@ alwaysYou : Kinda? hahahah. Bout your second question? Maybe? hahhaha. No lar. I don't act that way i guess? hahahha Yupps. Thank you for your feedback! I will try not to include too much details - that makes my life much easier as well. hheheh . THANK YOU for reading anyway
@ rndmnwierd : Yes. And it's fun to write about that as well
hehe . Your comment is not lame at all! Even though you are tired, I am surprised that you still can read and make this question only you had identified ! I'm impressed! About Haru - you are going to get the answer from this chapter. Hopefully you won't be too surprised!
@ Bamtai : I'm glad that you liked detective stories. But I don't think I write well in them
and Gokkies is also my favourite generation as well. ^.- Thank You!
@ kano-chan : Hihi! Everyone's harsh in this story, especially Ai, which made it even more fun to write the responses Risa would give. heheh Konkon is an important character in bringing out Ai's past in this story, so look out!
Thank you for the wait!
@ resop2 : Hello! Even though I do not really get what you are trying to ask
, using my 'awesome' (like real) interpretation skills, I can saw that, No, Ai is not going to crack stupid jokes while putting on her sunglasses. hehe. Anyway, Thank you very much for the comment. It made me think. So.
@ Tchips : Nope, Ai and Risa had not met each other before. The calling of Gaki without honorifics is a very rude way of Ai implying Risa is a brat. hehehe. So . Continue investigation! hehehe Thank you for commenting anyway!!
And here we go . . . ..
Didn't expect that it to be this long, but it turned out to be that long . . .. hahahha
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. [ # 2 ]
"Excuse me." Asami called out softly as she opened the security door of the office area of CIL with her working pass and stood by the entrance. The room was empty.
' That's weird. . . Why is it that the office is empty at this timing. . . Haven't that the lunch time is long over? ' Asami wondered in her mind."Excuse me, is there anyone in here?" Asami called out again , as she took a few baby steps forward into the room, closing the door after her.
"Is there anything that I can help you?" A cold and tedious voice from the other side of the room caused Asami to jump in surprise.
Asami turned her attention to the source of the voice, only to find Ai walking out of the evidence storage room with a brown folder in her hand. "Takahashi-senpai. . . " Asami muttered inaudibly under her breath.
"You are? What are you doing in the CIL? How did you manage to get access to here in the first place?" Ai asked. Ai closed the distance between Asami and crossed her arm as she stood before her.
"I'm from the forensic medicine team. I'm here to deliver the trace evidence collected during the autopsy. The fingernails, clothing of the victim and sample of hair fibres." Asami explained her reason for visitation as she passed over the packages she held in her hand to Ai.
Ai placed the brown folder she was holding on the nearest desk and held over the packages given by Asami. She immediately inspected the packages, making sure that they were sealed off properly and initials were made across the seal. After making sure that the said evidence were properly handled and packaged, she picked up the pen from the desk and signed on the sheet of custody that was attached onto the evidence bag. "Thank you." Ai thanked. With that, she began to make her way back to the room where she came from, to store the newly added evidence.
"Wait a moment!" Asami called out, causing Ai to freeze in her motion.
Ai turned around slowly and faced Asami. "Is there anything else that I can help you?" Ai asked.
"Don't you recognised me, Takahashi-senpai?" Asami had finally made up her mind to ask the question that had been torturing her mind since the first encounter with Ai in the morning. That was too the reason why Asami had volunteered to bring down the evidence from the autopsy room to the CIL. She wanted to confirm whether this lady before her was the senior she had admired and respected since her first year in the medical school.
Ai furrowed her eyebrow for a second at the question raised before relaxing them. Ai took in a deep breath and spoke."Do I know you from before? I don't think I did. So stop calling me senpai. I'm not your senpai to start with in the first place. So, if there's nothing else , please leave the room now." With that, Ai turned her back towards Asami and began to advance to the destination once again, leaving Asami standing all alone in the empty office.
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'What a start to the day . . . How I wished I could spend more time with Haru-chan in her new school today. But things just have to happen. The crime itself is bad enough. The encounter with that horrible supervisor of CIL just made things even worst.' Risa grumbled in her mind as she was seated at her desk in the office of FID. She then shifted her attention to the loose sheets of paper that were placed before her
'Miyazaki Akiko, 35 years old, Single, originated from Miyazaki-ken. Moved over to Tokyo at the age of 21 and had been staying in the apartment since then. Only child in the family.' Risa read in her mind.
