Marble || Edogawa Ranpo

Case 2

Human is being full of deceit and hypocrisy.

Don't you agree?

The car engine rattle through the street with smoke billowing from the car exhaust, then it dissipated into the thin air. The tires glide through the asphalt surface, roving its way to the destination you had in mind. Controlling your steering wheel, you set your gaze on the road ahead and glimpse many high rises building with an edifice that stretches up to the blue and clear sky in your rear mirror. But in contrary to the surrounding area, five black pillars stood majestically in the heart of Yokohama.

You wonder which cooperation that building belongs to, since it gives an impression of a stronghold or headquarters to an important organization. Well, you can learn about that later to sate your curiosity as you always have. Nothing will stop you once you began your research.

Perhaps that is the reason why you were often isolated when you seek the truth.

'What a creep.' They talked behind your back. 'If you come closer to her, she can see right through you.'

That wasn't the case unless they tell you lies first.

But you have grown accustomed to it after years accepting the fact that it is simply human nature. However, because of this too, it proves difficult to establish a long-term relationship with anyone and make you feel distances. You've learned how hypocrite someone could be, regardless of who they are. And the more you face them, the more skeptical you are to trust any of them.

Their glares pierce like a thousand of sharp needless, threatening to sew your mouth each time you point the truth behind their false statement. Why? Because human often fear what was unknown to them, and all the more reason for them to fear what was known about them. There's nothing that your eyes can't perceive so long as there's a deception involved after all.

Every single one of them is no different.

They are all... a liar.

Finally, you come to a halt and pull your handle right behind a police car. The flashing light on the rooftops indicated this is the scene of a tragedy, for there is one life that has lost. The place already crowded with bystanders behind the police barricaded tape. They were holding up their smartphone and create an intermittent flash upon the red-stained tars with their cameras, you were sure that one of the onlookers bound to update that through social media or already put it on Livestream.

Apparently, there's an accident involving civilian and you were here to handle this case.

Squeezing through the insignificant crowd or grey silhouettes, you bring out your identity card and show it to the sentry. He gives you permission to cross the border and you began your search for the man in charge at the site.

"Minoura-san." You greet him. He cranes his neck to you and nods from his squatting position, acknowledging your presence. "What is the situation?" You ask while your eyes inspect the scene, assessing the situation to some degree.

"The man is Kumashito Arashi. Age 52 years old, occupation is a newspaper subscription. Died from being hit by a car. The driver said it seems he was having a heart attack in the middle of green light." He stated with a grim expression. As a policeman, the sight of the corpse has become the norm for him, so it didn't disturb him anymore as much as it does when he was still a novice.

"It probably happens from 6.30 am to 7.00 am"

'Being a newspaper subscription, the man would need to deliver it's earlier in the morning. To die by that hour is a logical explanation, but is it really an accident? If it doesn't, then who would have the motive to kill an old man like him? We've got no other lead so far... waiting for autopsy results will take at least a day.'