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Chapter Text

~ 22nd November, 8:43 a.m. ~
~ Supreme Court of Judicature, Defendants' Antechamber 5 ~

I'm staring blankly at my feet.

How is this happening?

I'm still in disbelief.

How can it be that, just beyond the doors to this quiet little chamber... is the highest court in Japan, waiting to decide my fate?

Ah, right, you don't know what my fate is... or who I am, for that matter.

I'll get to that in a moment.

I finally look up at my surroundings... right into the eyes of an annoyed bailiff.

"What?" he snaps at me.

"It's nothing..." I answer.

"Save your glares for your cell, murderer!"

I look away. "I'm sorry..."

Yes, now you know that my trial is for a murder.

My name is Ryunosuke Naruhodo, an English student at the University of Yumei.

Three days ago, while trying to speak to Dr. John Watson, who happens to teach there, imagine my surprise when I find him dead as I am trying to return his gun to him.

It is exactly as bad as it sounds.

"That's enough!"

All of a sudden, another voice rings out. We both turn towards the courthouse doors, where a man stands, now silently observing the floor. 

Without looking up, he speaks again. "He's not obliged to listen to such abuse, Officer."

"Excuse me!" snaps the bailiff. "Who do you think you are?!"

"I am this man's lawyer, clearly. I'm defending him today."

"You?"

"Are you so surprised? Until the judge has given his verdict on the case... no one has the right to treat him as a criminal. So you will hold your tongue!"

"Ha, technicalities! You have not even graduated yet!"

The man looks up and rolls his eyes. "Why am I the one who must teach you how to behave, then? You should know better." He finally turns to me. "Isn't that right, Ryu?"

I jolt in surprise at being addressed suddenly.

"Right! Sorry..."

He scoffs at me. "What are you apologizing to me for?"

"Aside from dragging you into this, Kazuma, I suppose there's nothing else to do it for. I'm sorry..."

Now he's laughing at me. "You're doing it again, Ryu!"

I blush. "Okay, are we done poking fun at me?"

"I think the papers have done it enough. 'Yumei University Professor Murdered in Cold Blood by Student!' But obviously... you didn't actually do it, did you?"

"Of course not! You have to believe me!"

"It's not me you have to worry about; it's the court. Hold your head up high, Ryu, because we have some convincing to do."

I gasp. "Does that mean...?"

"Yes, of course I believe you."

Oh, right, I should probably introduce you to this man, too. I can be pretty scatterbrained like that.

Kazuma Asougi happens to be my best friend — my partner-in-crime, as it were. We have been for a while, ever since we started correspondence when we were 8, then officially met at Yumei where we are both second-years (we're 23 now). Obviously, he's far more clever than I am, which is why he is a qualified lawyer right now and I am not. Three days ago, he was asked to be sent to represent Japan way up in London and insisted that I should come along with him (which will be no easy task at all). He insists it's not impressive since the concept of lawyers is only a few years old here, but I say it still is.

"Kazuma, might I have a word with you?"

Oh, who is that?

Now there's an older man approaching us with a young woman next to him.

"Hello, Professor Mikotoba," says Kazuma. "I didn't know you were coming."

Ah, right! This must be Yujin Mikotoba — Kazuma has written a bit about him and he does also teach at the university. However, he's talked more about his daughter, Susato, to me, who must be the lady beside him that's bowing to us.

"Well, this case has personal significance to me. But never mind that for now." Yujin jerks a thumb in the opposite direction. "You should go immediately to the Judge’s chambers."

Kazuma raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

"As I hear, he was looking for you earlier. You advocating for the defense in this trial was a sudden decision. It seems there may be some confusion about procedures today as a result."

"Very well, I will go at once."

"Might I accompany you?" asks Susato.

"Sure." Kazuma turns to me. "Ryu, I will see you in court."

I nod to him. "Thanks, Kazuma."

Off they go. Yujin faces me.

"'Ryu'? Might you be the Ryunosuke that Kazuma writes to?"

I bow. "That's me. It's nice to meet you personally, Professor Mikotoba."

It was him, after all, that advocated for Kazuma to go abroad here.

"As I understand it, you and Kazuma are best friends, correct?"

I nod. 

"As such, I feel you should know..."

"Know what?" Should I be concerned?

"Well, as you've no doubt heard, Kazuma has been granted permission to go and study in Great Britain. However, if he should fail to defend you in today's trial... I'm afraid that that permission will be revoked... and never granted again."

My mouth drops open. "What?!"

Has this man lost it?! He still agreed to defend me even if he loses his permission should he fail?!

Yujin blinks twice. "It appears he did not want to worry you about this."

I rub my arm. "Now I'm more worried than ever. What I don't understand, though, is why the government would do such a thing in the first place!"

"The administration has to choose from a large number of applicants for overseas study," he explains. "It's very difficult to persuade them to grant permission, even in the most favorable of circumstances."

"I can't believe it..." I heave a sigh. "I didn't do this! I just hope the court can see that."

"I'm sure you didn't, and you are correct that this will be no easy task. However, there are certain... 'peculiarities' about today's trial."

I blink dumbly. "What do you mean?"

"You shall see for yourself once the proceedings commence."

Why do I not like the sound of this...?

"What should I do, then?"

"Naturally, I'm not going to suggest doing anything that could lead to a conviction."

"I would hope not!"

"As soon as the trial starts, the judge will pose a certain question to the defense. When that happens, you must answer before anyone else. You must say, 'I do'."

I make a face. "But what if the question is 'Do you accept the accusations brought before you?'"

Yujin huffs. "They would not ask such a question."

It's then that the bailiff decides to cut in. "Defendant! Court is about to begin. Proceed to the courtroom at once!"

"It appears our surreptitious discussions are to be cut short. So, allow me to summarize..." Yujin affixes me with a slightly stern look. "Kazuma Asougi must not be the defense lawyer in this trial. Of course, as the defendant, the final decision is yours."

"Move it or you will be found guilty of failing to appear!" snaps the bailiff. "I suggest that you get moving as there's no point in anyone advocating for the likes of you anyway!"

I ball my fists. Yujin whispers not to get carried away.

With absolutely no idea of what lay ahead, I embarked on that unforgettable trial — my one and only chance of proving my innocence... the trial that would decide my destiny!

~ 22nd November, 9:00 a.m. ~
~ Supreme Court of Judicature, Courtroom 2 ~

I stare around at the room in awe. "So, this... is a courtroom..."

Kazuma, who has eventually returned, hums next to me. "The Supreme Court of Judicature. No court in the land has more power."

My eyes fall on the gallery and I shudder. By the looks of it, it's military and other such uniforms — aside from Susato and Yujin, sitting quite a distance away from them almost out of sight.

"I must say, I don't much like the look of those people sitting in the public gallery..." I murmur.

"The powers that be have demanded that this be a secret trial," is Kazuma's reply.

"Is it? What are the Mikotobas doing in here, then?"

"Trying to be supportive and hide, clearly. Any louder and you'll give them out."

"What do we need one for, anyway?"

"In time, it will be clear. Right now, Ryu, what you need to do is concentrate. The trial's about to start."

Sure enough, His Excellency Seishiro Jigoku enters the room and goes up to his chair.

"The court will now hear the trial of Ryunosuke Naruhodo," he announces.

The man across from us, prosecutor Taketsuchi Auchi, dusts off his shoulder. "The prosecution is ready, Your Excellency."

Kazuma nods. "As is the defense."

"Before we begin," says Judge Jigoku, "there is one point of order I would like to confirm. Yesterday evening, the defense made a last-minute request for a change of advocate."

"That's correct, Your Excellency. I made the request myself."

"Normal procedure is for the defendant's advocacy to be decided two days prior to trial. As this is an unusual circumstance, I am obliged to ask for final confirmation now. Who advocates for the defendant in this trial?"

I gasp internally. This must be the question that Yujin was talking about earlier.

In short, if I say 'I do'... I'd be defending myself.

If it means saving Kazuma's dreams from being shattered before they even start... then I have to say it.

But I'm not a lawyer! Can I even defend myself here?!

No. 

It doesn't matter if I can...

but that I must.

"Your Excellency, no confirmation is needed," Kazuma says. "As I'm standing here beside the defendant, I hope it's clear who will advocate for his defense."

"Excuse me!"

Shocked, both Judge Jigoku and Kazuma turn their heads towards me, as I'm raising my hand. Even Susato and Yujin's faces look surprised, even though the latter was definitely proposing this to happen.

"What is the meaning of this unruly outburst?" snaps Mr. Jigoku.

"Forgive me, Your Excellency..." I bite my lip, but keep my hand in the air. "I would like to inform the court that I, Ryunosuke Naruhodo... will be defending myself!"

He jolts. "You'll be what?!"

Kazuma looks flabbergasted. "Ryu, what are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry, but after what Professor Mikotoba told me, I couldn't just sit by and let you do this."

He blinks at me in surprise. "What did he say?"

"He said that your dreams of studying abroad would be dashed if you were to lose."

Now Kazuma heaves a sigh, running his fingers along the hilt of Karuma, his katana. "How sad. It means you don't have faith in me. You think I won't be able to get you off."

"It's not you that I'm worried about!" I protest. "I'm worried about this court. On the off-chance they just don't believe us anyway and things go south... I don't want to be the reason that you lose this chance!"

He smiles sadly, just a tiny bit. "I know. That's why I didn't want to tell you. I wish Professor Mikotoba hadn't interfered like that."

Great. Now I feel worse than ever.

"Very well." Judge Jigoku drums his fingers on his desk. "The court hereby recognizes the defendant's desire to advocate for himself in today's trial."

Auchi, meanwhile, taps his fan against his forehead. "Well, well... does the accused admit defeat already? Renouncing his own counsel! Really!"

"Objection!" Kazuma scoffs. "Make no mistake, Counsel... this merely shows that the defendant's innocence is so apparent, he's confident he can speak for himself. Isn't that so, Naruhodo-san?"

I nod quickly. "Right!"

I have really put my foot in it now, huh...

Kazuma reaches up and puts my hand down. "Ryu, try not to look so bewildered, will you? You are in charge now, after all."

He's right. I have to calm down somehow.

Auchi rolls his eyes, and opens his fan this time. "Well, for a mere university student to be brought before the Supreme Court... you must have perpetrated a most heinous crime indeed."

"As you are no doubt aware, this is the Supreme Court of Judicature of Japan. Accordingly, the very highest standards of conduct are expected of all present." Judge Jigoku sends me a withering look. "Do I make myself clear, Defendant Naruhodo?"

I nod all too quickly. "Yes, Your Excellency!"

"It is therefore my duty to assess your competence for the task you have undertaken."

It takes all my strength to not adopt an outward deer-in-headlights look.

Kazuma clearly takes notice as he leans over slightly. "He's questioning your ability to do the job."

He can't be questioning it more than I am!

The first question: the victim's name.

Of course, I know this. I literally thought of it before coming in here!

"Of course, it's Dr. John H. Watson," I answer briskly.

"Well, at least you can remember the name of an esteemed member of your own university."

I sincerely wish Prosecutor Auchi would be quiet already.

"As I'm sure most people know," Kazuma states aloud, "Dr. Watson was a visiting professor from England, invited to Yumei University three years ago."

"Indeed," Judge Jigoku agrees, "which is the reason why this case has such profound implications. The British Empire is, at present, our country's most valuable foreign ally. And, as most of you will be aware, we have just signed a new treaty together after lengthy negotiations."

Of course, that would be the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Friendship and Navigation.

"Yet, despite these delicate circumstances, the blood of an Englishman has been spilt on our soil!" snaps Auchi. "You two are both undergraduates at the Imperial Yumei University, are you not? Murdering a professor from the very institution that provides your education... have you no honor?!"

I close my eyes tightly. Better not speak up before I offend someone.

"This case is coming under great scrutiny from our allies on the other side of the world," says Judge Jigoku. "The court therefore wishes for a speedy resolution to this matter."

Kazuma's eyes roll near constantly like that headband of his that's constantly up in the air. "In other words, our feeble government is scared of upsetting England's policy makers." He gives me the side eye. "You're a convenient and expendable scapegoat to blame for this crime."

I sigh. "I suppose that explains the peculiarities."

"Yes. Our government needs to convict someone as quickly as possible... all because the victim was an Englishman."

As if any of those things matter. That's what I get for trying to speak to Dr. Watson, I'm sure.

"Now, then... let me pose my next question to you, Defendant Naruhodo."

I look up. "Yes, Your Excellency...?"

"How did this professor of medicine, Dr. John H. Watson, lose his life? State before the court the cause of death."

"Remember, keep checking your records and those desks over there for evidence," says Kazuma. "Every assertion must be backed up with it."

"Right..."

I look over what I believe is called the post-mortem report.

"According to this document, the victim suffered a..." I make a face trying to say the next part, "'he-morr-hagic death due to gunshot trauma'."

Auchi slaps his fan on the desk. "Learn to read, you imbecile! That's the post-mortem report, I take it?"

I suck in a breath. "Yes, that's it."

"In the West, a doctor dissects corpses to identify the cause of death in an 'autopsy'," says Kazuma. "But here in Japan, a police officer merely inspects the body, and draws conclusions that way."

"Makes sense," I say, only slightly off-handedly. I just hope they won't quiz me on this.

Now, Auchi holds up a photograph.

"This is a so-called photographic print of the scene of the crime. You can clearly discern scorch marks around the bullet hole produced by the powder explosion. In other words, we should assume that the victim was shot at close range."

"Thank you, Counsel. The court will accept this modern scientific evidence into the record."

After Judge Jigoku says this, the photograph is taken to the evidence desk on the left. The only other times I have seen a photograph is attached to a letter I once received from someone else and one that used to hang in my home.

"I am satisfied with your answers, then," announces Judge Jigoku. "Let us start the trial."

Whew! I have been spared.

"Certainly, Your Excellency." Auchi now scans a document in his hand. "So, without further ado, in order to better apprise the court with the facts of the case... the prosecution hereby calls its first witness, who was there at the scene of the crime when it happened!"

Great, a witness. That's not a good sign.

Kazuma starts humming again. "I think I may have worked out what the professor had in mind."

"You mean Dr. Mikotoba?"

"Yes. He had said he did not want me to be the defense here, which is likely why he told you what he did. However, that does not mean I can't assist you."

I gasp. "That's right... he did say that."

"Sticking his oar in as always, that one."

"I'll appreciate whatever help you can get me, Kazuma."

"For starters..." He leans forward. "Rein in that crazy look of bewilderment and control the cold sweats!"

I snicker, leaning back a bit too quickly. "That headband has definitely got to be reeled in first before that happens, I'm afraid."

*****

On the stand is what looks to be one of the waiters from the restaurant that I vaguely remembered seeing around. 

"Witness." Auchi subconsciously taps his fan on the desk. "State your name and occupation for the court, please."

"Of course." The man bows. "My name is Satoru Hosonaga. I am the head waiter at a Western-style restaurant called 'La Carneval'." All of a sudden, he starts coughing. "Ahem... Ahem!"

Now he's got blood on the corner of his mouth.

"Are you alright...?" My eyes are wider than they've been all day. "You seem to be coughing up some... uh..."

He waves it off. "It's a regular occurrence. It really doesn't bother me."

I exchange a scandalized look with Kazuma, who returns it only slightly bewildered.

"As everyone knows," says Auchi, "the capital's south-eastern quarter was developed for foreign visitors some years ago. It's become a very fashionable district now, full of hotels to accommodate overseas guests. This grim crime occurred in one of the district's so-called 'restaurants' — an occidental eatery — three days ago."

Judge Jigoku hums. "Understood. Hosonaga-san, you will kindly tell the court everything you can about the incident."

"At once, sir."

Auchi narrows his gaze (at least, it appears that way... it's hard to tell). "Also... no petty interjections from the aspiring lawyer boy, please."

That surprises me. I know I'm perspiring for sure, but I have yet to do anything that screams 'aspiring' here.

"It was just after 2 p.m. on the day in question. We have few diners at that time of day." Mr. Hosonaga wipes away at the blood while he's speaking. "The lunchtime rush was over, and there were only three tables still occupied."

He's right. It was fairly empty there.

"It was when I was in the kitchen, putting away crockery and cutlery..." Another cough-up blood break. "A gunshot rang out, so I hurried out to the dining area to see what had happened. I found the victim — an English gentleman — slumped in his chair. Standing immediately beside him, gun in hand, was the accused university student."

"Excuse me!" It takes all I have in me to not follow that up with mad waving of my hands. "While I did pick up a gun that I found lying on the floor beside the professor, I didn't shoot him!"

"Objection!" Auchi glowers at me. "I believe I asked you to refrain from petty interjections. The court wishes to listen to the witness's report of what he saw, you amateur!"

"Huh?!"

"The next time you interrupt at an inappropriate time," snaps Judge Jigoku, "you will be penalized, Defendant Naruhodo."

Kazuma pats my shoulder. "You'll have your chance to fight back, Ryu. Right now, we must listen quietly."

I heave a sigh. "Okay..."

"If I may confirm one point, waiter..." Auchi juts his fan, closed obviously, out at me. "Standing beside the victim with a gun in his hand was the same man we see here in court today?"

"Yes," Mr. Hosonaga answers shortly. "Without question."

"I see. Apart from the accused, was there anyone else standing beside the victim?"

"No. There was no one else around that table but the deceased Englishman and the university student."

That immediately makes me shoot up. 'No one else'...?!

"Are you okay, Ryu?" asks Kazuma. "Why are you at attention all of a sudden?"

"He's lying!" I hiss. "There was definitely a woman at the table when I went to say hello to Dr. Watson!"

He tilts his head. "Really?"

"Yes! There's no way the waiter could have missed that!" I raise my fists. "Wait a moment, please! Dr. Watson wasn't alone that day! There was a lady sitting at the table with him!"

"What are we to do with you?" Auchi says with a scoff. "With your blatant disregard for court proceedings, I'm beginning to wonder if you're not a fraud. Could it be that the accused — this mere student — is not a real lawyer after all?"

Out of all people, I do not want him pointing this out.

"With all due respect, Prosecutor Auchi, I am sure of what I saw!"

Kazuma asks, "Hosonaga-san, is there any chance you're mistaken? Perhaps your memory of events is hazy?"

He shakes his head. "Absolutely not. The deceased gentleman came to dine alone."

I balk. "I can't believe this..."

This time, Mr. Hosonaga whips out what looks to be a small piece of paper with a diagram on it, and a red X, presumably where Dr. Watson was sitting. "I actually have a rough plan of the restaurant as it was that day. Please, have a look if you'd like to."

"Let me see..." A bailiff takes it and hands it up to Judge Jigoku (which suddenly has Mr. Hosonaga looking a bit pale). "Ah, a sketch of the establishment's layout drawn by yourself, I presume?"

Nevertheless, our resident waiter snaps back to normal. "That's right. I'm afraid I used the back of my business card. It was a... turbulent situation. However, as you can see, the gentleman in question was seated alone."

How is this supposed to prove anything?!

"Well, you're clearly a very conscientious waiter."

"Thank you, sir."

"Bailiff, take this and add it to the evidence desk."

Mr. Hosonaga looks all pale again. "Oh, um... well..."

Judge Jigoku glares at him. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, no, of course not..."

This time, Kazuma picks up on that. "What was that about? He's been completely calm and collected until now."

"Something about that card must have shaken him," I reply.

Clearly, Mr. Hosonaga didn't want the card out of his hands, especially with the small coughing fit he's gone into.

Once the card makes it next to the photograph, Auchi continues on. "So... the court has now heard a precis of the case."

"Yes, at the moment the gunshot was heard in the restaurant, the only person in close proximity to the victim was the defendant on trial today." Judge Jigoku turns his gavel a few times. "It would seem we are looking at a black-and-white case here."

Kazuma gasps. I wilt.

"Defendant Naruhodo..."

That makes me straighten up a bit. "Yes, Your Excellency?"

"If you admit your guilt at this stage, the court is willing to look mercifully upon you."

"In other words, you may have some small reprieve in terms of your inevitable punishment. I called this waiter as an unsworn witness in order to explain the details of the case to the court," Auchi explains. "But I must warn the defense, if you are determined to pursue matters further in this trial... the prosecution has decisive evidence from sworn witnesses who were present at the scene of the crime."

I fall silent.

By their words, I'll be guilty either way. But if I give up now, I won't be punished as harshly.

"What am I supposed to do, Kazuma?" I ask, softly.

"What do you mean?" He's clearly heard me.

"His Excellency and Prosecutor Auchi say I will be guilty no matter what. So would it not be sensible to just plead guilty at this stage and hope for a more lenient sentence?"

He stays silent, so I keep going.

"Everyone keeps telling me that this trial is unusual — about these 'peculiarities'. You've said it, Professor Mikotoba's said it... and so have the judge and the prosecution. I'm..." I look down. "I'm scared of what lies ahead if I push this."

It takes a while before he speaks again.

"As I said from the outset, I believe you're innocent. I trust you. Yet, despite knowing that... you're now willing to throw that trust back in my face? Is that it?"

I turn my head so fast, I'm sure I got whiplash. "What...?"

"If the accused is, in fact, innocent — and do remember, that happens to be you — then a defense lawyer is duty-bound to prove that innocence by whatever means necessary." He crosses his arms. "Are you just going to abandon that duty? Are you going to give up on yourself? The battle hasn't even begun yet, Ryunosuke."

He's using my full first name. He's definitely serious.

"The defense pleads not guilty, Your Excellency!" Kazuma is facing the court now, and he slams his fist on the desk as he says this, immediately startling me. "We invite the prosecution to stop making empty threats and bring out its witnesses. Then we'll see just how decisive this evidence really is!"

"Very well." Judge Jigoku smacks his gavel once. "Prosecutor Auchi, please continue with proceedings."

Auchi scoffs. "Well, you were warned. How reckless youth can be. Many call me a saint, but I can be a devil when I want to be."

We both roll our eyes over here. If this is him being a saint, I would hate to see the devil.

"In a few short moments from now, that dumbstruck mouth of yours will be silenced forever! The prosecution calls its next witnesses!"

"Officer!" announces Judge Jigoku. "Bring forth the witnesses at once!"

*****

How strange it is, to see two people up there instead of just one.

"Witnesses," says Auchi, "kindly state your names for the court."

The man who dresses like military salutes. "Sir! The great Nippon Imperial Army's Sergeant Iyesa Nosa reporting for duty, sir!"

The other, who looks as a wise shaman, bows. "I myself find employ as a purveyor of fine articles of antiquity from our efflorescent nation of Nippon, conducting such from the humble premises of Rasu-tei. Kyurio Korekuta, at your service."

"An unusual pairing, I wil admit," says Judge Jigoku.

"Indeed," Auchi agrees. "Both of them were on the restaurant premises on the day in question."

"Hmm," Kazuma muses. "They must be the other diners that Waiter Hosonaga speaks of."

"Habitually, I take the tea of the most exquisite aroma at the establishment in question, always post noon — and, not infrequently, converse with interested parties regarding the curios with which I make my business."

If people could have actual question marks for pupils, I am almost certain mine would have turned into such. Both of them.

"I think my inner translator is broken," I mutter to Kazuma. "I don't get what Korekuta-san says."

He chuckles. "The man is an antique dealer and a regular at La Carneval. He targets thie place for potential buyers because it's high-class with rich clientele."

"Ah. Though... I think Sergeant Nosa would be much more interested in selling than buying."

"You both witnessed the precise moment of this atrocious incident, yes?" Auchi inquires.

They both nod.

"Affirmative!" Sergeant Nosa continues. "The enemy unit was seen attacking the foreigner in what can only be described as an act of war!" He glares at me. "It was that black-uniformed rogue infantryman there who unloaded his firearm, sir!"

After he says that, a small strange noise can be heard.

I honestly do not know who is harder to keep up with: Mr. Korekuta or Sergeant Nosa.

"I suppose this is the decisive evidence the prosecution foretold," Kazuma says. "Feeling uncomfortable yet?"

"I have been from the start," I admit.

"Witnesses!" announces Judge Jigoku. "We shall hear your testimony. Please, state everything you saw at the precise moment that the incident occurred."

"Ready to report, sir!" states Sergeant Nosa.

Mr. Korekuta pulls a face. "Unsavory memories of a most acerbic afternoon..."

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 *            Witness Testimony - Start           *
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"I was ingesting a regulation beef steak at the restaurant while having a tactical discussion with the old man.

Myself, I was extolling the virtues of a particularly fine golden curio to the military gentleman.

At that precise moment, a firearm was discharged! I observed the enemy's actions with my own eyes! The black-uniformed varsity cadet fired on the English civilian — from the back, no less!

I was on my hands and knees, investigating the whereabouts of my mysteriously absconded curio."

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 *         End        *
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"Well!" Judge Jigoku covers his mouth. "So you, Sergeant Nosa, actually witnessed the vital moment! You saw the split second when the defendant fired the weapon at the victim."

"Yes, sir!" Sergeant Nosa stands up even straighter. "Affirmative, sir! That wicked university cadet, sir! The cruel and unforgivable enemy!"

Kazuma rolls his eyes. "What times we live in, when an English gentleman may be assailed in the broad light of day..."

"This is ridiculous!" I can't help saying. "I didn't shoot anyone!"

"Why don't you say what you were really doing there?"

"All I did was pick up the gun that I saw lying on the floor! After I'd said hello to Dr. Watson, I went back to my table and sat drinking more coffee. Then, when I'd finished, I got up from my seat to leave the restaurant... when I noticed an English-made gun next to the chair where the professor was sitting. I thought perhaps the professor had dropped it, so I bent down, and just as I was picking it up... I heard a gunshot!"

"Well, if that's the truth, there was obviously a criminal on the scene somewhere. And, somewhere in these two witnesses' testimonies, there's a clue as to who that criminal was."

I blink. "Really?"

"Yes, really! You must exercise your right to cross-examine the witnesses!"

"What does that mean?"

He huffs. "I'll explain later; just do it now!"

"As we have heard, Your Excellency," Auchi starts again, "there is no room for doubt in the testimony of these witnesses. The defendant is clearly guilty. It is time to bring this despicable student to justice!"

Judge Jigoku nods in agreement. "Certainly, the testimony the court has just heard eliminates any vestige of doubt. Therefore, it is my grave duty to declare the verdict of this tri—"

"Wait!"

Angered, he turns on me. "What in the name of the Emperor is the meaning of this outburst?!"

I shake my head. "I... meaning the defense... demands our right to a cross-examination!"

Auchi laughs. "Let me guess, your little hachimaki over there told you to say it. Pathetic!" 

Any more out of him, and I will actually have to go away for a murder.

"The prosecution objects! This is a clear waste of time. The defendant obviously has no experience. How can he possibly carry out a cross-examination?"

Now Kazuma's objecting. "The defense is asserting its right to a cross-examination! Whether or not you think he's capable of it is irrelevant."

That shuts Auchi right up with a gulp. Ever the commander, he is.

"Very well," says Judge Jigoku. "Let the defense conduct a cross-examination of the witnesses."

Kazuma faces me. "Alright, Ryu, this is where the battle begins!"

I tilt my head. "What exactly am I supposed to do in a cross-examination? I know there's asking stuff, but not much else."

"It's obvious that you have lies to be exposing in the witnesses' statements! As you said, you didn't fire the gun, so clearly Sergeant Nosa is lying here."

"Right..."

"Now, it's just a case of proving it. The key to doing that is evidence. Present some decisive and indisputable evidence that proves the witness is lying. Now let's go! Don't let them beat you!"

I raise one fist. "Got it!"

Here we go...

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 *            Cross Examination - Start           *
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****************************************

End me.

I literally don't know what I'm asking here!

We've gone on a small tirade about beef steaks and the only thing I've retained here is that Sergeant Nosa scares me! (Oh, and he's denying whatever that strange crying noise is.)

"What is this 'golden curio' you're talking about?" I ask Mr. Korekuta.

"It's a koban, boy," he replies. 

"You mean an old Edo coin?"

"Precisely. The day prior to the incident, a treasure of exceptional value from the Hoei period entered my possession. I took myself to the restaurant the following day, with said item secreted in my bosom pocket... in the hope of an affluent cognoscente appraised of its indisputable value being present."

"So you were hoping to sell your koban coin to Sergeant Nosa here?"

Auchi decides now to cut right in. "Yes, yes. It's quite clear where you're going with this, boy. You were about to assert that a penniless soldier would have no hope of purchasing a precious koban. Isn't that so?"

I bite my lip. "I was not, but now that you mention it..."

"Excuse me!" snaps Sergeant Nosa. "You want to add disrespecting a superior officer to your list of crimes, do you?! Blatant subordination!"

"No, I don't!" I cry out.

I'd better not say anything like that again! 

"In any case, the hour was already advanced beyond that of the midday luncheon. There remained precious few present with whom I could engage in discourse about matters of business." Mr. Korekuta switches whatever antique he's holding at present while speaking, this one happening to be a green vase. "The gentleman aside me, who was grappling with his braised veal at the time, was my sole prospect."

"Understood."

"Alas, my Hoei-era koban coin vanished from the scene! I had just been showing the rare treasure to the military man as he masticated his meal. After averting my eyes for the briefest of moments... it was there no more! It simply vanished!"

"It did?" Auchi looks lost.

"Just so! Hence I began to acquaint myself with the intricacies of the floor, in order to locate it. Then it happened."

"You heard the gunshot, you mean?" asks Kazuma.

"None other than! Though it was no concern of mine. I was frantically scouring the floor for the aforementioned lost treasure!"

I perk up slightly. "So, in fact, you didn't actually witness the precise moment when the incident occurred?"

Mr. Korekuta nods shortly. "Indeed. Myself, I did not."

Well, that makes this easier. Now, onto Sergeant Nosa.

Obviously, the 'black-uniformed university cadet' is me (no need to get myself in more trouble saying Kazuma is right next to me).

"It was you, you little weasel! You unloaded the firearm on that man from behind his back! You call yourself a citizen of the great Empire of Nippon?!" Slam! "You disgust me!"

Every time he says anything about the back, I get a weird feeling.

"Something wrong, Ryu?" asks Kazuma, staring straight ahead.

"I think," I say, "but I can't put my finger on it."

"In that case, check back over the details of the evidence you've gathered in the Court Record. If you find an inconsistency there with what the witness just said, then don't hold back! Present the evidence to the court!" He juts his finger out at the sergeant while still looking at me. "Thrust it in the witness's face and make him choke on it!"

Well, in this case, either piece we have here should do just fine.

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"Excuse me!"

Despite my remark, hand up in the air, I immediately go radio silent... as does everyone else.

"What... what are you playing at, cadet?!" snaps Sergeant Nosa, eventually. "What is the meaning of this insubordination?! Thrusting some photographic print and wad of papers in my moustache!"

I shake my head fast. "There's a clear inconsistency, sir!"

"Nonsense!" Auchi tacks on. "What can these things possibly tell us that we don't already know?!"

"Obviously, it's... uh..."

Why must my brain fail me at this moment?!

"I think this proves beyond any doubt, Your Excellency, that there is no place for an amateur student here in this grand courtroom!"

Before Judge Jigoku can say anything, Kazuma cuts right in with an unimpressed look (though I can't tell if it's for me or for Prosecutor Auchi). "Oh, please. Surely this doesn't require an explanation. It couldn't be more plain. To spell it out would be an insult to the court."

I stare at him in surprise. 

"What are you talking about?" asks Auchi.

"It's apparent from a single glance at both the post-mortem report and photographic print presented by the defense... that there's a clear discrepancy here with the sergeant's statement!"

He's still lost.

"Sergeant Iyesa Nosa..."

"Yes, sir, what, sir?" is the immediate answer.

"The statement you just made was this: 'The black-uniformed varsity cadet fired on the English civilian — from the back, no less!'"

He nods. "Affirmative, sir! I witnessed the crime with my own military-grade eyes, sir!"

"You did not!" I shout suddenly.

"Why not, cadet?!"

"As is clearly stated in the post-mortem report..." Kazuma picks it up and waves it around. "'Fatal hemorrhage from pectoral ballistic trauma. No exit wound. Bullet did not pass through the body.' The photographic print of the victim clearly shows the same thing."

This time, I pick up the photo, silently feeling jealous at the fact that Kazuma could say that word when I could not. Pronunciations are not exactly his strong suit.

"The victim, Dr. Watson, died from a bullet wound to the chest," he continues. "However, according to you, Sergeant, the culprit shot the victim from behind. That is the obvious discrepancy here. How do you explain it?"

Sergeant Nosa is really sweating now. As he stutters, he reaches behind him and shoves whatever popped up back down again. Who knows what's going on there...

"I agree with the defense," says Judge Jigoku. "Certainly, there is a clear discrepancy with the facts here. Would you not agree, Sergeant Nosa?"

"Yes, sir..." His eyes are closed. "At this juncture, that... would appear to be indisputable. Until the moment I heard the firearm discharge, my eyes were... firmly fixed on the delicious La Carneval steak, sir!"

Auchi does not like that answer. "What?!"

Kazuma grins. "The last testimony the court heard has proven one thing beyond all reasonable doubt. The witness, Sergeant Iyesa Nosa... did not see the defendant firing a gun at all!"

"That's absurd!"

"The only amateur I see here among the grand courtroom... is you!"

Auchi screeches. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"

Whoa! Talk about a complete turnabout of mood! This must be what being an ace attorney is all about!

"I know what I saw!" Sergeant Nosa insists. "That university cadet there was pointing the firearm directly at the victim's back!"

"Yes, I picked it up, but I didn't shoot!" I say. 

"And you, old man. You didn't see the moment the victim was shot, either?"

"Myself, I have already been quite clear, Your Excellency. The gunshot interested me not. I was far too busy on the floor."

Right, looking for the coin.

"Did you ever find what you were looking for in the end?" asks Kazuma.

Mr. Korekuta heaves a sigh. "No. On that lamentable day... the precious Hoei koban was lost to me. No doubt some unscrupulous scoundrel pocketed the prize coin for himself!"

Sergeant Nosa looks a bit more nervous all of a sudden.

"As I am sure everyone present is aware... this case demands a swift and decisive resolution. Our government has promised to send a full report to Great Britain by telegraph this very afternoon."

Kazuma frowns. "Your Excellency, the witness testimony the court has just heard was inconclusive. No matter how subservient our government feels it must be to the British... it would be unforgivable to deliver a verdict on this trial right now!"

"I suppose. What is your position, Prosecutor Auchi?"

Of course, it's opposing to us. "Ha! Worry not, Your Excellency. The defendant may have fled a tiger at the front gate, but he will find a wolf at the back. My witnesses have further testimony to make."

I stare. "What?"

"Explain." Judge Jigoku taps a finger on his desk.

"Upon hearing their next statements, it will become abundantly clear... that there is only one person who could possibly have committed this despicable crime — the equally despicable defendant, Ryunosuke Naruhodo!"

Now I shoot up in shock. "What?!"

Kazuma huffs. "He really seems to have a despicable opinion of you, doesn't he?"

"Let it go already..." I mutter.

"Very well, the court invites the witnesses to testify again." Judge Jigoku stares at them both. "You will thoroughly explain the reasoning behind the prosecution's allegation. Is that clear?"

Mr. Korekuta places the blue antique he is looking at down. "As clear as kiriko glass, Your Excellency."

Sergeant Nosa salutes. "At once, sir! Awaiting signal to testify, sir!"

Right then, whatever — or whoever — is poking out behind Sergeant Nosa is clearly visible now.

"Excuse me?" I make a face. "What's that peeking out over your shoulder?"

"Ah!" He straightens up. "The newest member of the Nosa family to rise up through the ranks, sir. Name: Aido."

Kazuma says, "Too strapped to afford a nanny, I'm sure."

"Aido... teeen-shun!" Father's addressing his son right now... with a little windmill. "Your father is about to quell the enemy! Watch and learn, my boy!"

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 *            Witness Testimony - Start           *
*                                                          *
****************************************

"Even if what I saw wasn't the precise moment the firearm was discharged, it's almost the same thing!

Yes, pointing his gun at the foreign man, he was, that young lad in black. That much, I myself did see.

Furthermore, a visual search of the premises at the time confirmed that we were the only personnel present!

Indeed. Alone, he was, the Englishman, dining all by himself.

Therefore, no one other than the black-uniformed cadet could have dispatched the Englishman. Over and out!"

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"Hm, these testimonies are certainly... compelling," Judge Jigoku muses.

"Hey!" I cry out. "This is nonsense! 'Almost' doesn't work here! I've already told you that Dr. Watson wasn't alone!"

Auchi facepalms. "Please! Enough of these outbursts already!"

"No!" I snap back. "There was a young woman at his table! They must have seen her! Everyone there must have seen her!"

"Objection!" He slams his fan down, stunning me into silence. "If you call yourself a lawyer, then you will respect the rules of the court and speak accordingly! We are not here to listen to your fantasies!"

"It's not a fantasy!"

Besides, I am certainly not calling myself a lawyer!

"Quiet! It is evident beyond all reasonable doubt that the victim was alone at the time of the incident. The prosecution has photographic evidence of this fact."

More photos?!

"Is this a photographic print of the scene of the crime, Counsel?"

"Indeed, Your Excellency — of the table at which the victim was dining, taken by an investigator immediately after the incident. As can plainly be seen, there is only one place set."

My eyes go wide.

"Certainly, based on the appearance of this print... it would be reasonable to conclude that the victim was not in the company of anyone else."

I cover my ears. "This doesn't make any sense... I don't understand..."

The other picture moves to the desk now, the right one.

"It's not possible, Kazuma." I look to him. "It's not possible that nobody else saw her."

He bites his lip. "You have three voices against you, Ryu. What are you going to do about that?"

"I don't know! But I know what I saw..."

"It would seem that we'll be able to telegraph the report to Great Britain on time after all." Judge Jigoku tugs at his beard a few times. "The witness testimonies we have just heard leave no further room for doubt."

Auchi starts grinning evilly over there. "These are very sensitive political times, as we all know. The ink is still fresh on the treaty with Great Britain. To think that I, Taketsuchi Auchi, will have contributed to the amity of these two great empires is an honor."

Honor nothing! How could this be happening to me?!

"Ryunosuke, it's not over yet."

Surprised, I turn to Kazuma. "What?"

"You heard me. If what you say is true, then there's something going on here behind the scenes. Now is your chance to expose it, to draw out the truth... in your cross-examination."

I sigh. "Can I even do it...?"

"You are still entitled to cross-examine them," Judge Jigoku says. "However, make it quick, understood?"

Auchi rolls his eyes. "Rules can be so unbending at times."

Remind me to get Kazuma to defend me for real this time.

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 *            Cross Examination - Start           *
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"As I said, 'almost' doesn't work here!" I tell Sergeant Nosa. "For a start, I didn't fire that gun!"

He scoffs. "We have a difference of opinion on that. The opinion of a uniformed officer versus that of a fledgling cadet."

I roll my eyes. "I don't think so."

"Consider this, defendant." Auchi leans forward. "I blinked just a moment ago."

