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During Deshya Oveja's overnight stay, accompanied by her three good friends Amora Takt, Frie Rengoat and Lam Douce, a man by the name of 'Ben Tharen' was killed in his own room, '1422'. Hanging from the ceiling fan, a chair dropped under his feet, the scene is set like a suicide: the door was closed by the security chain and the French window is also closed, the handle of the door is closed. the latter raised upwards, although not all the way.

Deshya, with the help of Hanoka Atege, searches the scene for clues, but nothing is found. What's more, the distance between the balconies is far too great for anyone to get from one room to the other, should a trick be found to close the French window. Left '1421', one of the two next to the victim's, is occupied by 'Céline Oveni' and 'Daniel Teri', two cousins who belong to the same swimming group as Ben. Room '1423', next door to the victim's, is occupied by 'Justin Berouette' and 'Gaby Guerric', two men who are also members of Ben's swimming group. All five are staying at the hotel ‘Beleza Verde', but between 6.30pm and 7.15pm, the leader of the swimming group was killed by one of his four companions: that's what Deshya and Hanoka assume.

No leads are found, but as they ponder certain details and hear Aya and Annie talk, they understand. Even if Karine doesn't find what Hanoka asked her to look for, Deshya understands how it was done. The detective with the long pink hair understands immediately afterwards, and they both say who they think did it. However, the first names pronounced by the two are different…

- I think Hanoka is right!" says Aya.

- I wonder why you think that, Deshya..." admits Annie.

Deshya looks at her prime suspect and squints. Finally, she shrugs.

- I have my reasons for thinking like that, but anyway, it doesn't matter: catching the culprit is what matters. If we look for that object, we'll find who's got it on them.

- First, let's explain to everyone how the locked room scenario was created, and then let's arrest the culprit," smiles Hanoka.

Deshya nods and cracks the index finger of her thumb.

- Let's get this over with so I can enjoy myself without any hassle!

CHAPTER 38

⎾The Last Floor's Locked Room ; Part 4⏌

- All set!

A policeman approaches Karin and Hanoka and makes a gesture of greeting. The detective thanks her and clears her throat.

- Sorry for the wait, but we finally know who the culprit in the case is," she says.

The four friends don't hide their surprise and Gaby even lets out a shocking noise.

- You mean it's really one of us four?!" he shouts.

Hanoka nods and tells them she'll explain everything... with Deshya's help! The latter is drawn towards the detective when she grabs hold of her neck with one arm. Deshya almost loses her hood, but manages to hold it over her head. Aya starts to giggle, while Karine sighs. Annie looks at her watch, but decides to stay: she wants to know the truth about this closed room. She may have a family back home waiting for her, she doesn't want to miss Deshya and Hanoka's deduction! Daniel crosses his arms.

- Are you so sure of yourself?" he asks.

- I'm convinced of it," replies Deshya.

- So please explain!" says Céline.

- Of course.

Hanoka steps forward and begins her explanation.

- The problem is that it's impossible to get out through the front door, sealed by the security chain, or through the balcony, with the French window closed. Even if it were possible to get to the balcony by rigging the room, the question is how the culprit got away after that.

- The balconies have quite a long distance between them, and even if you build up some momentum, jump over the safety railings and grab the one opposite, it seems to be quite dangerous, if not impossible. The distance between each floor means that the balcony below is only accessible by a rope, but after that, you need to know how to get into the room," explains Deshya.

- So it could be the occupant of the room below, then?!" shouts Justin.

Hanoka shakes her head.

- Although it's a possibility, the reason Ben Tharen's murder is disguised as a suicide is most likely because the culprit is in one of the two rooms. By making the police think it's a suicide, he won't need to be questioned or searched.

- That could be true for the person downstairs, couldn't it?" asks Céline. If... If, I don't know—

- It's not possible anyway.

Karine returns, hands in pockets, and everyone turns to her.

