[https://i.imgur.com/MQMsVE5.jpg]
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On September 07, a Wednesday that should have been like any other, Raiji suggested Deshya meet him at Linda Park, about five minutes from Tetazo's school. Raiji warns the girl in the fox sweater that he will arrive a few minutes late, having to chat with a friend and his family before coming to the park. Deshya goes straight to the park and waits for him there, but as she sits quietly on a bench, she notices a bright glint in the corner of her eye, on the side of the forest that borders the park. When she heads there to satisfy her curiosity, a shocking scene presents itself to her eyes: the murder of a girl by a young man hidden by a long dark garment, his head under a loose hood. Deshya flees and texts Raiji to confess what she has just seen, but before she can escape the park, she is hit on the head and loses consciousness on the spot. Unfortunately, her phone is still on, so the kidnapper takes the opportunity to call Deshya's father, 'Gatito Oveja', the inspector of the Tetazo police force. A request for 300,000 euros in cash is made in order to free Deshya. Left with no choice, Gatito agrees, while Sammy and Korone go to talk to the victim's parents. They learn that three young men could be potential culprits:
Jean Boketsu, the ex-boyfriend of Claire Dochamps, the latter being the one who broke it off. However, when they go to check his alibi, Jean's mother explains that he was in her room at the time of the crime, playing an online video game, and even answered her call to eat dinner. He arrived a few minutes later from his room.
Adam Evans, Jean Boketsu's ex-boyfriend, who was dumped by Jean when he took up with Claire. Adam feels hatred for Claire, not Jean, to the point of harassing her. He's arrived a few minutes late at the fast-food restaurant to eat burgers with his friends, but the time he should have taken from the crime scene to where he is is far too long for him to have killed Claire: besides, he doesn't have a driver's license or a car.
The last is Tom Loston, Adam Evans' best friend. He was stalking Claire at Adam's side for fun, but doesn't seem to have a motive for murder. He was at the gym a few minutes after the murder, but there's no way he could have committed the murder and got back in time.
In short, all three have alibis.
However, Korone asks Sammy to return to the home of one of the three suspects so she can find proof that this person is the criminal. When she returns, she discovers a certain object in the suspect's room, as well as a strange trace very close to the window: she is now convinced that Jean Boketsu is the criminal, as well as her theory about the case and how he managed to create his alibi. Korone emerges from the house at Sammy's side and again asks for his help in rescuing Deshya, which seems to surprise the detective.
For his part, Raiji took the train to Bexel, first passing through the town north of Tetazo, 'Izambar', alongside five policemen who hid under normal clothes and kept a close eye on him. Unfortunately, this plan didn't work out so well: Raiji received a call from the kidnapper, who ordered him to get off the train at the last minute with the money and head for the field below to escape from the police. Which he does without question. There, he enters a small shed monitored by a webcam. Colorful clothes await him on a short table: he has to undress and put them on to ensure that no microphone or sensor is hidden on him. Raiji must then join a train at track 12 of Izambar station to return to Tetazo, where he will finally know where he must offer the ransom to save Deshya. On the way back, he finally learns the final location: an abandoned warehouse close to Linda Park, scheduled to be destroyed shortly. Raiji runs to it, and at around 4 p.m., he arrives inside and meets the culprit of this affair, hidden under a long, dark, hooded garment. He sets the bag down a few steps away from this person and smiles.
- You're the boss... Jean Boketsu.
He pronounces the identity of the culprit in this case, which shocks the kidnapper. The latter removes his hood and finally shows his face: short black hair and dark brown eyes behind rectangular glasses. The weapon in Jean's hands continues to point at Raiji's body, but this doesn't stop the teenager from smiling broadly.
- I know it was you who killed Claire Dochamps, and I even know how you fabricated your alibi. I know you did it.
He finishes his sentence by looking up at him, the cap still on top of his head.
- Or rather, that you are THE culprits.
CHAPTER 34
⎾The Fox-Eared Eye Witness Kidnapping Case ; Raiji and Korone⏌
- That WE are THE culprits...?" repeats Jean, his finger trembling on the gun's trigger.
Raiji drops the brim of his cap and tells him that's what he just said. Jean squints, staring at the boy in front of him, interested, but feeling a strange, even disturbing feeling.
- What do you mean...?
Raiji took another step back, the bag with the money as far away from him as it was from Jean.
