"Yare yare. Police in this city really depend on me that much huh? They can't even solve a simple case and catch one criminal without my help. But as a matter of course, it is a fact that everyone needs a great detective like me to solve it." He announced boastingly. It almost sounds plain obnoxious for you to hear.
'You guys are just incompetent fools and can't survive without me! And that's a fact!'
You have never met someone as conceited as he is just by reading his thought alone. But his exclaim does not contradict with his inner thought, perhaps he is a real deal?
Or... was he just all talk but no bark?
"By the way (Name)-san... what does prosecutor exactly do? If you don't mind me asking," Atsushi began to inquire since he was yet to familiarize himself with all the investigation stuff.
Well... what exactly is a prosecutor? An interesting question.
Prosecutor usually investigates crimes together with the police. They will contact the person suspected of the crime, the victim and witnesses, and have close contact with the police. Once the preliminary investigations have been completed, the prosecutor judges whether there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court. If it is a minor crime, and the suspect admits his or her guilt, the prosecutor imposes a fine. This is referred to as an order of summary punishment, and no trial will be held.
If an action is initiated there will be a trial in a court of law. The task of the prosecutor is to prove that the suspect has committed the crime. You need to question the suspect, the witnesses and experts in order to establish that the suspect is guilty.
In other words, to make it simple, "We investigate crimes, then decided to instigate legal proceedings to appear in the court if the felony is heavy and to prove that the suspect in question is guilty in a trial."
"Ohh... that sound amazing, (Name)-san. Although seems complicated for someone like me to understand. But you do look young to be an attorney. How old are you?" He tilted his head and his segmental heterochromia optic glossed with a curiosity to know.
"(Your age.)"
"Eh? Y-you are not that older than me?!" He suddenly cried in surprised.
"Why? Do you think I look like an incompetent amateur?"
"N-no, that's not what I mean!" He frantically tried to defend his statement. "What I mean is, that is an amazing feat (Name)-san. I have never been in the court before, but I heard being a lawyer is hard, so I'm impressed." He expressed in honesty.
'I wonder how much the salary of being a lawyer? It hasn't been long since I joined the agency...'
"Hey! Nothing is impressive as me when I'm here!" Ranpo interrupts your conversation. His slanted eyes assessed you once again. "That occupation sounds boring to death. You know, why go to that length when I, the famous detective can just solve any case with one glance?" He stated. "It's a given that you only need a detective such as me here."
You furrowed your eyebrows together at him.
"What do you mean by that? Prosecutor is also an important job." You refute back, "As a detective, you collect evidence and solve the case, true. But without prosecutor attorney, who will prosecute the verdict of the defendant in court whether they are guilty or not?" And to make sure they receive the right punishment befitting of their crime? There are many criminals out there who was convicted of their crime, but their punishment was light, short and... unfair even by the law. Without comprehending these responsibilities, he dares to look lightly on you?
"Heh. How stupid. Do I really have to spell that out for you?" He shrugs his shoulder and shakes his head, "It's really is simple. Even a kid in a neighborhood can tell you this much. As a famous detective such as myself, I can tell you the name of the culprit, their method, the time of the victim death took place, the witnesses, their motive without even going to court in just one glance!" He pressed once again with his unwavering confidence and taps his temple.
"So, whatever your name is, you don't have to worry since I am here. You can just sit back and relax there~" He chirps, "You are just wasting your time bidding with unnecessary investigation procedure or inside the courtroom meanwhile, as a great detective I can outright tell you if someone is guilty or not. Just like this," he snapped his finger to indicated it was that easy.
'Does she really not know of me? Then I can't help it! I must show her the difference between our levels! Poor little girl, she might not have what it takes to become a great detective like me after all if she can't tell a simple thing like that in one look. Oh well, not like anyone will ever reach my level. That is another fact. My ability is scarily too good, after all.'
You can't help but smirk curtly at this little man. Did he really look down on you that much? With that height of his? How laughable. At the very least, he should keep in check the level of his arrogance to match up with his height. His egos are outstandingly out of scales.
"Heh. As if you can achieve that level of deduction so easily. Please refrain from being too overconfident. After all, you are not Sir Arthur."
Ranpo tilts his head slightly with the mentioned name, "Who is Arthur?"
"You don't even know his name?" You chuckled, "Sir Arthur is a renowned consulting sleuth in London. He has worked over a dozen of difficult cases and solves it by his logic and deduction, that man, he is a wonder and gift of this world. An inspiration of mine, you can say, a mentor I look up for. Even after his death, his legacy still alive." You expressed your admiration toward him.
