was." Itsuki confirmed, with a little more confidence, though her cheeks were still pink.
"We'll include the details about the brand and the ins and outs of that in the report," Nanao said, standing up. "But I assume actually looking at the footage is more important right now. The best we could tell, this is a fairly new camera, and has only recorded a few days' worth of footage, so it shouldn't take too long."
He went over to the computer and took over from the officer who had been manning it. After some clicks, the footage went up, showing a view of the hallway, mostly facing the door, though when the cover swayed occasionally, the view also shuddered. The footage was sped up, and was mostly uneventful apart from Tsukiko coming in and out of rooms, or going to check what post had come through the door.
But then, on the second occasion Tsukiko did this, she paused and stared at the door. Her back was turned to the camera, so it was impossible to see her face. But she then stood up, tucked some of her long red hair back behind her ears, and appeared to try and steel herself. She then unlocked the door, though she kept it on the chain. However, that chain was clearly ineffectual, as the person at the door managed to break it with a few hard tugs, and pushed past the door and Tsukiko to barge in-
-not just one person, but two people. Two people, dressed in the same dark clothes as the couple who had been captured on the doorbell camera. But there was something about what he could see of their faces that he recognised as they lunged for Tsukiko, apparently asking a question which had her shaking her head and backing away from them. It wasn't until they kept advancing towards her, further into the small hallway, that the camera caught a clear view of their faces, and a gasp went around the room.
"Wait, hold on, isn't that-"a Yakanabe detective asked.
"What on earth?"
"Why are Shinji and Nanako Motowari there?" Tsukasa exclaimed.
And all Shouichi could think was: I want to ask that question myself.
…
Just to be sure, the rest of the footage was watched. The Motowaris were caught on the lamp camera's footage three more times: leaving the flat the first time, then returning again, before leaving with the bag that they'd had in some of the doorbell footage. Tsukiko was also seen leaving, sometime after the Motowaris had left for the first time. Like the neighbour said, she was limping, and bundled up, carrying a messenger bag and a holdall, as if she were planning to go somewhere.
And while they watched that, Tsukasa found the online furore about the Motowaris being hitmen, and Shouichi reread the parts of Dr Arashi Kudo's statement that called the Motowaris 'killers', and the witness statements over the discovery of Chiara Kai's body, which included the Motowaris' own. How much some of those counted for though, was hard to say.
Either way, it was more than enough to spark the manhunt for the Motowaris.
The Yakanabe team were leading the search of the Motowari house, since the evidence that justified it related to their case. However, given they lived in Towa rather than Yakanabe, and there was still the connection with the missing kids, Ogawasara invited Shouichi and Tsukasa to join the team on the search, which they accepted. Shouichi wanted to understand just how and why the parents of one of the missing kids would be complicit in their child's disappearance.
When they knocked on the door, they were greeted by a very confused housekeeper who had apparently been told simply to keep the house tidy for when the Motowaris returned, and to ask anyone who turned up that there had been a 'family emergency'. The few other staff that they had onsite with them-a cook and a gardener-had done their duties and been sent home on Sunday. All of these instructions though, the housekeeper told Ogawasara and Shouichi, had been relayed over the phone. If she thought about it, she hadn't seen them in person since Friday or Saturday.
"Which one?" Shouichi asked.
The housekeeper furrowed her brow:
"Well, they were definitely here on Friday. The Izawas came over for dinner, but it didn't seem like a social call at all. They fell silent every time I came in, and they all looked angry. And then Nanako-san was crying when they left and went to bed-yes, they left Saturday morning, I remember now. Cook offered to make them breakfast but they turned it down, saying they had a busy day ahead of them, no time to waste."
"Alright, that's fine," Ogawasara said. "One of my detectives will need to interview you. Chief Inspector, I presume you will be fine with that."
