image [https://i.imgur.com/tmb4a8x.jpeg]
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‘Rosaline Monneige' and 'Sam Strife' are getting married in a church on October 1, 2022, having invited over 100 guests for what will be one of their best days ever. Added to this number, however, are Lière police officers Deshya and Gatito Oveja... as well as 'XIII', the legendary criminal. A monstrous man who has been on the rampage for over 10 years, shamelessly defying the police and yet has never been caught. He kills relentlessly, but only people who are 'society's scum'. The greatest serial killer in history... and yet a criminal that many people love. There are fan clubs for him, accounts dedicated only to this notorious killer, people trying to figure out where he'll act next, etc... etc....
And just so, this same criminal has sent a letter of defiance to 'Deshya Oveja', the fox-eared detective. A letter that seems to come from nowhere, that has no reason to be sent to her home, but in reality, it's because he admired her gesture during the collapse of the 'FEDER' hotel. Having seen her on the television, live during the NEWS, he decided to challenge her for the first time and check out what she's worth, since he'd researched more information about her and learned that she's something of a 'new detective'. It was thanks to this that Deshya was invited to Rosaline and Sam's wedding, here as the detective chosen by 'XIII' himself. Gatito has followed her because he doesn't accept her going to 'confront' such a criminal on her own, acting almost as Deshya's bodyguard more than her father, currently. There, Deshya and Gatito first meet 'Ei Anisato', the Lière police inspector who has been sent on the case. Soon afterwards, the world's most popular police detective shows his face to Deshya's face: 'Shinpei Kioru', the man often seen during investigations against 'XIII' in Belium. After a few discussions together and aperitifs devoured by the guests, they all go to the ground floor of the "AzureView", the name of the restaurant located right next to Lière's magnificent lake — Lake 'Mille Feux'. Nothing has happened yet, and most of the guests don't yet know that 'XIII' is planning to kill anyone at this party... but it's when Ei and Kiara return from the bathroom that everything changes:
‘Mina Matze' seems to have been kidnapped by this criminal.
Panic broke out in the room, but was quickly brought under control by Shinpei. From what they learn, when Kiara went to the bathroom, Ei also went in to check that 'XIII' wasn't hidden in a stall or somewhere else, but she was knocked out from behind. Kiara then heard 'Mina Matze' let out a muffled scream... In short, a complicated situation. They all go outside to look for any trace of the waitress, while other policemen stay inside to catch 'XIII' if he dares show up with Mina inside, but nothing is found. However, when Deshya and the others return inside... they learn that, in reality, Mina is still there.
And it's just after this that a message is sent to Rosaline from Kiara's phone... the latter asking her for help, currently on the roof. Shinpei and other policemen go in, leaving Deshya in the hall with Mohammed and all the guests, including the bride and groom.
Then a cry rang out: Kiara's.
Followed by his fall to the terrace floor.
CHAPTER 51
⎾Legendary Criminel VS Deshya: First Meeting ; Suspects of Being XIII⏌
for her: for all the policemen who are also there. One person has just died... They failed to stop 'XIII' from committing his crime. Far from her first, but Deshya wishes it hadn't happened. Before long, the girl is running towards the terrace to the cries of terror from the guests. The policemen try to calm the situation as best they can, while behind Deshya, the dark-skinned man with the first name of 'Mohammed' runs after her. The teenager quickly opened the French window and braked before the horrible sight before her: Kiara's corpse, eyes closed, but opening them would be pointless, since they'd have no desire left in them... Almost too restful an air, broken bones and blood dripping from her body, creating a crimson puddle that dulls the terrace. Before Deshya could think anything of it, Mohammed gave her an apologetic push and crouched down.
- Mohammed!
He looks up quickly, and Deshya does the same, stepping forward to notice that the man who has just shouted is none other than—
- Did you find 'XIII', Shinpei?!" asks Mohammed.
The police detective is leaning over the roof, another policeman also showing his head at his side. Unfortunately, Shinpei lets them know that 'XIII' hasn't been caught. Mohammed lets out a "Tch" as he lowers his head, checking Kiara's condition. Of course, he's certain that she's dead, but he still has to analyze her.
- She died instantly... She hadn't been killed before," Mohammed remarks. Head trauma and broken vertebrae, two bumps on the skull…
Deshya leaves Mohammed to check on the body and turns to look inside the restaurant from the terrace windows. She can hear people panicking, but it seems to her that calm is gradually returning, with policemen — including her father — forcing them to sit down or forbidding them to leave. What surprises Deshya is that some people... are taking pictures. Illuminated expressions, even happy ones. Eyes full of stars and happiness. Admiration, thanks for being in the same place as 'XIII'. To have witnessed one of his crimes live, to be part of this 'incredible' event.
It disgusts Deshya.
Someone has just died, but they don't care. What matters to them is taking pictures, showing that they were there, sharing this information with their friends and posting them on their social networks. It's happened before that crowds of people come to a crime scene after someone has posted on their wall what happened and where 'XIII' is now, ruining several investigations. The guests who were taking photos were stopped by the police, going by confiscating their phones ; although Deshya isn't sure this is allowed. However, she understands: if they publish their photos on the internet and a mass of people find out about it and head here, then the chances of catching 'XIII' or understanding the case will drop to 0%. That can't happen.
- How can you laugh like that at a crime…
Deshya knows she dared to have fun by offering her deduction to the Blushark family, but she would never have laughed in front of the victim, nor could she have joked about Miro's death. He may have dared to sexually harass her daughter, but to laugh like that at a crime is something she can't imagine. It's horrible. It's disgusting. Deshya is both shocked and unsurprised to see them react this way. Certainly, 'XIII' is around. Certainly, they are experiencing something 'incredible', being in the same place as this legendary criminal.
But can they laugh about it? To react like that? To take photos of a woman who has just died in front of their eyes?
Sometimes, Deshya wonders if social networks aren't the product of Satan himself.
- Deshya.
She snaps out of her thoughts when Shinpei comes back to her, side by side with Ei and two other policemen who are going to help their own inside the restaurant.
