Chapter 1
Who Is The Culprit?
Snow is falling, white and crisp. In pure contrast to my black dress, reaching just past my knees, and black boots that stretch over white socks.
I've never personally been a fan of white on black, it's just too... Stark. Purely shouting, 'Look at me, I'm desperate for attention'.
Sometimes, though, it's okay. I mean, every once in a while, (Not today.) I'll wear a white headband to pull back my short blond hair. But I always wear my dress. Always.
My skin is only slightly pale, though tinted red from the chill in the December air. But pale skin brings out my eyes, making them shine a brighter blue than they would normally.
My boots crunch in the snow, leaving behind footprints as the only traces that I was ever here.
I saw his ad in the paper, 'assistant needed, ~Len', and I figured I might as well try out for the job. Being a detectives assistant can't be difficult.
I've been investigating him privately for nearly a year now... He seems to always be involved in certain cases, usually the ones involving stolen money. And after I looked into that a bit, the person arrested for the crime never seems to add up... And, digging deeper, it seems he never has an alibi. If he is the murderer, his motive is surely money, for the victim is always missing something valuable. And he's not usually suspected of the crimes, because... Well, who would expect the detective to work his own cases? He's a well-respected man, this Len. In fact, his father was a detective before him, but died during a particularly dangerous case.
Everyone expected Len to be the same great, all-powerful detective, and that's what he's been. At least, to everyone else he has.
I find it odd that the man never has an alibi, and that the culprit always seems framed.
I approach his door, walking up the stone walkway, the gnarled and twisted trees lifeless and dark, contrasting the snow almost as much as my own uniform.
Raising my hand to knock on the dark-wood door, I take a deep breath. I could very well be knocking on the door of a murderer.
*~*Len*~*
I received a letter yesterday, stating that a possible assistant will be arriving today to apply for the job.
She seems credible enough, having solved quiet a few cases for her age... How old was she, anyway? I ask myself, shuffling through the papers she sent me through mail.
Rin Age: 13 Cases solved: 16
It's rather impressive, actually. I'll probably hire her on the spot.
She's only two years younger than I am, and she's already solved nearly as many cases as I have. My record so far being 21.
Of course, I don't really solve them. It's much more complicated than that. I can't very well solve them unless I want to be hanged, or lose my head. Neither of which sounds very... Appealing.
But this girl, she has no idea. Rin. No idea what she's about to walk into.
Of course, enchanting her is always an option. It's something I can manage with relative ease. I'm defiantly not ugly, with my light blond hair kept in a short ponytail, and my bright blue eyes, I can be very... Cunning. But no, I'm not big-headed, I'm honest.
I'll have to see about this girl, though. She might be trouble. I wonder, can she keep a secret?
Suddenly, someone knocks lightly at my door. This must be her, now.
*~Rin~*
He swings open the large door, and I step back in surprise. He isn't at all bad-looking, in fact, he's well-dressed and charming.
But then again, murderers are people too. People of all shapes and sizes, I musn't allow myself to get carried away with this. No matter how handsome he is...
"Welcome, I assume you are Rin? Step inside, please, please." He smiles, and I begin to feel uncertain.
What murderer cold smile with such ease? But I push those thoughts away. I've seen murderers put away with a smile on their face, even being hanged with a smile plastered upon the mouth, a twinkle in their eyes that I couldn't understand, couldn't-
"Are you alright? You look pale." Len states, stepping back to allow me entrance.
I enter his home, instantly overtaken by the beauty of it. Everything is so... Breathtaking! The floor is deep red, hard tiles. The walls are painted the same deep read with thin, spacious golden-colored criss-crosses.
There are bookshelves everywhere, and a den furniture set. From the 'evidence', I assume this is the den. I almost laugh at my own inside joke as he closes the door, leading me to the den where I take a seat, and him across from me.
He's wearing a white button-up shirt, a black vest over it, black shoes and black pants.
"You're here for the job, yes?" He smiles again, his eyes twinkling. "Tell me about yourself. What are you capable of, and what made you want to resign from being a full-on detective? You were very good, I've heard."
"Indeed I was," I reply, being honest. "But I simply cannot deal with the paranoia that seems to come with the job. I feel if it weren't up to me, I might not feel as... Worn. So if I could continue the job I love but without as much pressure, I'd enjoy it greatly."
"That's why you want the job."
"Indeed."
"Well, I admit the pay would be rather high, I cannot say it would be for nothing. I'm sure you already know this, but this is a very risky job to take. Are you sure you're up for it?" He asks, and I can't help but feel there is more to that than he's letting on. It's just something... Something in his tone.
"I've risked my life before, I don't see how it's any different now. I'd like the job, knowing the risks." I reply, crossing my arms.
"It's yours, I'll expect you here tomorrow at 10:00am sharp for your first case, and be sure to wear something you may be able to run in. Understand?" He asks, and I take it all in. I've got the job, I'll be investigating him undercover. If I'm caught, my licence will be taken. I'll be arrested, even. Or murdered, by none other than Len himself.
But even without the threat of being caught, there's the already dangerous threat of being killed on duty. I'm still an assistant, and I have to act as such.
"I'll be here. Is that all?" I ask, rising as he does the same.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He replies, and I take that as my cue to leave.
Once outside, I realize exactly what I've gotten myself into. This is a dangerous, dangerous situation.
All leading back to one question. Who is the culprit?
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Riddle Solver Who Won't Solve Riddles
Chapter 2
What Is Wrong With Me?
The familiar scene, the dead body, the murder weapon (Poison.), and the motive. It brings back memories, and my longing to solve this crime.
This wealthy business man owned a successful line of constructors. Nearly every building in this dark and worn town was built by his crew.
And now, he's been poisoned. Poisoned and robbed, the safe is open.
And yet, no fingerprints, no hair samples, not a clue as to who it could have been.
Unless...
The elderly man was slumped over his desk, his eyes open in pain and hand frozen in a clutch, as if he were grasping his stomach in pain as he died. A dark wine-bottle, possibly laced with poison of some sort. I'm very talented in poisons, however, so I will be the judge of that. But now here, not yet. Not until I'm alone. There is a wineglass, empty, in the victim's hand. It looks... Crystal? Indeed so, it would seem. Very expensive, as well as the wine.
Why would such a successful man be drinking such expensive wine on his own? This is the sort of wine you'd have while discussing a deal with someone of great importance, not something you'd regularly drink any old time.
Len, however, is saying otherwise to the broken daughter of the wealthy man, the servants, chef, and policemen. "It's obvious he was poisoned. The wine was a gift from the chef, was it not?" He demands, pointing a finger at the dumb-struck chef.
"N- No! I mean, yes, I gave him the wine, but I didn't poison him! What motive could I possibly have?" He asks, looking fearful at the accusation. When people lie, it's a fact that they become defensive, and in turn become angry. He looks frightened, but not angry, nor guilty.
"But it's obvious he was drinking this wine, and died shortly after from poisoning, yes?"
"Well... Yes, it is, but-"
As they continue, I find myself looking around. No one is watching.
I pick up the wine bottle, sniffing it quickly before laying it back down. No trace of poison... Odd... But over here, this area... I certainly smell something off. Something not right. And it isn't the vomit in the floor.
It's something else. Because I came prepared, wearing gloves, I carefully uncurl his fingers from the glass he's holding.
I raise it to my noes. That's it... It smells... Like Oleander. Oleander is a spicy-smelling flower, and it's hard to miss... But it's lacing the glass, not the bottle or I'd smell it on there too.
Oleander is a highly toxic plant, even the nectar would kill a man.
I gently curl his fingers around it once more, taking care to put them where the smudges are.
He was drinking out of a poisoned laced cup...
I frown, moving to tell Len, when he begins to explain some more.
"I spoke with him recently, and he had sent me a letter. He received a death threat on his desk not too long ago, stating that he must hand over his daughter or face the consequences. He refused to let you two be together, right?" Len demands, a tone of knowing in his voice.
"Yes, but-"
"And because of this, you sent him the letter, then gave him a poisoned bottle of wine to kill him, so that you and her could be together! Arrest this man!" Len commands the police, and they grab the chef by each arm.
"I did not! I would never kill him, I swear it wasn't me!" He pleads, jerking around to try and free himself.
I pause, noticing three, bright red dots on the chair across from the victim. It's got to be the wine... I touch it, then bring it to my noes. It's not traced with the poison.
That means it was the glass, and it also means someone else was here. But where's the other wineglass?
"Len, sir. Where is the death threat?" I ask quietly, keeping my voice so no one else can hear.
"I don't know where he put it." He replies, waving me away.
'I spoke with him recently'. When was this? And where was he last night, when I'd gone back home?
"Where does he keep his wealth?" Len asks the horror-struck daughter of the victim.
Poor girl, having lost both a lover and a father. "I- In t... The cellar..." She stammers, and I move to her side.
I lay a hand on her arm, smiling sympathetically.
She nods her head, understanding that I'm trying to comfort her.
Once the chef has been taken from the room, the servants leave.
"Lead us to the cellar." Len commands the girl, and she nods.
I let go of her, and she turns around.
We follow her for a while, and finally stop in the middle of the hallway. "It's somewhere over here... I'm not sure where, I never did go in there. I'm going to bed..." She states, spinning around and slowly walking away, disappearing behind a corner and leaving only me and Len.
"Shall we split up and search for it?" I ask, and he shakes his head.
"Over here." He motions, and I follow curiously. He pushes open a door, revealing stairs leading to the cellar. How did he know this was it? I ask myself, keeping my face blank, but watching him closely.
"You said you spoke with the man, Mr. Burns, yes?" I ask, and he nods, not even looking at me. "When did you speak with him?"
"Yesterday, he received the letter the morning before."
"And you spoke to him that evening, and he died at nightfall." I clarify, and he nods, still not looking at me.
I follow him further, and when we reach the end of the stairs I'm surprised at how much seems to be missing from here.
"This is where he kept his money, he showed me. There's too much missing for it to have been him, the Chef probably has somewhere where he hid it. Unless he confesses, searching would be pointless." He states, seeming all-to-interested in a certain vase.
He circles it, keeping his eyes focused directly on it as he speaks.
"Searching for fingerprints?" I ask, and he tears his eyes away.
He approaches me, shaking his head. "The culprit has been found, there's no use anymore."
And yet, he somehow seems overly-satisfied with this. "Indeed." I reply, following him to the stairs again. "I suppose we should leave, then? It would probably be best not to linger."
He nods, and I follow him to the stairs once more.
Later, we arrive back at his large, mansion of a house. It's just as dark and run-down as the rest of the town. On the outside. The difference between the town and his home is the inside, it's not dark and... Well, creepy. It's lovely and breathtaking.
Sitting in his den, trying to warm ourselves with the warm fireplace. The snow seems never-ending, and though I love the beautiful softness of it it's tiring.
"It's very difficult to reach you before a case, with you living so far away. If this remains a problem, I may have to fire you." He says suddenly, looking at me.
I meet his eyes, keeping my expression blank. My poker face is grand, not to brag... I practiced it often before, and to be honest it's probably saved me quite a few times. "I understand, but I cannot move closer, my family wouldn't be willing and I have no money yet." I point out, crossing my legs.
"You could live here." He replies. "It would cut down on travel, and it would make things much, much easier."
"You wouldn't mind having an extra around all of the time?" I ask, pretending that I'm not ready to beg him to let me. This would be a wonderful chance to investigate his home, look for clues, etc.
"Not at all, you're very quiet company, and it would be useful to have you around." He states, and I almost frown.
Useful to have me around? Everything is pointing towards him as the murderer, and I'm the only one who sees it! The only useful thing I'm doing is betraying him. His kindness, letting me live here with him, paying me so much for so little. All I've done so far is suspect him of being a murderer and thief, and follow him around.
I nod. "Then shall I leave, and return with my things? I don't have many, so it won't take long."
"I'll see you in a bit, then." He replies, and I rise.
Walking back to my home through the snow to retrieve my things, to move in with the man I suspect to be a cold-blooded killer.
What is wrong with me?
What Is Wrong With Me?
The familiar scene, the dead body, the murder weapon (Poison.), and the motive. It brings back memories, and my longing to solve this crime.
This wealthy business man owned a successful line of constructors. Nearly every building in this dark and worn town was built by his crew.
And now, he's been poisoned. Poisoned and robbed, the safe is open.
And yet, no fingerprints, no hair samples, not a clue as to who it could have been.
Unless...
The elderly man was slumped over his desk, his eyes open in pain and hand frozen in a clutch, as if he were grasping his stomach in pain as he died. A dark wine-bottle, possibly laced with poison of some sort. I'm very talented in poisons, however, so I will be the judge of that. But now here, not yet. Not until I'm alone. There is a wineglass, empty, in the victim's hand. It looks... Crystal? Indeed so, it would seem. Very expensive, as well as the wine.
Why would such a successful man be drinking such expensive wine on his own? This is the sort of wine you'd have while discussing a deal with someone of great importance, not something you'd regularly drink any old time.
Len, however, is saying otherwise to the broken daughter of the wealthy man, the servants, chef, and policemen. "It's obvious he was poisoned. The wine was a gift from the chef, was it not?" He demands, pointing a finger at the dumb-struck chef.
"N- No! I mean, yes, I gave him the wine, but I didn't poison him! What motive could I possibly have?" He asks, looking fearful at the accusation. When people lie, it's a fact that they become defensive, and in turn become angry. He looks frightened, but not angry, nor guilty.
"But it's obvious he was drinking this wine, and died shortly after from poisoning, yes?"
"Well... Yes, it is, but-"
As they continue, I find myself looking around. No one is watching.
I pick up the wine bottle, sniffing it quickly before laying it back down. No trace of poison... Odd... But over here, this area... I certainly smell something off. Something not right. And it isn't the vomit in the floor.
It's something else. Because I came prepared, wearing gloves, I carefully uncurl his fingers from the glass he's holding.
I raise it to my noes. That's it... It smells... Like Oleander. Oleander is a spicy-smelling flower, and it's hard to miss... But it's lacing the glass, not the bottle or I'd smell it on there too.
Oleander is a highly toxic plant, even the nectar would kill a man.
I gently curl his fingers around it once more, taking care to put them where the smudges are.
He was drinking out of a poisoned laced cup...
I frown, moving to tell Len, when he begins to explain some more.
"I spoke with him recently, and he had sent me a letter. He received a death threat on his desk not too long ago, stating that he must hand over his daughter or face the consequences. He refused to let you two be together, right?" Len demands, a tone of knowing in his voice.
"Yes, but-"
"And because of this, you sent him the letter, then gave him a poisoned bottle of wine to kill him, so that you and her could be together! Arrest this man!" Len commands the police, and they grab the chef by each arm.
"I did not! I would never kill him, I swear it wasn't me!" He pleads, jerking around to try and free himself.
I pause, noticing three, bright red dots on the chair across from the victim. It's got to be the wine... I touch it, then bring it to my noes. It's not traced with the poison.
That means it was the glass, and it also means someone else was here. But where's the other wineglass?
"Len, sir. Where is the death threat?" I ask quietly, keeping my voice so no one else can hear.
"I don't know where he put it." He replies, waving me away.
'I spoke with him recently'. When was this? And where was he last night, when I'd gone back home?
"Where does he keep his wealth?" Len asks the horror-struck daughter of the victim.
Poor girl, having lost both a lover and a father. "I- In t... The cellar..." She stammers, and I move to her side.
I lay a hand on her arm, smiling sympathetically.
She nods her head, understanding that I'm trying to comfort her.
Once the chef has been taken from the room, the servants leave.
"Lead us to the cellar." Len commands the girl, and she nods.
I let go of her, and she turns around.
We follow her for a while, and finally stop in the middle of the hallway. "It's somewhere over here... I'm not sure where, I never did go in there. I'm going to bed..." She states, spinning around and slowly walking away, disappearing behind a corner and leaving only me and Len.
"Shall we split up and search for it?" I ask, and he shakes his head.
"Over here." He motions, and I follow curiously. He pushes open a door, revealing stairs leading to the cellar. How did he know this was it? I ask myself, keeping my face blank, but watching him closely.
"You said you spoke with the man, Mr. Burns, yes?" I ask, and he nods, not even looking at me. "When did you speak with him?"
"Yesterday, he received the letter the morning before."
"And you spoke to him that evening, and he died at nightfall." I clarify, and he nods, still not looking at me.
I follow him further, and when we reach the end of the stairs I'm surprised at how much seems to be missing from here.
"This is where he kept his money, he showed me. There's too much missing for it to have been him, the Chef probably has somewhere where he hid it. Unless he confesses, searching would be pointless." He states, seeming all-to-interested in a certain vase.
He circles it, keeping his eyes focused directly on it as he speaks.
"Searching for fingerprints?" I ask, and he tears his eyes away.
He approaches me, shaking his head. "The culprit has been found, there's no use anymore."
And yet, he somehow seems overly-satisfied with this. "Indeed." I reply, following him to the stairs again. "I suppose we should leave, then? It would probably be best not to linger."
He nods, and I follow him to the stairs once more.
Later, we arrive back at his large, mansion of a house. It's just as dark and run-down as the rest of the town. On the outside. The difference between the town and his home is the inside, it's not dark and... Well, creepy. It's lovely and breathtaking.
Sitting in his den, trying to warm ourselves with the warm fireplace. The snow seems never-ending, and though I love the beautiful softness of it it's tiring.
"It's very difficult to reach you before a case, with you living so far away. If this remains a problem, I may have to fire you." He says suddenly, looking at me.
I meet his eyes, keeping my expression blank. My poker face is grand, not to brag... I practiced it often before, and to be honest it's probably saved me quite a few times. "I understand, but I cannot move closer, my family wouldn't be willing and I have no money yet." I point out, crossing my legs.
"You could live here." He replies. "It would cut down on travel, and it would make things much, much easier."
"You wouldn't mind having an extra around all of the time?" I ask, pretending that I'm not ready to beg him to let me. This would be a wonderful chance to investigate his home, look for clues, etc.
"Not at all, you're very quiet company, and it would be useful to have you around." He states, and I almost frown.
Useful to have me around? Everything is pointing towards him as the murderer, and I'm the only one who sees it! The only useful thing I'm doing is betraying him. His kindness, letting me live here with him, paying me so much for so little. All I've done so far is suspect him of being a murderer and thief, and follow him around.
I nod. "Then shall I leave, and return with my things? I don't have many, so it won't take long."
"I'll see you in a bit, then." He replies, and I rise.
Walking back to my home through the snow to retrieve my things, to move in with the man I suspect to be a cold-blooded killer.
What is wrong with me?
The Riddle Solver Who Won't Solve Riddles
Chapter 3
Under The Bed With A Naked Detective?
"I'll make us tea, if you'd like." I offer, rising from the couch without waiting for a reply.
This is the second day I've been here, and so far all he's done is leave without telling me where he's going and look through old cases. As if he's making sure he didn't miss anything.
I enter the kitchen for the third time since I've been here. He has no servants, and he's been living alone all this time.
I reach above the sink, searching for the tea-kettle. No, coffee mugs. Next, plates. Then, wineglasses.
Wait... Something about these glasses seems very... Familiar. And yet, off at the same time. The cupboard is full of them, the matching wineglasses. All of them are exactly alike the other, and it's completely full of them... Except for one space on the top, the second last one. It's missing. Missing... Missing...
The word spins through my head. Mr. Burns had one exactly like these, and there were obviously (At least obvious to me.) that there were two glasses. One, however, disappeared. Could it be one of these? The other one, the missing one, was the one he was holding. I'm sure of it. I reach into the hidden pocket on inside of my dress, taking out a notepad and pen. I jolt down the new evidence, then hide it away again.