- The person who lives on the floor below, in room 1322, was at the hotel bar between 5.53pm and is currently at the restaurant. Several people have seen her and she has a perfect alibi. There's no way she could have done it, especially as she always has her key with her.

Hanoka and Deshya smile, but even without this confirmation, they already know how the murder was committed. So the long-haired pink detective speaks again.

- Anyway, you see, it's one of the four of you.

- Nothing says it's one of us!" shouts Gaby.

- You are wrong on that one.

- Huh?

- Even if, with a ladder or a long rope, it would be possible to get from one balcony to the other, and thus have committed the crime even from a remote room, it's far too much work for nothing. Killing him in his room after knocking on his door and then taking the murder weapon and hiding it somewhere, or even throwing it away, is much simpler than creating a closed room. There's no reason to disguise the murder as a suicide and then spend time and energy finding a way out of the room, making sure everything is locked up.

- I... I guess…

Gaby keeps quiet and Céline bites her thumb in concern. Daniel and Justin grit their teeth, casting quick glances at the others. The tension is palpable and Aya doesn't like it, but Deshya's voice catches her attention.

- Between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m., directly after leaving the pool, one of the four of you took the elevator, climbed the fourteen flights of stairs, arrived in front of Ben's room, knocked and managed to get in. Then, with the rope used to hang him, he strangled him from behind, probably in his bed.

- However, no claw marks are to be found on his neck, right...?" asks Daniel.

- Nothing like that has been found," admits Annie.

- If his hands were blocked, it's not impossible," says Karine.

Deshya nods and Hanoka speaks next.

- Even though Ben is a big man, the four of you are able to immobilize him without too much trouble. With the length of the rope, I'm almost tempted to say that in a perfect scenario, the culprit ties his hands at one end and strangles him at the other, but that's perhaps see too far. However, given the murderer's plan, he must be meticulous and has done everything in his power to make the police and others believe that Ben committed suicide. I'm expecting anything.

- But how to get out...?" asks Gaby.

- That was the most complex part. Nothing was found in the room or in yours. It's impossible to escape through the front door, so it had to be through the balcony, didn't it?

- He could have climbed onto the roof and—

- Impossible," stops Aya.

All eyes are on her. The girl starts blushing and shakes her hands.

- The roof door can't be opened without a staff key, so apart from stealing one…

- She's right," admits Karine. I can check with the people who work here to see if such a key has been stolen, but in any case, a surveillance camera is constantly filming the roof. If the culprit managed to get out of there, I'm sure we'll soon find out the truth.

Céline pulls out a hair and clicks her tongue.

- But in any case, the French window was closed. ? You talk about balconies, but how do you get there in the first place, eh?!

The four suspects all ask the same question, which makes the two detectives smile. Gaby clenches a fist.

- It's no fun!

- What amuses us is simply that the culprit between you pretends not to understand," replies Deshya.

- It's true that the French window handle was raised, but not all the way.

- Certainly, but you're not going to tell me that the culprit pulled it violently forward, keeping the handle horizontal, and that she rose from the shock?" Justin asks.

Deshya shakes her head.

- It's impossible. The seals are made of rubber and it would take literally inhuman strength to pull the French window with such speed. Even if it were possible, it wouldn't work, so it's not a possibility," she replies.

- Then how?" said an impatient Céline.

Hanoka pinches her index finger with her thumb, but does it with both hands. She joins them... before pulling them away, as if showing—

- A wire.

- A-A wire? T-That's it... Is this a joke?

Gaby hits the wall behind him.

- You said it yourself! The seals prevent anything from getting through, otherwise the wind and cold would get in and there'd be no point, right?

- The wire was in the bedroom.

- Whaaaa?

- We didn't find it, but that's because one of you still has it.

Hanoka smiles broadly, staring at the four suspects with amusement: she wants the culprit to eat the truth. That their 'perfect crime' has been understood, making it imperfect.

- The wire attached to the victim's drone.

