Back at the police station, I was admitted straight through to Gibson's office, as usual. He looked surprised to see me. Typically, the moment the door was closed, we both started to talk at once.
I held up my hands and he fell silent. Before I basked in the glory of my discoveries, I did actually want to apologise. "I wanted to say sorry about yesterday. I was a bitch and I said some things I didn't mean."
"I appreciate that, Gee," said Gibson sincerely. "And don't worry; no harm done. I wanted to apologise too. My decision still stands, but I shouldn't have babied you like I did."
"That's okay. You only had my best interests at heart," I accepted, wanting to butter him up before I started to get desperate again.
"Exactly," agreed Gibson, looking relieved that I wasn't kicking off again. "So what brings you back down here so soon? I know you could have just picked up the phone if all you'd wanted was to apologise."
I hesitated. "It's about the Kasagi case..."
Gibson looked exasperated. "Gee, I thought we went over this enough already."
"Gibs, please let me finish!" I interrupted before we could get into another argument.
He was ready to carry on talking, but he sighed reluctantly and waved me on. "Fine. Make your point."
I smiled quickly, grateful he was giving me a chance even though his decision was apparently final. "I really think I could be of help on this. Serial killers are my specialty. I know how criminals' minds work more than anyone else here does."
Gibson opened his mouth to say something, but I held up my hand again. "I know this case is more dangerous than normal... And I'm reminding you again that I can take care of myself. I carry my gun at all times on the job and you already know I'm trained in both kendo and capoeira."
Gibson huffed, but didn't say anything. I was obviously arguing my point better than I had yesterday. Of course, yesterday I'd started shouting and then stormed out. I wasn't gonna risk my second chance at this conversation by doing the same thing again. Though my next point was the touch-and-go mark.
"Now please don't get mad..." I started cautiously.
"Why?" asked Gibson sharply, instantly suspicious.
It was a stupid thing to say. I didn't know why I'd said it. Whenever you tell someone not to get mad, they automatically get mad before you even say anything. Oh well. No way was I turning back now.
"I did some of my own investigating and I think Carter may have been involved in an affair," I said all at once before he could interrupt again. "I'm not sure yet how relevant to the case it is. And I think that we could also be looking at the possibility of two different killers."
Gibson looked torn between disapproval and amazement. He was thinking so hard that I could practically see the cogs turning in his head. He finally said, "You really think we could have two killers on our hands?"
He wasn't shouting at me! Result! But I stayed calm – he wasn't letting me on the case just yet. "Based on the amount of evidence I have, it doesn't look like a very big possibility at the moment. But I don't want to discount anything yet."
Gibson nodded. "That seems valid. Now... tell me everything you've found."
I recounted everything I'd already told Kenichi and more. Right down to every last detail. This was where I was really fighting my battle. The importance of my discoveries would now determine whether I was going to be allowed on this case once and for all.
There was a long silence once I'd finished describing as much as I could. I sure as hell wasn't going to break it. This was all up to Gibson after all.
Eventually, he broke the silence. "Do you think there's a strong chance that Carter's possible affair could be linked to this case?"
"No," I admitted. "Not a strong chance. But it's a definite possibility. And I think that checking out Elizabeth's boyfriend has the potential to be very useful."
Gibson drummed his fingers on the desk. "Shou Tanaka has already been interviewed."
"Not by me he hasn't," I added confidently.
We stared at each other for a while until Gibson finally sighed. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"
I smiled. "Not a chance in hell."
I thought I saw a hint of a return smile, but he controlled his expression before I could be sure. "Fine. You're on the case. I'd prefer you to be investigating alongside the police, rather than running around doing it on your own."
I beamed at him. "Thanks, Gibs, you're the best!" I leant over the desk and promptly kissed him on the cheek. He actually looked a little embarrassed. Bless his socks.
He held up his index finger before I could get too excited. "There are a few conditions... Take a seat."
"Okay, shoot," I said, settling into the chair opposite.
"Well, as I said before, we've already hired another detective for this," Gibson reminded. "So for anything relating to this case, you'll be answering to him."