I make a face. "Uh, did you?"

"Did you see me do it?"

"How can I?! Your glasses don't leave much to the imagination."

"Yet, it is an undeniable fact that I did blink! So there you have it."

Are you kidding me?! 

Moving on...

Mr. Korekuta is too busy trying to give me a small speech about events beyond people's control when I try to explain what I was doing.

"Why aren't either of you telling the truth?!" I snap.

"What did you say, cadet?!" Sergeant Nosa snaps back, clearly offended.

"Perhaps one of you might not have noticed... but for both of you to have failed to see the professor's dining companion? It's just not possible!"

Judge Jigoku scoffs. "Defendant Naruhodo, I believe you have forgotten that Hosonaga-san, the waiter, has said the same thing as these two."

"I have not forgotten that."

"Why do you perpetuate this nonsense, then?!" yells Auchi. "You are the sole proponent of this phantom lady! If such a woman were indeed present at the scene, the prosecution demands to see proof! If no such proof exists... the prosecution demands that no further mention of this phantom woman be made! It is a blatant waste of the court's time!"

I close my eyes. I can't say anything to that right now.

Why couldn't there have been more people dining there? We know it was past 2 PM when it was going down, which is typically the time of day for quiet between lunch and dinner.

"I wonder if there was a reason why the victim was eating at that time of day... and why he was alone."

Auchi raises his fan. "Yes, Your Excellency, there was indeed a reason."

"What's that?" I ask.

He holds up what looks to be some sort of card. "This was found in the victim's jacket pocket."

"What is that, Counsel?" asks Judge Jigoku.

"It is a medical report card, Your Excellency. It would seem that the victim had an appointment at a clinic prior to visiting the restaurant."

"Hotta Clinic? Yes, there would indeed appear to be an entry for the date in question. '19th November, Noon to past 1 p.m..."

So it was just before he came to the restaurant.

"So the victim went for a late lunch following his appointment. The explanation couldn't be more simple. The prosecution felt no need to submit this evidence before, as it really has no bearing on the case."

"What do you think, Ryu?" asks Kazuma.

I shrug. "I don't know, could this really be related?"

"We won't know until we look at it for ourselves."

"True." I lean forward. "If I may, I'd like to ask for that medical report card to be submitted as evidence, Your Excellency."

Auchi shakes his head. "Why?"

"Indeed, whatever for?" Judge Jigoku agrees. "The court has already heard conclusive witness testimony. Additional evidence would be extraneous."

"After all, the victim's movements prior to his arrival at the restaurant are of no concern."

"That's up to us to decide," Kazuma cuts in. "We have a right to explore all possible avenues."

"Excuse me?"

"You act as if I'm speaking French here. You have no authority to refuse a perfectly valid request for the submission of evidence."

"Very well. The court will grant the defense's request."

Auchi balks only slightly at Judge Jigoku's words before he talks again. "Youngsters these days are forever asserting their 'rights'! It's a most disturbing trend..."

Boo hoo, we want our rights.

In any event, Kazuma grabs the card off of the desk so we can look at it. The front says 'Hotta Clinic', while the back lets us know that it's been issued a while ago. (Not a fan of doctors; Kazuma hates when I go on about that dislike so I try not to do that much.)

The upper left corner, however, holds the most interesting piece of the info.

"'Extraction of molar with topical anesthesia'..." Kazuma reads.

"So he had a tooth taken out that day," I say.

"Mm hmm. Just before the incident, he'd had a bad tooth removed. Perhaps they used laughing gas. That's the most modern practice in the West for pain relief." He squints. "Ah, there's more. 'Strictly no food or drink besides water for three hours post-procedure, until anesthetic effects have passed.'"

"Oh? But he couldn't have been eating steak by then!" I realize. "It would only have had to have been an hour to 2 hours tops!"

He grins. "And you thought you couldn't catch on. Hurry up and present it!"

I glance over at Mr. Korekuta. "So you insist that you actually saw Dr. Watson sitting all alone, hmm?"

"That I did," he eventually answers after some moments of silence. "Forgive me for the position I place you in."

I shrug. "I think it will be I who is apologizing for the position you will be in soon enough."

****************************************
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"Korekuta-san..." I wave the card in my hand. "This is a medical report card belonging to the victim."

He frowns. "What of it, boy?"

"Comparing what is written on this report card with your witness statement... something clearly doesn't add up!"

Auchi scoffs. "What did we tell you about interrupting to spout useless drivel? Let's see if I can explain in words you might understand. It was after 2 p.m. in the afternoon when the victim was murdered at the restaurant. Whatever he may or may not have done before that time... is completely irrelevant."

"You do not get to decide that!"

"Don't get distracted, Ryu; just make your point."

"If only he would let me make it, Kazuma..."

Auchi keeps steamrolling right over us. "Your Excellency, I believe we're finished here. There is surely no need to prolong this trial further. The witness testimonies the court has heard have been clear and concise. This medical report card has no bearing on the matter at all. For the simple reason that... there is no one else besides this pale-faced pupil who could possibly have perpetrated the crime!"

I frown. "Did you bother to even read that medical card?"

Now he's shocked. "What?! What on earth would be the point of that?!"

"Well, if you had, you would have known that he had a tooth extracted... and was under strict orders not to eat!"

All three men — Auchi, Sergeant Nosa, and Mr. Korekuta — gape in shock. The middle of the three keeps talking.

"Just... just what are you trying to say, cadet? He had orders not to eat? So what?"

I pass the card to Kazuma. "Would you mind reading this to them?"

He takes it. "'No food or drink other than water for three hours post-procedure while anesthesia wears off.'"

"What?!"

I can see both Susato and Yujin looking amused from their hiding places.

I cross my arms. "Korekuta-san! How do you explain the victim dining alone when the steak could not have been his own?!"

Kazuma claps. "Well done, partner!"

"You're the one that needs to explain the food there, you upstart!" Auchi snaps.

I scoff. "Well, it was clearly not Dr. Watson's. If it had been mine or our witnesses', I see no reason why either man would not state such a fact. That means there was indeed someone else sitting at that table!"

"Let it go! There was no such person!"

"Yes, there was! I saw her!"

Kazuma rolls his eyes. "You seem to be glossing over the fact that the victim could not have been eating anything. Who else would be eating the steak, if not him?"

Auchi groans in response.

"We have strong evidence to support our assertion. It's clear that these witness testimonies are unreliable. If the court decides to push through a ruling at this stage... we will lodge a formal complaint with the Ministry of Justice and pursue a fair retrial." Kazuma's eyes narrow. "Relentlessly."

"Are you insane?! You would take on the government?!"

"Ah, it is not you I take issue with, Counsel... but them."

Both Mr. Korekuta and Sergeant Nosa now look bewildered.

"What...?!"

"What are you taking about?"

Kazuma raises one fist. "We have demonstrated with evidence that the victim was not alone. So, if it now turns out that the two of you deliberately lied when giving your testimonies... obviously, you will be charged with perjury."

I gasp. "That's serious..."

"Indeed it is, Ryu. And, since this is a murder trial... you will also be deemed complicit in the killing."

That makes Mr. Korekuta drop his current antique. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"Hold it!" Sergeant Nosa screeches. "Negative! There was no mention of this at the tactical meeting! I was just following orders!"

"That's right, as the man says! 'Just say you never saw the gentlewoman!' That's what... they, erm... told... us..." Mr. Korekuta covers his mouth with an antique.

"What?!" I shout.

Kazuma frowns. "What did you just say, Korekuta-san?"

He stares at us in horror, mouth still covered.

"You were just 'following orders'?"

"'Say you never saw the gentlewoman'? So you saw the victim with a lady from overseas?"

"You two gave false statements?!" Auchi shouts. He is clearly not pleased with them, either.

"It was just a slip of the tongue!" Sergeant Nosa insists.

"Someone explain what is going on here!" snaps Judge Jigoku.

Kazuma says, "You tried to keep them quiet, did you not, Counsel?!"

"No!" Auchi counters. "The prosecution knows nothing of this!"

I glare at the witnesses. "Then who is behind trying to keep you two silent?!"

"That's classified!" Sergeant Nosa insists.

Kazuma rolls his eyes. "It's either you tell the court, or get tried as conspirators to the murder instead."

"You wouldn't!"

He turns to me. "It appears whoever has silenced them has some considerable influence. Though, it's now clear that Prosecutor Auchi is not it."

"But who else?" I ask. "There's only so many people like that... government, military, police..."

Wait a second.

"Hang on..." I tap my desk. "There was someone else who insisted on there only being the victim alone at the table. Maybe we need to drag Hosonaga-san back out here."

"Perhaps," Kazuma agrees. "I want to investigate that card he was so reluctant to pass over."

While he goes to get it, Judge Jigoku starts slamming his gavel down. "I want answers! If it's proven that these witnesses have been manipulated, I assure you, the penalty will be severe!"

"I swear, Your Excellency, I knew nothing!" Auchi pleads. "I swear to every Shinto god! I had no idea about any of this!"

"Defense?!"

I jump. "Besides the prosecution, the only person with the necessary influence to manipulate the witnesses is... Satoru Hosonaga-san!"

"Are you speaking about that waiter?"

"Why would the waiter do that?" asks Auchi. "Not to mention the fact that even a head waiter could not possibly have that level of influence!"

"I would agree if that was all he truly was," Kazuma states, walking back over to the bench.

"What...?"

He reads the other the side of Mr. Hosonaga's card. "'Chief Inspector, Primary Criminal Investigation Division, Imperial Police Bureau'."

I gasp. "He's a detective?!"

"Mm hmm. It appears that he sketched the plan of the restaurant on the reverse side of his business card."

"Why was there no mention of this?!" Auchi demands.

"The Imperial Police Bureau has immense power — absolute power, as far as regular civilians are concerned. So, witnesses there in the stand..." Both of them jump when Kazuma starts addressing them. "Was it in fact the waiter who gave you your orders? Was it he who told you not to mention that you'd seen this foreign gentlewoman at the scene?"

Before either of them can say anything...

"Hold it!"

It's me who identifies them. "Inspector Hosonaga!"

He's between Sergeant Nosa and Mr. Korekuta, who both look completely terrified. "I was worried something like this may happen. The moment you asked me to submit my sketch as evidence, I realized it was a possibility."

"You did appear nervous at that moment..."

"I strive to carry out all investigations flawlessly. It's my guiding principle. But I let myself be distracted when I made that sketch. It was an unusually careless mistake."

Auchi gasps. "So you really are a detective?!"

“I am.”

I frown. "Is your salary that horrible that you must be working as a waiter?"

Inspector Hosonaga scoffs. "I'm undercover."

"Oh?"

"Yes. There have been a series of incidents at the restaurant recently. In order to investigate, I decided to get a job there as a waiter, working undercover."

"What kind?" asks Kazuma.

"They are classified, but unrelated to this homicide."

"Very well, then, Inspector Hosonaga." Judge Jigoku crosses his arms. "But you will elaborate on one point for the court..."

"Yes, Your Excellency?"

"We have just heard new information from the two witnesses on both sides of you — that at the time of the shooting, there was in fact another person present at the victim's table. If that is indeed true... clearly you would also have been aware of this person's presence, having served at the table in question. However, your testimony did not allude to this other diner. Therefore, I am led to assume that, in your professional capacity as a police officer, you required these witnesses to be in agreement. Would that be correct?"

He coughs three times before answering. "Correct, Your Excellency."

"Unbelievable!" I shake my head.

"As soon as I heard the gunshot, I ran out of the kitchen to see what had happened. The victim sat slumped in his chair, and beside him, gun in hand, stood the accused student. Sitting opposite the victim at the same table was a young lady whom I guessed to be an Englishwoman."

Kazuma stares up at the ceiling. "So the truth comes out."

"I immediately sealed off the restaurant and reported the incident to the bureau. It was then that I received some... special orders."

I make a face. "Concealing her presence was 'special orders'?"

"Yes. 'Remove the Englishwoman from the scene at once.' It was made clear that the Englishwoman's presence at the restaurant was to be concealed. Those were my orders."

"Huh?! But what if she's the killer?!"

"I think it would be in everyone's best interests not to pursue that idea."

I jolt. It definitely wouldn't be in mine! "Why?!"

"The empire views the friendly terms of its relationship with Britain more highly than anything at the moment," he explains. "An Englishman has been murdered on our soil. To name an Englishwoman as the primary suspect... well, without irrefutable evidence, that would be completely out of the question."

I clutch my head. "That's just not right!"

Everyone stares at me in silence.

It's Kazuma who breaks the silence. "One possibility does spring to mind."

It hits me. "Oh, you mean her...?"

"What are you going on about, defense?!" snaps Auchi.

"Don't interrupt, and you may just find out." Kazuma glares at him. "Yumei University is currently hosting a number of exchange students from Great Britain. I'm fairly certain that one of them, studying in the medical faculty's research laboratory... is a young Englishwoman."

Inspector Hosonaga laughs shortly. "I can see why you're the chosen candidate for the overseas study tour."

Judge Jigoku gasps. "Is what he said true, Inspector?!"

"Yes. When I removed the woman from the scene of the crime... I thought it prudent to check her identity first."

"The court demands that you name the lady in question at once, Inspector!"

He nods shortly. "The Englishwoman sitting at the university professor's table was a certain Miss Jezaille Brett. She is indeed a foreign student studying in the research laboratory of Yumei University's medical faculty. I admit that, under orders from the police bureau, I erased all evidence of this lady's presence at the scene... and ordered these witnesses to make no mention of her in their testimonies. It must now be up to Your Excellency to decide how to deal with this situation."

Auchi starts whining. "What is happening here?!"

"I suppose we will find out." Judge Jigoku smacks his gavel once. "My thoughts on the matter are as follows... thus far, the case presented to the court has been underpinned by a particularly critical premise. Namely, that the victim was dining alone. However, as we have now discovered that this premise is false... it would be a desecration of our justice system to ignore the truth and give a ruling at this point."

Auchi shoots up out of his wallows really quickly. "But… but… Your Excellency, that would mean missing the noon deadline of a ruling in order to send the telegraphic report to Great Britain! Our own government will surely be very displeased by such actions."

"Calm yourself, Counsel," he interjects. "I will not allow the government of our country or any other to influence the proceedings of my courtroom. Now, Inspector Hosonaga... you will locate this Jezaille Brett and escort her to the courtroom with the utmost urgency."

He bows. "At once, Your Excellency."

"But... but that means you'll be going against the special orders you were given from the police bureau!"

"Counsel, as I said before, it is my guiding principle to carry out all investigations flawlessly."

My eyes go wide. "It won't be a problem, then?"

Coughing again (four times, this time!). "Even if there is one, nothing will get in my way!"

Judge Jigoku clears his throat to get everyone's attention. "Court will adjourn briefly. The prosecution must call the English student, Jezaille Brett, to the witness stand. Do I make myself clear?"

Auchi slams his head down on the bench. "Yes... Your Excellencyyyyyyy!" he whines, all muffled.

"Good. Then we will have a thirty-minute recess before reconvening."

Smack!

We are barely through this trial, and I'm fading fast! Why on earth did I open my big mouth?!

(Oh, you know why. Now hope that mouth of yours gets the rest of you out of this mess!)

Chapter Text

~ 22nd November, 11:38 a.m. ~
~ Supreme Court of Judicature, Defendants' Antechamber 5 ~

Kazuma's laughing by the time I drag myself back out to the lobby to meet him.

"That was superb, Ryu!" he exclaims. "It was almost unbelievable. I mean, looking at you in there... you were drenched in sweat, your eyes popping, your knees knocking and you were grinding your teeth. It was a grim sight, but before I knew it, you'd started finding inconsistencies in the testimonies. I think you might have a natural talent for being a lawyer."

I shoot a half-heated glare. "My heart was in my mouth that whole time. I literally do not want to see the inside of a courtroom ever again if I get through this!"

He's laughing again. "It looks like we've exposed your phantom lady, at least."

I sigh. "I tried to tell everyone, yet no one believed me. I might not be overly confident in the courtroom, but my powers of observation are one thing I am sure of."

"Noted. Thanks to our detective friend, about this young gentlewoman that was hastily escorted away from the scene, it seems... did you see what happened with that?"

I shake my head. "I was on my way out myself, and Inspector Hosonaga grabbed me and hid me in a small pantry by the kitchen once the incident had occurred."

"I see."

"Well done, both of you."

At that moment, Yujin appears with Susato trailing him.

"Hello, Professor," Kazuma and I chorus at the same time.

"It seems I was right. The pair of you make an outstanding team. You've exceeded my expectations, I have to say."

Kazuma rolls his eyes at that one. "It seems you planned this from the start. You arranged things so that I wouldn't be able to act as a lawyer in this trial."

Yujin crosses his arms, expression stoic. "Our modern country is still in its infancy; our justice system, even more so... which is why I firmly believe that we need to send our brightest young stars overseas to learn all they can. I wanted to avoid a situation that may have resulted in your study tour to Great Britain being cancelled."

"It makes no difference." Kazuma frowns. "Lawyer or otherwise, if I'm the kind of man who can't help his best friend avert the worst crisis of his life... I shouldn't waste everyone's time by going to study overseas anyway."

"What are you saying?!" I ask.

Yujin sighs. "I was afraid you would feel that way. Ryunosuke, I suppose it's up to you here."

"That prospect scares me already."

"I'm sure you can do it. You need to prove your innocence and uncover what really took place in that restaurant. I must say, I very much want to know the truth. After all, I have a personal connection to this case."

"Right, you said that. Did you know the victim, Professor?"

He nods. "As a matter of fact, I did. I was the one who invited Dr. Watson to Yumei."

I gasp. "You?!"

Kazuma looks surprised. "I didn't know that before..."

"In any event, you to have a battle to wage here." Yujin hums. "The victim was a university professor from Great Britain, and a well known one at that. Naturally, our government is looking to identify and punish the culprit as quickly as possible."

"We still have to go up against the 'gentlewoman' the bureau was insistent on hiding," Kazuma points out.

I sigh. "Right."

"I'm sure the prosecution will be using every tool at their disposal to quash your case. But I've no doubt that you pair will put up a good fight, right to the last." Yujin smiles. "Best of luck!"

I smile back. "Thank you!"

He then turns to Susato, who has been quiet the whole time. "Now, then... I need you to run an errand at the university at once. There's something I think we may need."

She bows. "Of course. Kazuma-sama, Ryunosuke... I wish you both luck."

Ah, so he's definitely mentioned me to her.

As soon as she leaves, the bailiff summons us back inside.

(Note to self: remind me to get Kazuma sukiyaki at the Yumei Cafeteria for believing in me this much!)

~ 22nd November, 12:09 p.m. ~
~ Supreme Court of Judicature, Courtroom 2 ~

"The court hereby resumes the trial of Ryunosuke Naruhodo." Judge Jigoku turns to Auchi. "Prosecutor Auchi, have you managed to subpoena the witness?"

"Yes, Your Excellency, against all odds!" He glowers at me. "Thanks to a certain young stripling, however, the prosecution is under rather painful scrutiny by the government."

I blink. "Sorry..."

"It's their job to scrutinize, Ryu." Kazuma rolls his eyes. "No need for you to get worried over it."

"In any event, it's highly unlikely that the good relations we've forged with Great Britain will emerge from this trial unscathed," Auchi continues. "Will you two still think it's nothing to worry about when the new treaty breaks down and our nation flounders?!"

"If the friendship between our nations is really so fragile, then that treaty is not worth the paper it's written on."

"Huh?! What do you mean?"

Kazuma starts counting off on his fingers. "A secret trial, anxiety over some foreign government's opinions, a bungled investigation, missing witnesses..." He slams his hand down (startling me again). "Is this what our nation's justice system is? Are we in Japan or England?!"

"Shut up, you jumped up rookie boy!" Auchi throws his fan right in our direction as we duck out of the way (though I dare say if Karuma had been out, he would be losing that fan instead!). "You two know nothing of the situation our nation finds itself in! By aligning ourselves with the great world power, we'll become strong! Diplomacy has never been more critical! Steady political maneuvering is what will secure our future!"

Is this diplomacy or submission?!

"I may be just a student..." I start, quietly. "One who could stand to study harder, I'm sure. But as far as I'm concerned, a country that fails to uphold the truth in its justice system is a country with no future at all!"

That shocks both Judge Jigoku and Auchi.

Kazuma laughs. "Despite that wide-eyed look of terror, that was quite a statement you made there."

Auchi growls. "You little brats!"

Judge Jigoku, however, seems to agree with us instead. "Thank you, Counsel. This court is the pinnacle of our nation's justice system, and exists solely for the pursuance of truth. With that in mind, this trial will now resume with the next witness taking the stand — the visiting student from Great Britain, Miss Jezaille Brett!"

The resident prosecutor slams his face into the bench. Oh, how I wish I could be enjoying this more.

*****

Wow.

Just... wow.

Any normal person would not have been able to overlook this lady. 

Not in the restaurant, and certainly not at Yumei!

The woman, Jezaille, is currently standing facing sideways, to the left of Inspector Hosonaga. Sergeant Nosa has moved to his right side, causing Mr. Korekuta to have to move over as well.

Auchi clasps his hands together and starts grinning all of a sudden. "Well, what a delight it is to welcome such a fine gentlewoman to Japan! And from such a distant land!"

Judge Jigoku starts clapping his hands at the bailiffs. "Someone bring English tea! In England, no discussions take place without tea!"

Kazuma and I are wearing the same perplexed looks, I'm sure. He then turns to me.

"You said your powers of observation are the one thing you're sure of, yes?" he asks me.

I raise my eyebrow. "Yes..."

"How is your description for this amazing sight before us here simply 'a woman'?"

I scoff. "My power is in observation, not description, as you can clearly tell, Kazuma."

"Could we possibly trouble you to state your name and occupation for the court?" asks Auchi.

Jezaille finally faces forward, raising a mask to her face as she does, and when she starts speaking, it's neither English nor Japanese that leaves her lips.

Judge Jigoku, Auchi, and the entire gallery are utterly confused.

"Forgive me, dear lady," Auchi says eventually, "but what did you say?"

Inspector Hosonaga leans over to speak to her, then addresses the rest of the court. "The lady says her name is Jezaille Brett. She comes from London, England; however, her native tongue is in Welsh. She's a visiting research student, currently enrolled in Yumei University's medical faculty."

Auchi smiles again. "Oh, my! What a rare treat to hear the dulcet tones of a delightful language of the British people! I'm afraid I don't understand a word you said, but it was as beautiful as a hummingbird's song!"

Kazuma scoffs. "I wasn't aware we would have to split into the Welsh branch as well," he whispers.

I nod. "At least we won't have trouble on the English side of things. We'll simply have to delve a bit more into this one."

"The court thanks the beautiful lady for taking the stand," announces Judge Jigoku. "Now... if we may trouble you to confirm something, Miss Brett."

She tilts her head up slightly, as if trying to answer.

"Three days ago, at a restaurant called La Carneval, a grim murder took place. The court has been led to believe that you were dining there with the victim, Dr. Watson, at the time. Is that correct?"

Once Inspector Hosonaga relays it to her, he says, "She says 'Yes'."

I tilt my head. "This could take a while."

Kazuma drums his fingers on the desk. "She may want to pick up on some Japanese while she's here... or even some more English, for that matter."

"She'd like to apologize for disappearing from the scene." We snap back to attention when Inspector Hosonaga speaks up again. "She says that she was due to make a presentation at the university, so she had to leave immediately."

"Are you not the one who engineered her escape?"

"I was just following special orders from the bureau."

"Well now, dear lady, would you be so kind as to cast your eyes over this photographic print?" Auchi waves the photograph in his hand. "Seeing as you were, so unfortunately, present at the scene of the crime... could it be that your resplendent eyes caught sight of the wicked perpetrator, perhaps?"

Off she turns to the side again, as she speaks again.

"Apparently, it was a very frightening... and sorrowful sight."

"What do you mean, Inspector?" asks Judge Jigoku.

"It would appear the lady did witness the crime. The very moment when the accused, standing right there in this courtroom... shot the victim in cold blood!"

I immediately jump two feet into the air, completely startled, while the gallery starts to talk. His Excellency has to smack his gavel three times to quiet them.

"Did you hear that, Your Excellency?" Auchi asks excitedly. "Here we have an absolutely conclusive witness statement!"

"Hmmm..."

Kazuma frowns. "It's very clear who our real enemy is now."

He's right. She's lying by the skin of her teeth right now!

Judge Jigoku asks her to testify, and Inspector Hosonaga relays it to her. As she speaks, he translates what she says.

Here we go...

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *            Witness Testimony - Start           *
*                                                          *
****************************************

"'I had arranged to meet for a slightly late luncheon with Dr. Watson that day.'

'The professor was unable to eat, so I ordered for myself only. A beef steak.'

'After a while, the accused came over to greet the professor, and they got into a fierce argument.'

'Then, not long afterwards, the accused took the professor's gun and shot him right before my eyes!'

'I don't carry a gun myself, so obviously I couldn't have been the culprit.'"

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *         End        *
*                                                          *
****************************************

"Hmph." Judge Jigoku crosses his arms. "This is a condemning testimony indeed."

"Excuse me!" I cry out. "I didn't argue with the professor at all!"

"Objection!" Auchi slaps his fan down again. "Quiet, you filthy wretch! Look at you, you black-hearted blackguard! Look at this snow-white angel! I'm sure even a dark-minded scoundrel like you can imagine whose words the court is going to believe!"

This is exactly what I was afraid of.

Kazuma jabs me lightly on the shoulder. "Ryu, you must learn to hold your tongue in situations like these."

I heave a sigh. "He makes it so difficult."

"Of course, I was at the scene as well. I took statements from this lady and the two witnesses who testified before, and reported back to the bureau. It was decided that Miss Brett was not involved, so I let her go."

Kazuma narrows his eyes at them. "The testimonies of the last two witnesses were completely worthless, however."

They both look scandalized, but don't dare say anything else.

"Even so, on the day in question, the lady was wearing the same outfit as she is today." Our resident inspector gestures the arm that doesn't have the white cloth on it up and down Jezaille's form as she faces straight ahead. "As you can see, there is nowhere about her person where she could conceal a firearm. 'There are no pockets in my outfit. I have nowhere to hide a gun.' Those are the witness's own words on the matter."

Are they serious? Look at this woman's outfit... there are so many places she could be hiding something!

"Unless and until the precise location where the witness is to have hidden a weapon can be shown, this is moot," Auchi concludes.

Kazuma glances over at me. "You had better not be thinking of doing anything rash, Ryu."

I scoff. "Even I'm not that impulsive. But there must have been another gun on that day because I didn't fire the one I picked up!"

It didn't look like it was fired before either, but there's no way of really knowing that.

In any event, now we must prove where she could have been hiding one.

(I swear, right at the moment, I notice her mouth curve up just slightly.)

*****

End me.

Again.

Almost every time we try to ask after something, Auchi is quick to try and excuse her quirks, even though she shuts down a fairly good amount of them with simple English words. At least she can understand us, just not really speak it, then.

"Was Miss Brett aware of Dr. Watson's visit to Hotta Clinic?" asks Kazuma.

"She was," answers Inspector Hosonaga. "She'd heard that the professor was to have some dental treatment."

"So she would have eaten the steak in the photo?" I ask.

"Yes. The print you have there shows the table exactly as it was left after the horrifying events."

I raise a brow. 'Exactly as it was left', huh...

"Dear me! What a harrowing experience!" Now Auchi's fanning himself. When he got his fan back is beyond me. "To have travelled to a distant island on the far side of the world and be embroiled in such a tragic incident... have no fear, my dear lady! I swear I will crush the evil fiend that has subjected you to this terrible plight!"

I'm sure if Jezaille's eyes were visible, I would be seeing them roll right now.

"According to her," says Inspector Hosonaga, "Dr. Watson only had some carbonated water."

I raise my eyebrow. "He was allowed that?"

"Yes, he was given permission. So it appears that the diners toasted their lunch with a glass of water each."

Kazuma hums. "What did you think about that last statement, Ryunosuke?"

"It sounded important to me," I say. 

Auchi scoffs. "Why don't you tell us why it's so important?"

I'm immediately silenced by him, so Kazuma decides to speak up. "The significance of the statement will become apparent when the time is right. The defense calls for the witness's last statement to be formally added to the testimony."

"Ha! Well sidestepped."

"Miss Brett... kindly repeat what you just said to be added to your official testimony," says Judge Jigoku. 

She whispers to Inspector Hosonaga so we can go on. "'I ordered a beef steak for myself, and the professor and I said "cheers" over a glass of carbonated water.'"

I stare at the photo again. "Oh, did they now... something is very off about this photo!"

Kazuma says, "Exactly what do you find off about it?"

"The only off thing here is the defense's inability to express itself," Auchi cuts in.

I suck in my cheeks before going on. "Obviously, the 'cheers' are the problem here!" I point at the photo. "Why is there only one glass on this table instead of two?"

Judge Jigoku hums in understanding; Inspector Hosonaga jumps in surprise instead.

Meanwhile, Auchi shakes his head in disappointment. "Are we supposed to be impressed by this nitpicking over minutiae? What possible difference does the presence or absence of a glass make on the case?"

Kazuma crosses his arms. "Have you heard a word of what the detective had said? Could it be that he removed a glass from the table to conceal the lady's presence?"

Inspector Hosonaga looks scandalized at the thought. "Of course not! I would never be that reckless!"

I squint. "So can you clink with only one glass now, or did our witness make it disappear?!"

"You are correct about that. I am certain that I brought two glasses to the table..."

Right then, Jezaille whispers to him again, and he looks confused.

"Well... it would indeed seem that it was Miss Brett who took the glass from the table."

I stare. "Why?!"

"Apparently, she wished to hide the fact that she was there at all in a panic."

Now she's staring back at me. "Sorry..."

As if that's going to cut it.

"See, as I assured the court, this is of no consequence at all." Auchi sneers at me. "We must remember that this student had just murdered the lady's luncheon companion before her very eyes! Who could blame her for concealing a glass or two in her state of disarray?"

"Don't make excuses for her! This is absurd!"

"Oh, are you going to accuse this vulnerable, young, and beautiful woman of mischief?!"

"This isn't just 'mischief' we're talking about here!"

"How exactly did Miss Brett take the glass away from the scene?" asks Kazuma, hoping to cut us both off.

"According to her," says Inspector Hosonaga, still leaning over, "it would seem that she slipped it into a small handbag she was carrying."

"A handbag?" inquires His Excellency.

"Yes, a small, handheld pouch commonly carried by well-to-do women in England."

Auchi taps his fan sideways on the desk now. "So, the beautiful lady has very graciously explained how and why she removed the glass from the scene now. However, the fact remains that this glass has absolutely no bearing on the case! This student has been trying to confuse the court with logical reasoning! But in the end, it comes to nothing. No more pretentious accusations! You have wasted enough time already!" 

I shake my head. "I... I don't think so."

"What ever are you saying, Counsel?" asks the Judge.

"Recall that Miss Brett stated that she had nowhere to store a gun on her person. She failed to mention her handbag when she said this!"

"Ah! That's right!"

Kazuma's smiling right now. Looks like I've done some good.

"You blackguard!" Auchi snaps. "What are you insinuating?!"

"It's quite simple, really." He hums. "The gunshot was heard when the defendant picked up the gun from the restaurant floor. As he didn't fire that gun, we can deduce there must have been another firearm at the scene — the true murder weapon, if you will."

"You can't seriously be suggesting what I think you are... are you?!"

I turn to the Inspector. "Did you search her handbag on the day of the murder?"

He shakes his head. "I did not."

"That means another gun could have been concealed in her bag!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" As Auchi screams in disbelief, Judge Jigoku quells the gallery around us. "What is the meaning of this, Inspector?!"

"The meaning of what, Prosecutor Auchi?"

"Why on earth did you not have the lady open her handbag and show you the contents at the time? Thanks to your bungling incompetence, now she has to endure these uncomfortable accusations!"

"It appears we will be exposing the truth behind that mask after all," Kazuma muses.

The Inspector scoffs at us, which sends him into a prolonged coughing fit. "Clearly, you have no faith in the police."

I sigh. "Have more faith in doctors and we'll see about that."

(Yes, I do realize the irony in what I'm saying.)

"As I said, I did not search the lady's handbag after the shooting... simply because it was unnecessary."

Kazuma and I stare at him. "Unnecessary...?"

"Mm hmm. I ought to thank you, really. I had almost forgotten this print I made of her handbag."

He waves a photograph between two of his fingers.

"You can clearly see what's inside of it!" says Judge Jigoku.

"Indeed," agrees the Inspector. "Apparently, meshwork bags like these are the height of fashion in London at the moment. Do you see why there was no need to search it now?"

"Ah!" I jump back.

The photograph has been placed on the desk.

I can't believe this... I've made myself look worse.

"I think you've had long enough to cross-examine the witness, Counsel," His Excellency says. "The court has now been shown considerable evidence. As the photographic print just submitted into the Court Record appears to have no further significance... I am satisfied that there is no longer any room for doubt in this matter... and I must make my ruling."

Auchi's smirk is now back in full force. "Indeed, and there is only one logical conclusion... that the pathetic rookie slumped over the bench before us is the only possible perpetrator of this crime."

I can already feel my stare turning blank as I slowly cover my head over the desk. Even Kazuma is at a loss for words.

"Is there really no way... to turn this around...?" I murmur.

Kazuma starts rubbing my back with one hand. "If there is no way to contest the latest photograph, we cannot argue for this trial to go on."

"Ha!" Auchi laughs. "It seems we will be able to report to the British government on time after all!"

Try not to make your murder charges any worse... or actually real...

"Ryunosuke Naruhodo, having considered all of the evidence placed before me, I hereby find you—"

All of a sudden, it strikes me.

"Wait!"

That shocks everyone, especially Kazuma from beside me.

"You can't rule on this case yet!"

"Please! You're just floundering now!" Auchi snaps. "This amateurishness is getting tedious! When His Excellency deems that the trial is over, he gives his ruling. That is the most basic protocol of the courtroom!"

"Yes! I know that! However... if there was to be a problem with the photograph recently submitted, it would be out of the question!"

"This is blatant straw-clutching! Look at this photographic print! All it shows is the handbag the gentlewoman was carrying on the day in question. There can be no 'problem' with this evidence!"

I shake my head. "That... is not entirely true, is it?"

He stops, confused. "What...?"

"Miss Brett's handbag is not the only thing showing in this photo."

Kazuma squints. "You had better know what you're doing here."

Judge Jigoku taps his gavel. "Very well, I will grant the defense one final opportunity. But be warned that if I am unsatisfied by your response here, the trial will be over with immediate effect. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes." I walk over to the evidence desk. "Do you see this mark on Dr. Watson's wrist here?"

"Yes, it looks like a burn of some sort."

At that, Jezaille seems to startle a bit, yet almost no one else notices.

"Dear me! I was pondering what new piffle you would come out with," Auchi says. "A burn, you say? On the victim's wrist? Clearly that has nothing whatsoever to do with the magnificent lady's handbag!"

"Yes, that is a burn mark; you're right," Inspector Hosonaga adds. "The police coroner also noticed it when he was performing the post-mortem examination. It was deemed unrelated to the cause of death, so he didn't note it in his report."

"What did I tell you? In any case, we have no idea when the victim suffered this burn, do we? No possible way of knowing, either."

"I'm afraid we can't linger any longer on this if we cannot find a connection," Judge Jigoku admits, "curious as we all are."

Inspector Hosonaga taps on the stand twice. "Excuse me, Your Excellency... it would seem Miss Brett has a lunch appointment with the dean and other university staff. She would like to know if she may be excused from the stand now."

Auchi flaps his hand dismissively. "Oh, of course, of course, dear lady! We shan't hold you up any longer! I'm quite sure His Excellency is about to give his final ruling anyway."

"Ryu, do you really think this burn is important?" Kazuma asks.

"We won't know until we keep dissecting that photograph," I reply.

He hums. "That's right."

"Please, you can't possibly hope to do that!" Auchi taunts.

"If you somehow find evidence to link it to this case," Judge Jigoku muses, "then I will allow it."

I turn to Kazuma. "Will you go get the rest of the prints?"

He raises an eyebrow, but does so anyway.

It takes me a bit to find something in one of the other prints, but once I do, I speak up.

"Your Excellency, I believe photographic prints are an amazing invention. When we humans look at a scene, we miss things. But in a photograph, things we may have overlooked at the time are recorded forevermore."

Auchi rolls his eyes. "None of your poetry between that forked tongue, rookie! What exactly are you trying to say? To inconvenience this poor lady any further really would be quite inexcusable."

"I'm afraid we'll need Miss Brett for a little longer."

If her eyes were visible now, they would be shooting daggers at me.

"If you would take a look at the plate here... the reason we are looking for is indeed recorded here!"

"How?!" asks Inspector Hosonaga.

"Surely you aren't going to tell us the steak did this!" Auchi snaps.

I cross my arms. "It's actually the plate that you should be looking at."

Before he can try and shoot me down, Judge Jigoku actually gasps in shock.

"Your Excellency, are you alright?!"

I smile. "It appears that His Excellency has seen the emblem that is on the plate."

Now Inspector Hosonaga is catching on. "It is our trademark, after all..."

"Take notice that it's the same shape as Dr. Watson's burn!"

Kazuma gasps. "You're a genius!"

I grin. "He sustained that burn while being at the restaurant!"

"Hold it!" Auchi waves a finger in the air. "But even if that is the case... we can't know if it happened on the day in question or not. It could've been the day before or the day before that! It most likely happened at some other, unrelated time!"

Kazuma rolls his eyes. "Sadly, Prosecutor Auchi, the chances of that are extremely slim. The outline of the burn is clearly discernible. Such a serious injury would have caused quite a commotion in the restaurant. Wouldn't you agree, Inspector Hosonaga?"

He nods. "I would. I can't imagine having missed such a terrible disaster, certainly. I would say, looking at the picture of the wound, that it wasn't suffered very long ago. And, although it's not a particularly large burn, it's extremely well defined, as the defense just pointed out. This was no mild burn, that's for sure."

"Might you be more specific, Inspector?" I ask.

"Well, let's see... if the plate was at around ninety degrees centigrade, a burn like that would have taken around three seconds."

Judge Jigoku nods. "It's inconceivable that the victim wouldn't have let out a scream of pain, then."

"True. However, I've not heard anyone scream at all."

"That is what is strange," I say. "No one heard him scream when he burnt his wrist... or when he was shot."

Auchi gapes. "Nothing?!"

"Did either of you hear anything?"

Our silent witnesses shake their heads frantically. They're still scared of the charges, I'm sure.

I copy them. "There is no way to have missed the burn, not even if he were asleep... except in one particular situation! On the day in question, when he suffered the burn to his wrist, Dr. Watson was already dead!"

"Already dead?!" This is from both Auchi and Judge Jigoku.

Jezaille has shifted ever so slightly.

"That sounds like madness," Inspector Hosonaga admits.