All four friends open their eyes wide at the same time. Karine squints and Annie doesn't hide her surprise. Aya smiles as she looks at Deshya.

- She thought it was the drone that had placed the security chain on the door, but without seeing it with a camera, it wasn't really possible, hehe..." she thinks.

Aya had told her what she thought: that it wasn't even a possibility. Gaby frowns at Hanoka's words.

- Huh...? To the drone?" he blurts out.

Hanoka nods.

- How can you do that...?" asks Daniel.

He crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow. Deshya answers his question before Hanoka does.

- You attach one end of the wire to the drone, the other to the handle. Obviously, the wire is measured so that it's not too long, but I'll explain why. You switch on the drone, take the remote control from your side and step out onto the balcony. You then close the French window from the outside, but slowly, controlling the drone so that it is not forced by the French window, as the wire is already attached to the handle and the drone. When the window door is securely closed, you lower the drone as far as possible, controlling it, and then…

Deshya raises one arm.

- You make it fly upwards at full speed, which in turn pulls the handle upwards.

The explanation shocks Annie and the suspects. Céline frowns.

- But if the wire was attached to the handle like that, wouldn't the drone have stayed there?!" she shouts.

- Exactly!" say Daniel and Gaby.

- I'm not done yet," admits Deshya, arms crossed.

The two men click their tongues and Deshya finishes his explanation.

- The wire must be measured so that when the drone flies, it doesn't hurt itself against the ceiling. After all, if the drone doesn't fly off at full speed, the handle won't be pulled up enough and it won't work. What's more, the French window handle must already be almost horizontal.

- Yes, but—

- I'll finish.

Justin bites his lower lip, starting to sweat. Deshya uncrosses her arms.

- The wire around the handle doesn't need to be tied, either. Tight enough to keep it in place, but not so tight that when the drone flies to the ceiling, the wire slides right off the handle. With the force exerted and the drone's momentum, the handle will inevitably be pulled upwards, closing the French window.

Deshya smiled.

- That's why the door handle wasn't all the way up. It wasn't carelessness on the part of the victim, simply because that's where the culprit's trick lies," she concludes.

- A-Ahah, maybe that's possible, but then...?" asks Céline.

- What's next?

The woman nods.

- It's impossible to escape from the balcony, isn't it?

- Exactly, the space between two balconies is too big!" says Daniel.

- It's true that you'd need a rope or something really long, but none of that was found in our rooms or anywhere else, was it?" asks Gaby.

Hanoka agreed with her question, but that didn't stop her from remaining confident. She hadn't thought about it until she saw Deshya's amused look, but come to think of it, the way the culprit used to get from one balcony to another wasn't that complex... but thinking about it wasn't easy. Deshya had figured it out before she did, which could have frustrated her, but she's just happy to know that the culprit is going to be caught.

- It's true that to get from one balcony to another, you'd need something quite long," admits Hanoka. Of course, we didn't find any rope, but—

- It's not impossible to create your own," says Deshya.

Hanoka opens her mouth, but smiles. The four suspects look at her, incomprehension filling their eyes. Only the culprit among them doesn't have the same look, because he's trying to understand something: they really know the technique they're using.

- What do you mean...?" asks Céline.

- Creating a rope...?" repeats his cousin.

Hanoka nods.

- With sheets, for example.

- S-Sheets?!

- Y-You mean...?

- Huuuuh?!

Hanoka puts one foot on the wall behind her.

- That's what's so complicated to understand. Making a rope out of sheets isn't the first thing you think of.

- Is it really possible...?" asks Daniel, dumbfounded. Deshya stands in front of Hanoka and answers for him.

- Would you like to see?

- See...?

She agrees, but Hanoka tells them that they have to stay here: the culprit could take advantage of the situation to hide the evidence that he is the criminal. Deshya admits that this isn't necessarily possible, but that she'll prove to them that the technique they've been thinking about works. Deshya runs into Céline and Daniel's open bedroom, while Hanoka explains from the corridor.