"Oh? A famous detective? But I have never heard of his name. Too bad."
'Maybe not so famous after all huh...'
This guy... what impudence. He is testing your patience to the limit here.
"His name is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, don't treat the depart with such insolence. Hmphed." How dare he trash talk the person you respect? "I've studied his case and follow his principal ever since."
"You say that, but aren't you just admiring and follow a trail of a dead person? On top of that, there's only one famous detective here. I don't see if he can get up from his grave and fly from London to Yokohama." He shrugs his shoulder and breath out lightly, expressing a sigh.
Tsk. He might have a point.
"Fine. Then, pray to tell me, how will you solve the case?"
"Of course, with my ability Super Deduction!" He announced and took a pose like a great detective he is. "All case is as good as it already unraveled before me the instant, I activated my ability!"
He is an ability user just like you? Really? But you have doubts about his claim.
"Super Deduction? How convenience to have an ability like that. If what you claim were true, then I supposed there's no need for any prosecutor like me to exist. No, even the court doesn't need to exist in the first place then." You remark in sarcasm, but it seems he took it differently than what you had intended.
"That's right! I expected no less from Minoura-san subordinate, you learn fast!" He replied with a satisfactory smirk tugging on his lips.
"You..."
Atsushi and Minoura look at each other and heave a sigh in Deja Vu.
'This has happened before, right?' Both of them thought in synch.
"Now, now, please let him settle this one (Name)-san. He is expert in this. He has helped us in various difficult cases before." Minoura stepped in between you two before you could argue with him further.
'This is why I have a bad feeling about this. Are we just going to stand and argue here when there's corpse over there?'
There's a limit on how one can underestimate your ability. If he claims he has one, then you do have too. And, you are not going to lose on someone who tells lies. Not even to someone like him.
"No. Am I not the one who supposed to direct this investigation? I can discern any form of deception with my ability just fine. Therefore, we don't need outsiders from a private detective agency like him. " You declared firmly. "I can tell right away if someone is guilty or not with my Deception Detection." You stood before him and cross your arms together to indicate your place. There's no way you'd let his remark slide.
"Hoo... oya, oya." Ranpo slightly lifts his eyelids and unveil his viridescent optics. It glistened with a new interest as he scoots closer to you, "Now you have piqued my attention. This is unexpected, so you are saying that you are an ability user as well?" He inquired in a low octave.
"And is that a challenged I hear from you?"
'Are you sure to challenge the world's renown detective like me? I won't let this chance pass if you do.'
You gulped on your saliva, why does his air suddenly change? It's like you have stepped upon a landmine that you shouldn't venture. He seems more laidback before, but his expression right now was none of the sorts and a bit intimidating. Breath in (Name), it's not like you are going to back off from him, right? You are not going to take back your word, right? Your mind was reeling to think if this was a good idea or not. You didn't know the extent of his ability, coupled with his cocky confidence, perhaps what he said was true after all.
No.
You are not going to quell by your doubt and prove it to him here and now.
"That's right." You asserted. "Before me, there's only black and white, the color of truth and lie."
Ranpo widened his cocky grinned even more with your declaration.
"Interesting, then the stage is yours." Ranpo gestured his hand and indicated to the cadaver body bag that lay across the red-stained tars. "Please enlightened me, on how this accident took place." He prompted as he didn't break his eye contact with you. If not for his attitude, you would think how charming he looks right now and how beautiful that eyes of his. But now is not the time to ogle on his arrogant face, that will just stroke his ego even more.
That sure sounds like a challenge coming from him, and for some reason, it feels like it turned out to be a showdown between you two. A battle of wit. Just from the pressure alone make you questioned yourself... can you do this?
Heh.
What a silly question, isn't it obvious?
"Hmph. A piece of cake." You stated, "Minoura-san. If you would, please call all the witnesses." You instructed him.
"Heh, so you do need to interrogate them first?" Ranpo derisively asks over your order. He can do even better than that.
You look at him with unwavering confidence and brimming with a haughty grin as much as he is, "Humph. I have my own way. You just have to sit back there and relax."
*
There are four men and two women that stand before you. They are the eyewitness of this accident and one of them is bound to be the culprit. If by chance, the criminal is not at the scene then there's no need for further interrogation. But this one, the one that leads to the victim's death must be nearby.