"Because it is!" Auchi protests. "The victim was killed by a gunshot! Do you have no grasp of the facts over there?!"

Kazuma scoffs. "You are the one who has no grasp here."

"Excuse me?!"

"As soon as it became apparent that the victim had suffered that burn while at the restaurant, this whole case was turned upside-down. Or have you not grasped that yet?"

"Grr..."

He turns to the Judge. "Your Excellency, we must hear from the witness again. If it's true, as we now believe, that the victim was already dead before the gunshot was heard... it's highly likely that Miss Brett knows something about it!"

"Indeed." Judge Jigoku looks to her. "I'm sorry to say, Miss Brett, that you will have to forget your luncheon engagement. The justice system in our country may be in its infancy... but rest assured, all reasonable doubt must be dispelled before I am prepared to pass judgement."

Auchi starts whining again, but it's right at that moment that Jezaille quirks another smile.

"Yes, of course... I'd be delighted to help. Especially if it helps relations between my country and yours."

Everyone is immediately shocked when she starts speaking in a full sentence of English.

"Miss Brett, you understand us?" asks Auchi, after a bit.

"Of course I do," she replies. "Naturally, I know my English, and I must know Japanese if I am to be studying here in your country, should I not?"

"Why have you been using the Inspector as an interpreter until now?" asks the Judge.

She curtsies to everyone. "I typically prefer to speak in my refined tones, as a gentlewoman, seeing as how the poor Queen's English has been sullied here today. However, it seems the men in this land possess none of the chivalrous virtues of English gentlemen... so I can see that I shall have to lower myself to communicating with you all on your own level."

It's silent for a while before Prosecutor Auchi speaks up again.

"You are the epitome of a true English gentlewoman! We are truly honored by this... this lavish consideration you so graciously afford us!"

I have to shove my jaw up because I know it certainly just dropped at that (and I did not need Kazuma trying to do it for me). How is this man still crowing like this about her?!

"I see." Judge Jigoku has to shake his head a few times before he continues. "In that case, Miss Brett, I will now ask you to testify in your own words... about the events leading up to the death of the victim, Dr. Watson!"

"Well, this certainly got interesting," Kazuma says with a chuckle.

Glad he's finding humor somewhere...

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *            Witness Testimony - Start           *
*                                                          *
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"Unfortunately, I have no idea when the poor man burnt his wrist like that.

When the waiter brought my steak, the professor and I raised our glasses in a toast.

As far as I've heard, the post-mortem report showed no other possible cause of death besides the gunshot.

If there's some other way a man's life can be taken without leaving a trace, please, do show me.

But, of course... this country's inferior investigative techniques probably wouldn't pick up on it anyway."

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *         End        *
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Judge Jigoku has a weird smile. "That most captivating and beautiful testimony will go down in the Supreme Court's history. Thank you."

Et tú, Jigoku?

"Must I continue to sully my lips in this manner already most foul?" She covers her mouth. "Forgive me. I do hope I haven't insulted anyone."

"Not at all!" Auchi preens. "It is a delight merely to hear you speak, dear lady! It seems very clear from your testimony that this boorish talk of the victim's burn is utterly irrelevant."

She nods curtly. "I will be speaking to your country's Minister of Justice about what has happened here today."

"Oh? Whatever for?"

"May that irritating little bully of a student be given the harshest punishment possible!" She closes her hands, and then points them both towards me. "Amen."

I stare ahead. "Thanks..."

"Well, you'll have to forgive the irritation, Miss Brett, and put up with a cross-examination now," says Kazuma. "I expect you've noticed that this 'little bully of a student', as you put it, doesn't miss much."

Jezaille ruffles at that one. 

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you, Counsel, that this will be your final cross-examination in this trial." Judge Jigoku narrows his eyes at me. "If you fail to demonstrate any problems with this witness's testimony... I will be ruling on the case immediately. Is that clear?"

I sigh. "Yes, Your Excellency."

On we go, then. I decide to double smack my face for good measure (lord knows when I decided that was a good wake-up call idea...).

*****************************************
*                                                          *
 *            Cross Examination - Start           *
*                                                          *
****************************************

Every time I have to deal with a cross-examination today, I just want to escape this room.

For the third time today... end me.

I try to make a remark about how Jezaille couldn't have missed the screaming, and she's already making fun of me.

"As you testified before, you were drinking carbonated water, right?" I ask.

She nods. "Yes."

"Dr. Watson was only permitted to drink water at that time, if you remember," Auchi interjects, "which explains why he ordered that drink. Correct, waiter?"

"Exactly," says Inspector Hosonaga. "Although, whether or not the professor actually drank any of the water when I delivered the steak to the table... I'm afraid I don't remember that."

Jezaille's mask eye holes seem to flash. "Damn you..."

"Ah! For the benefit of others in the court, it means, 'bless you'!" Auchi says.

I would laugh if this wasn't so ridiculous.

Of course, we know what the post-mortem report said; no need to go over that again.

"Why must it 'not leave a trace'?" I ask next.

"Surely you notice." She scoffs. "If someone is shot, or strangled, or stabbed or thrown from a height... however a person's life is taken, there are always telltale traces on the body. Had there been any more of those, I'm sure they would have been noticed, is that not right?"

"Yes!" Auchi says. "Quite right, dear lady. And, as our police force has thoroughly examined the body of the deceased, there can be no doubt. Isn't that right, Inspector Hosonaga?"

He nods. "As I've said, I always aim for a flawless investigation."

Right. So what kind of death would not leave a trace? We're going to need more info.

"Must I ask what you mean by 'inferior'?"

"I suppose you must. In the lands of the Great British Empire, the police store everything found at a crime scene for later examination. But in this country, you investigate once, and that's the end of it. Isn't that so?"

Auchi clasps his hands again. "Quite right! La Carneval is open for business as usual today, just days after the incident!"

Jezaille sighs. "Do you see? Even if the investigation takes a different direction, vital evidence may be lost."

As soon as she says that, Inspector Hosonaga goes into an unprompted coughing fit. He looks rather disturbed by the end of it.

"It doesn't even occur to your naïve detectives to try to preserve the crime scene." She quirks her lip. "I'm... trying to be as tactful about this as I can, you understand."

"Haha! A killer blow! The lady is as formidable as she is beautiful!"

In contrast to the ditzy prosecutor, Sergeant Nosa and Mr. Korekuta stay silent, but they definitely don't look so amused.

I gaze at Kazuma in exasperation. "Will Prosecutor Auchi ever learn...?"

He shakes his head. "I very much doubt that. Now... have you noticed?"

"You mean how Inspector Hosonaga suddenly went off into that fit after she said that?"

"Mm hmm. When people are actually testifying, they're usually very careful not to let anything slip. However... when they're listening to someone else speak, you'll find they often let their guard down. This may be a golden opportunity to get more information." He makes a small gesture at the Inspector. "I suggest you pursue him for that train of thought."

"Right." I clear my throat. "Excuse me!"

At that, Inspector Hosonaga seems to snap out of it, being sent into another fit. "Ah! What?!"

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to shock you."

"If you don't mind," Kazuma says, "it appears you had something weighting on your mind, perhaps having heard what the lady next to you had to say."

"Yes!" I nod. "If there's something you'd like to say, please... share it with the court!"

Auchi shakes a hand again. "What is the meaning of this? It's the delightful Englishwoman who's testifying at the moment. If you can't find fault with her testimony, then the cross-examination should be over, immediately!"

Kazuma rolls his eyes. "Last I have checked, the detective is still on the stand. He's still a valid witness here!"

"Do you have something to say, then, Inspector?" asks His Excellency.

"If you don't mind, I would like to speak," the detective answers.

Jezaille definitely looks annoyed next to him.

"The lady is right. Our country's police practices are not as modern as those used in Great Britain. Which is why I, Satoru Hosonaga, always strive to make every investigation I'm involved in flawless!"

"You keep saying that, but what do you mean?" I ask. 

"I'll tell you what I mean! I won't have evidence lacking on my watch! I'm not afraid to take everything I can from the scene of the crime. It's preserving evidence, you see. I don't care if they call me a crime scene thief! I'm not ashamed of what I've done!"

I tilt my head. "You're trying to do what they do in Great Britain, then?!"

"Clearly Miss Brett struck a nerve there," Kazuma points out. "If she's not careful, the good Inspector may not be so quick to defend her."

He's right! Can we somehow invoke that, though...?

"For example, this is the water I had brought to the victim's table on that day." Inspector Hosonaga puts on a glove before picking up the glass bottle between his and Sergeant Nosa's feet. "It's lost all of its fizz, having been opened three days ago now. But it was carbonated water! I don't care what anyone says!"

"I can't say I condone the witness's actions, but I do understand the sentiment. The court will accept the glass bottle of water as evidence!" As Judge Jigoku says that, the Inspector goes to put the bottle on the desk. If this man has his way, he'll expedite the police force methods if he has to.

"Miss Brett... can you confirm this is indeed the bottle from which you drank on the day of the victim's death?"

Jezaille looks away. "Yes, that was it."

Strange... why did she look away?

In any event, it's a good thing he brought it in here, as it means a new idea has opened up.

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *         End        *
*                                                          *
****************************************

"Thanks to the good Inspector," I say, "it appears a method of killing a man without leaving a trace comes to mind..."

Jezaille doesn't say a word, so Judge Jigoku does instead. "What would that be?"

"That would be poison."

Auchi looks baffled. "What?"

"Perhaps the poison was slipped into his cup. It could not have ended up in the bottle, or Miss Brett herself would not be standing here. Of course, that means only one thing." Right then, I raise my finger and point straight at her. "Jezaille Brett, the only person who could have poisoned him was the one sitting at the same table... you!"

"Objection!" Auchi looks shocked. "Are you insane?! To suggest such a thing without a scrap of evidence! You little rookie imbecile! Have you even considered the delicate situation our country finds itself in now?! Have you forgotten that we have only just signed an accord of friendship with the British Empire?! Have you even the vaguest inkling that your rash accusations could jeopardize the entire treaty?!"

Kazuma cuts him off. "This is not a political arena. This is a trial to determine one individual's guilt with respect to one crime. The fact that this woman is British makes no difference. We are here to determine the truth!"

"Grrr...!"

Jezaille raises her unoccupied hand. "Ahem, if I may..."

Clearly, Auchi doesn't hear that. "I will silence you forever for this disgraceful attack on the lovely young—"

"Shut up!"

Everyone jumps again at the outburst.

"It is you who should be silent!" she snaps at Auchi.

"Forgive me, dear lady!"

I can't believe she just snapped like that!

"Now..." She lowers her mask. "I'm afraid I may have spoken unfairly before. I offer my most humble apologies."

"Whatever do you mean?" asks the Judge.

"I described your police force as 'inferior'. But no matter how inferior they may be, you still investigated this particular point thoroughly, I believe?" Jezaille looks over at Inspector Hosonaga. "The bottle, I mean, Inspector... and whether it contained poison or not."

He bows. "I did do that."

I gasp. "You did?!"

"Striving for flawlessness, indeed," Kazuma tacks on.

"That's right. Naturally, we tested the inside of the bottle and its contents."

"What did you find, Inspector?"

"Well, Your Excellency, I ordered tests for every toxin that's available in this country at the present time. We could find no trace of poison of any description in the bottle of carbonated water."

Kazuma blinks in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"I am. The tests were meticulously carried out by the Chief Coroner himself."

I cover my mouth. "No...!!"

Jezaille smiles. "I'm very grateful to all you Japanese. You've successfully established my complete innocence in this horrid affair. Thank you."

"Of course, dear lady!" Auchi says. "The pleasure was all ours!"

"Thank you, Counsel. I think that cross-examination has clarified everything." Judge Jigoku tugs on his beard. "As the prosecution have asserted, a shot to the chest from this gun is the only conceivable cause of death. Furthermore... the accused, who by his own admission was holding this weapon, is the only possible culprit!"

I can't believe this... I'm so done...

"The court wishes to apologize for the great inconvenience this has caused you, Miss Brett."

She curtsies again. "Oh, no, I'm just glad this is all resolved."

"Before proceeding, I must ask the counsel for the defense... do you have any further new evidence to present the court at this point?"

I don't even want to get up from my defeated position. If I were looking at Kazuma, I'm sure he'd be staring ahead with gritted teeth.

Jezaille smooths out her dress. "Well, if you'll excuse me now, I really must be leaving..."

"Hold it!"

All of a sudden, the doors fly open and everyone turns to them.

No way!

It's her!

"What is the meaning of this?" Judge Jigoku demands.

"Forgive me for intruding on court proceedings, Your Excellency." She steps up between Jezaille and Inspector Hosonaga for a brief moment. "Susato Mikotoba, judicial assistant to the defense."

Right when we thought there was nothing left...

in she came, with a small package that gave us all the answers we needed to know.

Chapter Text

~ 22nd November, 1:14 p.m. ~
~ Supreme Court of Judicature, Courtroom 2 ~

"Well?" Judge Jigoku crosses his arms. "I understand you are the judicial assistant to the defense, but why this sudden ingress into my courtroom?"

"A woman, a judicial assistant?!" Auchi starts laughing. "The rules state that females are not permitted into this court of law other than to testify!"

"I am aware of that." Susato holds up her hand. "I am only asking for five minutes of time to hand over vital evidence to the defense."

"No matter! You are too late! This trial has already been concluded!"

Clearly, His Excellency does not agree with that. "Five minutes. I will not allow a moment more."

She bows. "Thank you."

Auchi starts whining as she walks over to us. "But...!"

"Susato, what are you doing here?" I ask.

"Of course, I am delivering vital evidence to you both." She holds up the box wrapped in cloth. "Please, take this."

I unwrap it and read over it. "It looks like some sort of research..."

"It is... specifically, it's Jezaille Brett's research."

"What...?!"

"Father had me go to Dr. Watson's laboratory to borrow this paper."

Ah, so that's what he sent her away for.

"That's right, she was studying under him," Kazuma muses.

"Does it have anything to do with the case?" I ask.

"I did not get to read the whole thing, but it just might," Susato says.

We all look at the title page.

"'Special Characteristics of Curare and its Effects on Human Subjects'?" I frown. "I wonder what curare is."

"I've summarized what I could glean on a note in the cover," Susato explains. "If you think it could be valuable, please cast your eye over it."

"Thanks, Susato," Kazuma says.

"Time's up." Auchi jabs his fan at her. "The prosecution demands the immediate removal of this female trespasser from the courtroom!"

She grimaces slightly. "Father and I will try to sneak back in to keep watching. Good luck, you two."

With that, she bows to us and walks back out the door.

"You have had long enough, Counsel. We cannot detain our English guest any longer." Judge Jigoku now taps his fingertips against his desk. "I ask the prosecution and the defense now one last time... does either side have any further evidence to present to the court? I presume not, but..."

"Nothing more to add here, Your Excellency!" Auchi proclaims.

"However, we do have new evidence to consider!" I add on.

Judge Jigoku actually looks amused now. "Ah, the unyielding stare of a true Japanese warrior. Well, Miss Brett?"

She tilts her head up at him, as if prompting.

"If you wouldn't mind, perhaps you could grace us with your presence a little longer?"

"It's a delightful invitation. But I'm afraid it's not so very long until tea time. I'll have to politely decline..."

"Forgive me, Miss Brett, it seems I wasn't clear." We can hear the slight yet sharp tone change he's made. "I realize it was phrased as a question. However... I must ask you to treat that as an order."

Jezaille stares right up at him. "I've said it many times before, but... you Japanese just make no sense."

"My apologies, dear lady. So, Counsel... what is this new evidence that demands the court's attention?"

I hold up the little notebook we were given. "Miss Jezaille Brett... we understand you were studying under Dr. Watson at Yumei University doing research." This time, I flip open the cover to Susato's note, but I can't help gasping at what I see before I keep speaking. "On a deadly poison, no less. How coincidental."

Auchi squeaks. "Poison...?!"

"Where are you going with this, Counsel?" asks His Excellency.

Kazuma takes the book from me. "It's known as curare, Your Excellency. Even the slightest amount of this deadly poison entering the body leads to instant death."

"But I've never heard of it!" Auchi snaps.

"You wouldn't have. It doesn't exist in our country."

Inspector Hosonaga's mouth drops. "What? It doesn't exist...?"

"Right!" I say. "We don't have a test to identify its presence!"

"Apparently, tribespeople in South America used it to lace their arrows for hunting," says Kazuma. "It seems that it's reasonably well known among European doctors and scientists. Any animal shot with it would suffer instant death. Does that about sum it up, Miss Brett?"

Jezaille crosses her arms. Auchi starts blathering again.

"Trumpery! These aspersions are utter trumpery! To start with, if the victim had been administered some of this so-called deadly poison... he would have been squirming and writhing in pain and the other diners would have surely noticed!"

Judge Jigoku mulls over that. "True. Inspector?"

He shakes his head. "Obviously, I would have noticed a disturbance like that."

I shrug. "I admit I didn't see anything like that. But it's possible that the poison does not cause any outward signs of pain at all!"

Kazuma flips the book a few times. "You are correct, Ryu. In fact, the very fact that the victim didn't show any visible signs of distress... is evidence that curare was used."

Auchi blinks. "It's the other way around?!"

"Explain," says the Judge.

"Gladly. The moment this toxin enters a person's system, it causes instant paralysis. In other words, afflicted victims lose all strength and are completely unable to move. Even if they were in total agony, there would be no visible signs of pain at all."

Inspector Hosonaga shudders, as do the men next to him. "How terrible."

"Obviously, if a man lost all strength in his muscles, he'd collapse on the floor. But with a chair under him for support, as Dr. Watson had, the effects could go largely unnoticed."

I tilt my head. "Doesn't it cause instant death? This only sounds like paralysis..."

He turns to me. "The full explanation is extremely unpleasant. The poison causes immediate paralysis, as I said, leaving the victim unable to move. But after a short time, the paralysis is so severe, it causes the muscles that control respiration to fail."

I gasp. "No breathing..."

"Yes. The actual cause of death... is suffocation. All the while, the victim is conscious and aware... just unable to move."

Now everyone is shuddering at that.

"So you say the bottle has the poison in it?"

"How convenient that would be, wouldn't it, Your Excellency?" Auchi grouses. "A hitherto unknown poison for which there is no means of testing? What a happy tale for the defense!"

Jezaille raises her hand again. "Ahem. If I may..."

For the second time, he steamrolls over her. "You think you're so clever! But you must be taught some manner—"

"Shut up!"

Yet again, he is startled by this, and only him this time.

"It is you who might be taught!" she snaps.

"Forgive me again, dear lady!!"

"So... this is how you Japanese behave, is it?"

I squint. "Excuse me?"

"You steal another's honest hard work and then announce the results as if you discovered them! I'm appalled! What a loathsome act!"

"We have done nothing of the sort!"

Kazuma crosses his arms. "You are clearly of the intentions you speak here, Miss Brett."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Capitalizing on the unfortunate circumstances of an innocent man to frame him for a heinous crime? That really is a loathsome act. Wouldn't you agree?"

There goes Auchi again. "Enough of this! I, for one, refuse to accept it! The idea of some poison that doesn't even exist in the great Empire of Japan is... is... breaking the rules!"

I roll my eyes. "It's not exactly impossible, now, is it?"

Jezaille clearly doesn't think so, if her laughing is anything to go by.

"What exactly are you laughing at?" I snap.

"Oh, excuse me." She looks up. "Your Excellency... may I borrow that bottle for a moment, please?"

He shrugs. "I don't see why not... Inspector?"

Inspector Hosonaga goes over and hands the bottle to her.

"Don't get too big for your boots, you insignificant little island boys."

We stare at her. "Sorry?"

"To an Englishwoman such as myself, this whole affair is a farcical comedy." She shakes the bottle a few times. "Your little police games, and these foolish courtroom antics... it's laughable, really."

I ask, "What are you doing...?"

"I've grown bored of this now, so it's time for the games to end. Cheers!"

With that, she downs the entire bottle of carbonated water for everyone to see.

"What are you doing?!" I shriek.

"No sparkle left at all." Jezaille hands the bottle back to the slightly stunned Inspector. "How appropriate for this shabby affair."

No one else is exactly up to saying anything, either.

"Goodness... whatever is the matter? You all look quite stunned."

"Let me guess." Kazuma balls one fist. "You are trying to tell us that the bottle is clean."

"Precisely! That's all there is to it!" Her face is tilted up even further than ever, almost smug. "Thank you for presenting the findings of my research so concisely here in this grand venue. Most kind."

Immediately, I start flipping through the notes Susato took, in order to find out something else.

"Now then, Your Excellency... I should like to be excused now, please. I think I've given more than enough of my time... for the furtherance of friendship between our countries."

"Yes, Miss Brett, we are most gratified with all the assistance you have given."

I can hear Kazuma muttering beside me while I'm reading the notes. "This doesn't make sense... there had to have been poison in that bottle! So how...? How did she...? How did she swallow a whole glass and live to tell the tale?! I don't understand it..."

"Well, I suppose if nothing else, this little Far Eastern charade... will make for interesting conversation at the next party I attend in London."

It's at that point that I slam the notebook shut. "I'm afraid you'll be lingering far longer than you'd hoped, Miss Brett."

She glowers at me. "What nonsense is this?"

"The culprit did put curare poison into Dr. Watson's carbonated water! The defense refuses to change its position!"

"Are you serious?" Kazuma asks incredulously.

"Blind is more like it!" snaps Auchi. "There is no possible way that bottle could contain poison! I mean, we just saw..."

"I am aware of what we saw." I put my hand up to stop him. "You would think that would complicate matters, but it can be explained. In fact, her own research can explain it just fine."

"What?! We can't understand that stuff! It's gibberish!"

I roll my eyes. "Not only can we over here understand it fine, but there's been a kind translation by our judicial assistant left so that you may keep up."

"I suggest you point us to it, Counsel."

"Yes, Your Excellency. We've been hearing a lot about this curare poison. As stated before, it's typically used for hunting purposes by being loaded into the arrows and shot at the targets."

"That's right..."

"Think about it... what is hunted is usually meant to be eaten, yes? But if the poison were meant to linger... no one would ever be eating what they hunted for, as there would be traces of poison."

Judge Jigoku says, "That would be madness!"

"Exactly! That must mean that the poison does not take effect when taken orally; rather, it must enter through a wound. Obviously, Miss Brett knew that she would not be poisoned if she drank it!"

She growls. "You meddling little rapscallion!! Answer me this, then!"

"Fascinating stuff, I'm sure, but how does this possibly...?"

Jezaille has to shut Auchi up for the third time (does he ever learn?!). "So... the ill-bred little puppy has a new toy to play with. Some facts he read in a book. But I'm afraid knowledge doesn't suit you, little boy. It only makes you look silly."

"Do you have a point?" I ask.

"Yes. Your schoolboyish logic has a fatal flaw."

"What flaw?!"

"As even your brain has managed to deduce, curare is safe to ingest. It seems likely that its effects are neutralized by the acidic nature of the gastric succus." She taps her mask on the stand. "So, if this lethal poison is completely harmless when drunk... the professor wouldn't have died when he swallowed it... would he?"

I stare at her, staying silent. Normally, that would be true... however, there is a stark difference between him and her.

"That's right!" Auchi finds his words again. "This curare poison is completely irrelevant to the case on trial!"

"That's basic science. Science that even a schoolboy should be able to understand, no?" Jezaille smirks.

"Indeed," says the Judge. "If the lady and the professor drank the same poison, they would be affected in the same way."

"Surely even a little cockroach like you could understand something as simple as that!"

Oh, no.

It's official.

This woman is going down.

All of a sudden, I slam the notebook down onto the stand, loud enough to startle everyone, including the gallery.

"Objection!"

Jezaille reels back, her mask still over her face.

"I don't think so, Miss Jezaille Brett!"

"What...?!" She's too stunned to straighten up. "How dare you use that tone with me?!"

"You know very well that there is no fatal flaw here. You know exactly why, even though both you and the victim swallowed the same poison... you are alive, but Dr. Watson is dead!"

"Why is that?" asks Judge Jigoku.

"Kazuma, go get his medical report card again, will you?"

He does so, looking equal parts awed and confused.

"If you recall, Dr. Watson had his tooth extracted on that day... in other words, a wound on his person. Normally, drinking it wouldn't kill you, but as he had a wound there..."

Auchi and the Judge both gasp. "That's right!"

"Miss Brett, you've made it very clear that you knew about that appointment!"

She clenches her fists for a few moments.

"So that's how she orchestrated this," Kazuma muses.

All of a sudden, Jezaille is laughing again. "I don't like to repeat myself, but honestly, I can't resist. These childish courtroom games and your half-baked arguments are all so puerile."

I scoff. "Would you like to explain yourself... again?"

"Don't worry, little schoolboy, you'll find out soon enough. You see, when you leave vital evidence lying around, you never know what might happen to it."

In one fluid motion, she snatches the bottle right out of Inspector Hosonaga's hand.

"No!" I cry out.

"I mean, it could just... slip."

Right then and there, she drops the bottle. All that can be heard at that moment is the crashing of broken glass.

"Oh dear, how careless of me. I'm afraid some crucial evidence may have just been tragically destroyed."

I slump back down to the desk and scream into my hands.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

The gallery is already up in surprise.

"What is it? What just happened?"

"It's the Englishwoman! She just smashed that bottle!"

"And in the Supreme Court! What a terrible blunder!"

"Officer, collect as much water as you can from the bottle at once!" barks His Excellency.

"You waste your time," Jezaille sneers. "This delightful carpet under my feet here was a gift from the British Empire. I assure you, it will soak up the water beautifully. You have neither the technology nor the presence of mind to recover it!"

"How could you...?!" I finally raise my head, and I'm sure my eyes are twitching something fierce right now. "You won't get away with this!"

She eyes me. "You can thump the bench and shout as much as you like, little boy. But I'm afraid we'll never know now if there really was poison in the bottle or not, will we? Oh, and we still have some very compelling evidence left intact. Isn't that right, Counsel for the Prosecution?"

Auchi snaps out of it. "Yes! You're referring to this photographic print, I presume, dear lady?"

Of course, it's the very first one.

"That's right. Really, looking at this photograph, it's as clear as day, isn't it? The poor professor was sitting with his back to me. So of course the only person who could have shot him from the front... is the little schoolboy."

"Objection!" Now Kazuma is all up in arms about this. "No! You killed the victim that day... using curare. Then, in order to frame Ryunosuke Naruhodo for the crime... you waited until he picked up the pistol you'd arranged for him to find on the floor... before you shot the professor's dead body in the chest with your own hidden gun! Then, in the confusion that followed, all you had to do was turn the dead professor and his chair around. You see? You had every opportunity to commit this crime!"

Jezaille giggles. "What a wonderful imagination you have, young man. A hidden gun, you say? I shot the professor's dead body, did I? Well, I'm terribly sorry, but... you don't have a shred of evidence."

"Right!" Great, the prosecution has gotten his bearings about him. "As you have nothing to support your wild claims, the prosecution's stance remains unchanged. The victim, Dr. John H. Watson, was killed by a gunshot to the chest... delivered in cold blood by the accused, Ryunosuke Naruhodo!"

I can't help covering my face again. I can't believe she just destroyed the evidence in front of us and there's nothing we can do about it!

I feel a tap on my shoulder. I don't look up.

"Ryunosuke! We've come this far, but now... now you're the only one who can finish it."

Shocked, I turn to Kazuma. "What on earth are you talking about?! You saw what she did!"

"We all did. We've lost a vital piece of evidence, it's true. So if there are any clues left for us to use now... they must be in your head! You told me before that your powers of observation were the one thing you could really depend upon."

I sigh. "I did say that..."

"So think back again now. Try to remember every last detail about the scene that day. Everything you saw, everything you felt... every color, every smell..."

All of a sudden, it occurs to me.

Something that the photograph easily concealed due to the black-and-white nature of it...

I gasp. "I think I've got something!"

He smiles. "Wipe the smug smile off that Englishwoman's face with some evidence!"

I nod firmly. "Inspector Hosonaga! Answer me this!"

"What?" he asks, surprised. No doubt the bottle is still stuck on his mind.

"As you've said a number of times now, you strive for perfection in your investigations, don't you?"

"Of course!"

"I wonder, therefore, if perhaps you took anything else from the scene of the crime. Like, for instance, the plate of steak that you took to the victim's table that day?"

Auchi cuts in, yet again. "Wait a minute! Where are you going with th—"

"Shut up!" Jezaille holds her hand up. "Where are you going with this, little boy?"

"It's just a memory that's been troubling me."

"A memory?"

"Yes. I saw the crime shown in this photographic print with my own eyes that day. I saw that on the wooden base of the plate that the steak was served on... was a spattering of blood."

Auchi gapes at that. "What?!"

"What of it?" asks Jezaille. "Obviously, that must have happened when you shot the professor."

I sigh. "The bloodstain is behind him. There is no way for it to have gotten there in Dr. Watson's position in that photo as this case stands right now."

"Ah!"

Kazuma hums. "Right. For blood to have made it onto the plate, it implies the plate was between the victim and the shooter... which means the shooter must have been sitting opposite the professor... as you were, Jezaille Brett!"

She gawks, pink handkerchief in hand. "I beg your pardon?!"

"This is ridiculous fabricated nonsense!" snaps Auchi. "Is the court seriously expected to believe something the accused has apparently just 'remembered' seeing?"

I put a hand on my hip. "Don't take it from me, then! Take it from the Inspector!"

The man in question seems to be coming to some sort of realization. "This could be the moment that my entire career in the police force has been leading to."

I turn to him. "Inspector! Did you...?"

"Yes! I took the plate in the interests of preserving evidence from the scene of the crime! I took it, meat and all! And I don't care if they call me a crime scene thief because of it!"

Jezaille looks shocked. "You did what?!"

"I took both your plate and Sergeant Nosa's plate in the name of justice!"

Judge Jigoku demands the plates be brought down for examination.

*****

It takes a while, but the Inspector comes back in one with one of the plates, likely Jezaille's.

"Here it is," he announces.

"Is there blood there?!" I ask.

"Obviously not!" Auchi counters.

"Show it to the court!" Judge Jigoku demands.

He turns the plate around for everyone to see. The munched steak is there, that much is clear, but...

"No... no blood anywhere..."

I almost choke. "That's impossible!"

Jezaille starts full on laughing now. "What an unbecoming expression, little boy! You see! This is why I always say you can't trust what the Japanese tell you!"

"I couldn't agree more," Auchi says, "in the case of this disgrace to the empire!"

As they keep talking about conclusions, I march over and take the plate out of Inspector Hosonaga's hand.

"What are you doing?!" he asks, bewildered.

"There may not be blood on this plate, but I say there is still another clue to be discovered!"

Clearly, he doesn't think so, and tries to snatch the plate back.

It's a small round of tug-of-war until the plate slips out of our hands and onto the floor... along with another item.

"What's this...?"

I reach down and pick up the golden object out of the carpet.

"This looks like a coin," I realize. "A Hoei-era one, at that..."

"What?!" Jezaille scoffs (right as the swan on her hat starts honking... you mean that thing is real?!?!). "I don't know what that is, and I want no part of it!"

All of a sudden, Mr. Korekuta is up in arms, waving an old knife around. "That's mine! That's my koban curio that I lost! Sandwiched and soaking between that steak, seriously?!"

"What?!" Auchi gulps. Clearly, it's not some coincidence.

"What was it doing under this plate?" I ask, handing it to him. 

"Neither of you have claimed to have spoken to one another," Kazuma points out. "How is this under Miss Brett's steak?"

I gasp. "It may not be her steak at all!"

Auchi raises a fist. "Who else's could it be, if not the dear lady's?!"

"You do remember who was actually speaking to Korekuta-san about this coin, don't you?"

Sure enough, Sergeant Nosa is in a cold sweat.

Inspector Hosonaga taps his chin. "Could I say something?"

"What is it?" I ask.

"If you recall, I was working undercover in the restaurant in order to investigate another case."

"Your secret undercover operation, yes?" asks the Judge.

He nods. "La Carneval is a high-class Western cuisine restaurant. It attracts wealthy diners, including many foreigners. Recently, there's been a run of similarly executed thefts targeting the restaurant's rich clientele. A number of such incidents have been reported to the police bureau. We wanted to nip the case in the bud quickly. Especially with so many foreigners being affected."

I quirk up my lip. "It appears you may have flushed out the thief right here, right now today." I point. "Sergeant Iyesa Nosa! The culprit is you!"

He balks. "You monster! How dare you?!"

"Oh, I'm the monster, am I?"

"I stole that koban, did I? I'm the master thief of La Carneval, am I? You're seriously accusing me of these crimes, cadet? But it wasn't me. It was Aido!" He gestures to the child strapped to his back. "Aido is the mastermind behind all this!"

I shake my fist. "You would push the blame for your crimes onto your own son, an innocent little baby?! It's you who's the monster, Sergeant Nosa!"

Right then, Aido reaches from behind his father's head with a stern grip on his mustache. We watch as the sergeant does whatever he can to throw his grip off, to no avail.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Clippety-clop, clippety-clop, clippety-clop, clippety-clop, clippety-clop, clippety-clop! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"

Eventually, he slumps forward, sending Aido hanging from his chest instead.

Once straightened, they both offer a salute.

"Nippon Imperial Army, Sergeant Iyesa Nosa, preparing to stand down in the Supreme Court, sir!"

*****

Sergeant Nosa keeps trying to fix his mustache while he's talking (with no success). "Do any of you know of the extraordinarily low wages the Nippon Imperial Army pays those it expects to keep our country safe?"

Judge Jigoku nods solemnly. "I understand that the temporary increase in taxation owing to the recently ended conflicts remains in place, and I have heard it's hard for lower ranking soldiers to make a living, yes."

He sighs. "All I want is to put a hot meal on the table for my son!"

I cross my arms. "That's why you were stealing things at the restaurant?"

He hangs his head. "Yes... the place is heaving with money! Every three days, I'd go there and do reconnaissance for a target while chomping my way through a good steak at the same time!"

Chomp, indeed. That steak definitely doesn't look like he bothered with a knife and fork...

"So your target that day was the old man and his koban?" asks Kazuma.

Sergeant Nosa looks over wearily. "Yes, sir... he was an easy mark. I... slipped the coin into my pocket without any trouble at all."

Beside him, Mr. Korekuta looks like he'd kill him with silent fury if he could. "A veritable phantom thief, you are..."

"I was all set to leave the steak I was halfway through devouring... when it happened."

"Right, the gunshot," I muse.

"I knew that if the police conducted a search and found the coin in my pocket, I'd be finished. Aido, too. So I hid the incriminating evidence as fast as I could, on the double! I slipped it under the steak... hoping that I'd be able to rendezvous with it again at a later date."

For a good while, everyone is silent again.

Then, Jezaille speaks up. "This is ridiculous... perhaps you could carry on with this absurd prattling in your own time?"

"Of course!" Auchi speaks up before I can say anything. "How rude of us! I'm quite sure there's no need to detain you any longer at all. May the esteemed gentlewoman please be excused, Your Excellency?!"

Judge Jigoku seems to think of this. "The theft of the koban was clearly perpetrated by this... 'baby-saddled' sergeant. It would certainly appear to be unrelated to Dr. Watson's murder."

"Of course it is!" Jezaille heaves a sigh. "Hiding a coin under a lump of meat? The sheer nonsense of such an idea astounds me. And as for picking up your steak and biting into it without using a knife and fork... it's beyond nonsense. It's pure madness!"

Aha! I knew something was off about that.

"As I thought."

She whips her head back to me. "Excuse me? What was that?"

"Oh, not much." I cross my arms. "Your parting words seemed... rather contradictory, I'm afraid."

"Contradictory how?"

"You have insisted you would never eat a steak without a knife and fork, and yet this one here... definitely doesn't look like anything of the sort. Yet, it was on your table."

She slowly starts to realize what is going on here.

"Sergeant Nosa!"

"Ah! What?!" He immediately straightens up at attention.

"You switched your plate with Miss Brett's, did you not?!"

Auchi shakes his head. "That can't be... can it?!"

Oh, it is.

"When I saw the civilian had been murdered right in front of my eyes like that, I panicked." Sergeant Nosa wrings his hands. "As I said, I immediately lifted my steak and hid the coin underneath it. But then when the waiter announced he was an undercover policeman, I thought I'd had it! If he decided to investigate my slab of meat, that'd be it. I'd be getting my marching orders! So when the cadet here was arrested and taken off to the kitchen, I seized my chance. With military precision and timing... I switched my steak with the one on the foreign lady's table!"

"I didn't see you do that!" snaps Jezaille.

"It was called 'Operation Lightning Bolt'. There was no time for strategic planning. It was do or die, I tell you! So yes! I did what had to be done!"

"Inspector!" I announce. "Bring in the plate that was on Sergeant Nosa's table!"

He nods. "At once."

"What exactly would that cold slab of meat tell us now?" asks Jezaille.

"The meat is not where the problem is," Kazuma interjects. "It's the plate itself that will prove to be an issue for you."

"Oh, will it now?"

"Have you forgotten why we needed to see it in the first place?"

"You mean that bloodstain you dreamed up?"

I smile. "We will see if I was dreaming or not, won't we?"

*****

Eventually, the Inspector arrives with the other plate.

"Sorry for keeping you." He holds it up. "Here is the other steak and its plate. Please, feel free to examine it."

Finally, we are vindicated.

"The bloodstain... it's clearly visible, look!"

"Yes!" I clasp my hands. "Now this makes everything clear. The blood you can see on the side of the plate shows that at the moment the victim was shot... he was facing the table, with his back to me."

"That's right!" Kazuma pipes up. "It's impossible for him to have shot the victim!"

Jezaille reels back, and the swan on her head is getting slightly ornery. 

Meanwhile, Auchi is starting to shake. "It... it can't be..."

"Oh, but it can. In fact, there's only one person who could possibly have shot Dr. Watson from the front. I'm sure everyone knows by now who that person is."

With that, I jab my finger out at her.

"Miss Jezaille Brett... it's you!"

Jezaille clutches her chest as she starts to hyperventilate.

"Outdone... by a Japanese? Me? By a Japanese schoolboy? No... no... NO..."

All of a sudden, the swan on her head starts to take off, dragging her around with it.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

We all have to duck in order to avoid the chicks now sprouting out of her hat.

Eventually, the swan decides to take flight straight up...

with Jezaille still attached.

*****

It takes quite a while before it puts her back down, and she's standing in a prayer pose.

"Please excuse my... little outburst," she says eventually. "I briefly lost my composure. Most unbecoming behavior for an English gentlewoman. Forgive me."

Judge Jigoku pushes the chicks on his desk out of the way. "Well, Miss Brett... I think it's time you told the court what actually happened that day. The truth, this time."

She bites down slightly on her mask. "Gladly, Your Excellency. Yes, it was I who took the professor's life, using curare. As you surmised, I chose that particular day for one very important reason — the professor had a dental appointment for the extraction of one of his teeth in the morning."