- I think it's pretty simple to understand. This hotel has several blankets, and even the cushion covers can be used. Tying them together can form a rope that's well long enough to go from one balcony to another, but even more—

- Nonsense!

Céline waves her arm in front of her. Hanoka stares at her, but she doesn't say a word.

- I-It's ridiculous!" continues Céline.

- That's what you think. It's not ridiculous, I promise.

Hanoka shows great confidence in her voice and doesn't let herself be swayed by the words of suspects. Although she's a new detective in the Tetazo police force, she's used to manipulators and people who won't believe the truth. She can understand their suspicions about their deduction, but that's why Hanoka is going to prove to them right here, right now, that they're right. That the murder of 'Ben Tharen' was committed the way they think it was.

- We can't see anything from here, so what's the point of 'showing' us how to get from one balcony to another?" asks Gaby.

Hanoka taps the wall behind her with her little finger and forefinger, still staring at the four of them.

- We asked a policeman to use the sheets in Céline and Daniel's room as rope.

Deshya will simply execute the technique and move from one balcony to the other, proving to you that it's possible," replies Hanoka.

- It's not dangerous, I hope...?" worries Aya.

- I'm not stupid enough to put myself in mortal danger like that!

Deshya returns to the corridor and puffs out her cheeks. Aya asks her to swear it and Deshya does so confidently. This reassures her friend, who decides to believe her, albeit hesitantly. Deshya whispers to her that, in any case, a policeman is standing nearby to make sure she doesn't fall.

- It's... I'm not reassured right now," thinks Aya.

However, Deshya heads for the balcony of the victim's room, which surprises Annie and the four suspects, as well as Karine and the other police officers. Hanoka smiled.

- It's simple: the culprit first creates a rope from the bed sheets and ties one end to his balcony rail. He then throws it across to the balcony of the victim's room, where he walks from the corridor, making sure that the bedroom door is unlocked. So he knocks, the victim opens the door, unsuspecting of being killed, and lets the culprit in, since they know each other. Then the murder is committed.

As she explains, one of the victim's four friends starts laughing. Hanoka turns her gaze to him, annoyed by this reaction, and Karine asks him to calm down right away. Justin, the man who was laughing, shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head.

- The technique for the French window handle is well thought out, but I can't believe you'd make such a mistake.

Deshya returns to the corridor and asks Aya about the laughter she's just heard. She simply explains that it's that blond-haired man who seems to disagree with their deduction about the rope. Deshya shrugs and doesn't even bother to listen, heading back to the next room. Justin explains, noticing that Hanoka doesn't respond.

- You don't even see the problem in that deduction, do you?

- Hey, Justin, if you don't calm down—

- I know, Gaby, but I don't care. She's clearly wrong! Why don't you say something?

Justin addresses Karine, who frowns, unhappy to be spoken to in that tone. However, she keeps her composure and lets out an aggressive 'Huh?’.

- You didn't find any rope when you searched the balcony when you arrived, did you?" asks Justin.

- That's right," replies Hanoka.

Justin starts giggling again, which annoys Aya: she just doesn't like his fat laugh. He sounds like a man who wants to play a villain in a 1960s movie, being an amateur and not understanding the difference between antagonist and villain. She doesn't know why she's thinking of this so precisely, but it's what she's imagined. Justin takes a step forward, which provokes a reaction from Karine who is about to jump on him to stop him, but the man doesn't move any further.

- So tell me, Miss Detective~...

Justin points to the balcony in front of him, at the end of the victim's room, who was his friend.

- If the rope was attached to both balconies, how did he get it back, huh?!

