~⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡☆⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡~
Y/n POV:
"A job? What kind?" Osamu asks.
~
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What a tragedy. What a great tragedy this is, that a young woman in her prime has lost her life. Sorrow is crushing my heart! She may as well have committed double suicide with me!" Osamu shouts.
"Who the hell is he?" Minoura asks.
"A colleague at the Agency. That's just how he is," Ranpo answered.
"He's also my brother..." I say after him.
"But rest in peace, m'lady. An extraordinary amazing detective will avenge you. Right, Ranpo-san?" Osamu says.
"But I have yet to get the job itself," Ranpo explains.
"What? Why?" Osamu asks.
"Ask this man," Ranpo says.
"We have no need for detectives. In fact, all of my subordinates are far superior to any private detective," Minoura states.
"Oh? You, what's your name?" Ranpo asks, pointing towards the other officer from before.
"What? I am Sergeant Sugimoto. The victim, Ms. Yamagiwa, was my senior!" Sugimoto says, raising his hand to salute.
'Oh? That's a pretty cool watch.'
'Wait, I feel like I've seen it before.'
'That's right. This lady is wearing a similar watch, almost identical.'
"All right, Sugimoto-kun. Solve this case in sixty seconds, starting now," Ranpo demands.
"What?!" Sugimoto exclaims, startled by the sudden demand.
"I can solve it in under a minute. If you're as good as he says you are, you should be able to do the same. Okay, give it a try, Sugimoto-kun!" Ranpo says.
"What?! Um, okay, well... Sixty seconds is a bit overkill, isn't it?!" Sugimoto says.
"Okay, fifty seconds left," Ranpo informs him.
"What?!" Sugimoto exclaims once more.
"Oh, right. Yamagiwa-senpai was pursuing a political corruption case and also investigating the Port Mafia. I believe the murderer's M.O. is similar to the Mafia's method of exacting retribution. Maybe she was killed by the mafia members she was investigating—" Sugimoto explains but Osamu interrupts him.
"Incorrect," Osamu states.
"What?" Sugimoto says, questioning Osamu's statement.
"The Port Mafia's retaliatory methods are as highly specific as a government-issued ID. First, the traitor is forced to bite the curb, then they kick the back of their head to shatter the jaw. As their victim writhes in agony, they flip him over, then shoot them in the chest three times," Osamu explains.
"If we're being specific, yes, but..." Sugimoto starts, unable to finish his sentence.
"So this M.O. is similar to the Mafia's, but not the same. That means..." Osamu starts.
"An attempt at a cover-up?" Minoura says, finishing Osamu's sentence.
"Shooting two extra rounds into the body just for that? How cruel," Sugimoto says.
'Extra? Why would he think they were extra and not three consecutive shots?'
"Beep! Okay, time's up! Too bad, you've got a ways to go before you reach my level. At the very least, this proved that your subordinates aren't all superior to me," Ranpo proclaims.
"Cut the crap! You've been going on and on about deduction and great detectives. You've been reading too much pulp fiction! Cases are solved by thorough investigations, interviewing persons of interest, and analyzing the scene of the crime," Minoura states.
"Huh? When are you going to realize it? Great detectives don't do 'investigations.' My ability, Super Deduction, can instantly identify the killer, and when and how the murder was committed. Furthermore, I can see in my mind's eye how I can make the killer confess, and where the evidence lies, as if it's an epiphany. I am an ability user, after all," Ranpo states.
"Given my line of work, I know about the existence of ability users. But if you have such a convenient ability, why do my colleagues and I still have a job?" Minoura asks.
"My thoughts, exactly. You've finally caught up," Ranpo answers.
"You bastard!" Minoura grumbles.
"Now, now, Detective. Ranpo-san's always like this," Osamu says, stepping in between the two to prevent things from deescalating.
"After all, my motto is, 'All's well that's well for me!' Catchy, right?" Ranpo says.
'Well, that's... something.'
"Well, well," Osamu says, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.
"Since you praise it so much, let's see this ability of yours," Minoura says.
"Oh? Are you asking if I can handle the case? You should've just asked me from the start," Ranpo says.
"Heh, you have a lot of confidence about this difficult case despite the lack of any evidence. Want me to count to sixty?" Minoura asks.
"I don't need that long," Ranpo states.
"Watch closely, Atsushi-kun. This is the ability that keeps the Agency going," Osamu explains to Atsushi.
"Ability: Super Deduction!" Ranpo shows as he takes out his glasses and places them on his face, adjusting them along the bridge of his nose.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Osamu approaching Ranpo, pinching a piece of his hair.
'Is he suspicious of Ranpo's "ability" as well?'
"I see," Ranpo says.