"Gaki-san!" Makoto shouted out as she ran into the office with a similar brown folder in her right hand. "Mitsui had sent the autopsy report over." Makoto continued as she stopped before Risa's desk and handed the folder to Risa.
"Really?" Risa sat up in attention, as she turned the folder to her direction and opened it, allowing herself to immerse in the new set of clues from the report.
Name: Miyazaki Akiko
Age: 35 years 0 days old
Time of death: 31st March 2011 2300hrs - 1st April 2011 0100hrs
Cause of death : Asphyxiation caused by thin material across the neck.
A thinner set of lines mark, accompanied by series of abrasion by the ends of the line mark. Rope mark leaves no traces of abrasion - possibly caused after death.
Stomach contents showed no false play.
………………..
"That's considered murder, isn’t it?" Risa commented after finished reading the report. "For that the cause of asphyxiation is the thin material, not the rope."
Makoto nodded her head at the conclusion.
"Wait." Risa stood up as she recalled something she read previously. "The time of death doesn't tally." Risa added on as she flipped the brown folder away roughly and revealed the papers she was reading before Makoto came in. "Shibasaki Yuki, Neighbour of Miyazaki, who worked night shift last night, said that she saw the deceased leaving her apartment at 1 am this morning."
"How can that be possible?" Makoto commented as she took over the loose sheets from Risa and read them for herself. "How is this so?" Makoto questioned to herself silently as she furrowed her brows.
"Has the reports from the CIL out? Maybe the forensics can provide us with more information." Risa asked Makoto, causing Makoto to look up from the papers.
"No. No people from the CIL had came over since the morning." Makoto responded.
"It's alright, I will call Kame and check with her" Risa decided, picking up the phone receiver and began to dial the extension number to Eri's desk in CIL.
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The consistent ringing of the desk phone caused Eri to rush her way back to the office from the laboratory area across the room. "CIL, Kamei Eri. Is there anything I can help you?" Eri huffed hurriedly.
"Kame, This is Risa." Risa replied on the other side of the phone.
At the same time, Ai had too exited her working area in the room where Miki was working on the computer with the fingerprints recovered from the crime scene. Ai passed by the laboratory where Eri worked in and noticed that the evidence were laying on the table, not covered up properly. Ai turned her attention to Eri's desk across the room and found her standing by her desk, with the receiver by her left ear.
"Gaki-san? Why did you call? I'm really busy you know? " Eri whined as she sat down on her chair.
"Are the reports ready?" Risa asked again.
"I had just finished running my test on the DNA recovered from the scene and skin fragments obtained from the fingernails of the deceased. They should be done in no time. I will bring them to - " Before Eri could finish her sentence, the receiver she held on her right hand was slipped out forcefully by Ai who was standing beside her right now.
"If you want any reports, please collect them yourself. We are not your servant or anything. We do not deliver stuffs, Gaki. So, come here by your own." Ai spoke ruthlessly over the receiver. With that, She hung the call without saying goodbye.
"Takahashi-san!" Eri stood up nervously when she realised Ai had took over the call.
When Ai had placed the receiver back to its position, she returned attention back to the taller girl before her. "Come with me, Kamei-san." Ai ordered as she advanced her way back where she came from and stopped outside the forensic biology laboratory with Eri following closely behind her. "I don't like what I am seeing inside." Ai commented as she directed Eri's attention into the laboratory.
"I - I was in the rush to answer the call. . . " Eri answered softly as she diverted her attention to her feet, looking down on the ground.
"I know. As much as the call may be important, Kamei-san, it's the number 1 rule for us to protect the integrity of the evidence passed down to us. Leaving them out alone in the room, uncovered with other evidence around doesn't help the situation. It can cause contamination of evidence. It would too bring up problems during persecution. That's not doing your job, Kamei-san." Ai reprimanded, causing Eri to sink down deeper than before.
"I'm - I'm sorry." Eri muttered almost inaudibly.
"I do not need any apologies. It's not me who you will need to say sorry to. Make sure that you do not make this kind amateur mistakes again." With that, Ai began to walk away from Eri. She stopped after two small steps. "Please do include this incident in the report." Ai gave Eri the final last order and once again, began to return back to her office.
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"WHAT?" Risa shouted into the receiver, only to be returned by the beeping tone. Risa slammed the receiver roughly back to its position and shoot up from her sitting position. "STUPID WOMAN!" Risa continued shouting as she stomped out of the FID room, leaving Makoto, stunned and all alone, in the room.