Annie was thinking just that. If the rope is attached to the balcony of the room next door and that of the victim, then it wouldn't be possible without leaving it on one side. If the rope wasn't tied tightly enough to retrieve it on one side, it wouldn't support the weight of an adult man or woman and would give way, taking the culprit with it. Although Annie thinks it's possible to simply jump and tie the improvised rope to the balcony of the next room, then use her strength to climb back up, this is far too dangerous and risky. Even confident of her knot, Annie can't see anyone going that far to disguise the murder as suicide. Deshya comes back into the corridor, angering Justin who grabs her by the sleeve. Aya frowns.

- Why are you moving around?" shouts Justin.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

- Calm down," Annie says. For real.

- You're talking about a stupid deduction as if it was really one of us who did it, be serious!

- We are.

Deshya responds coldly and removes her hand from her sleeve. She heads for the victim's room and apologizes when she collides with a policeman. Daniel looks at her and blinks.

- What exactly does she do...?" he asks.

- I'm wondering the same thing. To tie the rope from one side to the other, you don't have to go back and forth so much, do you...?" asks her cousin.

Hanoka nods, but explains:

- That's because we're not that stupid.

Justin frowns, feeling his heart racing with frustration and annoyance.

- What do you mean?!

- Calm down!" shouts Annie.

Justin clenches his fists, a reaction similar to Daniel's. Deshya finally goes out onto the balcony and turns towards the corridor, showing her thumb. Gaby bites her lower lip.

- So she's going to go from one balcony to the other and manage to get the rope of sheets, then...?" he wonders, speaking aloud.

Hanoka nods.

- It's simpler than you might think. First, tie part of the rope to the highest rail of the balcony in the room next to the victim's: the guilty party's room.

The four friends stare intently at the fox girl, who jumps onto the balcony rail and disappears behind the wall. Aya looks at her with great anxiety: so much so that she runs to the next room to check on Deshya. Hanoka continues his explanation.

- As you said, if the rope is tied from one side to the other, then it's impossible to retrieve it unnoticed. It would also be impossible to return to the balcony to retrieve it, even with some kind of long pliers, since untying the knot would be far too complicated, if not time-consuming. After all, the method of murder and disguising murder as suicide takes some time. Your alibis vary between 25 and 30 minutes, so by the time the drone plan is complete, I'm sure there won't even be 10 minutes left to get from one balcony to the next by completing the rope stage.

- The last stage?" asks Annie, intrigued.

They hear Aya screaming, which worries Hanoka, but Deshya screams back: not out of fear, but out of surprise. The four friends go to see what's going on, but Karine stops them from entering Daniel and Céline's room. On the balcony over there... they can see the dark-skinned girl embracing the one in the fox sweater.

- She's really done it, so..." Daniel thinks aloud.

- But that doesn't change the fact that we have to get the rope back now!

Deshya hears the blonde-haired woman's scream and smiles. She apologizes to Aya and fusses at the balcony rail. Her friend looks at her and opens her eyes wide.

- So that's how it's done...!" she thinks.

The four suspects wait impatiently, but when Deshya emerges from the balcony and returns to the room, everyone is shocked.

Deshya holds the whole rope in her hand, showing it to everyone.

- How did she...?!" exclaims Gaby.

- It's not possible, is it?" says Daniel.

- W-What…

Céline can't even finish her sentence. She turns to Hanoka, frowning.

- Part of the rope is always on the side of the other balcony, isn't it?!" she shouts.

Hanoka wants to answers, but Deshya is faster.

- I've got the whole rope in my hand. All that's left to do is undo it and put the sheets back where they belong, without necessarily taking my time. The room is a mess and the bed was no different, because if the room was too tidy, then the crumpled and misplaced sheets would have been too suspicious.

Deshya let go of the rope and stopped in the bedroom corridor, right in front of the astonished faces of the four friends.

- That's why it has to be either Céline or Daniel who committed the crime. The sheets in Gaby and Justin's room are far too clean for either of them to have done it.

The two cousins open their eyes wide and take a step back at the same time. Deshya walks past them and stands next to Hanoka, with Aya running towards her. Annie sighs with relief to see that Deshya is all right. Justin clenches both fists.

