In Plain Sight...(Oumasai)

Mystery Victim

Why I became a detective? It's not because I like looking at dead bodies or reports on assaults and gang crimes. It's not even about protecting the public. I took to this path because it's in my blood...

The station buzzes to life as we march through the doors. The smell and smokey haze of cigarettes that hits me still utterly suffocating. Everyone is hard at work. Using their own two hands to file and research, dig up lost connections and favors over the phone. Here we scratch every resource for any info we can get. That's just one part of our job.

"Let's go." Kirigiri murmurs while tugging on my sleeve. We push past officers and investigators, maneuvering around desks and other opticals in our way. And I try not to trip over my two left feet. Kirigiri knows the agency like the back of her hand. And I was certainly lucky for that. If I was on my own I'd whined up lost. Kirigiri knew just about everything. The late investigator being her father, her husband the head of the precinct, close friends with a multi millionaire, and her loose connection to the mafia. She wasn't someone to be taken lightly. Every detective in the office made way for her and I without hesitation. Staring enviously at me as we made our way Kirigiri's office to meet up with our forensic scientists.

"So what'd you find?" The detective demanded, causing the young girl before us to flinch and drop the papers she had been holding just moments before.

"A-ahhh! I-I I'm sorry!" She squeaked pathetically, shaking under Kirigiri's intense gaze. Body moving on its own I knelt down to help her. As I handed back the various files a cold sweat washed over her paled face.

"T-t-thank you...u-uh..." Her soft voice came out in trembling mumbles when she spoke, nervously messing with the bandages that twisted around her arms. I stared down at them curiously. I wonder how she got those. However, Kirigiri did not share the same interest as me. Impatiently tapping her heels on the hard floor with a click click click.

Results for the body of our newest victim. An image of the broken up corps laying smashed up on the floor of the restaurant weeded it's way into my mind. remains of hair stained, matted in red, almost melded into flesh. any semblance of a face ripped away like it never existed. It was- horrible.

But the girl spoke as though it was the last thing on her list of traumatizing sights. Her tone bright and sunny with a smile happy to help.

"Your theory was indeed correct,
M-Mrs. Kirigiri! The body was crushed by immense weight and strength. signs of a struggle was evident, and we were able to identify the victim as a male in his early twenties."

The detective frowned.

"You couldn't identify him?" She asked, raising a brow at the girl. The doctor vigorously shook her head, sending waves of hair drifting along with her.

"We tried our best to get finger scans and any DNA matches we could, but none of it matched anyone on our records."

"So was he from out of town? Maybe?"
I blurted out, glancing from one woman to the other and scanning their expressions.

Kirigiri continued to wear her usual tight lipped frown, waiting for another response. Meanwhile the girl wearing bandages looked relatively distraught.
glancing down at her feet in a moment of thought and deep concentration before shaking her head again.

"I don't think that's the case. Police found several cards from local businesses in his pocket. None that could directly identity him, of course."

I looked over at the corner with a thoughtful sigh. There has to be something...

But all roads lead to no where. After the brief and vague information forensic gave us, Kirigiri decided to split up and meet with some of the gangs in town.

"Are you sure you can trust the Owada    and Kuzuryu clans for this?" I asked on our way out of the station. Kirigiri's lavender locks seeming to slap me in the face as a response.

"I have a close enough connection to the Owada clan. The Kuzuryu's may be difficult, but I happen to know a thing or two about the son and heir of the clan." She mentioned matter of factly. Basically telling me to stop acting like a nervous wreck child and focus. My shoulders drooped. Shutting my tired eyes and feeling the stinging burn of sleep deprivation settling in. There was a lump in my throat that I couldn't help but notice. It was annoying and pathetic. I was pathetic. As a detective I was powerless. The only thing I could do was- that.

As Kirigiri opened the door to her car to slide in front seat, I remained rooted in place at the side walk. Struggling to find my voice over all the dozens of other people and car horns.

"I can do it." I blurted out. The squeak in my voice causing the detective to turn to me and stare.

"I can just do it and solve this thing and we can be done with it."

Kirigiri's eyes widened at my sudden comment. Her sharp eyes catching the weight of my slumping body and heavy breathe. And suddenly the detective in her was replaced with a hard motherly stare. Looking at me for a few extra moments before speaking to me in her calm settling tone.

"We don't work for the easy answers, Shuichi. We work long and hard for the truth. Sometimes we work too hard."

She gave me one of her rare glistening smiles. Famous for being either warm or coldly scornful. this one however, made me feel a whirlwind of mixed emotions. But all of it came back to one little thought. I'm not good enough.

I clenched my fists tight at my sides till my knuckles turned a ghostly white. my eyes doing the same, only till the flashing lights of color faded into black.
Why am I so useless right now? I'm such a disappointment!

And that's when I felt it. a warm hand resting on my shoulder. grip steady and firmly waiting for me to look up into her crystal eyes.

"You are an important asset to my team. Taking care of yourself is more important to me than a corps in a china shop."

I watched Kirigiri's intently- surprised certainly. Her words were like a suffocating power hug cutting off my circulation. And after that she demanded that I go home and get some sleep. I wanted to protest but my body screamed for rest. So I reluctantly wandered home to collapse on my worn down bed.

Sirens rang in the distance. The sound practically in my ears due to the paper thin walls of my apartment building.
That matched with the drip drip drop of the rusty kitchen sink, the ticking of my living room clock, and the wheezy rattling of my heating vent all compacted in the same room. It was the crapiest building on the east side of town. But it was the closest to the station, and all that I could afford.
Plus it didn't matter as long as it I had food, a bed, and a roof over my head.
But all I cared about at that moment was my bed.

Rest. Finally.

And almost as soon as my head hit the pillows- I instantly fell asleep.