- It would appear that Kiara was really on the roof..." the police detective blurts out.
- Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asks Deshya.
Shinpei stares straight into her eyes. Deshya's gaze is ablaze with rage and sadness. He understands her: they couldn't stop 'XIII' in time. They can offer all the excuses in the world, but it won't change a thing: 'Kiara Gommon' has just lost her life. Given Mohammed's behavior, Shinpei has no doubt that she really has joined the world of the dead, so they, mortals, will be unable to bring her back to this earth. They can only blame their own incompetence and do their best to catch 'XIII' — or at least prevent her from killing any more. Afterwards, they haven't forgotten: he intends to get rid of more than just one victim, as evidenced by the use of the plural in his letter.
- What do you mean?
- On the 'disguise' of 'XIII'...
Shinpei squinted and nodded: he'd already solved 75% of the case. Strangely enough, it hadn't been complicated, but the remaining 25% prevented him from understanding how the murder had really worked. He asks Mohammed for a brief summary of the victim's condition, and Deshya immediately understands that he's a Lière police doctor, similar to what Annie is to Tetazo. The man with the dreadlocks and the long coat stands up and nods
- There's no doubt she died in the fall. Given her condition and the bumps on her head, I'd say she was knocked unconscious before being thrown," he explains.
- So 'XIII' used a fake voice for the victim's scream?" asks Ei, annoyed.
- It's not impossible, if he didn't want her to struggle," says Shinpei. However, never mind, carry on.
Mohammed nods again and asks a policeman to help him move the body from here.
- We'll send it to forensics to see if we can find anything more on her or inside her.
- So she fell to her death…
Shinpei and Deshya begin to think: this means that part of their theory is now impossible. They're more or less convinced of 'XIII's' disguise, but that's far from enough to solve this case... What's more, even if they understand how it was done, the most important thing is still unanswered: what 'skin' has this criminal now slipped into?
- It's certain that he's still out there," finishes Shinpei. He probably hasn't taken care of his second victim yet, and even if he has, he'll want to enjoy the show by judging the police and Deshya…
- ‘XIII' is going to stay and see if we can figure it out today or if we're going to take longer, right?" confirms the teenager in the fox sweater.
Shinpei nods.
- No doubt about it. If our theory is right, though…
Shinpei doesn't really like what he's thinking about right now. It's also possible that 'XIII' no longer disguises himself in person and waits for the right moment to act, as he has done many times before: he prepares a disguise, uses it for a murder or two, then finishes his 'show' without needing to hide under a false identity. However, if this is the case, then he must be hidden somewhere in the vicinity or in the restaurant building.
- Say, Shinpei…
Deshya speaks while looking inside the ground floor, where peace and quiet have finally returned.
- Were we right to listen to Kiara?
It's a question Ei also asks herself. She looks down, her eyes saddened: if she'd been more attentive... If she hadn't let herself be knocked out…
Then... maybe Kiara would still be alive.
- If we'd stayed inside, then—
- You're wrong, Deshya.
The teenager blinks and turns her face towards Shinpei. He, too, is looking inside the building, hands behind his back.
- You're thinking that if we hadn't listened to her, if we'd stayed on our guard longer, we could have prevented this murder, but that's not true. Of course, we shouldn't believe everything we're told, because it could be 'XIII' in disguise, but not believing anything is also the worst idea, and it means you're letting 'XIII' win over your heart, but also your mind. If Mina had really been kidnapped, then what we had done could have saved her. What's more, if we had checked around, we might have found a disguise hidden by 'XIII' himself, a mechanism or anything that could have given us an advantage. I still don't know where he hid Kiara, or how he got to the roof with her undetected, but we'll find out. Besides, there were policemen inside anyway, so it's not as if we'd been fools. We took a risk looking around, but this time it was no use. Maybe in a future investigation, we'll save a life with it. ‘XIII' is still considered superhuman, and that's not wrong. Even if you treat him like a God, never forget, Lady Deshya.
Shinpei smiled as he looked at her, without turning his face away.
- It is with our faith that we create the gods. Without it, they are nothing but dust.
Deshya listens attentively, mouth agape. Shinpei moves towards the restaurant and the teenager looks at him without moving, her hands having loosened. Ei sighs beside her and smiles back.
- He always finds the words, doesn't he?" says Ei.
Mohammed, standing next to her, nods in agreement.
- Well, he's right.
He looks down at Deshya.
- If you didn't understand what he meant, he—
- Yes, I understand.
Deshya smiles too and gently pulls the hood down over her head.
- If we see 'XIII' as a god, then we will continue to be beneath him. If we see him as a perfect being, then we're just kidding ourselves about an important detail.
Deshya totally agrees with Shinpei:
- Superhuman or inhuman, he remains human. He's an imperfect being, a man who will make mistakes. Someone we can beat.
Deshya returned to the restaurant with her confidence restored, leaving Ei and Mohammed on the terrace. The two policemen look at each other and chuckle.
- She's an interesting girl, isn't she?" says Ei with amusement.
- Sixteen, eh? Kids these days seem to be a lot better than adults these days.
- Don't say that.
- I mean it!
They laugh together before they too go back inside, quickly regaining their seriousness: they are at a crime scene. They're facing 'XIII', a criminal they want to stop. Someone has just died in front of a hundred people, during a wedding party that should have been the best day of their lives…
But Rosaline is crying.
- W-Why is she…
Sam holds her in his arms, trying to comfort her, both protected by Gatito and another policeman. Shinpei bites his thumb as he looks around... and that's when he notices a certain someone. Without even waiting a second, he runs up to him and grabs his arm.
- Where have you been all this time?
With his back against the wall and a semi-tracaded look on his face, Rampo flinches and shakes his head.
- Wha-What?" he asks.
- We looked for 'Mina' and then Kiara died without you being around and now, all of a sudden, you're here...?
- …
Rampo answers nothing, teeth clenched. He pushes Shinpei and Ei intervenes directly, but the detective tells him it's not necessary. Deshya looks at them from a little further away, eyes squinting.