Oh, yeah. I'd actually forgotten about the other detective... Damn, this was gonna make me competitive as hell. I tried not to flip out like I had yesterday. "Yeah, I remember," I said casually. "So who is it? Anyone I may have heard of?"
"I should hope so," replied Gibson. "I presume you've heard of L..."
To say I was surprised would be an understatement. "L? Are you serious; you got L on this?"
L was known to be the best detective in the world, followed by Eraldo Coil and Deneuve. I always liked to think I was the healthy fourth. I wouldn't have exactly said I idolised L... For one thing, I'm not prone to hero worship. And for another, nobody really knew anything about him, except for his case record as a detective. And I had to say, it was impressive.
The simplest way to put it was that I'd always had a lot of respect for him. And it made me a lot happier that he was the one Gibson had chosen over me for this case. It hadn't just been any old detective – it had been the best. Gibson hadn't been kidding when he'd said he was highly commended. I then remembered something else that he'd mentioned yesterday.
"Hang on, you said yesterday that Kenichi had worked for him," I pointed out. "Ken's really worked with L before?"
"That's right," Gibson confirmed.
"Well, he never told me," I said grumpily. Stupid, secretive bastard.
Gibson just laughed at the sulky look on my face. "I wouldn't worry, Gee. You know as well as I do that Kenichi's hardly the talkative type."
"True," I had to agree. "Man, I'm still shocked... So you've actually met the famous L?"
"Not exactly," answered Gibson. He saw my questioning look and carried on. "Technically, none of us have actually met him." He gestured quotation marks with his fingers.
"What; you guys have been doing all this over the phone?" I said, somewhat bemused.
"Close," said Gibson dryly. "We've been communicating with him via computer screens. Almost like webcam, except without video feed. And he uses voice emulators to disguise his voice."
"Wow, talk about paranoia," I commented.
Yeesh. I hoped I never got that bad. I had a fair few enemies of my own, but I'd never hidden away. They could probably find where I lived quite easily if they wanted to. The fact had never really bothered me. But then again, I didn't have quite such a high status as L. I was willing to bet that he had a lot more enemies than I did.
"It does make the situation a little... awkward to work," agreed Gibson, making me wonder if he approved of L's methods or not. "Thankfully, we had Kenichi call in a favour with L's handler. Otherwise I doubt we would have been able to get hold of him."
"Well, I promise I won't be that difficult to work with," I joked.
"I don't doubt that," Gibson laughed. "Right. I'll have to request another meeting with L..."
"And by meeting you mean conversing with your computer?" I asked, unable to keep the scepticism from my face.
"That's right," said Gibson, ignoring my expression. "It'll probably be best to let him know that you've joined the team as soon as we can. I'm sure he'll want to know everything that's going on. We've been feeding back with regular updates."
"I'll be allowed to actually talk to him, won't I? I won't have to wear a blindfold or anything?" The whole situation seemed a bit bizarre to me.
"Come on, Gee... A few minutes ago, you seemed quite impressed that we had L on the job," said Gibson. "There's no reason to start criticising his methods yet."
"Fine," I conceded. Sure, the guy was a great detective and everything, but I couldn't see how anyone could solve all of their cases from behind a computer screen. And hell, it'd take all the fun out of it.
"Plus I'm sure he'll be quite interested in talking to you," added Gibson pointedly, knowing that would get my attention.
I couldn't help but be curious about that comment. "You told him about me?" I resisted the urge to act like a high school girl and demand to know all that had been said.
"I told him that you were our detective and that he should expect the possibility of you working alongside us too," Gibson explained.
I was surprised. "You knew you were eventually going to let me on this case?"
"Not exactly," replied Gibson. "I definitely didn't know you were gonna run off and start investigating by yourself. But after our little spat yesterday, I knew you weren't exactly going to be easy to deter."
"You got that right," I grinned, though the smile didn't last. "Wait... You didn't tell him I stormed out and basically acted like a complete child, did you?" Now that would be a great start to a working relationship with the world's greatest detective.
"Give me some credit, Gee. Of course I didn't. He can figure out you're a child for himself," Gibson teased, his eyes twinkling.
"Yeah, yeah... You can drop the cute act now," I said, though I couldn't help laughing. "Now what are you waiting for? Arrange this 'meeting' so that we can get back to work!" I copied his quotation marks gesture.