"So you planned to kill the professor, knowing that no trace of poison would be found in his water," Kazuma says, "because curare is unheard of here in Japan."

"That's right. Of course, I never intended to remain at the restaurant for as long as I did. I only needed to see the professor take one tiny sip of his water, and it would be all over. I would place the steak I had ordered in front of him to make it appear as though he had been dining alone... and leave immediately. However... before any of that happened, there was an unexpected visitor at the professor's table."

I cross my arms. "That would be me, I suppose."

"Yes, you. Who else would it be? But the fact that you'd decided to come over to greet the professor meant that I had lost my chance to slip away unnoticed. In due course, the professor took a sip of his water, so I concocted a plan on the spur of the moment. I happened to know that the professor always carried a gun. I decided to use that fact to my advantage. I had the bottle of curare in my handbag, and my own pistol... concealed under my skirt."

Auchi blinks. "Under your skirt...?"

"So there were two guns?" I say. "And then you put the professor's gun down on the ground so I'd notice it?"

"Yes." Jezaille twirls her mask a few times now. "Everything went according to plan. You noticed the gun, as I'd intended. And then, just as you bent down to pick it up... I'd shot the professor, though he was already dead then. Naturally, the gunshot caused a commotion, at which point the waiter appeared."

Inspector Hosonaga runs a finger over the cloth on his arm. "Obviously, I assumed Naruhodo-san was the culprit and apprehended him. I took him to the pantry that adjoins the kitchen and locked him inside."

"With all of you gone, I took my chance to turn the professor and his chair around. So there you have it. That is the entirety of my... misdemeanor." She taps her chin. "Your Excellency... I wonder... might I speak with you in private later?"

He nods. "I shall call on you."

"Thank you. Good day then, everyone." She looks straight at me. "I hope you can forgive me... Naruhodo-san."

With that, the bailiffs lead her out.

"It would seem... this trial has finally run its course." Judge Jigoku bows his head. "I presume the prosecution is in agreement?"

"No!" Auchi is beside himself now. "This can't be... Taketsuchi Auchi does not lose! Especially not to the likes of any rookie students!"

Kazuma shrugs. "You'd better start getting used to tough opposition."

"Ryunosuke Naruhodo!"

I jump. "Yes??"

"This insult to the Auchi family name... will never be forgotten!"

I can't even rebuke it before Kazuma decides to do it for me. "You've become conceited with age, Counsel. But the old have to stand aside and make way for the new. It's the way of the world. May you never forget that!"

All of a sudden, Kazuma whips out Karuma and sends a slicing blast straight towards the hair on top of Auchi's head right as I jump out of the way. The man's glasses are all askew as he stares in shock.

"A thousand millennia may pass, and still... the Auchi clan will never measure up to the Naruhodo clan!"

Well, color me honored, then.

Judge Jigoku slams his gavel twice to make an announcement. "This trial, in the Supreme Court of Japan... will, I believe, go down in history as the start of a new chapter in our country's judicial system. Despite being summoned as the accused, you, Ryunosuke Naruhodo, presented an excellent case."

I bow. "Thank you, Your Excellency."

"The use of evidence and deduction to unravel the truth is a modern methodology. After all, it has only been a few short decades since our country opened its doors to the wider world. But the Western ideas of 'science' are rapidly gaining acceptance here. I feel sure that science will soon bring new methods of investigation, and new procedures of justice. A new future of law awaits. But what it will look like, I cannot begin to imagine. That is for the young to pursue." Now he turns from me to Kazuma. "Kazuma Asougi..."

He looks up. "Yes?"

"After this trial, you are set to embark on a journey of discovery to the illustrious British Empire. Learn all you can. Absorb everything of the wider world that you are able to... and do not forget to fulfill the mission imposed upon you."

All of a sudden, Kazuma's expression turns grave. "I understand."

"Are you okay?" I ask, with a cadence of worry. "What was that about?"

He smiles at me. "Don't worry about it."

How can I not worry about it...?

Nevertheless, I drop it for now.

"As for you, Ryunosuke Naruhodo, in you, I sense — how can I put it? — unusual potential. I very much look forward to seeing how you carry that onwards."

I nod. "I'll do my best."

"Now... it is time to deliver the final verdict."

I make my way over to the witness stand.

"I hereby find the defendant, Ryunosuke Naruhodo..."

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<
>                                             <
>              Not Guilty               <
>                                             <
>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

The gallery cheers as cherry blossom petals rain down in the courtroom.

"This court is now adjourned!"

Smack!

~ 22nd November, 2:46 p.m. ~
~ Supreme Court of Judicature, Defendants' Antechamber 5 ~

I immediately come running out, my hands in the air. "I can't believe it. I actually pulled it off!"

Kazuma comes out after me, throwing one arm around me. "I knew you could do it! Congratulations!"

I laugh. "I know I couldn't have done without you, so I thank you for believing in me, Kazuma."

"It was a pleasure to watch you at work. So, you owe me an extra large sukiyaki from the place on Yumei University Street. Don't forget!"

"Of course I won't!"

Eventually, Susato appears from another pair of doors. She bows to us.

"Ryunosuke, I congratulate you on your innocence, as well as Kazuma-sama for helping you."

Kazuma tilts his head. "Well, well, if it isn't our trusty judicial assistant. You worked hard for that result, too, you know."

She covers her mouth. "Oh, no..."

"No, he's right!" I point out. "If we hadn't had that research paper of Miss Brett's, I don't know how things would have turned out."

Susato smiles slightly. "Well, you should be thanking Father. He is the one who told me to go investigate, after all."

Speak of the devil.

"Ah, there you all are." Yujin smiles at me. "Ryunosuke, I do believe congratulations are in order for you."

I shake his hand. "I appreciate it, Professor."

"It's I who should be showing appreciation. After all, your efforts exposed the true criminal that took the life of my good friend."

"Professor Mikotoba studied overseas himself," Kazuma explains to me. "He went to study forensic medicine in Great Britain." Then he turns to Yujin. "Presumably, that's when you met Dr. Watson?"

"Correct. In those days, we worked together in the same hospital."

"Oh, you've never mentioned that."

"It was a long time ago now. Besides, now it's your turn to explore there, Kazuma. Great Britain is a magnificent country. It leads the world in science, medicine, engineering, culture... and, of course, in law. Watch and learn, my boy. See what's happening in the world's largest melting pot!"

He grins. "I will. I'll learn all that I can. I swear on this, the spirit of the Asougi clan!"

I tilt my head. "Are you seriously going to take Karuma with you?"

"Of course I am. A Japanese man's katana is his soul. This blade shows me where I need to go and cuts down anything that's in my way."

Another reminder isn't needed right this second, I hope...

"Ah, Professor, I must ask... what's happened to Jezaille Brett? After all, she's guilty of murder."

Yujin sucks in his cheeks at this one. "Ah, yes, her. It's not easy to tell you this, but..."

I raise an eyebrow. "Is she not going to face trial?"

"Even if she does, it will not be here. Of that, I'm certain. She's being sent to Shanghai."

"What? Why?"

Inspector Hosonaga chooses now to step up to us. "I must congratulate you on your battle in court today. However, on the matter of Miss Brett... it's a matter of consular jurisdiction."

I ask, "what does that mean?"

"It means that we cannot try this particular foreigner for her crimes here in Japan."

I gasp. "But if we are not to try her, then who?"

He looks to the side. "A British consular court will hear her case. Somewhere far away, where our voices can't be heard."

Something sounds very fishy about this.

"I thought consular courts were a thing of the past now that we've signed the friendship treaty," Kazuma points out. "So long as this is not a serious incident of a highly political nature to our respective governments... they can't invoke a consular court just like that... even if she is a student!"

Yujin nods. "Normally, you would be correct."

I scratch my head. "So she's not... normal?"

"I'm afraid not. Today's trial was nothing more than a game all along. There was never any danger of comeuppance for her."

"That feels... wrong, somehow."

"Perhaps not," says Inspector Hosonaga. "The British government's foreign affairs ministry has demanded that we hand over custody of Miss Brett. They're obviously taking this case of a foreign student committing murder very seriously."

Yujin claps his hands together. "If we ever want change to come about, it will only be up to us." Then he lowers them. "I believe it's time to celebrate!"

"Ah, will you be accompanying us to La Carneval, Professor?"

"Naturally."

"Of course! La Carneval's food is second to none!"

I snort. "Aren't you a detective, Hosonaga-san?"

He waves me off. "Details, details!"

Susato says, "I shall go attend to that paperwork for your release. We will meet you there, Father."

"Thank you, Susato," I call after her.

As soon as everyone else has left, I turn to Kazuma.

"I have to thank you again, Kazuma. You really saved my skin today."

He laughs. "Ah, I didn't do anything; you were the lawyer in there! That was all your defense."

I shrug. "Your skills definitely made all the difference. You'll be the best lawyer in the world one day, I'm sure."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that."

That catches me off guard. "What do you mean?"

"To be honest, something kept occurring to me over and over again during that trial. I couldn't help thinking that... maybe you're the one destined to become a great lawyer, not me."

I gasp. "Me?! You can't be serious!"

"I am. If I helped you today, it was only right at the very start of the trial. But you have a natural talent for it... being a defense lawyer, that is."

"No way! I don't think I could ever do that all again without you being there. I knew I could trust you, so I did what you told me to."

Kazuma runs his hand along Karuma. "That's the point, Ryu."

I frown. "Huh? What is?"

"Do you know what the most crucial weapon is that any lawyer needs in order to win?"

"I would guess it's the knowledge of the law, right?"

"No. It's the ability to believe."

"Eh?! Believe in what?"

"In the case of a defense lawyer, it would be believing in your client at all times."

"Like how you believed me when I said I didn't do it?"

"Right. I'm human, just like you. I don't have some superhuman ability to know the truth. But you have to make a choice about what to believe in and stick to it when you're defending someone. Sometimes in the courtroom, you can really be backed into a corner. But being able to remain faithful to what you chose to believe in even then... well, that's not something that anyone can do. It takes a special kind of person."

I hum. "I think that makes sense..."

"Even today's trial... yes, I did believe in you, but you equally believed in me even though I'm only a student lawyer with little real experience to boot. You believed the truth would also come out in the trial, even when it seemed hopeless."

I smile. "I guess you're right, then..."

"If you don't mind... there's something important I want to ask you — something of a favor."

I can tell he's being serious.

"What is it?"

Before he can tell me, Inspector Hosonaga peers in from the front doors. "Ah! You're still here, are you?"

"Ah, we were waiting for Susato, Inspector," I tell him.

"I've arranged some rickshaws and they're already outside. Do you think you could find her?"

"We'll find her," Kazuma says. When the Inspector leaves, he turns back to me. "Let's pick up this conversation again later. We should be celebrating your first court victory right now!"

I laugh. "You deserve to be celebrated, too! You're going to Great Britain, as you know!"

He starts leading me out the door where Susato had gone. "Of course I know."

With that, my very first trial comes to an end.

Kazuma, Professor Mikotoba, Susato, and Inspector Hosonaga... everyone played a part in helping me survive the whole thing.

Even with the small detour of a search I had to do before heading out to celebration, I've realized that Kazuma had yet to ask me of whatever his favor was supposed to be.

If only I'd known how crazy things would get from here on out...

Chapter Text

~ 22nd November, 3:08 p.m. ~
~ Supreme Court of Judicature, Defendants' Antechamber 5 ~

Kazuma has said once that he would threaten to glue my university pin to my lapel so I can't lose it again. I've already lost it twice before this, and somehow managed to get a replacement every time, even with my inability to remember my student ID.

Long story short, I've lost it again.

As I walk back into the antechamber, I catch sight of Sergeant Iyesa Nosa and Kyurio Korekuta having a heated discussion right in front of the zabuton.

"Just look at my priceless treasure now!" Mr. Korekuta waves his Hoei-era koban in the sergeant's face, which is slightly streaked with the juices of the meat. "Myself, I have scrubbed and scrubbed... but the repellent odor of meat will never be repelled from its resplendent surface again!"

Sergeant Nosa rolls his eyes. "But you have it back in your possession, at least. You should be grateful, old man."

"How dare you!!"

I approach. "Excuse me, I'd just like to get at that zabuton cushion there if I could..."

Mr. Korekuta moves aside. "Rest assured, you miserable military malefactor... this is not over! Incarceration awaits those who would defraud a senior citizen for his priceless treasures!"

"Watch your tongue, old man! Mark my words, I won't—"

I stand back up. "Sorry, Sergeant, but... could I just get at that zabuton cushion there as well...?"

Now Sergeant Nosa stands aside. "I won't go to jail! Never! Imagine if I did... the very next day, my boy would starve without the chain of command in place to provide for him!"

"Using the child to protect yourself? Myself, I call that assonant cowardice!"

"Oh, really? Who just employed the old poor, defenseless 'senior citizen' tactic, hm? The only way to fight an enemy who's using underhand tactics is with a tit-for-tat strategy!"

This time, I try to go between them. "Sorry to interrupt again, but... I just need to get at that Western-style cushion there on the sofa..."

Finally, they really seem to regard me. "Enough of this insubordination!" snaps the sergeant. "What do you want, man?"

I straighten up. "Ah, don't mind me."

"Ah-ha!" Mr. Korekuta leans forward. "Do my eyes deceive me, or is this the wide-eyed criminal from the trial before?"

I frown, leaning back. "Wide-eyed, sure. Criminal, no."

"Well, what is this unhealthy fascination you exhibit with the seating arrangements of others, hm? Why were you peering under the cushion of this upholstered seat?"

"Actually..."

"Have you found it yet?"

Right then, Kazuma enters the room with Susato trailing him. It looks like she's finished that paperwork.

I sigh. "No. I don't think it's here, Kazuma."

He rolls his eyes. "Ever the liability you are, Ryu."

Susato tilts her head. "Losing stuff is a common thing for you?"

"No, just this thing," I reply.

Sergeant Nosa stomps his foot. "Report, at once! Have you lost something, is that it?"

I sigh. "Yes. We were supposed to be going out to celebrate and I've misplaced my university pin badge."

"A university pin badge, you say?" asks Mr. Korekuta.

I nod, pointing to my empty collar and then to Kazuma's where his badge is still intact. "I thought if I looked around, it would probably turn up somewhere, like the old tale of the koban coin and the steak. But I've exhausted my search now, really. The only logical conclusion... is that someone must have stolen it."

Sergeant Nosa turns up his nose. "Don't look at me! I don't just find any old metal objects irresistible, you know! Imagine what would happen if little trooper Aido here swallowed something like that!"

Aido starts laughing in response.

Susato says, "Perhaps if you inform your school of some sort of ID, they will issue you a new one?"

Kazuma snorts. "This man is incapable of remembering that number. He's lost that badge two times already!"

"Three, now, actually," I correct quietly.

"You see, Susato? I told him over and over to write down his student number if he couldn't remember it. Our numbers are only 6 digits long!"

I scoff. "Who can remember that many?"

Susato tilts her head again. "People who use those 'telephone' inventions must remember 10 digits for their numbers."

"Besides," Kazuma continues, "you really only have to remember the last 3 anyway!"

I scratch my head. "Well, I suppose that might help."

"It might? I worry about you."

"As usual."

"Anyway, young man," Mr. Korekuta speaks up. "Myself, I was greatly impressed with you in the courtroom today."

Kazuma raises an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Yes. A lawyer already, before you've even graduated, and such a loyal friend to this one."

I roll my eyes. I would rather not find out what that means.

"Oh, no. I still have much to learn. In fact, that was brought home to me in no uncertain terms only last year." He chuckles. "My Achilles' heel was spectacularly exposed... by my best friend here."

"Indeed?" Mr. Korekuta looks interested.

Susato asks, "What did you do?"

I cross my arms. "Is this about that speech contest?"

"Ah, so you remember!" Kazuma folds his hands behind his back. "Contestants had to take to the stage and deliver a public address on any subject they chose. We were competing to give the most compelling and powerful speech."

"Your speech was great! It made a huge impression on the audience."

"Well, since I was a budding student of law, I was determined to win. And sure enough, one by one my opposition fell. When I reached the final at last... I came up against you."

I put my hands to my face to be dramatic. "'This wide-eyed boy has no chance of beating me! He's shaking in his shoes already!'"

"Oh, that is not how I put it."

"It was a nicer way than how you actually put it, especially before you actually found out who I was."

Kazuma scoffs. "Well, I paid for my complacency, as it brought on that humiliating defeat."

Sergeant Nosa gasps. "Defeat?! How were your ranks compromised?"

"My speech was going very well. I had the audience in the palm of my hand. They hung on my every word. And then... when I came to the very last line..."

Susato puts a hand on her hip. "You slipped, is that it? You did have the habit of doing that from time to time."

He shoots her a resigned look. "Yes. Even now, I can't believe I ruined it!"

"What were you trying to say?!" Sergeant Nosa demands.

Kazuma tips his head down. "You'd better say it, Ryu. I know I wouldn't be able to."

"Sure." I straighten up. "What he intended to say was this: 'So arise, ladies and gentlemen, and applaud our forefathers' plight and the fight for filial piety!'"

Sergeant Nosa and Mr. Korekuta raise their eyebrows.

"What went wrong?"

"Hm, what indeed? Myself, I see no problem with the pronunciation of these paltry words."

Kazuma says, "I invite you to try it yourself."

"Very well then, I shall." The latter clears his throat. "'So arise, ladies and gentlemen, and applaud our forefathers' plight and the flight... the fight for flilial pile...'" At that, he's so startled, he drops his koban to the floor. "It's impossible!"

"What happened next?" asks Susato.

"The 'arise, ladies and gentlemen' part, I delivered perfectly," Kazuma says. "But the next part had me floundering for a whole five minutes. By the end of it, I was on my knees in front of the podium, a blabbering mess."

I shake my head. "The audience rose to the call of 'Arise! Arise!' What hecklers they were."

"Hell on earth, it sounds like," Mr. Korekuta remarks once he gets his koban off the floor.

"Yes. Then, of course, this one went and delivered his word-perfect speech with a perfect ending. How did it go again?"

I scoff. "It was much simpler than yours. 'So, my dear fellows, the message is simple: treat your father and mother with respect!'"

"Exactly! Talk about stating the obvious. But the fact is, I lost to that speech."

Mr. Korekuta hums. “I suppose ‘tongue-tied’ is the only way to describe it.”

"Mm hmm. Ever since that day, I've had this question whirling around in my head. Why did our forefathers choose such an awkward phrase?"

I shrug. “It is quite tricky, especially the 'fight for filial piety' part."

"Why is it even called 'filial piety' in the flirst pace?!" All of a sudden, he's realized what he's said. "AAAAAARGH!!!"

"At least it might not come up much where you're going," I supply.

"I sought right after you then. I asked, 'How is it that you never trip up on your words?', and then, with that wide grin of yours, you replied, 'Speaking fast is my hobby.' Really! What kind of a hobby is that?!"

I scoff, taking his hand off of Karuma. "It's just a way to pass the time. I've told you about that."

"Father didn't like them much either," Susato says. "But he had an old friend that almost spoke exclusively in them, so he was forced to learn to understand. I ended up learning by proxy."

"Yes, after that, I would only hear those twisters in double time out of both of you. You two can't imagine the shock I suffered that day."

We both shoot Kazuma a deadpan look. "We really can't."

Sergeant Nosa shakes his head. "Speaking fast is just the sort of hobby I'd expect a civilian like you to waste his time on."

I roll my eyes. "It does take practice, after all. There are simpler ones to learn, like this famous one: 'Swift samurai swords swipe silently sideways.'"

"Father actually liked this one," says Susato. "It reminded him of some other old friends of his."

"Even a decrepit tongue in an ailing frame such as mine can find its way around that one," muses Mr. Korekuta.

I smile. "I have no doubt. It's just a bit of fun, really. I can't imagine anybody would struggle to say it. Why don't you try it?"

Susato says it perfectly fine, as does Mr. Korekuta. Sergeant Nosa has to say it slower, but he still manages the trick.

"None of this wordplay nonsense, private!" he scolds me. "Swordplay's the more useful skill here, isn't that right, Aido?"

Kazuma, however...

"Swift swamurai swor—" It doesn't take long before he's screaming into his hands. "AAAAAAAAARGH!!!"

Oh, boy.

"After that," I continue, "we started to attend lectures together. When we went to the sukiyaki place on campus, we even got into a debate about family values after discussing our latest letters."

"Yes, and your argument was full of jokes and puns and wordplay as usual. I swore that I would never let myself forget the shock you gave me back then." He points to his head. "As a symbol of how seriously I took that oath, I decided to wear this: my red hachimaki headband."

We're all staring at him in surprised silence, me especially, though I am the one to break it.

"I'm afraid you lost me there, Kazuma. What does your red headband have to do with your oath?"

He stares straight at me. "It remind me of that smug look on your face as you uttered yet another tantalizing tongue twister! I practiced and practiced until my tongue bled. But in the end, I mastered it!"

I raise an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you were even able to say that. But what exactly was the tongue twister?"

"Listen to this!" He grins. "'Red headband, lead headband, dead headband.' Word perfect, see?"

Susato covers her mouth, and I can tell that she's trying not to giggle in shock.

Kazuma notices, of course. "What's with that look, Susato?"

"I guess that explains the story of your headband," I say eventually. "You never told me before."

"Well, now you know. Now, I wear this red headband every single day without fail!"

I tap my fingers together. "I hate to say it, but I don't think the shock you suffered comes close to the one you just gave Susato and me right now."

He frowns. "What do you mean?"

"I wondered what you were practicing that day." Susato lowers her hand, but she can't help but giggle this time. "I'm afraid that's not how the tongue twister goes, Kazuma-sama."

"Huh...?"

She turns one of her hands palm up and raises it. "'Red bread pan, lead bread pan, dead bread man.' That's how it's said, right, Ryu-san?"

I nod. "That's it, Susato! It's almost as famous as the swift samurai swords. I'm surprised you don't know it, Kazuma."

"What?! Bed red pa—" He barely finishes the sentence before he's swinging his arms in the air. "Ugh!!!"

I chuckle. "It looks like we've given you yet another shock."

"It's not too late, private," Sergeant Nosa supplies. "You could always start wearing a red bread pan on your head instead."

"Your youthful vigor is manifest, young man," Mr. Korekuta adds. "Your cheeks are glowing redder than your hachimaki."

"Why are so many words so similar in English?!" Kazuma snaps.

I snort. "They'll eat you alive in Great Britain if you don't whip those words into shape."

"If they do, I suppose I can always shell seasells on the sheashore."

At that, Susato suddenly doubles over in laughter, full on. Kazuma's face gets even redder, if it's possible. Trying not to make it worse, I bid goodbye to Sergeant Nosa and Mr. Korekuta as they stare after us, bewildered, as I steer the two of them out the door.

It looks like poor Kazuma will never hear the end of this one...

Chapter Text

~ 6th January, 6:23 p.m. ~
~ SS Burya, First-Class Cabin No. 1 ~

It's been two weeks since we've left Japan. The time goes by so fast.

We will be stopping in Shanghai soon. Perhaps I should go find some food for that certain stowaway of mine to eat.

Susato has come by my room a few times. Half of the time she talks about her friend Rei, who studies under her father (I wonder if she would have thought of smuggling her aboard, too) and the other half is her teasing me with more tongue twisters. She and Ryu will just never let that go, will they?

Knock! Knock!

Startled, I look up from my desk, where I'd been writing in my journal, at the door. Who could that be at this hour?

"Who's there?" I call out.

"A detective."

I raise my eyebrow. "'A detective' who?"

"A great detective."

This joke is not at all making sense.

"Would you be so kind as to open the door?"

I snap out of it. "Yes, sorry about that."

I finally stand out of my chair and unlock the door.

A man waltzes in, goggles obscuring his face. He certainly looks like a detective.

"Is there something wrong, Detective?" I ask. "Are you investigating a case?"

He quirks up a lip. "Wherever a great detective goes, great cases occur. Indeed, I am the root of all evil."

I blink. I definitely don't want that in my cabin. "Excuse me?"

"Under our very noses on this steamship, a terrible theft has just occurred."

"What?!" I can't believe this.

"You noticed, I presume, the brief power failure a short while ago?"

I nod. "It couldn't have lasted longer than ten minutes, though."

"Correct! However, that was ample enough time for this wicked crime to be perpetrated."

"I see. Clearly this is a case that needs investigating."

"Precisely." The man starts walking around the room, sparing glances at things as he goes. "The culprit ran away in this direction down the first-class cabin passageway here."

"Really?" I wonder. "The thief came this way?"

"Quite sure. It may have escaped the attention of the dim-witted crew, but not of the great detective." He stops at my desk. "To that end, I would be obliged if you would allow me to investigate here in this cabin."

I still immediately. "Well..."

The man is not looking at me, but he's clearly sensed something. He briefly darts his eyes down to my journal, and his mouth curls into something else, so quick that if you blinked you would miss it, before going back to neutral. "How curious. Is there some reason why it would inconvenience you to have your cabin searched?"

He has no idea. 

"It's just me in here, you see," I say quickly. "No one else. So you might perhaps want to focus your attention on one of the other first-class cabins."

At that the man walks back over to the door and briefly looks outside. "As it happens... you are the only first-class passenger at present. The other cabins are vacant."

I jump. "Is that so?"

We're only interrupted by my stomach growling.

"Did that rather tragic rumbling of the stomach arise from within you, my good fellow?" he asks.

I hang my head. "Yes. As I said, I'm the only person in here. It's not long until dinner time now, so... perhaps we could do this afterwards?"

"I do apologize, sir." Now he's turned to me. "But it is of the first importance that the investigation is not delayed. Now... if you'll excuse me."

In a split second, he's all the way across the room. How on earth did he get over there so fast?!

"Yes, without a doubt, if the culprit were to be hiding in this cabin... it would have to be inside this wardrobe. I shall need to examine this wardrobe thoroughly." He looks back at me again. "I presume you have no objection?"

Oh, no.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to decline. Really, you won't find any—"

A loud sneeze startles us both. I don't make any other movements aside from staring at the detective, who leans in my direction as another one sounds. 

"Surely you aren't going to claim that those tragic sneezes came from you?"

I'm sure if I could look in the mirror, my eyes would be the size of dinner plates about now.

"As I was saying, I shall need to examine this wardrobe."

He opens the doors, and all I can think right now is we are so screwed.

"Hm... no one is hiding here, it seems."

What?!

"Well, I... I did tell you I was by myself," I manage to say.

But how is that possible?! Where on earth did he go?!

Another knock sounds at the door.

Who is it now?

I open the door.

"Ah, Seaman Strogenov."

I do not remember which of the two this is.

"Excusing me!" He steps into the room. "Sorry for disturbing, but crime has been committed on board ship."

I nod. "Yes, I heard. A terrible theft, apparently."

He gapes. "How do you know?!"

"The detective over there just informed me."

Strogenov stares over in that direction. "Detective?"

"Yes...? I assume you asked him to investigate."

However, once I look over in that direction, I see that he has disappeared into thin air!

How many more people will be disappearing aboard this ship today?!

Strogenov's eyes narrow now. "I must ask you to cooperate with investigation into this crime. Fully."

He marches over to the wardrobe and yanks it open. We both jump back as the detective leaps out.

"Well done!" He grins. "You found me!"

"What on earth were you doing in there?" I demand, a bit shaky.

"My good man, I was merely assessing the practicality of concealment in such a place." He knocks on the inside three times for good measure. "I would say that, at a push, a human could survive for up to five minutes in that cramped space."

I blink. Apparently, Ryu is not human.

"Who are you?" Strogenov asks the detective, who is now staring at the bottom of the wardrobe.

"Hush!" He flaps a hand at us without looking back. "This is the moment of truth! The great detective is about to unveil the sordid details of this wretched crime."

I gasp. "You mean...?"

"There is no doubt. The culprit of this terrible theft did indeed conceal himself within this wardrobe!"

"What?!" Strogenov shouts. "How can you be sure of this?"

"That's impossible!" I say. "How could he have...?"

"It's elementary, really. The criminal left behind the most revealing evidence. How else could you explain..." At this, he faces us and turns one of his hands palm up. "...these three bones?!"

We gasp. Sure enough, in the detective’s hand are three gnawed on bones.

Strogenov growls. “That kriminal may have escaped this time, but I will find him… and crush him!”

”Might I ask you something, Detective?” I say, a little confused over the seaman’s reaction.

”Of course! I delight in answering inquiring minds.”

”What exactly was stolen during this terrible theft?”

”Ha! What else could it be… but some steaks on the rib bone!”

I raise an eyebrow. “Stolen food?”

“For this evening’s dinner,” Strogenov explains. “Three rib steaks were stolen from ship’s kitchen during without light time of ten minutes. Chef who saw kriminal said he ran through first-class passageway… and now I am on his tail!”

The detective heaves a sigh. “I’m afraid to say that your man is no longer in this cabin, dear fellow.”

”How…?”

“In fact, it was through this very cabin door! For you see, having devoured his haul in this wardrobe, the culprit discarded the bones and concealed himself behind the cabin door as you came in. Once we were all distracted by the wardrobe again, he escaped!”

”What?!”

”Make haste, my good man, after the culprit! I shall follow presently.”

”Hang on!” Strogenov crosses his arms. “I think maybe… kriminal is not running away at all!”

I tilt my head. “What are you suggesting?”

”Now I know where the dog is buried… Mr. Asougi.”

I balk. “Me?!”

”Da! When I think that you are culprit, everything is falling in pieces. The kriminal that disappeared in first-class passageway… bones in the wardrobe… all pointing their fingers at you!”

”Don’t be ridiculous!” I reply incredulously. “I would never do such a thing!”

”Of course.” The detective steps in between us. “I have already established that you couldn’t be the perpetrator in this crime."

"You did?"

"How are you so sure?" asks Strogenov.

"My dear fellow, there are but two things in this world on which one can rely with total certainty."

"What two things?"

The detective holds up one finger. "The first... the word of a great detective. The second..." He immediately points at me. "The tragic rumbling of an empty belly. When I first entered this cabin... there did arise from this gentleman a belly rumbling so odiously tragic, that it confirmed beyond all doubt... that the man had not eaten a single rib steak in some time, let alone three!"

On cue, my stomach starts groaning loudly. I cover my face.

"Curses!" Strogenov stomps his foot. "I will catch this thief! He cannot have gone far!"

With that, he dashes out the door.

The detective laughs now. "Indeed, assuming he decided against a post-meal constitutional swim." He then regards me again. "Well, if you will excuse me now. My apologies for upsetting your evening."

"Hang on a moment, Detective."

"Yes?"

I smile. "That was... a most remarkable deduction. Perhaps you'd be kind enough to tell me your name?"

"Ah, it quite slipped my mind. You have been talking with the one and only..." He strikes a pose. "Sherlock Holmes!"

That actually surprises me. I believe Ryu mentioned this name in a letter once.

"Nice to meet you," I say. "I'm Kazuma Asougi, a student on my way to Great Britain."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Asougi. I shall get going so my daughter will not have waited on me very long." He walks up to the door and stops halfway in it. "Oh, and before I forget..."

"Yes?" I ask. 

"I feel I should warn you that live cargo is strictly forbidden on this vessel. You would do well to conceal that friend of yours you call a stowaway currently lying low under your bed as carefully as possible."

I jolt. How on earth...?!

"In any event, I bid you farewell."

Off he goes. 

He really is as great as he says.

*****

Moments later, I walk over to the bed and duck my head beneath it.

"Okay, when on earth did you get down there?" I ask. "I thought we'd had it when he opened the wardrobe door."

There's laughing coming from there, and then Ryu pokes his head out. "You know me, it's think fast or not at all! If you hadn't distracted him by trying to suggest checking the other cabins, I could never have done it."

"Always trying to scare me, aren't you?" I cross my arms. "It appears I have met this Sherlock Holmes from the few letters you spoke about him in."

"Really?!" He gasps. "It sounds like he's as good as a detective as Iris says he is!"

By what Ryu says, this Iris is Sherlock's sidekick.

"Well, anyway..." He crawls completely out from the under the bed and makes his way onto it. "Sorry about the steak thing. I've been so hungry, is all — though, I'm sure you are, too, with the fact you've been splitting your meals with me and all..."

Right on cue, stomach. I heave a sigh.

"When the power cut happened, I took my chance."

I roll my eyes. "I'm sure three crewmen won't appreciate going hungry, Ryu."

"Hm?" Ryu looks confused. "I only took one steak. You didn't think I'd take more than one and not save you some?"

"Then who stole the other two?"

"Please tell me this ship isn't haunted..."

I scoff. "Not a chance. I have a feeling it's a great mischief maker we're dealing with instead."

Sherlock Holmes — quite an enigma he is. I'd definitely like to try and get to know him a little bit better.

(If only I'd known what was to come three days later...)

Chapter Text

~ 9th January, 6:37 a.m. ~
~ On Board the Steamship Burya ~

”So, then… let us unravel this mystery and discover what led to this curious murder.”

I place my goggles over my eyes and regard my audience.

The young lady, a companion of a man I’d met days ago, looking ever-so-crushed.

The three sailors, two being decidedly Russian and one decidedly not. Perhaps I will earmark learning about him another time.

My daughter, who, for all of her age and charm, insisted on coming aboard with me, to get some new material for her next manuscript.

And, of course…

The unfortunate corpse.

“The cabin door was locked from the inside when the man was killed.”

I stride over to the now broken lock and tap my gloved finger beside it. “There are no marks to suggest that it’s been tampered with in any way. We have a locked room mystery on our hands, then.”

Now, I move towards the corpse.

“In his final moments, the victim scrawled a message on the floor, most likely with the ink from that upset bottle over there.” I spare a glance in its direction. “This word is in Russian… perhaps he was a Russian man, or merely studied it. Well formed, these letters are, so he must have still been compos mentos.”

I snap photos of them both before heading towards that wardrobe once again.

“It is not the same penmanship as this seal here. Someone of a different nationality, perhaps? This seal, however, was decidedly put here by the victim himself.”

This time, I turn my goggles to their see-through setting. Within the wardrobe is a blue outline of a figure.

I quirk my lip. “Well… what have we here?”

All of a sudden, one of the sailors shouts from behind me. “Who are you… and what do to think you are doing here?!”

“Da, da!” choruses another. “No one must touch before maritime police come! We must wait!”

I flap my hand. “Unnecessary! You see, my good fellows… in less than five seconds, I will reveal the killer to you.”

“Absurd! This is murder from cabin locked from inside!”

“That mystery…” I reach up and take down the seal. “…is paper thin.”

The older girl gasps. “You don’t mean… they’re in there?!”

The sailor who has yet to speak does so now. “Who are you? Where have you come from?”

My daughter decides to speak up on my behalf. “He’s the one and only Sherlock Holmes, all the way from Great Britain!”

I chuckle, pushing my goggles up. “I am a consulting detective there, the only one in the world. I presume you must have heard of me.”

I open the doors.

I can’t focus. My mind is foggy.

What exactly is going on here? 

It feels like trouble. Yet again.

I open my eyes. I’m laying face up on the bed in Kazuma’s cabin.

What?

How did I get here?!

Even more importantly… why can’t I move?!

Frantic, I try to flip myself around in some way before noticing my hands.

Handcuffs?!

“So you wake up now, hm?”

Shocked, I turn my body as best I can towards the voice, which belongs to a sailor by the looks of it.

“We had to drag you out of the wardrobe,” he explains. “I do not believe how you could not wake up. You are true cold-blooded man.”

I smile sheepishly. “So you found me, then.”

“Da, we found you.” He glares at me. “Now you will pay, kriminal! How long are you hiding in that wardrobe there, hm?”

“Sorry…”

“It is time to admit your crimes, unless you want to find out how cold ocean is, hm?”

I shake my head. “No! I’ll tell you everything!”

“Then this is what I want to know from you.”

That voice is not the sailor’s. I’m suddenly being jerked up into a sitting position… staring straight into the fiery eyes of Susato.

"Why did you do it?" Her eyes narrow. "Why did you take his life?!"

I gape at her. "Excuse me, Susato? Did you say 'take his life'?!" It hits me. "Wait... where is Kazuma?"

At that, she's now a mix of furious and upset, and she lets go of me and looks away.

"Hah! You pretend you do not know?!" The sailor shakes his head. "You are a wolf in the sheep's pelt! You are the killer! Do not try to make excuses!"

"Uh... explain, please?"

Susato looks behind her back from the other side. "Kazuma-sama's body was discovered not long ago here... in this very cabin. It was bolted shut from the inside."

I almost barely hear anything past the first few words she's said.

"His... his body?"

She turns back to me, getting angrier if that's possible. "Do not try to tell us that you were doing this terrible thing in your sleep!"

"He's dead?!" I shriek. "And you people think that I...?"

Her eyes are pleading with me now. "Why did you do it? I have to know... please!"

I can't even answer her. I'm too busy screaming.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Two weeks ago, Kazuma snuck me onboard with him and made me swear not to tell Susato, even though I thought she deserved to know what we were up to. Something about not wanting to make her guilty by association. I still can't believe my seal idea even worked — Kazuma reprimanded me for writing in Japanese instead of English anyway.

I can't believe this. We were supposed to be doing this together... and now I'm the one who's been accused of killing him?!

The sailor cuts into my dismal thoughts. "We leave you at next port. Stay quiet until then. Don't make more trouble for yourself... murderer!"

"I'm not a murderer!" I can't help saying.

"Da! You said before! You said you admit everything about your crimes!"

"My only crime is being a stowaway! I could never murder my best friend!"

"No one else could have done it. Admit the truth!"

I turn to Susato. "Susato, you have to tell me what happened!"

"You need a reminder?" She shakes her head at me.

"I'm telling you, I don't know what happened here!"

Now she crosses her arms. "Fine. But there is something I would like to ask of you, too."

Any angrier, and I may find myself victim to this tossing maneuver Kazuma warned me that Susato is prone to. The sailor leaves the room at this point.

"This has to be a bad dream, right...?" I stare at the floor. "He's really dead... and I'm the one they think killed him...?"

"How can they not?" she says. "When they found him, the cabin was locked from the inside."

"Well, yes, that I know, but was there no other way in?"

"No. There's no access to the cabin via a porthole window, and the bolt on the door can't be operated from the outside. In other words, after the... crime, the culprit couldn't have escaped these four walls. So the culprit can only have been somebody inside this cabin... or do you have some other explanation?"

I hate how this makes sense.

"Well... what killed him, then?"

Susato looks like she's forcing herself to keep her hands down. "Are you still going to deny the charge, even despite the circumstances?"

"Yes!" I exclaim. "Please, Susato, just tell me!"

She huffs. "The cause of death is... still undetermined."

What? They don't know what killed him?

"The ship's doctor is examining the body, but, of course, he has no post-mortem analysis experience," she continues. "I don't suppose we shall learn more until an expert has been consulted at our next port of call."

I sigh. "That means there were no obvious external signs of injury, then?"

"That's true, yes," Susato admits.

