Black Fragments (Prologue - 2)

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Prologue: The Female Cat
Aside from the relatively good soundproofing of the walls, floors, and ceilings, this building was otherwise unremarkable.

On the seventh floor, there was a living room the size of fifteen tatami mats, and two bedrooms. The room on the right remained exactly as it had been two weeks prior, with several cardboard boxes scattered haphazardly. The bedroom was entirely black, from the curtains to the desk and sofa bed. Even the lightweight suits hanging in the wardrobe were all black.

"Ah, so good..."

A female cat's groans echoed from between the suitcases. Keeping pets in the building—that stubborn building manager probably wouldn't allow it... This female cat was enormous, with mysterious and alluring eyes, and long, silky hair.

"Ah... Satoshi... I... I'm going to lose..."

The female cat stood upright, her red lips slightly parted, her back arched. The third button of her blouse was undone, her full breasts bursting out.

The owner of this room was—Ryouki Satoshi. He wore a white shirt, but his sunglasses, tie, and socks were all dark-colored. His head was buried between the female cat's breasts. The zipper of his suit pants was open, and his body was one with the female cat's. The two seemed to have reached climax. He kissed her neck and ears wildly, his waist moving up and down violently.

"Ah... ah... no, don't go so fast... ahhh!"

the female cat begged for mercy, but Ryosaki didn't say a word, slowing his breathing and speeding up his movements.

"Ugh... ugh..." the female cat continued to moan indistinctly, saliva dripping from the corners of her mouth, flowing down to the hollow of her collarbone.

Ryosaki licked away the saliva and kissed her lips forcefully.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

Sizzle... splatter... sizzle... The obscene, sticky sounds echoed in the enclosed space.

"...I'm...I'm coming!"

Ryouzaki whispered in her ear, ejaculating after several spasms. The female cat lay exhausted on top of Ryouzaki.

A while later, Ryouzaki sat slumped on the sofa, smoking a Lucky Strike. The female cat beside him was already dressed in designer clothes. A woman in her twenties, working in information trafficking.

Mina. Whether it was her real name or an alias, no one knew. Other personal information such as age, address, and work experience was also unknown. There were also rumors: she secretly maintained an intimate relationship with a financial tycoon... and so on.

Only one thing was certain: Mina had a highly reliable intelligence network. But, for private detective Ryouzaki, she was not indispensable. Although the fees she demanded were astonishingly high, she had never been paid during the long period of their business dealings.

"Provide one piece of information, and I'll have sex with her once,"

Mina demanded of Ryouzaki. Thus, this situation naturally arose.

"That was a close call... I won by a hair's breadth today!" Mina laughed proudly.

The two often made bets: who would surrender first.

"...I've been a bit less patient lately," Ryouzaki muttered to himself, not looking at Mina.

"But, there's a lot, isn't there?"

Mina said mischievously. Ryouzaki looked up and saw her shaking a used, knotted condom. Just as Mina said: there was indeed a large amount of white fluid.

"Idiot! Throw it in the trash!"

"Hehe, it's still warm on my face."

"Take it away! Pervert!"

"I won! It's your useless milk, I can do whatever I want with it!"

Mina carefully wrapped the condom in a tissue and put it in her purse.

"If this perverted woman stays any longer... your cute little sister will get angry!"

Mina giggled a few times and left the room.

"Truly... a woman you can't let your guard down." Ryouzaki, a cigarette dangling from her lips, stood up and walked to the balcony.

Darkness enveloped the outside, a warm spring breeze caressing her face. Looking down from the seventh floor... the bustling crowds of people and vehicles on the ground resembled wandering insects searching for a place to call home.

Ryouzaki smiled. "I'm one of them too..."

Feeling a sharp gaze behind her, Ryouzaki turned around.

"What happened while I was gone? --Chief?"

A young girl carrying a convenience store bag stood in the doorway. A large crystal necklace dangled from her chest, sparkling brightly. Her light brown eyes indicated she was of mixed race. Her chestnut hair, unlike most young people's dyed hair, was naturally naturally occurring.

Kashiwagi Asuka. A beautiful girl with one-eighth Canadian ancestry, but unfortunately, a somewhat stubborn personality. She is currently an assistant at the "Ryouzaki Detective Agency," and also handles household matters.