The next cupboard contains the tea set, and I quickly set to work.
Once I return to the den, I set it down gently on the coffee table. "Oh..." I blink. "I forgot the sugar, I'll be-" As I turn to walk back to the kitchen, I trip over something and fall to the floor. I land hard on my hands and knees, crying out softly.
Len quickly jumps up from the couch, kneeling by my side and attempting to help me up. "Are you alright?" He asks, and I wink in pain as I rise.
"Of course, it was just a trip." I glance down at the floor to see what I fell over. It's just a loose floorboard, that's all. How silly of me not to see it earlier.
"Are you sure-" He stops, frowning. "You're bleeding. Come with me." He commands, and I follow him into the bathroom.
He sits me down on the side of the bathtub, and opens the cabinet under the sink.
He takes out a cloth and bandage, wetting the cloth slightly from the sink.
He begins dabbing the small cut on my knee, and I pretend to find it amusing. "Don't be silly, I can do that myself." I reach to take the cloth from him, and he pulls it away.
"I don't mind."
I stare at him, wide-eyed before remembering to keep my face still. But I'm still surprised. That's very kind of him to do, I suppose... I should thank him.
He puts the cloth away and wraps my knee in the bandage. "Does it hurt to walk?" He asks, pulling me to my feet.
I smile quickly before returning my face to normal. "I'm fine. Thank you, you didn't have to do that."
"It was no trouble. Come, let's have the tea."
Later that night, after having changed into pajamas (Me a long black nightgown, him simple black-fabric pants and a black-button-up shirt.), he's showing me around his home some.
He leads me into a music room, and instantly goes to the violin. "I used to play for people privately." He states, smiling.
I watch and listen as he begins to play. The melody is slow, sweet, and somewhat...
Familiar. I know I've heard this before... But where? I know it's something I've heard, a long time ago. It's so sweet, and yet sad... It's beautiful... Images appear in my mind, memories.
My mother, so sweet and kind, and me, very young at the time. I hear the melody playing, but where am I?
Suddenly, it stops, and he puts the violin down, snapping me from my daze. "Are you alright?" He asks, touching my arm. "You look troubled."
I do? I let my expression drop back to neutral. "I'm fine, that song... It sounded familiar is all. It's late, I think I need to retreat."
"Go ahead, you can find your way, yes?" He asks, and I nod.
"Of course." I turn away, leaving him to return to that hauntingly beautiful song.
Once there, I slide into my bed, under the covers.
Something has to be wrong with me, being so comfortable around him that I lose my face... And I never, I mean never lose my face...
It's probably just that I've been spending so much time around him, when I'm used to being alone. I'm not used to the company, I tell myself.
I blow out the candle next to my bed, and lay back.
After laying still for about two hours, I get back out of bed and push my door open quietly and slowly.
I creep out into the hallway, satisfied that he's not upstairs when I hear music drifting up from down there.
I quickly make my way down the hallway, checking room after room after room, until I come to his.
I pause here. Is this taking it too far? I mean, yes, I'm investigating him, but is it too far to search his bedroom? What am I thinking? He's a suspect, this is a case.
I push the door open the rest of the way and enter, moving to the dresser first.
I search all the drawers, not finding anything interesting. I move to the bed, dropping to my knees and searching under it quickly. Again, nothing. Now, the closet. I pull it open and kneel on the floor, finding nothing but shoes and a coat.
Wait... The coat, it's rolled up, like it's hiding something. I carefully unwrap it, noting how it was before so I can return it. Inside is a vial. I open it, and a strong smell overcomes me quickly. It's spicy, and so, so familiar. Where have I smelled this before? It's sort of a sweet, spicy... I know it from somewhere, and I have the feeling it's important. But what? What is it?
I wrap the jacket back up, but grasp the vial in my hand.
After tucking away the jacket again, I close the closet doors and leave his bedroom.
Stepping into the hallway, I realize the music has stopped.
Then, I realize something terrifying. He's coming up the stairs...
Panicking, I do the stupidest thing possible. I run back into his room, and drop to the floor, rolling underneath his bed and trying hard to silence my breathing as he enters the bedroom.
He walks over to the dresser, and I stifle a gasp as I realize he's stripping.
I close my eyes and turn my head to the floor, looking up only after realizing he's still in his boxers.
I can see him, all of him. He's toned, surprisingly. He's always wearing loose clothing, it's just surprising what's underneath.
I shake my head, turning my eyes to the floor. It's bad enough that I'm in his bedroom, but it's even worse that I'm in a nightgown and he's nearly naked.
Suddenly, he drops to his hands and knees onto the floor and looks under the bed, smiling at me.
I gasp, forgetting where I am as I try and jump up.
I hit my head, then roll out from under the bed.
I hide the vial behind my back as he stands and stares at me, the same smile on his face. "Why were you under my bed?" He asks, making no effort to cover himself, even though he's in underwear.
I blush, averting my eyes. "I'm sorry, it's a force of habit. I..." I think as quickly as I can, still blushing. "I was looking for the bathroom, but couldn't remember where the one up here was. When I heard you coming up the stairs, it was just a force of habit to hide, because I thought if you saw me you'd be angry that I had looked in your room." I lie, turning back to him and meeting his eyes.
Eye contact is a sign of truth, and I need him to believe me.
"Well, it's three doors down on the other wall." He states, smiling still, as if nothing happened.
"Th- Thank you! And I'm sorry I was in here, I may need to make a map of this place, haha!" I force a laugh, and reach my other hand behind me to grasp the doorknob.
"Sure." He replies, his smile contorting into a smirk. "And if you wanted to see me naked, you could have asked." He says, then laughs, his smirk fading.
It takes me a second to realize it's a joke, and I laugh. A real laugh, not forced...
I pull open the door and step out. "Goodnight, and sorry again." I say, shutting the door.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He bought it.
I turn and run back to my room, pulling the door shut and jumping into my bed.
I take my notepad out from under my pillow and jolt down the peculiar-smelling vial before hiding both the notepad and glass container underneath it.
Then, I lay down and close my eyes.
This was a close, close call.
Under The Bed With A Naked Detective?
"I'll make us tea, if you'd like." I offer, rising from the couch without waiting for a reply.
This is the second day I've been here, and so far all he's done is leave without telling me where he's going and look through old cases. As if he's making sure he didn't miss anything.
I enter the kitchen for the third time since I've been here. He has no servants, and he's been living alone all this time.
I reach above the sink, searching for the tea-kettle. No, coffee mugs. Next, plates. Then, wineglasses.
Wait... Something about these glasses seems very... Familiar. And yet, off at the same time. The cupboard is full of them, the matching wineglasses. All of them are exactly alike the other, and it's completely full of them... Except for one space on the top, the second last one. It's missing. Missing... Missing...
The word spins through my head. Mr. Burns had one exactly like these, and there were obviously (At least obvious to me.) that there were two glasses. One, however, disappeared. Could it be one of these? The other one, the missing one, was the one he was holding. I'm sure of it. I reach into the hidden pocket on inside of my dress, taking out a notepad and pen. I jolt down the new evidence, then hide it away again.
The next cupboard contains the tea set, and I quickly set to work.
Once I return to the den, I set it down gently on the coffee table. "Oh..." I blink. "I forgot the sugar, I'll be-" As I turn to walk back to the kitchen, I trip over something and fall to the floor. I land hard on my hands and knees, crying out softly.
Len quickly jumps up from the couch, kneeling by my side and attempting to help me up. "Are you alright?" He asks, and I wink in pain as I rise.
"Of course, it was just a trip." I glance down at the floor to see what I fell over. It's just a loose floorboard, that's all. How silly of me not to see it earlier.
"Are you sure-" He stops, frowning. "You're bleeding. Come with me." He commands, and I follow him into the bathroom.
He sits me down on the side of the bathtub, and opens the cabinet under the sink.
He takes out a cloth and bandage, wetting the cloth slightly from the sink.
He begins dabbing the small cut on my knee, and I pretend to find it amusing. "Don't be silly, I can do that myself." I reach to take the cloth from him, and he pulls it away.
"I don't mind."
I stare at him, wide-eyed before remembering to keep my face still. But I'm still surprised. That's very kind of him to do, I suppose... I should thank him.
He puts the cloth away and wraps my knee in the bandage. "Does it hurt to walk?" He asks, pulling me to my feet.
I smile quickly before returning my face to normal. "I'm fine. Thank you, you didn't have to do that."
"It was no trouble. Come, let's have the tea."
Later that night, after having changed into pajamas (Me a long black nightgown, him simple black-fabric pants and a black-button-up shirt.), he's showing me around his home some.
He leads me into a music room, and instantly goes to the violin. "I used to play for people privately." He states, smiling.
I watch and listen as he begins to play. The melody is slow, sweet, and somewhat...
Familiar. I know I've heard this before... But where? I know it's something I've heard, a long time ago. It's so sweet, and yet sad... It's beautiful... Images appear in my mind, memories.
My mother, so sweet and kind, and me, very young at the time. I hear the melody playing, but where am I?
Suddenly, it stops, and he puts the violin down, snapping me from my daze. "Are you alright?" He asks, touching my arm. "You look troubled."
I do? I let my expression drop back to neutral. "I'm fine, that song... It sounded familiar is all. It's late, I think I need to retreat."
"Go ahead, you can find your way, yes?" He asks, and I nod.
"Of course." I turn away, leaving him to return to that hauntingly beautiful song.
Once there, I slide into my bed, under the covers.
Something has to be wrong with me, being so comfortable around him that I lose my face... And I never, I mean never lose my face...
It's probably just that I've been spending so much time around him, when I'm used to being alone. I'm not used to the company, I tell myself.
I blow out the candle next to my bed, and lay back.
After laying still for about two hours, I get back out of bed and push my door open quietly and slowly.
I creep out into the hallway, satisfied that he's not upstairs when I hear music drifting up from down there.
I quickly make my way down the hallway, checking room after room after room, until I come to his.
I pause here. Is this taking it too far? I mean, yes, I'm investigating him, but is it too far to search his bedroom? What am I thinking? He's a suspect, this is a case.
I push the door open the rest of the way and enter, moving to the dresser first.
I search all the drawers, not finding anything interesting. I move to the bed, dropping to my knees and searching under it quickly. Again, nothing. Now, the closet. I pull it open and kneel on the floor, finding nothing but shoes and a coat.
Wait... The coat, it's rolled up, like it's hiding something. I carefully unwrap it, noting how it was before so I can return it. Inside is a vial. I open it, and a strong smell overcomes me quickly. It's spicy, and so, so familiar. Where have I smelled this before? It's sort of a sweet, spicy... I know it from somewhere, and I have the feeling it's important. But what? What is it?
I wrap the jacket back up, but grasp the vial in my hand.
After tucking away the jacket again, I close the closet doors and leave his bedroom.
Stepping into the hallway, I realize the music has stopped.
Then, I realize something terrifying. He's coming up the stairs...
Panicking, I do the stupidest thing possible. I run back into his room, and drop to the floor, rolling underneath his bed and trying hard to silence my breathing as he enters the bedroom.
He walks over to the dresser, and I stifle a gasp as I realize he's stripping.
I close my eyes and turn my head to the floor, looking up only after realizing he's still in his boxers.
I can see him, all of him. He's toned, surprisingly. He's always wearing loose clothing, it's just surprising what's underneath.
I shake my head, turning my eyes to the floor. It's bad enough that I'm in his bedroom, but it's even worse that I'm in a nightgown and he's nearly naked.
Suddenly, he drops to his hands and knees onto the floor and looks under the bed, smiling at me.
I gasp, forgetting where I am as I try and jump up.
I hit my head, then roll out from under the bed.
I hide the vial behind my back as he stands and stares at me, the same smile on his face. "Why were you under my bed?" He asks, making no effort to cover himself, even though he's in underwear.
I blush, averting my eyes. "I'm sorry, it's a force of habit. I..." I think as quickly as I can, still blushing. "I was looking for the bathroom, but couldn't remember where the one up here was. When I heard you coming up the stairs, it was just a force of habit to hide, because I thought if you saw me you'd be angry that I had looked in your room." I lie, turning back to him and meeting his eyes.
Eye contact is a sign of truth, and I need him to believe me.
"Well, it's three doors down on the other wall." He states, smiling still, as if nothing happened.
"Th- Thank you! And I'm sorry I was in here, I may need to make a map of this place, haha!" I force a laugh, and reach my other hand behind me to grasp the doorknob.
"Sure." He replies, his smile contorting into a smirk. "And if you wanted to see me naked, you could have asked." He says, then laughs, his smirk fading.
It takes me a second to realize it's a joke, and I laugh. A real laugh, not forced...
I pull open the door and step out. "Goodnight, and sorry again." I say, shutting the door.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He bought it.
I turn and run back to my room, pulling the door shut and jumping into my bed.
I take my notepad out from under my pillow and jolt down the peculiar-smelling vial before hiding both the notepad and glass container underneath it.
Then, I lay down and close my eyes.
This was a close, close call.
The Riddle Solver Who Won't Solve Riddles
Chapter 4
I'll Solve Your Riddle
Is this enough evidence? I ask myself, looking through my notes. The glass, the smell... So familiar. If I realize what it is, I might... Well, anyway, I'm sure this isn't enough to convict a highly-respected detective.
Besides, I don't even know for sure that he did it.
Right now, we're walking our way to a restaurant in town. He said he was out of food, and didn't want me to have to cook, so he would take me out.
I didn't object, of course, but I don't feel comfortable wearing this frilly black dress. He bought it for me, and somehow knew my size, so I'm guessing he did a bit of snooping himself.
I glance over at him, staring straight ahead with a small smile forever-plastered on his face. It's as if he hasn't a care in the world. But after all the things he's seen, even if he isn't the murderer, shouldn't he have some sort of unhappiness of some kind? I mean, he's seen murders. He saw one yesterday, and acts as though the world were this wonderful place.
"How can you keep smiling after all that you've seen?" I ask suddenly, and he laughs. He actually laughs.
"Well, it's better to see the good in the world when that's what you're trying to bring into it than to focus only on the bad." He turns to me as we walk through the half-melted snow.
"I... I never saw it that way. I suppose I mostly focused on the bad of all of it. I don't see how anyone could kill someone else, it's just..." I drift off, awaiting his reaction.
"Well, sometimes, it's necessary to get things done." He says, then glances at me quickly before adding; "Such as, if a criminal is running from you, what else can you do but to kill them? They're dangerous."
I make a mental note to write down the first statement when we get back to his home.
"Indeed." I reply, looking up to the sky as we walk.
The sun is out, but it's still so cold out. I realize right then, as a cloud passes over the sun, dimming it for only seconds, that the world isn't always dark. Only when you let something 'fog' your vision of it, like a cloud over the sun. Maybe he's right, maybe...
Suddenly, I realize we're there. He holds the door open for me, and I smile. "Thank you." I say as I enter.
He doesn't reply, leading me to a small table in the back.
The place is crowded, and for some reason the atmosphere is tense.
I pick up the menu for something to do, and scan over it quickly. Then, I realize something and lay it back down. "I'm so sorry, but I haven't enough money for-"
"Don't be silly, I'm paying for it." He replies, not even glancing up from his menu.
I feel blush tinting my cheeks, and I frown, picking up the menu to hide it. Isn't that what people do on dates? I mean, the guy pay for the girl?
I'm living in his house, I eat his food and drink his tea, he buys me clothes. He must be very wealthy, but where does it come from? Inheritance, or is he really the thief I'm looking for?
I search for the cheapest thing on the menu. "I'll have the roast-beef stew, then." I state, laying the menu down. He rolls his eyes and looks at me.
"Don't get the cheapest thing just because you're uncomfortable with me buying it for you. It's no trouble, just pick something you like." He commands, the smile still on his face.
I smile, sort of, and pick up the menu.
After we order (I got the mushroom soup, which is actually more expensive than the other and looked good, and he got some roast-beef platter.), and after we eat he seems to notice something.
I turn around to see two customers yelling at a waiter, and who I imagine is the owner of the small business. "I payed for entertainment with my meal, and there hasn't been!" It's a young girl, probably 16. She has long, aqua hair in pigtails, and her eyes match. "I want my money back, unless you have someone play music right now!"
Len rises from the table, and I watch curiously as he goes up to the manager. "I can play the piano, good sir." He has that ever-charming smile upon his face, sealing the deal. "I'm rather talented, if I do say so myself."
"I don't know, we had someone hired, and we've already payed them so we're short on-" The manager begins, but Len shakes his head.
"I don't require pay, I'm simply a fan of piano and wouldn't mind playing."
And with that, the manager nods. "Please, do. And hurry, if you will. We're losing business."
Len smiles at him, the moves to the small stage in the corner of the restaurant.
Everyone turns to him, both curious and simply bored with the bland meal.
He begins to play, and I gasp. The melody from the violin, he's playing it and I know where I've heard it before.
"We hired him to play for your birthday, and he agreed to do it without pay when he saw how adorable you are!" My mother coos, taking my hand and motioning towards a boy.
A young boy, only a year or two older than I, with blond hair and bright but tired eyes. He smiles at me, a charming smile.
"Happy birthday." He says, then laughs. "I heard you liked music, right?" He asks, and touches my cheek. "I'll make sure to play my best tonight, okay?"
I laugh, and then smile at him. "Okay!"
And then, the same melody begins.
He used to play for me, at my house. My parents had hired him...
Those were the best years of my life, the years before my mother was murdered by a criminal. A criminal I worked hard to put behind bars.
Later, after we've returned to his home, he takes my hand and pulls me up the stairs.
"Come, I want to show you something. I doubt you've seen it yet, even while you were looking for the bathroom." He teases, and I laugh, running so that he's not dragging me.
I wonder, if I'd known he used to play the piano for my family... Would I have still taken this job?
He pulls me down the hallway and pushes open a door.
It leads to a small room with only a small chair, and a bookshelf.
And on the wall, a glass door.
Past that, a balcony. He pulls me through the room and opens the glass door.
I step outside, and he follows. The sky is dark grey... It's about to rain.
It smells sweet, but sort of... Spicy. I glance around for the source, and it hits me suddenly. Oleander... The nectar, the smell, the vial... This is only supporting evidence, not enough to convict him, but this proves to me that he's the murderer. It all adds up.
He's leaning over the edge of the stone, white-painted rail, looking up at the cloudy sky.
I watch him, not caring that my face has fallen into a frown. "L- Len?" I ask, and he turns to me. As he does, it's as if it's in slow motion. Lightening strikes, thunder follows quickly behind, and soon after that is the rain.
The rain pours, soaking us both in the instant it hits.
I realize, I don't want him to be the killer. I want it to all be coincidence, and yet... I know it isn't.
The smile stays on his face, never leaving. It's as if he's faking the happiness, but it seems so real. "Do you ever regret your past?" I ask, my voice low.
For a second, I don't know if he even heard me, but he smiles even wider before answering; "Not really, I mean... Everything I do, I do for a reason."
"What if those reasons are wrong... In the end?" I ask, and he reaches over to me,
grasping my hand in his.
"Anything you do is 'just', if you do it for the right reasons."
"Why would someone kill another person?" I ask, studying his response.
He laughs. Laughs. "Money, to become an infamous. To protect someone."
I half-smile. "It's weird how you work so hard to put away the people you seem to understand." I state, and his charming smile seems to falter.
"Of course, reasoning doesn't make it okay."
I pull away, stepping back. "I think... I think I'm going to bed early, okay?" I smile. "I'm a bit tired, I might be catching something. Goodnight." Without waiting for a reply, a spin around and leave.
Once in bed, I stare at the ceiling, thinking hard about what I'm going to do.