- I mean, I figured out how you made up your alibi. You may have killed Claire Dochamps, but…
Raiji frowns.
- Jean Boketsu. Adam Evans. Tom Loston. You're all three accomplices.
As he utters these words, he points at the young man in front of him with a serious expression. Jean takes a step back and an unpleasant shiver runs through his body. He almost pulls the trigger on his gun, but holds back and simply squeezes. Raiji almost crouches when he sees Jean's reaction, but fortunately for him, he doesn't shoot. The boy sighs in relief and shakes his head, as well as his body.
- I thought I was going to get shot... Aaaah…
The fear he's just felt is one he's never experienced before. Nevertheless, he doesn't have time to breathe on his own, happy to have been spared: he continues to speak, staring at Jean.
- You're the one who killed your ex, Claire Dochamps. A fatal blow to the back of the head at the edge of the forest, right next to the park. I suppose you were going to take her further away first, but she refused, huh?
Jean swallows loudly and keeps his gaze on the teenager in front of him, dozens of steps away.
- Given that the police found Claire's phone next to her body, I assume you contacted her a few days ago to arrange a meeting, or else you deleted your message from her phone. You were a couple before, so it's not impossible that you knew her number and she simply forgot to change it," Raiji talks to him.
- ... Eheh. Ahah, ahahah!
Suddenly, Jean bursts out laughing. Raiji remains in his place, staring intently at the dark-haired young man. He who killed a girl for probably some macabre reason, simply because of a break-up. His laughter echoes in the warehouse, the atmosphere plummets and Raiji swallows loudly, feeling uncomfortable. Jean calms down and points the gun at Raiji again.
- I guess there's no point in lying, now that you've seen my face and you seem to be convinced of yourself. But you say Adam and Tom are in on it, too? Why is that, tell me?
Raiji tucks his hands into his trouser pockets, where he finds his phone and Deshya's father's phone.
- Since it's you, but you've got an alibi, you couldn't have done it on your own. Well, it's possible, but given the situation, someone had to help you," explains Raiji. You asked one of your friends to stand in front of the computer, play a certain online game to prove that 'you' were really on the computer and probably recorded a few lines on a sound box. When your mother knocked on your door to tell you that you were going to eat, the person who was really in your room simply used this box to answer with the right phrase. You could have used keyboard and mouse noises as an alibi and simply confessed that you were too concentrated in your game to hear your mother, but that wouldn't have been a convincing alibi, so you decided to think of a 'perfect' plan with one of your exes and his best, both of whom hate Claire as much as you do it has to be said.
- Hey, I could have found another way to create my alibi, couldn't I? Why should it be Adam and Tom who help me? Why them, huh?
- True, it could be anyone, but I understood that there had to be three people-no, FOUR people-helping you.
When he hears this from Raiji, he opens his eyes wide in shock. Raiji shakes his head.
- I have no idea who the fourth person is, but I'm convinced there are four of you. You're the one who killed Claire Dochamps, Adam and Tom helped create your alibi and a fourth person helped you with the plan to prevent me from contacting the police. From your house or Tetazo, you'd never have been able to check my movements, except by hacking into the station cameras, but I don't know how you'd have done it in the shed in the field. There were clothes prepared for a boy like me, and a webcam you could access. That's too well prepared, for someone who kidnapped Deshya because she saw who was guilty of Claire's murder. So there must have been a fourth person, because if it had been Adam or Tom, we wouldn't have been able to talk to them when Sammy went to find them, otherwise they'd never have had time to prepare everything.
Raiji stayed put, although he felt like circling Jean as he explained the reality of the situation. He felt like acting like a predator showing dominance over its prey, but with Jean in possession of a gun that's probably the real thing, Raiji doesn't want to risk his life for nothing. He's already on his guards in case Jean loses patience and decides to shoot him, but for now, he has to stall.
- I don't know who it is, but this fourth person followed me on the train, keeping a close eye on me while chatting with you on the phone or by message, or even e-mail. Nothing says you knew about the microphones, sensors and policemen, but you took every possible precaution. I'm impressed. Well, almost," admits Raiji.
- But how is that possible, tell me?
Jean smiled back.
- I spoke with Adam and Tom after the detective came to question me and they explained what they were doing at the time and both have alibis too. How could they have helped me, eh?!
The bespectacled young man takes a step forward.