- I'd almost forgotten about him..." she thinks.
Rampo should have come to eat with them all, but from what she remembers—
- I said I'd come after the entrance, didn't I?" says Rampo. It's normal that I wasn't there.
- …
However, neither Shinpei nor Ei are really convinced. Seeing their gaze fixed intently on him, the man clenches a fist and almost growls.
- You think I'm XIII, don't you? I wanted to come here, but when Kiara called me, I went back outside, waited, but nothing! So I figured it was a joke on her part, or maybe 'XIII' pretended to be Kiara, so I came back!
He lets out another 'Tch' at the end of his sentence, turning his gaze and frowning. Shinpei goes to ask him for more information, but his ear picks up a conversation going on behind him, although he can't hear what's being said. It's a man talking to his wife downstairs, watching the policemen. Seeing that the detective has turned his gaze towards the two of them, they freeze and stop talking.
- What's going on...?" asks Shinpei.
The two look at each other before the man stares at Rampo.
- It's just... We saw him coming out of the building, so…
- He must be telling the truth.
Rampo smiles.
- Ah, well, you see? So, let go of me!
He passes between the policemen angrily and strides over to the large table, his hands in his pockets. Ei frowns.
- Can he be 'XIII'?" she asks.
- No idea," confesses Shinpei. Deshya and I think he was disguised as someone else, but... He seems really upset by the situation, maybe he's saddened by Kiara's death too and sees us as incompetent. We should ask the alibi of the bride and groom, including Kelly. There's nothing to say that any of them, during our search, weren't disguised as 'XIII' and managed to escape for a few moments to put us on the wrong path.
- Speaking of which…
Ei speaks softly into Shinpei's ear.
- Kiara suddenly disappeared when she was with us. I don't know if she was called up to the roof or if she was 'XIII' in disguise, but…
She doesn't finish her sentence, but Shinpei understands exactly what she means. If what she says is true, then the theory he shares with Deshya must be true. However, this doesn't really help them: sure, they understand part of the 'XIII' plan he used to be able to kill Kiara, but they have absolutely no idea who he's disguised as, or who his next victim is. In all likelihood, even if they do solve the woman's murder, it's not going to do them any good. Anyone here could be 'XIII's' next victim, so they find themselves in a complex situation, but Shinpei isn't sweating it: when they face this serial killer, it happens almost every time. He has to keep calm and check that the people 'important' to the wedding are still themselves, and not 'XIII' in disguise. Shinpei is certain that Deshya is still herself, since replicating such a fox tail can't be easy. Admittedly, 'XIII' had chosen him in advance, so he could have planned such a disguise, but even with that aside, 'XIII' can't be the teenager: he never hides in the skin of the detective he calls. After all, what's the point: if he does, the detective won't be able to solve the case... Shinpei gets close to the bride and groom and apologizes, asking for their alibis, which are listened to by the policemen around, including Deshya herself.
- O-Our... Wait, you think it could be us?!
Sam doesn't hide his anger and frowns, scanning the policemen near them. However, Ei asks him directly to calm down.
- I understand how you feel, but we're dealing with 'XIII'. Anyone here could be, even me.
She tugs hard at her cheek, turning it red, and then lets go, emitting a faint sound of pain.
- As you can see, I'm not. We have neither the time nor the right to do such a thing on everyone, so we prefer to quickly ask for your alibi. If it doesn't match reality, you're bound to be 'XIII'. Well, that's not much use, but—
- It's better than nothing, I understand…
Sam sighs and gently grabs his wife, the latter having managed to stop her tears.
- We were here, as you saw... We didn't move, so if either of us is really 'XIII', it's been a little while," he explains.
- I can confirm that," agrees Gatito.
Tetazo's police inspector agrees: he was beside them most of the time, even keeping an eye on them while calming the other guests. He doesn't believe that either of them could be 'XIII', but as Ei has rightly said, they're facing this legendary criminal: anything is possible. He has no doubts about his daughter, but he mustn't forget that 'XIII' is the type to think like whoever he's disguising, even if nobody can hear him. He does everything to become the identity he personifies.
- This notorious criminal who only kills trash... My balls.
Gatito tries to leave his anger inside, but it's hard not to show it on her face. Deshya notices and squints, but prefers not to say anything.
- And you, Mina?
Shinpei turns his head, staring at the waitress who is tensing up.
- M-Me?" she asks, pointing at herself.
- Exactly. You tripped over Deshya during the appetizers, you were nowhere to be seen when Kiara and Ei came to tell us about your disappearance and—
- W-Wait!
Mina shakes her head.
- Is it my fault?! I was here, serving the guests! I served table 17, didn't I?
She turns to the table she's talking about, and the guests seated there confirm that this was indeed the case.
- She went back to the kitchen right afterwards, but she was definitely there," admits the girl with the long blue hair.
Shinpei lets the time pass without speaking... but he finally sighs.
- It's true. It's true. It seems that what I do is useless anyway…
He turns his gaze to Deshya, who nods in agreement. Shinpei sighs as he tucks his hands into the pockets of his long jacket: trying to find 'XIII' at the moment would be pointless and impossible. If they could, it would probably prevent him from killing his next victim or victims, but without a clue, it would be pointless. Except for Rampo, every 'important' person at this wedding has an 'alibi' that proves they were here during the murder... Rampo himself was seen by a couple at the restaurant, so unless they're lying for some reason…
- What's more, that's without taking into account the hundred or so guests who are here, as well as the rest of the restaurant staff," Shinpei thinks.
If 'XIII' disguised himself as someone 'random' among the guests, then he could disappear without necessarily being noticed. They could also check that no one 'extra' or 'uninvited' is in the restaurant, but knowing 'XIII', he wouldn't do something so... stupid and risky. Deshya approached him, Mohammed and Ei at their side.
- What do we do?" asks Deshya.
- First, we need to know how Kiara got to the roof," Shinpei says.
- She just ran away from our group, it's not complex..." admits Ei.