Somehow, in some strange way, I feel like something big is going to happen soon.
I glare at nothing in particular. "He's going down!" I whisper in the dark.
Him. The flowers, the nectar, the wine glass, the way he seems to almost look up to the people he convicts. I know it's him, I just know it.
Len, detective, I will bring justice to you.
I'll Solve Your Riddle
Is this enough evidence? I ask myself, looking through my notes. The glass, the smell... So familiar. If I realize what it is, I might... Well, anyway, I'm sure this isn't enough to convict a highly-respected detective.
Besides, I don't even know for sure that he did it.
Right now, we're walking our way to a restaurant in town. He said he was out of food, and didn't want me to have to cook, so he would take me out.
I didn't object, of course, but I don't feel comfortable wearing this frilly black dress. He bought it for me, and somehow knew my size, so I'm guessing he did a bit of snooping himself.
I glance over at him, staring straight ahead with a small smile forever-plastered on his face. It's as if he hasn't a care in the world. But after all the things he's seen, even if he isn't the murderer, shouldn't he have some sort of unhappiness of some kind? I mean, he's seen murders. He saw one yesterday, and acts as though the world were this wonderful place.
"How can you keep smiling after all that you've seen?" I ask suddenly, and he laughs. He actually laughs.
"Well, it's better to see the good in the world when that's what you're trying to bring into it than to focus only on the bad." He turns to me as we walk through the half-melted snow.
"I... I never saw it that way. I suppose I mostly focused on the bad of all of it. I don't see how anyone could kill someone else, it's just..." I drift off, awaiting his reaction.
"Well, sometimes, it's necessary to get things done." He says, then glances at me quickly before adding; "Such as, if a criminal is running from you, what else can you do but to kill them? They're dangerous."
I make a mental note to write down the first statement when we get back to his home.
"Indeed." I reply, looking up to the sky as we walk.
The sun is out, but it's still so cold out. I realize right then, as a cloud passes over the sun, dimming it for only seconds, that the world isn't always dark. Only when you let something 'fog' your vision of it, like a cloud over the sun. Maybe he's right, maybe...
Suddenly, I realize we're there. He holds the door open for me, and I smile. "Thank you." I say as I enter.
He doesn't reply, leading me to a small table in the back.
The place is crowded, and for some reason the atmosphere is tense.
I pick up the menu for something to do, and scan over it quickly. Then, I realize something and lay it back down. "I'm so sorry, but I haven't enough money for-"
"Don't be silly, I'm paying for it." He replies, not even glancing up from his menu.
I feel blush tinting my cheeks, and I frown, picking up the menu to hide it. Isn't that what people do on dates? I mean, the guy pay for the girl?
I'm living in his house, I eat his food and drink his tea, he buys me clothes. He must be very wealthy, but where does it come from? Inheritance, or is he really the thief I'm looking for?
I search for the cheapest thing on the menu. "I'll have the roast-beef stew, then." I state, laying the menu down. He rolls his eyes and looks at me.
"Don't get the cheapest thing just because you're uncomfortable with me buying it for you. It's no trouble, just pick something you like." He commands, the smile still on his face.
I smile, sort of, and pick up the menu.
After we order (I got the mushroom soup, which is actually more expensive than the other and looked good, and he got some roast-beef platter.), and after we eat he seems to notice something.
I turn around to see two customers yelling at a waiter, and who I imagine is the owner of the small business. "I payed for entertainment with my meal, and there hasn't been!" It's a young girl, probably 16. She has long, aqua hair in pigtails, and her eyes match. "I want my money back, unless you have someone play music right now!"
Len rises from the table, and I watch curiously as he goes up to the manager. "I can play the piano, good sir." He has that ever-charming smile upon his face, sealing the deal. "I'm rather talented, if I do say so myself."
"I don't know, we had someone hired, and we've already payed them so we're short on-" The manager begins, but Len shakes his head.
"I don't require pay, I'm simply a fan of piano and wouldn't mind playing."
And with that, the manager nods. "Please, do. And hurry, if you will. We're losing business."
Len smiles at him, the moves to the small stage in the corner of the restaurant.
Everyone turns to him, both curious and simply bored with the bland meal.
He begins to play, and I gasp. The melody from the violin, he's playing it and I know where I've heard it before.
"We hired him to play for your birthday, and he agreed to do it without pay when he saw how adorable you are!" My mother coos, taking my hand and motioning towards a boy.
A young boy, only a year or two older than I, with blond hair and bright but tired eyes. He smiles at me, a charming smile.
"Happy birthday." He says, then laughs. "I heard you liked music, right?" He asks, and touches my cheek. "I'll make sure to play my best tonight, okay?"
I laugh, and then smile at him. "Okay!"
And then, the same melody begins.
He used to play for me, at my house. My parents had hired him...
Those were the best years of my life, the years before my mother was murdered by a criminal. A criminal I worked hard to put behind bars.
Later, after we've returned to his home, he takes my hand and pulls me up the stairs.
"Come, I want to show you something. I doubt you've seen it yet, even while you were looking for the bathroom." He teases, and I laugh, running so that he's not dragging me.
I wonder, if I'd known he used to play the piano for my family... Would I have still taken this job?
He pulls me down the hallway and pushes open a door.
It leads to a small room with only a small chair, and a bookshelf.
And on the wall, a glass door.
Past that, a balcony. He pulls me through the room and opens the glass door.
I step outside, and he follows. The sky is dark grey... It's about to rain.
It smells sweet, but sort of... Spicy. I glance around for the source, and it hits me suddenly. Oleander... The nectar, the smell, the vial... This is only supporting evidence, not enough to convict him, but this proves to me that he's the murderer. It all adds up.
He's leaning over the edge of the stone, white-painted rail, looking up at the cloudy sky.
I watch him, not caring that my face has fallen into a frown. "L- Len?" I ask, and he turns to me. As he does, it's as if it's in slow motion. Lightening strikes, thunder follows quickly behind, and soon after that is the rain.
The rain pours, soaking us both in the instant it hits.
I realize, I don't want him to be the killer. I want it to all be coincidence, and yet... I know it isn't.
The smile stays on his face, never leaving. It's as if he's faking the happiness, but it seems so real. "Do you ever regret your past?" I ask, my voice low.
For a second, I don't know if he even heard me, but he smiles even wider before answering; "Not really, I mean... Everything I do, I do for a reason."
"What if those reasons are wrong... In the end?" I ask, and he reaches over to me,
grasping my hand in his.
"Anything you do is 'just', if you do it for the right reasons."
"Why would someone kill another person?" I ask, studying his response.
He laughs. Laughs. "Money, to become an infamous. To protect someone."
I half-smile. "It's weird how you work so hard to put away the people you seem to understand." I state, and his charming smile seems to falter.
"Of course, reasoning doesn't make it okay."
I pull away, stepping back. "I think... I think I'm going to bed early, okay?" I smile. "I'm a bit tired, I might be catching something. Goodnight." Without waiting for a reply, a spin around and leave.
Once in bed, I stare at the ceiling, thinking hard about what I'm going to do.
Somehow, in some strange way, I feel like something big is going to happen soon.
I glare at nothing in particular. "He's going down!" I whisper in the dark.
Him. The flowers, the nectar, the wine glass, the way he seems to almost look up to the people he convicts. I know it's him, I just know it.
Len, detective, I will bring justice to you.
The Riddle Solver Who Won't Solve Riddles
Chapter 5
Do You Ever Tell The Truth?
"I have a new case." Len states as I enter the den.
He's sitting on the couch, staring into the fireplace and sipping wine. Out of his crystal glass. What if he had made a mistake, and poisoned his own glass?
Then again, I don't suppose he could have. It's a very strong smell, when I convict him, I'll have to ask him how the old man didn't notice it.
"May I have the details?" I ask, sitting across from him with a blank face.
"I think I'll keep them from you." He says, and suddenly throws his head back in laughter. His laugh seems different today, more... On edge.
When he finally stops laughing, his face is straight, and for some reason this bothers me. Quick transition from laughter to morbidness. "There's been a drowning, down by the docks. The boat was shipping several very expensive items, only a few of which were missing. With the exception of the missing items, it could be classified as an accident.
But since things were stolen, I was asked to investigate. I'll be taking this case alone, if you don't mind." He states, rising from the couch and setting the half-empty glass on the table.
"Fine." I reply, watching him as he stretches out, then walks past me on the couch.
"I'll be back in an hour or so." He states, pulling open the door, and then leaving.
As soon as the door shuts, I jump up. Now is my chance to search the rest of the house.
I start with the bathrooms, then the bedrooms and guestrooms, the dining room, the kitchen, the balcony, the library... I find nothing interesting.
I descend the stairs and enter the kitchen, quickly preparing tea.
I set it on the coffee table just as he walks in, and I turn and smile at him. "Welcome back, any news?" I ask with false happiness.
*~*Len*~*
I have to make her trust me, it's fairly obvious she doesn't. The false cheeriness, finding her under my bed, the way she questions my opinion on murder. I know she suspects that I'm the murderer, I can just see it. It's in her eyes. I'm not sure what led her to believe this, but she needs to trust me.
She extends a cup to me, waiting for my response. I take it, smiling.
Even though the sun has been out lately, the previous rain made it difficult to walk through the snow. Though it could have been worse, at least the snow has melted some the past couple of days.
I take a seat, and her across from me. "I'm not sure who the culprit is, but I know it was murder. There were signs of a struggle for one thing, and it was definitely a robbery.
There was no evidence, no fingerprints, nothing."
"Have you any idea what lead you're going to take?" She asks, and I laugh.
"There is no lead, but it's only a matter of time." Damn, I really need to think before I speak.
"A matter of time until what, Len?" She asks, her face never changing.
"Until I find a lead, I'm sure. I'm going back soon to double-check, you see." I explain.
"I see." She replies, the edge of a frown on her face. Though I doubt she knows it.
"Thank you for the tea, you don't have to do that, you know. You're my assistant, not a maid."
*~Rin~*
Four days after that, the dock closed down it's shipment company, because 'someone' kept drowning the boat-drivers and stealing the shipment items.
"...But it's only a matter of time." The way he said it, it was so... Knowing. I know he's behind this, he keeps disappearing at night to, 'Re-check the boats for fingerprints', and soon after the missing person is discovered along with the robbed boat.
Right now, he's 'investigating' the most recent one, and I'm investigating his bedroom.
And not for nothing, either. Tucked away between his mattresses is the boat schedule for the docks.
But the problem is, he probably has that because he's the detective for the case. But then again, why was the paper hidden under the mattress, and why are the boats that have been robbed crossed out? It's almost as if, well, it's his to-do list.
I put it back under the mattress, jolt down the new information and then go down to the kitchen.
I quickly take out the roast-beef I'd put in the oven and lay it on the counter, then drip a special sauce over it.
My mother had taught me the recipe.
Then, I take out the baked potatoes.
After that, I finish the bread, then lay everything on the table. I need to make it seem like I've been busy, even though this doesn't really take that long.
I set the table, then prepare tea and set it out.
Just in time- "Did you do all this?" Len asks, and I jump, startled. I spin around to face him.
"Uh... Yeah, I did... I thought you'd be hungry by the time you got back, you've been so busy lately." I smile kindly, and he laughs.
"Well... Thank you, Rin. That's very kind of you, and I'm starving. Let's eat."
As we're sitting here in the dining room, the long table stretching between us, I find myself looking at the situation from an outsiders point of view.
A male and female, sitting together at dinner after the male had come home from work. It's like we're married, or at least a couple.
The thought makes me blush, and he notices. "Something wrong?" He asks, looking up from his plate.
I laugh, nervously. "No, nothing's wrong..." I reply, pushing my food around on my plate. "I'm just not hungry."
"Well, maybe if you eat all your food, we can go out for ice cream." He teases, and I smile.
"Is that a promise?" I ask, then laugh.
"Sure, but you have to eat first. To be honest, you really don't eat enough." He points out, and I blush deeper.
I didn't know he noticed. Being a detective is a stressful job, I don't usually have an appetite.
I don't reply, lifting my fork to my lips and taking a bite of potato. I'm taking him up on that promise.
Later, we're walking through the snow, bundled to keep the cold away. "It's a bit cold for ice cream, I admit." I laugh, and he smiles over at me.
Suddenly, he takes my hand and squeezes it gently. "Then we'll get hot chocolate instead, okay?" He says, not letting go.
I look down at our hands, both gloved in white, and blush.
He laughs, noticing my face and squeezing my hand again. "Come on, we're almost there!" He pulls me along.
He has an almost child-like way of seeing things, he's almost always smiling, always happy. always looking forward to the next event, the next day.
For the first time since all of this, I decide to forget about the case, about the evidence, and have fun today.
Later, we're walking again, sipping hot chocolate out of cheap tin mugs. The snow is falling ever-so-lightly around us, and he's still holding my hand. In fact, he hasn't let go. And somehow, I don't mind it.
What in the world am I thinking, enjoying my evening spent with someone who is more likely than not a murderer? And yet, I find myself letting my guard down, laughing, even, and having fun.
"Do you like living with me?" Len asks suddenly, and I don't even think before I reply.
"Yes, of course. It's so much better than-" I stop myself, the say, quieter, "I do like it." And it's the truth. At home, all I ever did was work, come home and clean. It's just me and my father now, and he doesn't work at all. I actually send half of my paycheck to him so that he can survive without me there. He's just lazy, though. He isn't sick, and he isn't a drunk. Since mom always worked, he never had to, and then I took over when she died.
"Then you should know, I'm not planning on staying here. In a while, a few months or so, I'm leaving. This town is just too dark, and... Cold..." He says, squeezing my hand.
I don't look at him, staring straight ahead in shock, surprise, confusion, almost.
He's leaving. A series of possible- No! I stop myself, shaking my head once. "Oh..." I reply weakly, frowning. I don't want to think about the case right now.
"If... You wanted, you could come with me." He offers, and I freeze. "I would be resigning my position as a detective."
He takes a few more steps, then comes to a stop when he realizes I'm not following him anymore. He drops my hand and turns to me, stepping closer. "What's wrong?" He asks, noticing my frown.
I don't reply, trying to think of an excuse for why I'm upset. I can't believe this... He's offering to let me live with him, even after he leaves? Just to live with him, not as an assistant anymore... The case just won't leave me alone, will it? Fine. He's a murderer, I just know he is. He's offering to let me live with him, for me to move with him. What am I being offered here? To run, run from a series of thefts and murders, to run from everything I've ever stood for? "No." I reply, turning away from him. "I mean, I can't. I'm just... Just... I can't leave my father here without me, he wouldn't be able to support himself." Hey, it's half-true.
For once, the smile seems to drop from his face. "Oh..." He actually frowns. "Well, you've still got two months, you know?" He says.
He turns, and we begin walking again, but this time he doesn't take my hand.
For some reason, I really wish he would. "Well... I could mail him a bit of money now and then, right?" I turn to him, forcing a smile to my face. "I could, if you still want-"
"Great!" He cuts me off, grabbing my hand again and smiling. "We can start looking for somewhere soon then."
Later, we're in the den, sipping tea and looking through the most recent drowning cases photos.
"He looks like he'd just recently died." I state, looking at the picture of the victim.
"Well, it could have been at any time. The water is cold, is preserves the body for longer, it was frozen completely when it was drug out." He states, glancing at the picture.
Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. He jumps up, stretching once before going to see who it is.
While he does that, I take the chance to look closer at the pictures.
A dead man, his body blue. Another, a female, her body looks recently deceased. Another, male, the same. Then a blue one, this one with a scratch on his face.
Then, one strikes me in particular... This one looks like he was fighting, there's a bruise on his left cheek, and his fingers are clenched.
What's that in his hand...? I look closer, knowing I see something. It looks... Yellow?
Maybe... "Rin!" A sudden voice cuts into my concentration, and I jump up. I spin around to run towards Len, who just called me, and trip.
I look up quickly, confused by the small 'clang' I heard when I tripped over the floorboard. Len is still talking to the detective.
I glance down at the floorboard, and realize it's higher than usual. "Rin, we have to go." Len states, and I jump up. I'll deal with that later, something in his voice sounds urgent.
"There's been another drowning." Len states, grabbing his coat and pulling me along with him out the door.
Once we're at the dock, and upon the boat in which the murder occurred, I begin to feel a bit faint.
I hate boats... I get seasick fairly easily. I just hope this doesn't take long, or that he won't mind me leaving.
But he's acting strangely... More shaken than the last ones. Maybe he was told something I don't know, or maybe evidence was found. Or maybe, he didn't commit the murder at all.
He's already looked over the body, noticing that the murder was committed by a blunt object to the head, and this time, more things were missing from the ship.
He's dusting for prints right now, and I'm just looking over the previous evidence. It looks as though- "There are prints that don't match the victims." Len states, and I hurry to his side- this was done by someone else.
On the railing of the boat, there are two, slightly smudged fingerprints, as if the person were not wearing gloves.
"All the others had been so... Careful. It was almost like a talent," I state. "But this one is careless. I don't think it's the same person, do you?" I ask, turning to him.
"This was done in daylight, and not only that but there was a guard on duty. It would make sense that the culprit did this so carelessly, in the panic." He says, and I must admit I find logic in that.
After questioning everyone for about an hour, they find the culprit. It's a grocery store owner who needed the money, and was planning on pawning the items he stole. He's arrested on the scene, after admitting to it.
Then, we return home, where we have tea in silence in front of the fireplace. "Do you really think they were all done by the same man? It seems to me that they were too different to have been by the same man. And he only admitted to this recent one." I point out, laying the tea on the table between us.
"Yes, I do." He states shortly, smiling into the fire. I just watch him, frowning.
"I'm going to take a walk, Len." I say quietly, rising from the couch and going to the door.
I walk out into the falling snow, frowning softly at the sweetness of it, when reality is so sour.
I just stand there for a while in his yard, staring up at the sky.
Suddenly, someone- meaning Len- takes my hand. "You look sad." He states, pulling my close to him. His smile never fades, even when my face falls and I feel myself losing it.
I feel tears, for the first time since my mother died, glistening in my eyes. I reach up to wipe them away, but he beats me to it.
I turn away from him, closing my eyes. "Why do you work so hard?" I ask, and he smiles wider.
"To bring justice to the world, I thought you knew that." Is his reply, and I cross my arms to keep out the cold.
I shiver anyway, closing my eyes so I don't have to see his smile anymore. "Do you ever tell the truth?" I ask, my voice low. So low, I don't know if he even heard me until I look at him.
He's not smiling anymore, his face has fallen into a look of confusion.
I let out a laugh, stepping away from him. "I'm going for that walk now, I need some time to think, okay? I'll see you in a bit." I turn away, leaving him there in the snow.
I haven't cried since mom died, that night... Dad got the news, and told me. He didn't even seem to care, but I loved my mom and she loved me. And then she was just gone, snatched away. Since then, I decided I didn't need to become that close to anyone again, and that my job would make it dangerous. I had to become a detective, you see... Because I had to find my mom's killer.
But now... I've fallen for someone. Someone that I'm bringing the same fate as my mother, he'll get the death-sentence. And I've fallen for him.
What am I supposed to choose? Love, or justice?
Do You Ever Tell The Truth?
"I have a new case." Len states as I enter the den.
He's sitting on the couch, staring into the fireplace and sipping wine. Out of his crystal glass. What if he had made a mistake, and poisoned his own glass?
Then again, I don't suppose he could have. It's a very strong smell, when I convict him, I'll have to ask him how the old man didn't notice it.
"May I have the details?" I ask, sitting across from him with a blank face.
"I think I'll keep them from you." He says, and suddenly throws his head back in laughter. His laugh seems different today, more... On edge.
