Crimes Past: Part Two

[blueinkedpalm.livejournal.com]

Fandom: Burn Up Excess
Rating: Light R (occasional swearing, and violence)
Link to Part One: Here.

Many thanks to gehayi for coordinating the ficathon, and to scarab_dynasty for the beta.



Seven Hours and Fifty-Three Minutes Later…

“This should hold at least.” Nanvel set down the spanner and wiped her face with a rag. “Lilica, how are you going with the programming?”

“Nearly done,” her friend called back. “Can you get Beano to make me another coffee?”

“That’s white with two sugars for Lilica, and herbal tea for me, Beano dear.”

“That is the data I have accumulated.”

Steam rose from the robot as he produced two more warm beverages.

“I think we’ve nearly fixed it until the budget can give us enough to finish,” Lilica said, walking to the robot and clasping her coffee firmly between her hands. “Do you think Rio’s going to be all right?”

“She will,” Nanvel said firmly. “It…it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, in the end. She’ll know that.”

“And she’s sure getting some sleep tonight, if I know Rio.” Lilica loped back towards the control unit. “Can you redirect the circuit path through units three and five?”

“Not a problem.” Nanvel took up her toolbox and went to the units in question.

“Systems check for Division A, complete. Systems check for Division B—once I document the external errors, it’ll run just fine. Division C, complete…”

Lilica suddenly drew a quick breath in.

“Nanvel. My office is still in lockdown, isn’t it?”

She looked up as steam rose from where she was applying a soldering iron to a wire, slightly bemused. “I guess so. Do your readings say it is?”

Lilica brought her hand to her mouth. “IthinkweleftPaninthere.”

“Pan?”

A thick cloud of steam rose into the air from Nanvel’s application of the soldering iron, but she didn’t attempt to remedy that as she stared at Lilica with an equally shocked expression.

“Maybe I could just…open the doors to let him out quietly? And apologise when we’re finished this urgent job?” Lilica grimaced. “I’m so sorry!”

“Send an email in my name,” Nanvel said. “I’ll make things up to him later.”

“I’ll do that, then. Nanvel, I really am sorry…”

Her friend graciously waved a hand in the air. “It happens to everyone. It’s okay.”

Scene Six: Grand Theft. Police Town, Outside the Police Chief’s Office.

“She sent for you too?” Rio glared at Yuji. “I hoped she’d discovered something useful.”

“Harsh, Rio.” Maya walked up towards her. “Seems like Maki wants all three of us.”

She turned on her, fists clenched reflexively. “I know it’s the same person behind this, Maya. They murdered Chisato. Now Miyuki. I will not let them walk away.” She was shaking, her hair wild around her face as though it had been left unbrushed for a month. She could have passed for an avenging angel gone mad.

“Hey. Rio. Wanna try knocking on the door?” Yuji said into the silence.

She shot him a glare through slitted eyes. “Fine.”

Maki looked up from her computer. “Maya. Yuji. Thank you for coming so promptly. Rio. Are you willing to take part in this?”

“Maki, you know I’ll do anything to take them down!” Rio slammed her hands down on the desk. “Tell me you’ve got a lead. Any lead.”

“It won’t immediately take you to the true criminals,” Maki said. “Will you still be able?”

“You still think I want to kill them, don’t you?” Rio banged a fist down on the desk, bouncing Maki’s computer along it. “Guess why?”

Maki calmly steadied her machine. “I understand why you feel angry, Rio. You know why I will not send you on a personal revenge mission.”

“Don’t worry about me, Maki.” Rio flung her head back and laughed. “They break into Police Town twice and murder people, why would I want to send them down to the hell they came from? Maybe we should give them a medal or something, see if some politician wants to buy them out of jail, or let them claim insanity and be looked after for the rest of their lives…” She laughed again. “Am I unworthy compared to them? Was Miyuki unworthy?”

“Rio.” Maki stood up, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. “Listen to me.”