How can you be sure? Because you will know that at this instant.
"Witness state your testimony."
A simple question. One they might think that there will be no one who can read through their lie. You listen attentively to each of their testimony.
They glance at each other as if trying to look out for the real perpetrator but that is a grave mistake. Even if they act to feign innocent, that won't work. Even if they don't want to admit it, that won't either. You just need to look at them and you'll know: from the slight change of their body language, their averting gaze, the slight shift of their expression, every crease of their wrinkles.
Their mind is racing to think of different scenarios, different excuses, fabricated lies, and eureka, that's what you aimed for.
Everything is now laid bare before you.
"Hmph. I told you before, right?" You look at Ranpo who was observing how you will solve the case. "Any form of deception, I can tell them right away." You said confidently and point your finger at the culprit. "Madam, you are guilty."
She was taken aback by your sudden accusation.
"On what basis are you accusing her, (Name)-san?" Minoura speaks. Of course, he had doubts with you since you are still new.
"What do you mean me? I'm just a witness in this situation. I already told you I was on my way back from the market after buying groceries this morning and saw it happens. Isn't this just an accident? Then the fault one is the driver over there." She objects and gives her alibi. But her inner thought is in turmoil and it is very clear as day for you to read.
'Does she know? But she has no evidence! I- I- I already disposed of the evidence! There's no way they can track that in the toilet drainpipe! Calm- calm down! There's witness seeing me, I have a concrete alibi. That bastard deserved to die and rot in hell after what he has done to my daughter. I just did what is right. Yes, I did what is justice that police enforcer fails to do. The plan is perfect. There is no way in finding me guilty.'
How can you not facepalm in this kind of situation?
Human is such a foul creature and a pitiful one at that too. The more they try to deny the reality, the more they will tell lies to themselves just to feel at ease. But no matter what, once a liar, will always be a liar.
"True that you did go on the market this morning, if we ask around to those whoever saw you then they are sure to confirm that alibi" You elucidated, "But here where it lies the truth of your motive."
You stretch your hand to the scene.
"At first glance, it might seem like a traffic accident, and this poor old man was hit in the middle of it while he was crossing the road. He's a newspaper subscription at the age of 52 years old but when I inspect his body, there's no ring indicated that he's a married man or not, therefore he has no family. But there's something that interesting, a scar around his hand that seems like it was made by a sharp mark but in actuality, fingernails mark made by a human. A girl at a young age, I might say. A mark from struggling." You disclosed and pieced together with your logic. Now you are frowning upon this fact, it didn't take you long to deduce what caused this whole mess and the death of the victim.
"He might have used his occupation to conceal his activity and track from public eyes for many years with such a perfect disguise. That is, harassing kindergarten girls in the morning while pretend on delivering papers... he was a pedophile and your daughter happens to be one of his victims."
She does seem shaken by your explanation. "That didn't explain that I did it."
True, it's just a baseless conjecture... for now.
"You are a married woman, I presumed. But your daughter is not with you, and I don't think she's in kindergarten either. You have this depression look on your face so, I come to the conclusion that perhaps she has passed away. Your husband is not here with you too, is he working? This is an office hour, maybe, but that's not the case, isn't it?" You continue and read her mind as she keeps thinking about it. "You said that you went on groceries shopping, why this morning of all day? Your skin as pale as the moon, indicating that you have been reclusive and haven't gone out for months from your house... you are skinny, almost like you have no appetite to eat. Tell me, what did you buy this morning?"
"W-well, just food supplies since I am running out of stock. And there's also private... stuff that I buy for women."
"That is weird. You don't have to go on your way to buy yourself when you often use delivery services. Your hand, it hasn't touch pot or knife in months, have they? And it seems that your fingers often dial on your phone."
"I just felt like going out for fresh air!" She objects. "And I wanted to cook... a new dish."
"A circumstance excuses." You interject. She's adamant to deny the accusation. Of course, a liar wouldn't admit that they were lying, would they?
"You couldn't bring him up to justice because you lack the evidence to catch him. Even the police couldn't do anything simply by a baseless charge alone. This man is cunning enough to hide his track. So, you decided to bring justice for your daughter by killing him yourself," You thought how ironic it was.
What is justice when killing is the only solution? Even so, could you blame the mother for her action?
"But you still don't have any proof to say I did." The woman steels herself to deny your accusation.