- Adam arrived a little later at the rendezvous with his buddies and Tom was at his gym a few minutes after the murder too, but how could they have helped me?! Or rather, why, hmm? Why put the blame on both of them, when with what you're saying, I'd only need one person to create my alibi!
- Three.
- Huh?
Jean squints. Raiji holds up three fingers and frowns, staring at the captor.
- One, it's you. Claire Dochamps' killer and the one who called me on the phone.
Raiji takes a step forward.
- Two, this is Adam. The one who helped you create an alibi.
He takes another step forward and shakes his head, enraged.
- And thirdly, it's Tom, the one who came with you and knocked Deshya out!
Jean took two steps back and clutched his pistol, gasping for breath. Raiji wanted to smile to mock him, but he couldn't calm what he felt inside: in short, smiling was impossible for him.
- W-What are you talking about?!" shouts Jean, threatening him with a pistol.
- It's quite simple. You went to kill Claire Dochamps in the forest near the park, but you weren't alone. I wondered how Deshya managed to get hit in the back of the head while fleeing. She even sent me a message, "Moon Killer", before she was caught. However, with the bars between the forest and the park, how would you have caught up with Deshya? I may not be friends with her, not yet, but I know her well: she's fast and agile. The only way she could have been fooled... is if someone else was with you.
- B-But... T-That can't be!
Raiji squints.
- If it was Tom who hit Deshya and knocked her out, time doesn't work!!! He has an alibi! He could never have been at the gym if he was at the park when the crime was committed, so what you're saying isn't possible!!! In short, Tom had nothing to do with this crime! Nor Adam!!!
- Double alibis.
- Huh?!
Raiji crosses his arms.
- You and Tom go to Linda Park around 1 p.m., the two of you hidden by long clothes that prevent anyone from recognizing you. Then you kill Claire and return home with a perfect alibi on both sides. I'm guessing that Tom would accompany you in case Claire managed to escape or if anyone saw you... like what happened with Deshya," he continues to explain.
- I told you, it can't be!
- Let me finish.
- ... Tsk.
- Adam is at your place, playing computer games for you and a box of recorded sentences in your voice so he can answer your mother if he has to. After all, you've been living with them for a long time, so you figured you'd be eating at this point. Since Claire is a girl who goes to Tetazo high school, you couldn't meet her before her classes were over.
Jean moved towards the closed bag, listening to Raiji, the weapon still pointed at him, but less steady than before.
- As soon as you'd finished with Claire, you had to get straight home as quickly as possible using Tom's car, so no one would see you on your scooter. However, Deshya saw you and you had to waste some time bringing her here, which must have taken a few minutes. Maybe it was the same fourth person who did it, but that's a detail that doesn't matter to me.
Raiji shrugs and Jean opens the bag while continuing to stare at the boy.
- Before you got home, Adam left your room using a rope placed at the window in advance. There's even a rubbing mark on the windowsill that proves this theory.
Jean frowns before checking the bag for sensors.
- How could you possibly know that?
However, Raiji ignores his question and continues.
- Since Adam had already answered your mother using the box, she wasn't going to come back into your room, so getting out a bit before you arrived wasn't a problem. Meanwhile, Adam was being used again.
Raiji smiled.
- To create Tom's alibi.
Jean clutches the pistol in his hand, but decides to look after the money in the bag. The interior of the warehouse is rather dark, but he still notices that it's not fake. What's more, he doesn't see any microphones or sensors, although they may be in the background.
- Since Adam and Tom look so much alike, Adam ran towards the room and when he got there, he stayed outside and even answered his friend's call, pretending that Tom was receiving someone's call. He wandered off a bit, chatting away, and when Tom arrived, Adam went to join his friends. I didn't notice at the time, but it's true that their pants are similar, but not their shirts: anyway, Adam must have had a certain sweater that he passed to Tom when he arrived, because if they didn't have the same clothes, it would never have worked.
Raiji shakes his head with a grin. Jean takes the bag with one hand and the other, threatening Raiji with a shot.
- I don't know how you found all this out, but what proof do you have, eh?" asks Jean.
- It's easy for you, since you're standing right in front of me, threatening to shoot me and run off with the money. What's more, the rope marks on the window sill and the box with your voice in it are enough: we can ask your mother if this is what she heard you say to confirm that this is how you created your alibi.
Jean takes a step back without looking away from Raiji.