When he finally stops laughing, his face is straight, and for some reason this bothers me. Quick transition from laughter to morbidness. "There's been a drowning, down by the docks. The boat was shipping several very expensive items, only a few of which were missing. With the exception of the missing items, it could be classified as an accident.
But since things were stolen, I was asked to investigate. I'll be taking this case alone, if you don't mind." He states, rising from the couch and setting the half-empty glass on the table.
"Fine." I reply, watching him as he stretches out, then walks past me on the couch.
"I'll be back in an hour or so." He states, pulling open the door, and then leaving.
As soon as the door shuts, I jump up. Now is my chance to search the rest of the house.
I start with the bathrooms, then the bedrooms and guestrooms, the dining room, the kitchen, the balcony, the library... I find nothing interesting.
I descend the stairs and enter the kitchen, quickly preparing tea.
I set it on the coffee table just as he walks in, and I turn and smile at him. "Welcome back, any news?" I ask with false happiness.
*~*Len*~*
I have to make her trust me, it's fairly obvious she doesn't. The false cheeriness, finding her under my bed, the way she questions my opinion on murder. I know she suspects that I'm the murderer, I can just see it. It's in her eyes. I'm not sure what led her to believe this, but she needs to trust me.
She extends a cup to me, waiting for my response. I take it, smiling.
Even though the sun has been out lately, the previous rain made it difficult to walk through the snow. Though it could have been worse, at least the snow has melted some the past couple of days.
I take a seat, and her across from me. "I'm not sure who the culprit is, but I know it was murder. There were signs of a struggle for one thing, and it was definitely a robbery.
There was no evidence, no fingerprints, nothing."
"Have you any idea what lead you're going to take?" She asks, and I laugh.
"There is no lead, but it's only a matter of time." Damn, I really need to think before I speak.
"A matter of time until what, Len?" She asks, her face never changing.
"Until I find a lead, I'm sure. I'm going back soon to double-check, you see." I explain.
"I see." She replies, the edge of a frown on her face. Though I doubt she knows it.
"Thank you for the tea, you don't have to do that, you know. You're my assistant, not a maid."
*~Rin~*
Four days after that, the dock closed down it's shipment company, because 'someone' kept drowning the boat-drivers and stealing the shipment items.
"...But it's only a matter of time." The way he said it, it was so... Knowing. I know he's behind this, he keeps disappearing at night to, 'Re-check the boats for fingerprints', and soon after the missing person is discovered along with the robbed boat.
Right now, he's 'investigating' the most recent one, and I'm investigating his bedroom.
And not for nothing, either. Tucked away between his mattresses is the boat schedule for the docks.
But the problem is, he probably has that because he's the detective for the case. But then again, why was the paper hidden under the mattress, and why are the boats that have been robbed crossed out? It's almost as if, well, it's his to-do list.
I put it back under the mattress, jolt down the new information and then go down to the kitchen.
I quickly take out the roast-beef I'd put in the oven and lay it on the counter, then drip a special sauce over it.
My mother had taught me the recipe.
Then, I take out the baked potatoes.
After that, I finish the bread, then lay everything on the table. I need to make it seem like I've been busy, even though this doesn't really take that long.
I set the table, then prepare tea and set it out.
Just in time- "Did you do all this?" Len asks, and I jump, startled. I spin around to face him.
"Uh... Yeah, I did... I thought you'd be hungry by the time you got back, you've been so busy lately." I smile kindly, and he laughs.
"Well... Thank you, Rin. That's very kind of you, and I'm starving. Let's eat."
As we're sitting here in the dining room, the long table stretching between us, I find myself looking at the situation from an outsiders point of view.
A male and female, sitting together at dinner after the male had come home from work. It's like we're married, or at least a couple.
The thought makes me blush, and he notices. "Something wrong?" He asks, looking up from his plate.
I laugh, nervously. "No, nothing's wrong..." I reply, pushing my food around on my plate. "I'm just not hungry."
"Well, maybe if you eat all your food, we can go out for ice cream." He teases, and I smile.
"Is that a promise?" I ask, then laugh.
"Sure, but you have to eat first. To be honest, you really don't eat enough." He points out, and I blush deeper.
I didn't know he noticed. Being a detective is a stressful job, I don't usually have an appetite.
I don't reply, lifting my fork to my lips and taking a bite of potato. I'm taking him up on that promise.
Later, we're walking through the snow, bundled to keep the cold away. "It's a bit cold for ice cream, I admit." I laugh, and he smiles over at me.
Suddenly, he takes my hand and squeezes it gently. "Then we'll get hot chocolate instead, okay?" He says, not letting go.
I look down at our hands, both gloved in white, and blush.
He laughs, noticing my face and squeezing my hand again. "Come on, we're almost there!" He pulls me along.
He has an almost child-like way of seeing things, he's almost always smiling, always happy. always looking forward to the next event, the next day.
For the first time since all of this, I decide to forget about the case, about the evidence, and have fun today.
Later, we're walking again, sipping hot chocolate out of cheap tin mugs. The snow is falling ever-so-lightly around us, and he's still holding my hand. In fact, he hasn't let go. And somehow, I don't mind it.
What in the world am I thinking, enjoying my evening spent with someone who is more likely than not a murderer? And yet, I find myself letting my guard down, laughing, even, and having fun.
"Do you like living with me?" Len asks suddenly, and I don't even think before I reply.
"Yes, of course. It's so much better than-" I stop myself, the say, quieter, "I do like it." And it's the truth. At home, all I ever did was work, come home and clean. It's just me and my father now, and he doesn't work at all. I actually send half of my paycheck to him so that he can survive without me there. He's just lazy, though. He isn't sick, and he isn't a drunk. Since mom always worked, he never had to, and then I took over when she died.
"Then you should know, I'm not planning on staying here. In a while, a few months or so, I'm leaving. This town is just too dark, and... Cold..." He says, squeezing my hand.
I don't look at him, staring straight ahead in shock, surprise, confusion, almost.
He's leaving. A series of possible- No! I stop myself, shaking my head once. "Oh..." I reply weakly, frowning. I don't want to think about the case right now.
"If... You wanted, you could come with me." He offers, and I freeze. "I would be resigning my position as a detective."
He takes a few more steps, then comes to a stop when he realizes I'm not following him anymore. He drops my hand and turns to me, stepping closer. "What's wrong?" He asks, noticing my frown.
I don't reply, trying to think of an excuse for why I'm upset. I can't believe this... He's offering to let me live with him, even after he leaves? Just to live with him, not as an assistant anymore... The case just won't leave me alone, will it? Fine. He's a murderer, I just know he is. He's offering to let me live with him, for me to move with him. What am I being offered here? To run, run from a series of thefts and murders, to run from everything I've ever stood for? "No." I reply, turning away from him. "I mean, I can't. I'm just... Just... I can't leave my father here without me, he wouldn't be able to support himself." Hey, it's half-true.
For once, the smile seems to drop from his face. "Oh..." He actually frowns. "Well, you've still got two months, you know?" He says.
He turns, and we begin walking again, but this time he doesn't take my hand.
For some reason, I really wish he would. "Well... I could mail him a bit of money now and then, right?" I turn to him, forcing a smile to my face. "I could, if you still want-"
"Great!" He cuts me off, grabbing my hand again and smiling. "We can start looking for somewhere soon then."
Later, we're in the den, sipping tea and looking through the most recent drowning cases photos.
"He looks like he'd just recently died." I state, looking at the picture of the victim.
"Well, it could have been at any time. The water is cold, is preserves the body for longer, it was frozen completely when it was drug out." He states, glancing at the picture.
Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. He jumps up, stretching once before going to see who it is.
While he does that, I take the chance to look closer at the pictures.
A dead man, his body blue. Another, a female, her body looks recently deceased. Another, male, the same. Then a blue one, this one with a scratch on his face.
Then, one strikes me in particular... This one looks like he was fighting, there's a bruise on his left cheek, and his fingers are clenched.
What's that in his hand...? I look closer, knowing I see something. It looks... Yellow?
Maybe... "Rin!" A sudden voice cuts into my concentration, and I jump up. I spin around to run towards Len, who just called me, and trip.
I look up quickly, confused by the small 'clang' I heard when I tripped over the floorboard. Len is still talking to the detective.
I glance down at the floorboard, and realize it's higher than usual. "Rin, we have to go." Len states, and I jump up. I'll deal with that later, something in his voice sounds urgent.
"There's been another drowning." Len states, grabbing his coat and pulling me along with him out the door.
Once we're at the dock, and upon the boat in which the murder occurred, I begin to feel a bit faint.
I hate boats... I get seasick fairly easily. I just hope this doesn't take long, or that he won't mind me leaving.
But he's acting strangely... More shaken than the last ones. Maybe he was told something I don't know, or maybe evidence was found. Or maybe, he didn't commit the murder at all.
He's already looked over the body, noticing that the murder was committed by a blunt object to the head, and this time, more things were missing from the ship.
He's dusting for prints right now, and I'm just looking over the previous evidence. It looks as though- "There are prints that don't match the victims." Len states, and I hurry to his side- this was done by someone else.
On the railing of the boat, there are two, slightly smudged fingerprints, as if the person were not wearing gloves.
"All the others had been so... Careful. It was almost like a talent," I state. "But this one is careless. I don't think it's the same person, do you?" I ask, turning to him.
"This was done in daylight, and not only that but there was a guard on duty. It would make sense that the culprit did this so carelessly, in the panic." He says, and I must admit I find logic in that.
After questioning everyone for about an hour, they find the culprit. It's a grocery store owner who needed the money, and was planning on pawning the items he stole. He's arrested on the scene, after admitting to it.
Then, we return home, where we have tea in silence in front of the fireplace. "Do you really think they were all done by the same man? It seems to me that they were too different to have been by the same man. And he only admitted to this recent one." I point out, laying the tea on the table between us.
"Yes, I do." He states shortly, smiling into the fire. I just watch him, frowning.
"I'm going to take a walk, Len." I say quietly, rising from the couch and going to the door.
I walk out into the falling snow, frowning softly at the sweetness of it, when reality is so sour.
I just stand there for a while in his yard, staring up at the sky.
Suddenly, someone- meaning Len- takes my hand. "You look sad." He states, pulling my close to him. His smile never fades, even when my face falls and I feel myself losing it.
I feel tears, for the first time since my mother died, glistening in my eyes. I reach up to wipe them away, but he beats me to it.
I turn away from him, closing my eyes. "Why do you work so hard?" I ask, and he smiles wider.
"To bring justice to the world, I thought you knew that." Is his reply, and I cross my arms to keep out the cold.
I shiver anyway, closing my eyes so I don't have to see his smile anymore. "Do you ever tell the truth?" I ask, my voice low. So low, I don't know if he even heard me until I look at him.
He's not smiling anymore, his face has fallen into a look of confusion.
I let out a laugh, stepping away from him. "I'm going for that walk now, I need some time to think, okay? I'll see you in a bit." I turn away, leaving him there in the snow.
I haven't cried since mom died, that night... Dad got the news, and told me. He didn't even seem to care, but I loved my mom and she loved me. And then she was just gone, snatched away. Since then, I decided I didn't need to become that close to anyone again, and that my job would make it dangerous. I had to become a detective, you see... Because I had to find my mom's killer.
But now... I've fallen for someone. Someone that I'm bringing the same fate as my mother, he'll get the death-sentence. And I've fallen for him.
What am I supposed to choose? Love, or justice?
The Riddle Solver Who Won't Solve Riddles
Chapter 6
What Have I Done?
"Are you... Are you Rin, the detective Len's assistant?" A woman's voice asks, and I spin around.
The woman is taller than me, her hair is long, straight and pink. Her eyes are just as pink, if not more so. "Who's asking?" I reply, crossing my arms.
I'm not in a good mood after losing myself like that, and finding out that I'm in love with a murderer.
"My name is Luka. I'm aware that you, too, are suspicious of Len being the murderer behind certain cases he's investigated. I have something you might want to see." She states, holding up a small, light-yellow folder. "But we have to make sure he can't hear us. This is proof."
I freeze, my blood racing. This is it, isn't it? What I've been working for all this time. He's going to be arrested, and it's all over. I'll go back home. "Can we go somewhere for coffee?" I ask, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I'm rather cold."
"Of course."
Later, as we sit in the small coffee shop, I look through the evidence she's collected as I listen to her, and sip my coffee. I love the smell of coffee.
"I found the blood underneath the first victim's fingernails, and just got the results back. It matches his. Underneath the second-last victim's nails was yellow hair. The same shade as his. It's all enough to prove he's the culprit behind those two murders, but I wanted to speak with you. That alone might not be enough for him to get the death-sentence. Have you collected any evidence?" She asks, and I nod.
"Plenty, but only enough to make him a suspect. With this, though, he'll at least get locked away." I state, passing the blood test-match back to her, and frowning. "I can show you what I've collected, but I don't keep it at his house. Come on." I command, rising from the table.
She follows, looking somewhat confused.
On the way out, I subtly take a knife off of the edge of a table and hide it behind my back.
"Have you told anyone else about this?" I ask as I lead her to a park.
"No, I wanted to talk to you first, so that no one ran to the police. I want the man dead, not just 'put away'." She states. Her voice is soft and sweet, and she sounds like a nice person. "The first victim that interested me was my father. The chef... The chef was my lover, his name was Sebastian. I know he didn't do it, he wouldn't have. And when Len said the poison was in the wine, I knew it wasn't true. I made that wine, and sealed the bottle. It was a gift to my father, but the chef delivered it for me because I wasn't speaking to father, because he said me and Sebastian couldn't be together. I knew, after that case. Len was the murderer. The letter, my father had shown it to me. It wasn't Sebastian's handwriting." She states, her voice turning bitter. "I want Len dead, dead and buried."
I lead her to a small cliff, overlooking a frozen pond. The pond is deep, and it's a long drop to the water. The ice over the pond shines, glimmering in the setting-sunlight.
"You hide the evidence here, Rin?" Luka asks, taking a deep breath, standing over the edge of the cliff to admire the sunset.
"Did you tell anyone you were meeting me?" I ask, coming up behind her slowly.
She shakes her head. "I miss my father, and Sebastian... This isn't fair..." I hear a sob, and realize she's crying. "He killed my father, and locked away the man I love. Maybe...
Maybe if he's caught, they'll let Sebastian go, you know?" She cries, covering her face with her hands. "I would do anything for someone I love. Would you?" She asks, turning around to face me.
I throw my arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. "Yeah, I would." I reply, and she places her hands on my shoulders.
"I'm sorry I lost it like this, I'm usually so collected..." She states, pushing back a bit.
I look up at her face, slightly aware that I'm smiling.
He takes out a cloth and bandage, wetting the cloth slightly from the sink.
He begins dabbing the small cut on my knee, and I pretend to find it amusing. "Don't be silly, I can do that myself." I reach to take the cloth from him, and he pulls it away.
"I don't mind."
I stare at him, wide-eyed before remembering to keep my face still. But I'm still surprised. That's very kind of him to do, I suppose... I should thank him.
He puts the cloth away and wraps my knee in the bandage. "Does it hurt to walk?" He asks, pulling me to my feet.
I smile quickly before returning my face to normal. "I'm fine. Thank you, you didn't have to do that."
"It was no trouble. Come, let's have the tea."
A twisted grin, am I going crazy? I ask myself, bringing the knife up at plunging it into her stomach.
"We hired him to play for your birthday, and he agreed to do it without pay when he saw how adorable you are!" My mother coos, taking my hand and motioning towards a boy.
A young boy, only a year or two older than I, with blond hair and bright but tired eyes. He smiles at me, a charming smile.
"Happy birthday." He says, then laughs. "I heard you liked music, right?" He asks, and touches my cheek. "I'll make sure to play my best tonight, okay?"
She gasps, her face contorting into surprise. "R- Rin...?"
I pull the knife away, driving it in again and again. The blood soaks my hands and spatters the snow, leaving bright red drops in the snow. Her eyes grow wide as I drop the knife and step back, smiling. "I would do anything for someone I love." I state, dropping to my knees and laughing.
Later, we're walking again, sipping hot chocolate out of cheap tin mugs. The snow is falling ever-so-lightly around us, and he's still holding my hand. In fact, he hasn't let go. And somehow, I don't mind it.
What in the world am I thinking, enjoying my evening spent with someone who is more likely than not a murderer? And yet, I find myself letting my guard down, laughing, even, and having fun.
Laughing, and laughing. I watch as she stumbles backwards, clutching the wounds on her stomach and struggling to breathe. "W- W... Why?" She asks.
As if in slow motion, she falls backwards. The sun shines around her, creating a silhouette of her in the orange brightness, her arms and legs reaching out to find land, her hair flailing softly around her.
She's dead before she hits the ice, and I listen to the thud and crack, then her sinking.
I slowly crawl to the edge of the cliff, looking over it and smiling when I see she's sunk. The ice will quickly freeze-over once more.
Before it does, I pick up the knife from the slow, wipe the fingerprints off onto my dress, and drop it inside the hole in the ice.
I watch it splash, and sink.
As I stand, seeing the blood on my hands and in the snow, the realization of what I've just done hits me hard.
And then something else hits me even harder, she had the folder with her when she fell. I turn away, and run.
"Rin, are you-" Len asks as I run through the den. I tuck my hands underneath my arms and run up the stairs.
"I'm fine!" I call back, rushing to the bathroom.
I quickly strip and step into the shower, watching the blood melt from my skin and swirl down the drain.
What... What have I done? What have I done? I fall to my knees, gripping my hair tightly in my fists. What have I done? I killed her. I killed the one person that could help me put a murderer behind bars. I know for a fact that it's him, now. It isn't just the suspicion, it's a fact. The blood test results are THERE. It IS him. I should have turned him in right them... I can't... I can't believe I've done this.
I have to turn myself in, I have to. I'm a murderer. My mother would be disgusted with me.
I turn the water off and step out of the shower, wrapping a white towel around me. I gather my clothes into my arms and pull the door open, gasping as I come face-to-face with Len.
He realizes the situation and blushes- blushes- and averts his eyes. "You looked rather distraught, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Nothing happened, did it?" He asks, and I want to scream; "Yes! Yes something happened! You're a murderer, and I'm in love with you anyway, but I just killed someone who wanted to prove it and now I have to turn myself in along with you! That's what happened! Now, kill me before I can turn you in!"
But instead, I just smile. "I'm fine, don't be silly." I laugh. "Now, what were you doing? Peeping? You know, if you wanted to see me naked, you could have just asked." I laugh, teasingly.
He realizes his own words, and laughs. "Well... If you're sure. Since the case is finished, do you want to just relax with me for a bit? I can make us hot chocolate, if you want." He offers, and I pause.
Does he... Does he care about me like I do him? No, of course not. That's stupid! I laugh inside my head. He's probably just using me, he might even be considering framing me in the end. He's a cold-blooded killer, right?
But then, so am I.
"Sure, that would be lovely." I smile. "But if you don't mind, I need to... Well... Get dressed."
"Oh, you do? Well, if you insist." He teases, stepping back and allowing me to leave.
I quickly change into a white, knee-length spaghetti-strap nightgown.
I enter the den, and walk past Len to sit on the couch, but he pulls me back, and down beside him on the couch. "Come on, I won't bite." He laughs, squeezing my hand.
I smile, picking up the mug of hot chocolate and leaning against his shoulder. "Is something bothering you?" I ask, just to make conversation. Everyone has something on their mind.
"Well, not really." He replies, shrugging. "I'm just tired of this life, I think I'm ready to leave this town. It's sooner than I planned, but it didn't take as long to solve that last crime as I thought it would." He states, and I freeze.