She kept laughing, until finally her gaze met the glare of Maki’s glasses.

“I understand, Maki,” she said, the remainder of her giggles sounding more like sobs. “I know what I have to do. Tell us what your lead is.”

“There was a large bank robbery concurrent to the raid. A customer faked a heart attack, and the gang entered disguised as nurses. I’ve searched the prison records; it’s far too much of a coincidence. Yuji.” Maki turned her attention to him. “Do you still possess that collection of schoolgirl uniforms?”

Scene Seven: All Girls Together. Outside a Certain Bar of Disreputable Reputation.

“How do I look?” Yuji cocked his head as he stared into a small hand mirror, adjusting the wire to fit neatly under his lacy collar.

“Freaky,” Rio commented.

“Disturbing,” Maya volunteered.

“I was hoping for ‘pretty’.” Yuji sniffed haughtily. “Is it the hair? The makeup? What’s wrong with me?”

Maya shoved him towards the bar's entrance. “Just go. You’ll blend in just fine.”

--

“Big party in there,” Maya said, listening to the radio feed.

“…that dress goes so well with your eyes…”

“…new drug hitting the streets…”

“…glad to be out of Doris’ stupid nurse outfit…”

“…great loot, too bad you weren’t there…”’

“It is not stupid…”

“Sounds like they did it,” Rio said.

“I’m just waiting to get in and shoot.” Maya fingered her gun.

“If he does his job right, we won’t need to.” Rio said, glowering. “Put that thing away already.”

Maya shrugged, and brought out a handkerchief from her pocket to polish the gun’s barrel.

--

“You have the most incredible eyes I’ve ever seen.”

A giggle. “Thanks. What would you like?”

“To gaze at your beauty for hours.”

“That’s Yuji?” Rio hissed. “Since when did he try to be Mister Suave?”

“I guess he doesn’t want to get beaten up this time,” Maya said. “Shut up, let’s listen to this. And record it for posterity.”

Another giggle. “I could recommend the Fairy Freeze, I guess. I’m getting really good at making those.”

“Yes, please. And where have you been all my life?”

“Here. Around.”

Liquid slopping into a glass.

“Where were you…yesterday?”

“Er, just…around. Why do you ask?”

“I heard you made some unexpected withdrawals. From Watanabe Bank?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m just interested. Do you have a membership requirement? Minimum standards of exceptional beauty?”

“I’m not really sure. You’re not trying to imply anything, are you?” The voice was suddenly sharper and lower.

“No, I’m just…making inquiries. Ah, would you like me to buy you a drink?”

“She wouldn’t,” another voice interjected. “Chi-Mama, Gloria, grab him before he pesters more of our barmaids, please.”

“Oh. You.” Yuji’s voice suddenly sounded a lot more feminine. “Hi?”

“We’re going in,” Maya said with relish. “Rio, quit holding me back!”

“No. We’re going to do this properly, Maya. We’ll get a fix on the situation and then arrest the whole lot of them. Stay back.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know you? You pig of a policeman. I remember you arresting me.”

“I remember you have the most amazing legs I’ve ever seen. Do you date cops?”

“Maybe cops.” A laugh. “Not corpses.”

“Just purely out of interest, why do you mention corpses…?”

“Did we keep that big saw, Chi-Mama?”

“Time for us to go!” Maya was almost slavering as she stood behind Rio at the door, peeking inside a small crack in its panels.

“No, I think it got confiscated. Or we sold it,” she replied, twisting Yuji’s left arm while the other transvestite held his right.

Mama turned to the blue-haired barmaid. “Zitara, do we have any extra-large wine barrels handy?”

“I don’t think so. Sorry.”

“Stand back,” Rio muttered.

“Then I might have to use more traditional methods. Goodbye, officer.” She released the safety from the trigger with an ominous click.

The door flew open, Rio bursting in with Maya close behind her.

“Stick ‘em up!” Maya yelled, firing a warning shot into a bottle of bourbon on the bartop, which exploded.