- As far as Adam is concerned, you only have to look for his fingerprints on the mouse, the box or anywhere else in your room to prove he was there. He could have worn gloves, but I doubt it. In any case, there are probably footprints in the garden. As for Tom, I don't suppose there's any real proof, except for his clothes or simply that Deshya must have known he was there. There's no way you'll be able to catch up with her in time, and you'll just have to check the footprints in the park.
Raiji takes off his cap and throws it in the air, gritting his teeth behind an angry smile.
- Ya’re all full of shit.
Jean takes another step back and swallows loudly. He looks behind him, but there's nobody there. Another step back and he starts to laugh.
- Ahah... Ahahah!!! You're so clever, my little Raiji !!! But it changes nothing, even if you can see through our plans, it changes nothing!!! The police don't know you're here and all I have to do is run away with the money so they don't catch me!
- You're going to kill Deshya and then kill me, aren't you?
- Of course yes! You know too much! However, I want to know one thing before I shoot you: how did you know it was me, eh?
Raiji began to sweat. Although he'd been warned that Jean was going to shoot him, he wasn't confident in his ability to dodge the bullet. What's more, he was unfortunately right: the police had no idea where he was now. He was alone in that warehouse... but…
- Two things. Deshya and what you said," Raiji replied, hesitating to flee.
Jean stops and frowns.
- What do you mean?
- When Sammy questioned you, you said you'd never been to Linda Park. However, he never once mentioned Linda Park. They could have been talking about Amélie Park.
- Eh. It made sense that it was Linda's!
- Still. And anyway, we know you're the killer either way.
Raiji taps one of the two phones in his pockets.
- Before she was knocked unconscious, Deshya sent me a message as she fled. She wrote "Killer Gl".
Raiji points again at Jean.
- What she really wanted to tell me was, "Killer Glasses”*. Of the three suspects, you're the only one wearing glasses, you little shit.
* (In french, the original language of the story, the message was ‘Tueur Lune’ who can be translated to ‘Killer Moon’. The message she really wanted to send was ‘Tueur Lunette’, who would be ‘Killer Glasses’. That’s why I had to change.)
Jean grits her teeth and clenches her finger on the trigger. Raiji prepares to dodge the bullet, but the interior of the warehouse is far too dark for him to see when Jean intends to fire.
- But how the fuck do you know all this?!" shouts the kidnapper, about to flee too.
Raiji smiled, sweating.
- I hate to admit it, but I'd never have found all this. I'm not smart enough, even if I had come to question you.
- Huuuuh?
The confusion is clearly present in Jean's voice, which Raiji understands.
- Unfortunately, I wasn't the one to figure it all out, but it was explained to me on the train home.
- No way!!! My buddy was watching you closely !!!
- Hey.
Raiji opened his mouth wide with a teasing expression and finally lifted his tongue. Although Jean couldn't see very well from where he was standing, he could see the boy catch something under his tongue and raise it to the sky.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
- Everything was explained to me from this microphone... which serves as a sensor.
Jean opened his eyes wide and just as he was about to shoot Raiji, a noise sounded behind him. He suddenly turns around, but before he can understand what's happening, someone hits him in the back of the knee and forces him to lose his balance. Another person runs up to him and tackles him to the ground, knocking on his pistol and causing it to slide out of the kidnapper's grasp. Jean starts screaming, whether in pain or anger, and Raiji drops to the ground with a sigh of relief.
- I thought I was going to die..." he says.
- How?!" shouts Jean.
- Shut up!" shouts a male voice.
The man holding Jean is someone Raiji recognizes: it's Sammy, the police detective who went to interview the three suspects. At his side, the girl throws her bat behind her and, after moving a little in all directions for a reason Raiji doesn't understand, approaches him with a smile.
- You said everything I told you, hihi!
- It was weird, listening to all that stuff you'd figured out on the train, coming from my mouth... Sounds like your plan was perfect…
Korone, the little girl with long, snow-white hair.
The smile on her face is innocent and bright, but Raiji can't see it that way. He stands up and scratches the back of his head, still sweating, though reassured.
- How did you manage to find all this...?" he asks.
- Hihi, Sammy helped me understand!
She looks back at the detective, who is about to pull out his phone to call the police.
- Well, that's a lie, since I've got it all figured out. myself, but Raiji will ask me too many questions if I answer honestly..." thinks Korone.
