After our discussion, I decided to examine everything over again. The evidence the boss'd obtained, the video I recorded, whole manor area, everything.
I must say searching the whole manor was almost a massive failure. But thanks to the nearly undetectable attic, it had revealed everything. There's a shed load of skate shoes up there and ones amongst those happened to be somewhat moist and reddish and somehow irritating my nose.
I peaked inside of it. Well, not 100% sure but assuming it might be wood dust.
All ingredients are ready to be cooked, I believe. It is time to unravel this mystery. First time in my life. Hope I don't fuck up.
I have returned to the dining and start solving the case.
"Bel! Ready to solve the case?" Approached, the Boss.
"I...suppose" I answer hesitatingly.
"Very well, let's hear your deduction then. All in agreement!?" Queried, Momoko Momiji.
"Aye!!!"
"Ok, how should I start? God, this is nerve breaking!" I nervously whispered to myself. "Umm... let's discuss some minor mystery first, shall we? Firstly, the missing laxative."
"You mean my laxative?" Confirmed, Tomo Momiji.
"Precisely! And it is now here in this very room."
"Are you sure that the murderer still keep it with themselves? I mean, surely, they aren't stupid."
"No, not with them but inside Ms Shiroaki, Mr Momiji and the victim, Mr Levyanov."
"Huh? Wha? Me?"
"Hadn't you mentioned it before? Your peculiar nap during noontime?"
"Ah! That."
"And you were brewing earl grey before that, Ja?"
"Yeah" Ms Shiroaki shook her head.
"And you drank it."
"Yeah, just a sip. That's all."
"Oh! Could it be?" Muttering, Ms Inafune.
"Yes, Ms Inafune?"
"Could there be... the missing laxative in her tea and that very tea was also served to the victim and the chairman?" Confidently explained, Ms Inafune.
"Indeed, the tea was poisoned. Now mystery no.2 'a tiny drop of an ambiguous red substance in the hallway near the kitchen'"
"Wow, that was brief." Mildly surprised, Momoko Momiji.
"It was indubitably blood. But whose blood was it? Any ideas?"
"I think it's obvious. It's the victim." replied, Momoko Momiji.
"I don't think so, Momo. I have a contrary idea." Contradicted, Tome Momiji.
"Seriously, Mom?"
"Umm......I genuinely agree with Tome-San. If the blood was belong to the victim. I think there ought to be more than a drop. If it meant to be from either the victim or a bloody weapon."
"Right, thank you, Mr Nakajima. If my deduction is correct. The culprit must still have it on their body. The injury induced by a sharp object."
"Then should we do full body examination or something? To find the injury." Questioned, Ms Iwamoto.
"No need to go that far. Just show me your hands, everyone."
Everyone in the room showed me their hands. No injury spotted from Ms Inafune, Mr Nakajima, so forth. Nothing was discovered so far yet my searching has to stop in front of him.
"Don't tell me it was you!" Startled, Ms Iwamoto.
"Yes, it was him. With his body type, he could easily kill the man in a jiffy."
"Say, detective. Were this to be true, then where is the murder weapon now. And how the crime was committed exactly. Act 1,2,3 and so on."
"Alright, allow me to explain. First act, Get the skate shoes out of the attic, steal the laxative, get rid of the soy sauce to lure Nobugo away. Wait until Ms Shiroaki put the kettle on. Put laxative in the tea, Ms Shiroaki have a sip and become sleepy. She sleep, he prepare the tea, serve it to those two then return to get the shoes, get bleed on the way back, position the victim, wear the shoes, slash the throat, back to the kitchen, get a bucket of water, back to music room, cleaning his bloody clothes using the salt and lemon juice that he already took from the kitchen, get rid of the water by pouring it out the window where the flowers lies, drying it by using a heater in room and done all is completed."
"My, that was vaguely fast."
"Nevertheless, the police will come soon. If they analyse the blood either in the hallway, garden or even on his shirt, it will prove my deduction whether it's correct or erroneous."
"Why don't you say something! Say something!......... say something, would you? Kokoro."
Momoko Momiji had fallen down on her knees crying while asking her nephew a reason for his action. But no, not a word had left his mouth. Not a word from anybody else until the copper came.
Several days later, Nabari, Mie, Japan.
Due to Rampo's invitation, before our departing day, Boss and I had to go to his house in Nabari for some ambiguous reason.
The place is an utter mess. All corner cluttered with pile of books of books and books as if the place was made of them. As we stepped deeper into the house, a smell of something burnt had wafted through our nose.
Deeper we approached, stronger the smell. It brought us to a room where an argument was heard.
"先生! Your pasta burnt!"
"Where's paprika? I need more paprika."
"Put the pasta out!!"
"God, boiled me another!"
Now I understand the concept of hell's kitchen.
"Boss, should we go back?"
"Bel, it's rude. We must go in."
"Alright, here we go! One!........."
*Wam!* The door slammed onto my face.
"Oh, Mr Ruby, you arrived." A man appeared: Pale yellowish skin, black neat hair, significantly diminutive eyes, rather tall no 'towering' might be a right word and absurdly familiar mouth.
"Argh, that's bloody excruciating! Watch where you going!"
"Sorry, didn't see you there." As he shut the door and our eyes met, his face had turned pale and stunned as though he saw a ghost which is utterly ridiculous.
"I......I...I LOVE YOU! Please marry me!!!"
"Huh? What the fuck?"
*boink* "calm your wienie!"
"Hey, Ed!"
"Hi, Rub! Just go wait in the living for a minute. Emile will lead the way."
That weirdo has taken us to the living room which was literally nothing different than hallway we were passing through. Myriad of books, two rusty sofas, an armchair, creaking coffee table and a junky telly.
In just a jiffy, Rampo approached us.
"Sorry for the waiting! I'm ordering food for us. Hope you like sushi, Rub."
"Yeah, that's fine."
"Now, this is my cousin and apprentice, Emile Wang. hope you take a good care of him as you promised."
"Of course, deal's a deal. Although, it may not be as we intended. But still, it's a good start for him, right? He could handle it alone now."
"Maybe you should send him on a solo mission first. See if he can deal with it. You know, it takes times, many endeavour and failure to master something."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
"Hold on, What're you two talking about just now? Boss? You wanna fire me and hire this... 'weirdo' instead of me."
"Silly boy, it's not like that." Rampo walked toward me patting on my head. "Aww, he's so cute. Can't we just swap instead? I wanna keep him." Rampo continuously nagged me by hugging, patting and smooching.
"Now... bouss plhese... Down't"
"No way, Ed. He's like everything to me. My shining armour, my precious partner, my personal doctor, etc. I'll never give him to anyone but his sisters."
"Aww, too bad. Thought I..."
Before he could continue his word. The door has been knocked.
"Ah, food's here. Let's eat"
A day after, I, Boss and that weirdo returned to Poitier. The weirdo has moved into Boss's house. Sharing the same room with him. I can't believe Ms Mei let them live together. But when I begged her to move in, she's against it like totally. I'm ways billions percentage better than him. Why she had to be against it, I wonder.
Yeah, right. Another thing I've been wondering about for quite some time now. About the boss and Rampo, were they acquainted before? It seems like they've been known each other for years . Also, what deal did they make? Was it related to the case? And Did Ms Inafune has a role in this deal? Curious, indeed.
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