Rio dived forward as Yuji ducked, aiming a punch and a kick at his guardians. Yuji broke free from their grip, crawling to huddle under the bar with Zitara.

“If it isn’t Stephanie and her little friends.” Chi-Mama advanced towards Rio, her fists raised.

“My—name—is—not—Stephanie!” Rio followed up with her attack, launching punches which her opponent blocked with meaty fists.

“Liar!” Zitara reached for a discarded glass on the floor, and smashed it over Yuji’s head. “God, I hate cops.”

“Hey, don’t get too excited! I’m hiding from the fight too!” He scrabbled for a bottle of white wine which had fallen in the commotion. “It’d be a waste if I smashed this against your head.”

“Let me get a clear shot at her,” Mama called. “She’s been a thorn in our sides too long.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Maya, behind her, held her gun pointed to the back of Mama’s head. “Put the gun down.”

“Not if she doesn’t want to, dearie,” Chi-Mama called.

Rio went flying through the air, landing on Maya; the two of them struggled in a heap for a moment before Rio jumped to her feet.

“Hands up, both of you,” Mama said coolly, pointing the gun at them. “I’m not police; bear in mind that I will shoot you the instant I see your hand moving there, unfashionable policewoman with the green hair. Chi-Mama, grab the third one for me.”

“Your wish is my command,” she said cheerily, and after a brief and ultimately pointless struggle white wine cascaded down Chi-Mama’s face while Yuji hung suspended from her right hand.

“Are you going to shoot them all and have done with it?” Chi-Mama asked. “I think Vicky mentioned she’d bought an axe for the yard, and I reckon with a few mousetraps thrown in we could manage something decent…”

Mama hesitated. “It’s tempting, despite the price of mousetraps these days and our teensy-weensy rodent problem, but I’m afraid…I think we might agree to a plea bargain this time.” She nodded to Rio and Maya. “Speaking frankly, you lack the evidence to nail us for this one, and I’ll make sure to nail your other friend on a charge of sexual harassment if you pull me in. I could also shoot you here and now, of course. What say you agree to leave the bar quietly, call up reinforcements, discover we’re long gone, and solve your real mystery?”

“You knew about that!” Rio snapped. “You knew they were going to attack Police Town! You tell us who did that, and maybe we’ll let you go.”

“I received a tip that something was going to happen. I didn’t know what,” Mama said. “But here’s the only hint I have for you: the Chief was behind it. Now, you three little piggies…go home.”

Chi-Mama walked to the door and unceremoniously threw Yuji out.

“Fine,” Rio said, glaring. “We’ll find out. And when we do, we’ll be back for you all. Come on, Maya. Let’s find you an even bigger gun.”

--

“They’ve found us,” Doris said nervously. “What are we going to do now?”

“We’re going to join my sister.” Mama looked around at her comrades, and smiled at the puzzled looks she noticed. “She can protect us. And we owe her a favour, don’t we girls?”

--

Scene Eight: Marketing. Around the Outskirts of a School, Central Neo Tokyo.

“Um.”

It was the second time Sadako Ashia was talking to the supplier, and he was still freaking her out.

“No needles. No swallowing. No nothing,” he said. “It’s the newest trend everywhere.”

“Don’t be a square, Sady,” Nanami said, laughing. “Are you going to buy it or what?”

“Have you?”

“Nope, I’m out of cash. But my boyfriend lets me use his. It’s the best rush ever.”

“I don’t know. It’s…”

“If you’re thinking of turning me into the cops, you’ve got no proof,” the supplier said quickly.

“Sady won’t do that. We’re good,” Nanami said quickly. “So, Sady, are you going to? I know you get a really big allowance from Daddy dearest…”

“It’s not that big,” Sadako said quickly. “And I’m not quite…”

“Eighty thousand yen. Take it or leave it.”

“Sady…” Nanami said mockingly.