When the boy had gone to join Gatito in collecting the ransom, she had stopped him, asking him to hide a microphone under his tongue and give her one in return. Korone wasn't familiar with the various 'toys' possessed by the police, but she knew that there were some that could speak and hear, like walkie-talkies. Korone had thought about the possibility of Raiji being searched or forced to change clothes in case the kidnappers were smart enough to understand that the police wouldn't offer ransom without a plan. Raiji could move his lips gently and speak so that Korone would hear him and know where he was going, while she could explain the case to him and save time by revealing everything to Korone.Jean, while disturbing him. Sammy will call the police when—
- FREE JEAN!!!!!
A voice shouts from the warehouse. Raiji jumped and looked up, the same reaction as Sammy. On the metal platform above the detective's head, a young man was holding a girl with a knife to her throat.
- D-Deshya!!!" shouts Raiji.
Her mouth is bandaged, her hands and feet tied. She is conscious, but closes one eye and breathes with difficulty. Sammy grits his teeth and the young man looks down at the scene below him through the holes in the platform.
- Release Jean and let him go with the money, or I'll kill her!
- It's Adam!" remarked Korone.
Sammy puts his phone in his pocket and stands up, placing his hands on top of him. Jean pushes him violently and grabs the bag again before running off.
- Get moving!
He forces the little girl and Raiji out of the way and runs out of the warehouse, panting. Adam laughs and squeezes the knife in his hands.
- Let her go, now!" shouts Sammy.
- Ahah... Ahahah!!! She knows too much, just like you!!! You should never have intervened in the case, just given us the ransom!!!
Deshya wants to get agitated and try to run away, but the knife is right in front of her throat: that would be too risky. Raiji throws up his hands and promises they won't tell the police if he lets Deshya go, but Adam just starts laughing at him. Sammy stays where he is, his phone in his pocket and his gun in its place. Unfortunately, by the time he catches it, loads it and fires, Adam will surely have the reflex to dodge or kill Deshya before he's hit.
- Besides, I'm below them, so I can't shoot accurately from here...!
Korone stares at the chestnut-haired young man holding Deshya right next to him with angry eyes. If they try to climb the stairs to their left, they'll never get there in time, and Adam will slit Deshya's throat, probably killing her instantly. From their position, there's nothing they can do, and it's impossible to reach Adam without climbing the stairs: in short, nothing seems able to save Deshya. She looks a few steps away and squints.
- I've got no choice…
Adam continues to laugh before calming down and presses the knife against the girl's throat, pulling her head back.
- I want you all to watch her die!!!! All!!!!
Raiji begs him not to do anything and Sammy is about to grab his gun, but he's convinced that from where he's standing, there's nothing he can do. However, he has no choice. Korone frowns and realizes that she, too, has no other option. The little girl shouts to Adam that she has an idea and the young man squints. She starts to run forward and Adam yells at her that he's really going to kill her. Sammy and Raiji ask her what she's doing, but Korone suddenly stops and stamps her foot hard underneath her.
- WATCH HER DIE AND SHUT HER UP!!!" screams Adam.
He's about to slit her throat when Raiji notices something flying beside Korone. As her foot hits the ground beneath her, a metallic noise sounds and he now understands what it is. The little girl catches the object in flight and raises her hands with almost inhuman speed. Closing one eye, she took aim at Adam without a second to be precise.
And Korone fires Jean's pistol.
With no time to prepare, she falls because of the gun recoil and the bullet hurtles towards Adam. Surprised by the shot, he stops before slitting Deshya's throat and catches the bullet right in his hand. He screams in pain, drops his knife and takes two steps back. Deshya pushes him down and forces him to fall, before sitting up and grabbing the knife from her still tied hands. She starts to cut the ties, but Adam runs towards her. However, Korone, sitting on the ground, aims again at the man and lowers the hammer before firing a second time. The bullet enters the young man's arm, and he collapses against the wall, holding it and moaning. Sammy starts running up the metal stairs and Raiji stands still, transfixed by what he has just witnessed. Deshya manages to undo the ties around her wrists and cuts those around her feet too. She removes the sticky paper from her mouth and steps back, staring at the young man who is holding his arm, suffering and letting out rales. Sammy arrives and asks Deshya if she's all right, which she affirms with a nod. The warehouse door opens violently and adults arrive on the scene, pistols in their hands. Raiji suddenly turns around and notices that one of the people—
- The police?" he wonders aloud.