Asuka had just turned twenty. For six years, Ryosaki had taken on the responsibility of caring for her like a father and brother, and the two lived together. When she was fourteen, her parents were brutally murdered because of their involvement in an incident. However, she was never told the details.

"You're here?" Ryosaki said excitedly.

"You still haven't answered my question! While I was away, that woman came by, didn't she?" Asuka disliked Mina even more than before.

"My obligation to support you ended after I moved here. You're an adult, and I... I'm an adult too. Let's not pry into each other's privacy!"

Asuka lived a carefree life of solitude at Ryosaki's former office and home. The crystal pendant she wore around her neck was a birthday gift from Ryosaki.

Kusanagi, who was with her to buy late-night snacks, interjected, "Ryosaki, you're making Asuka sound so pitiful!"

Kusanagi was Ryosaki's former psychiatrist and was now his partner and roommate.

"Thank you, Mr. Kusanagi. I... it's okay! To get revenge on the director, just give him the super spicy 'Asuka's Special Curry Rice'..." Asuka, who was initially unhappy, had calmed down and was busily preparing a late-night snack in the kitchen.

"What should we do?" Ryosaki asked Kusanagi for help.

Kusanagi noticed a lipstick mark on Ryosaki's shirt collar, left by Mina's prank. But Ryosaki hadn't noticed. He frantically tried to signal to Ryosaki, but Ryosaki didn't understand.

"What? Even you have a problem with me?"

"C-Come to my room!" Kusanagi forcefully pulled the surprised Ryosaki into the room.

"See for yourself!"

"--!? That wretched woman!"

"It'll be terrible if Asuka sees this... Quickly change into my shirt!" Kusanagi pulled a clean white shirt from the drawer.

"No way... our tastes are worlds apart!"

"Why all the fuss? Hurry up and get dressed!" Kusanagi urged Ryosaki.

"Hey... I've called you guys several times. Hurry up and eat while it's hot! What are you two grown men doing locked in the room?"

Asuka peeked through Kusanagi's doorway and saw him helping Ryosaki undress. Her eyes widened.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Ah, Asuka! This is..."

"Looks like I've disturbed you... I'll go back." Asuka turned away.

"Wait, wait a minute! You've misunderstood!"

"Asuka! Don't jump to conclusions so quickly, okay?"

As Ryosaki and Kusanagi chased after him, they both tripped over a chair and ended up hugging each other...

Just then, the sound of police sirens came from outside the window.

"Huh? It seems to be in this building..." Ryouzaki cleared his throat, stood up, and walked towards the balcony. Asuka followed curiously.

"That's right, there are several police cars parked in front of the building," Kusanagi said, looking down.

"--I'll go down and take a look." Ryouzaki buttoned up his shirt and said to Kusanagi, "Kusanagi... Asuka lacks life experience. If you have time, teach her the basic concepts and methods of handling cases, okay?"

"Okay..."

Ryouzaki silently lowered his head and walked out.

Chapter One: The Monster

Incident Occurred in This Building. Room 40D - The room number read "Sato Kazuyuki, Michiko."

When they took the elevator down to the fourth floor. The door to the room where the incident occurred was tightly closed, and a young police officer stood guard at the door. Ryouzaki sneered inwardly. With a little effort, he could take care of this kid.

"Oh, thank you for your hard work... I wasn't on duty today because I heard a commotion and rushed over!"

The officer stood at attention and saluted Ryosaki.

"What's going on? Robbery? Or theft?" Ryosaki asked the officer.

"It's...it's a murder case..." He mistook Ryosaki for a detective from the Metropolitan Police Department.

"What happened and what's the situation?"

"Yes, the whole case is as follows..." The officer licked his lips and reported the following: ?

About thirty minutes ago, around 6:30 PM on April 23rd. The building manager reported that "the resident of apartment 40d was found dead." ?

The nearest police station, Yua Police Station, reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police Department.

? The Metropolitan Police Department's detectives are already conducting a search of the scene.

"Orders from above: No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter the scene,"

the officer said proudly. The detectives will arrive in about a few tens of minutes.

(Before that, I need to conduct a search...) Ryouzaki instructed the officer: immediately return to your police station to report the situation and request assistance in setting up a search headquarters.

"Yes, I understand!!" The officer saluted again, filled with a sense of mission, and left in the elevator. Just

as Ryouzaki was about to open the door, suddenly, the door opened from the inside, and a short man rushed out, one hand covering his mouth, running desperately downstairs.