"O-oh my, am I in trouble? Are the Motowaris in trouble? You'd never realise what they really do for a living, they're so ki-"
The housekeeper immediately slapped her hand over her mouth when she realised what she had said, shaking like a leaf. Ogawasara and Shouichi exchanged a look, and then Ogawasara called a detective over and murmured something to them. It wasn't clear what he had said, but when the detective led the housekeeper away, their manner was kind and solicitous. But with the housekeeper out of the way, the search could begin. The detectives. Ogawasara and Shouichi split up, examining the rooms, checking nobody else was hidden within one of them.
And one by one, the shouts came:
"Clear!"
"All clear here, Boss!"
"Clear!"
And then:
"Uh, Chief, you'd better come and see this!"
It transpired that Tsukasa was calling from a room on the second floor, styled as a home office of sorts, all sleek monochrome apart from the wooden table. When Shouichi got there, meeting Ogawasara at the door, some of the Yakanabe detectives were already turning the room upside down. Though, this room appeared almost entirely mundane, with most of what was being unearthed appearing to be paperwork and office supplies.
But what caught his attention the most were the two items on the desk: the sheet of paper, and the small voice recorder sitting on the desk.
It was not the only item on the desk. There was a laptop charger, though no laptop. A desk tidy filled with pens, pencils, a box of staples and a pencil sharpener. A pad of light green post-it notes. Three paperweights, and two framed photographs. Both of them were family photographs. The first showed Shinji and Nanako standing outside Hope's Peak with Hayami, presumably on what would have been her first day there. The second was a black-and-white shot of a newborn baby swaddled in blankets, knitted cap on its head. Shouichi reasonably assumed that this was Hayami. But he couldn't dwell on that.
He looked at the sheet of paper first, and did a double take as he was confronted with the same list that Ririka Enjou had had:
Dax Haley
Yori Miyagi
Silas Jon Finsen
Ae-ra Park
Luca Fontana
Yuzuho Fujiwara
Ottillie Nylund
Chiara Kai
Setsuna Ushiroku
Fukue Amari
Nazuna Kurihara
Iori Asano
Naruhito Ono
Ena Setsushi
Kaida Adachi
Kagura Nabenashi
No, he realised, looking closer at the list. It's not exactly the same. Dax Haley's name hadn't been on Ririka's list at all. But here, it was at the top, making the first five names of the list a precise match to the disappearances. Then, there was Nazuna's name, now bumped lower down. Shouichi frowned for a moment as he tried to remember who had been in that position on the other list, then sucked in a breath as the answer came to him. He peered over the list to stare at the photograph on the desk, where Hayami smiled innocently at him.
Carefully, he set the list down, and picked up the voice recorder, which had one of the green post-it notes stuck on top of it, scribbled on with the word: LISTEN.
"Is that safe?" one of the Yakanabe detectives asked.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Shouichi asked.
"I mean, "Tsukasa said hesitantly. "They are hitmen. Possibly."
"Maybe that is the case. However, we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. Despite the unexpectedness of this development, this isn't a movie."
Given the younger detective's apprehension, it startled Shouichi enough when Tsukasa suddenly leant forward to press 'play'. But then, a voice came out of the recorder:
"Hello there, Chief Inspector Kiyofuji, Detective Superintendent Ogawasara, and whomever else you have got accompanying you. We knew this moment would come. That is why we have left you this message."
Up until this point, the voice speaking had been female, but now it switched to a male voice. So, Nanako first and then Shinji, Shouichi presumed.
"Not that there is much for us to say," presumably-Shinji continued. "You will find what you will find, and that is what it is. You will not find us, no matter how hard you try. There is much we did not see coming, when we should have known better. But that doesn't mean we give in so easily. However,…Detectives, would you like to enter a negotiation with us? The terms are quite simple."
"Can you guess what they are?" Nanako almost purred, clearly taunting.
Indeed, up until this point, the tones of their voices had been light, as though they were simply sitting down with them all for a chat. But after Nanako's question, a moment of silence stretched out.
"What?" Ogawasara thundered. "Are they seriously trying to negotiate with is?"
One of the Yakanabe detectives was about to agree, when on the recording, Shinji spoke again. And this time, his voice was hard and cold:
"Bring back our daughter safely, and we'll turn ourselves in and tell you everything."
And there, the recording stopped.