Shinpei shakes his head.
- Deshya and I are certain that the Kiara at your side was 'XIII', Ei.
- A-Ah? But—
- Exactly, I don't know how he managed to move Kiara. One could also believe that Kiara was a fan of 'XIII' and agreed to join him on the roof for some reason, but it's so unlikely that I'd rather not follow that lead. If 'XIII' was disguised as Kiara, then the real Kiara had to be somewhere, didn't she?
The four of them nod and Gatito approaches them to listen.
- To start with, check the ladies' toilets," Shinpei orders. ‘XIII' is the type to use fairly similar methods for these various crimes, so it's possible he'll use a similar ruse for his next target. If we can figure it out now, it's possible to be one step ahead of him.
They all nod again, and Shinpei turns his gaze to the red-haired teenager.
- With Ei, check inside the ladies' toilets. Mohammed, you stay in the corridor to make sure no one goes in. Gatito, if you can continue to keep an eye on our two grooms, as well as on the rest of the guests... Of course, alongside our men.
The red-haired man accepts, glancing at Rosaline, who has managed to stop her tears. He can only understand her sadness, for losing such a dear friend…
- …
Gatito turns directly to Shinpei, preferring to concentrate on the investigation rather than thinking about superfluous things.
- I'm going to check outside the toilets to see if I can find anything. I'll warn the policemen watching the area around the lake and the restaurant to be extra careful," concludes Shinpei.
At the end of the detective's words, they all head where they need to go. Mina, Rosaline, Sam, Rampo and even Kelly watch them, all with a different look on their faces. Kelly sighs.
- They didn't even tell me my alibi... Have they forgotten me or what?" she blurts out as she sits down beside the bride and groom.
Gatito watches him out of the corner of his eye, but doesn't respond to his words. He then admires his daughter leaving, putting on gloves — the ones Mariah gave him.
- It's true that she always keeps them in her pockets now..." he thinks.
It's normal, after all: she's now something of an apprentice detective, one who is indirectly drawn to investigations and vice versa. It's possible that tomorrow she'll come across another murder, be called in by Minos or even hear that one of her classmates has just been abducted or has disappeared. It's not Deshya's fault, but fate... luck, life itself, that has decided it. Belium may be a beautiful country with a highly competent police force, but it's also a place where cases come to light a little too often. Nevertheless, as a detective, Gatito knows very well that there are more investigations than the general public might think. If only people knew how common crimes were…
For their part, Deshya and Ei enter the ladies' room, making sure no one is still there. Mohammed promises not to let anyone through for the time being, especially as there are other, smaller toilets upstairs if they really have to. They thank him and Deshya takes a quick look around. It's a basic but clean toilet, with three different sinks, a mirror above each one, and a total of 6 cubicles next to each other. There's a small area below and a larger one above, so it's possible to move from one to the other by climbing the walls of the cubicles. As for what's underneath, that's not possible — not even Korone could do it. Deshya clenches and unclenches her gloved hands before opening one of the cabins with attention to look inside. A clean toilet with a roll of white paper... nothing else.
- Kiara went into cabin number 5," Ei explained.
Deshya nods and opens the door to this particular cabin, but nothing special is found. The scroll has hardly been used and Deshya can see no traces of combat or defense, nor any message. The inside of the jar is clean and the latch is in good condition.
- I'll check the other cabins," Ei tells him.
Deshya looks at her and notices her pained expression: she must continue to blame herself for letting 'XIII' catch and kill Kiara. Deshya doesn't think it's her fault, but she can understand her: she was in charge of protecting the woman who ended up being murdered. She can only consider herself at fault. Deshya would like to tell her not to see it that way, but it won't help, so she concentrates on her task: finding out how 'XIII' could have killed Kiara in such a way.
- Anyway, it's all very 'XIII'.
He could have simply killed Kiara in the bathroom and fled, and that would have been more than enough. His target would still have been eliminated without anyone knowing what 'XIII's' disguise was... and yet he still decided to disguise himself as her and risk not being able to finish Kiara off. He has decided to take the more complicated route, all because he loves spectacle and trickery. Although 'XIII' only kills society's 'trash', it's hard not to believe that he's having fun making the police and detectives go round in circles... Is it because it's entertaining for him, or because he hates the police and detectives? Yet he does them as little harm as possible... True, here he knocked out Ei, but—
- Nothing in the other cabins," admits Ei.
Deshya shakes her head: she's still thinking about superfluous things. She checks the inside of hers, but... nothing.
- The same," replies the teenager quickly.
She sighs and looks around the room again before her attention is drawn to something. She looks up and Ei stands next to the girl.
- I thought about it too, but…
Both look at the room's rectangular, open window. It's not very big, but Deshya is more or less convinced of one thing:
- I think I'll be able to go to the other side.
The window is wide enough for a person without too many muscles to get through. For its height, anyone of slim build could also go outside without too much trouble. What's more, the window isn't very high, but to reach it, you still have to stretch your arms upwards, grab the edge underneath and then cross it... something that anyone without strength wouldn't be able to do. The window isn't very high either, given that Deshya can reach it by jumping: it's about 1m90 off the ground. So it's possible that some people could see outside from inside... Is this really practical? However, Deshya prefers not to ask such questions and just looks out... to see Shinpei smiling.
- I was also wondering about this window," he admits. With my looks, I think it would be complicated to pass, but a girl like you surely could. However, forgive my question…
Shinpei approaches the wall where the window is, watched by Deshya's two big eyes.
- You're a girl with a rather athletic physique and far from overweight, but I can say that you still have a developed shape. Kiara had a similar body, so I wonder—
- Even with my breasts and pelvis... I can try.
Deshya was a little embarrassed by Shinpei's question, but she understood why he'd asked: Kiara had a physique quite similar to his, but was a little taller. If Deshya could pass for it, so could Kiara. However, even she doesn't know if this window is really a question that needs to be answered.
- Don't force yourself, though," Shinpei told her.
She shakes her head and gives it a try, even if she has to hold back her hood as well.