"'I see,' my ass. You're trying to imply you know who the killer is?" Minoura asks.
"Of course," Ranpo responds.
'I mean, I could take a guess but I don't have much evidence to back it up properly.'
"Huh?" Minoura questions.
"The killer is you, Sergeant Sugimoto," Ranpo states, pointing his finger at Sugimoto.
'Wow, I was right!'
"What?" Sugimoto says, confused by why he was being suspected.
"Ranpo-san?" Atsushi questions.
Minoura begins to chuckle before saying, "Sergeant Sugimoto is my subordinate."
"Sergeant Sugimoto is the one who killed her," Ranpo states once more, facing Minoura.
"Don't be stupid! It's impossible that the killer would appear nearby in the first place!" Minoura shouts.
"It's because he's the killer that he wants to stay close to the case. Besides, didn't I mention this? I also know where the evidence lies. Lend me your gun, will you?" Ranpo asks, turning his head towards Sugimoto.
"Y-You've got to be kidding. The punishment for handing a government-issued firearm to a civilian is far worse than a pay cut," Sugimoto explains.
"And here I was hoping you'd have a point. Are you detectives just talk?" Minoura asks, further doubting Ranpo's credibility.
"If we examine that gun and come up empty, then sure, I'm just a dumbass running my mouth," Ranpo explains.
"I've had enough of listening to you! Show him, Sugimoto!" Minoura commands.
"But..." Sugimoto hesitates.
"He's dug himself a deep hole, if we disprove him, he'll shut up and go home. We can't waste any more time. Show him your gun!" Minoura says.
He doesn't respond, only standing still while keeping his head down.
"Hey, what's the matter, Sugimoto?" Minoura asks him.
'Take a wild guess.'
"Even in this city, it's not easy for an amateur to get spare ammo. Even harder if the firearm was government-issued," Ranpo explains.
"Why aren't you saying anything, Sugimoto?!" Minoura asks.
"He's thinking hard right now about the three bullets he used, and how he'll explain their absence," Ranpo states.
"Sugimoto! You can't be the killer! Show us your gun, now!" Minoura shouts, Sugimoto slowly reaching for his gun holster after a few deafening seconds had passed.
"That's right, Sugimoto," Minoura nervously said, Sugimoto pulling out his gun while pushing down on the hammer of the gun.
'That's not good!'
"Sugimoto! Stop!" Minoura shouts as Sugimoto points his gun at Ranpo.
"Atsushi-kun! Go!" Osamu says as he shoves Atsushi in an attempt to get him to immobilize him.
Instinctively, my body moves on its own as I position myself in front of Ranpo, acting as his human shield. Fortunately, his shot missed and Atsushi was able to detain him.
Ranpo POV:
'She... tried to protect me...?'
'I wasn't expecting that.'
Y/n POV:
The surrounding officers circled around Sugimoto who was being pinned to the ground by Atsushi.
"Let me go! I have nothing to do with this!" Sugimoto pleads.
"Running away won't help. The murder took place early yesterday morning at the abandoned shipyard, 140 meters upstream from here," Ranpo explains.
"How'd you know that?" Sugimoto asks.
"If we go there, we should be able to find yours and the victim's footprints, as well as bloodstains you couldn't fully clean," Ranpo states.
"How? No one could've known," Sugimoto says.
"Let's hear the rest back at the station. It may be the last time it's your place of work," Minoura says, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.
~
"I didn't intend to shoot her. She... She was going after a certain politician for corruption. What they didn't predict was that she actually found evidence of a major Diet member's crime. However, the Diet member was savvy and tried to use a mole inside the police to get rid of the evidence," I hear Sugimoto say through the speakers as I watch his interrogation from behind a one-way window, meaning that I can see inside but Ranpo, Minoura, and Sugimoto can't see out.
"And you're that spy," Ranpo states.
"I'd always wanted to become a police officer. After I failed the exam three times, I was depressed. That was when a man reached out to me, asking if I was willing to do anything to become a cop. After joining the police force with the Diet member's help, I had to follow his orders in return," Sugimoto explains.
"So you killed Yamagiwa as one of his dogs?!" Sugimoto asks angrily.
"That's not it! I was trying to warn her. I told her she'd get herself killed if she didn't give up the evidence. But she..." Sugimoto proclaims.
"If you did nothing, you'd be convicted. You'd be fired from your job. In a panic, you could only think of one person to go to for help. How ironic. When you called the Diet member, he told you how to destroy the evidence. Just as you were told to, you fired two more shots into her chest to make it seem like the Mafia had done it. You set her adrift in the river to delay discovery," Ranpo explains.