"Does no one really not know what happened in here? Why would anyone want to kill Kazuma?"

"Presumably, that's something you know the answer to better than anyone. You were here in the cabin, after all. "

"Yes, but that proves nothing!"

She spares a glance at the door. "He would always wake before dawn and do his training first thing in the morning. I was waiting outside his cabin, as I have every day so far on this voyage. But this morning, he did not come. I could sense that he wouldn't. I knocked, but there was no reply. Then I started to become worried, so I went to find a member of the crew. The crewman forced the cabin door open, and when we managed to get inside... there was Kazuma-sama, collapsed on the floor..."

He must have been found at the white tape. Does that mean that when Susato came, he was dead already...?

"I swear, I don't know what happened..." I shake my head. "I was stuck in the wardrobe. I must have been asleep somehow..."

"I'm afraid that's very hard to believe."

Oh, it definitely is, alright.

"Now I've told you everything that I know. So it's my turn to ask you a question."

"Alright..."

Susato taps her foot. "Why are you even on board? You said you were a stowaway?"

I nod. "I'm afraid so. It's two weeks since we left Japan now... and I've been shut up in this cabin the entire time."

"How could you have occupied Kazuma-sama's cabin for so long without him noticing?"

"That would be impossible, of course!"

Something seems to click. "So..."

"He invited me," I clarify. "He wanted us to go together."

That surprises her. "He actually asked you? Why?"

I sigh. "I actually don't know. He was being quite secretive about it. He said something about me considering being a lawyer when we go there."

"I see." Susato mulls on this. "He was always saying the same thing... that he wanted to change the Japanese legal system. Perhaps he thought he could do that with you."

"Maybe." (If only I knew what the dismal look had meant then...) "I wanted to tell you that I stowed away on here," I continue. "I'm sorry that we didn't."

She shrugs. "If I know Kazuma-sama... I expect he was trying to protect me — to avoid me becoming guilty by association."

"Actually, that's exactly what he said."

She frowns deeper. "If you aren't the culprit, then surely you can tell me what happened here in this cabin."

I shake my head. "I'm afraid I can't. After Kazuma brought me the food of the night, I passed out some time afterwards in the wardrobe."

"You didn't even stir when Kazuma-sama was killed?"

"I'm afraid not. I know it sounds unbelievable. Really, I do. But it's the truth! If only I'd woken up, then perhaps I wouldn't be in this predicament. For some reason... my head's still throbbing like anything."

She rolls her eyes. "Really?" 

However, at the same time she does that, she seems to be thinking about something.

"What is that look for?" I ask.

"Forget it," she replies quickly.

I finally manage to stand up, though I'm a bit put off balance without being able to use my hands to steady myself.

"Don't go anywhere!" she shouts at me. "You're the perpetrator of this crime. You can't leave; I can't allow that to happen."

I actually glare at her. "I can't believe you actually believe that I could have killed him. He was killed under my nose and I didn't do anything to stop it! I'm not letting whoever did this walk free!"

She returns my glare. "What exactly are you proposing to do, then?"

"I'm investigating so I can figure out what's going on!"

I head for the door, but Susato immediately stands in my way.

"Excuse me, Susato, but I am leaving!"

As soon as I try to step around her...

"Haiiiiiii-YA!"

All of a sudden, I feel myself completely flipping over and careening to the floor.

"What on earth was that?!" I can't help shouting.

Above me, Susato's hands are in a fighting stance. "That was a Susato Takedown."

Oh, so that's how it goes.

"If you want out of this room, you have some proving to do."

I look incredulous. "How?"

"Have you forgotten what you achieved just a few weeks ago already? You successfully defended yourself in a court of law."

Not without help! But message received.

I glance over to the desk, where the seal was laying. "Tell me, when I was discovered in the wardrobe before... was this piece of paper stuck over the doors?"

Her eyes follow my gaze. "It was. I remember it clearly."

"I thought so. Kazuma always put it in place when I went to sleep as to make sure no one else would snoop in there. Were I truly the culprit, I couldn't have climbed back inside and stuck it in there on my own. In other words, it's impossible that I killed him!"

She mulls over this. "Ah, so this is why Kazuma-sama spoke so highly of you."

"Thank you. Would you help me up, please?"

She does so. "I have yet to believe you... but I will not stop you from investigating in here." She narrows her eyes. "You would do well to not disrupt the crime scene."

It takes everything in me to not outwardly get mad at her. Were I anyone else, I would understand her suspicions.

In any event, it's time to investigate. Avenging Kazuma's death is the least I can do.

Sailor at Door - He seems flustered when I ask if he saw anything unordinary, but he thinks I'm playing a joke for the most part.

Door Itself - Susato shortly tells me it was bolted shut. I recall a detective novel where they used a needle and thread trick to open it once, and she shuts me down immediately by reminding me that the door and cabin are both metal.

Sign - It's the Rules of Passage for the SS Burya. Dangerous objects and pets aren't allowed on here. (Susato is trying to figure out which one I figure most into.)

Shelf - All the books in it are slanting the same way, and the statue nearby has also toppled over. She goes over to fix them while I try to wonder how on earth everything fell so neatly that way.

Scroll - It's one of Kazuma's calligraphy scrolls.

Karuma - The poor thing is just laying discarded against the wall. He would have had to do a lot of convincing to let the government allow him to bring it here.

Chicken Dinner and Knife - Kazuma doesn't like chicken, so he let me have this whole one. For some reason, my head starts throbbing again when I look at it. Susato says the same, but we wonder if it's just coincidence.

Table - All the cutlery and dishes are on the floor. My memory is quite hazy...

Suitcase - It's the one I was stowed in. The tossing and turning by the sailors was quite unbearable.

Broken Glass and Floor Mark - We do not know what either of these things mean. The former of the two is split cleanly in half, with the other half gone.

Writing on Floor and Body Outline - That writing is not Japanese or English. There's an ink bottle spilled right by both the word and the outline on the floor. Even Susato doesn't know what the language is, but I would take a shot at saying it's Russian.

Desk - Kazuma's diary is on the table. The last entry is incomplete, which means he was in the middle of writing it when the incident happened. Susato flips me for even suggesting we read it to try and find a clue in it.

Wardrobe - Home away from home.

Bell Cord - You use them to call someone to your room. No one comes when we try it, though.

Vent - It's connected to the cabin next door. I wonder if anyone can fit through it...

All of a sudden, I take notice of the European man climbing all over the desk.

He seems familiar to me...

"I wonder who that is..." I muse.

Susato jumps in surprise upon seeing him, then turns to me. "Do you really not know who that is?"

"Should I?" I ask. "The only foreign friend I have is female, and we only write with letters anyway."

"We must speak with him!"

"Must we?"

"Yes!"

She grabs my wrist and drags me across the room with her.

"Excuse me?" I knock on the desk instead of tapping on the man. "Do you have a moment?"

"Shh!" He flaps one of his hands to dismiss us. "This is a critical point in my investigation."

I step back. "Maybe we should leave him be."

Susato sighs. "I suppose that would be best for now."

Right as soon as we think that, the man immediately appears between us!

"Greetings!" he says. "I hope I haven't kept you long?"

We jump in surprise.

"What were you doing on Kazuma's desk?" I ask.

He doesn't answer that. Instead, he seems to zero in on me with those goggles.

"Fascinating," he murmurs.

If I could cover my face right now, I would. "What exactly do you see?" 

"Oh yes. Everything is clear now." He taps his goggles. "The train of reasoning has run its course. My deductions have crystalized. You... have been in Afghanistan, I perceive. Just recently returned, if I'm not mistaken."

I balk. "Huh?!"

"And now, whilst venturing toward foreign climes, you find yourself in a most troubling predicament."

I blink. "Well, at least that part is true."

Susato gasps. "But how...?"

"'How the deuce did I know that?', perhaps?" The man waves his hand dismissively again. "It was really a most elementary deduction, hardly worth explaining."

"Have you, perhaps, managed to deduce anything else?"

"But of course. A great many things. There is no mystery, my dear madam. For example..." He turns to me again. "You have fled your native land of Russia, being, as you are, a merciless revolutionary! When the beribboned occupant of this very cabin discovered your identity, you ended his life, too! Yes... I believe that summarizes the facts beautifully. No need to hide the truth now. Nothing deceives these eyes."

I pucker my lips. "Are you... quite sure about that?"

"Certainly, I am."

Why does this man remind me so much of someone that Iris spoke to me about?

(In case you wonder, Iris is my correspondence friend.)

Susato gets mad yet again and throws me back onto the bed this time. It sure beats the floor!

"You're plotting a revolution now?!" she shrieks. "How shameful!"

"Open your eyes!" I snap back. "Obviously, I'm not a Russian revolutionary!" I glare at the man. "As for you, what kind of deduction was that?! You were just saying the first thing that came into your head!"

"Ah, but was I not right?" He grins. "Whilst venturing toward foreign climes, you do find yourself in a most troubling predicament... do you not?"

I roll my eyes. "That is the only part you have gotten right." I shake my hands. "This ship is en route to England, and I'm in handcuffs at the scene of a murder… so I'm not really sure you could call it 'deduction'; it's more plain 'observation'."

"Indeed! Observation, my dear boy, is the basis of all deduction. My method is founded upon the observation of trifles, you see. I announce my findings with a brassy certitude... and more often than not, I'm right!"

"In any event, I don't think you introduced yourself."

"Ah, my apologies. How remiss of me. I am none other than the greatest detective of the century, known to men and women the world over." He takes a bow. "The inimitable Sherlock Holmes!"

Susato covers her mouth. "It's really you! You are the actual Sherlock Holmes!"

"The very same! The inimitable actual Sherlock Holmes!"

Now I'm the one who's shocked! Surely, this is the man that Iris spoke to me about, as well as the one Kazuma encountered three days ago during the whole steak fiasco!

She looks at me. "Surely you've heard of him, Ryunosuke! He is the most famous detective in the world!"

I scoff. "It's most certainly not in the way that you have."

"Well, we must ask him what he's deduced! He will have worked out the entire case already, I'm sure!"

Somehow, I doubt that.

In any event, I suppose we should speak to him.

"So, you're a 'great detective', right?" I ask.

"That's right!" Sherlock thrusts a newspaper in my field of vision. "You can read all about my exploits in this exciting London publication!"

"Oh, I love Randst Magazine!" Susato gushes. "It's full of wonderful short stories and interest articles from Great Britain! I never miss an issue! I have it sent from England especially!"

I squint. "Any chance you can turn this around so I can read it? Or perhaps... turn me around?"

"Oh, right!"

Susato rolls me back over. I scroll my eyes down the magazine until I find it.

"Ah, there... 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'. I've heard only a little about them."

He smiles. "Ah, yes, my trusty biographer records my greatest detecting achievements and chronicles them in the magazine."

"You have a biographer?"

"Doesn't everyone? Mine just happens to be my daughter, who has decided to come aboard with me."

Wow, she must be really talented, then.

"Where is your daughter?" asks Susato.

"Ah, she is off exploring another part of the ship at present, possibly for more material, I'm sure." Sherlock raises his goggles off his face for a moment. "I must say, thanks to that publication, I've been fantastically busy of late. Why, this very moment, I am returning from Asia, having solved the mystery of a cursed royal crown!"

Oh dear, it must be hard to tell whether to take this man seriously or not.

He continues talking. "Deduction, you see, is to me a science — logical reasoning in its purest form. The astute observer notices even the most subtle of reactions in his subject. A furtive glance, a twitch of a muscle... a slight inclination of the posture... Fingernails, arm sleeves, furrows in the skin... all these things are data! And the trained logician makes deductions from this data in the blink of an eye. The ultimate conclusion is, without fail... the truth, as I demonstrated only a few short moments ago!"

I can't believe he said that with a straight face.

"Well, in terms of deduction," I say, "have you managed to deduce anything about this particular case yet?"

"Have I managed to deduce anything?" He gestures his pipe between my handcuffs. "My dear fellow, who do you suppose discovered the culprit in his most cunning hiding place?"

Ah, so it's his fault that I am running around in these. Got it.

"When I became anxious about Kazuma-sama this morning, I summoned all of the crew members to force the cabin door open," says Susato. "He happened to be among them, alongside a young girl."

"It is lucky for them that I was on board!" Sherlock crosses his arms. "The handcuffs seem to be an excellent fit, Mr. Naruhodo."

I blink. Susato has only been calling me by my first name. How on earth would he know my surname?!

"Anyway, the very moment I laid eyes on the scene, two facts were immediately apparent to me."

"Really, two?"

"Yes. Allow me to elucidate. The two facts that I deduced from a mere momentary glance at the scene of the crime were as follows." He points to the cabin door. "Number one: the cabin was locked from within, rendering escape of the culprit out of the question." Then he points to the wardrobe. "Number two: the victim was Russian and killed following a dispute with an acquaintance."

I raise an eyebrow. "How could the wardrobe tell you the victim was Russian?"

Now he gestures to the foot by the ink. "Observe the dying message left by the victim on the floor. 'ГАРДЕРОБ'... that is the Russian word for 'wardrobe'."

Susato stares at it. "Could Kazuma-sama really have left that?"

"In their final moments, many find their native tongue filling their head. For this young man, Russian."

I would laugh if I wasn't worried about getting flipped again. If Kazuma had decided to start moonlighting in Russian then I would be the only one who knew about it.

"Initially, I considered 'Garderob' may be the name of the killer." Sherlock continues around the room, fiddling at the pipe he's suddenly acquired in his hand. "A certain 'Robert Garde', perhaps... but in the interests of thoroughness, I decided it would be wrong not to look inside the wardrobe there, at least — where I found you, our renowned Russian revolutionary killer!"

Is EVERYONE Russian to this man?!

"I observed that you were wearing the same attire as the victim. In other words, you were acquainted. And, if my memory serves, that outfit is the traditional dress of the Russian people."

Susato raises her eyebrows. "Our uniforms, really? I had no idea!"

I groan. "How can one detective be so wrong..."

In any event, he now waves a photo of the crime scene in front of us. I didn't get to see Kazuma in this state before he was taken away...

I try not to cover my face, as it may betray how sad I really am, though the handcuffs seem to do well to stop that… yet, it seems that Susato can tell anyway. "Are you alright, Ryunosuke?"

I nod shortly. "Yes... thanks for asking."

Even she's not heartless enough to not feel pity for me.

"Mr. Holmes, will you explain that train of reasoning of yours?" I put a hand on my hip, as best as I'm able to, anyway. "You mentioned Russia before as well, didn't you? You know, when you said I was a fearsome revolutionary fleeing from Russia and all that."

He grins. "Ah, yes, the train of reasoning that led me to the truth. If it interests you, then certainly." He waves another newspaper at us. "It was a fairly commonplace deduction. Here we have this morning's paper. The main headline reads: 'Revolutionary Vilen Borshevik Flees Russia via Shanghai'. This vessel made a port call at Shanghai yesterday. Last night, the young Russian was murdered."

Once again, Kazuma, were you moonlighting in Russian without telling me?

Susato hums. "It sounds like Mr. Holmes has concluded Kazuma-sama was Russian because of what he wrote on the floor."

"It was a simple act of reasoning to realize that the culprit of this crime was the same merciless revolutionary. One who would kill the very man who helped him to escape after his true identity was discovered!" Sherlock points right at me. "Yes, you... Vilen Borshevik!"

"How can it be me?" I squint. "I look nothing like this man."

"Well... you are a fearsome revolutionary, after all. Therefore... you have no doubt learnt to revolutionize your appearance as well! Also, your name does not appear on the ship's passenger list. Need I say more?"

Obviously not; I'm a stowaway — which you should know!

"What about the other details?" asks Susato. "Like the sixteen victims of assassination and blowing up the Crystal Tower?"

"Ah, yes. The journalist clearly interviewed the man and printed all those particulars in the article — the deeds the man has perpetrated thus far, and those he is plotting. Everything about this revolutionary Borshevik was included. There can be no mistake."

She makes a face. "I wonder... do revolutionaries usually agree to interviews with newspaper reporters?"

"What about the part where you said I was just returning from Afghanistan?" I add.

"Also quite clearly stated here in the article." Sherlock keeps pointing at parts in the article every time we ask a question. "Borshevik is recently returned after a period of subversive activities in a war-torn region of Afghanistan."

I wonder where this place is...

In any event, Sherlock hands off the newspaper to us, citing that he can't find any trash cans.

"You may find the article on the back page of interest as well," he says. "Cast your eye over it sometime if the interest takes you. Though, you may need someone to interpret."

He's right. It's all in Russian. We'd have to get back in the crewmen's good graces to get one.

While Susato tries to make sense of it, I decide to ask something else.

"Before we started talking," I say, "you were examining Kazuma's desk, weren't you?"

He raises an eyebrow. "You speak of the victim, yes?"

"Yes. Did you notice anything at all?"

"Observe, for a moment, the desktop of the victim..." He walks over and waves Kazuma's journal around. "We see that the victim was engaged in penning some text."

I frown. "Yes, notes of his trip. I assume you already read it."

"Naturally. Luckily, I know a smattering of Japanese."

Japanese? I could have sworn he was writing in English... perhaps Sherlock had not seen it. 

I glance over at Susato. "I take it you won't be taking him down."

"He's much taller than I am," she answers without looking up from the article. "It wouldn't do me any good to try right now."

Unfair...

"Anyway, to return to the matter at hand — namely, this diary belonging to the victim... it would appear the final sentence is incomplete, as if the author were cut short." He thrusts the journal at me. "Tell me, what is the nature of the writing? Pray be precise as to detail."

I raise an eyebrow. "So your Japanese knowledge is not as vast as I thought."

"Never have I claimed it to be, dear boy! I know only a smattering — 'Sayonara', 'bonsai', 'mikado', 'nado-nado'... I trust you're suitably impressed! But this diary is littered with complicated-looking characters, of which I can read precisely none. Ah ha ha ha hah!"

I scoff. "Susato, why don't you read it to him. Take a break from the Russian."

She rolls her eyes at me, but puts the article down anyway. "Show me, Mr. Holmes; I will read it to you."

"Much obliged, dear madam," he says.

"The entry is as follows: '1:23 a.m. - I can hear a faint whistling sound. 1:35 a.m. - What looks like some sort of speckled band is dangling from the ventilator grille.'"

I blink. "'Speckled band'?"

"Even I have never heard that," she admits.

"The ventilator grille he speaks of must be that lattice on the wall here." Sherlock points up at a silver thing on the wall. "It connects to the adjoining cabin."

Good to know, I guess...

Susato picks up the article again. "While you two were speaking, I caught sight of this girl on the back here."

"She looks like some Russian princess," I say. "Shame we can't make sense of it."

"Ah, so you've finally noticed. Allow me to return the favor."

She hands the newspaper back to him.

"This article happens to be about the disappearance of a young lady — one Nikolina Pavlova. 'Renowned Prima Ballerina of the Novavich Ballet Disappears from Shanghai!' During a performance in Shanghai, the famous dancer was reported missing. It would appear the woman was in costume when she was found to be missing from her dressing room, wearing the diamond tiara you see pictured, which is worth some twenty thousand roubles."

"Sounds unbelievable!" Susato muses excitedly.

"The tiara is the property of the Novavich Ballet. It would seem the director is beside herself with worry. The company is anxious to recover it and her. They've requested international assistance at all ports with sailings to Great Britain."

I tilt my head. "Yet another case of a Russian fleeing. Do they just... do that?"

Susato whips her head to me, raising her hands in a warning. I step away.

"I believe I've given you enough to consider for the time being, at least," says Sherlock.

"So what's next for the Great Detective?" asks Susato.

"As it happens, the victim's writings in his diary have piqued my interest. The matter warrants further investigation, I believe.... and if I am still too long, the seasickness takes hold."

"Are you thinking of investigating the cabin next door, which the ventilator connects to?"

"Great detectives are a curious breed. Our minds rebel at stagnation. We crave mental exaltation. So yes, I intend to investigate. Hence, the truth will become clear soon enough."

Aha! A chance!

"Perhaps we could go with you?" I ask.

They both face me.

"That would be somewhat complicated, would it not?" says Sherlock.

"How so?" I ask.

"A simple glance at your wrists should reveal the answer. After all, you're the prime suspect in this matter... no?"

I frown. "Mr. Holmes, are you not the one who decided it in the first place?"

He gasps. "Mr. Naruhodo, whatever do you mean? I would have no cause to say such a thing."

"Eh?! You said it a moment ago!"

Susato purses her lips. "He's right, Mr. Holmes; you did say it..."

"Surely? How strange. I wouldn't have said your friend there had the face of a criminal, you know? At least... not really."

The Great Detective, ladies and gentlemen. Iris is right; this man is OUT there!

"What I mean, sir, is this: If you are the culprit, then you must play the part more convincingly! Roll over and accept your fate!" He laughs afterward.

I squint. "Can we look around or not?"

At that, Susato yanks me up by my arm. "You don't intend to roll over and accept your fate, do you?!"

I scoff then. "If I do, I'll be rolling through the air next. We will have to find a way to slip into the next room."

She huffs. "Alright, then."

Before we can go anywhere else, though, my eyes move to the door.

"Susato..." I say slowly. "Do you see that crewman over there?"

Her eyes follow mine. "Yes... but what about him?"

"He looks familiar, does he not?"

"You're right... he does!" She calls him over. "Excuse me, sir!"

The man strolls up to us. "Yes, may I help you?"

We recognize him before he starts coughing.

"Inspector Hosonaga!" Susato calls him out by name. "We didn't know you were here!"

He bows to us. "Hello again."

How soon we see Inspector Satoru Hosonaga after my trial back in Japan.

"What are you doing here, anyway?!" I ask in shock.

"That should be my line, I think. I was so stunned when I saw you, my heart stopped."

Susato blinks. "I hope you mean 'nearly'..."

"Yes. Anyway, I received some special orders to go undercover as a member of the crew and board this ship."

"You get those kinds of things a lot, huh?"

He nods. "If there's anything I can do to help you, please ask."

Maybe he knows something we don't...?

"What are your special orders this time?" I ask.

"Does it have any reason to do with why you are dressed as a member of the crew?" Susato adds.

All of a sudden, he looks down. "I'm so sorry for what has happened... this is all my fault."

"What is?" I ask.

"The orders I was given were to act as Asougi-san's bodyguard." He sighs. "It was Minister of Justice Jigoku who pushed for this overseas study tour to go ahead... and he entrusted me with ensuring that Asougi-san reached Great Britain without being assassinated."

My eyes are wide with shock. "Why was assassination even a possibility he considered?!"

"I'm not sure. But these are complicated times. There are tensions between the world's greatest powers. Minister Jigoku said we should be prepared for all eventualities."

Susato shakes. "Kazuma-sama, assassinated...?"

Does she still believe I was involved now?!

"We couldn't give him a visible security escort," he explains. "That's why I'm undercover now, as one of the crew. I hadn't taken my eyes off him the entire time we've been on board. From morning until night, every day. But I never imagined it would happen here, inside his own cabin, on the first-class deck..." He bows his head. "I've failed miserably at my assignment... and Asougi-san is dead as a result. I'm a disgrace! All I can do is humbly apologize."

Susato says, "It's not your fault, Inspector..."

"What can I do to help?"

"Can you get us permission to search the next room over?" I ask. "We're doing our best to investigate his death ourselves."

"I thought you might be. You didn't do it, did you?"

"Of course not! I could never do it..."

He sighs. "If I could, I would... but I'm afraid you are seen as a liability, Naruhodo-san. If you moved to even touch the handle of the cabin door... that stormy-looking seaman there would surely snap your neck in two."

We glance over. That, he would.

"Would it be possible... to give me something to work with, do you think? I'm going to need something persuasive."

I gasp. "As in...?"

"Yes, if I had a solid reason why the next-door cabin should be investigated, for example... I'd do everything I could to persuade the captain to allow it. Really, I'd lay my life on the line if I had to."

Susato raises her eyebrows at me. "Ryunosuke... do you know...?"

"Yes, I know," I say. "Go get the diary off the desk, won't you?"

She does so.

"Whose is it?" asks Inspector Hosonaga.

"It's Kazuma-sama's," she says. "Just before he died, he wrote something rather strange in it..."

"In what way?"

"He wrote, 'What looks like some kind of speckled band is dangling from the ventilator grille.'"

"Hmmm... that is strange."

"We're trying to work out what he meant by that," I say. "But there is something we'd like to know..."

"Don't tell me... it's the ventilator, right?" He points to it with his head. "It clearly joins to the next-door cabin."

I nod. "Yes! So were we to investigate in there, we could work out what the speckled band was."

He mulls over it. 

"Alright. I can't leave this cabin at the moment. I'm stuck here until we arrive at the next port. The captain has given me strict orders to guard the scene of the crime, you see. I'll have to entrust the investigation to you two."

"You're willing to do that for us?" asks Susato.

"Won't the captain be mad?" I ask.

"Regardless..." He coughs a few times. "You should know that I am a man of my word. I promise you that I'll lay my life on the line if that's what it takes to convince the captain. After all... I failed to keep Asougi-san safe. This is the least I can do."

"Thank you."

Susato immediately grabs my arm. "Come on. We have a moment to seize!"

With that, I am hauled out of the cabin by force, for the first time since I've stepped onboard.

~ 9th January, 7:48 a.m. ~
~ SS Burya, First-Class Cabin Passageway ~

I frown. "Hmmm... it seems far less spacious out there than I thought. If this is the most luxurious, I would hate to see the other one..."

"Even still, this is about twice as large as my accommodation in steerage," Susato says.

"It sounds awful!" My eyes glance around until I catch sight of another crewman out in the hall. "Look... there's another crewman there!" I drop my voice to a whisper. "Even sitting down, he looks enormous."

Her eyes flick in that direction. "That way leads to second-class. He must be there making sure no one else that comes in here that is not allowed."

Like people in handcuffs, I'm sure.

She looks back at me. "Are you not used to the ship by now? We've been at sea for two weeks already."

I shake my head. "I've never left the room. I went straight from that ridiculous trunk Kazuma insisted on ordering into that wardrobe."

Now is not the time to tell her of my food escapades from a few days earlier...

"I wondered what he needed it for..."

In any case, it's time to look around.

Doors - The blue door, as Susato says, goes to second class. The left door where we just exited from is Kazuma's and the right one is where we need to go to... if only the steely-eyed look of the sailor wasn't so off-putting.

Book - It's the ship's log. The handwriting is quite exquisite. The log of last night is mostly blank, so there must have been nothing to report.

Ship Map - It shows all the decks aboard.

Mousetrap - We have those in Japan, too, but we don't use cheese (by the looks of it) as bait. I have to be tempted not to eat it while we're investigating around.

Maybe we should try speaking to the sailor.

"Excuse us?" I say. "May we ask you something?"

His eyes flash the moment he lays eyes on us. "You two? The little stowaway murderer and third-class lady's maid?"

We jump.

"We may have caught this sailor on a bad day," I say.

Susato nods. "Yes..."

"That is not my name!" he snaps. "I am senior crewman, Bif Strogenov."

Noted...

I gesture around, trying to avoid eye-contact. "About this first-class cabin area..."

"Here we are in finest part of Burya steamship... for very important persons," he replies briskly.

"Like who?"

"Government officials, kings and queens travelling in secret... many important persons. That is why I am always guarding this place."

I cant help staring in awe. "Amazing..."

"But somehow, I let stupid stowaway inside. I want to pick you up and throw you in ocean... but Strogenov is not animal."

I shudder. "Thank you for your mercy..."

"If I may..." Susato points to the right-side brown door. "Is the cabin next to Mr. Asougi's currently occupied?"

His answer is crisp. "Да!"

I look bewildered. "Susato... do you think that meant 'yes' or 'no'?"

She tilts her head. "I want to say... 'yes'? But I am not sure myself..."

"It is not permitted to visit other cabins without invitations," Bif tells us.

Ah, so there is someone there after all.

"Could you at least tell us who is traveling there?" I ask.

"His name is Mr. Grimesby Roylott. He is very important Western gentleman. But do not think about him having a thing to do with murder of student boy."

"Eh? How can you be sure of that?"

"Mr. Roylott is authentic Western gentleman. Such a man would have no interest in lowly student from insignificant Far East islands."

Harsh...

"When did he come aboard?" asks Susato. "He must be rather important, is that right?"

He stares at us for longer than usual. "That is not your business."

Come to think of it... I don't recall hearing anything next door. Aside from Sherlock’s observation the other night, I was under the impression that no one was there at all.

"You are on watch here all the time, right?" I ask.

He nods. "Da, all time. So kriminals like you cannot come in... or get out."

Susato hums. "Could you tell us anything about last night at all?"

Bif looks off to the side. "It is sad, about student boy."

"Did you notice anything unusual?" I ask. "Any strange noises or wrong senses?"

He suddenly waves a fist in both of our faces, making us back up. "Нет!"

I look at Susato. "I think we should take that as a 'no'."

"Obviously!" she says.

He won't look us in the eye. Something isn't quite right.

In any case, he heads off to report to the captain, keeping the area to second-class locked.

I decide to knock on the right door to see if the person inside can help us. 

We don't hear anything for a few moments.

Then, all of a sudden, when we're in the middle of examining the alarm on the opposite side of the door...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

I jump back, almost losing my balance. "What was that?!"

"That must have been a woman!" Susato points out.

"Move aside!"

We look up in surprise. Sherlock has suddenly reappeared again.

"I'm about to break the door down!" he declares.

Susato points at the door. "Wait! There may be no need for that. The door doesn't appear to be bolted."

He looks disappointed and I can't help rolling my eyes.

"Let's get in there anyway!" I say.

~ 9th January ~
~ SS Burya, First-Class Cabin No. 2 ~

"Who are you?!"

That's the first thing the mysterious figure we see says when we enter the room.

This must be the Western gentlemen we were informed of. Russian, by the looks of it?

"Forgive us," I say. "We heard a woman scream."

"Don't be absurd!" He raises the giant pair of scissors he has in the air. "As you can see... there's nobody but me in this cabin."

He's right. That doesn't explain the scream, however.

"Out, all of you!" he snaps. "Now!"

Sherlock steps up between us. "Please excuse the intrusion, but... you're Mr. Grimesby Roylott, I believe?"

"Yes..." he says slowly. "You are...?"

"I am Sherlock Holmes, Great Detective! You must have heard of me."

Mr. Roylott frowns. "No. Even so, I do not trust them."

"In any case, we distinctly heard a scream emanating from within these walls." Sherlock glances over to the wardrobe, which is open. "But there wouldn't appear to be anyone concealed themselves within the wardrobe this time... so might I be so bold as to ask you to open that small travelling case?"

"Don't be stupid! How could anyone fit in a small trunk like that?"

"Well, it's quite fashionable these days, is it not?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "Don't look at me when you say that."

Susato shakes me. "Look!"

The case on the chair suddenly shakes.

I blink in surprise. "I saw it, yes!"

"Leave now!" snaps Mr. Roylott.

I glance at Susato. "He's definitely hiding something."

She nods. "I agree. Let's try and find some clues."

Trying to present anything to Mr. Roylott to get info is useless (he can't understand the Japanese and is equally unhelpful helping us understand the Russian things). He won't really speak to us, either.

We decide to try and get Sherlock to talk some sense into him. As of now, he's moved to sit inside the wardrobe.

"Mr. Holmes, do you have a moment?" I ask.

He looks up. "Yes, what is it, Mr. Naruhodo?"

"What exactly are you doing in here?"

"I'm resting, of course."

Susato raises an eyebrow. "Now?"

"Indeed. I was contemplating our sea voyage from the confines of the wardrobe whilst waiting for the inevitable time... that you would need to call my great powers of detection into service."

She actually smiles. "Oh, yes! We would definitely need your help!"

"See? The hour is upon us now! Am I mistaken, Mr. Naruhodo?"

I shake my head. "You're spot on this time."

"Observe closely... our Russian host in this cabin, Mr. Roylott, is clearly trying to hide something. Do you know what is the most effective weapon to use against a Russian hiding a secret? Why, the truth, of course! Though, it should be pointed out that such methods are not exclusively for the Russians."

I frown. "Sure..."

"Can you imagine how the Russian will react when the secret he guards so closely is exposed? Would you like to witness it?"

Susato claps her hands in delight. "Yes, please!"

"What you are about to see may well astound you... for I am about to apply my Great Detective's greatly admired great deduction to the case!"

*****

He strolls over to Mr. Roylott, who looks uncomfortable. "Could this man be a more hackneyed portrayal of a dubious Russian, I ask you? From time to time, it occurs to me... is the fellow dubious on account of his Russianness, or Russian on account of his dubiousness?"

If we could see Mr. Roylott's eyes, they probably would be narrow. "What?"

"Why are either of those things occurring to you?" I ask.

"Indeed," says Susato. "Besides, it's a capital mistake to theorize before having all the evidence, or your judgment will be biased."

Something she read somewhere, I'm sure.

Despite this, he shushes us and stares into Mr. Roylott's face.

He's not a fan of it. "Why are you looking at me like this?"

"As I thought." Sherlock straightens up immediately. "I have quite made up my mind now. Mr. Roylott, I have reached two incontrovertible conclusions."

"What do you mean...?"

"One: Your true identity... is that of a villain! Using those shears, you are about to end the existence of something most dear... are you not?"

"Ah!"

"Two: You are, at this very moment, no less, in the midst of committing a most grievous crime! Beneath that beard, your mouth quivers with nervous tension as you realize you have been discovered... does it not?!"

He gasps.

Susato's eyes are sparkling. "I never thought I would see a Great Deduction for myself!"

I squint. "What is so great about it?"

"Nothing deceives Mr. Holmes! In a single glance, he can deduce all there is to know about someone! I've read all about only to finally see it for myself!"

"How...?"

Despite my reservations, Mr. Roylott actually looks terrified. He was correct?!

"How could you...?"

"'How could I possibly know such things?' you wish to say, Mr. Roylott?" Sherlock cuts in. "Very well then, I shall elucidate. I shall explain how it was that I arrived at this pair of conclusions. So do I cordially invite you upon a journey of logical discovery! Let us board the train of reasoning!" He faces Susato and I. "Put plainly, let us work through my deductions together."

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *            The Great Deduction - Start           *
*                                                          *
*           The game is afoot!          *
*                                                          *
****************************************

Topic 1- Old Man's Identity

"So, the dubious-looking Russian, Mr. Roylott..." Mr. Holmes begins, with a hand to his temple, "obviously, what catches the eye in the first place is the enormous pair of shears in your hand!"

At that, Mr. Roylott hides them behind his back.

"Now, we ask ourselves, what could you possibly want with such an implement? The answer, of course, is staring us in the face." He snaps. "You were on the verge of using the shears to cut away the copious beard you sport!"

At that, our Western gentleman makes a confused expression.

"Now, moving on... The question then begged is this: why would you desire to rid yourself of this magnificent beard, Mr. Roylott? Once again, the answer is plain. We have clear evidence to shed light on the matter."

Mr. Roylott glances around nervously, but doesn't say anything.

"Regard, if you will, this morning's newspaper. In particular, the fascinating front-page article. Which, it would appear..." he glances towards his pocket, "...you have read also, Mr. Roylott."

"Ah!"

"I'm sure it needs no further clarification. The evidence that reveals your true identity... is the article about the revolutionary!" Sherlock traces his finger over it. "In translation, the headline reads: 'Revolutionary Vilen Borshevik Flees Russia via Shanghai'. As you cannot fail to observe, the subject of the article possesses an extremely copious beard. Having noted the article yourself, you decided to remove your incriminating facial hair before it gave you away. In short, your true identity is beyond doubt. You are the fearsome Russian revolutionary himself, Vilen Borshevik!" He shrugs. "Not that I've heard of you myself, you understand.”

Conclusion - A revolutionary on the run

**********

Topic 2 - Wrongdoing

"Now... as for my second conclusion... you are, at this very moment, on the brink of committing a most grievous crime."

Mr. Roylott balks at that one.

"The proof of this crime? Over there." He's pointing towards the chair with his pipe. "Oh, yes, Mr. Roylott... taken unawares, people have a propensity to let their eyes stray, you see."

"Ah!"

"I assure you, the eyes speak so much more eloquently — and honestly — than the mouth. The answer we seek lies where the furtive glance falls. The proof of your crime sits before our very eyes! Yes, that travelling case! It is time, I think, that the case be opened and its contents laid bare."

"No!" he snaps. "I refuse!"

"What could you possibly be concealing inside, we ask? By my estimation... a young lady, perhaps. One slight enough to fit therein."

"Absurd!"

"What, pray, would be the identity of this young lady in the travelling case?" He knocks on the case a few times which makes Mr. Roylott jolt violently. "Dear me. We are not well suited to a life of crime, are we? Your careless coup d'oeil betrays you. Once again, we need only follow your furtive glance to find the answer."

This time, he spins over towards the desk.

"Yes, the reason you refuse to open your travelling case can equally be found in the pages of this newspaper, for there is another, most stimulating article... if we turn from the fleeing revolutionary... to the back page!" He points at said article. 'Renowned Prima Ballerina of the Novavich Ballet Disappears from Shanghai!' Such a headline can lead us to but one conclusion. Your crime... is that of abduction! According to the article, the young lady's name is Nikolina Pavlova."

Conclusion - Kidnapping of a young ballerina

With that, Sherlock takes a bow. "This concludes Sherlock Holmes's great deduction... of this Russian enigma! Elementski!"

I stare in disbelief. "You call that a 'Great Deduction', Susato?"

She gives me a strange look. "I will admit, this seemed different..."

"Mr. Holmes, will you come over here?"

He does. "Pray, what can I do for you?"

"It's about your deductions, I'm afraid." I gesture to the newspaper. "They may look similar, but these men are definitely not the same!"

"Ah, yes, I recall our discussion earlier," says Sherlock. "At the time, I believe I told you that the man is a revolutionary, well able to revolutionize his own appearance."

"It's not even just that! How would you fit anyone into that small case?!"

Susato asks, "Is the ballerina a young child?"

"You did not know?" Sherlock hums. "That young lady is fifteen. However, some years ago, I read something pertinent, I believe — a troupe of men consuming vinegar daily in order to promote a certain litheness in their bodies. For such a sour bunch, it would surely be simplicity itself to contort oneself into the confines of that small case."

She blinks in surprise. "Oh, dear. You might be thinking of contortionists in the circus, Mr. Holmes..."

"As if this entire thing wasn't an act in and of itself," I can't help saying.

"Well, while it seems he can easily cut to the heart of a matter, his attention and logic need to be put back on track."

"That seems to be putting it lightly."

"It seems to just be a matter of pointing out different alternatives for him, can't you see?"

I shake my hands, still cuffed. "Seeing as I am still incapacitated, why don't you do it, Susato. I'm sure you would love to be a part of figuring out where the true genius in all of this is."

She gives me a withering look, but brightens upon moving in Sherlock's direction.

"Miss Susato, would you care to join me in a Dance of Deduction?"

She grins. "Yes! I would like that very much!"

"Very good! Let us begin... and dive deep into the 'Logic and Reasoning Spectacular'!"