(Huh? That's the building manager...)

The door opened again, and two detectives walked out. Ryouzaki was startled.

"Uncle Gen-Uncle Gen!? What are you doing here?"

One was a young man who looked like a newly recruited detective, and the other was a seemingly gentle man in his fifties, wearing an old khaki jacket and a hunting cap pulled low. He said with a serious expression and tone, "I should be asking: what are you doing here?"

Fukui Genichiro, nicknamed "Uncle Gen." He was the deputy head of the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division, but his investigative abilities were not weak. Ryosaki had encountered him at other crime scenes before, but due to their different positions, they couldn't have a deeper conversation. However, he had already witnessed Gen's excellent qualities. He preferred investigating crime scenes and didn't have time to take promotion exams, thus avoiding any chance of advancement. But within the police force, he was a highly respected figure.

"What a coincidence... I happen to live on the seventh floor of this apartment building. I didn't expect to run into Uncle Gen!"

"Uncle Gen. Who is this suspicious guy?" The young detective Terada pointed at Ryosaki with disgust.

Terada was a handsome man. His bangs were dyed light brown, and he wore a grass-green suit that looked like a foreign designer brand. His eyes were quite sharp.

This must be an era where even public servants, who spend taxpayers' hard-earned money, are chasing trends, right? Ryosaki noticed the police handbook peeking out of his pocket.

"...These days, the way young people dress, are they police officers or gigolos? It's really hard to tell!"

"Gigolo, you're saying I'm a gigolo!?" Terada said fiercely. Gen patted him on the shoulder.

"Ryosaki, you really have a sharp tongue."

"I can't help it, that's just how I am."

"Fine, don't interfere with our investigation. Since you live in this apartment building, of course we need to question you. If you're related to the victim, then you're a suspect!" After saying that, he asked in surprise, "Huh? There should be someone guarding this place..."

Hiding it from Gen was useless, so Ryosaki told him the details.

"It's a murder case, right? I need to assist with the investigation, let me see the scene, Uncle Gen." "

No. What if you're the murderer and want to destroy the evidence?"

"...I can't help it if you don't believe me."

"Of course! A detective like you is useless, get out of here!!" Terada roared.

Ryosaki ignored him and said to Gen, "Uncle Gen, being grouped with this barking brat is a disaster. What about your former partners..."

"Who are you calling a barking brat!?"

"Idiot! Calm down! Terada." Gen stopped the angry Terada, rubbing his nose as he said, "Letting you search the scene will only make a mess. Let me tell you something!"

"Uncle Gen, tell him about the case—!?"

"If this guy is the culprit, I'll catch him... And one more thing." Gen stared into Ryosaki's eyes and said, "If you have any clues, you must tell me. That's the deal, how about it?"

"Of course! What's the situation at the scene?"

Terada frowned, and Gen shrugged. "The crime scene is really strange... All four victims were sitting at the dining table, holding knives and forks, with empty bowls and plates on the table..."

"And..." Terada continued, "The male homeowner's eyes were gouged out... and placed on a plate."

"What was the cause of death?"

"It hasn't been determined yet. It seems a sharp blade pierced his carotid artery behind his ear, causing instant death. There were no signs of resistance, and the perpetrator left nothing behind. What's unclear is... it seems the perpetrator left a message."

"A message?" Ryouzaki's lower eyelid twitched.

"Hmm, there are words written in blood on the wall opposite the living room."

"A death message... What's the content?"

"I can't tell you that, it's top secret. We can only reveal the rest after the experts examine and perform an autopsy."

"No, that's enough. There's one more thing... The doorplate has two names on it, but how come there are four victims?"

Gen nodded and said, "The building manager has confirmed that the victims are the Sato family of four. A couple and two children, a tragic family annihilation."

"I see..."

"That's all I know for now. If you have any information... you must tell me, okay?" Gen reminded Ryouzaki again as he walked towards the elevator.

"I'm going too! Terada... you'd better work hard for the meager taxes we pay!" Ryouzaki patted Terada's shoulder and, when he wasn't looking, snatched his police handbook.

After they left, Ryouzaki was about to go up to the seventh floor when...

"Ugh! Let go of me!!"

A woman's scream came from behind him. Ryouki turned around and saw two middle-aged men surrounding a young girl across from room 40c.

"Ugh, what are you doing?! No..."