She’d spread the story to everyone. Sadako Ashia, good little Minister’s daughter, doesn’t take drugs or swear or wear skirts above her knee…

“I’ll take it,” she said, and rummaged in her bag for the cash.

--

Scene Nine: The Search For Bodyguard. The Interior of the Police Chief’s Office.

The large photograph projected on the wall showed a dozen or so men gathered in a large conference room, almost indistinguishable from each other thanks to their apparent uniform of black suits and sunglasses.

“This is Team Bodyguard,” Maki said. “Lilica, you and Nanvel now have access to their files.”

“I’ve never heard of them,” Nanvel said. “But isn’t that the Tonoyama Conference Room?”

“It is. They were an elite team created on the former Prime Minister’s direct instructions seven years ago. Nine of the men you see here died with him in the Neo Tokyo Tower disaster.”

“Oh.” Lilica pointed to a blue-haired man sitting behind a computer, below the caption ‘Ziegel Katsuragi’. “Is that what happened to him?”

“Yes. Our three survivors are Kaji Arakaki, Soshu Ogura, and Jounichi Yamamoto.” Yellow lines circled and magnified the three faces. “You’ll interview them about their investigation into the first Police Town attack.”

“I wondered why he hadn’t been on the Police Town network for ages,” Lilica said sadly. “He called himself ‘Z’, and wouldn’t let anyone know anything about who he was.”

“Unfortunately, he’s dead. Under Bodyguard’s protocols the self-destruct hit as soon as he hadn’t logged in for five consecutive days.” Maki’s lips tightened. “Even so, at least one of the three should provide you with some further information from memory.”

“Do we know where they are now?” Nanvel asked.

“Kaji Arakaki’s current residence is flat seventy-two in the Tsutomu building, Kamine District. Soshu Ogura is presently employed as a labourer by Gondo Construction. Jounichi Yamato, a recent recruit when I disbanded the remnants of Bodyguard, is still in the police force.”

“Traffic Division, under Umi Matsumoto,” Lilica said, tapping on the laptop in front of her. “We’ll go find them.”

--

“Hey! Jounichi!” Lilica waved at the tall young man standing at the coffee machine. “I’m Lilica Ebett, Processing and Networking.”

He paused midway through depositing his coins. “Hi. I’m sorry, but why—”

“Misato Hira told me about you.” She ran up to stand beside him, pushing his hand away from the slot. “You know, this stuff’s really bad for you. I’ll take you to the fourth floor café. My treat.”

“Um, I still don’t know exactly who you are…”

“You can see my identification if you want.” She flashed her card at him. “I’m sure Umi won’t mind, you know she only gets snappy the week after payday.”

He stared at her.

“And also, I technically outrank you.” She smiled sweetly at him, taking hold of his arm. “Let’s go.”

--

“Yeah, I was in Bodyguard. So bloody what?” Kaji Arakaki took another drag of his can of beer and then threw the empty can aside, atop a pile of others littered on the flat’s badly stained carpet. “I’m still trying to forget about it. You weren’t there, were you? I saw eight of my friends butchered that day and got sacked for my trouble. Fuck it all.”

Nanvel frowned. “I thought you were sacked because you worked for former Prime Minister Tonoyama.”

“What does it matter?” He staggered to the fridge, hunting around for another beer. “He created us. He paid us. He owned us. New fancy police chief comes in and we’re out.” He squinted at her. “Hey, you’re one of those Warrior bitches, aren’t you?”

“I guess you know a lot about Police Town secret files,” Nanvel said through gritted teeth. She shifted in her seat, carefully perched on the edge of a very stained sofa.

“Sure. We used to make Ziegel download security camera files of you babes in action. Nice rack, by the way.” He leered, reaching out a hand towards her. “So whaddya want? Going to compensate me for my time?”

Nanvel stood. “I didn’t want to do this, but you’ve forced me to stoop to it. Pinky, Bubblegum Love Attack!”