"Yes, mom," said Gibson sarcastically. "Why don't you go and grab a hot drink from the staff lounge? It could take a while for me to hear anything back."
"Sure thing," I agreed, getting to my feet. "Call me through when you hear anything."
Gibson nodded. "Will do."
I hurried out and shut the door behind me. I knew why Gibson really wanted me to go out. No one else was probably meant to know how he got in touch with L's handler. I didn't mind. I was curious as hell, but I was sure that I'd have more opportunities to try and find out. Right now, it would pay to stay on Gibson's good side.
Plus I wasn't complaining about having to go and hang out in the staff lounge for a while. They had hot chocolate in the drinks machine, which I have a bit of a weakness for. It's only plain – not my usual preferred hazelnut or caramel – but it's easily the nicest basic hot chocolate you'll find.
The staff lounge was empty, as I'd expected. It normally was at this time of day. Everyone was usually either out on patrol or too stuck into their paperwork to even consider a break.
While the drinks machine was rumbling up my hot chocolate, I bought a bag of potato chips from the vending machine in the corner. Seeing it had reminded me that I hadn't eaten anything yet today. I tend to do that a lot. I'll snack a fair bit when I'm at home, but I definitely don't have regular meals. I rarely find the time. And when I do, it's still just ready-made rubbish that you can shove in the microwave.
Armed with my bag of chips and my hot chocolate, I sat down on one of the cushy chairs. An array of magazines was spread out on the table in front of me. I ignored them. I don't read magazines. I don't like being told how to dress, what to eat, what to watch, even what guys to like...
Next to them were a stack of books; most of which weren't to my taste. Thankfully, my old copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula was still here. I'd been given double copies of it for my birthday the one year, so I kept the spare here for occasions such as this. I still spent a lot of time at the police station, so it often came in handy.
I'd gotten through a good six chapters, my bag of potato chips and an extra cup of hot chocolate before I was disturbed. I was surprised to see that my disturber was Chad. He came in and all but fell into the chair opposite me.
"How come you're back already?" I asked.
"Didn't I tell you I was finishing early?" Chad smiled, stretching himself out like a really big cat.
"You didn't. And why are you back here if you've finished for the day?" I said pointedly.
Chad shrugged. "You know how it is here." He had a point. Even the lazier officers like him couldn't seem to keep out of this place. "I wanna talk to Gibs before I go home anyways. He's busy at the moment."
"Yeah, I know," I said.
Chad grinned. "You tryin' to get on the Kasagi case again?"
"Why would I need to? I'm already on it," I grinned back. "I'm waiting for Gibs to get in touch with L right now."
Chad barked a laugh. "I knew he wouldn't keep you away for long. Congrats, Gee."
I smiled. "Thanks to you, of course!"
"Aww, stop, you'll make me blush," he joked.
I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh. "Chad, I've seen the magazines you read. Nothing could make you blush!"
Before Chad had time to think up a witty retort, the door opened. It was the receptionist. "Gee, Gibson wants you back in his office now."
I tossed my book onto the table and jumped up a little too quickly, making Chad smirk. "Okay, thanks." Chad gave me the double thumbs up as I followed the receptionist out the door. I carried on straight through into Gibson's office, trying not to look too excited.
I must have pulled it off, because Gibson didn't seem to notice anything. He motioned for me to take a seat, so I took the one opposite him once more. What I didn't realise was that he already had an open connection to L, because when his laptop suddenly answered whatever Gibson had said before I'd entered the room, I damn near fell off my seat.
Gibson raised his eyebrows, amused. I didn't find it funny. I was definitely glad his laptop didn't have video feed. "Thanks for the warning," I said sarcastically, repositioning myself.
"Sorry, Gee," grinned Gibson, still bemused. He pushed his laptop down to the end of the desk and turned it round so that we could both see the screen. It was blank, except for a large Gothic style 'L' in the centre. The theatrics were a little cheesy, but kind of exciting. "I'd like you to meet L."
"It's nice to meet you, Gee," replied the laptop in a smooth but robotic tone.
I felt like I was talking to an alien. I resisted the urge to say something like 'greetings, space invader'. I wanted to make a good first impression; not imply that I belonged in Arkham Asylum. Yeah, I know; I'm a total dork.
Instead, I settled for a totally lame, "Erm, hey." Plus I didn't like how everyone was throwing the word 'meet' around. Nobody was exactly meeting anyone in this situation.
"Welcome to the team," the voice continued. It was hard to think of him as an actual person when he sounded so industrialised. "I hear you convinced Mr. Gibson to change his mind about allowing you to join."
Have I also mentioned that I find voice emulators totally creepy? Says me, the horror movie freak. But again, I didn't voice what I was really thinking.
"Yeah, I can be pretty persuasive," I commented. Gibson snorted, but I ignored him. I didn't really know how to talk to L via this stupid laptop. What did I say? That I was a big fan? That I'd love to beat him to being the world's greatest detective? No way was I saying any of that. "But I'm grateful for the opportunity. I'm sure you'll be a pleasure to work with."
Gibson waggled his eyebrows at me. I flipped him the finger and half-heartedly looked around for something I could hit him with. Some superintendent... He wasn't usually this idiotic. And here I was trying to be all professional.
Luckily, L couldn't see any of what was going on. "As will you, I'm certain. Now, I've been told that you discovered further evidence to what forensics and the police were able to find?"
"That's right," I confirmed. I recounted everything a second time – in just as much detail as I'd given Gibson. Yeah, okay, I was trying to impress him. So sue me.
There was a silence on the other end of the connection until L finally said, "I believe you're going to be quite valuable to this team."
I just about burst with pride. Though I tried not to show it or get too carried away. I still had my own request to make.
"Thank you," I said graciously. "I know that there were more murders other than the two in Kasagi, but I know next to nothing about them. So if you don't mind, I'd like to hear all of the evidence that you and the police force have collected."
"Certainly," agreed L. "In regards to the murders in Kasagi, we've discovered no more than you have yourself. As for the other murders, there was one that occurred in Seika just three days after the first two, and then in Minamiyamashiro only a day later."
So all four had happened in less than a week. That was pretty hefty work, even for a serial killer. "What can you tell me about the victims?" I asked.
"The victim from Seika was an unemployed, middle-aged male by the name of Umehito Sashiro. He lived alone, had no immediate family and, from the looks of it, not many social contacts. Even though he was unemployed, he didn't seem to be in any financial trouble," L described.
I knew what he was trying to say – that there were no suspects for motive to murder him. It sounded like we were lucky that the murder was discovered at all. Nobody should have missed him.
However, L seemed to read my mind. "The only reason he was discovered so quickly is because one of the downstairs windows had been left open. The neighbours noticed it was left open for nearly two days, despite the early spring weather. They received no answer from repeatedly ringing the doorbell, so they called the police to investigate."
"Were the neighbours listed as possible suspects?" I enquired. Finding the window open could have just been a cover story.
"They were checked and cleared," replied L. "Forensics determined the time of death. Mr. Kanji was sighted speeding in Wakayama near to the time. The photograph from the speed camera shows that Mrs. Kanji was in the car with him. That was the only crime they committed that night."
Huh. Guess speed cameras weren't such a bad thing after all. "What about the next victim?"
"A couple actually," L corrected. "Jun and Miho Hirano. From the looks of it, Jun Hirano told his wife to hide when the house was broken into. He was killed first, after fighting back, and the police found Miho Hirano dead in the laundry cupboard."
I glanced over at Gibson. He'd been quiet, letting me ask L all of my questions. He nodded, confirming the story. And from the look on his face, he was the one who'd found Miho Hirano in the cupboard.
"Any viable suspects?" I continued my questioning.
"None," said L. "They'd been happily married for years. No kids, a close circle of friends, both from devoted families... Everyone who was interviewed said the same thing: nobody would have wanted them dead."
I frowned. So we had three people dead, but no one with the motive to murder any of them. "How were the victims killed?"
"The two from Kasagi had multiple stab wounds," L depicted. "The three later victims all bore signs of fighting back, but they were killed more quickly. Each was stabbed in the chest, severing the pulmonary artery and causing the heart to fail."