"Hey! Come to my room for a drink..." A fat man grinned lewdly and hugged the slender beauty from behind.

Another man, wearing glasses, tried to persuade him, "Mr. Hiruta, don't do this!" However, the thin man couldn't stop the fat man at all.

Ryosaki hesitated. His principle was: observe things he wasn't interested in. But there were exceptions, especially when beautiful women were involved.

"Please! Help me!" the girl cried, looking at Ryosaki.

"Hey, get away!" Ryosaki grabbed the fat man by the collar and gently slapped his cheek.

The man had a large head and unusually short limbs. Moreover, his lower abdomen was extremely protruding. He could be described as "two-headed."

(This face is simply not human... it's like a monster!)

"Why, why did you hit me?"

"Look at how you're clinging to women!! Monster!"

"Gurgle..." The monster made indistinct groans.

"You, you just wait! Miura! Come have a drink with me. This guy ruined my mood..."

"Yes... I'm coming right away."

"Damn it! Living on an even-numbered floor, nothing goes right..." The monster uttered strange words as it entered room 40c. The man named Miura bowed to Ryosaki and also entered the room.

"Thank you. I live on the sixth floor, and this guy was bothering me in the elevator... Luckily you saved me."

The girl wiped away her tears and smiled as she bowed. She introduced herself: "Rumiko Tobuchi from room 60d, a second-year university student."

Her curly hair, fair neck, and the strands of hair hanging down her back slightly aroused Ryosaki's desire.

"Do you know that man from earlier?"

"Who knows him?!" Rumiko frowned and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

"I just moved in recently. You're the first person I've spoken to here!"

Rumiko gave him a flirtatious look. After learning Ryosaki's profession, she exclaimed, "Wow, a real detective!"

She enthusiastically grabbed Ryosaki's wrist, her ample breasts resting against his elbow, and said, "To thank you, how about coming to my room for a cup of tea?"

A delightful invitation. However, Ryosaki thought, "I shouldn't go to a girl's room I've just met." So he escorted her to her door.

"Thank you for inviting me. Next time... I want to try your cooking."

After parting ways with Rumiko, Ryosaki returned to the fourth floor. Hiruta was harassing another girl again, and Miura was stopping him. The same scene was repeating itself. This time, the one being harassed was—Asuka.

"Chief, Chief!?"

Asuka looked relieved when she saw Ryosaki.

"When I was going home, this man..." Asuka said, crying.

"It's you again!! What happened with that girl? Did you do something good? You righteous bastard..." Hiruta, though frightened, mocked maliciously.

"You monster! If you do this again, I'll make you disappear from the face of the earth!"

Ryosaki approached Hiruta, who, in fear, released Asuka. Hiruta's face was violently struck.

"Waaaaah!!" The monster's face swelled up, blood gushed from his nose, and he knelt on the ground.

"Next time you do it... I'll make sure you come in straight and leave horizontally! Do you hear me?" Ryosaki warned coldly.

"Wh-you... which floor do you live on?" Hiruta asked Ryosaki, panting.

"Room 70c. If you're not satisfied, feel free to come and complain anytime!"

"Ugh... the seventh floor? I'll get my revenge! You just wait!" Hiruta muttered, scrambling into the room.

After apologizing, Miura said, "I'll go watch over him... I won't let him cause trouble again." He entered Hiruta's room with a self-deprecating smile, his eyes filled with unbearable bitterness.

(I've seen that expression before. The look of someone resigned to death. But why is this man like this...)

Asuka didn't notice Ryosaki's surprise and threw herself into his arms. He took her back to his room, where Asuka was still sobbing.

"The self-defense techniques you learned can deal with humans, but not with that monster?"

"How embarrassing. I thought I was so good... I didn't expect to be so useless..."

Asuka's cute appearance was still as endearing as it had been six years ago. Ryosaki suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

"Hmph... You're already an adult, yet you're still so troublesome."

"I'm sorry, brother... no, Director..." Asuka shrank back.

"...You can stay here tonight."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm not one to pity others—but you are."

"Wow! That's great. Tonight... I'm afraid to walk alone at night."

"It's not necessarily safe here! I heard there are two big male dogs that often roam around!"

"It's okay, I'm not afraid!" Asuka, now cheerful again, made a face at Ryosaki.

Chapter Two: The Girl

Drip... Drip... Utter darkness, biting cold. Is it a dungeon, or a cave? Water droplets dripped from the very top.