That's right, I'm supposed to move with him, aren't I?
"Len... Can I ask you something hypothetically?" I ask, not caring when he pulls me closer, so that I'm leaning against his arm.
"Sure, go ahead."
"What would you do if I were really a murderer?" I ask, and he laughs.
"What kind of question is that?" He laughs. "I don't know, I'm a detective, I guess. So I would have to do my job, wouldn't I?"
"So you'd turn me in, hypothetically?" I ask to clarify, and he takes a while to answer.
"I don't know, it's very... Useful to have you around, maybe I'd let it slide." He says, and I can't tell if he's joking or not.
"What would you want me to do if you were a murderer?" I ask, just to ask. It doesn't really matter if he thinks I'm investigating him anymore, really. I have to turn us in. I just want to have a little more time with him first.
"I would want you to do what your heart thought was right." He states, quietly.
He said my 'heart', not just what 'I' thought was right, but my 'heart'. My heart tells me something much less than justice. And that's what I used to fight for, isn't it? Justice...
What is justice, really? Someone kills another human, so they die themselves, right? But that's not right, is it? People get away with it all the time, and sometimes they're put to death even when it isn't the culprits fault. Like today, with me. I didn't mean to do it, it just happened. It was an accident, but she died... It was an accident, right? Right?
"Something's bothering you." He states suddenly, and I frown.
"I just... Agree with you, is all. I'm tired of this place, this town. I'm tired of the crimes, I'm just... Tired..." I frown, closing my eyes and resting my head on his shoulder.
He leans his head against mine. "We can leave soon, okay? Only a month or so, I promise." He says, and I smile.
Yes... We can leave, right? We can go and live together, far, far away from here. I can forget, I can forget about everything. About the murders, the cases, about Luka. About the lies, everything. It can all end now, right?
I begin to drift to sleep, comforted with the thoughts of forgetting this all, and suddenly snap awake. No. That's wrong, what am I thinking? I can't do that! I have to... I have to do what's right. I'll turn us both in, soon. It's only right.
Even with that burden, laying against him brings me comfort. I soon find us laying on our sides, his arm around me. Warmed by the glow of the fire and comforted by his presence, I slowly drift to sleep.
What Have I Done?
"Are you... Are you Rin, the detective Len's assistant?" A woman's voice asks, and I spin around.
The woman is taller than me, her hair is long, straight and pink. Her eyes are just as pink, if not more so. "Who's asking?" I reply, crossing my arms.
I'm not in a good mood after losing myself like that, and finding out that I'm in love with a murderer.
"My name is Luka. I'm aware that you, too, are suspicious of Len being the murderer behind certain cases he's investigated. I have something you might want to see." She states, holding up a small, light-yellow folder. "But we have to make sure he can't hear us. This is proof."
I freeze, my blood racing. This is it, isn't it? What I've been working for all this time. He's going to be arrested, and it's all over. I'll go back home. "Can we go somewhere for coffee?" I ask, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I'm rather cold."
"Of course."
Later, as we sit in the small coffee shop, I look through the evidence she's collected as I listen to her, and sip my coffee. I love the smell of coffee.
"I found the blood underneath the first victim's fingernails, and just got the results back. It matches his. Underneath the second-last victim's nails was yellow hair. The same shade as his. It's all enough to prove he's the culprit behind those two murders, but I wanted to speak with you. That alone might not be enough for him to get the death-sentence. Have you collected any evidence?" She asks, and I nod.
"Plenty, but only enough to make him a suspect. With this, though, he'll at least get locked away." I state, passing the blood test-match back to her, and frowning. "I can show you what I've collected, but I don't keep it at his house. Come on." I command, rising from the table.
She follows, looking somewhat confused.
On the way out, I subtly take a knife off of the edge of a table and hide it behind my back.
"Have you told anyone else about this?" I ask as I lead her to a park.
"No, I wanted to talk to you first, so that no one ran to the police. I want the man dead, not just 'put away'." She states. Her voice is soft and sweet, and she sounds like a nice person. "The first victim that interested me was my father. The chef... The chef was my lover, his name was Sebastian. I know he didn't do it, he wouldn't have. And when Len said the poison was in the wine, I knew it wasn't true. I made that wine, and sealed the bottle. It was a gift to my father, but the chef delivered it for me because I wasn't speaking to father, because he said me and Sebastian couldn't be together. I knew, after that case. Len was the murderer. The letter, my father had shown it to me. It wasn't Sebastian's handwriting." She states, her voice turning bitter. "I want Len dead, dead and buried."
I lead her to a small cliff, overlooking a frozen pond. The pond is deep, and it's a long drop to the water. The ice over the pond shines, glimmering in the setting-sunlight.
"You hide the evidence here, Rin?" Luka asks, taking a deep breath, standing over the edge of the cliff to admire the sunset.
"Did you tell anyone you were meeting me?" I ask, coming up behind her slowly.
She shakes her head. "I miss my father, and Sebastian... This isn't fair..." I hear a sob, and realize she's crying. "He killed my father, and locked away the man I love. Maybe...
Maybe if he's caught, they'll let Sebastian go, you know?" She cries, covering her face with her hands. "I would do anything for someone I love. Would you?" She asks, turning around to face me.
I throw my arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. "Yeah, I would." I reply, and she places her hands on my shoulders.
"I'm sorry I lost it like this, I'm usually so collected..." She states, pushing back a bit.
I look up at her face, slightly aware that I'm smiling.
He takes out a cloth and bandage, wetting the cloth slightly from the sink.
He begins dabbing the small cut on my knee, and I pretend to find it amusing. "Don't be silly, I can do that myself." I reach to take the cloth from him, and he pulls it away.
"I don't mind."
I stare at him, wide-eyed before remembering to keep my face still. But I'm still surprised. That's very kind of him to do, I suppose... I should thank him.
He puts the cloth away and wraps my knee in the bandage. "Does it hurt to walk?" He asks, pulling me to my feet.
I smile quickly before returning my face to normal. "I'm fine. Thank you, you didn't have to do that."
"It was no trouble. Come, let's have the tea."
A twisted grin, am I going crazy? I ask myself, bringing the knife up at plunging it into her stomach.
"We hired him to play for your birthday, and he agreed to do it without pay when he saw how adorable you are!" My mother coos, taking my hand and motioning towards a boy.
A young boy, only a year or two older than I, with blond hair and bright but tired eyes. He smiles at me, a charming smile.
"Happy birthday." He says, then laughs. "I heard you liked music, right?" He asks, and touches my cheek. "I'll make sure to play my best tonight, okay?"
She gasps, her face contorting into surprise. "R- Rin...?"
I pull the knife away, driving it in again and again. The blood soaks my hands and spatters the snow, leaving bright red drops in the snow. Her eyes grow wide as I drop the knife and step back, smiling. "I would do anything for someone I love." I state, dropping to my knees and laughing.
Later, we're walking again, sipping hot chocolate out of cheap tin mugs. The snow is falling ever-so-lightly around us, and he's still holding my hand. In fact, he hasn't let go. And somehow, I don't mind it.
What in the world am I thinking, enjoying my evening spent with someone who is more likely than not a murderer? And yet, I find myself letting my guard down, laughing, even, and having fun.
Laughing, and laughing. I watch as she stumbles backwards, clutching the wounds on her stomach and struggling to breathe. "W- W... Why?" She asks.
As if in slow motion, she falls backwards. The sun shines around her, creating a silhouette of her in the orange brightness, her arms and legs reaching out to find land, her hair flailing softly around her.
She's dead before she hits the ice, and I listen to the thud and crack, then her sinking.
I slowly crawl to the edge of the cliff, looking over it and smiling when I see she's sunk. The ice will quickly freeze-over once more.
Before it does, I pick up the knife from the slow, wipe the fingerprints off onto my dress, and drop it inside the hole in the ice.
I watch it splash, and sink.
As I stand, seeing the blood on my hands and in the snow, the realization of what I've just done hits me hard.
And then something else hits me even harder, she had the folder with her when she fell. I turn away, and run.
"Rin, are you-" Len asks as I run through the den. I tuck my hands underneath my arms and run up the stairs.
"I'm fine!" I call back, rushing to the bathroom.
I quickly strip and step into the shower, watching the blood melt from my skin and swirl down the drain.
What... What have I done? What have I done? I fall to my knees, gripping my hair tightly in my fists. What have I done? I killed her. I killed the one person that could help me put a murderer behind bars. I know for a fact that it's him, now. It isn't just the suspicion, it's a fact. The blood test results are THERE. It IS him. I should have turned him in right them... I can't... I can't believe I've done this.
I have to turn myself in, I have to. I'm a murderer. My mother would be disgusted with me.
I turn the water off and step out of the shower, wrapping a white towel around me. I gather my clothes into my arms and pull the door open, gasping as I come face-to-face with Len.
He realizes the situation and blushes- blushes- and averts his eyes. "You looked rather distraught, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Nothing happened, did it?" He asks, and I want to scream; "Yes! Yes something happened! You're a murderer, and I'm in love with you anyway, but I just killed someone who wanted to prove it and now I have to turn myself in along with you! That's what happened! Now, kill me before I can turn you in!"
But instead, I just smile. "I'm fine, don't be silly." I laugh. "Now, what were you doing? Peeping? You know, if you wanted to see me naked, you could have just asked." I laugh, teasingly.
He realizes his own words, and laughs. "Well... If you're sure. Since the case is finished, do you want to just relax with me for a bit? I can make us hot chocolate, if you want." He offers, and I pause.
Does he... Does he care about me like I do him? No, of course not. That's stupid! I laugh inside my head. He's probably just using me, he might even be considering framing me in the end. He's a cold-blooded killer, right?
But then, so am I.
"Sure, that would be lovely." I smile. "But if you don't mind, I need to... Well... Get dressed."
"Oh, you do? Well, if you insist." He teases, stepping back and allowing me to leave.
I quickly change into a white, knee-length spaghetti-strap nightgown.
I enter the den, and walk past Len to sit on the couch, but he pulls me back, and down beside him on the couch. "Come on, I won't bite." He laughs, squeezing my hand.
I smile, picking up the mug of hot chocolate and leaning against his shoulder. "Is something bothering you?" I ask, just to make conversation. Everyone has something on their mind.
"Well, not really." He replies, shrugging. "I'm just tired of this life, I think I'm ready to leave this town. It's sooner than I planned, but it didn't take as long to solve that last crime as I thought it would." He states, and I freeze.
That's right, I'm supposed to move with him, aren't I?
"Len... Can I ask you something hypothetically?" I ask, not caring when he pulls me closer, so that I'm leaning against his arm.
"Sure, go ahead."
"What would you do if I were really a murderer?" I ask, and he laughs.
"What kind of question is that?" He laughs. "I don't know, I'm a detective, I guess. So I would have to do my job, wouldn't I?"
"So you'd turn me in, hypothetically?" I ask to clarify, and he takes a while to answer.
"I don't know, it's very... Useful to have you around, maybe I'd let it slide." He says, and I can't tell if he's joking or not.
"What would you want me to do if you were a murderer?" I ask, just to ask. It doesn't really matter if he thinks I'm investigating him anymore, really. I have to turn us in. I just want to have a little more time with him first.
"I would want you to do what your heart thought was right." He states, quietly.
He said my 'heart', not just what 'I' thought was right, but my 'heart'. My heart tells me something much less than justice. And that's what I used to fight for, isn't it? Justice...
What is justice, really? Someone kills another human, so they die themselves, right? But that's not right, is it? People get away with it all the time, and sometimes they're put to death even when it isn't the culprits fault. Like today, with me. I didn't mean to do it, it just happened. It was an accident, but she died... It was an accident, right? Right?
"Something's bothering you." He states suddenly, and I frown.
"I just... Agree with you, is all. I'm tired of this place, this town. I'm tired of the crimes, I'm just... Tired..." I frown, closing my eyes and resting my head on his shoulder.
He leans his head against mine. "We can leave soon, okay? Only a month or so, I promise." He says, and I smile.
Yes... We can leave, right? We can go and live together, far, far away from here. I can forget, I can forget about everything. About the murders, the cases, about Luka. About the lies, everything. It can all end now, right?
I begin to drift to sleep, comforted with the thoughts of forgetting this all, and suddenly snap awake. No. That's wrong, what am I thinking? I can't do that! I have to... I have to do what's right. I'll turn us both in, soon. It's only right.
Even with that burden, laying against him brings me comfort. I soon find us laying on our sides, his arm around me. Warmed by the glow of the fire and comforted by his presence, I slowly drift to sleep.
The Riddle Solver Who Won't Solve Riddles
Chapter 7
Hand in Hand With A Killer
"If you don't want to keep cooking, and don't want to go out, I can hire someone for that. I'm a terrible cook, I doubt you'd like anything I make." Len laughs, looking at me from across the table.
I half-smile, poking at the scrambled eggs I made. "I don't mind cooking." I state quietly, poking into one of the eggs with my fork.
"Well, you're great at it. I haven't eaten this much in a long time. Since you got here, I've eaten at least three times a day." He points out, and then smiles.
"Yeah..." I reply.
What am I going to do? I woke up this morning in his arms. I love him, but... But I don't know what to do... I don't want him to be arrested for this, I don't want anything to happen to him at all in fact. He should go on to live a long and happy life, even if I don't.
Maybe... Maybe I'll just turn myself in. But if I do that, the folder will be discovered, and so will Len. Maybe I'll wait until he's gone, and then turn myself in. Then it'll be too late for them to arrest him.
"Are you okay? You seem quieter than usual." Len asks, and I force a smile.
"I'm fine." I reply, pushing my plate away. "I'm just not hungry."
Later, he's left for the store. I used the last of the eggs for breakfast, and he said I should rest because I look pale, so he went instead of me.
I'm alone right now, but I don't know what to do... All I can think about is Luka. She was doing what was right, for good reasons. And now, she's dead. I went against everything I believe in, for HIM. For Len. Why? Because I think I love him? I doubt he even feels the same way, for all I know he's using me for his own reasons. But I don't really want to think that, so I push the thought to the back of my mind.
I decide to go for a walk, he might be back by the time I get back.
The snow is melting, it's almost gone today. A patch here, a patch there. In fact, it looks as though it might rain, which would wash away the rest of it. If it melts, the ice will melt. I can't do anything about that, though... All I can do is hope it stays until we leave.
Wait, what am I thinking? Until he leaves, I'm staying here, remember? I sigh, tugging at my hair. What am I going to do?
I must be crazy, I'm a murderer and I don't feel the slightest bit of regret for it. I did it for Len, if it had been for anyone else, I just can't see myself doing it, but... But...
I walk without paying attention, and end up at the edge of the pond. I could dive in and receive the folder, but I might end up freezing to death.
I shake my head and continue walking. I must be crazy.
Because it's warmer today than it has been, people and families have come to the park to have fun. "Mom! Mom! Hurry!" A little girl laughs, pulling her mother along the grass and snow.
Her mother is holding a pair of ice skates, and they're heading to the pond.
Yes, it's only a matter of time until they find Luka's body...
"Ma'am," I speak up as she passes me.
The woman turns to me, her daughter hiding behind her legs shyly. "Yes?" She asks, looking confused.
"I wouldn't skate here, the water is very deep, and the ice is thin. There's another park not too far from here with a pond that's shallower, I'm sure the ice is thicker there." I state, smiling. "I wouldn't take the chance of skating here."
"Oh..." She looks uncertainly at the pond, than her daughter, than me. "Well, thank you for the tip." She smiles, tugging her daughters hand. "Come on sweetheart, we can go to a different place, okay?" She says, and the little girl runs along her side.
I sigh a breath of relief. If the little girl had fallen in, she might have seen the body at the bottom and told her mother...
I turn around and slowly walk home, happy to see Len is already back.
But, to my surprise, when I enter the kitchen I find him pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. I strain to listen, but I can't hear him.
He doesn't notice that I'm here, but his face is filled with worry and what looks like anger. There's a half-empty wine glass on the counter, which he suddenly picks up and throws at the wall.
It shatters, splashing the wall with blood-red wine and the floor with sharp, glinting shards of glass.
He stops, breathing heavily and staring at what he's just done, his back to me.
Suddenly, he throws his head back and begins to laugh. He's truly insane, isn't he?
I quickly take a butter-knife out of the holder on the counter and hide it in the pocket of my dress. I should make sure I have this, just in case... He's scaring me a bit, and the number-one rule of a detective is be prepared. But if it ever came to that point, I think I'd die before I'd let him.
His laugh echoes in the kitchen, and I slowly step up behind him. Then, I lay a hand on his shoulder, causing him to spin around and face me, the laughter ending abruptly. "Where were you?" He asks, frowning.
"I took a walk." I state quietly, dropping my arm to my side. "Are you okay?" I ask.
The stress, or possibly the guilt, may be getting to him. The fear of getting caught, maybe. It's enough to drive a person to madness. Maybe if he didn't have to keep it a secret he'd be alright, but what can I do? He might not believe me if I tell him I know and that I won't turn him in.
"Of course, why?" He asks, the usual smile returning to his face.
Does he even realize what he just did? That he just broke a wine- Wait...
What if the other one, the missing one, what if it'd been broken like this too? Maybe he didn't kill that man... Maybe it was the chef. And there are explanations for the blood, he might have run into the man. There was a scratch on his cheek the other night, wasn't there? He might have fought him off or something. Anything. Maybe... Maybe he isn't a killer! What if I'm the only killer, and he isn't?
But that doesn't explain the fact that he's losing control, that he just randomly threw and broke a wine glass, he started laughing out of no where, he's obviously... Unstable, at least a bit. What reason would he have for that? Then again, maybe it's all the stress from the job...
No, now isn't the time to doubt myself. The blood matched, the hair, everything. It was him, and I have to believe that. Otherwise... Otherwise I did what I did for nothing, and I won't accept that.
"No reason..." I reply, smiling lightly. "We should go out for hot chocolate tonight." I state, and he smiles.
"Sure, my treat. We'll go after dinner, okay?"
"Sure."
'After dinner' really means after I cook beef-stew, and after he eats and I pretend to. I'm just not hungry. Or, I'm just too stressed out to eat.
We walk through the mostly-melted snow on the sidewalk, hand-in-hand. "Len?" I begin, and he turns to me, smiling.
"Yes?"
I want to ask him if... If he likes me like I do him, I mean... He holds my hand, and last night, we fell asleep together. We eat together, and I live with him, and he thinks I'm moving with him, even though it isn't for work. Does that not make us a 'couple'? But that term just doesn't seem to fit us... "Why do you want me to live with you?" I ask, and he almost frowns.
"Why? Did you change your mind?" He asks, his voice sounding hopeful that I haven't. You have no idea...
"Not really, I'm just wondering." I smile reassuringly.
"Good." He replies, avoiding my question. I don't bother to ask again, instead staring straight ahead, though I'm aware he's staring at me.
As soon as he turns away, I find my eyes swimming in tears. I don't want him to leave, but I can't just live as a murderer on the run forever, that's something... After all the killers I've put behind bars, how can I not expect the same thing to happen to me?
Once we arrive at the shop, he buys two hot chocolates. He smiles, handing it to me as we begin to walk again, again hand-in-hand.
Hand in Hand With A Killer
"If you don't want to keep cooking, and don't want to go out, I can hire someone for that. I'm a terrible cook, I doubt you'd like anything I make." Len laughs, looking at me from across the table.
I half-smile, poking at the scrambled eggs I made. "I don't mind cooking." I state quietly, poking into one of the eggs with my fork.
"Well, you're great at it. I haven't eaten this much in a long time. Since you got here, I've eaten at least three times a day." He points out, and then smiles.
"Yeah..." I reply.