"What happened to Gaki-san?" Yoshizawa Hitomi, Senior Superintendent of FID came over to where Makoto stood and asked.
"I'm not sure as well. But if I did not guessed wrongly, that had to be something to do with the new chief supervisor the CIL had.
"The new chief supervisor of CIL? You mean Takahashi Ai-san from CIL? What about her that may had made Gaki-san so furious?" Hitomi asked again.
"Yoshizawa-senpai knew her?" Makoto turned her head towards Hitomi and inquired.
"We met in the meeting yesterday. Apparently she's really awesome. I think she too had held high position in the Forensic Science Service while still in the UK. The MPD Tokyo was really proud to had her with us now." Hitomi explained as she sat down on Risa's chair. "So what happened in the morning?"
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Risa swiped her card swiftly and forcefully across the card reader that unlocks the entry to CIL, successfully unlocking the door. She treaded heavily into the room, only to bump into Miki who had just made her way out of the fingerprint analysis room.
"Woah, Gaki-san, what's the rush for. Why are you so angry?" Miki asked.
"Where's that thing?" Risa puffed.
"What that thing? What are you talking about, Gaki-san?" Miki asked again, being unable to get what Risa was trying to get across.
"I supposed the thing the Gaki is trying to say is me, isn't that so?" Ai interrupted as she exited her office and stood beside Miki. She then signalled Miki to pass her the fingerprint analysis report that Miki had done and dismissed Miki back to her own seat.
"Yah. That's very right, you are the item I am talking about. Do take notice that I am referring you as an item and not as a human." Risa retorted in an unusual way. It was unusual for Risa to be so worked up. The way Ai treated her, made Risa to turn into someone she thought she would never be.
"Feel free to regard me as an item. It doesn't really matter to me anyway." Ai replied calmly, showing no emotions in her reply.
And that irked Risa to a greater extend. Risa growled inwardly at her own displeasure and actions.
'Why am I acting in such a bratty way, something that I never thought I would act in. Why is it that she had such an ability to irk me so easily. But she's really unreasonably, isn't she so?' Risa wondered in her mind. "So, tell me, why do I have to come here personally to retrieve the report. It has always been in the practice that the CIL will bring the reports to FID, isn't that so?" Risa demanded.
"For no reason. I just do not want my department to act like we are an accessory to the police force. What makes the police department a higher authority to us? We are either of an equal status, or even maybe should be at a higher status than PD that contain brats like you. So why should we bring the reports to you. If you need something, come and take it yourself. " Ai replied tranquilly, though her answers contained nothing of as such.
Risa tightened her fist by her side, trying to hold her temper from Ai's intimidating statements.
'Don't flare up, Risa, you can do that. She's not worth for your anger. Like you had said previously, she's just a stupid woman, so. . . ' Risa self hypnotised. Risa took a deep breath before continuing her words. "So where's the report that I will need, Takahashi-san?" Risa spoke as she bit her lips, trying to compose back to her usual self.
"It's not done yet. I will call you to come again, when it's ready." Ai replied with a slight smirk.
"What? But Kame said it was done." Risa blurted out.
"Unfortunately, because of someone, Kamei-san has to redo the analysis and to write out an extra report for the analysis she's in charge in." Ai answered. "So, " Ai gestured the way out for Risa, showing her that she should leave the office.
Risa took understanding of the gesture and was to stomp her way out before Ai's firm voice stopped her again.
"Even though the DNA analysis results are not out yet, we do have the fingerprint analysis and handwriting analysis of the suicide letter ready. Do you want them?" Ai articulated, causing Risa to turn back to face Ai.
'Is she trying to make fun of me or what? Didn't she said that the reports are not ready yet?' Risa grumbled in her mind. Forcing a smile on her face, Risa gave a reluctant nod to Ai.
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"Gaki-san!" Makoto acknowledged Risa's re-entry to the FID office as Risa made her way back to the her desk with two similar brown folder in her hands. "Got the reports?"
"Kind of." Risa replied as she threw the flies on her desk and slumped down on her seat. "She's really unreasonable!" Risa retorted as Makoto slipped over to Risa's side on her roller chair.
"Don't get too affected by her. She's just one person who irritates you. There's so much other of us, be it from the FID or the CIL who are much more nicer people. Why allow this one person to affect you so much." Makoto reasoned as she placed her left hand across Risa's shoulder.