- How did she manage to…

- On the same side.

Deshya just drops these words, leaving all those who haven't yet understood totally confused. Deshya closes her eyes and says no more, leaving Hanoka to explain what happens next: she has to calm down, since she was frightened when she went from one balcony to the other. Although she was convinced that she wasn't going to fall, especially that she was currently being held by a rope hanging from the balcony, put in place by one of the police officers, knowing that fourteen floors stood between her and the ground... scared the hell out of her.

- At least it's certain that it's possible, even with someone heavier and wider than me," she thinks.

Aya touches his shoulder and asks if he's all right, but his attention is drawn to Hanoka, who starts explaining the trick with the improvised rope.

- It's like Deshya just said. Both sides.

Hanoka gestures back with her head, pointing to the balcony.

- Both ends are attached to the same bar, the one on this balcony.

Annie finally understands how to do it and smiles: she wouldn't have thought of it. Hanoka doesn't wait to continue his explanation.

- The culprit ties one end of the improvised rope to the bar of his bedroom balcony and throws the rest of the rope over the balcony. No weight is needed to keep it in place, as the remaining length of rope means it's sure to stay there. Then, after committing the murder in the victim's room by closing the door behind her, she goes on the balcony, grabs the end of the rope and pulls it under the top bar to hold it in place. The culprit then throws the end of the rope onto his balcony.

- I see... Then he goes back to his room to tie the end of the rope to the same bar?" asks Annie.

- Exactly," agrees Hanoka.

Silence reigns among the suspects. The two cousins are sweating profusely and even trembling.

- Finally, the culprit returns to Ben's room, probably using his room card to gain entry, since leaving the door open would be too risky. All that's left to do is put the key on the bedside table, place the security chain in front of the door and use the trick with the drone. The rope is stretched so that you can walk on it from one balcony to the next, but you can also simply use it to hold on with both hands and move from one room to the next.

- I stepped on it, personally," Deshya admits, opening her eyes again.

- It's madness..." says Céline.

- I agree... You really think one of us did it?!" asks Daniel.

Hanoka and Deshya look at each other. After a few moments, Hanoka nods at her, so the girl understands what she has to do. She moves off the wall and takes two steps forward to find herself in the middle of the corridor, opposite the four friends — two of whom are suspects in the murder.

- There's a reason that not only was the drone on the hall cabinet, but the remote control had fallen behind it," she says.

- If the remote control was there, it would be impossible!" says Gaby. If there were no wires on the drone, then—

- There was one.

- Ah...?

Gaby blinks and Deshya nods.

- Before the culprit retrieved it by hiding the remote control behind the cabinet.

- W-What?!

Deshya tucks her hands into her pockets and her fox tail moves gently behind her, attracting the attention of Aya, who devours the cute movement with her eyes.

- I don't know if it was when I opened the door of the room or during the brief minute you were in the bedroom hallway, but it's certain that the culprit retrieved the wire, pulled out the remote control he'd been hiding who-knows-where and discreetly placed it on the floor, pushing it behind the furniture with his foot.

Karine hopes this isn't the case, because otherwise her decision to let them see the body a little closer one last time while being watched would mean she'd almost let the culprit hide the evidence of the trick behind the closed room.

- The reason the remote control has been placed here is to make it look as if it's been dropped and couldn't be seen beforehand, because putting it on the cabinet would be far too suspicious and we'd know straight away that something wasn't quite right.

- If there's no more proof, then how are you going to do it, eh?" says Daniel.

- I agree! You can't stop us with such... nonsense!" shouts Céline.

Karine agrees with both of them: although deduction on Hanoka's and Deshya's part seems the most plausible solution, without proof it's pointless. There's no way of arresting either of them, nor is there any way of declaring that the locked-room trick is that.

However—

- It's that simple. The proof is still on you…

Deshya points at one of the two cousins. The girl in the fox sweater frowns and opens her mouth.

