Making it Bizarre and Weird - The Detective Girl

Chapter 04 - The Whisper

"Wait, when did you get your hands on the keys?"

Just a few minutes ago, the butler had requested them to lock all the first-floor rooms in preparation for the masquerade. While he understood the reason behind it – guests do have the tendency to wander off – he could not comprehend why he had asked this from the detective girl. At least, not until it became evident that she had the entire set of keys in her possession.

"I demanded them," she simply replied, closing and locking another door.

He raised his eyebrow at that. "...When? I was with you the whole time."

She smiled at him. "No, you weren't. You were sleeping."

For a moment, he could only blink. "Wait, this morning? You already went inside?"

She nodded. "Well, you were drooling rather soundly, besides..."

"Detective, there you are."

The low voice turned Len's head, stopping when the detective girl paused their conversation. She met the tall man with a produced smile on her face, greeting the person that hired her with convincing respect. "Mr. Callisford, what can I do for you?" she asked sweetly.

He did not mimic her fabricated exchange of pleasantries, sea-colored eyes glancing at him before resting at the young girl. There was a stressed frown on his face and for a moment, his lips parted as if he wanted to reply... but was distracted by something on her face. At least, that is what it looked like from Len's perspective. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to tell why he was staring that intensely at her from this close a distance.

"Mr. Callisford, however skilled I am, I cannot read thoughts. Is something a matter?" the detective girl asked.

For a moment, the man seemed to be taken aback. "Now I see...It is your hair..."

The writer had seen the change in the detective girl's expression. Her eyes had widened and her shoulders had tensed for just the fabric of a second. But she gave the man in front of her a large smile, as if he had just given her a compliment. "Do excuse my appearance," she told him. "I did not have much time to take care of it."

"...I believe," he then slowly responded. "...Perhaps we could speak more privately?"

This caused Rin to momentarily shift her gaze to the writer. "More privately, you ask?"

Len did not bother hiding his dislike for that plan. It was too much of a risk to share a private conversation with one of the possible suspects. And he could not exactly explain why, but this man had a certain coldness around him he just didn't like. "...Is my presence bothering you?" he voiced.

Keaton's sea-colored eyes now shifted to him, light irritation visible in them. "I believe it is in the detective's best interest," he stated. Ah, so the feeling was mutual.

"Her best interest?" Len repeated, already feeling restrained anger flare up inside him. "What would you know about– "

"Enough." The detective girl looked at him sternly, ordering his mouth shut with just one word. "I won't leave the hallway. Stay here."

He clenched his notebook a little too tight. She was treating him like a nuisance. "...Fine."

Keaton Callisford placed his hand on the back of her frame and led the young detective to the other side of the hallway. Leaving him alone to sulk against the nearest wall. Watching the two of them from a distance, he could not make out the words that were being transferred in a hushed tone, but the sudden look of anger stricken across the detective girl's expression did pique his curiosity.