Course Correction

Hold it, Mr. Holmes!

Ryunosuke taps his foot against the floor. "Those shears... would you be using those kinds to cut off a beard?"

"Neither of us will ever have to worry about that," I say. "But Mr. Roylott seemed completely baffled by that suggestion, so that must not be it."

If the shears were not meant for that beard, then what?

I stroll around, looking intensely at Mr. Roylott as I go.

The thick hat tells me nothing, and why cut through the buttons of the coat without just taking off the gloves adorned first?

All of a sudden, I find myself behind Mr. Roylott and catch something striking.

"Ryunosuke, look here!" I say.

He peers over the best he can. "It looks like long, blonde hair."

"That's because it is!" I say. "But how is such stunning golden hair growing out of Mr. Roylott's head? It shouldn't be possible!"

That's when I realize.

"You were to use those shears on the golden locks you have there, weren't you?" I say.

Mr. Holmes claps. "Well, done, Miss Susato! You have identified the precise detail I was intending to expose. Such lush, golden hair certainly does not befit an old man."

"Is that even a man at all?" asks Ryunosuke.

I shake my head. "This is a definitely a woman!"

"One very much still in her youth," Mr. Holmes adds.

Mr. Roylott heaves a sigh. "Oh, no... if only I had managed to cut off my hair, no one would have suspected."

"Now we must ask why you were doing this," I muse. "You surely aren't the revolutionary anyone is looking for now."

"You must be enjoying yourself," Ryunosuke says.

I raise my hands in a warning and he admits defeat.

"Well, if that specific article tells us nothing, perhaps the other one will?" he suggests.

He's right!

"The article about the ballerina tells us all we need to know about your identity!" I announce.

She jumps in surprise, and Mr. Holmes slides up beside me with a few taps in his step. "Precisely! Her true identity is that of the Novavich Ballet's prima ballerina... Miss Nikolina Pavlova!"

"Aaaaaaah!!"

Once she recovers, she pulls the shears from her hat (where she had gotten them stuck) and removes her beard and fake wig. There is an ornate earring on her ear, and her gray eyes reveal themselves behind her dark shades.

"You are correct," she says. "I am Nina — well, Nikolina Pavlova. But please, I beg you not to tell anyone!"

Topic 1 - SOLVED!
Old Man's Identity - A ballerina on the run

*****

This time, I make my way over to the traveling case. Miss Pavlova can't be smuggling herself, so what exactly is it that she's hiding in that case?

The wastebasket nearby reveals nothing important; however, when looking upon the desk...

"Susato, look at that tiara!" says Ryunosuke. "Doesn't it look familiar?"

I glance over at it... and he's correct again!

"Your crime is of smuggling, but it has nothing to do with that case of yours, but the tiara!" I note.

"According to the article," Mr. Holmes says, "it's worth twenty thousand roubles. You must have unlawfully taken it with you!"

"No!" Miss Pavlova shrinks. "I need money, but I did not steal it. It was a gift to me. It is all I have... I have no one. But I will not hide anything now."

Oh, dear... she must be very lonely.

"Hang on!" says Mr. Holmes. "We still have yet to find out why you will not open that case. In fact, I'm sure the reason is laid bare... on the books on the shelf!"

I blink. I didn't expect him to bring another line of reasoning into play!

"What does the bookshelf have to do with anything?" asks Ryunosuke.

"We shall find out!" I counter.

After all, Miss Pavlova's eyes did flick in that direction.

The only things I see over there are a small photo, the door, and the Rules of Passage. Unless she's breaking a rule, the latest of the three won't be very useful.

Wait! Could it be...?

"I believe that something in your case breaks the Rules of Passage!" I say. "We did see it move, after all!"

"It's likely not a weapon or any other dangerous item," Ryunosuke points out.

"You both are correct," Mr. Holmes says. "In short, Miss Pavlova, you have brought a pet onboard this vessel!"

"Eeeeek!"

Topic 2 - SOLVED!
Wrongdoing - Possession of a prohibited animal

*****

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *        End        *
*       Deduction Complete      *
*            Elementary!          *
*                                                          *
****************************************

"Ah, those steps of yours... how exquisite!" Sherlock gazes at Susato. "From where did you learn this?"

She smiles slightly. "My father has always had a penchant for tap dancing. He wished to teach me properly someday, so I only knew a few things."

"You remind me of my old partner in that way. Perhaps I shall meet him and steal him for myself."

I finally stand up after having sat on the bed through the whole dance. "You are clearly not who you said you were."

Nikolina shakes her head. "No. All you have said about me is correct."

"You absconded during one of your ballet company's performances in order to escape your homeland," says Sherlock. "Later that same night, you stole aboard this vessel. In order to obscure your true identity, you somewhat recklessly took the guise of an old gentleman and intended to sever all links with your past by severing your long hair."

I frown. "That must have been difficult."

How could she have snuck aboard without anyone seeing her?

"I was so scared when I ran away in Shanghai," Nikolina explains, looking up. "I was sure they would come looking for me. That's why I decided to — How do you say? Disgust myself? — so no one would recognize me."

"The word you mean is 'disguise'. So you were trying to transform into the questionable old man?"

"Yes, thank you... I put on the fur hat and... fake beard? Then, just before you came in here, I saw the newspaper with a picture of me. I was so frightened. I couldn't stop from screaming. I knew that if I didn't change my appearances completely, they would find me. So I decided to cut all my hair as fastly as possible. I picked up the scissors in my hand, and..."

"That's when we appeared," Sherlock says.

Susato tilts her head. "How inconvenient..."

Nikolina then walks over to the case and opens it, revealing a black cat inside. "My dear friend is in here. She is all I have... if you tell the captain, I will lose her, forever..." 

"You have our word," says Sherlock. "But, in return, you must tell us all you know about last might, as much detail as you can."

"Yes, I will."

"Did you know that someone was killed in the cabin next door to this one last night?" I ask.

She nods. "One of the crewmen told me this morning when I was eating breakfast."

I heave a sigh. "That man... he was my best friend, actually."

Her eyes go wide, and I see something flash in them. "Oh..."

"It's why we're trying to find out what happened." I fold my hands. "My friend's diary mentioned some kind of 'speckled band' making its way through the ventilator there along with a whistling sound. You didn't happen to notice anything relating to those or anything else strange, did you?"

"I am sorry, but I know nothing of those things... all I could think about last night was what I had done and whether they would find me. I didn't notice anything that was happening around me."

"Of course, what you did was run away from your ballet company, right?"

"Yes. I am travelling to Great Britain, and from there... I want to go to America. I cannot dance again, not when it brings to me many bad memories... I want to forget everything about the ballet and start a new life."

Sherlock looks over at the desk. "Seems rather challenging with that tiara, does it not?"

"I have no choice! I have no money otherwise, and the Novavich Ballet was not very kind to us. If I stayed with that little food and water, I would be dead."

"You were just trying to protect yourself, weren’t you?" asks Susato.

"Yes. This crew, they have been very nice to me, letting me hide here."

"Oh?" Sherlock taps his temple. "I'm afraid that raises a most intriguing conundrum."

Susato blinks in surprise. "It does, doesn't it? How did you get onboard in the first place?"

I suddenly realize it. "I don't remember making any stops along the voyage..."

"Seaman Strogenov seemed off when we asked about it, too, didn't he, Ryunosuke?"

"You're right; he did."

Nikolina hasn't been speaking up until this point, but when she does, she's straightened up from her previously hunched over posture. "'An angel descended from the heavens, bringing grace and beauty to the stage.'"

Susato and I blink in shock. "What?"

"That is how the Russian newspapers describe one of my performances. It is how I came here, too — I descended from the heavens because I am an angel."

I raise an eyebrow. "Quite vivid for someone who doesn't have English as a mother tongue."

"Miss Pavlova must not be able to resist a touch of the dramatic," Susato says. "Mr. Holmes once said something like that, you know."

What does it matter if he's said it or not?

In any case, she definitely won't be telling us about that any time soon.

It's at this point that the cat in her case pokes her head up.

"Your cat is so pretty!" Susato says.

Nikolina actually manages a small smile at that. "Her name is Darka. She is with me, always."

All of a sudden, there is a sharp banging on the door, and in the time it takes Bif to come inside and inquire after Nikolina — or, rather, Mr. Roylott — she has already managed to disguise herself once again. Wow, she is fast!

Unfortunately, we are all unceremoniously thrown out of the cabin. We shall have to investigate later.

~ 9th January ~
~ SS Burya, First-Class Cabin No. 1  ~

Sherlock has managed to slip away and disappear out of the hall. I wonder if he's gone to go check on his daughter. And will WE ever get to see her?

We decide to head back into the cabin, where there still seems to be an investigation going on.

We find Inspector Hosonaga on the opposite side of the room from the other sailor. He appears to have been beaten up.

"Inspector, are you alright?!" Susato's hand hovers around the injuries on his face.

He nods, gently pushing her hand down. "Don't worry about it, please. They're only scratches, after all. The captain simply said he would pummel me and toss me overboard for giving you permission to investigate."

My eyes go wide. "I'm sorry, but that is far from 'simple'!"

"Well, he decided against throwing me over, and the pummeling didn't take long, so it was really nothing."

A man of his word, as always.

"Well, we must thank you for your sacrifice," says Susato. "We know a lot more about the neighboring cabin now."

"Yes, that Great Detective — what was his name again? Herr Lock Sholmes? — came around here a while ago. I don't think he was German or anything, though..."

I wonder how Sherlock would react, finding out his name is being said like this.

"He was here?"

"Yes, he seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much as he crept about on the floor investigating. But then he suddenly left. I suppose he must have become bored."

I ask, "Did he say anything at all?"

"Only one thing, but he practically shouted it. 'It's shoe polish!' was all he said. He was somewhere over by that broken glass."

We glance over.

"So perhaps he meant that mark over there?" Susato points to a brick-colored mark.

"But how could he know?" I muse.

"I admit, I have no idea," Inspector Hosonaga admits.

Susato takes on a very thoughtful look.

"What is it?" I ask.

"That mark appears very close to the color of Kazuma-sama's shoes."

"Oh?" (Maybe he scuffed them on the floor?)

In any event, time to compare more notes.

"It turns out that the person next door isn't who we thought they were," I start. I lower my voice a bit so that the other sailor can't hear us. "The Western gentleman turned out to be a young girl by the name of Nikolina Pavlova."

The Inspector gasps, almost choking and coughing up some blood again.

"What?! Nikolina Pavlova is in the cabin next door?!"

"Do you know of her?" I ask.

"Please! What self-respecting ballet fan wouldn't know that graceful angel? In any case, that tells us the neighboring cabin is unrelated to the case, at least."

Really? Does it?

"Has your investigation in here been fruitful, Inspector?" asks Susato.

He sighs. "If I'm honest, there's very little more I can do. Our duty is to make sure the scene isn't disturbed, ready to hand over to the Hong Kong police. So I'm just keeping watch here, trying not to take my eyes off the job."

"I see..."

"However, I do have some new information for you."

"Oh? Do tell us!"

This time, he holds up a sheet of paper. "The Burya's medical officer has finished his examination of the body. I managed to obtain the report."

I gasp. "Do you mean to say that.... it's... Kazuma's post-mortem report?!"

Susato looks saddened by it. "What was the cause of death...?"

"'Damage to the cervical vertebrae', is what's written in the report."

"A broken neck?"

"It would seem so. There were no obvious wounds or other signs of injury, so at first I think they were considering poison. But it turns out they found no trace of poison in his system at all."

"Do they know what weapon it was?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "It's very likely to be a blunt object, though, as there are no signs of a wound." He hands us the sheet. "I have a second copy, so you may take this one if it will be of use to you."

My eyes go wide. "Are you sure...?"

"Of course I am; otherwise, I would have never let you leave the cabin in the first place." Once he hands it off to us, he rubs at his eye. "That's really all I can tell you at this stage. I should return to my post. My fellow crewman's eyes are boring into the back of my head."

"Thank you for all your help."

He rubs his head. "It's the least I can do after I failed my duty."

I raise an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Inspector?"

"Truth be told... I seem to have had a heavy head ever since I woke this morning."

Susato says, "You, too?"

What is going on here?

~ 9th January ~
~ SS Burya, First-Class Cabin Passageway ~

There are three things we manage to notice when we leave the cabin.

First: A flash of pink barely passes our eyes poking out from the second class cabin area. Is there someone in that hall?

Second: Bif has disappeared from the door. We may have a chance to reinvestigate yet.

Third: Someone is carrying a tune somewhere nearby...

"Tra-la-la-lira-lira-lay... 
I did it the great deteeective way...
...Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew...
...When the Yard bit off more than it could chew...
...Through it all, when there was doubt...
...It's lucky Sherlock was about...
...I solved it all and I stood tall...
...I did it the great deteeective way..."

Of course.

"Excuse me?" I call out.

Sherlock seems positively distracted by what he's looking at, which is the ship's log.

"Mr. Holmes!"

That causes him to suddenly drop to the floor.

"AAAAAAAAAGH!!!"

He shoots to his feet immediately and raises his fists at me.

"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Naruhodo, trying to interrupt a man while he's singing?!" he demands. "I was right about to hit the climax!"

I roll my eyes. "You didn't sound like you were going to stop any time soon. Might as well do it now."

"Ha! I very nearly dropped you to the floor with one of my famous right hooks!"

"Frankly, I am more scared of Susato than you. Put those fists away, will you?"

He does.

"Did you find anything interesting on the log?" asks Susato, side-eyeing me about my remark.

"Unremarkable," he replies. "Well, after 2 a.m. this morning, the majority of the entries are blank."

I frown. "Nothing to report, then?"

"Quite the opposite, my Rising Sun students. Observe the other pages here, if you will."

The ones he shows us says 'Nothing to report' in the sailor's neat writing.

"As you can see, this crewman has an almost religious practice of recording 'Nothing to report' every half hour. Yet..."

It hits me. "He didn't even write that from last night... wouldn't that mean...?"

"He was not here?!" Susato realizes.

"Precisely!" says Sherlock. "Mysterious circumstances led the man away from here, but we can be sure something significant took place. So significant, that it caused the seaman to forget his regular habit of scribing 'Nothing to report' in the log. These are important details. I would stake my life on it! You must log the ship's log in your mental file!"

Noted. I can see where Susato (and Iris) says this man gets his Great Detective title from now.

As if reading my mind, he grins wildly at me. "I see you're starting to understand my way — what makes me 'me'... brilliant!" He starts laughing before he suddenly cuts himself off with a wince. "Ouch..."

I blink. "Mr. Holmes? Are you feeling head pain, too?"

"Why, Mr. Naruhodo, how did you know! Worry nothing about it, though; it is not much."

'Not much'? That's four of us now that have reported head pain. This can't be nothing.

Sherlock bows. "Until our next encounter, my friends!"

Off he goes.

Susato turns to me. "Ryunosuke... I have been thinking..."

"About what?" I ask.

"You said something about your head hurting earlier, didn't you?"

"Yes... didn't you, too?"

She nods slowly. "Perhaps... this isn't some coincidence."

"It can't be," I agree. "We'll have to keep looking into this."

~ 9th January ~
~ SS Burya, First-Class Cabin No. 2 ~

Once we're inside, Susato beelines for Nikolina's wardrobe.

"Susato! Those are her private things!" I say.

She at least looks embarrassed. "I know... but we have no time to waste! We must investigate as quickly as we can!"

I sigh. "I know. For Kazuma's sake, we'd better do what we can."

"Not just for him."

"What...?"

"It can't be long now until we arrive at port in Hong Kong. I... don't want you to be in those handcuffs when we get there."

Wait! Does that mean...?

"You mean that...?"

She nods firmly. "Now, come on! We must solve this... by ourselves, if we have to!"

I copy her. "Right!"

Let's see...

Case - Her cat seems to be missing from it. But she's not in the room, either, not even in the wardrobe... where could she be?!

Shelf - Like they were in our room, all the books and statue have slanted over. Susato sets them back up again.

Vent - We didn't see anything of note in it this time.

All of a sudden, there are two extremely loud noises.

Ding-aling-aling-aling-aling-aling-aling...

Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir! Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir!

"What is that?!" Susato exclaims.

"It sounds like an alarm!" I say.

A voice comes on overhead.

"Shut down the engines immediately! Vessel sighted a quarter mile fore! Full stop! Hard to starboard! All hands, brace for impact!"

"I... I think we're going to crash into another ship!" Susato shrieks.

"What?!?!" I'm even louder than her.

In seconds, the boat starts tilting before it suddenly jolts to a stop. The two of us immediately go flying with Susato having landed on top of me.

It takes a few moments before we break the silence again.

"Susato? Are you hurt?" I ask.

She peers down at me. "I should be asking you that... after all, you broke my fall."

"Better me hurt than you, in this case."

She smiles slightly. "I think we may have actually avoided the collision..." At that, she rolls off of me and helps me to my feet. "I hope you're alright, too..."

I nod. "I am; thanks for asking."

"Hello! Is anybody in there? Shout if you need assistance!"

We know that voice.

"We're in here, Inspector!" I call out.

"Naruhodo-san! Unbolt the door, quickly!"

I jolt in shock. "What...?"

Susato gasps. "It is locked! But how? We were all the way over here!"

"Not only that," I say, as I head for the door, "the books are all a mess again."

She sighs. "Oh, dear... I'd better fix them again..."

Thanks to our sudden stop, we'd had a mystery solved for us — quite vividly, I might add. As Susato tidies up the cabin around us, I know that what awaits on the other side of the door... 

will be far less pleasant than we hope.

Chapter Text

~ 9th January ~
~ SS Burya, Miss Pavlova's Cabin ~

We are greeted by one friendly figure, one not-so-friendly, and a silent one when I slide back the bolt on the door.

"You! What are you doing in Miss Pavlova's quarters?!"

"Ah, you both look unhurt. Good."

"What happened?" I ask, cutting past answering either Bif or the Inspector. "We heard something about how we were going to collide with another ship!"

"It appears to have been a false report," says the Inspector.

"Oh? How?"

"There's a dense fog outside, so it's extremely difficult to see. Someone must have thought he saw a ship ahead. This person obviously triggered the alarm and that's why we made an emergency stop."

"Everything is chaos!" Bif snaps. "Passengers are screaming! Crew are running everywhere!" 

"He's right." The Inspector glances warily at the door. "This first-class area is the only quiet part of the ship at the moment."

All of a sudden, Nikolina, undisguised, sprints over to her open case in terror, but then turns a wieldy glare on me. "You! How could you have touched my case?!"

I raise my hands up. "We didn't touch it, I promise!"

"He's right," says Susato. "Your case was already open when we came inside."

"Why should I believe you?!" Her head whips around. "Inspector, arrest this man! I know he did it! He is a criminal! Is it not enough that he has killed a man?!"

Bif crosses his arms. "He is stowaway as well! If vixen promises not to steal chicken, do you believe?!"

"Yes! He is a trespasser as well as everything else!"

"Stowing away, trespassing, killing! You are devil!" (That's a first... even Jezaille Brett didn't stoop to that.) "There is cell below deck. We throw you in, then tomorrow we dock in Hong Kong and give you straight to police!"

I gasp, stepping back.

"Is there nothing you can do, Inspector?" Susato asks, moving closer to me.

He shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. I believe I have exhausted all options."

At this point, I probably am out of options, myself...

That is, until my eyes fall on something on the left side of the room.

Or, rather... someone.

"Mr. Holmes, what on earth are you hanging from there for?!" I ask in surprise.

Everyone turns in surprise as he jumps off and saunters over. "Naturally, I was analyzing what a weight of twenty thousand roubles feels like on one's head, so I wished to determine if it would bend that conceited-looking hook on the wall, so full of brag and bounce!" He adjusts the tiara on top of his head. "Have I not told you that as a detective, it is my business to know what other people do not? This isn't mere tomfoolery, my boy!"

I groan. "You are an enigma, Mr. Sherlock Holmes..."

"You're the Great Detective!" Inspector Hosonaga says.

"Good day, Inspector!" he says. "I have been looking for you, actually."

"Well, you might try looking for me somewhere other than a hook on the wall next time."

"Perhaps. In any case, I have something to report to you most urgently."

"Report what?" Bif demands. "Speak, now!"

"An urgent report from a great detective can mean but one thing...  the case of the curious murder that took place last night, here on this vessel, the Steamship Burya has been solved... by me, naturally!"

Nikolina's eyes go wide.

"What?!" I shout.

"Really?!" Susato says after me.

"Yes, I have eliminated all other possibilities. No other explanations exist, so allow me to illuminate all your minds... for I am about to reveal my great detective's greatly admired Great Deduction to the case!"

"Ha! You have solved it? Even hedgehog understands this case! We all knew who was responsible for killing student boy this morning, when we found kriminal in wardrobe!" Bif says. "It is this stowaway! He has handcuffs to prove it!"

"That doesn't prove anything!" I plead.

"The trouble is, there doesn't appear to be anyone else who could have killed the victim," the Inspector points out, "because, as everyone knows, the cabin door was bolted shut from the inside. That means the culprit must be someone who was inside the cabin."

Susato hums. "It's quite the locked-room mystery, alright."

Nikolina, however, looks almost surprised, as if she didn't know the door was locked. Did they not tell her about that fact?

"You are all quite mistaken. The cabin next door is not a so-called 'locked room' at all." Sherlock points up toward the wall. "There is another entrance. An entrance used last night by the culprit in order to gain access to the cabin despite the bolted door."

Inspector Hosonaga tilts his head. "Do you mean the ventilator up there?"

"Of course!"

"You're suggesting that the culprit entered and left the victim's cabin through that tiny opening? It's not possible!"

"That is not funny!" Bif says. "I cannot even put my arm through that hole!"

Not the best example...

"It's very possible, in fact," Sherlock says. "In fact, the victim even witnessed the intruder in the act of passing through the ventilator."

"You speak of that 'speckled band' from Kazuma-sama's diary," Susato says.

"Precisely, Miss Susato."

"But what exactly is it?" asks Inspector Hosonaga.

"There is a distinct element of danger. But fear not; I am ready! What I am about to expose for you all to see will shock you to your cores! Behold!"

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a giant snake appears and coils around Bif's face!

"Voilà!" Sherlock waves his hands around it. "The speckled band!"

I make a face. "But it has stripes, not spots, doesn't it?"

"You're right," Susato agrees. "It's more of 'the striped band' in this case."

"Perhaps it is," our resident Great Detective admits. "You both see and observe with distinction! However... do you not think that is precisely the trap into which the culprit wishes you to fall?"

"A trap?!"

"Yes. I think perhaps it is time I explained the intricacies of my train of thought." Finally, he turns to address Nikolina. "I hope you are ready, Miss Pavlova."

"I'm sorry for the young man who died," she says, voice clipped. "But that is all. His death is nothing to do with me! This whole thing is nothing to do with me!"

"So you say. However, I have drawn two conclusions. One: Last night, your 'friend' infiltrated the victim's cabin! Two: That same friend was responsible for the victim losing his life!"

"Ah!"

She's turned white again... he must be right about something!

Inspector Hosonaga looks baffled. "You say her 'friend' killed Mr. Asougi?"

Bif tries to say something, but the snake has coiled too tight for him to speak.

"I would advise little movement on your end there," Sherlock says dismissively. "Everyone... let us begin Sherlock Holmes's 'Logic and Reasoning Spectacular'!

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *            The Great Deduction - Start           *
*                                                          *
*           The game is afoot!          *
*                                                          *
****************************************

Topic 1- Intruder's Identity

"Miss Pavlova, moments ago you claimed the following: 'His death is nothing to do with me! This whole thing is nothing to do with me!'" Mr. Holmes begins to circle around Nikolina. "Yet you cannot deceive yourself!"

At that, Miss Pavlova rubs her hand. I can't help noticing something off about her...

"Yes, when you recall those horrid events, your aching heart smarts with pain! It is that very pain that evidences your inextricable link to the victim's death. So, we ask... what was the nature of this intruder that stole into the victim's cabin on that portentous night? Naturally, it was the 'friend' with which you boarded this vessel, was it not?"

This time, her eyes flick to the opposite side of the room, near where Seaman Strogenov is now standing. 

"Ah... as I suspected, another telltale glance. Without doubt, it seems you have gotten help from another 'friend' of yours... the writhing serpent we see before us! Yet... that fact leaves us in a quandary." As Mr. Holmes continues his speech, the snake starts hissing. "The victim's written observations on the night in question tell of 'a speckled band', whereas, regrettably, this specimen's markings do not fit that description in any way. What explanation can we then give, pray? What was this sight that fell upon the victim's eyes last night?"

"Don't look at me!" she insists, reaching for something in her pocket and hiding it behind her. "This has nothing to do with any of this!"

"I'm afraid it does. You have the answer to this quandary, even now... hidden behind your back. Yes! That which you are trying — but failing — to conceal, can only be the snake's sloughed skin! Evidently, after the subtle and horrible crime, this most deadly friend of yours shed its original skin. No?"

"I don't know what you are talking about!"

"I'm sure you do. Last night, through the ventilator visible in this cabin, your then speckled friend slithered next door. Using the bell cord on the other side as a bridge, the serpent silently descended into the victim's quarters. In the dim light, it appeared to the young gentleman who was about to lose his life as a speckled band."

Miss Pavlova stays silent, her hands remaining behind her back.

"In summary, the nature of this 'friend' of yours, which last night infiltrated the scene of the crime, is a rare breed of snake whose markings change each time it sloughs its skin! A snake so dreadful, we can only imagine it would be found in the deepest depths of India."

Conclusion - A beloved speckled snake

**********

Topic 2 - How Mr. Asougi Died

"Moving on... we come to the heart of the matter — the grim demise of the victim. How did this young man lose his life, and why?" At this, he plucks the post-mortem report out of the Inspector's hand. "According to the data of which I have been apprised, it would appear there were no visible signs of injury."

Miss Pavlova gasps.

"In fact, the circumstances of the victim's death can only be explained by a terrible venom! Now, if we take that as fact... we can reasonably imagine that there remains evidence to affirm it at the scene of the crime."

She stares in shock. "Could there be...? Oh no!"

"Yes! An examination of the deceased's body will prove the cause of death conclusively!" Now Mr. Holmes waves the crime photo in the air. "The almost — but not quite — imperceptible puncture wounds left by the venomous fangs will seal the truth — the vestiges of the snakebite delivered by your terrifying friend."

Miss Pavlova shakes her head. "This... this makes no sense!"

"There is no point feigning ignorance, Miss Pavlova. After the incident, you endeavored to hide everything, didn't you? But now your involuntary glance betrays the hiding place you chose. That's right. You hid the evidence that links you to the victim's death in that ventilator grille! When we first met in this cabin, though it came to my attention that your case moved periodically, a 'friend' of a different beast lay in wait there. However...  your serpent assassin, no doubt, managed to conceal themselves in the one place none of us thought to look inside!"

"That is not true at all!"

"It is telling that the victim made note of a low whistling sound that he heard minutes before his end. That was your signal, was it not — the sound you had used to train your serpent friend?" At her silence, he continues on, twirling over towards the vent. "Indeed, you'd put the serpent through this ventilator and wait. After a period, you'd summon it back with a whistle. You couldn't know if the animal had done its duty, so you would listen for signs of life next door. If the victim appeared not to have been dispatched, you'd release the snake once more. Do you deny this snake has undergone such training?"

"Yes! None of this is true!"

"Having slithered through the ventilator and down the bell cord, the creature needed only to sink its fangs in once... and its venom would course through the victim's veins, ending his existence forever. That is the true nature of the speckled band that took the poor young man's life! There can be no doubt! My logic is infallible!"

Miss Pavlova covers her face and Seaman Strogenov still looks as if he wants to protest in some way.

Conclusion - Death by a venomous snake's bite

Once again, Mr. Holmes takes a bow. "Thus concludes Sherlock Holmes's great deduction of the speckled band!"

He leans against the wall then. "Miss Pavlova has trained that snake as a killing machine. There on the floor, you will observe a saucer of milk. The promise of food is the key to training any creature."

My eyes go wide. "Inconceivable... have you actually solved this mystery?!"

"Amazing! Your great deduction really lives up to its name!" says the Inspector. "I see now why Sherlock Holmes has become such a household name!"

Sherlock grins. "My dear man... It was nothing remarkable. As the Russians say, 'I could have done it with one left hand.'"

Only Susato seems unconvinced. "Mr. Holmes, if I may...?"

"Yes, Miss Susato, what can I do for you?"

"I'm afraid it's about your deductions. Some things don't quite add up for me."

"Oh? Go ahead and question me!"

Susato walks over to the saucer. "For one thing, reptiles — much like that snake — don't drink milk; mammals do. We know of Miss Pavlova's pet cat, so it's likely it belongs to her. You couldn't train the snake the same way, I'm afraid."

"No matter! No doubt Miss Pavlova used some other treat to encourage her other friend to do her bidding. Milk was merely an example. The logic holds."

"Not exactly..." She points to one of her ears. "Snakes do not have ears. How would it hear the whistling?"

"Have you not heard of the tales from Arabia, where they dance to the sounds of a flute?"

"Of course! But I think, perhaps, the performers play their music in time with the snakes' natural movements..."

At that, Sherlock looks absolutely affronted. "No hands, no feet, no EARS?! These creatures are so inept as to be practically useless!"

"Hey!" I say. "Don't take it out on the snakes!"

Susato raises one of her hands, with her little pocketbook in the other one. "I'm afraid there is one more thing..."

"You have more?!" I have never seen him look so disbelieving.

She flips through the book and then points to something. "Snakes use the scales on their bellies to propel themselves. I'm not really sure that a snake could manage to climb up a flat bell cord like the ones in these cabins."

"Then it should try harder!"

She smiles slightly. "Try not to be angry with me, Mr. Holmes. The point is... even if the snake had gone through the ventilator to the next-door cabin, it couldn't have come back without help. What I'm trying to say is that... there are a number of reasons why it's difficult to imagine the snake could have had a part in this."

Silence... from everyone.

Then she turns to me. "It appears we're in for another correctional course, Ryunosuke!"

I blink. "Again?"

"Yes! Why don't you take this one?"

"How exactly would I do that in my current state?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Sherlock says, suddenly spirited again. "Cast your eyes down to your wrists, won't you?"

I raise my wrists... and notice my handcuffs are gone!

"Huh?!" I'm practically sputtering. "How... how did...?"

"They're gone!" Susato says. "You are a marvel, Mr. Holmes!"

"Where did they go?!" asks the Inspector.

"Worry not," says Sherlock, "they will be restored when we are through."

I wish they would just stay off...

"Now... it is time for a sequel to the 'Logic and Reasoning Spectacular'!"

Course Correction

Hold it, Mr. Holmes!

Let's see... if it's not her heart that is aching, then something else must be. I noticed a thoughtful look on Susato's face when Nikolina had made the pained expression in the first place.

Her ears don't seem to reveal anything, though one of her earrings is missing and only left the clasp. Where is it? Did she not notice?

She seemed to be staring at her hand before... maybe there's something there?

I cross over in front of her.

"Ouch!" I say. "That looks quite painful."

Nikolina's eyes seem to flash, but she doesn't hide her wound.

"It seems that the claw scratch flares up every time you recall what happened," I muse.

"Indeed!" Sherlock agrees. "We can also ascertain that the wound is quite fresh."

"But the snake could not have done this, right?" Susato says, flexing her fingers. "They don't have claws, right?"

I nod. "Right. But we know what does!"

She nods. "Strangely enough, she doesn't seem to be here..."

"What are you talking about?" asks the Inspector.

"We know it's not the snake that scratched her, but her little kitten, Darka!" I announce. "However, her whereabouts are currently unknown."

Nikolina looks away. "Even I have no idea where she is."

"A Russian Blue, if I hazard a guess," Sherlock tries.

That means, of course, the item she hides in her hand isn't snake skin... likely far from it, actually.

This time, I move to the side of the room to get a better look at what she's hiding.

"Now that looks like a speckled band," I say. "But what exactly is it?"

Susato follows my gaze. "It appears to be a cat's toy. They're popular in the West. Cats — kittens especially — love pawing at these."

"Well done, you two!" Sherlock claps his hands. "It was this toy that you dangled through the ventilator. You waved it around, I presume? Naturally, the victim could not fail to notice it."

"The question is, why did you do it?"

"My dear boy, there can be only one answer to that. After her feline friend disappeared through the ventilator into the neighboring cabin... Miss Pavlova attempted to use the speckled cat's toy to incite the creature to return!"

"Oh! So it was Darka that ended up in there!"

Nikolina flinches. Hard. 

Sherlock picks up the photo of the two off the table. "You will forgive us for borrowing the photograph of your pet, Miss Pavlova."

"It... it was after I gave her her food last night..." she murmurs. "That's when it happened. She scratched the back of my hand, and then ran up the bell cord. Before I could do anything, she had disappeared... through the ventilator. Darka... she is so naughty..."

Topic 1 - SOLVED!
Intruder's Identity - A beloved kitten

*****

"It is true that Kazuma-sama has no wounds anywhere," Susato points out.

"But, despite having taken that report from the Inspector's hands, there's something Mr. Holmes doesn't seem to notice," I say. "He wasn't poisoned!"

Sherlock raises an eyebrow and glances over the report. Then he hits his head. "Ah! I knew it was either one or the other possibility! Either he was to be poisoned... or his neck was to be broken."

Nikolina steps back. "What?! His neck was...?"

"Indeed. The breaking of the cervical vertebrae is fatal." He jerks his head towards Bif. "Only that goliath would be strong enough to survive that!"

I squint. "Seaman Strogenov isn't some immortal freak, you know..."

"The jury is still out on that one," he says with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, we have on good authority that the victim's neck was broken."

"But his body doesn't seem to tell us much in that photo," I say. 

Susato shakes his head. "It doesn't, no. No weapons have been found, either... so I can assume a very awkward fall caused this."

"An accident...?" (Somehow, that seems more tragic than if it was on purpose.) "But we know him; he's not clumsy."

"That's right. Do you remember anything from the scene that could tell us what happened?"

What else was around him...? The glass, the words, that mark...

That's it!

"Yes!" I say. "An examination of the mark on the floor will prove the cause of death conclusively!"

"I'm sure you've heard my words on this already," Sherlock says. "That particular mark, so prominently visible next to the victim's body, was a deposit of shoe polish."

Nikolina looks confused. "Shoe polish?"

"That's right — positively identified by a little analysis device I constructed, which I carry now as a matter of course. Beeswax, tallow and dye were my results... the undeniable ingredients of shoe polish."

"The color even matches Kazuma-sama's shoes," Susato points out.

"Oh no... please, no..."

I nod. "You see it now, don't you, Miss Pavlova? For some reason... Kazuma must have caught his foot at that point on the floor and tripped."

"By a dreadful turn of misfortune, he caught his neck against some immovable object as he fell to the floor," Sherlock continues. "Suffering a fatal blow to the spine, the victim's vertebrae shattered, and in that instant... he lost his life."

Nikolina staggers back, straight into a chair. "NOOOOOOOOOO!! I... I don't know anything about this!"

At this point, I am slowly losing my patience with her.

"I don't think that's true, Miss Pavlova."

She looks at me in horror.

We know the case has nothing to do with what happened, as it never left the room.

But something over in that area must.

The wastebasket, which has had nothing of value in it up until this point, seems to start shining light on the matter.

"Look at this," Susato says, holding something up. "It looks to be a piece of broken glass."

I blink. "That's not the only place we've found glass... Miss Pavlova, why is this in your wastepaper basket?"

Her lips are curled in tight.

"Inspector!" Sherlock says. "Go fetch the other piece of glass, if you will!"

He bows. "At once, sir."

*****

It only takes a few moments for him to return with it, and he hands it to Susato.

"Look!" she says. "These two pieces appear to fit together perfectly!"

"No!" Nikolina cries out.

I tilt my head. "It looks like a bell... like the one in the picture around your cat's neck!"

"EEEEEEEK!!"

"The truth has caught up with you, Miss Pavlova," says Sherlock. "The young man who lost his life last night did so after a truly inauspicious fall."

"The cause of that fateful stumble?"

I join up with Sherlock as we both tap our fingers to our temples.

"Your absent feline friend... Darka!"

Nikolina covers her face. "I'm so sorry... I couldn't... I couldn't tell anyone..."

Topic 2 - SOLVED!
How Mr. Asougi Died - Death by tripping over a cat

*****

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *        End        *
*       Deduction Complete      *
*            Elementary!          *
*                                                          *
****************************************

I cross my arms. "You need to tell us exactly what happened last night, Miss Pavlova."

She shakily gets to her feet. "It was... a little after one in the morning. It was so late, but I hadn't had time to feed Darka. So I gave her some food. Then, all of a sudden, she scratched me and jumped out of my hands."

Inspector Hosonaga hums. "People do say that cats become very anxious and nervous in new environments."

"She was so fast. She disappeared through the ventilator before I could stop her."

Sherlock points to his hand. "That is how you acquired the rather nasty wound on the back of your hand, I take it?"

"Yes. I had read the, um... rules on the wall. I knew that I was not allowed Darka with me."

"It's more a precaution," says the Inspector. "Modern science suggests that animals can carry infectious diseases."

Nikolina heaves a sigh. "I kept listening into the next cabin, to see if the person there was asleep. It was very quiet, so..."

"So at that point, you thought it safe to try to lure the kitten back again by dangling the end of the toy through the ventilator and into the adjourning cabin?" asks Sherlock.

She nods. "Darka always loves this toy. But it didn't work. Nothing worked. I tried using her favorite toy, I tried whistling to her softly, but... nothing. She didn't return."

In short, the whistling Kazuma heard was her.

"Well, cats have a propensity to remain hidden in the shadows when frightened," says Sherlock.

"Yes, I know, so there was nothing else I could do." She clenches her hands. "I had to wait up there until she calmed down... but then she cried out and I heard that dreadful bang! I nearly passed out with shock. But then it was just... nothing, totally silent."

So that was the moment when... I can't even bear to think about it.

Inspector Hosonaga crosses his arms. "From the appearance of the brown mark on the floor, it seems likely that what you heard was the victim stepping on the glass bell and tripping up. The SS Burya is a large vessel, but even she can pitch and roll violently without warning. If Mr. Asougi was already off balance as a result of the ship lurching when the kitten got under his feet... the combination of unfortunate factors could easily have caused him to fall over. But what became of the kitten afterwards?"

"I... I did manage to get her to come back, but... she is gone again. When I woke this morning, I heard that a young man in the cabin next to mine had died. But I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone what had happened. I was too scared... scared that they would send me back."

I look towards Bif, then startle in shock. "The snake! It's gone!"

Susato runs toward me.

"Where is it?!" demands the Inspector. "Why is it even on this ship, anyway?!"

"That is what I want to say!" Bif says. "Snake is my friend. His name is Pirozhko."

"It's yours?!" I ask.