- Daniel Teri!

And she pronounces the first name of one of the two cousins. The one she's certain is the culprit. He opens his eyes wide, grits his teeth and takes a step back. Hanoka smiles and asks Karine to search him immediately. The woman with the short blond hair asks if she has the right, but if he refuses, he'll be far too suspicious. He sighs and shakes his head, not agreeing, but for one reason.

- No need, here.

He throws a thread towards the lady, who catches it, and Daniel puts his back against the wall behind him, pushing Gaby along the path.

- I can't believe it, it was so perfect…

Daniel drops to the ground and Karine offers the thread to Annie. The culprit turns his gaze to Deshya.

- How did you know that I was the one who killed Ben? It's Céline who has the map to our room, so it would make the most sense for it to be her, wouldn't it?" he asks.

- I've been thinking about that too..." Hanoka admits inwardly.

Deshya's fox tail stops at his back.

- It's the time. You didn't know when Ben was going to come out of his room, but you were sure it was going to be a while before he came, so killing him a few minutes after you were all in the pool was the best solution. If Ben was watching a video that wasn't too long, he could have come down and joined you, and that would have ruined everything. What's more, if you got wet when you went into the pool, even if you dried off, you could have left drops in the room, which would have looked suspicious to the police, who were bound to come to the scene of the crime.

Daniel smiles and closes his eyes.

- Bingo. Rah, I can't believe it... I so don't want to go to jail…

- You killed Ben because of what he was doing to your cousin…

Gaby asks, unable to believe that he's the culprit.

- Is that really it, Dani...?" questions Céline in a small voice.

Daniel sighs heavily before opening his eyes again.

- I hated him for it, but killing him just because he was a redneck seems like overkill to me. However, when he called me, totally drunk, thinking he was talking to one of his other friends, I have to admit I lost it.

- What call?" asks Justin.

- He said he'd found naked pictures of Céline that she'd made for one of her exes and was going to force her to meet his expectations if she didn't want his pictures posted on the Internet. Well, he thought I was a friend of his, being drunk and all, but it was clear that he was going to harass Céline to no end. I've been protecting her since I was a kid, so…

- And so you killed?

Deshya walked towards him, hands in her pockets

- Is killing really justice?" she asks.

Daniel shrugs.

- Go figure. I agree that it's horrible and deep down I wanted to confess everything to the police, but I'm not sorry that the bastard died. There are people in this world who don't deserve to live and consume food, water and air. The world is better off without them.

Deshya wants to retaliate, but Hanoka comes between them.

- We'll listen to you as much as you want at the station," says Karine.

She forces him to his feet and handcuffs him, without a thought for his comfort. Céline shouts Daniel's name, but he doesn't respond. She starts crying, which saddens Aya.

- I never want to have a mentality like that..." she thinks aloud.

Deshya agrees with her wholeheartedly.

- It's true that some people are inhuman, but the concept of 'deserving to live'....

She squints, but decides not to think about it any further. She turns to Hanoka, who sighs again.

- So you were right about the culprit..." she says. I'm as disappointed as I am surprised.

- What counts is catching the culprit, right?" smiles Deshya.

- You would have said something else if you were wrong, wouldn't you?

- Mmmmh, go figure.

They start giggling and Annie comes over to congratulate her, but before Deshya can say anything, Aya grabs her hand firmly.

- You've had your fun, now you must join your friends!

- Of course, but—

- No but!!! You can talk to them later!

- She comes to the station every day to give us details, but this time there's no need, Deshya," Annie told her with a smile.

Deshya nods before being dragged off by Aya, who starts running down the corridor. Hanoka touches her ponytail as she watches the woman behind her cry, her cousin taken away by the police.

- Stealing a life is a horrible act, but the consequences it has on those around you are just as terrible," admits the detective.

Annie agrees and watches them silently, having no words to say. With that, the mystery of the locked room is finally revealed.