What am I going to do? I woke up this morning in his arms. I love him, but... But I don't know what to do... I don't want him to be arrested for this, I don't want anything to happen to him at all in fact. He should go on to live a long and happy life, even if I don't.
Maybe... Maybe I'll just turn myself in. But if I do that, the folder will be discovered, and so will Len. Maybe I'll wait until he's gone, and then turn myself in. Then it'll be too late for them to arrest him.
"Are you okay? You seem quieter than usual." Len asks, and I force a smile.
"I'm fine." I reply, pushing my plate away. "I'm just not hungry."
Later, he's left for the store. I used the last of the eggs for breakfast, and he said I should rest because I look pale, so he went instead of me.
I'm alone right now, but I don't know what to do... All I can think about is Luka. She was doing what was right, for good reasons. And now, she's dead. I went against everything I believe in, for HIM. For Len. Why? Because I think I love him? I doubt he even feels the same way, for all I know he's using me for his own reasons. But I don't really want to think that, so I push the thought to the back of my mind.
I decide to go for a walk, he might be back by the time I get back.
The snow is melting, it's almost gone today. A patch here, a patch there. In fact, it looks as though it might rain, which would wash away the rest of it. If it melts, the ice will melt. I can't do anything about that, though... All I can do is hope it stays until we leave.
Wait, what am I thinking? Until he leaves, I'm staying here, remember? I sigh, tugging at my hair. What am I going to do?
I must be crazy, I'm a murderer and I don't feel the slightest bit of regret for it. I did it for Len, if it had been for anyone else, I just can't see myself doing it, but... But...
I walk without paying attention, and end up at the edge of the pond. I could dive in and receive the folder, but I might end up freezing to death.
I shake my head and continue walking. I must be crazy.
Because it's warmer today than it has been, people and families have come to the park to have fun. "Mom! Mom! Hurry!" A little girl laughs, pulling her mother along the grass and snow.
Her mother is holding a pair of ice skates, and they're heading to the pond.
Yes, it's only a matter of time until they find Luka's body...
"Ma'am," I speak up as she passes me.
The woman turns to me, her daughter hiding behind her legs shyly. "Yes?" She asks, looking confused.
"I wouldn't skate here, the water is very deep, and the ice is thin. There's another park not too far from here with a pond that's shallower, I'm sure the ice is thicker there." I state, smiling. "I wouldn't take the chance of skating here."
"Oh..." She looks uncertainly at the pond, than her daughter, than me. "Well, thank you for the tip." She smiles, tugging her daughters hand. "Come on sweetheart, we can go to a different place, okay?" She says, and the little girl runs along her side.
I sigh a breath of relief. If the little girl had fallen in, she might have seen the body at the bottom and told her mother...
I turn around and slowly walk home, happy to see Len is already back.
But, to my surprise, when I enter the kitchen I find him pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. I strain to listen, but I can't hear him.
He doesn't notice that I'm here, but his face is filled with worry and what looks like anger. There's a half-empty wine glass on the counter, which he suddenly picks up and throws at the wall.
It shatters, splashing the wall with blood-red wine and the floor with sharp, glinting shards of glass.
He stops, breathing heavily and staring at what he's just done, his back to me.
Suddenly, he throws his head back and begins to laugh. He's truly insane, isn't he?
I quickly take a butter-knife out of the holder on the counter and hide it in the pocket of my dress. I should make sure I have this, just in case... He's scaring me a bit, and the number-one rule of a detective is be prepared. But if it ever came to that point, I think I'd die before I'd let him.
His laugh echoes in the kitchen, and I slowly step up behind him. Then, I lay a hand on his shoulder, causing him to spin around and face me, the laughter ending abruptly. "Where were you?" He asks, frowning.
"I took a walk." I state quietly, dropping my arm to my side. "Are you okay?" I ask.
The stress, or possibly the guilt, may be getting to him. The fear of getting caught, maybe. It's enough to drive a person to madness. Maybe if he didn't have to keep it a secret he'd be alright, but what can I do? He might not believe me if I tell him I know and that I won't turn him in.
"Of course, why?" He asks, the usual smile returning to his face.
Does he even realize what he just did? That he just broke a wine- Wait...
What if the other one, the missing one, what if it'd been broken like this too? Maybe he didn't kill that man... Maybe it was the chef. And there are explanations for the blood, he might have run into the man. There was a scratch on his cheek the other night, wasn't there? He might have fought him off or something. Anything. Maybe... Maybe he isn't a killer! What if I'm the only killer, and he isn't?
But that doesn't explain the fact that he's losing control, that he just randomly threw and broke a wine glass, he started laughing out of no where, he's obviously... Unstable, at least a bit. What reason would he have for that? Then again, maybe it's all the stress from the job...
No, now isn't the time to doubt myself. The blood matched, the hair, everything. It was him, and I have to believe that. Otherwise... Otherwise I did what I did for nothing, and I won't accept that.
"No reason..." I reply, smiling lightly. "We should go out for hot chocolate tonight." I state, and he smiles.
"Sure, my treat. We'll go after dinner, okay?"
"Sure."
'After dinner' really means after I cook beef-stew, and after he eats and I pretend to. I'm just not hungry. Or, I'm just too stressed out to eat.
We walk through the mostly-melted snow on the sidewalk, hand-in-hand. "Len?" I begin, and he turns to me, smiling.
"Yes?"
I want to ask him if... If he likes me like I do him, I mean... He holds my hand, and last night, we fell asleep together. We eat together, and I live with him, and he thinks I'm moving with him, even though it isn't for work. Does that not make us a 'couple'? But that term just doesn't seem to fit us... "Why do you want me to live with you?" I ask, and he almost frowns.
"Why? Did you change your mind?" He asks, his voice sounding hopeful that I haven't. You have no idea...
"Not really, I'm just wondering." I smile reassuringly.
"Good." He replies, avoiding my question. I don't bother to ask again, instead staring straight ahead, though I'm aware he's staring at me.
As soon as he turns away, I find my eyes swimming in tears. I don't want him to leave, but I can't just live as a murderer on the run forever, that's something... After all the killers I've put behind bars, how can I not expect the same thing to happen to me?
Once we arrive at the shop, he buys two hot chocolates. He smiles, handing it to me as we begin to walk again, again hand-in-hand.
The Riddle Solver Who Won't Solve Riddles
Chapter 8
A Shady Figure?
As I read a book called 'Paradichlorabenzene', I jump when Len drops a newspaper heavily on the coffee table.
I look up, my stomach clenching and my heart jumping at the picture, and title of the main article.
'Young female Detective 'Luka' found murdered, reported missing after leaving to investigate male detective Len'
Under that is the info found on her case, and a picture of her, her face frozen with shock and her body and clothes soaked.
I pick it up and read the article quickly, waiting for it to show the contents of the folder found. But it never does... The knife, however, was found, though no fingerprints were.
So, no fingerprints (Because I wiped them off.), and the folder wasn't found. So then, it's missing? Does that mean someone else took it? That's strange, unless... It was another detective, I'm sure. Probably one under the same investigation that found her. '...The body was found early yesterday morning by detective Kaito, who was hired to find the missing girl...'.
Great, he probably kept the file for himself. Dammit, I should have found another way to hide the body, or at least thought to get the folder first! And because she was investigating him, Len will be blamed for the murder.
"What motive would anyone have for this crime?" He asks, sitting across from me, crossing his leg and his arms.
He's questioning me. "I... I don't know. Revenge, maybe?" I offer. "Maybe she's hurt someone in another case."
"This was the daughter of the first victim, of the first case you worked with me on." He states, not smiling.
"Is she? She doesn't at all look familiar, I recall the girl's hair was shorter. I guess she grew it out." I pretend to think about it. "Why was she investigating you?" I ask, as if I don't already know.
"That's what I'd like to know." He states, frowning at me. Not at the fact at hand, but at me. I think he suspects me of not only murdering her, but of investigating him.
"That's really strange. They're going to blame you for this, aren't they? Where were you... You were here, weren't you?" I ask, thinking hard. "That's your alibi."
"But you weren't here, and you have no alibi. You had went for a walk."
"Indeed..."
"You came home pretty late, and ran upstairs. You didn't tell me what had happened, but you seemed upset. What happened that night?"
"I've just had a lot on my mind, leaving my father soon, quitting this line of work completely, it's just a lot of change." I lie, forcing a smile. "You can't really think I'd do something like this?"
He doesn't answer, and I frown. Damn... Think fast.
"I was upset that you had just assumed it was the same person for all the cases in the boat case, alright? That's all. But I'm over that, I trust your judgement." I lie, crossing my arms.
"Oh..." He says, looking a bit more relaxed now. "I had no idea it bothered you that much."
"It just didn't add up, to me. But I trust you, if you believe it was the same man, then so do I. Okay? But I would never kill that girl, what reason would I have? You're not a murderer, right?" I ask, then force a laugh.
He doesn't reply, rising from the couch and walking over to me. He lays a hand on my head. "Hey, can you run to the store?" He asks, his voice quiet. "We're out of milk."
"Sure." I reply, rising. "I... I'll see you in a bit, I guess." I say, turning to leave.
He stops me as I touch the doorknob, wrapping his around around me tightly.
I stare ahead in shock, my eyes wide. What's wrong...? "L- Len?"
"Can you promise me something?" He asks, not letting me go.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"Promise me that if you ever suspected me, you would tell me." He says, and I wrap my fingers around the doorknob.
I pull the door open. "If I ever suspect you, I'll tell you." I promise, then close the door behind me as I leave.
I no longer suspect him, I know it's him, so it's a promise I can keep.
About halfway there, I realize someone's waving me to them.
I cross the street, stopping in front of them. "Do I know you?" I ask, frowning in confusion.
"Are you Rin, Len's assistant?" The blue haired, blue eyes man asks.
Oh no, not this scene again. "I can't talk now, meet me later, okay?" I command, frowning. "Meet me tonight at ten o'clock."
He nods, his eyes on me as I continue down the road.
Once I've arrived and bought the milk, it's already dark. As I walk home, I feel the strange feeling of eyes, watching me in the dark, but when I turn around no one is there.
I quicken my pace, checking the time. I have to get back and then back to the street-corner by ten o'clock to meet that man, and it's only 7:30.
I glance behind me as I cross the street, gasping as I see a shadowed-figure running towards me.
I spin around to face them, just in time to see the car speeding towards me. The figure comes into the headlights, revealing Len. He pushes me out of the way.
The screech of the tires, the cry of pain, Len flying to the ground, and the following sirens and people asking me, "Did you see what happened?" And "How did the car hit him?" goes by in a blur, and I feel sick to my stomach.
They wouldn't let me go with him to the hospital, and I have no idea where they took him.
I lean against a brick wall, hugging myself to keep the cold away, and to keep the memory of what just happened at bay. I killed Len. I killed him, it's my fault.
"He's stable, but losing blood fast..." I remember them saying. So... Is he alive? Maybe he's not dead, maybe I haven't killed him.
"Rin?" A slightly familiar voice asks, and I look up. Oh, the blue haired man. "I'm Kaito."
"The detective that found the body in that pond, right?" I ask, as if I don't know.
"Right." He leans against the wall next to me. "You okay? You look upset."
"Len got hit by a car." I state, frowning softly. "I don't know which hospital they took him to."
"Well, witnessing something like that would shake anyone up. But this is rather important, can you talk?"
"Sure."
"We should go somewhere more private than this." He states, glancing to the side as a laughing couple walks by. "No one needs to overhear this."
"Sure." I reply, following him into a dark space between two buildings.
He pulls a light yellow, stained-looking folder from his white jacket. "I found this on the body, and took it. I know Luka, and I know she knew you were investigating Len undercover, right?"
"Right."
"Well, this is proof that he committed the boat murders. I figure you'd have evidence supporting the other murder cases he's been part of, and I wanted to put it together with you before we convict him." He states, and I smile.
"That's wonderful, I've been growing tired of living with him. I'm always afraid I'll wake up one day with a knife at my throat or something." I lie. "Come on, there's a coffee shop around the corner, we can discuss and trade the evidence." I say, then let my smile fade. "L- Len?" I breathe, looking past Kaito.
He spins around to see no one, and I take the butter-knife, the one I took from Len's kitchen, out of my pocket.
He turns to look at me again, and I drive the knife into his chest. "Len saved me, so I'll save him again." I state, drawing the knife out only to plunge it back in.
His breath catching in his throat, and he clutches the wound, blood pouring over both his hand and clothes, dripping onto the ground. His face is twisted in shock and pain as he falls to his knees, struggling to breathe. "You killed- Luka." He states, his voice a whisper.
I nod, kneeling in front of him. "I killed her because I love him. I killed you because he saved me." I state, putting the knife back in my pocket and rising. I wait until he falls, his eyes lifeless and blank, before I drag him through the ally.
The dumpster is full, so I just hide him behind it, knowing no one will look back there for a long time.
Then, I turn and run. Run back to the mansion/house, back to where Len might return. Where I hope he'll return.
I quickly take a shower to wash the blood from myself, and then change into a white nightgown.
I don't really know what to do, except wait. He'll have to come back at some point.
But right now, I need to think of what I've just done. I just killed another human being. I must be crazy, I don't feel the least bit of regret. In fact, I feel like I've justified that Len risked himself to save me. But that's crazy, hence, I am crazy...
But what was he even doing out there? He had sent ME to the store, and yet... Was he following me?
I pace back and forth in the living room, my attempts at sleep futile.
A Shady Figure?
As I read a book called 'Paradichlorabenzene', I jump when Len drops a newspaper heavily on the coffee table.
I look up, my stomach clenching and my heart jumping at the picture, and title of the main article.
'Young female Detective 'Luka' found murdered, reported missing after leaving to investigate male detective Len'
Under that is the info found on her case, and a picture of her, her face frozen with shock and her body and clothes soaked.
I pick it up and read the article quickly, waiting for it to show the contents of the folder found. But it never does... The knife, however, was found, though no fingerprints were.
So, no fingerprints (Because I wiped them off.), and the folder wasn't found. So then, it's missing? Does that mean someone else took it? That's strange, unless... It was another detective, I'm sure. Probably one under the same investigation that found her. '...The body was found early yesterday morning by detective Kaito, who was hired to find the missing girl...'.
Great, he probably kept the file for himself. Dammit, I should have found another way to hide the body, or at least thought to get the folder first! And because she was investigating him, Len will be blamed for the murder.
"What motive would anyone have for this crime?" He asks, sitting across from me, crossing his leg and his arms.
He's questioning me. "I... I don't know. Revenge, maybe?" I offer. "Maybe she's hurt someone in another case."
"This was the daughter of the first victim, of the first case you worked with me on." He states, not smiling.
"Is she? She doesn't at all look familiar, I recall the girl's hair was shorter. I guess she grew it out." I pretend to think about it. "Why was she investigating you?" I ask, as if I don't already know.
"That's what I'd like to know." He states, frowning at me. Not at the fact at hand, but at me. I think he suspects me of not only murdering her, but of investigating him.
"That's really strange. They're going to blame you for this, aren't they? Where were you... You were here, weren't you?" I ask, thinking hard. "That's your alibi."
"But you weren't here, and you have no alibi. You had went for a walk."
"Indeed..."
"You came home pretty late, and ran upstairs. You didn't tell me what had happened, but you seemed upset. What happened that night?"
"I've just had a lot on my mind, leaving my father soon, quitting this line of work completely, it's just a lot of change." I lie, forcing a smile. "You can't really think I'd do something like this?"
He doesn't answer, and I frown. Damn... Think fast.
"I was upset that you had just assumed it was the same person for all the cases in the boat case, alright? That's all. But I'm over that, I trust your judgement." I lie, crossing my arms.
"Oh..." He says, looking a bit more relaxed now. "I had no idea it bothered you that much."
"It just didn't add up, to me. But I trust you, if you believe it was the same man, then so do I. Okay? But I would never kill that girl, what reason would I have? You're not a murderer, right?" I ask, then force a laugh.
He doesn't reply, rising from the couch and walking over to me. He lays a hand on my head. "Hey, can you run to the store?" He asks, his voice quiet. "We're out of milk."
"Sure." I reply, rising. "I... I'll see you in a bit, I guess." I say, turning to leave.
He stops me as I touch the doorknob, wrapping his around around me tightly.
I stare ahead in shock, my eyes wide. What's wrong...? "L- Len?"
"Can you promise me something?" He asks, not letting me go.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"Promise me that if you ever suspected me, you would tell me." He says, and I wrap my fingers around the doorknob.
I pull the door open. "If I ever suspect you, I'll tell you." I promise, then close the door behind me as I leave.
I no longer suspect him, I know it's him, so it's a promise I can keep.
About halfway there, I realize someone's waving me to them.
I cross the street, stopping in front of them. "Do I know you?" I ask, frowning in confusion.
"Are you Rin, Len's assistant?" The blue haired, blue eyes man asks.
Oh no, not this scene again. "I can't talk now, meet me later, okay?" I command, frowning. "Meet me tonight at ten o'clock."
He nods, his eyes on me as I continue down the road.
Once I've arrived and bought the milk, it's already dark. As I walk home, I feel the strange feeling of eyes, watching me in the dark, but when I turn around no one is there.
I quicken my pace, checking the time. I have to get back and then back to the street-corner by ten o'clock to meet that man, and it's only 7:30.
I glance behind me as I cross the street, gasping as I see a shadowed-figure running towards me.
I spin around to face them, just in time to see the car speeding towards me. The figure comes into the headlights, revealing Len. He pushes me out of the way.
The screech of the tires, the cry of pain, Len flying to the ground, and the following sirens and people asking me, "Did you see what happened?" And "How did the car hit him?" goes by in a blur, and I feel sick to my stomach.
They wouldn't let me go with him to the hospital, and I have no idea where they took him.
I lean against a brick wall, hugging myself to keep the cold away, and to keep the memory of what just happened at bay. I killed Len. I killed him, it's my fault.
"He's stable, but losing blood fast..." I remember them saying. So... Is he alive? Maybe he's not dead, maybe I haven't killed him.
"Rin?" A slightly familiar voice asks, and I look up. Oh, the blue haired man. "I'm Kaito."
"The detective that found the body in that pond, right?" I ask, as if I don't know.
"Right." He leans against the wall next to me. "You okay? You look upset."
"Len got hit by a car." I state, frowning softly. "I don't know which hospital they took him to."
"Well, witnessing something like that would shake anyone up. But this is rather important, can you talk?"
"Sure."
"We should go somewhere more private than this." He states, glancing to the side as a laughing couple walks by. "No one needs to overhear this."
"Sure." I reply, following him into a dark space between two buildings.
He pulls a light yellow, stained-looking folder from his white jacket. "I found this on the body, and took it. I know Luka, and I know she knew you were investigating Len undercover, right?"
"Right."
"Well, this is proof that he committed the boat murders. I figure you'd have evidence supporting the other murder cases he's been part of, and I wanted to put it together with you before we convict him." He states, and I smile.
"That's wonderful, I've been growing tired of living with him. I'm always afraid I'll wake up one day with a knife at my throat or something." I lie. "Come on, there's a coffee shop around the corner, we can discuss and trade the evidence." I say, then let my smile fade. "L- Len?" I breathe, looking past Kaito.
He spins around to see no one, and I take the butter-knife, the one I took from Len's kitchen, out of my pocket.
He turns to look at me again, and I drive the knife into his chest. "Len saved me, so I'll save him again." I state, drawing the knife out only to plunge it back in.
His breath catching in his throat, and he clutches the wound, blood pouring over both his hand and clothes, dripping onto the ground. His face is twisted in shock and pain as he falls to his knees, struggling to breathe. "You killed- Luka." He states, his voice a whisper.
