Marble || Edogawa Ranpo

Case 14

This case was far more than over.

"It will take time to recover their remaining. Meanwhile, you will file a full report, and this will be your next assignment."

Your chief slides you a few new confidential documents.

"As a prosecutor, this will be a good chance for you to prove yourself and your word."

However, in one of that document, it consists file of a serial killer on the loose who has killed 35 people, and the name for the suspect is...

"Kyouka... Izumi?"

*

You stop at the café to get a coffee that has become your favorite, and when you enter the café there weren't many customers, but you recognize one of them from his back, brown trench coat, and messy auburn hair.

"No matter how many times I see you, my heart is still fluttering like I am seeing you for the first time! Don't you think this call as a fate?" Dazai flirtatious voice reverberated and reach your ears. "Maybe we really a match made in heaven to cross the river of the afterlife together!" He proclaimed.

"The thing that was a call for fate is your 6 months tab, Dazai-san." The waitress answer to him with a bright smile, contrary to what she was saying. "Please settle it before you commit suicide and please do it alone."

"AH! The sound of my heartbreaking! What a ruthless lady you are!" He bemoans dramatically and flails his arms in the air with the cold rejection.

Is this how he acts every day? You sweatdropped just by thinking of it.

"Oh, welcome miss (Name)," When the waitress noticed your presence, she immediately greets you with an amiable smile, "May I take your order?"

"Black coffee with two spoons of sugar please." You replied and secretly admired how she can act normal right away with Dazai's antic.

"Ohhh! (Name)-chan~ You are here, how are you?" His attention is now shifted on you this time, Dazai immediately took his seat adjacent to you without being invited.

"I'm good, I guess? Just... I was scolded by my chief for the previous job," You said and sigh, placing your document down beside you on the seat.

"I heard about that from Tanizaki-kun. I'm glad to see that you are safe."

"Well... I have to thanks that to... Yosano-san? She's the one who heals me..."

"Right. Her ability is amazing, isn't it?" Dazai chirp in.

"Yes, I can't believe I'm still alive despite after all that." You still haven't met her formally, if you got the chance you will thank her properly later. It is your creed to repay your debt and gratitude to those who have help you. If not for her, you'd be buried alive for sure. You wonder what kind of person this Yosano is. But that can wait until later.

"She has helped us many times before and heal us in the blink of an eye." He places his hand under his chin, smiling knowingly "Are you here to meet Ranpo-san? He's still upstairs."

"I will meet with him later. What about you? Don't you have work to do? Or are you slacking off at this hour?" You inquired him and look at your wristwatch. It still early in the morning and lunch hour is by noon which is another couple of hours from now.

"Ouch. I'm not slacking off; I'm just taking a break you see~" He tried to defend himself in which you can obviously see he was lying. But that wasn't of your concern for now.

"Anyway, tell me about your encounter with the Fiend? The one that disguised as the culprit. I read the news you know, and he has done a pretty elaborate job of putting the display inside the museum."