Deshya joins Amora, Lam and Frie, while Aya returns to her father, who drinks without limit with his adult friends. Deshya discusses the affair with her friends and a few minutes later, the four of them head for the pool. Of course, she's changed in the toilet, wearing her bonnet over her head and hiding her fox ears from everyone. There are more people, but miraculously no one comes to bother Deshya about the fluffy tail on her back. In fact, no one bothers either of the friends, and they enjoy the rest of the evening together.

After just over an hour and a half of laughter and teasing, they go up to their respective rooms and shower one after the other. Deshya dresses in her fox pajamas and carefully dries her hair before going to bed. Before she could sleep, however.

- I promised you a massage with my body!" said Amora, jumping on her.

Deshya catches her in his arms and falls onto the bed, laughing. Her laughter spreads to Amora, but the latter admits she's serious. Deshya thinks for a moment, but finally agrees. Amora taps her shoulder with her elbow.

- You'd rather it had been Tessa, admit it~!

- I like it from you too, but I can't deny it....

- You're cheating on her already?!

- What are you talking about?!

- Ahlala, you deserved a harem, but still.

- I don't want any…

- Hihi!

They start laughing together again, one in the other's arms.

A soft step. It echoed in the half-light. Another step, as quiet as the other. Comfortable shoes on her feet, she descends the steps one by one, in no hurry. The darkness prevents her from seeing the end, or the beginning, but she keeps going. She knows where she's going. Although it's past midnight, she hasn't changed her clothes yet. The woman continues, her hair loose and swaying quietly behind her back. It's been a pleasant evening, but now she needs to check hheir condition before going to sleep. Another step, another step, another step. She finally sees the end of the stairs: a metal door, a depressing gray. The handle is rusty, but it's still possible to lower it without using too much force. The woman stops in front of it and cracks her shoulder before gently opening the door. She enters the large room, illuminated by machines and the occasional flickering light. In front of a desk lit by computer screens, someone turns and looks at the woman who has just arrived. They greet each other and talk for a few moments before the woman turns to what really interests her.

A person lying in a dusty bed, pipes running through it on several sides.

Their breathing can be seen in the transparent mask over their mouth, a pipe leading from there too, heading for one of the machines in the room.

- What's their condition?" asks the woman.

- Always the same," replies the other person.

- No change at all?

- None at all.

- Estimated wake-up time?

- Still impossible to determine.

- No treatment possible?

- Only patience.

- I see. Thank you.

- No worries.

The woman sighs, disappointed, but it's a result she's come to expect. She grabs one of her locks and starts rubbing it, beginning to grow impatient in her turn. However, she knows that only time can bring them back to consciousness. The woman sits down on the ramshackle chair waiting for her beside the bed and crosses her legs.

- How much longer are you going to make me wait…

The woman looks at the person lying on the bed with her beautiful blue eyes. There's no tiredness or boredom in her gaze: only impatience. Her long hair flows from her head, but it's not as long as the white and black hair of the person opposite her. Their color isn't identical either, since the woman's is much more feminine.

A beautiful pink.

- You know, I met a lovely vixen today~," Hanoka blurts out, addressing the unconscious person on the bed.

She smiles, thinking of the evening she's just had at the hotel.

- She understood the murder method before I did, so I'm disappointed by myself, but impressed by her abilities. Nevertheless, I'm not surprised. You know very well why, don't you?

Hanoka plays with another lock of her hair, still with a calm smile on her face.

- She really is a beautiful, cute fox, I can't wait to see her again~! She's smarter than I thought, but she still needs training to become a real detective or someone who can be considered a real genius... However, I have faith in her.

Hanoka grabs the hand of the person on the bed and stops smiling.

- Please, come on. Wake up so we can dominate our enemies.

Hanoka blinks slowly and the blue of her eyes is replaced by the silhouette of the unconscious person.

- Please, ‘Papa’.