"I was about to conclude that." You said and look somewhat melancholy at the scene before you. "But isn't this just sad? You were forced to be like this because of the society we lived in. Truly, what a sick world. There are so many pretenders and hypocrites..."
"What about the killing method?" Ranpo interposed, he doesn't look interested to know the motive behind it anymore.
"Minoura-san, you said that he died from being hit by a car, and it seems he was having a heart attack before it right?" You indicated to the dead body and Minoura nods.
"See this small graze from his thumb? He was infected by a small dosage of poison, but he didn't realize that when he places his newspaper in front of one of their doors, he thought it was a normal cut, but a small dosage is still lethal. The poison causes his body to have a slow heartbeat rate and eventually, numb his movement while he was leaving the premise and ended up getting struck by a car while he was crossing the road. The whole accident thing is staged to framed someone else as the killer, while the real evidence already been disposed inside of your toilet drainage, isn't that right, Ma'am?" You asked her directly.
"But if we examined your house there might be evidence left of your misfit, and the subtle substance left by your toilet with a forensic unit. You might think that the poison can be dissolute with water and undetectable, but if we narrowed down the possibility of this person's death and perform an autopsy, we can find the same compound in his bloodstream. That is the perfect poison that you use, oleander."
Oleander, what a clever choice she makes.
"The poison is highly toxic, even taking a small amount of it is deadly. There will be a symptom such as limp paralysis, difficulty in breathing, pupils dilation, frenzy, but most of all it is to attack his nervous system... "
But to plan this whole farce... she really thinks this thoroughly.
"You plan to make him die as if it looks like a heart attack, given his age and medical background, even any doctor will come into that conclusion. But this accident happens, and you think you can get away from this murder. And plus, now that his body has many injuries from the accident, it would even mislead any expert and disregard the poison as the main cause of his death. No, the main reason that leads to his death. Well, one crucial point that you miss is that, working with a poison, then you must have stored the antidote somewhere as a safety means. And you keep it neatly by your dresser. That alone suffices to prove that you are guilty."
The culprit falls on her knees, having been exposed with no chance of rebuttal.
'H-how can she look right through it just like that?'
Well, you won't be able to tell if she hadn't keep thinking and exposed about it herself. Kind of cheating on your part. But so long as it was meant to bring justice, then you will do anything at your disposal.
That is what it means to be a prosecutor.
"Time's up!" Ranpo clasps his hand. "That's a good deduction, but it is really subpar to my level. It seems that you still have a long way to go, (Name)-chan. Anyway, I will give you two points." He assessed and then he pats your shoulder. "Because there's one crucial point that you miss." He points out.
You rose an eyebrow at him, since when did he count the time? No, did he just call you by your name?
"What is it?"
"That she has an accomplice." He stated. "But to begin with, there's one big flaw in your deduction. A newbie mistake, one that often makes." Ranpo clicked his tongue like he was disappointed.
'I guess that really makes me the one and only famous detective here, huh?'
"And that is?" You urged him to continue. What is it that you have overlooked but he didn't?
"Oya... you want to know? Is that a request I heard?" Ranpo inclined closer and look at you with a triumph written all over his smug face. He was so close that you can smell his sweet fragrance. He smells like sweet candy.
'It can't be help if you beg me! Like, really, really, beg me for it, and you'll see the distinct difference between us! Like heaven and earth, to be precise!'
This guy... who does he think he is? His inner thought is very unpleasant for you. How can he be so self-absorbed with himself? Is he always like this? You shift your gaze between Atsushi and Minoura who has that defeated look saying, "That's just how he is. Deal with it."
You can't help but want to roll your eyes over this imposing little guy. "Fine, whatever. Tell me then, oh great detective from Armed Detective Agency. Unveil the real truth behind this case with your ability, Ranpo-sama." You give him a mock curtsy that intends to be sarcasm. Yet again he mistook it for a compliment as an homage to his great existence.
"Hah! Why don't you just say so from the beginning? Watch and learn from a great detective like me, then without further ado, ability: Super Deduction." With the said statement, he whipped out a black-rimmed glasses from his pocket and slipped it on. How can a person with this kind of personality look good with it? This world is very unfair, indeed. But of course, you won't admit that out loud. Not on your life, ever.
"I see. I get it now." In a matter-of-second, he assesses all the information and piece together all the clues and evidence, and he can already conclude everything with precision. Ranpo raise his hand and point his finger to the perpetrator amongst the bystander that watch from the sidelines;
"The other accomplice is... you."