- You don't want to pull your fox tail, if you try this?” Ei asks from inside.
- If only I could..." Deshya sighs inwardly.
However, it doesn't work like that. If she had the ability to make her attributes disappear whenever she wanted, her life would be a lot simpler... She forces her arms a little and more easily than expected, she makes it outside. She notices the container underneath her and jumps up a little more, right next to Shinpei. She holds back her hood so that it doesn't reveal her ears and shakes her head.
- It looks like it's possible," admits Deshya.
She rubs her body and the detective beside her asks if she's hurt herself. She cracks her shoulder as she observes the small window in front of her.
- It's not very pleasant, but it's okay..." admits Deshya. Getting back inside from here is easy by climbing onto the container, it seems.
Shinpei nods.
- Is there anything in these garbage cans?" asks Deshya.
- I didn't find anything inside. There's nothing but uninteresting garbage with a big blanket on the side. It's possible that a homeless person is sleeping inside…
Deshya looks inside and wonders, but—
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- Ah, I've already looked inside.
Ei's head shows through the window. Shinpei looks up and squints.
- When we went looking for Mina? She nods.
- Kiara opened the lid and looked inside, but found nothing. Naturally, I took my turn looking, even moving the garbage around, but I couldn't find a trace of anyone's body. Since there are no garbage bags inside, I didn't even look any further," she replies.
- I see, so it was Kiara who looked inside…
- Honestly, even if I missed it, I'd probably have checked on the way back. I have to admit that being knocked out mentally disturbed me, I…
- Ei. I know you blame yourself a lot, but if you let things like this affect your heart, it's going to spill over into your work. If you miss once, do better next time. We're not perfect, and what's more, our opponent is 'XIII'.
- ... Good.
Ei just nods and his head disappears from the open window. Shinpei rubs his chin as he stares at the container.
- So the chances of Kiara's body being here are very low, if not zero," he remarks.
- Especially as there was no one in the toilet when we left, so the timing was too short for 'XIII' to get her from inside to outside.
- Hm.
There's no room in the back to hide a body, and if Ei also checked inside, then Kiara simply wasn't there. So... where could 'XIII' have hidden his victim's body? Had he knocked it out somewhere else? Or did he...
- Are we wrong?" asks Deshya.
However, Shinpei doesn't respond. Of course, it's public knowledge that 'XIII' works alone and doesn't ask for help with these murders, but something that is less well known is that sometimes…
Ordinary people help 'XIII' succeed in his plans. So if Kiara…
After checking the outside a little more, unfortunately nothing is found. They all return together to the ground floor restaurant, with a police officer stationed in the corridor between the great hall and the toilets, just in case. What's more, at the end of this corridor is the kitchen too: in short, if anything happens, he should see it.
- Huuuuuh?!
As they reach the main hall, they hear a man shouting. Shinpei and Deshya turn towards the concussion and notice a policeman in front…
- Calm down, Rampo!
It's Sam who shouts this. He's still where he belongs, by his wife's side, but he still decides to step in with his words.
- And you, stop forcing it like that!
Sam drops this sentence with a frown, staring at the swallowing policeman. Shinpei approaches first and asks what's going on, with Deshya stopping next to her father.
- They keep saying I'm 'XIII'!" grumbles Rampo, pointing at the policeman. I've already pulled on my cheek to prove I'm not his disguise, but they keep forcing it!
- Is this really how you intend to catch him?” Sam asks, clearly not happy about the situation.
- Don't raise your voice," insists Gatito, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Even Rosaline asks him to calm down. Sam sits down again, clicking his tongue against his teeth, arms folded. Shinpei watches him do it before turning to the policeman.
- Why do you insist?" asks the detective.
- B-But could it really be someone else...? If we stop it now, then the chances of catching it—
- Naive.
Shinpei shakes his head.
- Hoping to catch 'XIII' in this way is futile. Even if you were to find the right person, without setting a trap, you'd never be able to stop him from running away.
- But at least we could stop him from killing more people, don't you think?" asks the policeman, gradually crumbling under all the stares turned his way.
- True, but if you fix your attention on just one person, you'll lose sight of what's going on around you. ‘XIII' disguises are sometimes strong enough that they appear to be real skin when pulled on, so you should always either be certain that the person is 'XIII', or take several people at once.
Deshya knows why this second solution is no good:
- If they start wanting to check everyone out, then 'XIII' is bound to flee the scene, figuring that he'll be caught in the end. While this may be a good way to stop him from killing, in reality it's totally unnecessary.
Contrary to what a lot of people think, the police don't have the right to do whatever they want: searching someone is not necessarily authorized, even if they're police. They have to ask permission from the person concerned, who has every right to refuse — all that does is make him more suspicious, but that's not enough to arrest him justifiably. If Ei orders the police to search and check that no one is a disguise, anyone can refuse and with right; it would take a warrant or special authorization to have the right to do so even 'without the consent of the person concerned'. In short, this is not necessarily useful, and what's more, Deshya knows it's been tried before: 'XIII' quickly escapes, often killing his other victim(s) without using any ruse, complaining about the inability of the police. It's for this very reason that he refuses to send his police to certain cities... and that he so much enjoys confronting Shinpei.
- In short, stop your nonsense. I'm sorry, Sir Rampo.
The dark-haired detective bows before joining Deshya and Gatito's sides.
- But isn't it possible that 'XIII' is disguised as Rampo?" asks the red-haired man.
Shinpei remains standing and gently turns his face behind him.
- It's not impossible, but he's far too suspicious for 'XIII' to disguise himself as him. However, it's worth keeping a close eye on him.
- Is it possible that he's just underestimating Deshya?
That's the question Ei asks as she approaches them. Nevertheless, Shinpei shakes his head.
- She may be a teenager who's only recently been thrust into the spotlight, but 'XIII' doesn't underestimate anyone, even someone who would be considered an idiot. You know that, Ei.
- I know, but I prefer to take that possibility into account too," she admits.