"Yes." At that, said snake suddenly appears over his face again, but less tight than before. "He escaped from cage when emergency alarm sounded. I was looking for him. I did not expect to find him in here!"

Inspector Hosonaga frowns. "But you know animals are not allowed here!"

"Hah! We are at sea for one year! You want to be so long without close friend — without someone who understands?!"

Why, oh, why, did it have to be a snake, though?!

That explains all the traps around, I suppose.

"But my dear burly fellow... a gargantuan venomous snake?!" Sherlock balks. "Surely you can appreciate the danger you're putting everyone in?"

He shakes his head. "Pirozhko does not have venom. He is harmless! Very long, but very gentle! He is adorable, like Granny!"

Sherlock looks completely lost. "It refuses to drink milk, it can't hear a whistle, it can't climb up a bell cord and it's not even venomous! How the deuce did something so inept land a starring role?!"

"Is not my fault! I do not make up stories! My Pirozhko is nothing to do with this incident!"

We're all silent after that.

I suppose that's the truth behind his death, all laid out for us.

Susato breaks the silence.

"Miss Pavlova."

Nikolina looks toward her. 

"I understand the difficult situation you've found yourself in, and I do sympathize. But please, remember this: a young man lost his life. If you're going to attempt to cover up your guilt with lies, then..." At this, Susato shakes her finger at her. "...then no matter what the circumstances, I cannot forgive you!"

"Huh...? But..."

"Miss Mikotoba, what are you talking about?" asks Inspector Hosonaga (and it is at that point I see Sherlock's face take on a very strange look, even for him, before it passes on). "What lies? Miss Pavlova just confessed everything! It was just a series of unfortunate events — an accident."

She shakes her head. "I may not have a talent for finding the truth like Mr. Holmes, but even I can see... that what happened to my brother here was not the truth." Now she turns to me. "Don't you agree... Ryu-san?"

That's the first time she's not said my full name since we got onboard.

"I can't quite put my finger on it," I admit, "but I see what you mean."

"I have something to say..." Sherlock looks toward the ground. "The truth is, you, Mr. Naruhodo, are simply a distraction."

My mouth drops open in surprise. "A distraction?!"

"Yes. I was intending to let Scotland Yard deal with any outstanding issues on this matter. I am only present here for a very specific reason." He gestures towards me. "I do hope you've not been finding your shackles too uncomfortable, especially as they're on your wrists as a result of my intervention."

I look at my wrists, and there they are again. How...?!

"I was rather hoping I could resolve matters before we made our next port call."

I look surprised. "You were?"

"Yes. However, I overlooked an important detail. The deceased young man was a very close companion of yours... was he not?"

I sigh. "Yes... I even owed my freedom to him."

"In that case, we must follow this to its conclusion. No further distractions. You must uncover the real truth here, Mr. Naruhodo!"

"Whatever it may be," I say, "I'll try my best."

Maybe I'll find out... how you truly died, Kazuma.

Luckily, Sherlock and Susato look pleased by my answer.

"Let's begin." He clasps his hands together. "What we should ponder first... is the victim who lost his life in a cabin that was bolted shut from the inside. Was this truly an unfortunate accident? Or was it, in fact, no accident at all? That is what we must establish in the first instance."

"But did we not establish it already?" asks Inspector Hosonaga. "The man tripped over the kitten that had climbed into his cabin via the ventilator. Tragic, yes. But still an accident."

I shake my head. "Not quite. Some things don't like up with it being a mere accident."

"Like what?!"

"For starters, let's look at the bell again. We know it broke when Kazuma somehow came into contact with Darka... but then it makes you wonder how one half of the bell ended up back in here!"

He staggers. "Ah!"

"Darka wouldn't have brought it with her," Susato says. "Someone must have been there to take it."

"That's not all," I say. "Kazuma wouldn't have been able to write the message, either!"

"Why not?!" Nikolina asks. "Our language is quite simple... he could have picked it up!"

I shake my head. "Even so, that was not my point. The report said he died instantly!"

"Aaaaaaaah!!"

"You see? Both of those things clearly point to someone else being in that room to cover for their own guilt!"

"We already know this!" Bif interrupts. "You were only one in there! Besides, bulkhead was bolted shut from the inside — no way in our out!"

I cross my arms. "I don't know Russian! How would I have left that message?! Besides, how would I have gotten out with the seal still blocking the door without destroying it?!"

Susato hums. "He could not have known about the bell being any kind of incriminating evidence to Kazuma-sama's death, either."

"But why only take one half the bell away?" The Inspector rubs his chin. "Leaving the other half behind was always going to raise questions."

"It was past one o'clock in the early hours of the morning, so the cabin would have been quite dark," Sherlock points out. "The single, small lamp suspended from the ceiling would barely have cast any light onto the floor there. Little wonder then that the culprit failed to notice a fragment of the tiny item."

Nikolina narrows her eyes. "You all suspect me... don't you?"

"Hold it!" Bif raises a fist at us. "Nina is woman of sea! She is daughter of strong sailor. Two years ago, they noticed her dancing skills and she went away to join ballet company. But before... she was dancer on this ship. A member of ship's band. You do not accuse ship's angel of being kriminal!"

That explains why they were so willing to help her.

"You say that when young student died, Nina was there in his cabin. But that is not possible! I give my tooth!"

"Why is that?" asks Sherlock.

"Hmph! You are Great Detective! You should know! Look truth in eyes! Cabin bulkhead was bolted shut from inside! Nobody could go into cabin. Not Nina, not anyone! Or you want to tell me that killer can walk through locked doors? Nyet! It's impossible!"

He shakes his head. "I wonder about that."

"What...?"

"I put it to you that I could bolt this cabin door without laying a finger on it. Even now, in this very cabin... we can see the traces of the method I have in mind having been used before! Mr. Naruhodo, Miss Susato, do either of you see it?"

Susato looks to me. "Can you?"

"I can. After all, you had to clean up the aftermath of it!" I tell her.

She gasps. "Do you mean... the emergency stop?!"

"Yes!" I say. "The same force that caused those books on the shelf to slant over locked the door!"

Inspector Hosonaga looks shocked. "The boat made another emergency stop last night?! But how could that happen... unless the culprit is someone from the engine room?!"

"You are out of your mind!" snaps Bif. 

Sherlock scoffs. "I daresay they're both quite sane. Are you forgetting the button in the passageway outside, used to trigger the emergency alarm?"

Susato says, "They have notes saying to push them only in emergency times, right?"

"Precisely. On dark nights when the fog is dense, the captain cannot afford to rely on the eyes of his lookout alone. Hence the placement of a number of buttons around the vessel to allow any crewman to raise the alarm. The sort of button one is almost compelled to press to satisfy one's curiosity... when the button is pressed, two things happen in the interests of safety: The emergency alarm bell rings, and the vessel comes to a complete stop... as indeed it did a little earlier today."

Bif growls. "You did that?!"

"But why?!" asks Susato.

"As I always say, a button has but one purpose in life... to be pressed! Whatever the occasion!"

Now is not the time to be proud of yourself!

"How dare you mess with ship?! I report you to captain! You are in much trouble now!"

"Now now, Seaman, I'm sure all that can wait until later. Let us not overlook the fact that we have now learnt a valuable lesson. When the vessel makes an emergency stop, the bolts on the cabin doors slide closed. So... what we must now consider..."

"Did the ship make a stop or not?" Susato finishes.

"Chaos would be everywhere if that happened!" Bif snaps. "Impossible!'

"Is it?" I frown. "Your log of complete blankness seems to fly in the face of that idea."

Inspector Hosonaga asks, "But doesn't that mean nothing happened?"

I shake my head. "No! He always writes 'Nothing to report' in that case. Something must have happened!"

"Then why did no one notice?"

Sherlock points to his head. "The truth lies somewhere within the throbbing of our heads. You have noticed, haven't you?"

"Well, yes... I have had a headache all day."

"So have I, and I recall both Mr. Naruhodo and Miss Susato saying the same."

He's right. Ever since yesterday, I've only felt a haze. Whatever happened to us was strong enough for me to not have noticed that I was dragged from the wardrobe and handcuffed.

"Mr. Naruhodo, you are a stowaway, yes?"

I startle a bit. "Uh, yes, Mr. Holmes... sorry about that..."

"What exactly did you survive on?"

"Kazuma would share his meals with me, usually. He was happy to do it."

"So you enjoyed some of the whole roast chicken dish that was served yesterday evening, I take it?"

"All of it, actually. Kazuma didn't like chicken at all, so he didn't eat any of it." It hits me. "Wait... are you...?!"

"You seem to be catching on."

Susato says, "So something was wrong with the chicken?!"

"Indeed. That meal was tampered with — by the addition of a soporific, designed to induce a very deep slumber in those who consumed it."

"How could that be possible?!" says the Inspector. "Lacing every meal with a drug to make no one notice is far-fetched!"

Sherlock hums. "That is... unless every single crew member was a conspirator!"

"What?!"

"Well, Seaman, I'm sorry to say that any more deception in this matter will get you nowhere." He crosses his arms again. "If you refuse to talk, there would have to be an inquiry made through the shipping company, of course. Were that to happen, every member of the crew, and the captain himself, would be hauled over the coals... for aiding and abetting a renegade."

Nikolina steps in front of him. "Wait... please...! No more, I will say everything."

"Nina!" Bif is aghast.

"I cannot make problems for you all anymore."

Sherlock says, "These crewmen are all your former comrades, I believe was said before."

"That's right," she says. "So when I decided to... run away... I asked them to help me."

Bif heaves a sigh, setting Pirozhko on the table. "We all agreed to help, everyone together. She threw away everything... her fame in the ballet, Mother Russia... we wanted to help our angel."

"No way!" This is from Susato, Inspector Hosonaga, and me.

"You are right. We put sleeping drug in chicken last night. But we could not make all of it... how you say... dissolve?"

I make a face. "That does explain the strangely bitter lump I had chewed on."

"At midnight, in waters near Shanghai, we brought our angel on board. She was helped by comrade on shore with small fishing boat."

This time, I bite my lip. "So, if that's what happened, only Miss Pavlova, the crew, and anyone who didn't like chicken would be awake. So you would have used that trick to lock that door!"

"Wouldn't it apply to everyone's doors?" asks the Inspector. "No one was thrown into chaos over it?"

"Not so," says Sherlock. "Like us, all the other passengers would have eaten their evening meal of chicken in their cabins... after which they would have been overwhelmed by tiredness because of the sleeping drug."

"Right!" I say. "If everyone was already inside and asleep, they wouldn't be surprised by locked doors in the morning; they would assume they did it themselves!"

"Get to point," Bif says sharply.

"The point is what we said earlier. There was somebody else present on the scene when the victim lost his life last night — someone who left a message in Russian on the floor in an attempt to incriminate another, tried desperately to hide the broken fragments of glass that would reveal the culprit's identity, and who abused the ship's emergency stop procedure in order to lock a door." Sherlock tsks. "All told, a busy night."

"But I know nothing of any of this!" Nikolina insists. "I am just a little girl!"

"Even if you didn't do any of that," I say, "the same cannot be said for your friend here."

Bif narrows his eyes. "What are you trying to say? You like to speak with your long English words and explain your clever ideas. But I am sailor. We don't listen to long, boring stories. We don't believe. Sailors like me, we trust only what we see with our own eyes."

Susato says, "I wonder about that." Now she is the one to cross over behind the pair of Russians. "You seem to have a large purple stain on your uniform back there."

"Eh?!"

I follow her. "It looks to be the same color as the ink on the floor of the photo!"

"It was clearly not dry when you encountered it," says Sherlock, "or it could not have stained you in such a manner. You were clearly present there after it was spilled!"

He sighs. "Alright, yes... I did it all. I arranged everything in dead student's cabin to make it look like wardrobe man did it. Then I pressed button to make Burya do emergency stop, and bolt cabin door shut. I did everything so no one would suspect our angel."

Nikolina looks up at him. "Bif, please..."

"Don't worry, angel. Let me do talking. It was after one in the morning. I was on duty, patrolling passageway. Then, our angel came to me. She was white like sheet. Everything that happened in cabin is like angel told you."

I cross my arms. "So Darka escaped out the ventilator and Kazuma tripped over her, fell and broke his neck?"

"That is right."

"That means that Miss Pavlova went and visited the cabin next door, did she not?" asks the Inspector.

"Only to find its occupant lying lifeless on the floor," Sherlock adds.

"She said she was worried when she heard sound of something falling on floor. That's when she went to look. No, angel?"

Nikolina nods silently.

"The door was not locked. So she opened to look, and... you already know what happened after."

Susato steps up again, and I can see her eyes glistening. "If you wouldn't mind... Miss Pavlova... was Kazuma-sama already dead when you went to his cabin?"

"Why are you asking me that...?"

"I already told you!" Bif cuts in. "When Nina opened door of student's cabin and looked inside—"

She holds up her hand at him. "I was asking her."

That silences him.

It takes a while before she answers again. "Дa... Yes... that is right. I saw him... It was dark, and he was wearing black, but... he was on the floor... not moving... I was scared..."

"Very well... I believe you."

Sherlock says, "Hold on, Miss Susato."

"Hm?"

"Something almost slipped my mind about that photo. I took this myself, you know. The cause of death was a broken neck. Therefore, the victim died instantly. The unfortunate incident that precipitated these events? A kitten, on which the victim stumbled. However, if those are the facts, there is one particular area in this photograph... that seems to me somewhat unnatural."

Bif frowns. "'Unnatural'...?"

"Mr. Naruhodo, you may know this answer better than anyone here."

I ask, "Why me?"

"Well, you have been tossed about quite a bit throughout this whole ordeal, have you not?"

Why on earth...?

"Why are you bringing this up now?" I ask.

"Think about it. In every opportunity, how did you land?"

I think. "I mean, I didn't land in the same place twice, but I always landed flat... from my stomach to my hands..."

"That is my point." Sherlock turns his hands palm up. "In a fall — a toss, in your case — one's instinct is to open the palms flat. Yet here we see the victim with his left hand tightly balled into a fist. Almost, you might say... as though he were gripping something."

"I see now!" Susato says. "Did you find out anything about it?"

"In fact, I did. What, Miss Susato, do you think I found?"

"Oh, I don't know! What could it be?"

He reaches into his pocket and shows us the item.

Wait! That's...

"That looks like your earring, Miss Pavlova!" I say. "Your right ear has been devoid of this, I'm sure."

Nikolina starts stepping backwards again. "Oh... oh no..."

"You see where we're going with this." My patience has nearly worn thin now. "Kazuma must have grasped that crescent moon and pulled it from your ear — perhaps just moments before he fell to the floor. In other words... last night, in his cabin, you witnessed the moment when the victim fell with your own eyes. In fact, you were quite literally at arm's length from him." I ball one of my fists. "Why did he pull your earring from your ear, and hold it in his clenched fist during his final moments?"

Even Bif looks lost. "Angel...?"

"No one can protect you now. Tell us the truth!" 

I blink away the wetness I feel. I can't cry over this now. 

"What did you do to Kazuma last night?!"

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeт!"

With that, Nikolina collapses to the floor.

*****

Her head is in her hands, she's on her knees, and tears are falling down her face.

"When I think about everything that happened yesterday... it was too much," she says, sniffling. "Running away... the fishing boat in the middle of the night... trying to climb onto this huge ship... then... when I was at last in this cabin and I could relax after this horrible, long day... Darka ran away! I couldn't believe it when she disappeared through the... the ventilator. I tried to call her with... a little whistle... I... I tried waving her favorite toy... but nothing worked. Darka would not come back. I had to go next door. When I did, your friend answered the door, inquiring after an inspector he knew, he said."

"He must have meant me," says Inspector Hosonaga.

"I think, yes. He was very kind and polite... helped me to find Darka, even promised not to tell anyone. But... then he recognized me before I was about to leave! My heart nearly stopped when he said that. He knew who I was! How could this man from a land in the faraway East know a Russian ballerina?!"

Susato says, "He saw you perform when you came to Japan. He wouldn't stop gushing about it for a while."

Nikolina shudders. "All I thought was 'I can't fool him. I have to tell him the truth, and hope he doesn't tell anyone. I have no other choice.' But then he was talking about getting another opinion and I was sure he would pull the bell cord! I called after him, and that's when Darka ran over to his feet! Right as he turned to look at me... I pushed him! I don't even know why! I don't know why I did it! I... I was just so scared! I... I had to stop him from telling anyone about me."

"So that's when you decided to set up everything." I frown. "Here's what I don't get. For one, all the crew members would have sided with you, not him. But for two, Kazuma is a man of his word. If he said he wouldn't tell, he wouldn't have."

Susato nods. "Yes, he must have been going for something else."

"There is nothing else there!" Nikolina insists.

"Miss Pavlova... do you see what is directly next to the bell cord here?" asks Sherlock.

She blinks. "It is... the wardrobe...?"

"Yes. Remember what was inside? That man's great friend, sleeping soundly."

She gasps, in abject horror. "A...ah...!"

"He was likely going to wake me so we could have figured something out," I realize, and I can't stop a tear from falling this time.

"It's a shame," Susato says. "If you had been more careful about what he was looking at, things would have ended much differently."

"Thank you for finally telling us the truth," I say, sadly. "Unfortunately, you will not be able to ever forget that a man lost his life over what you did."

Nikolina cries harder. "What have I done...?! I'm so, so sorry... for taking your dear friend away from you..."

At long last...

the mystery surrounding the tragic accident on the SS Burya...

was finally laid to rest.

~ 9th January, 7:14 p.m. ~
~ SS Burya, First-Class Cabin Passageway ~

I heave a sigh as I finally re-enter the cabin. The adventure has stopped before it had even really started.

Nikolina was to be handed over to the police down at Scotland Yard, according to the Inspector, with Sherlock being able to sort all of that out.

Bif even apologized to Susato and I for not realizing how this would make us feel, and turned himself in along with her, while unshackling me in the process. Before everyone left, he handed me something... it appeared to be some kind of address. (I was to learn that Sherlock had arranged them a place to go, somewhere in the States. It appeared she wanted to try and keep in touch with me, which was already a shock. I suppose she really wants to be forgiven one day.)

I still can't believe it... it was only mere days ago that Kazuma and I were talking about fun London would be... but it's all over now.

I can feel tears threatening to roll down my face, but I wipe them away at the sound of someone else's weeping.

In shock, I look up.

Susato is facing away from me at the desk, crying her eyes out and holding Karuma.

"Susato?"

She looks back, and startles when she sees me. "Oh!" Now she turns around fully. "Hello, Ryunosuke... I didn't know you had returned."

"I haven't been here long," I reply. "I'm just here to pack since Inspector Hosonaga reminded me that I'll have to leave the ship tomorrow and all."

She nods. "You know... I still can't believe any of this happened. Someone's life is just... over, just like that." She takes a seat on the bed. "He had such grand ideas for this visit to Great Britain, so many dreams — and now, they've been cruelly taken away... just as he has." Susato wipes her eyes. "I thought I could never forgive the person responsible... but now we know the truth — that it was just an accident, a silly series of mishaps. It's too much, Ryunosuke. It's just too much..."

I cover my mouth. "I know, I know..."

Inspector Hosonaga peeks his head inside. "I wish there was something I could say aside from offering my condolences to both of you. My duty was to see Asougi-san safely to Great Britain. But I failed and caused his two closest friends great pain and suffering as a result. I've let everyone down." He looks down. "I will do anything to make up for my terrible blunder!"

"No one is blaming you, Inspector," I say. "At the very least, at least I'm free again..."

Before I continue on, I raise my hands... only to find the handcuffs back on them! Even Susato and Inspector Hosonaga are completely baffled.

That is, until we hear the laugh ringing in the air.

"Ah ha ha ha ha hah!"

The man it belongs to sweeps into the room, his goggles across his face.

"Are you surprised, Mr. Naruhodo?"

I ball my fists. "This is far past that! What is the meaning of this?!"

Sherlock flaps his hand. "Oh, a trifling matter. Simply that, in my head, I think I shall always picture you wearing those shackles. Without them, the balance seems all wrong... distracting, even. So I decided to restore them, for old times' sake, shall we say? You are a stowaway, after all."

I can't believe him right now. I wish I were as strong as Susato so I could throw him across the room myself!

"Mr. Holmes, thank you very much for all your assistance," Susato says, "that you gave us today."

He smiles slightly. "Not at all, not at all. Though it's a little late, may I offer my sincere condolences?" It disappears. "The loss of your companion is truly heartrending. I hope that you will be able to fulfil some of his aspirations in his honor."

"Unfortunately, that won't be possible." Our resident Inspector looks at the floor. "We shall be disembarking at the next port in Hong Kong. We have to return to Japan and make a full report about everything that's happened."

I look lost. "Wait! Aren't I the only one that is returning?"

Susato looks away. Inspector Hosonaga answers the question.

"The terms of this study tour were negotiated by the Department of Justice in both Great Britain and Japan," he says. "It was to be one lawyer and one assistant."

My eyes go wide. "Oh, no..."

"Yes, you see now. In the light of Mr. Asougi's unfortunate death... I'm afraid the study tour can no longer go ahead."

I look to Susato. "I'm so sorry... you don't deserve to miss this chance."

She offers a watery smile. "Maybe someday we shall deserve another one."

Sherlock wags a finger. "My dear fellows, the majority of problems have an extremely simple solution, you know! All you require is one lawyer, and the study tour can continue, surely?"

She looks confused. "Mr. Holmes, we don't have anyone else with the necessary qualifications."

He shrugs. "Any qualifications obtained in your own country will be of little value in Great Britain, I'm afraid."

"Oh...?"

"Anyway, the voyage to London still promises a good month of time. Ample opportunity, I would say, to find yourselves another suitable lawyer."

Could this...

could this be my chance to fulfill Kazuma's will?

"Susato?"

She looks at me.

"Perhaps... do you think... that I might be able to do it?"

She gasps. "Do you?"

Inspector Hosonaga tilts his head. "You were studying English, not law, weren't you? I don't see this working out."

"As I said, however," Sherlock points out, "there is still more than a month before we reach England's shores."

"Right!" I straighten up. "I don't see why I can't study what I can until we get there."

"In forty days?!" Inspector Hosonaga is disbelieving. "That sounds ridiculous!"

I cross my arms. "We won't know if we don't try!" I shake my hands. "Please, at least let me try. If I fail, then I will accept my punishment."

"But why would you do this to yourself?"

I lower my head. "Kazuma had something important to do in Great Britain, to the point he was willing to sacrifice anything to make it happen. I can't let his passionate mission go to such waste. Besides, why not try and learn something new?" I look up again. "Susato?"

She smiles. "I actually think it's a wonderful idea."

At least she believes in me.

"Well?" Sherlock turns to Inspector Hosonaga. "What does our bespectacled inspector friend say?"

"You can't be serious," he deadpans.

"One lawyer and one assistant. The numbers are indisputable."

"It's madness!"

"Perhaps, but also quite fascinating! Duty and rules are the dull routine of existence that we all abhor. Give us interest! Give us fascination!"

"Speak for yourself, over there!"

"In any event, the qualifications mean nothing. What matters is his character... no?" As he speaks, Sherlock finally releases me from the cuffs again. "You've witnessed ample evidence of this man's exemplary character today with your own eyes, from the early hours of this morning until this very moment now. Despite contending with the passing of his close companion, and despite the accusation of guilt... this man has shown resourcefulness, intelligence and — above all — courage."

Inspector Hosonaga rubs his temples. "Very well. I'll think of a clever way to word my report to the Department of Justice. After all, I did say I would do anything to make up for my shortcomings."

Susato clasps her hands. "Thank you so much, Inspector!"

He bows. "If you don't mind, I must pay a visit to the captain's quarters, I think. I need to discuss what to do next, and how best to make my report."

Out he goes, leaving the three of us alone.

"Can you really do this?" Susato asks me.

"I am willing to at least try," I reply. "On the subject of that... would you be willing to teach me anything I need to know about being a lawyer?"

"Of course! I'm not a judicial assistant simply for show!"

"Thank you! I'll need all the help I can get."

"Also..." She holds Karuma out to me. "I'd like you to take charge of this."

I gasp. "You want me to take on Karuma?! Are you sure?! Shouldn't you be doing it as his sister?"

Susato gives me another sad smile. "I may be his sister, but you were the one he truly loved, even if he wasn't the best at showing it. After all, he didn't wear that hachimaki wrapped around it because of me, but because of you. You know how much it means to him."

I heave a deep breath to keep from crying again. "Alright, then. Of course, I'll treasure it always. It seems we'll be working together for quite a bit! It's a chance to get to know you... perhaps we will become real friends one day."

"Yes, you're right. It will be an honor to help you. We can't spare a minute of freedom if we want to absorb all this information!" Her brief smile drops as she attaches Karuma to me. "But... before we start, I have something to ask of you."

I raise my eyebrows. "What is it?"

She leans toward me. "You must throw me to the ground... three times!"

I blink in shock. "What? Why?!"

"Because I never should have doubted you!" she says like it's the most obvious thing. "Kazuma-sama cared for you more than almost anything else. You would have never done anything to hurt him, yet I said all those terrible things. I may have been upset, but that was no excuse for what I've put you through."

"But you were in shock, too," I point out. "The situation looked compromising; what else were you supposed to do?"

"Please, don't make excuses for me! I should have listened to you! Never mind that I threw you not only once, but five times across this whole voyage!"

It's funny how the number keeps climbing up like that.

Susato takes a hold of my hands in her own. "Please, you must do it! Simply take hold of me and throw! Don't think about it!"

"Even if I wanted to — and I don't, Susato — I wouldn't even know where to start," I add with a laugh, patting her hands and sitting her back down. "I've never thrown anyone around in my life."

"A wise decision, Mr. Naruhodo," says Sherlock, who is now leaning against the door. "It isn't a skill one acquires without considerable training."

"Oh, you're still here, Mr. Holmes?" Susato looks a bit surprised.

"My daughter, she observed your throwing technique many times and described it to me. I must admit that I was impressed simply by what I heard."

His daughter...? She was watching us? (I hope she was okay throughout that last emergency stop...)

"I presume that would be a form of Japanese wrestling?" he asks.

"Not quite," she says, standing up. "It's not wrestling, but my own interpretation of an ancient jujutsu technique."

"She's coined it as the 'Susato Takedown'," I say. "Trust me when I say it leaves your head swimming."

"If you think mine is trying, you should see my own best friend do it. She's even surpassed me, in that way."

I'd hate to be the person that upsets both Susato and her friend, imagining if they team up.

"How beguiling," he muses. "I am a practitioner of the combative arts myself. I am a somewhat accomplished boxer."

Off he goes, dancing again.

"Miss Susato, would you be so kind as to instruct me on the technique of your arresting throw?"

She grins. "I'd be honored!"

"Very well, let's not dally! Demonstrate!"

She nods, then turns to me sheepishly. "I know what I said before, but if you don't mind..."

I can't believe I'm about to be used as a training dummy.

"I am such a good friend," is all I have to say.

"Yes, you are!" 

At least there was some more warning when I got thrown this time. She was even considerate enough to drag me to the opposite side of the room so she could aim for the bed.

"Haiiiiiii-YA!" I can see their blurry figures above me. "As you can see, Mr. Holmes, you must throw from the abdomen."

"Arresting indeed, Miss Susato! That is what you term the Susato Takedown, is it?"

"Actually, no, this one is the Susato Squash!"

Glad to hear them getting along.

As I drift off to sleep, a memory of one of my last moments with Kazuma sails to the forefront of my mind...

"'Karuma is such a grand sword, isn't it?"

That's the first thing out of my mouth as Kazuma holds it out, right in front of me.

"It is." He puts it away. "As you know, it's been passed down through generations of the Asougi clan."

"I wish I had such history like that. I still can't believe you managed to bring on board with you! Asking permission to take it with you must have baffled them, surely?"

He nods. "You know that a Japanese man's sword is their very soul, don't you?"

"Yes," I reply. "You've said, quite a few times since you received it 7 years ago."

"It's true, after all. I can't be parted from my katana, Ryunosuke. Karuma guides me, in all things. I truly believe that."

I smile. "Is it the name that compels its wielder to slice evil in two? Not that you need much convincing, anyway..."

He laughs. "It seems that you've been more compelling for me to slice things as of late than Karuma. That prosecutor may never live down that unwanted haircut." Then he turns serious. "On that subject... there's something very important that I have to do in Great Britain. I'll sacrifice anything to make it happen." He clasps his hands together. "I'd appreciate nothing more than you seeing it through with me."

"Of course I will; that's not a question!" I say. "I'll see it through to the end with you."

"I knew you'd never let me down." He smiles again, a little softer than before. "It's almost as if Karuma is only one half of my soul... for I won't be parted from you, either."

Famous last words... maybe the sincerest I've ever heard cross his lips in verbal or written word before.

I still don't know what that important thing was he had to do...

but I'll do anything to figure it out and see it through.

Next stop...

London.

Chapter Text

~ 18th February, 9:21 a.m. ~
~ British Supreme Court, Lord Chief Justice's Office ~

Upon our arrival, we were rushed around by train and then by carriage, observing London's beauty as much as we could.

Now, we're at the Supreme Court.

Susato and I observe some birds flying in as we approach the entrance.

"This place is... quite imposing," she says, folding her cloak up in her hands. "Almost suffocating, even..."

I nod, removing my hat. "Agreed. It still manages to be both incredible and breathtaking, though! Kind of like a fortress."

She laughs shortly. "I think I see it. We'd be hard-pressed to see such impressive stone buildings like this at home since we only opened our borders a few short decades ago."

"Mm hmm. Which place are we in this courtroom again?"

"If I recall, we're in the Lord Chief Justice's office." She flips through her book. "We had instructions to report here. Were the circumstances different, we would be alerting this Lord Chief Justice know that we had arrived."

I sigh, running my hands along Karuma, which is now around my waist. "Sadly, Kazuma can't do that."

"Yes, so instead, we are here to report his death to them. Once we do, our work as envoys are complete. Normally, after this, we would have to return back to Japan."

"Right... so if we want to stay, I have to take Kazuma's place on the tour."

Susato starts walking again. I follow her as we continue talking.

"Yes. In order to get the qualifications and, by extension, be allowed to stay here, we must speak with them, as the Lord Chief Justice is the one that appoints lawyers here."

I nod. "I hope I'm up to scratch. I don't want to be the reason you miss out on this opportunity."

She jabs me lightly. "You mean we. Kazuma risked stowing you away on that ship for a reason."

Before I can say anything else to that, we hear the doors slam open behind us.

"Good morning. Sorry for keeping you."

As soon as we turn around.... oh, dear.

We are faced with an absolute mountain of a man.

"I trust you aren't too exhausted after your long voyage from Japan?" After he says this, he checks his watch. "Hmph. It seems I'm one hour, twelve minutes and... forty-seven seconds late. My apologies."

I shrug. "It's alright! It's not like we had anything else to do, and this is important! We're glad to do it."

The man exhales. "How fortunate. So, introductions... I am Mael Stronghart, Lord Chief Justice of the British Empire."

So this is him... I'm terrified already.

"Snap out of it, Ryu-san!" Susato says, shaking me.

"Right, right!" I bow. "An honor, Lord Chief Justice Stronghart. I'm Ryunosuke Naruhodo from the Empire of Japan!" I gesture beside me. "This is Susato Mikotoba."

At that, I see an almost untraceable change in his demeanor before he's smiling at us.

"Well, Mr. Naruhodo and Miss Mikotoba, welcome to London — the capital of our glorious British Empire!"

"Thank you!"

Now... how to start...

"So... what are your impressions of our capital so far?" he asks. "How do you like London?"

"It's simply splendid!" Susato clasps her hands together. "We had a wonderful view of some of London's streets from the carriage on the way here from the station. Everything is so impressive and grand! I must say I'm almost lost for words."

"I'm glad to hear you like it. The city boasts tramways, piped water and gas — even cables supplying electricity. We spearhead every revolutionary new technology in the world. Every visitor to London is astounded."

"Definitely," I agree. "Everyone seems so happy here!"

"I would hope so. There's much excitement about the upcoming Great Exhibition we will be hosting here in London."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Cultural and technological achievements from around the globe are to be exhibited here in our great city. It will be the greatest spectacle of its kind in history and will make Paris's World Fair look like a toy shop!"

Susato claps. "Sounds magnificent!"

"Indeed — Great Britain's capital city is nothing but magnificent! London is the center of the modern world! The sun will never set on our great empire! Perhaps it is fate that, in these progressive times, we welcome visitors from the Land of the Rising Sun."

As he does say so himself.

"Lord Chief Justice, I think you were expecting a student of law for this study tour, weren't you?" I ask.

He nods. "Yes, a Mr. Kazuma Asougi, if my memory serves."

"Right..."

"The British government has already been telegraphed a full report on the situation. I understand the young man lost his life aboard the steamship bound for our shores. My country naturally extends its deepest condolences to yours."

Susato bows her head. "Thank you..."

Wow, they already informed him before we got here!

"You honored this appointment specifically to inform me of the news?"

"Yes. We are here in the capacity of envoys from Japan to report the sad news in person."

Lord Stronghart hums a bit. "They tell me you Japanese are a people of protocol and courtesy, and I see that it's true. However... it is with some regret that I must inform you... that the death of the young lawyer means this study tour arrangement can no longer proceed."

"Please," says Susato. "Will you hear us out?"

He pauses. "What do you have to say, Miss Mikotoba?"

"About the study tour... Ryunosuke would like to make a proposal."

Now he turns to me. "Would he now?"

I nod. "I would... here's the thing — might you consider allowing the study tour to go ahead?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Don't misunderstand me — Britain would ideally like to see the tour go ahead. But without a lawyer from your country, there's nothing to be done."

"Well, what if there was someone else?"

Lord Stronghart raises the other eyebrow now. “Is there something I don’t know? As far as I understand, only a single lawyer was invited from Great Britain from your country — and that was Mr. Asougi.”

Susato pushes me slightly forward. “Come now, you can do it!”

I nod. “Right…” I put my hands behind my back. “There’s one other who can be described as a lawyer here — me. I can do it!”

Lord Stronghart leans forward a bit. “Oh?”

“In a sense…” I step back a bit. “I do still need the qualifications and such…”

“None? How can you claim yourself a lawyer?”

“I have defended in court before, though only once.” (Details, details…) “In any case, I’ve spent any moment I can spare about your law and court proceedings all the way here on the SS Burya.”

“Fifty days is not exactly a full education, is it?”

"I know. But... I… we can't go back yet."

He raises both eyebrows at this.

“His journey only just started, and coming here is all he would talk about! For his sake and for Susato’s, I have to carry out everything he wanted to do here!”

That makes Lord Stronghart jolt, though I’m not sure why. 

“I know, I sound like I have an overly inflated opinion over myself, but… I just want to be able to prove I have what it takes.” I bow my head. “All I need is one chance, please!”

For a few moments, silence. I feel Susato rest a hand on my shoulder.

Then…

”Thirty-one seconds.”

I look back up. He’s looking at his pocket watch.”

”Sorry?” Susato and I both say it at once.

”Your opening statement there was thirty-one seconds long — not too brief or protracted. That’s a skill that would put you in good standing as a lawyer.”

”Oh!” I bow. “Thank you.”

”Before you put those words to trial, I have a question for you.”

I blink up at him. “Alright…?”

”You said that you intended to do everything that Mr. Asougi had planned. Do you stand by that?”

I nod. “Yes, of course!”

”I see.”

There he goes again, with that fractal change of expression. My powers of observation scare me sometimes.

”Very well, I will give you your chance — a test to become a specially certified lawyer. Whether or not you pass or fail is up to you.”

”Really?! What form will this test take?”

He crosses his arms. “Tell me, Mr. Naruhodo… what do you consider the role of a lawyer to be?”

”Of course, to defend people.”

”Well said. So… let‘s have you defend someone, then.”

Susato looks surprised. “Right now?”

”Yes, Miss Mikotoba. In fact, your timing could not be more perfect. There’s an apt trial about to begin later today. No advocate has been appointed for the defense as of yet, so this will be welcome news.”

Advocating, again? Here we go…

”If you manage to secure a Not Guilty verdict, you will pass; what could be simpler?”

Susato asks, “Might we ask what kind of trial it is, Lord Stronghart?”

”You may.” He looks up. “Ah, yes, I remember. It’s a murder trial. The case is extremely simple; you really can’t lose.”

”Eh?!”

Not another one…

”However, I’d be remiss not to mention that the defendant will face capital punishment if he receives a Guilty verdict.”

I gasp. That means he’ll be put to death!

”Surely you read that murderers are sent to the gallows without exception?”

”Of course we did, but we can’t possibly agree to such a test!” Susato insists. “That’s toying with a man’s life!”

Lord Stronghart shrugs. “As the Lord Chief Justice, I’ve deemed it acceptable. If you wish for me to take you seriously as lawyers, I require an answer from you now.”

No matter how hard I try, I can’t get an answer out either way. Susato looks at me, more worried than ever.

After a few moments, he heaves a sigh. “Fifteen seconds. I’m afraid both your decision making and resolve need more work. Your test is cancelled.”

I hang my head. “I understand.” I turn. “I’m sorry, Susato.”

She smiles slightly. “No, I understand you perfectly. You know it’s not easy to choose defending a man under pressure. Your resolve has nothing to do with this.”

”Exactly what is it you are trying to say?” asks Lord Stronghart.

”I think I know.” I turn back. “It doesn’t matter how much I wish to be recognized as a lawyer here. I won’t be doing it by treating a man on trial’s life so trivially like an experiment! It’s simply not forgivable, and it’s certainly not seen that way to the defendant.” I sigh. “Yes, a lawyer fights for their clients day by day, but each one of them only get their one chance. I’m not ready to do that yet, so I’m sorry for wasting your time, Lord Chief Justice.”

With that, we both start walking away, back the way we came.

“Wait.”

Surprised, we turn back.

“Was there something else?” I ask.

“It’s about twenty minutes to the Old Bailey from here. You will get there in time if you leave now.”

I stare at him. What is he getting at right now?

“But I already told you…”

“I’m aware. I was also serious in what I said. This defendant has literally no one advocating for him. He won’t be heard without someone there, and he’ll receive capital punishment without a chance to explain anything.”

“That’s terrible!”

“Must it be like this?” Susato adds with a sigh.

“Don’t expect an answer to everything. There is only one chance to save this man from a miserable end. You two are this chance.”

“We’re really his only hope…?”

“What do you have to say to this now? I’m afraid, in this case, it’s definitely a matter of resolve.”

Now she’s the one staring, wide-eyed.

Once again, eyes on the watch. “I have a meeting to attend to now.” All of a sudden, he smiles again. “So venture into our great city and enjoy yourselves!”

Off he goes.

“I guess we’re doing this, aren’t we?” I say.

She nods. “We had better leave at once!”

We’re immediately sprinting out of the building, hoping to catch the next carriage in time.

~ 18th February, 9:45 a.m. ~
~ The Old Bailey, Defendant’s Antechamber ~

I hold my head, hoping it won’t fall off after the speedy ride we were just on. “Must you insist on your Holmsian vernacular now? I’m too worried about my teeth falling out of my skull!”

