"..*sigh*..No clients again huh..For a week." It's been pretty boring..I guess sleeping will do..
"What do you mean? We had one this week, about missing pets."
Huh, Last week it's also about a missing pet also.. How irresonponsble can they be?
"We always get that...." I sighed very deeply it's killing me..
"I told you to change the damn poster! It's your fault we always get the same every week!" Louis stared at me with intensive eyes..
*Knock..Knock*
Oh~ Must be a client.
"Hello! Welcome to our office. This way please." Louis greeted whoever that guy is,..cheerfully..I hope she greets me cheerfully every morning too.
"U-Um..You're the detective I believe.."
Ah..It's a good looking guy...mid 20s I guess.
"Yes, Do you want us to investigate something?"
Please not missing animals! Please not missing animals..
"My name is Sam..Actually It's about my sister."
Hm. A missing person? YES! I don't fucking care! Atleast not from those irresponsible owners again.
"You see, She's died in her room. Police were investigating it but they said it's a suicide..However I feel that it's not suicide at all. Someone killed her. I went here because the police can't do anything"
"But Sir, If police are involved already.. I believed, what they said is true already so let's just leave it to the--"
"Yes, We'll gladly help!" Aaaaargh! This girl butted to the conversation again.
"Thank you very much!"
What a pain..If the police said suicide. it's suicide
"Ehehe..It's fine! It's our job after all."
"In that case, I'll pay you in advance."
"Ahaha..No need, Once we prove that it's not suicide then you can pay us!"
Shit, He's about to pay us! This girl...He's not like those irresponsible owners who won't pay us unless we find their pets!
....
....
We followed the Sam to their house. Woah..What a big house, A rich guy... Good looking and rich, I guess he's popular with ladies also.
"We're here..I'll show you to her room."
"Well then, we're gonna start investigating."
Everything's lock, the only way out is the door.
"We found her dead hanging... she commited suicide by strangling her neck."
No matter how look at it, It's suicide.
Louis started looking around the room.
"Um.. you said 'we'?"
"We're living with our step-mom."
"Waaah~ What a nice family picture." Great. Ms.Assistant, Do your job and look for clues!
"Haha..Thank you,"
I looked at the family picture she mentioned.
"Hm? There's another person here."
"Ah..That's our brother..Leo, He's older than us."
"Does your brother lives alone?"
"Yes..he visits us often..Lately, he's been having financial problems."
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Financial..even though they're this rich.
"Say, Where's your father?"
"He passed away already.. last month."
Hmm, I see. "Your family must be rich. Did you inherit anything from your father?"
"Ah. Yes, for his last will... Me and my siblings get to have fair share of inheritance in money,"
"Your mom doesn't?"
"Apparently she got a small percentage of inheritance."
Their mom huh.. seems suspicious.
"What time did you find her?"
"Around 12:35 PM.. When we unlocked the door. Before that happened we're supposed to have a lunch together, all of us... around 11:16 AM Me and Mom went to store to buy some ingredients for the food, but she said she forgot something at home so she went back."
"What about your brother?"
"I called him already. He said he'll finish up his work first. I tried calling him again but he was rather busy..he won't pick up his phone."
The police thought it's a suicide since it's a locked room. Something is really fishy here.
"Ah! Look there are something on the floor."
I like how she just points out clue but never really joins the questioning.
"Hm? What is it Ms. Assistant?"
"Looks like a piece from a broken glass."
The police didn't examine the whole place thoroughly.
"Do you happen to have a broken object here?"
"Hmm..I'm not quite sure...Ah! There was a lamp there..I remember giving it to her for her birthday.."
I get it. You miss her, I feel you..but they're not dead though. I miss my family sometimes.
A broken lampshade huh..something is off here.
"When your mom went home. That's where something bad happened?"
"Yes. She called me to go home immediately. She checked on my sister but she won't open the door."
"Wasn't there any keys? I can see a keyhole at the door knob"
"Well. The door knob wasn't locked. It was the other lock on top of it."
"Louis. Check the door for a bit."
"It looks like a rim lock.. Can be locked inside only but you can't open it outside."
Who thought of this kind of door.. "Well. Did you find anything odd?"
"Hmm the closet was somewhat messed up...Ooh! There are some gloves here."
Gloves? Strange..
"These gloves huh..Say, was her hands this big?"
"Uh. No...No way"
"True..It is in fact quite big for her to use."
I see. I think I already know what happened.
"Can you call over your mom and your brother?"