- I don't think he underestimates me," says Deshya. If he dares to do such a stupid thing, then I hope he enjoys rotting in prison.
Deshya's confident smile is adored by Shinpei, who giggles. Ei returns the teenager's smile and looks up at Gatito.
- You have a very interesting daughter, you know?" she blurts out.
- Bold, a little arrogant and special, but I wouldn't change her for anyone else.
Gatito rubs the top of Deshya's hood, the latter blushing under his father's compliment. The people around them admire them happily, but the fact that they're all in the same place as 'XIII' prevents them from fully enjoying the moment. While they're chatting, the waitress called 'Mina Matze' approaches the table.
- Would you like a drink?" she asks. You work hard, so…
She doesn't show too much embarrassment unlike before, but it's audible in her voice that she's not totally at ease either. Shinpei turns to her.
- It's true that I won't say no. I'm tempted to drink while I think. Nothing alcoholic, of course.
They all say what they'd like to have, Deshya taking a simple orange juice. As Mina returns to the kitchen, some of the guests start talking a little louder than the others:
- Say, are we going to get our dish?
- It's true that if we have to stay here…
- I don't know if I'll be able to eat after what I've seen…
- Anyway, we've all got to stay here, so let's get on with it.
Immediately afterwards, guests' complaints and requests begin to resound from every corner of the room. A cacophony begins. The policemen try to calm the people, who begin to raise their voices, but another one quickly echoes:
- Sorry!
A woman gets up from her chair, bows and apologizes to everyone.
- Maybe I should have postponed this wedding, but not only did I not want to have lost your time, plus I was really hoping that 'XIII' would be caught first. I've been naive and foolish. Sorry about that.
It's Rosaline who apologizes to everyone, managing to silence the entire room with her words alone. Sam wants to touch her shoulder and tell her it's her fault too, but Rosaline looks up directly afterwards.
- Even though Kiara has been killed, as you've seen, I still want to go ahead with this wedding! We can't leave just yet, so let's leave it to the police and believe in them. I know it will be almost impossible for you not to think about what has happened and probably will happen soon, but I would like this day to be as beautiful as possible... Please!
Once again, she bows to everyone. The guests talk to each other, creating a background noise that's strangely not as unbearable as expected. The policemen look at each other, with only Deshya and Shinpei smiling. The black-haired detective sighs with a chuckle and catches Ei's eye.
- Do you allow it?" he asks.
- As far as I'm concerned, she's right," replies the woman. There's no point in just panicking in the room, and if we don't let anyone leave, then everything will be fine. I'm going to double the attention of the police officers already outside by posting some of them in front of certain exits. The one at the back of the kitchen, the windows of the toilets, even… the terrace, front doors and roof. We should have done that by now, I think.
- The problem is that we won't have many people inside at that point. If we don't, we'll have to call in all the police who are stationed even further away, and if 'XIII' manages to get away, we'll never know where he's gone.
- Let's mix the two.
She goes into a little more detail about her proposal and Shinpei admits that it's clever. She nods and passes between the tables to warn the police, putting her walkie-talkie in front of her mouth. Gatito, who has been listening to their conversation, addresses Shinpei.
- Ei is the inspector and you're the detective, but I kind of feel like it's the other way around sometimes," he admits.
Deshya understands what her father means: when he's with Sammy, for example, it's Gatito who gives orders or accepts Sammy's proposals, not the other way round. During the hotel affair, Hanoka had a rather similar relationship with Karine, although this detective here is a little more 'independent' — even worse is Mariah. Deshya has only met them once as 'lead detective', but she doesn't forget that Mariah was still one of the policemen who caught the murderers during the Sleeping Little Beauty case. Still, she's a police detective, not an agent, inspector or anything like that. Deshya doesn't know whether the police are just less strict than she'd previously thought, or whether she's simply met some police officers with rather extravagant personalities.
- I mean, Mariah did make one hell of an entrance that day…
How could she forget such a thing? Her attention is redirected to Shinpei, who answers Gatito.
- Ei is stricter than you think, and though she sometimes asks for my opinion, it's only because she trusts my judgment. However, she's clearly the inspector and I'm the detective. We're on an 'XIII' case, so she sometimes prefers to rely on me rather than her own judgment, since I have more experience.
- You haven't always worked together, then?" asks Deshya, interested.
- …
Shinpei didn't answer directly, his gaze distant. Eventually, however, he tells her:
- I've been a police detective for almost eleven years. I started working on the 'XIII' cases seven years ago. I've been working with Ei for two years now, at the beginning of 2020.
For the first time, Shinpei neither smiles nor is neutral... but seems nostalgic.
- I miss Devon.
The tone of his voice has changed from one calm and melodious to one distorted by sadness. Shinpei doesn't sound angry or enraged — just saddened. Neither Deshya nor Gatito dare ask for more details on the subject, and seeing Shinpei's gaze drift off into the distance, the teenager decides to change the subject, even with the curiosity that inwardly demands she ask him about that famous 'Devon'.
- I know this may be a silly question, but I was wondering how 'XIII' is always running. I mean, he's been acting for about fourteen years, right?
Shinpei blinks and, seeing that Deshya has just changed the subject, smiles.
- Thank you.
His smile comes back, his expression much more like the Shinpei she knows.
- To be honest with you, it's because 'XIII' is always prepared for almost anything. Even when we use helicopters to check where he is and all that, 'XIII' sometimes prepares escape routes in advance, so if we can't find them before he uses them, he's bound to manage to get away. He often prepares smoke bombs and the like, and more, his physical abilities, agility and all that goes with it are top-notch. Should he decide to convert to a physical sport, he could turn professional in a matter of months.
Shinpei sighs.
- We have the authority to shoot him if we have to, even kill him if we have to, you know.
- K-Kill him?!
Gatito places his hands in front of his daughter's mouth, who has just screamed. She purses her lips and a few people look at her, but they quickly return to their occupation. Deshya sighs as her father removes his hands and apologizes.
- Is it true?" asks Deshya in confirmation.
Shinpei nods.