The small pink cockroach skittered from under her sleeve down to the floor.

“What the—aargh! Get it off! Not there!” He leaped out of the chair, batting at his clothing to try to dislodge the mecharoach from his body. “Cut it out!”

“Not until you start talking.” Nanvel folded her arms.

“It’s unconstitutional! Stop it!”

“I guess you’re right. Bodyguard and Warrior are unconstitutional. Are you going to talk?” Nanvel cocked her head to the side. “If you stayed still it might not be so bad.”

“Okay, okay! Please!”

“You’ll talk?”

“Yes! Get it off me! No—ouch!”

“All right.” She extended her right arm in front of her. “Pinky, Frill Dive Return!”

The roach dropped to the ground and skittered back up her sleeve, nestling somewhere near her wrist.

“Okay. Okay. What do you want to know?” Kaji flopped back in his seat, reaching for his drink.

“Bodyguard’s investigation into the attack on Police Town eighteen months ago.”

“That?” He stared at her. “I wasn’t assigned to it. Why?”

“Don’t you know?”

“Know what? I’m fired, persona non grata, out on my arse, unemployed-capital-U, you get the idea. How am I supposed to know?”

“There was a second attack yesterday,” Nanvel said. “Nine deaths and over twenty injured. You need to tell us what you discovered.”

He laughed. “That’s not the way to convince me, honey. I’m not police any more, I don’t care, I don’t even watch the news since they disconnected my electricity for the bill. I could tell you some other ways to convince me if you really want to know…”

“I don’t think so.” Nanvel folded her arms again. “Is there anything you overhead about the case?”

“Some guy called the Chief. I dunno. Tonoyama thought they might be some sort of rival to him, but they went underground after the attack failed. We had other stuff to do. Ziegel and Takeichi—they had the case—never said much about it. Guess they were too scared of us to come back.”

“They did come back,” Nanvel said. “We have to know.”

“I told you. That’s all. They went underground and we never had the chance to find out. Bet you really feel stupid coming to visit me now, don’t you?” He flicked open the lid of a beer can and took another drink.

“You’ve been very helpful, Mr Arakaki,” Nanvel said with dignity. “We’ve deposited ten thousand yen in your account to compensate you for your time. I’m sure that’ll pay for a few more beers. Good day.”

She refrained from slamming the door behind her.

--

“I’m sorry. I only joined Bodyguard a month before the Tower disaster. I guess that’s why I was kept on.” Jounichi reached across the table to stuff a chocolate-chip biscuit in his mouth. “I never heard that much about the case.”

“What did you hear?” Lilica asked.

“Just…someone called the Chief?” He shook his head. “I know what happened was tragic, but it was before my time. I guess I should have asked.”

“Nothing else?”

Another biscuit found its way to his lips, crumbs spraying around him as he spoke. “No. I guess you’ll have to talk to the other guys. I’m kinda out of touch with them, so I can’t help you there, either. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Lilica said. She scribbled out a check and laid it on the table. “Thanks.”

“Any time. Are you going to stay and finish the biscuits?”

“No. You’d better have them.”

“Would you like to, uh, do this again? Maybe? Sometime?”

“I’ve got to get going,” Lilica said quickly, drawing her chair back and standing. “See you around!”

He watched her dash away, holding a third biscuit paused midway to his mouth.

--

Nanvel looked down at the map, and then up at the large building halfway through construction. There was no mistaking it, particularly the ten-foot-high stylised “G” logo being hauled into position by the giant crane.

Her card released a low-toned beep, and she raised it to her ear.

“Lilica?”

“Have I got some dirt for you!” her friend said gleefully. “The system just finished scanning in Maya’s confidential report and correlating the sources. It took a while,” she said thoughtfully, “but listen to this. Gondo Construction pretend they’re a construction company, but in actual fact they’re linked to all sorts of underworld dealings, especially extortion, protection rackets, and weapon smuggling. They got run out of their home town by a rival syndicate—Maya didn’t get detailed on that—but they got some huge loans from an unknown sponsor and set up here. The rumour is they’ve become heavily involved in the drug trade. They use a lot of high tech, and they’re utterly without conscience. Take care.”