"Where is the evidence Yamagiwa obtained? That Diet member's responsible for Yamagiwa's death! Tell me, Sugimoto!" Minoura shouts.
"Hey, Sugimoto-kun. Want me to guess what her final words to you were?" Ranpo asks.
'I'm sorry.'
"It was 'I'm sorry,' wasn't it?" Ranpo says.
"You really see through everything, don't you? The evidence is in my desk drawer," Sugimoto confesses.
~
"Thanks, I guess," Minoura says to Ranpo.
"Hm?" Ranpo hums, turning around to face Minoura.
"Also, I'm sorry I doubted your capabilities. If we run into another problematic case, we'll ask for your help," Minoura says.
"If you need my abilities, ask me any time. I'll give you a discount next time," Ranpo says.
"That'd be helpful," Minoura says.
The four of us proceeded to head back to the Agency, Ranpo in front while Osamu was in between me and Atsushi.
"Ranpo-san was amazing. I had no idea he'd figure everything out so quickly. His ability, Super Deduction, is amazing," Atsushi says.
"I was able to piece some things together, though," I say.
"Yeah, I might've figured out half of it," Osamu says.
"Half of what?" Atsushi asks.
"About that case just now. About how Ranpo-san figured it out," Osamu says.
"Oh, but he said his ability lets him figure it out instantly," Atsushi says.
"That's right, you don't know yet. Actually, Ranpo-san doesn't have an ability," Osamu states.
"Huh?!" Atsushi questions.
"Ranpo-san is a very rare ungifted civilian at the agency. He himself seems to believe he's using an ability, but... Oh, and despite his appearance, he's 26 years old," Osamu explains.
"What?" Atsushi says, shocked by the information Osamu was telling him.
"The reason why everyone at the agency respects Ranpo-san is because they know his Super Deduction isn't an ability. I'd heard of it, myself, but I only witnessed its power first-hand today. To tell you the truth, while he was 'using' his Super Deduction ability today, I was secretly pinching his hair behind him. As you well know, I can neutralize anyone's ability if I touch them, as well as Y/n. We have an anti-ability. No ability user can ever use their ability while we're touching any part of them, no matter how strong their powers may be. In other words, his Super Deduction is not an ability," Osamu explains.
"It's not? Then how'd he..." Atsushi says, wondering how Ranpo was able to figure everything out without an ability.
"It's probably just pure deduction, simple as that," I say.
"But how? He figured out who the killer was in such a short amount of time! Is mere deduction enough to make such a thing possible?" Atsushi asks.
"Right. I could tell too, actually," Osamu says.
"Me as well. I remember Sergeant Sugimoto mentioning how cruel it was to fire two extra shots into the body just for a cover-up. Normally, people would assume that all three shots were consecutive," I explain.
"Oh," Atsushi says.
"In other words, he knew that the victim had perished from the first shot. How could he have known that before an autopsy?" Osamu says.
"Only if he was the killer. But he also knew when it happened, early yesterday morning," Atsushi says.
"That's because the body was still in good condition. So, at most, it had only been floating in the river for a day. Yesterday was Tuesday, a weekday. But the victim wasn't wearing any makeup. A detective working long hours, often late into the night, would only be like that on a weekday if the murder had occurred in the early morning," Osamu explains.
"I see. But how did he know the crime scene, and that she was threatened with a gun?" Atsushi asks.
"That, I don't know. Ranpo-san probably caught a lot more details than I could hope to," Osamu states.
"That's true. He even guessed her final words," Atsushi says.
"I actually figured that out too," I say, Osamu responding with a "Me, too."
"She supposedly wasn't seeing anyone, but her wristwatch was an overseas brand-name item. It's not something a single woman would buy for herself. And Sergeant Sugimoto's watch was the men's version of the same model," Osamu explains.
"Then they were..." Atsushi says, starting to understand what Osamu was implying.
"She went to meet him early when he called, without bothering to put on makeup. And their watches are of the same model. They were dating. That's why he couldn't kick her in the head, even though he knew it wouldn't look like the Mafia's work. The ability to see through all that would be par for the course if it were actual ability. Nothing more, nothing less. But, if it's due to his personal powers of deduction, that's a different story. He's solved dozens of cases in the past. In every case, he was able to instantly determine the truth of the matter with the slimmest of leads. He's never been wrong, either. What a great man," Osamu says.
"Hey, guide! I can't find my way back to the Agency on my own, you know!" Ranpo shouts, a small chuckle managing to escape from my mouth.
"I think I kind of get it now. Why everyone at the Agency trusts Ranpo-san so much," Atsushi says.
"Me, too," I say, giving him a smile before running up to Ranpo to walk beside him.
~⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡☆⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡~