Marble || Edogawa Ranpo

Case 10

"Now... let us begin."

The curtain had just raised.

*

Three days later...

Standing in front of the mahogany door, you read the bronze plate with Armed Detective Agency letters engraved on its multiple times. You contemplated with your own conscience and debate inside a self-imagining courtroom, this is the second time you are here, so why are you being shy and meekly like this? It's not that you were nervous or anything, this so unlike you. Usually, you will not hesitate and stride with head held high.

Yes, at least, you have self-respect. If by any chance you had gone astray, maybe you will be by the end of the world and become the most famous criminal. But your conscience forbids you to do that no matter how tempting it sounds. Reading minds, detect deception from someone- imagine how rich can you be racking all the money in the casinos? You can be a billionaire with little no effort, spending days lazing around, swim inside a pool of million cash, sipping the most expensive champagne with glass made of gold that adorned with diamonds and just orders what you wish from a faithful servant at the beck of your call.

You can even become a modern age Lupin had your desire to become a thief. No amount of traps that they lay will stop you from stealing the most precious treasure, no matter how tight the security was, you can find your way and slip through them before they can even grasp a strand of your hair. You can be invincible and elusive, tricking their minds amidst their confusion, then before anyone realizes, the treasure already disappears.

Don't forget that you can also be a manipulator bitch if you so desire to manipulate to those around you like a puppet. Yet here you are, standing as a prosecutor in front of the detective agency's office as your fate should be.

You can hear a muffled conversation from behind the closed door, and one of the familiar voices bound to belongs to Ranpo... just thinking about him make you feel weird. Not that sort of weird, but weird, weird. This tingly feeling rumbling, thump, thump, thump inside your heart, as if telling you something as it beat louder.

Could it be...?

"If you have time to be standing here, why don't you spare it to enter?"

You were startled with the sudden greeting and abruptly look at the owner. Perhaps, being too preoccupied you didn't notice he is already standing behind you. How? No matter how absentminded you are, you heard no footsteps coming, and his presence didn't emit anything for you to be alert either.

With that level of stealthy, he's just like... an assassin.

"M-my bad! I didn't mean to..." You quickly dip your head in front of him out of fear and your heartbeat starts to escalate. This person, isn't he the one that you saw back then? You had never met someone who has an intimidating countenance as he is. Your first impression of him wasn't wrong. He's kind of scary, and to meet him out of all people here first, talk about sheer bad luck.

"Don't mind me." He merely dismisses it, his tone was calm and stern. "You are here for the agency, then why don't you enter?" He queried. Up close, you can feel how overwhelming his ambiance is and for a short time, you forget how to breathe.

He's the President of Armed Detective Agency.

"I'm just nervous sir!" You stated and gulped. Under his steel gaze, you felt like you were shrinking smaller and smaller like a small kitten being terrified. Ironically, you have faced trials and talk with many convicted criminals, handle glaring threats and stand tall before the pressure of defense attorney, but never once did you falter like this. He makes you want to cry to your mother's grave. You don't even have the guts to pry into his mind and avert your eyes to the floor, fiddling with your thumbs like a child waiting to be scolds.