Drip... Drip... The monotonous rhythm, the chilling echo, pierced every nerve of Ryosaki's body. (Where am I? Am I lost here?) Ryosaki ran and wandered aimlessly along the winding passage. An uneasy feeling filled her chest.

"Tell me! Where am I?"

Only an empty echo answered. Heavy breathing, heartbeats, and dripping water created an eerie symphony.

"No, no! If you want to deal with me, then appear quickly!"

Suddenly, a point of light appeared diagonally in front of him. Red, yellow, green, and purple flashed by... Whoa! The point of light suddenly brightened, transforming into a spinning halo that hurtled towards Ryosaki.

"Whoa, help me!!"

-- Ryosaki jumped up from the sofa. It was a dream--. A terrifying nightmare. He couldn't remember how many times this had happened. Ryosaki wiped the sweat from his forehead and neck.

"Darkness... a cave... what is this..."

Ryosaki muttered to himself, lighting a guacamole. He took a deep drag. The strong nicotine violently assaulted his stagnant thoughts. He even felt slightly dizzy. His consciousness slowly returned when the piercing doorbell rang. He glanced at his watch; it was around 11:10.

"Hmph... disturbing us first thing in the morning!"

Ryouki snorted, taking another drag of his cigarette. He looked up, his fingers dangling, and then... He seemed to have just woken up.

"You're having trouble sleeping again?"

"Yeah... I'm so annoyed I can't sleep."

Kusanagi was lethargic from lack of sleep, and Ryouki had also been plagued by nightmares lately, making his sleep extremely restless. The doorbell was still ringing as they spoke.

"...Ugh, so annoying!"

"Go open the door! Maybe it's your ex-girlfriend showing up!"

Kusanagi chuckled. Ryosaki rudely opened the door; it was Gen and Terada.

"Uncle Gen!?"

"You were home after all! Why didn't you open the door?" Terada yelled again, but Ryosaki ignored him.

"While you were sleeping in, another murder happened!"

"What!?"

Gen nodded silently, and Ryosaki tensed up.

"Who was the victim?"

"Hiruta Shigeomi, a 48-year-old male who worked at a pharmaceutical company."

"Hiruta!?"

"You knew him?"

"I saw him yesterday."

Gen's eyes flashed sharply.

"Ryosaki... what did you do to him? The real cause of death was strangulation, but he was beaten six hours before he died!"

"--Anything else?" Ryosaki asked anxiously.

According to Gen, Hiruta was murdered in the living room, and the estimated time of death was around 3 AM. Although the cause of death was strangulation, the autopsy revealed the presence of an alcohol-resistant agent in his body. This is a medication used to treat alcohol poisoning, which significantly reduces the body's ability to break down acetaldehyde. Therefore, even drinking a very small amount of alcohol would cause extreme pain.

"But the antidote wouldn't kill him. It's speculated that the victim was given it and then..."

"Strangled while he was in pain, right?"

"Most likely."

"I see..."

"Uncle Yuan, didn't you say you had something to ask Ryosaki?" Terada said maliciously.

"Last night, I was the one who beat up that monster—no, Hiruta."

"It really was you—"

"Don't rush! I acted in self-defense. Three people can testify for me; I'm not the murderer!" "

...Alright, to be sure, tell me the witnesses' names."

"Kashiwagi Asuka."

"Ah, is Asuka still as cute as ever?"

"Let's go find her later. She was haunted by that monster last night, so she's staying here... She's gone back to the office now. There's another one named Miura, who seems to be Hiruta's subordinate. The other one is a college student in room 60D named Okeguchi Rumiko."

"Terada, write this down!"

Terada's face turned pale, and he whispered in Gen's ear, "Uncle Gen... I..."

"What? You lost your police handbook!?" Gen roared at Terada.

"...I'm sorry."

"A detective from the First Investigative Division, active on the front lines, can lose his police handbook? Times have really changed, Uncle Gen." Ryousaki said sarcastically.

"Shut up!! This is none of your business, you maggot-like detective!!"

"Like a maggot!?" Veins bulged on Ryosaki's temples.

"Terada... you're not qualified to criticize Ryosaki!" Gen said calmly, and Terada dared not speak again.

"I'm sorry, Ryosaki. This guy is young and doesn't know any better."

"Never mind... I'm interested in this case and want to participate in the investigation."

"Hey, what about yesterday's agreement?"