I nod, kneeling in front of him. "I killed her because I love him. I killed you because he saved me." I state, putting the knife back in my pocket and rising. I wait until he falls, his eyes lifeless and blank, before I drag him through the ally.
The dumpster is full, so I just hide him behind it, knowing no one will look back there for a long time.
Then, I turn and run. Run back to the mansion/house, back to where Len might return. Where I hope he'll return.
I quickly take a shower to wash the blood from myself, and then change into a white nightgown.
I don't really know what to do, except wait. He'll have to come back at some point.
But right now, I need to think of what I've just done. I just killed another human being. I must be crazy, I don't feel the least bit of regret. In fact, I feel like I've justified that Len risked himself to save me. But that's crazy, hence, I am crazy...
But what was he even doing out there? He had sent ME to the store, and yet... Was he following me?
I pace back and forth in the living room, my attempts at sleep futile.
The Riddle Solver Who Won't Solve Riddles
Chapter 9
A Missing Arm?
I wake up on the couch, and I realize I fell asleep waiting on him to get back, or at least to hear from him or something, but... Nothing.
But when I wake up, Len is standing in the kitchen, dropping a newspaper on the table.
I jump up and rush over to him, pausing in the doorway.
Oh my gosh... His arm...
He's wearing a black trench coat, and as he sees me enter, I realize that one sleeve is hanging loose. Did he... Did he lose his arm?
I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. "I- I'm so... I'm so sorry!" I cry, tears filling my eyes. "I can't believe it... I am so, so sorry!" I can't control myself, I cost him his arm... I can't believe I...
He doesn't reply, staring at me, looking somewhat dazed.
"You lost your arm, didn't you?" I ask, and he suddenly smiles.
"That's a long story. I just got back, I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed." He says, and I realize it's not even morning yet.
"How... How can you smile? It's all my fault you got hit by that car, I'm so sorry!" I apologize again, stepping in front of him.
Suddenly, I realize something. The newspaper headline...
Detective Gakupo, investigating Rin, Len's assistant, was found dead late last night.
The now-deceased detective was stabbed to death, having several wounds in both the chest and stomach.
The man was undercover, investigating Rin, who was suspected of the murder of both Luka and the missing person Kaito.
Both were detectives, both investigating Len...
I don't read the rest, looking up at Len in surprise.
His face shows something that looks almost crazy... His eyes are wide and his mouth an ever-smile, it seems like it will never stop.
"Len?" I ask, taking a step back.
He laughs, suddenly, the same wild laughter I've heard from him twice. "Who is the culprit?" He asks, stepping forward and tilting my head up by my chin.
I stare at him in shock, my mouth dropping slightly from surprise. "W- What?"
"You know the answer to the question, don't you? Who is the culprit?" He demands, dropping my chin and running his fingers through his hair. "The first mystery, is why he was alone in his room, drinking a poisoned bottle of wine." He says, his eyes holding a far-away look as he begins to pace. "The reason is simple, at that point in time... He was destined to die."
"Len...?" Is he admitting to the crimes? He can't be, that would mean...
"So who is the culprit? You know the answer to that question, because you saw the scene with your own eyes." He states, stopping with his back turned towards me.
I watch him, keeping my face blank.
"Even if you don't say the answer, I will answer it for you... The way this crime will end." He spins around, his eyes wild. "The second mystery is, why did they fall into the ocean, and was the culprit really who I accused?" He asks.
I remain silent as he steps in front of me. His eyes are insane, and I begin to feel fearful.
He resumes pacing, and I take out the knife. It has dried blood on the blade... He doesn't realize this, and continues talking.
"The fatal mistake in my plan... Was the other detective that was dragged into this." He states, not looking at me, staring at the floor. Which detective? Me? Luka? Kaito, or Gakupo?
Suddenly, he whirls around and hits the knife from my hand. It clatters to the floor, and I stare into his eyes. "So, who is the culprit?" Calm down, Len.
I glance at the newspaper, realizing something. I grasp the empty sleeve of his coat and pull it hard, ripping the coat from his body.
The coat drops to the floor, and I stare at him. His arm, the 'missing', arm, is there.
Covered in dried blood. He holds his arms out in front of him, comparing the bloody arm to the other. "Come, say the name of the person in front of you, say my name!" He commands, the smile still on his face. It's as if this is nothing to him, as if he doesn't care. "I really didn't want you to find out, I will give you this chance, if you want to run away then run away quickly!" He commands, and I don't move.
He holds out the bloody hand to me, smiling kindly. "So, who is the culprit?" He asks, again, and I smile. "There may be more than one answer to that question."
I just look at him, then I smile. "There were actually two wine glasses, weren't there?" I ask, already knowing the answer. He doesn't reply, smiling. "Even if he hadn't died from poison, he would've eventually died by the knife, right?" I ask, not expecting an answer. "I've only thought that everything you said was a lie, were you really the detective in that crime?" I point at him, my face falling into a frown now. "The atrocious culprit is..." I frown deeper. "Not you."
He doesn't reply, watching me in curiosity, that smile still on his face.
"That arm that you saved me with... Was used to play the piano, if I had known that, would I have still taken the job?" I ask aloud, more to myself than to him.
I sigh. "If I person who can solve this riddle appears, I will trap them inside this story." I state, picking the knife up from the ground and twirling it in my fingers. "I killed them, Len. For you."
"Why?" He asks, the smile still on his face.
"I knew all along it was you. I was... I was trying to find proof, at first. But after a while... I realized that... I wanted you to be free." I whisper the last part, blushing and turning away. "Luka... Luka was an accident, she had proof that it was you in the boat case, you see? She had proof! I couldn't let her do it, let her turn you in, so I... I killed her." I smile, meeting his eyes again. "But Kaito? He found her proof, and was going to turn you in, too! So I had to get rid of them both! I had to, or you'd be caught." I shake my head. "I didn't mean too, I was so against murder, and then... I was a murderer. But I had reason! You told me everyone has a reason, right? Even if it's still wrong."
He smiles at me, ever-on.
"I knew it was you after seeing the proof. But now..." Now I'm a murderer, for you. What are you going to do about it, Len? What?
I suppose he could kill me, and get rid of the evidence. Then he'd be free. As long as he's free... I guess... I motion to the coffee table, where the folder holding the proof is. "Take it, okay? Whatever you do, there's the proof..."
"Why would you do all this?" He asks, obviously amused.
I lower my eyes to the floor, turning my face away from him. "I..." I can't finish it, even though it's true. I love you.
Instead of replying, he takes a step closer, tilting my head back. His eyes meet mine, and for a split second, I feel like I'm about to cry. Everything I've done, I've done it for him, and yet... I can't say what I really feel.
But before I have the chance, he presses his lips to mine, and kisses me. His bloody arm wraps around my waist, and his other grasps my hand.
After a few seconds, he pulls back. My lips tingle... "I love you, Rin, I killed her for you." He states. "He was your waiter at the coffee shop, and saw you with Luka. I couldn't let that happen."
"I love you too." I state, quietly.
Welcome to our world.
A Missing Arm?
I wake up on the couch, and I realize I fell asleep waiting on him to get back, or at least to hear from him or something, but... Nothing.
But when I wake up, Len is standing in the kitchen, dropping a newspaper on the table.
I jump up and rush over to him, pausing in the doorway.
Oh my gosh... His arm...
He's wearing a black trench coat, and as he sees me enter, I realize that one sleeve is hanging loose. Did he... Did he lose his arm?
I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. "I- I'm so... I'm so sorry!" I cry, tears filling my eyes. "I can't believe it... I am so, so sorry!" I can't control myself, I cost him his arm... I can't believe I...
He doesn't reply, staring at me, looking somewhat dazed.
"You lost your arm, didn't you?" I ask, and he suddenly smiles.
"That's a long story. I just got back, I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed." He says, and I realize it's not even morning yet.
"How... How can you smile? It's all my fault you got hit by that car, I'm so sorry!" I apologize again, stepping in front of him.
Suddenly, I realize something. The newspaper headline...
Detective Gakupo, investigating Rin, Len's assistant, was found dead late last night.
The now-deceased detective was stabbed to death, having several wounds in both the chest and stomach.
The man was undercover, investigating Rin, who was suspected of the murder of both Luka and the missing person Kaito.
Both were detectives, both investigating Len...
I don't read the rest, looking up at Len in surprise.
His face shows something that looks almost crazy... His eyes are wide and his mouth an ever-smile, it seems like it will never stop.
"Len?" I ask, taking a step back.
He laughs, suddenly, the same wild laughter I've heard from him twice. "Who is the culprit?" He asks, stepping forward and tilting my head up by my chin.
I stare at him in shock, my mouth dropping slightly from surprise. "W- What?"
"You know the answer to the question, don't you? Who is the culprit?" He demands, dropping my chin and running his fingers through his hair. "The first mystery, is why he was alone in his room, drinking a poisoned bottle of wine." He says, his eyes holding a far-away look as he begins to pace. "The reason is simple, at that point in time... He was destined to die."
"Len...?" Is he admitting to the crimes? He can't be, that would mean...
"So who is the culprit? You know the answer to that question, because you saw the scene with your own eyes." He states, stopping with his back turned towards me.
I watch him, keeping my face blank.
"Even if you don't say the answer, I will answer it for you... The way this crime will end." He spins around, his eyes wild. "The second mystery is, why did they fall into the ocean, and was the culprit really who I accused?" He asks.
I remain silent as he steps in front of me. His eyes are insane, and I begin to feel fearful.
He resumes pacing, and I take out the knife. It has dried blood on the blade... He doesn't realize this, and continues talking.
"The fatal mistake in my plan... Was the other detective that was dragged into this." He states, not looking at me, staring at the floor. Which detective? Me? Luka? Kaito, or Gakupo?
Suddenly, he whirls around and hits the knife from my hand. It clatters to the floor, and I stare into his eyes. "So, who is the culprit?" Calm down, Len.
I glance at the newspaper, realizing something. I grasp the empty sleeve of his coat and pull it hard, ripping the coat from his body.
The coat drops to the floor, and I stare at him. His arm, the 'missing', arm, is there.
Covered in dried blood. He holds his arms out in front of him, comparing the bloody arm to the other. "Come, say the name of the person in front of you, say my name!" He commands, the smile still on his face. It's as if this is nothing to him, as if he doesn't care. "I really didn't want you to find out, I will give you this chance, if you want to run away then run away quickly!" He commands, and I don't move.
He holds out the bloody hand to me, smiling kindly. "So, who is the culprit?" He asks, again, and I smile. "There may be more than one answer to that question."
I just look at him, then I smile. "There were actually two wine glasses, weren't there?" I ask, already knowing the answer. He doesn't reply, smiling. "Even if he hadn't died from poison, he would've eventually died by the knife, right?" I ask, not expecting an answer. "I've only thought that everything you said was a lie, were you really the detective in that crime?" I point at him, my face falling into a frown now. "The atrocious culprit is..." I frown deeper. "Not you."
He doesn't reply, watching me in curiosity, that smile still on his face.
"That arm that you saved me with... Was used to play the piano, if I had known that, would I have still taken the job?" I ask aloud, more to myself than to him.
I sigh. "If I person who can solve this riddle appears, I will trap them inside this story." I state, picking the knife up from the ground and twirling it in my fingers. "I killed them, Len. For you."
"Why?" He asks, the smile still on his face.
"I knew all along it was you. I was... I was trying to find proof, at first. But after a while... I realized that... I wanted you to be free." I whisper the last part, blushing and turning away. "Luka... Luka was an accident, she had proof that it was you in the boat case, you see? She had proof! I couldn't let her do it, let her turn you in, so I... I killed her." I smile, meeting his eyes again. "But Kaito? He found her proof, and was going to turn you in, too! So I had to get rid of them both! I had to, or you'd be caught." I shake my head. "I didn't mean too, I was so against murder, and then... I was a murderer. But I had reason! You told me everyone has a reason, right? Even if it's still wrong."
He smiles at me, ever-on.
"I knew it was you after seeing the proof. But now..." Now I'm a murderer, for you. What are you going to do about it, Len? What?
I suppose he could kill me, and get rid of the evidence. Then he'd be free. As long as he's free... I guess... I motion to the coffee table, where the folder holding the proof is. "Take it, okay? Whatever you do, there's the proof..."
"Why would you do all this?" He asks, obviously amused.
I lower my eyes to the floor, turning my face away from him. "I..." I can't finish it, even though it's true. I love you.
Instead of replying, he takes a step closer, tilting my head back. His eyes meet mine, and for a split second, I feel like I'm about to cry. Everything I've done, I've done it for him, and yet... I can't say what I really feel.
But before I have the chance, he presses his lips to mine, and kisses me. His bloody arm wraps around my waist, and his other grasps my hand.
After a few seconds, he pulls back. My lips tingle... "I love you, Rin, I killed her for you." He states. "He was your waiter at the coffee shop, and saw you with Luka. I couldn't let that happen."
"I love you too." I state, quietly.
Welcome to our world.
The Riddle Solver Who Won't Solve Riddles
Chapter 10
The End
I pull up the dreadful floorboard, wondering how I could have been so stupid. Everything he's stolen was hidden under here, he dug it up and made a small cavern underneath... I am pretty stupid, aren't I? I laugh out loud, and he drops down next to me.
"We have to hurry, it won't be long before the police catch on." He states, pulling an expensive looking painting from the hiding place.
I nod, helping him with whatever I can.
After we've gathered everything up, we put it in suitcases, boxes, anything it'll fit in, and leave the house.
The snow has melted, and it'll rain soon... So we have to hurry this up.
"Would you like to do the honors?" He asks, holding out a matchbox for me to take.
I nod, smiling, and strike a match.
Upon dropping the match inside and shutting the door, it spreads fairly quickly through the old, dead wood. It's as dark as the rest of this horrible town, and our 'deaths' will be the perfect excuse... No one will realize that really, we've just run. Run away, to find a brighter, better place where no one knows us.
He reaches over and takes my hand, watching with me the flames climb higher. "We'll be alright, I promise." He says, and I nod, slowly.
"I know..."
The End
I pull up the dreadful floorboard, wondering how I could have been so stupid. Everything he's stolen was hidden under here, he dug it up and made a small cavern underneath... I am pretty stupid, aren't I? I laugh out loud, and he drops down next to me.
"We have to hurry, it won't be long before the police catch on." He states, pulling an expensive looking painting from the hiding place.
I nod, helping him with whatever I can.
After we've gathered everything up, we put it in suitcases, boxes, anything it'll fit in, and leave the house.
The snow has melted, and it'll rain soon... So we have to hurry this up.
"Would you like to do the honors?" He asks, holding out a matchbox for me to take.
I nod, smiling, and strike a match.
Upon dropping the match inside and shutting the door, it spreads fairly quickly through the old, dead wood. It's as dark as the rest of this horrible town, and our 'deaths' will be the perfect excuse... No one will realize that really, we've just run. Run away, to find a brighter, better place where no one knows us.
He reaches over and takes my hand, watching with me the flames climb higher. "We'll be alright, I promise." He says, and I nod, slowly.
"I know..."
I Am Deaf
Chapter 1
Rin POV
I couldn't hear my music.
Although the headphones were in my ears, the music was eerily absent.
I pulled them out and laid them on the desk, sighing.
But I couldn't hear my sighing either.
You guessed it; I'm deaf. I tried listening to music every day, but...no. I was and always will be deaf. Right now, I should probably be trying to read the teacher's lips, but the landscape outside the window was peaceful, so I turned to it.
Nobody knows about my deafness. I've kept it secret, so secret not even my brother Rinto or my Dad know.
Suddenly, I felt scratchy nails on my arm. I turned to see Miku Hatsune, the most popular girl in the school.
She hissed something through clenched teeth. I didn't even bother trying to read her lips.
"What?" I asked, annoyed. She rolled her eyes.
"Sensei. Is. Calling. You."
I turned to see a very annoyed Sensei.
"Megurine-Sensei." I tipped my head hastily.
"Rin Kagine! You have to...more...attention...class." She kept turning her head towards the chalkboard, so I only caught fragments. But I pieced it together.
"Hai, Sensei."
I looked down and doodled, closing my eyes as I remembered the tune of music that I used to listen to.
When I opened my eyes again, everybody was gone. Shoot! The bell must have rung!
Sensei's arm stopped me as I scrambled out.
"Kagine." She gazed directly at me.
"Er, yes Sensei?"
"Your grades are dropping, and I'm afraid that you may have to repeat 8th grade. So, I've assigned Len Kagamine to tutor you during these class periods. He is very smart, and is ahead of his classmates, so he'll be perfect."
Len...Kagamine? The NINTH grader?
Even I knew the most popular, perfect, smartest boy in the school.
He'd definitely figure out my secret!
"Sensei-"
"No arguments, Kagine."
I miserably walked home.
"Oh. You're back." Dad eyed me like I was trash. Abusive and horrible as he was, that's probably what I was to him.
"Yeah Dad."
"Now. I want you to clean the floors."
"I cleaned them this morning!" I cried.
CRACK!
He slapped me and I fell backwards.
"Am I...care...worthless!" He snapped, turning towards the TV.
"What?"
"Am I supposed to care? You're so worthless!" He glowered at me.
"Yes Father."
"Now hurry or I'll make you lick the floors clean."
"Yes Father."
I got on my knees, grabbed the bucket of water, and started scrubbing the floors.
After hours of tasks so meaningless and worthless, Rinto came home. (Obviously I'm failing. I have to work for my dad-I can't even do homework.)
"Hey Rin." he hugged me.
"How was work?" I hugged him back.
Yes. Rinto is only sixteen, but has to work or else our family's bills would overflow the house.
"Oh...usual...boss yelled...morning." He rooted in his bag as he talked.
"Hm?"
"I said...boss...morning." I gave up. If only Rinto knew! But I couldn't tell him.
"How was your day?" he looked at me.
"Fine. I'm gonna get tutored, so yeah." I shrugged.
"I hope you pull your grades up! We need at least one educated person in here!" He said. I held up my homework.
"Help me?"
"You know I have no clue... I'm sorry."
I sighed. Sensei talked while writing on the board, so unless I was the board, I wouldn't be able to hear her.
"Don't worry, Rin. We'll pull through." He hugged me again, and I nodded.
"I hope."
Rin POV
I couldn't hear my music.
Although the headphones were in my ears, the music was eerily absent.
I pulled them out and laid them on the desk, sighing.
But I couldn't hear my sighing either.
You guessed it; I'm deaf. I tried listening to music every day, but...no. I was and always will be deaf. Right now, I should probably be trying to read the teacher's lips, but the landscape outside the window was peaceful, so I turned to it.
Nobody knows about my deafness. I've kept it secret, so secret not even my brother Rinto or my Dad know.
Suddenly, I felt scratchy nails on my arm. I turned to see Miku Hatsune, the most popular girl in the school.
She hissed something through clenched teeth. I didn't even bother trying to read her lips.
"What?" I asked, annoyed. She rolled her eyes.
"Sensei. Is. Calling. You."
I turned to see a very annoyed Sensei.
"Megurine-Sensei." I tipped my head hastily.
"Rin Kagine! You have to...more...attention...class." She kept turning her head towards the chalkboard, so I only caught fragments. But I pieced it together.
"Hai, Sensei."
I looked down and doodled, closing my eyes as I remembered the tune of music that I used to listen to.
When I opened my eyes again, everybody was gone. Shoot! The bell must have rung!
Sensei's arm stopped me as I scrambled out.
"Kagine." She gazed directly at me.
"Er, yes Sensei?"
"Your grades are dropping, and I'm afraid that you may have to repeat 8th grade. So, I've assigned Len Kagamine to tutor you during these class periods. He is very smart, and is ahead of his classmates, so he'll be perfect."