- Of course, although 'XIII' is a criminal who will never get out of prison if caught, I refused to use such a method to finish him off. Any policeman can pull out a gun and shoot him in the heart if they want to, but I refuse to let us become criminals ourselves. Even if it means he'll be on the loose for weeks, months or years to come, I don't care.
Shinpei turns his gaze to Gatito.
- I suppose you have the green light too?
- The order came from Belium's chief of police, so we have nothing to say. Our chief in Tetazo asks that we don't use such manners, however," replies Gatito honestly.
- Understandable. Ours agrees and has already asked me to consider using more extreme means against such a criminal, but... Maybe that's just my weakness: I don't want to hurt anyone.
Shinpei sighs again.
- I'm probably a naive man, but I want to catch 'XIII' without having to shoot him. I don't mind putting him to sleep, but we've already tried using special smoke. It's still a method we intend to use, but we've already failed several times.
Deshya vividly remembers the case against 'XIII' last year during a concert. They used such a method when they learned that 'XIII' was disguised as one of the musicians, but they ended up putting innocent people to sleep, which created a controversy on the internet. Of course, the police force that used this method was one of the southern cities of Belium, not Lière: Deshya doesn't see Shinpei using this method, involving civilians in the process.
- We'll catch him one day, but I know how terrifying 'XIII' is. He escapes again and again like it's no big deal... Until the day his identity is truly revealed, I'll spend the rest of my life wondering who he really is. Who he really is.
The determination of this police detective is palpable. Deshya and Gatito understand, however: a man of such skill, talent and cunning can't be just anyone. The chances of him being simply homeless or penniless are so low as to be considered zero. For the moment, however, there are no convincing leads, so they can only hope to catch him or wait for a big mistake on his part.
The minutes passed without any progress being made on the case, as the sun continued to shine high in the sky. However, it's clear that it will soon be setting into the horizon, needing to rest too. The interior of the 'AzureView' restaurant has since calmed down and the food is on offer, but not everyone is eating: some still have the image of the woman with the first name of 'Kiara' crashing into the terrace floor, after all. Others are afraid of being poisoned in the food offered to them, but not everyone is so frightened: it would be impossible for 'XIII' to know what dish is going to be served to his victim. He could serve it himself or order the waiter to give the dish to X or Y, but two policemen — one of whom is 'Mohammed Breizan' — are just checking the kitchen, so no one could try to make one strange gesture. Deshya and Gatito are chatting to the bride and groom. A waiter comes to offer them new drinks and they thank him.
- Hey, so you like wine too?" asks Sam.
Gatito nods.
- We have a hut with a multitude of bottles," he confesses. As a child, my Deshya often wanted to taste, so we had to be careful…
Deshya pouts.
- It's not my fault, you often drank it while eating raclette, and since I love raclette, I was tempted.
- And to think that now you're not interested in alcohol at all.
- It's true!
They all chuckle together and Rampo sighs with relief as he finishes his drink.
- And you, Gatito, what kind of wine do you like?
As they speak, Shinpei approaches them to see what they're talking about.
- Hm, my favorite wine, eh..
Gatito thinks for a long time, but no answer comes to mind. Deshya knows very well that he and his mother drink a different wine every time, although it's clear that it's not rosé that they prefer, but rather red or white — depending on the occasion, the guests and the dish they're eating.
- I don't really know," the inspector finally admits.” What about you, Shinpei?
- My favorite wine? Well—
- A-Ah!
Rampo lets out this soft cry as he stands up, scratching the back of his head.
- Will you wait for me? I really need to go to the loo…
- Martin, can you follow him?
Shinpei turns to the policeman watching their table. He accepts with a silent nod and accompanies Rampo to the bathroom, leaving the small group to chat amongst themselves.
- And do you have any idea who 'XIII' might be?" asks Rosaline.
The bride speaks to Shinpei, but also to Deshya. At the same time, the two detectives wave their heads with disappointment.
- There are far too many guests and some are getting small, so they might have been replaced before. There's also the possibility that it could be a policeman or even a cook or waiter from the restaurant. Of course, it's impossible to rule out the possibility that 'XIII' is disguised as a woman," Shinpei begins.
- If our first theory is right, we don't yet know who 'XIII' might be," Deshya goes on to say.” Nor do we know who his next target might be. Any ideas?
The bride and groom look at each other for a few moments, but Sam finally answers.
- I don't want to speak ill of anyone, but Rampo himself isn't always... let's say, a nice person. I don't know if he's really someone who could be considered 'garbage', but seeing as Kiara was targeted... It's always strange: she seemed to be an incredible woman.
- After that, even if Mina is a very nice woman, she had a difficult past where she had to steal. No, I don't like talking about people like that.
Rosaline looks down, saddened to think such things. Shinpei tells her that it's all right and totally normal to think like that, especially as they need to find potential targets for 'XIII'. Deshya wonders why he killed Kiara in the first place. What did she do wrong? Since even her best friend didn't seem to know the reason why 'XIII' had killed her, she must have had some part of her hidden from everyone... but then, how did this criminal know the truth? She couldn't imagine a man as busy as him just hanging out with Kiara in his spare time by sheer coincidence…
- If Rampo is a potential victim, can't we believe that 'XIII' is disguised as him?" asks Gatito.
Shinpei turns his face to the inspector with a serious expression.
- I checked for myself that Rampo wasn't a disguise, but it isn't," he admits. I looked just before we all sat down to eat, given the concussion, but as expected, it's not the case. If 'XIII' is watching us from somewhere, it must be someone else.
- But we can't be 'XIII', can we?" asks Rosaline as she grabs both her husband's shoulders, gently hiding behind him.
- It's unlikely, but I can't rule it out. If he really was disguised as Kiara, then…
Shinpei can't forget the “superhuman” abilities of 'XIII'. He already knows that thanks to a mechanism he has around his neck, he can imitate anyone's voice — or rather, it helps him imitate her. Shinpei doesn't know how this technology works, but it certainly does, given that in a case where 'XIII' was almost caught, they were able to see the strange necklace he had around his neck. Since then, Shinpei has been convinced that it's thanks to this that he can give the illusion of having the voice of the person he's disguising... He may be an 'inhuman' man, but it's impossible to believe that he can imitate anyone's voice with such precision. However, if such technology exists, then Shinpei hopes it will never see the light of day in the commercial world. Artificial intelligence is already advancing far too fast, so—
- Here, sorry!