"You said we'd exchange information? I'll keep my word, don't worry!"

Gen sighed.

"Although we'll exchange information, I'll definitely catch the culprit first. Don't underestimate the maggot's intelligence network!" He glared at Terada, who was intimidated by his imposing aura and dared not refute him.

"I'm reminding you: you're not allowed in Hiruta's room."

"I know, I won't disobey Uncle Gen's orders!"

Gen smiled without answering, waved to Ryosaki, and left with Terada.

"How was it just now?" Kusanagi asked, but Ryousaki ignored him, muttering to himself.

He opened Terada's police handbook, where the clumsy handwriting recorded the building's residents' names.

Juniper lived in room 20c on the second floor.
Seo lived in room 30c on the third floor, and Miura lived in room 30d across the hall.
Hiruta lived in room 40c, and the Sato family, who had been murdered
, lived in room 40d across the hall. Fuyukawa lived in room 50c, and Okeguchi lived in room 60c.
70c... Ryousaki's room, and Ando lived in room 80d on the top floor.
This was a newly built building with four buildings, A through D. But for some reason, buildings A and B were uninhabited. Ryousaki memorized the residents of each floor. He called Asuka, asking her to collect personal information on the Sato family and Hiruta.

"Oh, and contact that woman." "

--Ms. Mina? She knows I don't like her." Asuka's voice turned somber upon hearing Mina's name.

"Please. I don't want to see her either."

"Liar! You clearly like her to death..."

"...This is the chief's order. Also, Gen will ask you about your actions last night, so handle it well!"

"Understood, Chief!"

Ryouzaki hung up the phone, thinking of Asuka's angry face, and sighed.

Ryouzaki began his investigation. Juniper, at 20°C, is an antique dealer and importer of general merchandise. His room is filled with expensive decorations, a large collection of books, and many foreign paranormal books. When he reached the fourth floor, he saw the police officer who had been lied to yesterday.

"I'm sorry, I lied to you yesterday..." Ryouzaki apologized.

The officer's attitude was unusually kind. "The Criminal Investigation Department has instructed me to help you as much as possible."

After saying that, he revealed to Ryouzaki that in the Sato family murder case, the blood-written words on the wall were "Evil! Not human."

At 50°C, the Fuyukawa family lives with two girls, Fuyukawa Nozomi and Hayami Haruka. Fuyukawa Nozomi is a high school student and was not feeling well, so she didn't come out. He was greeted by the older Hayami Haruka, but her attitude was rather cold.

When they reached the sixth floor, Keiguchi Rumiko opened the door and greeted Ryosaki, "Good morning, Detective."

"Isn't it too late to say good morning now?"

"It's a rule in the entertainment industry: whether it's morning or midnight, you have to say good morning when you meet someone. I want to develop my career in entertainment!"

"Just don't let people mistake you for a hostess."

"Right, that's how it is in that line too. Ugh... why am I saying this..." Rumiko said with a smile, and Ryosaki smiled too.

"Ah, and this is?"

"This is my partner: Kusanagi."

"Huh? He's different from how he is on TV!"

"What?" "

In dramas, the detective's assistants are all young and beautiful women!" Rumiko confused fiction with reality.

"My assistant is a girl named Asuka, but she always seems to make things worse when things get tough."

"She's probably sneezing right now."

Kusanagi nudged Ryosaki's back, and Rumiko tilted her head, saying, "By the way... the police came by earlier. That guy was strangled yesterday!"

"Be careful, we're all suspects."

"Suspect... I'm the victim!"

"Don't say that."

"Detective... you need something?" she asked shyly, "Do you want to go on a date with me?"

"I'd be happy to. I wanted to ask: didn't you notice what happened yesterday?"

Rumiko thought for a moment and shook her head.

"I really can't remember... do you want to ask for my alibi?"

"Don't worry, I'm not a police officer. I'm just investigating."

"Sorry, I wasn't of any use."

"It's okay. Real detectives often can't find clues, unlike on TV!"

"You've worked so hard. Let's have dinner together tonight... just the two of us."

Rumiko glanced at Kusanagi, who tactfully walked away.

"It's my treat tonight, come at eight o'clock!"

"Okay..." Ryosaki agreed.

"I have to go to class, see you tonight!" Rumiko closed the door.

Afterwards, they went to investigate room 80d with Ando Kazuki, showing him Terada's police handbook.