Len...Kagamine? The NINTH grader?
Even I knew the most popular, perfect, smartest boy in the school.
He'd definitely figure out my secret!
"Sensei-"
"No arguments, Kagine."
I miserably walked home.
"Oh. You're back." Dad eyed me like I was trash. Abusive and horrible as he was, that's probably what I was to him.
"Yeah Dad."
"Now. I want you to clean the floors."
"I cleaned them this morning!" I cried.
CRACK!
He slapped me and I fell backwards.
"Am I...care...worthless!" He snapped, turning towards the TV.
"What?"
"Am I supposed to care? You're so worthless!" He glowered at me.
"Yes Father."
"Now hurry or I'll make you lick the floors clean."
"Yes Father."
I got on my knees, grabbed the bucket of water, and started scrubbing the floors.
After hours of tasks so meaningless and worthless, Rinto came home. (Obviously I'm failing. I have to work for my dad-I can't even do homework.)
"Hey Rin." he hugged me.
"How was work?" I hugged him back.
Yes. Rinto is only sixteen, but has to work or else our family's bills would overflow the house.
"Oh...usual...boss yelled...morning." He rooted in his bag as he talked.
"Hm?"
"I said...boss...morning." I gave up. If only Rinto knew! But I couldn't tell him.
"How was your day?" he looked at me.
"Fine. I'm gonna get tutored, so yeah." I shrugged.
"I hope you pull your grades up! We need at least one educated person in here!" He said. I held up my homework.
"Help me?"
"You know I have no clue... I'm sorry."
I sighed. Sensei talked while writing on the board, so unless I was the board, I wouldn't be able to hear her.
"Don't worry, Rin. We'll pull through." He hugged me again, and I nodded.
"I hope."
I Am Deaf
Chapter 2
Len POV
I arranged the pencils neatly and mussed up my hair into its usual messy state: Blond bangs falling into my face with a tiny ponytail in the back. I crossed my arms and waited for the girl, Rin.
Finally, I saw her appear, her blond hair in a messy ponytail too, with white clips pinning her bangs to the side and a white eggshell bow on her head.
Not even apologizing for being late, she plopped into the chair opposite to me.
I took a deep breath. "Hi, Rin. I'm Len." I raised my hand to wave. She flinched.
"Whoa, now, I'm not gonna hit you!" I chuckled. She shook her head.
"What?"
I looked at her, sure I'd spoken loud enough for her to hear me.
"Nothing. Let's begin with factorization."
I pulled out my folders and took out my factoring worksheets.
She stared at them.
"Oh! Right!" She also pulled out her math worksheets.
"Okay, first take out "x", because it's common for both of these." I pointed at it. Looking down at my paper, I realized just how bad my handwriting was.
So I explained everything to her.
Then I looked up at her. She looked confused and frustrated, so I gave her an easy problem.
2x-6.
She looked at it, then at me.
"Wait, what do you do first?"
I frowned. "Were you not listening?"
"I was, but..."
I explained it again, this time looking straight at her so she wouldn't get distracted.
This time, she did it perfectly.
I congratulated her, and then I gave her a worksheet to do.
She looked at me, a panicked expression on her face.
"Wait...I have homework?"
"Yeah, of course! Just because you're out of normal classes, doesn't mean that you're completely free!" I laughed.
"Huh?"
I repeated my words while packing up the math textbook.
"I can't hear you." She said through gritted teeth.
I looked directly at her, repeating the words once more.
"Oh." She said, finally getting what I said.
Something's wrong, I thought suspiciously.
Before I could ask her why she was so out of touch, she spotted Romeo and Juliet in my backpack.
"Hey- can I see that?" She grabbed it without my permission.
"Can you read well?" I asked, looking at her.
No response.
"Rin?" I shook her arm gently. She looked up at me.
"Yeah?"
"Um, can you read well?"
"I guess. Not out loud, but to myself." She shrugged.
"Read it. Out loud." I said.
"What? Not now!"
"Yes. Reading is part of your tutoring, anyways."
She opened to a random page and cleared her throat.
"Is there no pity sitting in the clouds
That sees into the bottom of my grief?
O sweet my mother, cast me not away!"
"That's great!" I praised her melodic and fluid voice. "You can stop."
She kept reading.
"Delay this marriage for a month, a week,
Or if you do not, make the bridal bed-"
I put my hand on the page and waved it. Her head snapped up.
"I told you to stop." I said lightly.
"Right, gomen, I must have gotten carried away." Her cheeks reddened.
"Right... Rin, I have to ask you something."
"Hai?" She looked nervous.
Just then, the bell rang. I looked at Rin, expecting her to get up, but she just looked at me expectantly.
"I'll ask you tomorrow, never mind." I said.
"Why?"
"The bell just rang." I said to her.
"Oh! Thanks, Len-kun." She waved at me as she began walking away. "Bye, see you tomorrow!"
"Yeah..." I said, watching her go. I'll figure you out, Rin.
Len POV
I arranged the pencils neatly and mussed up my hair into its usual messy state: Blond bangs falling into my face with a tiny ponytail in the back. I crossed my arms and waited for the girl, Rin.
Finally, I saw her appear, her blond hair in a messy ponytail too, with white clips pinning her bangs to the side and a white eggshell bow on her head.
Not even apologizing for being late, she plopped into the chair opposite to me.
I took a deep breath. "Hi, Rin. I'm Len." I raised my hand to wave. She flinched.
"Whoa, now, I'm not gonna hit you!" I chuckled. She shook her head.
"What?"
I looked at her, sure I'd spoken loud enough for her to hear me.
"Nothing. Let's begin with factorization."
I pulled out my folders and took out my factoring worksheets.
She stared at them.
"Oh! Right!" She also pulled out her math worksheets.
"Okay, first take out "x", because it's common for both of these." I pointed at it. Looking down at my paper, I realized just how bad my handwriting was.
So I explained everything to her.
Then I looked up at her. She looked confused and frustrated, so I gave her an easy problem.
2x-6.
She looked at it, then at me.
"Wait, what do you do first?"
I frowned. "Were you not listening?"
"I was, but..."
I explained it again, this time looking straight at her so she wouldn't get distracted.
This time, she did it perfectly.
I congratulated her, and then I gave her a worksheet to do.
She looked at me, a panicked expression on her face.
"Wait...I have homework?"
"Yeah, of course! Just because you're out of normal classes, doesn't mean that you're completely free!" I laughed.
"Huh?"
I repeated my words while packing up the math textbook.
"I can't hear you." She said through gritted teeth.
I looked directly at her, repeating the words once more.
"Oh." She said, finally getting what I said.
Something's wrong, I thought suspiciously.
Before I could ask her why she was so out of touch, she spotted Romeo and Juliet in my backpack.
"Hey- can I see that?" She grabbed it without my permission.
"Can you read well?" I asked, looking at her.
No response.
"Rin?" I shook her arm gently. She looked up at me.
"Yeah?"
"Um, can you read well?"
"I guess. Not out loud, but to myself." She shrugged.
"Read it. Out loud." I said.
"What? Not now!"
"Yes. Reading is part of your tutoring, anyways."
She opened to a random page and cleared her throat.
"Is there no pity sitting in the clouds
That sees into the bottom of my grief?
O sweet my mother, cast me not away!"
"That's great!" I praised her melodic and fluid voice. "You can stop."
She kept reading.
"Delay this marriage for a month, a week,
Or if you do not, make the bridal bed-"
I put my hand on the page and waved it. Her head snapped up.
"I told you to stop." I said lightly.
"Right, gomen, I must have gotten carried away." Her cheeks reddened.
"Right... Rin, I have to ask you something."
"Hai?" She looked nervous.
Just then, the bell rang. I looked at Rin, expecting her to get up, but she just looked at me expectantly.
"I'll ask you tomorrow, never mind." I said.
"Why?"
"The bell just rang." I said to her.
"Oh! Thanks, Len-kun." She waved at me as she began walking away. "Bye, see you tomorrow!"
"Yeah..." I said, watching her go. I'll figure you out, Rin.
I Am Deaf
Chapter 3
Rin POV
I ran home quickly, knowing I hadn't fooled Len at all. If only I hadn't messed up so much!
"YOU'RE LATE!" shouted my father.
"Gomen!" I panted, out of breath.
"Okay- I want you to clean the bathrooms. And make sure they're spotless."
"Hai."
I saw the TV turn on and him popping a cork. I sighed, knowing that when he was drunk, he particularly enjoyed being physical.
"RIN!" My dad stood in front of me. "OPEN THE DOOR!"
Confused, I dried my hands and opened the door. Len stood there.
"Hey- You forgot your homework!" He smiled at me.
"Oh. Arigato!" He gave me the paper. "Wait- how do you know where I live?"
He held up the phonebook.
"Right." I forced a smile, and then waved. "Well, see you tomorrow."
"Matte! I have to ask you something." he said, stopping the door with his foot.
He looked up suddenly, glancing curiously behind my shoulder.
"Well? Aren't you going to ask me?" I asked impatiently.
"Hai, but someone is calling you."
"Ah, be right back."
I raced into the living room.
"Who are you talking to, Rin?"
"My tutor, dad."
"Well hurry. You have to do some chores for me." He chugged down the rest of the bottle, and I wrinkled my nose at the putrid smell in the air.
"Hai."
I walked to the door and smiled apologetically.
"I have to go."
"Yeah, I'll..." He turned around while talking.
"Hm?"
"I said I'll ask you tomorrow." He looked at me, his cerulean blue eyes mildly suspicious.
He's so onto me.
"Okay. Bye." I closed the door.
"Rin!" Dad called.
I walked into the living room slowly.
"Yes?"
"Is that boy gone?"
"Yeah."
"Don't just stand there, idiot. Go get me something to eat."
"I can't cook."
He hit me on the back of my head with the bottle.
"I don't care."
My head was throbbing, but I went and plopped some chips and salsa on a plate.
"Yum." he said. "Now get out of my sight."
I ran upstairs and took out the homework, already feeling helpless.
This was not going to work out.
"Ohayo Rin." Len waved.
"Ohayo Len-kun." I smiled at him.
"Just call me Len. You don't have to worry about honorifics."
"Okay, Len."
"Uh, did you do the homework?"
I drummed my fingers against the table.
"I, um, left it at home." I said quickly.
"Rin! At least make an effort to do well!" He said, looking annoyed.
"I am. I did it. I just left it at home."
"Okay then. This...review...yesterday." He said, pulling a sheet from his bag.
I pieced his word fragments together and got to work on the paper while he observed it.
"Done."
He checked it over.
"Good job. You missed a few, but all in all, nice work."
"Arigato." Thank god for the internet and dad not wanting to watch me anymore.
"Okay, today's lesson."
"Um." I said hurriedly. "Do you mind not looking down when you explain it? You kind of mumble."
"Um, okay?" I sighed. Maybe, just maybe, this will work out.
Rin POV
I ran home quickly, knowing I hadn't fooled Len at all. If only I hadn't messed up so much!
"YOU'RE LATE!" shouted my father.
"Gomen!" I panted, out of breath.
"Okay- I want you to clean the bathrooms. And make sure they're spotless."
"Hai."
I saw the TV turn on and him popping a cork. I sighed, knowing that when he was drunk, he particularly enjoyed being physical.
"RIN!" My dad stood in front of me. "OPEN THE DOOR!"
Confused, I dried my hands and opened the door. Len stood there.
"Hey- You forgot your homework!" He smiled at me.
"Oh. Arigato!" He gave me the paper. "Wait- how do you know where I live?"
He held up the phonebook.
"Right." I forced a smile, and then waved. "Well, see you tomorrow."
"Matte! I have to ask you something." he said, stopping the door with his foot.
He looked up suddenly, glancing curiously behind my shoulder.
"Well? Aren't you going to ask me?" I asked impatiently.
"Hai, but someone is calling you."
"Ah, be right back."
I raced into the living room.
"Who are you talking to, Rin?"
"My tutor, dad."
"Well hurry. You have to do some chores for me." He chugged down the rest of the bottle, and I wrinkled my nose at the putrid smell in the air.
"Hai."
I walked to the door and smiled apologetically.
"I have to go."
"Yeah, I'll..." He turned around while talking.
"Hm?"
"I said I'll ask you tomorrow." He looked at me, his cerulean blue eyes mildly suspicious.
He's so onto me.
"Okay. Bye." I closed the door.
"Rin!" Dad called.
I walked into the living room slowly.
"Yes?"
"Is that boy gone?"
"Yeah."
"Don't just stand there, idiot. Go get me something to eat."
"I can't cook."
He hit me on the back of my head with the bottle.
"I don't care."
My head was throbbing, but I went and plopped some chips and salsa on a plate.
"Yum." he said. "Now get out of my sight."
I ran upstairs and took out the homework, already feeling helpless.
This was not going to work out.
"Ohayo Rin." Len waved.
"Ohayo Len-kun." I smiled at him.
"Just call me Len. You don't have to worry about honorifics."
"Okay, Len."
"Uh, did you do the homework?"
I drummed my fingers against the table.
"I, um, left it at home." I said quickly.
"Rin! At least make an effort to do well!" He said, looking annoyed.
"I am. I did it. I just left it at home."
"Okay then. This...review...yesterday." He said, pulling a sheet from his bag.
I pieced his word fragments together and got to work on the paper while he observed it.
"Done."
He checked it over.
"Good job. You missed a few, but all in all, nice work."
"Arigato." Thank god for the internet and dad not wanting to watch me anymore.
"Okay, today's lesson."
"Um." I said hurriedly. "Do you mind not looking down when you explain it? You kind of mumble."
"Um, okay?" I sighed. Maybe, just maybe, this will work out.
I Am Deaf
Chapter 4
Len POV
"Okay. So, what's the first step, Rin?"
"Um, subtract five?"
"Yeah. Good."
She worked through the problem slowly, and then looked at me for approval.
"Yup. Now we're going to go to history."
She groaned.
"There's so much discussing in history!"
"Yeah, but it's part of the curriculum."
I took out the history book, pointing at a picture of an Egyptian king.
"What does it say his name is?"
I looked at her. Her sapphire eyes were focused on the picture.
Hmmm.
"Rin."
She didn't look up.
"Rin!"
No response.
"RIN!" I literally yelled. In fact, a few students at the tables on the other side of the cafeteria looked up at me.
She still didn't respond. I shook her arm again. She looked up at me.
"Yeah?"
What. The. Crap? She says I mumble, but I'm practically shouting! How can she not hear me?
This time, I looked straight at her and whispered the words.
"Who is this person?"
"Shepseskaf, 2472 – 2467."
So she can hear me if I look at her and whisper, but not if I look away and shout?
"Uh, Rin?"
"Yeah?"
I looked down at the table.
"Can you hear me?"
She didn't say anything.
I looked directly at her.
"Can you hear me?"
"...Yes."
Now I had a pretty good idea of what was wrong with Rin.
Just then, Miku Hatsune, this annoying popular girl with super long teal pigtails, came up to Rin.
"Rin, I need to talk to you."
Rin studied the history book.
"Don't pretend to ignore me!" Miku screeched.
Rin didn't even blink.
"You little-!" Miku raised her hand to strike Rin, but my hand snapped out and caught her wrist.
Rin looked up, startled, and then saw Miku.
"Oh! Hatsune-san! Why are you here?"
Miku glared at Rin. "Don't play dumb. I need to talk to you."
She pulled Rin behind the school. I sat back and looked at the clouds above our "tutoring bench."
Ten minutes, twenty minutes, half-an-hour. I decided to go get her.
I wandered behind the school, and then heard voices emanate from a stall.
"You little brat..."
I peeked in and saw Miku glaring at Rin. Sonika, a girl with short and spiky green hair, and Sweet Ann (pretty ironic nickname) hovered around Miku.
Miku crossed her arms, staring so venomously at Rin that the girl sunk down against the wall.
"Stay away from Len-kun, you worthless idiot. He's mine." Miku spat.
Um, what?
Rin looked down. Miku aimed a kick at her head and Rin winced. Then, Sonika grabbed Rin's arm and pulled it in a direction that was unnatural. It snapped, and Rin let out a silent plea of help. I was frozen.
Freakin' MOVE, you baka! I yelled at myself.
Ann kicked Rin's legs, and her stomach, really hard. I stepped into the stall, fire burning in my heart and voice.
"Miku. Stop."
Miku looked up, startled, and then started to simper, probably ready to state some pathetic lie.
"I don't wanna hear it. Get the heck away from Rin."
She stormed past me, followed by her stupid friends. I raced to Rin's side. Her body was quivering, and she choked back a sob.
I stared at her, horrified. "I'm so sorry, Rin."
Len POV
"Okay. So, what's the first step, Rin?"
"Um, subtract five?"
"Yeah. Good."
She worked through the problem slowly, and then looked at me for approval.
"Yup. Now we're going to go to history."
She groaned.
"There's so much discussing in history!"
"Yeah, but it's part of the curriculum."
I took out the history book, pointing at a picture of an Egyptian king.
"What does it say his name is?"
I looked at her. Her sapphire eyes were focused on the picture.
Hmmm.
"Rin."
She didn't look up.
"Rin!"
No response.
"RIN!" I literally yelled. In fact, a few students at the tables on the other side of the cafeteria looked up at me.
She still didn't respond. I shook her arm again. She looked up at me.
"Yeah?"
What. The. Crap? She says I mumble, but I'm practically shouting! How can she not hear me?
This time, I looked straight at her and whispered the words.
"Who is this person?"
"Shepseskaf, 2472 – 2467."
So she can hear me if I look at her and whisper, but not if I look away and shout?
"Uh, Rin?"
"Yeah?"
I looked down at the table.
"Can you hear me?"
She didn't say anything.
I looked directly at her.
"Can you hear me?"
"...Yes."
Now I had a pretty good idea of what was wrong with Rin.
Just then, Miku Hatsune, this annoying popular girl with super long teal pigtails, came up to Rin.
"Rin, I need to talk to you."
Rin studied the history book.
"Don't pretend to ignore me!" Miku screeched.
Rin didn't even blink.
"You little-!" Miku raised her hand to strike Rin, but my hand snapped out and caught her wrist.
Rin looked up, startled, and then saw Miku.
"Oh! Hatsune-san! Why are you here?"
Miku glared at Rin. "Don't play dumb. I need to talk to you."
She pulled Rin behind the school. I sat back and looked at the clouds above our "tutoring bench."
Ten minutes, twenty minutes, half-an-hour. I decided to go get her.
I wandered behind the school, and then heard voices emanate from a stall.
"You little brat..."
I peeked in and saw Miku glaring at Rin. Sonika, a girl with short and spiky green hair, and Sweet Ann (pretty ironic nickname) hovered around Miku.
Miku crossed her arms, staring so venomously at Rin that the girl sunk down against the wall.
"Stay away from Len-kun, you worthless idiot. He's mine." Miku spat.
Um, what?
Rin looked down. Miku aimed a kick at her head and Rin winced. Then, Sonika grabbed Rin's arm and pulled it in a direction that was unnatural. It snapped, and Rin let out a silent plea of help. I was frozen.
Freakin' MOVE, you baka! I yelled at myself.
Ann kicked Rin's legs, and her stomach, really hard. I stepped into the stall, fire burning in my heart and voice.
"Miku. Stop."
Miku looked up, startled, and then started to simper, probably ready to state some pathetic lie.
"I don't wanna hear it. Get the heck away from Rin."
She stormed past me, followed by her stupid friends. I raced to Rin's side. Her body was quivering, and she choked back a sob.
I stared at her, horrified. "I'm so sorry, Rin."
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