Colorless

WC?

Kogami stood in a park, looking down at a puddle of blood.

Division 1 had received a call that morning from Chief Kasei, informing them that Inspector Shishui of Division 2 had gone missing the previous night after being sent after the holographic hostage that Kitazawa released. 

Looking up, Kogami shook his head.

"This isn't Shishui," Kogami said.

Hinakawa ordered a crime scene drone over and it scanned the blood, popping up an image of a man that Kogami recognized as a Division 2 Enforcer.

"He was killed with a Dominator. I have shot one often enough to know what the remains look like afterwards," Kogami concluded.

Hinakawa blinked and stared.

"How?" he asked.

"Being an Enforcer doesn't make you immune to Dominators. In fact, Dominators are used to keep wayward Enforcers in check if need be. As long as your crime coefficent doesn't pass 300, it just results in a nasty shock and a painful awakening," Ginoza said, walking up.

"Yeah, but that doesn't track with this guy," Kogami said folding his arms. "I knew him well enough to know that he isn't the type to run or even defy an order. He was never the type to get himself shot with a Dominator."
"Well, you would know. Wouldn't you?" Ginoza asked sarcastically.

Togane, who had been examining some scorch marks on the ground not far away, looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He asked, but the amused look on his face was enough to show that he had already guessed the answer.

"Great. Thanks, Gino," Kogami muttered.

"Kogami holds the record for being shot with a Dominator," Ginoza said. "In fact, the first time Tsunemori went on a mission with him, she_"

"Hey. I was just doing my job that time. Not my fault Tsunemori is so idealistic," Kogami interrupted.

"And all the other times you got shot?" Togane asked.

Kogami turned away from him.

"Enough gabbing. We are on the clock," Kogami said, walking away.

Tsunemori stood underneath a bridge nearby. Judging by the angle of the shot, it was probably where the Dominator had been fired from. Scratched in the wall in front of her were two letters: WC?

"There is no sign of Shishui. The remains we found belonged to an Enforcer not the Inspector," Kogami said. "But I doubt that Shishui shot him."

"What do you make of this, Kogami?" Tsunemori asked.

Kogami frowned and inspected the sign on the wall.

"Whoever took Shishui left this behind. He wanted us to find it. Apart from that, I am not sure," he said.

"Whoever took Shishui?"

Kogami nodded.

"Think about what is missing from this crime scene. There is no body so Shishui is not part of the message. What is more significant, however, is that her Dominator is nowhere to be seen," Kogami said.

"I agree with you, but the Chief is going to say that it is possible Shishui walked off with it," Tsunemori pointed out.

"For what reason," Kogami scoffed. "You know standard procedure after executing an Enforcer or anyone else for that matter. Inspectors have to go through a psychological evaluation and hue check. Shishui would not have skipped that."
"There is one more piece to the puzzle," Tsunemori said. "Underneath the words was a black box. The drones scanned it, but apart from determining that there couldn't be a bomb inside it, they couldn't tell what was inside. It is being sent to Karonomori for testing."

Kogami's hands tightened into fists.

"Whoever left this message for us is the real brain behind Kitazawa's attack. You saw, him. He was smart but not nearly smart enough to pull off what he wanted to do. He also lacked the audacity. That is why he surrendered to you," Kogami said.

"But why? Just so he could leave this message for us?" Tsunemori asked.

"It can't be just that," Kogami said. "Someone so smart wouldn't go to so much trouble for something so small. Without more data, though, I can't be sure."

He looked at the letters scratched into the wall at the same time Tsunemori did. They both knew that if there was a message to be found, it had to be in those letters somehow.

What Can?

No that can't be it.

Kogami sighed and as he drew a line through it. The pad of paper it was written on was full of discarded combinations for the letters they had found at the crime scene just like that one.

On returning to headquarters, Kogami had grabbed the pad of paper and pen he now held and started to brainstorm possible messages the killer could have left. All the other enforcers were at the stations, but Kogami didn't care what they were doing. His focus was entirely on his own work.

That is until, Inspector Shimotsuki marched right up to Tsunemori who was sitting at her own desk.

"Regarding our approach to capturing the bomber the other day. I have written a full report," Shimotsuki said.

I'll bet you did, Kogami thought.

He didn't need to read the report to now what was probably in it. Something very uncomplimetary about Tsunemori, no doubt, along with a long rant on how all latent criminals deserved to be shot with Dominators on sight.

Tsunemori looked up from her computer. The look her face was unconcerned and placid.

"Please submit it to the Chief," She said and then she turned back to her computer.

Shimotsuki just stood there for a moment. Her body growing even more tense then usual as metaphorical steam practically spouted from ears.

"The focus of this report is not appropriate," Ginoza said from his desk, where he was probably reviewing the report. "An inspector who deviated from her duty?"

Kogami grimaced. 

Why couldn't Ginoza read the situation? Shimotsuki was looking for someone to blow up on without her least favorite enforcer making himself a convenient target for her wrath.

"I put words in the report about you too, Ginoza. To think that you point a Dominator at that Enforcer from Division 2," Shimotsuki said.

"I won't make excuses," Ginoza said, levelly as he turned to face Shimotsuki. "But following the book doesn't always give the best results. You should kept that in mind."

Kogami was torn between utter amazement that Ginoza would ever utter those words and annoyance that the idiot had just made the situation worse for himself.

Shimotsuki glared at Ginoza and snapped.

"I am not asking for opinions from an Enforcer."
This was going downhill fast. 

Kogami gave Yayoi a signifcant look then glanced pointedly at Shimotsuki.

"You may want to relax a little, Inspector Shimotsuki," Yayoi said. "He was an Inspector like you at one point and his judgement is based on experience."

Shimotsuki paused for a moment and her wrath faded.

"Yayoi," She said in disbelief then her tone hardened. "It is precisely because he used to be an inspector that I won't listen to him."

"This looks good," Tsunemori said quietly drawing all eyes to her. "It will be submitted later. Okay?"

"Are you sure?" Ginoza asked in surprise.

"Yep. You had permission from me to take out and use the paralyzer so you won't be punished, Ginoza," Tsunemori said.

Kogami hid a smile. 

Tsunemori was doing the smart thing by letting Shimotsuki submit her report. After all, she had been Chief Kasei's golden child since the Makishima case had ended. No petulant Junior Inspector's report was going to change that, no matter what Shimotsuki might think.