Gatito lowers his weapon at the sight of the teenager and approaches him, but before he can even ask his question, Sammy shouts from above.
- He's got a bullet in his arm and one in his hand, I need a doctor!!!" shouts Sammy as he carries one of the
kidnappers.
- Who?" asks Gatito.
- Adam Evans! He had your daughter hostage, she's right here!!!
- Adam? I thought that…
- The three suspects are all together in the case, but there's a fourth who seemed to be helping them," Raiji explains.
- ... I see…
Gatito blinks, but shakes his head and asks if everything's all right. He nods and Korone approaches the man with a smile.
- Deshya is saved!
- What were those gun sounds?
Korone doesn't answer and simply keeps smiling. Raiji gazes at her with wide eyes, while other members of the police inspect the scene. The little girl touches her lips with her index finger.
- Did you catch Jeaaaan?" she asks, ignoring Deshya's father's question.
- Yes, he's already in the police car with the recovered bag.
Gatito holstered his pistol and watched his daughter descend the stairs two at a time. She finally jumps into her father's arms and closes her eyes.
- I thought I was going to be killed..." she complains.
- Sorry, we were too slow…
Korone admires them with a joyful expression, but his smile has since disappeared. Raiji stoops down beside the little girl and frowns.
- Who are you?
Korone blinks and turns to him.
- You shot him right in the hand to keep him from cutting her throat, and then you shot him in the arm again, even though the lack of light means you can barely see. What's more, you're a little girl who understood their plan and foresaw that I'd be fitted with sensors and microphones, but also foresaw that I'd have to remove them. What are you?
- My name is Korone Daiski, and I'm an 8-year-old little girl! Pleased to meet you, Raiji!
She shakes his hand and Raiji stirs, almost pushing her.
- I'm se—
- Korone!
Deshya stops hugging her father to take the little girl in her arms, which makes Korone smile. She hugs her back and smiles that she's happy she's okay. Raiji admires the spectacle and finally smiles as he looks back at the pistol Korone used to shoot Adam. He squints, but eventually retrieves the cap he's tossed into the air and shrugs.
- Buh, what the hell..." he said to himself.
A few minutes later, Jean Boketsu and Adam Evans leave in a police car, both arrested for murder and complicity. A patrol also heads for Tom Loston's house, since it was he who hit and abducted Deshya, along with an accomplice of the other two. Jean still hasn't admitted the first name of the fourth accomplice, the one who prepared the clothes in the shed in Izambar. Gatito thanks Annie for healing Adam's wounds.
- It's nothing," Annie replies. We have little Korone to thank for saving Deshya, hehe.
Gatito insisted on knowing where the shots had come from, since it hadn't been Sammy who'd fired them, and Raiji had finally confessed what he'd seen. Korone scratches his cheek.
- It was either that or Deshya getting killed..." admits the little girl.
- I'm still impressed that you managed to aim for his hand," Deshya tells him.
- I was lucky, hehe…
Raiji walks a little further, phone to his ear: he's calling his mother to ask her to come and get him. Sammy approaches the small group and bows to Deshya.
- I've been useless. I'm very sorry.
- You weren’t, what…
- Yes, it is. I'm really sorry. I really am.
Deshya smiles and promises him it's no big deal. Her father sits down and sighs.
- Would you like me to ask Bibi to come tonight...?
- I'm fine, but it wouldn't hurt, ahah....
- You're a real handful these days.
- Yeah…
Korone caresses Deshya's shoulder, promising that all will be well, while Raiji returns to their side.
- My mother's coming to pick me up in a few minutes, so there's no need to bring me back," he explains.
- Are you sure?" asked Deshya.
- Of course you can.
He bows in turn, a saddened expression on his face.
- If I hadn't arrived late or asked you to do something together, you wouldn't have been kidnapped. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
- Everyone's going to apologize to me...? It's not your fault!
Deshya stands up and strokes her hair, smiling.
- Tomorrow, we're going for a little walk together after school, if that's okay with you?" the girl suggests.
Raiji raises his trunk and nods happily. He thanks her with a big smile, much to Annie and Korone's amusement. Sammy puts his phone away and sighs.