“Don’t worry. Nanvel out.”

A group of young and muscled men worked busily on the scaffold, shirtless in the warm weather; Nanvel permitted herself a moment’s distraction before trying to identify her suspect.

“Excuse me? Miss?” A fully clothed man wearing a hard hat with a clipboard in his hand walked towards her. “This is a construction site. You might get hurt if you hang around here.”

“I know.” Nanvel fluttered her eyelashes at him. “I just wanted to know if you were going to give those poor men up there a lunch break soon.”

“We usually break about now, maybe a bit later. Are you looking for someone in particular?”

“Soshu Ogura,” she said. “Please forgive me coming here like this, but I really need to see him.”

“Wait over there on the public bench, and I’ll tell him you’re after him.”

“Thank you.” She smiled sweetly. “Will he be terribly long?”

“Not at all.”

“I’m so glad to hear that.”

She absently watched the people on the street making their way to and from their various appointments as she waited for the workers to finally finish. A young schoolgirl raced along the path, her bag flying in wild sweeps behind her; an old woman sedately walked her dog; and an overweight man accompanied by a red-haired woman walked out of what had already been built of the complex.

Finally, the supervisor yelled at the men to break; Nanvel strolled over to meet her interviewee.

“Hi. My name’s Nanvel,” she said. The photograph of him had been quite accurate, though in the months since his exit from Police Town he seemed to have become slightly more muscular. “Do you recognize me?”

He frowned. “I’m not sure. Where should I recognize you from?”

“Police Town,” she said, flashing him her identification. “I know you were in Bodyguard. Let’s talk about the attack yesterday. Come with me away from these guys.”

“So the attack was similar to the first one,” he said, sounding almost genuinely horrified as they walked past the district storefronts. “I’m…sorry. I should have already called the police.”

“That would have been nice. What do you know about the first one?”

“I wasn’t on the case. I just know…they were after something, right? Some sort of gadget. But then they gave up on it after War—some police officers—beat it.”

“Is that all you know?”

“Yes. I’m sorry. The first team who had the case probably know more about it than me.”

“Should I believe a man who went from working for a corrupt Prime Minister to working for a drug dealer, extortionist and arms smuggler?”

Soshu stopped mid-step. “What?”

“You worked for former Prime Minister Tonoyama, and now Gondo Construction,” Nanvel said, speaking as slowly as though she was explaining it to a five-year-old.

“No!” He turned to face her, his shock obvious as his expression was reflected in the window behind Nanvel. “I’m just an independent contractor. I help build, not anything like that. I do need the money, but I wouldn’t do anything illegal for anyone!”

“What did you do for Tonoyama?”

He drooped in mid-outrage. “I did…lots of things I regret. We covered up the murder of Officer Masato when he was on to us. We blackmailed the Prime Minister’s political opponents and covered up his crimes. We assaulted and stole. There’s no way I can make up for any of that.”

“I know,” Nanvel said. “I’ve seen some of the records.”

“But I did make one vow after I was sacked from Bodyguard.” He raised his head to look her in the eyes. “I decided I hated what I’d become.”

“What did you vow?”

“Integrity. I won’t harm anyone again. My father was a police officer and so was my grandfather. And you know what the last thing he said to me was?”

Nanvel shook her head, but it appeared the question had been rhetorical only; he was staring at some point suspended above her head.

“The last thing he ever said to me was that he was proud of me for my position in the police force. And I realised I’d betrayed everything my family stood for. Three days later eight of my friends died. I’m not that person any more. I’m only a building labourer, but at least I can look at myself in the mirror these days. I know it’s hard to believe,” he continued. “I understand why you wouldn’t. But please accept that I truly hope you solve this case.”