I mulled it over. "It's sounding more and more like there are two killers. Only now it sounds like the two in Kasagi were by the same person and the others were someone else." I didn't even want to contemplate the idea of a third killer.
"It's a definite possibility, though have you considered the odds of them trying to make it look like there are two killers?" L suggested. "Our killer could have changed his style accordingly to make us believe we have multiple murderers on the loose."
To be honest, I hadn't thought of that. But it was a good suggestion. "It's a fair assumption. So we either have two killers or we have just one who's a little too smart for his own good." I didn't know which I preferred.
"Either way, it's a little too early to tell. So for now, we will stick to the theory that there is only one killer," said L. "If we discover anymore evidence that suggests otherwise, then we shall have to re-assess."
I nodded, then remembered that he couldn't see me. Duh. "Sounds fine to me."
"Now I'd like to know what you think our next course of action should be," said L.
I hesitated. I didn't know what his course of action was going to be, but I knew what I wanted to do next. "I know Shou Tanaka has been interviewed already, but I'd like to check him out for myself. Then I want to investigate the crime scenes in Seika and Minamiyamashiro."
"I have no problem with that," L accepted. "You may be able to gather some new information."
"And at least now we'll actually know you're doing your own investigating," said Gibson sarcastically, finally interrupting.
I grinned at him. "How else was I meant to get your attention?"
"Yeah, okay, you got what you wanted. No need to be smug about it," Gibson grunted. He turned to his laptop. "L, I'm going to give Gee the rest of the information she needs. We'll be in touch if we find anything new."
"As will I," L concurred. "It was nice talking to you, Gee."
"Oh... Yeah. You too," I said, not sounding particularly smart. I'd kinda wanted to ask what he was going to be doing for the case, but for once, I held my tongue.
The screen went blank and Gibson closed the laptop. He turned back to me, smirking. "So are we impressed?"
"Marginally," I smiled. It was a bit of an understatement, but I didn't really want to waste time on the subject. "So... I'm hoping this information you're going to give me will include the addresses I need."
"Of course," said Gibson. He jotted everything down on a spare piece of paper and handed it to me. "Here are the addresses for Shou Tanaka, Umehito Sashiro and the Hirano couple. Go to Tanaka's first. While you're there, I'll clear you for access to Sashiro's house, since it's currently empty. There should be an officer there to meet you when you arrive and let you in."
"What about the Hiranos' house?" I asked, folding the paper and stuffing it in my bag. "Is anybody living there right now?"
"No, but you can go there tomorrow," said Gibson. I gave him a confused look. "It'll be pretty late by the time you've finished. Try and get plenty of sleep tonight. You'll need it; trust me. You won't be getting much now that you've joined this case."
"That's never stopped me before," I pointed out.
"Gee, I let you in on this. Humour me just this once," Gibson requested.
"Yeah, okay," I agreed, getting to my feet. "Thanks again for the opportunity, Gibs."
"You're welcome," said Gibson graciously. "Just take care of yourself. Don't make me regret it."
"I won't," I promised. "I'll call you if I find anything."
I was in such an elevated mood that, as I left Gibson's office, I very nearly waltzed straight into the man stood just outside. "Whoa, sorry about that!" I apologised quickly before actually taking in what he looked like.
Damn, did he look shady or what? He was dressed in a perfectly pressed suit with a matching black hat, which was tipped so far forward that the whole of his face was hidden in shadow. He didn't seem to mind that I'd nearly played bumper cars with him. He gave me a small bow and stepped aside, out of my way.
"Err, thanks," I said hesitantly. After all, the near collision had been my fault. Not his. But either way, I didn't really have time to be stood here dancing with this guy. I had leads to follow. "Sorry again!"
I shook it off and carried on out of the police station and back to my Toyota. It was a good thing I did so much driving around in Kyoto. I could find most addresses pretty easily. It was rare that I had to look one up. Shou Tanaka's house actually happened to be quite close to where Johnny's parents' lived.
I parked out of sight of the house, as usual, and continued to the front door on foot. I had to knock several times before anyone answered. The man before me was barely recognisable as the guy I'd seen in Elizabeth's photograph. His face was very stubbly and uneven, like he'd only made half an attempt at shaving. There were dark bags beneath his eyes and his hair was unkempt and in need of a cut. Elizabeth's death had obviously taken a toll on him.