"I know . . . But still . . . " Risa whined softly. "She turns me off. Why do I have to work with such a person?" Risa asked.
"You just have to endure it, Gaki-san. If you do not want to go back to the CIL to take your reports, I can do that for you." Makoto consoled.
"What are you guys talking about?" A third voiced participated in the conversation, which too, caused the hand on Risa's shoulder to slip down back to her owner's side.
"Konkon, what are you doing over here?" Makoto asked as she raised up from her seat.
"My work had ended. And I thought why not visit you people over here. Didn't you say you want to catch up, Mako-chan?" Asami replied reasonably as she rested her handbag on Risa's desk.
Her statement about ending work caused the police pair to turn their head to the large analogue clock that were hung above the entrance of the room. "Woah! It's 5 pm already! Time really flies!" Makoto exclaimed. "What do want to eat tonight for dinner, Konkon?"
"Hmmm. I'm not sure. What do you want to eat, Mako-chan?" Asami returned the question.
"Why not, let's go for a pumpkin feast!" Makoto suggested and that resulted the wide grin on Asami's face.
"Great idea! I loved pumpkins!" Asami squeaked.
"Me too!" Makoto beamed as well, with a wide smile radiating on her face. She turned and focused on the glooming Risa by her side. " Gaki-san, join us for dinner tonight!" Makoto suggested as she slapped Risa's shoulder lightly, bring Risa out of her daze.
"I don't think I will want to be a light bulb tonight." Risa responded. Her responded earned her another slap from Makoto, a bigger impact as compare to the one moments ago.
"What are you thinking about!" Makoto stuttered.
"Nothing." Risa answered as she stuck her tongue at Makoto. "The two of you have not met each other for years. I don't think I will want to be lost in the middle of the high school memories of both of you. So I think it would be better for me to give it a skip."
"Niigaki-san, do join us please. I think it would be merrier with more of us around. I could also make us of this time to know more of my extended working colleagues." Asami tried persuading.
"If that's so . . ." Before Risa could finish her respond, the vibration of her mobile phone got hold of her attention. "Excuse me." Risa mouthed as she pulled her mobile out of her pocket and answered her call.
"Sorry, is this Niigaki Risa?" An unfamiliar voiced echoed.
"Yes. This is Niigaki Risa. How may I help you?" Risa responded.
"I am calling from the elementary school. Niigaki Haru is still waiting for someone to pick her up. " The voice continued.
"AH!" Risa shoot up from her seat. "I'm sorry! I'm coming right at the moment. Sorry for troubling you." Risa rumbled quickly as she began packing the confidential folders into her locked cupboard and locked them up, reached her hands for her car keys, and stood up from her seat as she ended the call. "Sorry! I don't think I can join you guys. I got to pick Haru-chan. I had totally forgotten about that." Risa exclaimed.
"Haru-chan?" Asami questioned.
"Yes, my daughter." Risa responded as she started to move away from the desk and towards the entrance of FID.
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"I am so so so looking forward to the pumpkin feast we are going to have, especially with Gaki-san and Haru-chan. Are you, Konkon?" Makoto asked excitedly as she jumped lightly in position in the front passenger seat in. Asami was seated at the backseat while Risa was behind the wheels.
"Hmmm hmmm" Asami nodded her head in response. "Niigaki-san, how old are you this year?" Asami asked curiously.
"Hmmm? I'm turning 27 this year." Risa answered as she kept her eyes on the road.
"You must be really young then ." Asami commented, causing the atmosphere in the car to fall into an awkward silence.
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As the vehicle drew nearer to the school gate, the figure of a little girl accompanied with a taller lady by her side could be observed. Risa slowed down her vehicle and brought it to a complete stop. She unstrapped her seatbelt and got off the car quickly. Makoto, too, got off the vehicle as well and moved into the back seat with Asami.
"Sensei! I'm so sorry about this." Risa bowed and apologised as she got before the student-teacher pair.
"Mama!" Haru greeted as she dashed forward and bear hugged Risa's thigh.
"Haru-chan!" Risa called out affectionately as she ruffled Haru's shoulder length hair.
"It's alright, Niigaki-san. Just remember to pick her up the next time." The teacher returned with a smile on her face.
"Thank you for waiting till so late for me to pick her up." Risa thanked as she bent down and carried Haru up. With that, Risa returned back to her vehicle. "How's your school today? Did you made any friends?" Risa asked as they were on the way back to the vehicle.
