Marble || Edogawa Ranpo

Case 14

"What did I expect from a rookie like you, don't you know you are putting a shame to our name?"

Standing before your chief in the district prosecutor building, you stood rigidly under his stern stare. He was a man in his middle fifty, an experienced prosecutor and a veteran at that. Aratsuki Matsuda, you've heard about his accomplishment ever since he becomes a prosecutor in his life. And he was said to be a strict man who values perfection above anything else.

"You even risk your life with reckless operation." He adds again. "You were recommended from the place you went court internship in London, and I even give my consent of joint investigation team to the Armed Detective Agency with your proposal, since I heard they have quite a reputation. But to think I place I high expectation on you... this is very unbecoming." Sir Matsuda didn't hide his disappointment at all.

'As I thought, she's too young to handle this case and really inexperienced at that. Here I thought it was a good opportunity to keep an eye to that agency.'

Of course, you knew that you failed and you already prepared yourself to receive the lecture. But that inner remark was so uncalled for. So he just wants to use you to keep surveillance on the Armed Detective Agency?

"Do you know what it's meant to become a prosecutor?" He asks.

"That we are allies of justice, sir?"

"That's what people often refer us to. But our job is not that simple." Sir Matsuda laced his wrinkle fingers, "As a prosecutor, it's not just the title and the badge we carried."

The badge huh...? You unconsciously touch the prosecutor badge on your lapel, it was a shape of blazing sun looming over a winter frost, which an allusion to climactic extremes that evokes the harshness of punishment and the constancy of principles expected from the nation's prosecutors.

Although it was just a badge, it held a big significant meaning since it is very important to every lawyer. The badges technically belong to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, which only lends them to lawyers who, according to the federation's Rules on Lawyer Badges, must return them if they are disbarred, convicted of a crime or declared bankrupt or dead.

And as it goes, it also gives special authority to those who possessed it and oftentimes, some prosecutor would abuse the use of this badge to get special treatment. Oh, but you are not that one of a kind. If not for formal occasions or meetings, you would keep in your pocket instead since you fear to lose it.

"We are to seek justice, fight crime and help victims, sir." You replied again. This time, more assertive.

"Yes, that might be right... but those victims, in this case, were buried under the rubber along with all the evidence and the real culprit has been found dead."

Right... you have no word to retort. After that incident three days ago, recalling the Fiend who posed as Fukuda Seiji, you felt bitter that he gets away right under your nose. But that time, you had no choice. And afterward, they discovered the real Fukuda Seiji, just as the Fiend has said that he died exactly as he wishes- he was turned as a human chair and place publicly inside a museum grisly as display. To what and how it get in there right under a tight security, no one knows.

It causes an uproar and the news regarding it spread across all over the internet and bulletin along with a note "Thyself shall see the act; For, as thou urgest justice, be assured Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desir'st." And a small sigil of his symbol.

With his crimes come to light, some even speculate that maybe the Fiend was the true savior who gives him what he deserves. Although, you think it was the opposite. That Fiend seems like a flamboyant person and likes to be bask with attention and a Shakespeare nerd at that. But what he said before still disturb you.