- Also, the reason Claire Dochamps' murder was committed was because Jean saw her already flirting with another boy, which made him very jealous and he couldn't control himself. He asked Adam and Tom to help him, and they agreed," explains the detective.
- Such a stupid reason? I can't believe it..." says Raiji.
- I have to admit that...
Deshya is not surprised, but to kill someone for such a reason…
- We're going back to the station, so can you come by tomorrow evening to talk about it, Deshya?" asks Annie.
- Of course you do. Tonight, I want to rest... just rest.
- I'll call Bibi when we get home," says Gatito.
- Thank you.
- I'm going to take a walk around the neighborhood while I wait for my mom, so I'll see you tomorrow!" says Raiji.
- All right, see you tomorrow! Thanks for coming to save me, too.
Raiji stops walking and smiles at him, but doesn't say a word. Gatito tells him they'll collect his clothes and return them to him this evening. Raiji thanks him and waves his hand over his head before leaving. For her part, Annie takes a box out of her bag and grabs a pill before swallowing it without even drinking water. Deshya watches her in amazement. She and Sammy leave in turn, joining the same car. Korone turns to the police inspector.
- Why did she take medicine?" she asks.
- It's because of the car. She always takes a tranquilizer before getting into a car," Gatito replies honestly.
- Really? Why?
His daughter questions him with her eyes, but Gatito stands up and puts both hands in his trouser pockets.
- A story from the past…
He squints.
- One that doesn't necessarily concern you.
Deshya admires her father with wide eyes: it's a part of him she's hardly ever seen. When he speaks sadly. The man offers the two girls a ride home, and they happily accept. Korone turns and admires one last time the warehouse behind her, where she was forced to shoot the culprit to save Deshya.
- I was right to call Gatito and explain the situation..." she thinks. I didn't say anything to Raiji or Sammy, because it was better that they didn't know anything and played along, but I wonder if I did the right thing…
The reason Korone didn't confess everything about the main reason which is why the police were on the lookout was because they knew Jean wasn't the only kidnapper: in short, at least one person was helping him. Had they understood that the police knew where Raiji was, perhaps they would have killed Deshya without waiting a second and probably done the same to the boy. Korone therefore decided to talk to everyone on their side, and let everyone play their part without them knowing what anyone else was doing. This way, the kidnappers would never have realized that the police were outside, waiting for them to come out thinking they'd won. Korone had also confessed where Raiji was going when he whispered his orders to her. She doesn't want to imagine the current situation if she hadn't asked the boy to place a microphone under her tongue, where no one could have guessed its existence. What's more, Raiji was probably very efficient, given that to speak to Korone, he had to move his lips as little as possible without being noticed by the person following him.
- He could have pretended to whistle a melody, but I'm sure they would have been suspicious…
On his thoughts, Korone climbs into the car at the back. Deshya sits in the front and Gatito at the wheel. Before starting off, the man bites his thumb. His daughter asks him if he's all right, but he takes a few moments before answering.
- I don't know if this is the best time to admit it, but we've had some news about the man who shot 'Mathieu Desudo'.
- Ma-Mathieu?!
- !!
The two girls stare wide-eyed at the man. Mathieu Desudo is the bus driver who killed Korone's adoptive parents and was shot by a sniper. The sniper almost killed Korone with a bullet to the head, but at the last moment, she pushed Deshya aside and hid from the gunman.
- Who?! Who is it?!!" urges Deshya.
Gatito drops a sharp glance behind, watching Korone, and finally fires up the engine.
- Unfortunately, he's a man with no identity. He's not on file. His fingerprints lead nowhere. We don't know who he is, and no one seems to have seen him before.
A revelation that shocks both girls. Deshya remains frozen in her place, but when her father asks her to fasten her belt, she complies, gritting her teeth. Korone imitates the fox-eared girl's gesture and looks down, biting her lower lip.
- It-it's not someone who... I... I thought...?
She would have liked to believe something else, but if the police can't discover her own identity, Korone can only come up with one explanation. Gatito starts the car and finally drives down the road, returning home with his daughter and Korone, all three silent.
Until they arrive, no one speaks. Deshya turns once to Korone, remembering that it was actually she who figured out that Jean was the criminal, helped by Adam and Tom. What's more, she's managed to shoot Adam's hand off in a dimly lit room, as well as a girl who's being targeted by someone with no identity. With everything revolving around the little girl, Deshya wonders…
If Korone could have anything to do with her.