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.
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