Nanvel nodded slowly. “I guess all we have to go on is your word for it. But you were third and last on our list. Tell me all you know.”

“I never saw the gadget in question,” he said, hesitating as he recalled the information. “There was a big deal over Governor Tateyama sponsoring an anti-corruption initiative shortly after that, and Takeichi Nakasone came away to work on that with us after a while. That really is all I know.”

Nanvel sighed. “Thanks. I guess. Be prepared in case we want to talk to you again.”

“Of course. My address and phone number should be on the public records.”

“And Officer Masato, Soshu?” Nanvel said as she turned to leave. “He survived your murder attempt, if that matters to you.”

“He…” Soshu blinked, and as she walked away Nanvel thought he might actually be crying. “Thank you.”

--

The Chief’s Office, Police Town.

“So, yeah, that’s pretty much what happened,” Rio said. “Yuji had to muck everything up and we got that they did the burglary, Maki, and they must have known about the attack before it happened. They said it was someone called the Chief who was behind it. But now they’ve all disappeared and the girl—guy, whatever—they left to mind the bar doesn’t seem to know anything.”

Maki sighed. “I understand. I’ve sent posters of the gang to be placed on the street. There’s nothing you personally can do to track them down—” she held up a hand to stop Rio’s interjection—“and so I’m ordering you three to go home, get some rest, and wait for me to call you in. You’ve all faced enough in the past few days. Rio, I suggest you go to the Isobe Hospital and see whether Officer Fujidera is permitted visitors yet.”

Rio’s jaw dropped. “Maki. You’ve got it wrong.”

“That was an order, Rio. Go home and rest.”

“No. Miyuki. She’s not…not…”

“She’s a patient in Isobe Hospital,” Maki repeated.

Rio opened and closed her mouth twice more. “Maki, if you’re making a mistake I’m going to rip off your arm and…”

It was Maki’s turn to look shocked. “Do you mean you thought she was dead?”

“I saw her lying in a pool of her own blood before she collapsed in my arms.” Rio’s face twisted in a rough grimace. “I couldn’t take it if you told me this while she’s lying dead after all. She deserves the truth at least. Just tell me what’s really going on.”

Maki quickly typed something into her laptop. “She remains in critical condition, but she was alive at least twenty minutes ago.” She looked up, and smiled at Rio. “Based on the information here, I have every reason to believe she will recover.”

“Yes!” Rio punched a hand in the air, her grin wide enough to split her face in half. “Gotta go, Maki!”

Maya and Yuji watched her race out of the room as though pursued by a horde of debt collectors, and turned back to each other with similar stares.

--

A Dialogue: Police Town Answering Service.

“Good evening. Police Town Central speaking. I apologise for the wait due to the recent terrorist attack. How may I help you?”

“I got interviewed today. By someone…Nanvel was her name? I don’t remember her surname, I’m sorry.”

“Nanvel. Okay. What department was she in?”

“I don’t know. Is that okay?”

“I’ll run it through the databases anyway. It’s not that common.”

“Thanks. The thing is, I’ve only just remembered that she said something which seems a bit odd now.”

“What was it?”

“She said there were three survivors. There weren’t.”

“Not three survivors. Hold on, the computer’s still busy.”

“Jounichi was off sick that whole week, and I was at my grandfather’s funeral. Kaji was the only one who survived the attack, though I couldn’t face talking to him about it afterwards. Just too…too much.”

“Okay, okay, I understand. Almost there…got it. Nanvel Candlestick, Specialised Research and Development Projects. Why did she interview you?”

“About…about an attack. I just need you to pass on the message. It was Jounichi, me, Kaji and Ziegel who survived. I don’t know who she overlooked, but Ziegel was the computer expert; they never put him on active duty. And he knew about the case.”

“Your message has been inserted into our system. Was there anything else, sir?”

“No. I don’t even know for sure if this will help. I just wish her luck in finding the killers.”

“Goodnight, sir.”

Click.

--