"Yeah. Sure.."
...
...
"What's going on here, Sam?"
It's their mom.
"Hello. I'm the detective hired by your son."
"Greetings, I'm the detective's personal assistant."
"Aah..nice to meet you, sorry for the trouble he caused. He thinks that his sister didn't commit suicide.."
" Haaa..Haa..sorry for being late. What's this all about?"
"Your brother hired a detective."
"Sorry..I feel like she won't just commit suicide. She's not like that."
"Er...m...It's fine...Did you investigate it already?"
"Yes. You got some band aid on your face.. Did something happened?"
"Ah.... .... I just tripped. It was very painful."
"Huh...we're just here to ask some questions, shall we start?"
...
...
"You went home right? Around what time?"
"Exactly 12. I checked on her but she's not responding..that's why I called Sam. You see.. She's very close with Sam..since she doesn't really like me and I won't blame her."
Louis whispered to my ear.
"..Hey Mr. Detective, I think she's suspicious."
I think so too but same time not. Ok. Next up is the brother.
"Where were you when this all happened?"
"I was pretty late when I came home. Around 12:40 I think."
5 minutes huh. How convenient.
"Are we done? Even if you look at different angle it's still suicide right? This is getting nowhere."
"Yeah you're right. Pretty hopeless. I feel like going home too."
"Don't say that detective! We're here to solve the locked room case."
Tsk. You just agreed because Sam is good looking.
"See? Sam, accept it already. It's suici--"
"That's what I thought at first,"
Heh. I cut off his words before he can finish, with me saying a cool line.
"With clues and all, I conclude that this is murder."
"Haaah?! Can you hear yourself? It's locked. She committed suicide."
His brother seems a little tense.
"Care to explain, Mr. Detective..as their mother I want to know the truth?"
"Alright Ma´m, I'll show you the truth."
...
"First off. You and Sam went shopping right? Because you decided to have a family lunch together."
"Yes. You're very right."
"You went home because you forgot something. And you decided to checked on her."
"But the door was closed."
"You called Sam. Then you tried opening the door with force and found her dead."
"We couldn't believed what we saw. We went donwstairs and called the cops. It still pains me everytime I remember."
"Do you wanna know who killed your daughter?"
"Yes. I'd be glad to."
"It's quite shocking..But It's Leo."
Eveyone turned pale. I guess it was really that shocking. Come on guys.
"Wait, you're suspecting me? I had decisive alibi!"
"It might be true but were you really late?"
"Huh!? Of course I was!"
"Let's recall everything. Sam invited you over but you said you has some work to do"
"Yeah! What about it?"
"I wonder what work were you doing."
"Gah!..Of course work in office!"
"He tried calling you again but you were busy"
"I was!"
This is getting good.
"You can't respond because it was on silent. The reason is... You were hiding that time. At the room."
"The fuck are talking about?!"
"They called you for get-together and you it's a good chance. The moment the two went out. You just need to kill her. That's why the victim feel safe, because it's you, her brother. You strangled her but she fought back and hit you with a lamp shade. That explains the small glass shards that we found and why was the lamp missing. You thought you got rid of the evidence. But Sir, you're very wrong. First you just need fake it by making it she committed suicide by hanging. You were about to get out but someone came home. It was your step-mom. You momentarily locked the door so no one can get it and hid at the closet. There were no finger prints at all because you wear a glove. We found these gloves in the closet..there's no way she could've worn big-sizes glove."
That's tiring. I just explained all of it....I need to breathe.
"You explained everything but how can I get out?"
"Simple. Very simple.. It's time."
"T-Time?"
"You simply waited for them. The moment they went downstairs..you sneaked outside the house and then you changed your clothes, played it cool like nothing happened."
"Like I told you it wasn't me! I don't have any motive"
"Ohohoho..Yes, you do. You got some financial problems is what I heard from your brother. That can be your motive. Kill her off so can get her shares!"
He's speechless now. I was right then!
He have it up and confessed. Let's skip all the drama because this is only marked as comedy. We called the cops and reported what happened.
Sam paid us full. Finally we can eat something nice.
...
"Hey Louis. Wanna go grab something to eat?"
"Hmm~ You're asking me for a date Hmm~"
"Oh shut up. I won't treat you."
"Hey what do you mean?! I have my share in that momey!"
"Huh?! I did all the work! You only said few lines in this chapter!"
"I investigated also! Hey!"
...
I hope we get more clients. Or else this story won't continue. Of course