Shinpei wakes from his thoughts and sees Rampo return to his seat, grabbing his empty glass. Martin', the policeman the detective sent to follow Rampo, is also here.
- So, we were talking about Shinpei's favorite wine?" asks Rampo.
The dark-haired detective nods and rubs his chin.
- I really like Château Margaux 2009..." replies Shinpei thoughtfully.
- I-Isn’t it a wine that's, like, 1,200 euros...?" says an astonished Rampo.
- It's not the most expensive one I've ever been offered.
- Sorry, eh…
They all start laughing together: the atmosphere in the room is relaxed and pleasant for the moment... but how long will it last?
Just over 15 minutes later, Rampo stands up again, an unpleasant expression on his face.
- I have to go to the bathroom again... It's like my body doesn't like me, fuck…
He asks Martin if he can accompany him again, and the policeman turns to Shinpei, who offers his agreement with a slight nod. So off they go quickly, with Rampo seemingly in a real hurry. Shinpei, Deshya and Gatito squint.
- Is it possible she's been offered a laxative?" asks the red-haired man.
- Anyway, going to the toilet so quickly... He's had a lot to drink, but unless he has a bladder or prostate infection, it seems strange to me," admits Shinpei.
Deshya doesn't say anything, but she thinks the same: it's abnormal. However, if she is to believe Shinpei's words… Rampo can't be 'XIII' and besides, nothing strange happened in the bathroom — that's what Martin told them, anyway. However, there's nothing to say that something strange didn't happen there... or that the waiter who offered them the drinks didn't serve Rampo a laxative or medicine that forces Rampo to go to the toilet more often.
- In any case, none of us seem to have ingested any," remarks Deshya.
This means that Rampo must have been the target. If so—
- Say, is—
However, before she can finish her sentence, she hears a conversation behind her. With the background noise of the guests all chatting together, it's hard to hear one in particular, but given the word she hears in the sentence, she turns back to them.
- Yeah, I swear, I saw Rampo with someone else.
These are two women chatting together. With their well coiffed hair, gorgeous outfits and make-up all over their faces, they're talking together without worrying whether anyone can hear them or not.
- Huuuuh? The guy with the blond hair?
- Yes! The police are interested in him, aren't they? Well, I didn't realize it was him, but—
- S-Say!
The two women are startled when they see the girl in the fox sweater approach them, gently banging the table with both hands. Shinpei, Gatito and the bride and groom watch, intrigued.
- When did you see it?!" asks Deshya, making no secret of the fact that she's in a hurry.
The blue-eyed woman blinks at them before putting down her fork.
- Oh, you're the kid who plays detective? What's with the fox getup, huh?
- Who cares? Please answer me!
- Tch.
The woman is clearly unhappy to be spoken to in this way, but when she sees Shinpei approach in turn, her expression changes directly.
- Forgive her, this is important. You said you saw Rampo with someone, is that right?
She blushes softly and twirls a few strands of her wavy hair around her index finger.
- That's right... Forgive me for... Forgive me for not… to not have talked about it before..." she says.
Deshya sighs as she agrees to talk to Shinpei, who has probably been under her spell for some time, but she understands that she has been insistent and a little aggressive.
- Before Kiara was killed, I saw Rampo with someone else walking down the corridor, you know, where the toilets are and all that," she continues.
- Sorry?
Shinpei frowns. The woman starts waving her hand.
- It wasn't Kiara with him, ahah! It was also a man, but I can't remember who it was. He wasn't blond and didn't look like 'XIII', but I'm sure they were both chatting!
- But Rampo didn't mention that, did he?
Deshya frowns in turn: this is starting to look very strange. Is it possible that this time…
- Here are your drinks!
A waitress approaches the next table: it's Mina Matze. She notices Deshya watching her and blinks, but they say nothing to each other. The woman who answered Shinpei's question tries to get him to talk to her, but it's clear that the detective's mind is elsewhere.
- If... Wait... Would Rampo have…
He bites his thumb, thinking he understands something. However, that wouldn't explain everything that had happened.
- D-Did I...?
Suddenly, the restaurant's pleasant atmosphere changes. Gradually, but quickly, rumors start to spread.
- Is it really...?
Deshya turns to the front of the restaurant, where people are all chatting amongst themselves, and squints. Immediately after—
- S-Shinpei!
Lière's police doctor, Mohammed Breizan, approaches them, while Ei runs in the opposite direction.
- Rampo just shouted from the toilet...!
Deshya runs straight away, followed by Shinpei and Gatito, who demand to know nothing. Shinpei orders three policemen to protect the bride and groom and to make sure that nothing happens.
Mohammed follows immediately afterwards. The guests in the room begin to panic.
— others let out cries of joy when they realize that 'XIII' has probably done it again.
- Was Rampo really the next target?!" wondered Shinpei as he reached the corridor.
They notice Ei standing in front of the men's toilet, but she still hasn't entered. Deshya quickly puts on her gloves and Shinpei follows suit, both entering the men's room. Gatito wants to tell his daughter that she's not allowed to go in there, since it's for men, but if a crime has just occurred, then it doesn't really matter.
- H-Here…
A man is already inside: it's 'Martin', the man in charge of 'Rampo's' protection, pointing to the closed cabin. Shinpei opens it and there—
— Rampo's lifeless body is visible, sitting on the pot, blood running down his torso.
A stab in the heart. Eyes wide open, but no soul behind, a mouth half-open, but with no scream coming out. Deshya grits her teeth and thinks directly of something, so she jumps to the window and looks out.
And here—
- !!!
The policeman outside, making sure no one could escape or get in from the window... is lying unconscious on the floor.