"Yes! Haru made many friends today! Haru's friends were all nice and friendly!" Haru answered with a cheerful beam on her face.
"That's good." Risa responded as she pulled Haru closer to herself and snuggled into her. "Did you enjoy yourself today?"
"Yupps!"
"We are going to have dinner with Mama's colleague today. Is Haru-chan okay with it?" Risa asked as she opened the passenger door and placed Haru onto the seat.
"Ah! Makoto-ba-chan!" Haru cried out as she saw Makoto in the car. She immediately kneeled down on the chair and faced the back of the car.
"Haru-chan!" Makoto mimicked the tone Haru used and pinched Haru on the cheek.
"Hora! Sit down properly so that I can put on your seatbelt, Haru-chan." Risa scolded playfully.
"Yes, Mama!" Haru responded and turned over, sitting down properly with Risa pulling the seatbelt on Haru.
"The other lady is Mama's new colleague, Konno-san." Risa told Haru.
"Hello, Konno-neechan!" Haru greeted as Risa closed the passenger door and got back to her seat.
"Nee Haru-chan, why did you call Konkon 'nee-chan' and call me ba-chan?" Makoto asked as she leaned closer to the front seat, placing her face between the driver seat and front passenger seat.
"Because it's Makoto-ba-chan and Konno-neechan in my dictionary!" Haru replied cleverly, causing Makoto to pout seriously.
"Seriously, Gaki-san, you have taught your daughter well." Makoto grounded sarcastically.
"Thank you, Mako-chan!" Risa beamed before turning to Haru. "What do you want to have for dinner?"
"Omelette rice!" Haru replied happily, causing Risa and the two at the back seat to freeze in action.
"It's alright! We too like to eat omelette rice, isn't that so, Konkon?" Makoto broke the silence.
"Yupps! I do know a place that serves really good omelette rice!" Asami added on.
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"Do you all add tomatoes in your omelette rice?" Risa asked the waiter.
"Yes." The waiter answered.
"Alright, the kids' menu omelette rice, can I request it to have it without the tomatoes?" Risa continued asking.
"Sure madam. So I will repeat the orders, madams. 3 normal serving of omelette rice and 1 kids' omelette rice without tomatoes."
"Haru-chan still doesn't eat tomatoes?" Makoto leaned her face closer to the table top and glazed playfully at Haru who was seated across her.
"She's a picky eater." Risa concluded as she patted Haru's head.
"They stings! Tomatoes stings." Haru pouted childishly.
"We know!" Both Risa and Makoto responded in unison, resulting the table of four to burst into a loud laughter.
"Nee, Konkon, why did you chose to take forensic pathology as your path of study? I thought you wanted to go into cardiology when you were still in high school?" Makoto asked.
'Takahashi-senpai . .. It's all because of Takahashi-senpai . . . ' Asami thought in her mind." I never thought so too. Maybe it's because of the senior who gave a wonderful speech during our first year enrolment ceremony that made me change my interest of study? " Asami explained vaguely.
"I see I see . . . "
"Niigaki-san, why had you chose to be a police then?" Asami raised the question for Risa.
"Books were never my thing. I like physical activities, so straight after high school graduation, I enrolled myself in the police academy and ended up where I am today." Risa explained. "And too, being a police can bring more justice to the injustice that had been flooding in today."
"Ah .. . It's my first time hearing your reason for being a police today, Gaki-san!" Makoto interrupted.
"You never asked, so I never told." Risa responded, causing the three adults to laugh loudly again. When her eyes caught the familiar figure at the door, Risa cursed silently under her breath. "Oh gosh! Do you really have to keep appearing in my life?"
Both Asami and Makoto had noticed Risa's sudden change of behaviour. They both turned around simultaneously, only to catch Ai being guided in by a waiter and settled down 4 tables away from them. Ai ordered her food without looking at the menu.
"Can I have a omelette rice with less tomatoes please. Thank you." Ai placed her order.
'She's definitely the Takahashi-senpai that I knew. It was her who had brought me here 9 years ago. It's her.' Asami noted silently in her mind.
Ai allowed her eyes to run through her surrounding, only catch three pairs of eyes staring at her. She raised her hand up immediately to get the attention of the waitress.
"Sorry, can I make it a take away for my order? Thank you." With that, Ai stood up from her seat and made her way towards the entrance, where she stood and waited for her food.
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Alright, until the next chapter then!
Topic: SEARCH [ . C #28 + Epilogue ] 31 December 2011 (Read 43628 times)