"Instead of asking me, an unemployed man, you should hurry up and catch the murderer! What!? You think you're such a great cop. My wife ran off with someone else, and my daughter is always out fooling around..."

Ando's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared with spittle flying, angrily kicking the two out. Ando's mental state seemed abnormal, suspected to be schizophrenia. The questioning yielded almost no results.

"Let's go back first!" Ryosaki said.

Kusanagi walked to the right of the elevator and looked towards the stairwell.

"Does this building have a roof?"

"I'm not sure."

Ryosaki walked up the stairs. The iron door to the top floor had a sign that read "No Entry."

"Hmph, what secret base? A hairpin can open it."

"Ryosaki, we think the same thing!"

Kusanagi squatted down and picked up a hairpin from the ground.

"No, there's no need for that."

Ryosaki slowly turned the handle; the door wasn't locked. There was someone on the top floor—a girl wearing only a thin nightgown, staring blankly at the sky. Before Kusanagi could speak, the girl had reached the roof railing and bent over. Ryosaki quickly ran over and grabbed the girl's wrist.

"Um... um..." She made indistinct sounds and then fainted.

"Nozomi!!"

At that moment, the entrance door opened, and Hayami Haruka screamed.

After taking Nozomi back to her room, Kusanagi performed first aid on her.

Ryousaki asked, "Do you know why she did this?"

Haruka's body trembled slightly as she said, "No... I..."

Although she denied it, her reaction indicated that she knew something.

"This... can we not call the police?" Haruka pleaded softly.

"We'll keep it a secret for now. If you have any clues, tell us too."

"Ryousaki, the promise with Gen..." "

Kusanagi, a promise is a promise. I'm not a policeman. I just need to find the real culprit."

"...Okay."

"You're a psychiatrist. Do you know why she can't speak?"

"She didn't say a word this morning. She ran out when I wasn't looking..."

Haruka cried as Ryousaki explained what had happened. After she calmed down, she said: Nozomi's parents have been living abroad for many years and they haven't seen each other for several years. She receives money from them regularly and takes responsibility for taking care of Nozomi. She attends an all-girls high school, and her life and friendships are all normal.

"I don't know why she's like this..."

"She must have seen something terrible yesterday. I can't be sure... but it might be related to those two murders."

At this moment, Nozomi peeked out from the doorway.

"Is Miss awake?" Ryouzaki whispered.

Nozomi muttered to herself, throwing things around her at Ryouzaki. Judging from her reaction, the murderer must be a man. Nozomi hugged Haruka and cried. After she calmed down, Kusanagi comforted her gently. For some reason, Nozomi slowly let down her guard with Kusanagi.

Kusanagi diagnosed Nozomi with mild "motor aphasia," which could be cured once her anxiety was relieved. Haruka was relieved. Nozomi answered Kusanagi's questions by shaking her head and nodding.

"--Last night, did you see something terrible?"

Nozomi nodded.

"And then you couldn't make a sound and unknowingly ran to the rooftop, right?"

She nodded again.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"..." She looked terrified; it must have been an extremely frightening experience.

He couldn't ask any more questions. As he left, Kusanagi said to Nozomi, "If you had spoken up sooner, it would have been a huge help to me!"

Nozomi gazed at his face, smiled, and nodded.

Reaching the elevator, Ryosaki whispered to Kusanagi, "They're both lying..."

"Lying? How do you know?"

"They're hiding something important from us. It doesn't seem like an ordinary murder..."

Kusanagi, already captivated by Nozomi, felt a little annoyed by Ryosaki's words.

"But, Nozomi, she..."

Hearing footsteps descending the stairs, an old man emerged from the stairwell.

"Who's there?"

It was Shibusawa Yasuyuki, the building manager who wasn't very friendly to Ryosaki and Kusanagi.

"You two shouldn't interfere with the police investigation!" Shibusawa glared at them.

"The elevator needs its regular inspection in two days. And of all times, something happens during the busiest time!"

"Then...only the left elevator will work tonight?"

"To save electricity! You'd better stay in your rooms. The culprit is a resident here!"

"...!! What did you see?"

"I stayed in the manager's office last night and didn't see anyone come or go, especially strangers."

"How interesting..."

"Interesting or not...don't get in my way on patrol! Get lost!" Shibusawa, broom in hand, made a move to shoo Ryosaki and Kusanagi away.

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