"Can I help you?" he asked, though not very politely. He stayed half behind the door, as if he was ready to slam it shut at any moment.
I flashed him my old police badge in the same way that I'd done with Melissa. "Shou Tanaka?" He nodded curtly. "I'm working with the police department on the murder of Elizabeth Montgomery. I'm aware that you've already been interviewed by the police and I know that this must be a difficult time for you, but I'd like to ask you some questions myself, if that's okay?"
Shou wasn't as cooperative as Melissa had been. "You suspect me, don't you? Why else would you want to interview me twice?"
"Please don't jump to any conclusions, Mr. Tanaka," I reassured. "In order to solve this case, we're simply retracing our steps to see if we can pick up anymore useful information. You are not the only person we'll be interviewing more than once."
Okay, that may have been a lie... But I didn't really want to have a door slammed in my face.
It worked though, because Shou reluctantly opened the door all the way. "Fine. I'll answer your questions."
I followed him through into the lounge. He didn't sit down – an obvious sign that he wasn't giving me any open invitations to stay. I sat down anyway. Glancing around the room, I could see one of the reasons he wasn't keen on having company. The place was a tip. Not necessarily unclean, but definitely untidy.
"So how long were you and Elizabeth together?" I began with.
"About eighteen months," he replied shortly.
"And when was the last time you saw her?" I asked.
"It was earlier that day," said Shou. "She'd mostly been living here with me, but she had to go back to her own place that day to pick up some more clothes and things."
"And you can't think of anyone that would have wanted to hurt her?" I pressed on.
Shou shook his head. "Elizabeth was... good," he said gruffly. "She was nice to everyone. She didn't deserve this."
He looked teary. Oh, hell. I'm rubbish at dealing with emotional people. I tend to just offer them tea and then run away. I didn't really have that option here. "Were there ever any signs of Elizabeth being with someone else?" I asked quickly, changing tact.
It was almost certain that Carter had been having an affair. I had to try and chase the possibility that it could have been with Elizabeth – which would give a clear link between both murders. I steered clear of using the word 'cheating'. Nobody likes that word. I should know; I'd been on the unfortunate end of it before.
The question took him by surprise. "No... Not at all. Why would you think that?"
"It's just a possibility we're considering at the moment," I said shortly.
"Well, I don't know where you got that idea from, but you can forget it. Like I said, she was a good girl. She never wronged anyone. And she definitely wouldn't cheat." Shou looked a little uncomfortable at the thought, but he seemed sure of his answer.
Damn. It looked like that theory was out the window. At least it had only been a small chance in the first place. It would have been a nice way to tie the first two murders together, but it still wouldn't really have explained why Carter's love letters were all signed with an 'S'.
I grilled Shou with a few more questions, but I didn't get anything else useful out of him. He was reluctant to go into detail and he seemed constantly edgy and guarded. Was it simply because he was still going through mourning or did he have something to hide? Yeah, I know that makes me sound suspicious as hell. But this was my job. I had to assess every possible variable.
What I really wanted now was to have a look around, but I didn't push it. I knew what his answer would be to that request. I was lucky he'd even answered my questions in more than one syllable. I'd just have to hear from the police what they'd established when they'd conducted their search.
"Okay, Mr. Tanaka, I believe that's all I needed to ask," I finally announced. "Thank you for your time."
Shou just shrugged and followed me to the door. I was just about to thank him again when he suddenly said, "You're not getting anywhere with this case, are you?"
I was a little taken aback. This was the first time he'd come across as a strong person. His voice was so hard that I couldn't tell if his tone was accusatory or genuinely interested.
I simply gave him a polite smile. "I wouldn't say that at all. We have some of the best in the business working on this and I believe we're already making some headway."
Shou didn't seem very happy with my answer. Damn, he was weird... I bid him a quick goodbye before hurrying back down the front path. I heard the door slam behind me. Well, that had been a total dead end. I grumbled to myself all the way to my car. Still, at least I had two more crime scenes to check out. I did not want to report back to Gibson (not to mention L) with diddly-squat.