“So you noticed!” She grins. “‘Get us to our destination in five minutes, driver, and there’s a guinea in it for you!’ I can’t believe it worked so well! But how did you know about it? You barely read the stories!”

“I didn’t have to read it. Iris told me about the line before.”

“Iris? Your mysterious pen pal?”

“She’s hardly a mystery! She tells me quite a bit about herself!”

“When was the last time you wrote her?”

“About a week before we set sail, but what does that matter right now?? Never mind the fact we had to pay a pretty price for it.”

“I’d say it’s worth it for getting here on time, wouldn’t you?”

“I suppose I will concede that much.”

“Do you know what I don’t understand, though?” She folds her cloak again. “The court clerk said the defendant would be here… but I see no sign of him at all.”

Aside from the court clerks and what I assume is a young girl poking her head in and out so briefly we almost miss it, she’s right. It takes me a while to finally take in the Old Bailey. It’s just as grand as anywhere else here.

I’m silent for far too long. Susato peers at me worriedly.

“You’re quite silent, Ryu,” she says. “What is it?”

I sigh. “I’m just tense… being here feels just as crushing and foreboding as back home’s is. The only slight silver lining is that I’m not the one being sentenced… for once.”

“I’m sure the man we’re set to defend is feeling very alone at this moment…”

A loud, sharp, accented voice causes her to trail off.

”Top of the mornin’ to ya both!”

In shock, we turn to the opposite side of the antechamber. Against the wall, there is a man far shorter than us with a hat to compensate.

“What are youse doin’ followin’ me here?” he asks. “Gettin’ fairly desperate ‘round here, is that it?”

We both stare at him, blinking. “Excuse us?”

He hums, stepping towards us. “By the looks o’ those expressionless faces o’ yours, youse from the East, right?”

“From Japan, yes,” Susato says once she’s snapped out of it.

He smiles at us. “Is that so? Say no more then!” Now he shrugs. “So, how much do youse need?”

I exchange a look with Susato. Do we really look like we’re that far down on our luck?

"Oh, we're not here for that," I start, "It's because—"

He cuts me off. "No need to explain, fella. I've been there meself, so I have. No place to go, nuttin' to eat, barely a penny to your name — and all while in a strange, faraway land!"

I sigh. "Yes, admittedly we haven't found a place to stay yet."

"'Tis grand, 'tis grand! Let me start by givin' youse a thousand guineas and we'll say nuttin' of it!"

"EH?!" Susato's eyes are as wide as plates.

"No need to shout," I tell her.

"Of course there's a need! A thousand guineas is enough to build an entire mansion in the most prestigious area of Tokyo!"

Now I'm the one shouting. "WHAT?!"

The man shrugs again, flipping a coin in his hand. “‘Tis nuttin’ to me at all; I like to ensure I have sufficient funds to weather a rainy day. In fact, I’ve enough to buy London two or three times over!”

That’s a lot of rain.

“Even so,” I say, “we couldn’t possibly accept that much…”

All of a sudden, the coin he flips flies straight for my eye!

Ow!

“Don’t get me wrong. It’s not for nuttin’… I’ll be wantin’ something out of the two of ya first.”

“What’s that?” asks Susato.

He scratches his head. “I’ll admit, ‘tis a bit embarassin’. The trial that’s about to begin, you see — it’s for me good self here. I’ll be in the dock. So what I want you to do is come along and stand there beside me. Officially, you’d be my lawyer, but that’s just a little detail now.”

What?! He’s the defendant?

“Well, you see…” I start, “the thing is…”

He waves his hands at me to cut me off. “Don’t worry, ya just have to stand up there next to me. Otherwise, the trial’s goin’ to start without me havin’ any representation at all!”

Wow, Lord Stronghart was not messing around with that, huh?

“So… that makes you the defendant… right?” Susato says. “If you don’t mind my asking?”

He looks shocked at the question. “Do youse really not know who I am?”

“We don’t, sorry,” I said. “We’ve only just arrived.”

“I see… s’pose it’s not altogether impossible. Let me put it into perspective for youse. Right next to Hyde Park, in the center of London, is another beautiful park. 'Tis called McGilded Park. Full of blossomin' flowers in the spring and singin' birds and whatnot. I donated it to the city, so I did!"

"You donated an entire park?!" Now it's Susato's turn to be shocked.

He grins. "'A city of smiles', that's my vision for London. There's nuttin' Magnus McGilded wouldn't do for the city and its quare old people!"

Ah, so that's his name.

"How extraordinary!" I say.

"'Tis it not? But now they've the gall to say I'm a good-for-nuttin' criminal!" He starts stomping around fiercely all of a sudden. "Me! Magnus McGilded! What is the matter with the London police, I ask ya?!"

If he's not careful, he may just pass out right then and there.

Susato pokes me. "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves, Ryu, while he's trying to catch his breath."

I nod. "Right." I clear my throat. "Excuse me, Mr. McGilded, we're actually here studying British law for a study tour. If you don't have a lawyer yet, and you'd be happy to put yourself in our hands, we'll do our best—"

All of a sudden, Magnus straightens up. "What was I after sayin', you daft eejit? I've given you a thousand guineas to stand up there next to me, haven't I?"

I blink. "This is kind of more than just 'standing up there next to you'..."

"Oh, I get it now."

"Eh?"

"I know what you're tinkin'. 'This chancer of a fella claims to have more money than the Queen. But if that's true, why the blazes can't he hire the finest lawyer in all of England? Because he did it! That's the only explanation!' Well?"

I can't help the words that escape me next. "I mean, I'm afraid that's how it looks over here. Who else wouldn't assume that?"

Magnus's mouth drops open in indignation. "What now?! Well, you call a spade a spade in the East, so you do!"

"Forgive me! I may be an English major, but I'm still not always sure what is okay to say and what is not..."

Susato immediately whacks me in the chest, causing me to fall onto the cold floor. I'm coughing as I attempt to get onto my feet again.

"See, she'll put me back in order in no time... But I do see it pretty strange that you don't have a lawyer already."

"Well, I can't say I blame ya for tinkin' it!" He waves his ringed fingers for a moment. "To answer yer question, that would be the fault of the Reaper."

I stare in surprise. "Did you just say 'reaper'?"

"Aye, I did — the Grim Reaper of the Bailey, Lord Barok van Zieks. He's the prosecutor."

Susato makes a face. "Why do they call him that?"

"Well, madam, when van Zieks stands for the prosecution, they call the accused his 'sacrificial lambs'. To this day, in every single trial in which he's been the prosecutor... the accused has been damned!"

"What?!" We can't believe this.

"'Tis true! So it's reached the desperate situation where there's no one willin' to stand in defense against the fella at all. You could say he's a living legend of the Old Bailey."

Sounds more undead to me.

"He must be extremely talented, then," Susato muses."

Magnus shakes his head. "Try 'cursed'."

"Cursed?!" I say. 

What on earth did he do to earn that?!

Before we can do anything else, the bailiff summons us in.

We don't know anything about this case, or about this Magnus McGilded.

All we know is... we can't turn our backs on him.

Kazuma wouldn't have wanted that.

This should be interesting... are you watching over us, Kazuma?

~ 18th February, 10:00 a.m. ~
~ The Old Bailey Courtroom ~

This courtroom... it's much grander than back home. Those scales of fire already give it away. Over to the side, we can see six people sitting underneath the Judge's area. Off in the defendant area is Magnus, significantly calmer than he had been before.

I can't help staring at the desk right now. It's as imposing as everywhere else!

"The centuries of history in this courtroom..." I murmur. "It's palpable, so much different than home."

"Yes," Susato says, from beside me. "It feels both imposing and serene at the same time. The atmosphere almost makes words redundant. Whatever the country, determining a person's guilt or innocence is always a solemn affair." She puts a hand on my shoulder and peers at my face. "Your eyes look like they're about to pop any moment again."

I sigh. "I know. It can't be helped."

Smack!

We all turn our eyes up to the Judge.

"In the name of Her Majesty the Queen, I hereby declare this court to be in session," he announces. "We are here today to determine the guilt or innocence of Mr. Magnus McGilded. I now call upon the counsels for the prosecution and defense to declare their willingness to proceed."

The man across from us, likely Barok van Zieks, lowers the cape that he's been holding in front of himself, though his eyes are still closed. "The prosecution... is fully prepared."

The nickname is bad enough; must he have to look the part as well?!

His Honor now looks to us. "Counsel for the Defense, you appear to be... Eastern. Do you speak English?"

I nod, eyes still a bit wide. "Yes, Your Honor."

Barok's eyes now snap open. "Those eyes please me, Nipponese."

I jump in surprise. What does that mean?!

"They shroud your fear, your doubt, your trepidation... they run wild, clinging to some phantom notion of courage — the quintessential look of a sacrificial lamb."

I feel Susato grab my arm. I wonder if she can feel it shaking.

"Now... Mr. McGilded..."

"Yes, My Lord?"

Oh, so they refer to the Judge as "Lord" here? Got it.

"You stand accused of murder, a capital offence. You could be sent to the gallows if found guilty. Are you quite sure you wish to entrust your defense to these foreigners?"

Magnus is quiet for a moment. "As I've always said, My Lord, 'tis a grand ting to give opportunities to the young — even if they're students from some little island off in the Far East. Is it not the British way to ignore the dangers to yeself and give those less fortunate a fair chance? I'd like to tink that acts of chivalry do the great British Empire proud."

All of a sudden, the gallery chimes in. 

"Listen to Mr. McGilded!"

"What a fine gentleman London has in him!"

"Did you hear that he donated five thousand pounds to the government the other day?"

"Mother, please, may we go and play in McGilded Park?"

Susato purses her lips. "It appears that he's quite popular with the gallery."

"He sure has a way with words, doesn't he?" I agree. "I'm surprised he couldn't convince anyone else to defend him."

"Eloquently put, Mr. McGilded, and most laudable sentiments. Now, ladies and gentlemen of the jury... I'm sure I need hardly remind you that you six members of the public have been selected for your impartiality. Are you ready to proceed?"

"Yes, My Lord!" says the first Juror, fiddling with the rose in his pocket. "If the task is to send rotters to the gallows where they belong, I'm more than ready!"

"At the manor, His Lordship always says we should dispose of rubbish promptly." The second Juror, dressed like a maid, dusts her dress off. "Naturally, I agree."

The third Juror twirls his knife around. "Hah! Any criminals here will soon be wishing they never set eyes on me!"

The fourth one says nothing, simply typing away on her typewriter.

The fifth one pulls his cloak around him, flask in hand. "I feel a chill."

"Oh, don't mind me, my dears!" says the sixth and final one with a small smile. "I'll just be getting on with my knitting. Must finish these mitts for my grandson."

"Ah, they must be the jury," Susato remarks. "We don't have this in Japan yet."

"Right," I agree. "Have you read anything on this?"

"Yes! Here in Great Britain, the court's final verdict depends on the opinions of these six jurors. The judge passes sentence according to the law, but the jurors determine guilt based on common sense. So the defendant is ultimately judged from two completely different points of view."

"I wonder... how exactly do the jurors give their verdict?"

"Even I don't know. But I'm sure we'll find out as the trial goes on."

Meanwhile, the Judge (or His Lord, I suppose) is addressing Barok across from us. "Prosecutor van Zieks... it's been a number of years since we've seen you here in the courtroom. I thought you'd renounced your fame."

The prosecutor in question chuckles darkly (and if I wasn't scared before, I am now!). "I'm known as the Reaper of the Bailey, My Lord — infamy rather than fame, I would say. But yes, five years have passed since I last spread my wings in this capacity."

"So, what brings you back? Is there some change of circumstance of which the court should be aware?"

"I leave that to your imagination, My Lord."

Why of all days did he decide today was the day for a comeback?!

Susato can sense my stress already. "Ryunosuke, try not to lose heart!"

"It's harder than it looks," I say with a sigh.

"As you wish, sir. The court nevertheless welcomes your return. Now, then, opening statements, I think," says the Judge. "A summary of the case, if you please."

"Certainly, My Lord." Barok makes an outward gesture with one of his arms. "As Your Lordship is aware, this is a case of overwhelming simplicity. The incident took place in the late evening, three days past. The hour was some minutes after ten. The victim was a maker of building bricks known in the community as 'Thrice-Fired' Mason."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why is he called that?"

"He was a very accomplished craftsman," explains the Judge. "The bricks he fired were said to be almost indestructible."

"The victim's corpse was discovered in an omnibus in service on the streets of London at the time. A dagger that had been thrust into the victim's abdomen is believed to be the ultimate cause of death." Barok holds a photograph in one hand and an autopsy in the other. "Here is the autopsy report from the investigating medical officer at Scotland Yard."

I suppose we will have to get used to seeing photographs.

"Thank you, Counsel," says the Judge. "I shall accept that and the photograph as evidence."

Off to the evidence desks they go.

"The prosecution wishes to submit these as well."

As soon as he says that, he holds up a pair of gloves... stained with blood!

"Good Lord! Is that blood, Counsel?!"

"Yes, My Lord. Seized by a policeman who arrived at the scene, these gore-soaked gloves were taken from the hands of the accused when he was arrested."

"What?!" He was wearing them?!

"Yes, I will accept these as evidence as well."

We have barely started, and already we're backed into a corner...

"Continuing... according to the driver of the omnibus, there were only two passengers travelling inside his vehicle at the time. Obviously, one of those passengers was the deceased brickmaker, Mr. Mason. The other... was the accused, Magnus McGilded!"

Half of the jurors are jolted to attention right there.

"Rather damning circumstances, to say the least. Defendant, what say you?"

Magnus looks up to His Lordship, completely nonplussed. "Well, of course, I have no recollection of such a ting."

"Huh?!" Neither Susato or I can refrain from calling out.

"To be sure, I rode the omnibus that evenin'. But whenever I'm in a carriage, I'm taken with a fierce tiredness, and I always succumb to it."

"Are you claiming to have been asleep?"

"'Tis the motion of the carriage, My Lord. Liltin', so it is. And when I opened my eyes again, 'twas a desperate sight before me... the body of a man I'd never laid eyes on before in me life." He crosses his arms. "Now I ask youse, what good-hearted soul wouldn't rush to help a fella bleedin' from his stomach? I wasn't about to start worryin' about me gloves now, was I? I reached out to give the man a hand."

So the blood got onto them after he was killed and not during? That's reassuring...

Barok shakes his head. "Unfortunately... that statement of the driver's is only the beginning. There were multiple witnesses to the precise moment at which the brickmaker was fatally stabbed!"

Now the other half of the jurors are reacting, and I'm there along with them and the gallery. I can't believe that wasn't all!

The Lordship has to yell three times to get everyone quiet. "Ordaaar! Ordaaar! Orrrdaaar!"

"When the killing took place, the victim and the accused were inside the carriage and there were witnesses to the crime. This is not just a case of compelling evidence... it's the nail in the coffin for the accused."

"Thank you, Counsel. The circumstances of the crime have been made quite clear. I think we will hear testimony from these witnesses, first of all."

"Your wish is my command. Bailiff! Bring the witnesses in at once!"

*****

This time, there are three witnesses up there at once.

"Your names and and occupations, witnesses," says Barok.

The first, who looks perpetually cold, says, "Everyone calls me Beppo. I... I drive an omnibus in the East End."

The second, who is perpetually aloof, goes next. "I'm Bruce Fairplay, a banker in the city."

The third keeps moving his perpetually sliding hat around. "I'm Ladyfirst. Adam Ladyfirst, that is. I make hats for gents."

"Let's begin by confirming the facts," Barok crosses his arms. "Three days ago, at a short time after ten o'clock in the evening... all of you present in the stand were in an omnibus and witness to the aforementioned incident. Is that correct?"

The answers come fast.

"Yes, sir!"

"Quite right."

"That's right, sir."

"Very well, then let us proceed to your formal testimonies, please," says His Lordship. "Each of you will tell the court precisely what you saw!"

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 *            Witness Testimony - Start           *
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"It... it was the last bus of the evening, so I had few customers. I remember it well.

The victim and the man accused of killing him were sat next to each other inside the bus.

Then, out of the blue, the accused just reached over and plunged a knife right into his guts!

That's right. He stabbed him! I screamed, I did! Couldn't help it.

As soon as I heard the scream, I stopped my bus. Then… then I saw it, too!"

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His Lordship hums. "Unambiguous testimony, I must say."

"Exactly, My Lord," says Barok. "These men witnessed the incident in the omnibus with their own eyes."

I raise my hand. "May I ask a question?"

The Judge regards me. "Yes, Counsel?"

"The testimony... it doesn't make sense to me."

Barok squints at me. "Why not?"

"This incident took place inside a moving carriage, right? How could these two witnesses possibly have seen what happened?"

Unfortunately, what I am met with is radio silence... from everyone.

Eventually, Barok speaks up. "How quaint... I'd read that civilization in the Eastern island nations was a good century behind our own, but you're here in London yourself. Are you really so ignorant about our omnibuses?"

I scratch my head. "I suppose...?"

"Tell me, my Nipponese friends... have you even travelled in an omnibus?"

Susato shakes her head. "We have only arrived just this morning, I'm afraid."

"No matter. I've arranged for us all to see for ourselves — the actual scene of the crime, that is."

My eyes go wide. "How... such a thing is possible...?"

"You do understand a carriage is designed to be moved, yes?"

"Yes..."

"The omnibus in which this bloody crime took place is here today, in this very building."

Susato and I gasp. "The entire carriage?!"

"Bailiff! Bring forth the stricken omnibus!"

*****

Wow, Great Britain really is amazing. We could never have just brought a whole carriage in here back home.

"As you can see," he starts explaining to us, "the omnibus is pulled by two horses, and can carry up to eight passengers — four passengers seated inside in the enclosed cabin and another four on the rooftop deck above. Every Londoner knows that the best views of the city's architecture and sights are to be had from the top of an omnibus. And I should point out to our foreign guests..." at this, he gestures dramatically to the top, "...that there is a skylight in the roof, allowing a view of the interior from the seats above."

I gasp. "Oh! So they were looking down from the top?"

"I see the penny drops at last."

Of course... it makes perfect sense. Oh no.

"Well, Counsel, this is a first," the Lordship admits. "In all my years behind the bench, I've never experienced the crime scene itself being brought into the courtroom!"

"There are a number of important clues remaining inside the carriage, My Lord. I would like to submit the omnibus itself as evidence. That is the prosecution's wish."

"Very well, I see no reason why not. This omnibus is hereby formally accepted as evidence."

Susato gasps. "Wow! This is much more advanced than normal evidence..."

"Yes!" I say. "It's not just pieces from the crime scene... it's the entire crime scene!"

At some point, we will have to go over and examine it for ourselves.

"Let us continue with proceedings, then." His Lordship gestures the gavel at us, "Your cross-examination, Counsel."

Barok rolls his eyes. "Pray don't expect these Nipponese stray to understand the intricacies of a British court's cross-examination rites."

Focus!

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"The time... it was after ten, right?" I ask.

"Yes, sir," Beppo answers. "Ever so cold, it was, sir. F-Freezing in fact."

"You had four passengers on board at the time. Is that correct?"

"That's right, sir. Not all travelling in the same parts of the b-b-bus, of course, though. No."

His Lordship asks, "There were no other passengers when the incident took place? No one alighted, for example?"

"You're quite right with that, sir. No other passengers like that, no. None."

So no one escaped from it is what he's saying.

"I have to say, the boss insists on it running, he does. Every evening. That last b-b-bus of the day. But I... I do wonder sometimes if it's altogether worthwhile. Yes, s-s-sorry to say...."

"What do you mean?" asks Susato.

"Well, what with it being so cold and everything, and only m-making twenty pence on the run, you see... Yes, I… I spend that much at the p-p-pub on the way home just... just trying to warm up again. I… I just can't believe it, ma'am."

Poor man.

"You saw the defendant and victim through the skylight, right?" asks Susato.

"That's right," answers Mr. Fairplay. "When you sit up on the top deck, the window's right there at your feet. There was a lamp on inside, so I had a pretty good view. The two of them were wearing hats and I couldn't exactly make out their faces... but there's not a shred of doubt in my mind that it was Mr. McGilded."

"How do you know, sir?"

"Well… how can I put it politely? McGilded is a gentleman of... rather small stature. I couldn't have mistaken him for anyone else."

Magnus makes a face. I mean, he can't deny it, well, can he?

"Let's not forget that when the vehicle came to a halt, the only people inside the enclosed cabin were the deceased Mr. Mason and Mr. McGilded," Barok points out. "There is no room for doubt here."

I wish.

"You saw the exact moment?" I ask.

Mr. Fairplay actually turns to face us when he answers next. "Didn't I already testify to that? Or are fair dinkum, hard-working city bankers not considered trustworthy these days?"

"Ah, forgive me! That's not what I meant. Perhaps you could just tell us what you saw in a little more detail, if that's—"

"My Lord!"

I'm interrupted by Juror #3.

"What is the meaning of this?" says His Lordship.

"My mind is made up, My Lord — completely and utterly made up!"

I blink. "About what...?"

He starts waving his knife. "I don't like the stinking rich. Never have. They're always up to something or other that they shouldn't be... every one of them. That little leprechaun of a man is no exception. Well... he can't fool me!"

All of a sudden, the little stand next to him lights up with a flame! He pulls out a stick and lights it.

"There's no point in wasting time listening to any more of this. That's my opinion on the matter, anyway."

With that, he stands up, turns around, and throws it straight into the left side of the giant flaming scales behind His Lordship, who only moves slightly out of the way. It slowly starts tipping to one side.

"Hold it!" Now it's Juror #1 who answers. "That is precisely what I was about to say! As the foreman of the jury, it's my duty to set a good example to my fellow jurors."

I blink. "Susato...?"

She seems to know what I'm going to ask, and flips to the appropriate section in her little handibook, turning it to show me. "They use fire to give their verdicts by casting fire laden sticks into the great Scales of Justice, which is what that giant thing is back there. The black side is for the guilty; the white is for the innocent."

I wince, as the next Juror tosses his stick to the left. "We don't want it to fall to the black side entirely, do we?"

"Of course not!" she says. "Let's do our very best to make sure that doesn't happen!"

What a nightmare...

In any event, we have a cross-examination to get back to.

"You were sitting at the top when you saw the stabbing, right?" I ask.

"That's right, sir," answers Mr. Ladyfirst. "I was up on the roof seats. I remember seeing the little gent sitting next to the fellow that was stabbed. I'd been thinking about a new hat design, you see. So I was just gazing absent-mindedly around. But, then... then I happened to look down through the skylight! It... it... it was sticking right out from his belly! That... that huge, great knife!"

His Lordship shudders. "What a grim sight."

All of the jury is now gossiping among themselves. They look even more convinced of his guilt than before.

Susato sighs. "That appears to have made everyone even more dubious that Mr. McGilded is telling the truth. If only we had some evidence to counter their suspicions..."

"Mr. Ladyfirst!" Barok holds something up in his gloved hand. "Is this the knife you saw?"

He shakes at the knife in his hand. "Yes, sir, that's it! The very one!"

I balk. "It's... quite large, isn't it...?"

"Furthermore, the scabbard is emblazoned prominently with a certain initial. The letter 'M'... which seems oddly familiar. For 'Magnus' or for 'McGilded'... take your pick. It seems this particular big name in London made a... magnificent mistake."

I raise an eyebrow. "Could it not stand for 'Mason' instead?"

Barok wags a finger at me. "This blade is far too extravagant for a poor brickmaker to have owned. No! This weapon of murder almost certainly belongs to the accused!"

"Ack!"

If that wasn't bad enough...

Juror #2 raises her hand. "My Lord, if you'll forgive the interruption... Mr. McGilded is a pillar of society and a gentleman, and a gentleman's word should be sacrosanct. However... those of us in service know we must accept hard truths."

My eyes go wide. "Wait... what are you about to do...?"

The fires are lit. Her fire stick is raised.

"Dispose of the rubbish!"

"No!"

Too late. Onto the left it goes.

"I don't wish to cause offense, but I do like to eradicate all traces of filth and grime."

Juror #4 finally looks up from her writing. "I have painstakingly typed every word uttered here today, and cross-referenced all the facts. As such, I am now in a position to draw the only logical conclusion."

Sadly, that conclusion is a fire stick straight to the darkness.

"We're doomed..." I mutter.

"That's already two-thirds of the jury on the guilty leaning side!" Susato laments. "There are only two left! Yet, we still need information, despite our current luck with it..."

Maybe we should try our luck with Beppo again... after all, when he gave more information no one threw any fire in.

"Mr. Beppo?" I ask. "What was it you saw?"

"Oh, well, sir, that would be the p-p-passenger, sir." He pulls his scarf a little tighter. "Yes, c-c-collapsed on the floor, he was. Then the other p-p-passenger had that kn-knife in his hand, l-like this..." At that, he raises his hand above his head, with his whip in his hand. "And then he p-p-p-plunged it down like this, s-stabbing the other passenger in the b-b-belly." A slight motion then.

"What?!"

There goes the gallery. I have a bad feeling coming on already.

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"My Lord, I wish to speak!"

Oh, no.

"What is it, juror number five? Do I take it that you, too...?"

He nods. "As the master of the London Guild of Coachmen... the idea of a murder being committed in one of the city's carriages is utterly abhorrent to me. It wouldn't be right to make a decision before hearing all the facts, though, I said to myself. But I've heard enough now. The horse has bolted, as they say."

I gasp. "Wait! Please, just keep an open mind a little long—"

He slams his flask onto the stand, a stick alight in the other hand. "Gee-up now, Silver Blaze! The finish is in sight! Beppo is a long-standing member of the guild, and I trust what the man says."

There it goes.

"You're t-t-too kind, sir," says Beppo.

"Five jurors have agreed to condemn this man," Barok remarks. "Madam juror number six... you have heard the testimonies of the witnesses in the stand."

She nods. "Yes, dear, I certainly have. Still got my hearing, you know!"

"Then, pray tell, why are you yet to pronounce your leaning?"

"Well, dear, the thing is, I'm a creature of habit, me. I always go to the park at around this time of day, and sit on a nice bench and get on with my knitting."

He makes a face, unsure of where she's going with this.

"There's a lovely little park just near where I live. McGilded Park, it's called."

I gasp. Does that mean...?

"The gentleman donated it to the city, you know. To put a smile on Londoners' faces, he said. I can't imagine such a fine, young gentleman would have it in him to take another man's life."

All of a sudden, the gallery starts speaking up.

"He is always doing wonderful things for the city."

"That's right! A man like that wouldn't stab someone, surely?"

"Mother, may we go to the McGilded Public Library later and borrow some more books?"

Magnus takes a bow from the defendant area as they all speak up.

Conversely, Barok slams his fist on the desk in incredulity.

"How many Londoners live with their heads in the clouds?!" he snaps. "Do you people not know... what kind of a man Magnus McGilded really is?"

Susato asks, "What kind of man is he?!"

He eyes us. "The philanthropist, Magnus McGilded, has enough wealth to purchase the entire city he claims to value so highly. But where did all that wealth come from? Your client is a shylock... one with the very darkest of souls!

"What?!"

I'm right there with her. Is he right?!

Juror #6 looks very shocked. "Stone the crows!"

"McGilded lends money at extortionate rates of interest so his victims have no hope of repaying him," is Barok's counter. "When they default, he takes possession of everything they own. He is a vulture that preys on the weak."

"I've never heard of any mention of that before..."

"Your faculties haven't deserted you, I'm sure, madam. So has this thought not crossed your mind? Would a man wealthy enough to buy London in its entirety not have a carriage of his own? What possible reason could this man have had to make use of a public omnibus service?"

Sadly, he has a point. Even she can see it, looking more and more nervous.

"What are you saying?" I ask.

"The victim — a poor brickmaker — had next to nothing to his name, save considerable financial liability. It will come as no surprise that his creditor was the accused, Magnus McGilded. But let it also be known that the very day Mr. Mason was killed... was the final repayment date for his debts."

His Lordship gasps. "Good gracious!"

"The brickmaker was destitute. He had lost his house. He had not a shilling with which to repay his debts — and, in the end, this pitiful soul had the very last thing he owned taken from him... his life. By the merciless philanthropist pretender... Magnus McGilded!"

I gasp. "What...?"

"Hold it!"

Surprised, I look beside me.

"Susato?"

She nods to me, then turns to Barok. "If I may add something briefly... you claim that the victim had been lent money by Mr. McGilded... but where is the evidence to support your claim?"

At that, Barok picks up a wine glass from the floor beside him and wine opposite it.

"Ah-ha, there it is!" says His Lordship. "Lord van Zieks's hallowed chalice!"

How is this acceptable?!

As he opens the bottle and pours it in, he keeps speaking. "Pray forgive the discourtesy of filling my hallowed chalice in a court of law... but I find myself in unexpectedly good humor. I had heard ladies from the Far East could show great courage... but I didn't expect to experience it myself."

Susato bows. "I am just doing my job as judicial assistant to the defense!"

"What a pity that your display of courage is in vain, however." Now he holds up some sort of leather pouch. "This is the debtors' ledger, which details all monies loaned by the accused. You will find the victim's name clearly recorded inside."

She lowers her head. "I see..."

"Allow me to present this ledger as evidence... and pray forgive the discourtesy of raising my chalice in a toast to the enigmatic East at the same time!"

"A marvelous toast, Counsel!" His Lordship says, while the chalice is now extended toward us. "I will gladly accept this new evidence." As it's brought over, he takes a read over it. "Ah yes, twenty guineas... the victim owed a considerable sum."

Once it's placed on the evidence desk, Susato goes over to look at it herself.

Barok lowers his chalice. "Yes, and the accused made quite certain he had ample recompense."

Juror #6 looks visibly deflated. "Well, it would seem I've... I've had the wool pulled over my eyes."

He bows to her. "Regrettably, madam, that is the modus operandi of the accused."

"And it's such a pretty little park, too. What a scoundrel!" She sighs. "Still... maybe it's all for the best."

Oh no.

"Wait!" I cry out, but it's too late.

Her face turns red as she waves her stick in the air. "I don't stand for nonsense!"

The last one. The black side's spike slams down on its stand.

I slump onto the desk. I can feel Susato's hand on my shoulder. She's returned. I look up to her and she's as dejected as I feel.

"All that's left now are for the proceedings to be suspended so that the Judge may deliver the final verdict and sentence," she says. "At least, it's what my book says."

"Oh...?" I ask, shakily. "It's over, then..."

She sadly flips the pages until she comes to what she was talking about. All of a sudden, though, she jolts.

"Oh! It appears there is a footnote, though."

I raise my head a bit higher. "What does it say?"

Before she can say anything, His Lordship smacks down his gavel.

"All six members of the jury are now in agreement in this case," he announces.

Barok takes another bow. "Allow me to convey my respect for your swift and righteous decision."

"According to the laws of this country, I will now conclude the trial by delivering my final verdict. I trust there are no objections?"

At this, I finally straighten back up. "Susato... that footnote, what does it say?"

"It says... 'However, the defense... has the right to demand a summation examination of the jurors at this point.'"

I tilt my head. "What is a summation examination?"

She can't explain before the Reaper cuts in. "A summation examination? From which century has that tome you have there been resurrected? Judging from the binding, I would say that book is at least fifty years old. Any modern text on British Law wouldn't even give such an antiquated procedure a mention. It's a relic, long forgotten, and certainly no longer practiced. So you're out of luck."

"Out of luck again..." she murmurs.

"What even is it?" I ask.

"One moment..."

As she looks for the right place, Barok scoffs at us. "You would demand the right to a procedure before you even understand what it entails? Hmph, typical Nipponese."

Do people even like this man...?

"By what I understand," she says, "it seems that, under this procedure, we would be able to appeal to the members of the jury."

"Appeal?" I repeat. "As in..."

"Yes, get the jury to reverse their decisions. 'If successful, the proceedings of the trial must be resumed.'"

Sounds tough.

"Yes, in times gone by, barristers would use a summation examination to attempt to influence the jury's decision," explains His Lordship. "But that procedure became something of a formality with no practical benefit, really. So it rather fell out of use."

She purses her lips. "I wonder why..."

Barok scoffs. "It was devoid of its purpose. Changing just one member of the jury's mind would be hard enough, let alone several. No self-respecting defense barrister would even assert their right to try in this day and age."

"Even so..." she points out, "I don't see any mention of the procedure actually being formally revoked."

"What exactly are you suggesting?"

"Antiquated, yes; forgotten, yes; but extinct, it is not."

That surprises him.

She turns to me. "What do you think?"

"I think it's our only hope," I tell her. Then, to the Lordship, "The defense wishes to assert its right to a summation examination, My Lord!"

"Objection!" Barok's eyes are slightly widened at this prospect. "London is the capital city of the most powerful nation on earth. We have a duty to the world to exemplify the very highest standards of judicial procedure. Summation examinations are an embarrassment that should remain buried!"

"It's still our right!" I counter. "We believe it could prove vital in this trial!"

"The defense's petition is perfectly valid," announces the Judge. "The court will proceed with the summation examination!"

Barok raises a hand to his temple with a headshake. "This... is madness..."

This time, the Judge addresses the Jury. "Foreman, are you and the remainder of the jury ready?"

All of them look surprised, and Juror #1 wipes the top of his head. "Well... I'm not, erm... There was no mention of this in the letter I received, you see, so..."

"All members of the jury will be asked to explain on what grounds they have reached their decision."

"'On what grounds'...?"

"Yes. You must all justify your decisions and explain why you believed the defendant to be guilty."

"Well, My Lord, you're rather putting us on the spot..."

Juror #2 starts rubbing away at the desk. "This is most irregular. No mention was made of this before."

Meanwhile, Juror #3 puts his knife down for a few moments. "I don't really hold with all this 'justifying' lark."

Juror #4 has gone back to her furious typing.

I turn to Susato. "They seem lost."

"None of them have experienced this before, by the looks of it," she replies.

"So be it, then." His Lordship claps his hands twice. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the court hereby calls upon you to state the grounds on which you find the defendant, Magnus McGilded, guilty of this most serious crime."

This is our chance to turn the trial around... let's go!

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 *            Summation Examination - Start           *
*                                                          *
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Judicial Findings

One by one, all of the jurors offer up their reasonings.

"There was no one else inside the carriage at the time, so it has to have been him," says the first, fiddling with his pocket rose.

"I trust the driver. He has an excellent memory, it seems. Four passengers, with fares totaling twenty pence," answers the second, twisting her rag.

"He stuck the chap next to him just like this! Brazen, I must say. Absolutely brazen!" the third crows, first jabbing his knife to the side, then whacking it against the desk.

"I have simply typed and collated all the statements made thus far, and drawn the logical conclusion," mutters the fourth, with her perpetual typing.

"You can trust the guild. Fair fares is our motto. We haven't raised prices above fourpence for years," is the fifth's answer, pulling on his cape again.

"The scoundrel, stabbing that poor man on the floor! It beggars belief!" murmurs the sixth, sticking one of her needles straight down before going back to her knitting.

Already, I am worried. Why did I ask for this...

Susato frowns. "Some of their arguments do not seem so wonderfully formed, do they?"

I shake my head. "We have to see what we can do to change their minds. Maybe some persuasion should..."

"Wait." She holds up her hands. "That's not quite how it works."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Unfortunately, once the jurors have decided the defendant is guilty, they're unlikely to heed anything the defense says. They've reached their conclusions by their own reasoning, you see. Your pleas will sound like excuses. In fact, it could recoil on you. The more you try to persuade them, the more entrenched they may become."

I make a face. "If I can't use my words, what do I do?!"

"Use their words against them. We must listen very carefully to what each member of the jury says and see if we can identify any contradictory statements. If we can, we then contrast the statements and pit the corresponding jurors against each other!"

"Sounds like just like any other cross-examination!"

"I suppose you're right about that!"

Good luck, us... we had better pull this off.

Jury Examination

I march right up to the stand at the Lordship's behest, with Susato behind me. The witnesses shuffle off to the gallery. The omnibus is pushed aside. Who to start with first...?

I turn to Juror #1 first. "Certainly, the testimonies we've heard suggest the victim and Mr. McGilded were alone inside the carriage."

He sniffs his rose. "Precisely my point."

"Well, could there be another explanation we haven't considered yet?"

"Not likely!" he snaps. "Maybe you don't know how things work around here because you're... from foreign climes. But we're here to form our opinions as individuals, and I have!"

Susato sighs. "It appears he's not ready to consider another point of view..."

If that's the case, let's try another.

This time, we go after Juror #4. 

"What have you been doing all this time?" I ask her.

She glares at me without stopping her typing. "I should have thought it was obvious. I am recording everything that takes place as part of these proceedings."

"Uh... what have you learned, then?"

"For example, at this moment in time, the judge has used his gavel eleven times in total, the prosecution has snorted derisively at your remarks seven times in total... and, I might add, each time you have gawped like a simpleton."

I frown. "Thanks. So anyway, madam, are you able to explain why you think the defendant is guilty?"

"That is a conclusion I have drawn as a result of the copious notes I have typed."

"Yet, we don't have a why," Susato pipes up. 

She looks back down. "Please don't distract me. It makes it extremely hard to concentrate on my note-keeping."

Going nowhere fast... let's try #2.

"Does Mr. Beppo's ability to recall his takings that night really tell us how trustworthy the man is?"

She nods curtly. "I manage all His Lordship's cash affairs, so I'm very particular when it comes to accounts. A single penny can mean the difference between life and death, after all, can't it?"

I blink in surprise. "Is that a saying here?"

"No. My point is, a man who minds his figures is a man you can trust. Those of us in service would swear to that, sir. So if the good driver says that he saw Mr. McGilded in the act, I don't doubt him. The only task left to do today is disposing of the rubbish."

Speaking of money...

"Susato, would you mind talking to Juror #5?"

She nods, then turns to him. "So it's four pence to take the omnibus, sir?"

"That's right, madam." He takes another swig. "As the guildmaster, I decided to set a policy for all drivers across the city. One fare, no matter which bus you take or how far you're going. We have to compete with the rise of the motor car, you see. Us coachmen have to make a stand together!"

"Motor cars?"

"Yes. This murder on one of our buses is extremely damaging to our cause! It's beyond the pale! It'll lead to a decline in passengers, you mark my words! And it's all that rascal's fault! He has to pay! Anyway, every member of my guild is reliable and trustworthy. So if the driver says he saw him do it, that fellow in the dock is as guilty as sin!"

I point my finger straight out. "Hang on. Four pence for four passengers? That doesn't add up!"

Juror #2 gasps. "Ah, you're right! That's sixteen pence!"

"We haven't changed any of the prices, mind you!" snaps Juror #5.

"Yet, your testimonies contradict one another! If that's the case... there must be a fifth passenger not yet revealed to this court!"

His Lordships gasps. "Good gracious!"

The fifth looks harried now. "This... this can't be right! The coachmen of the guild are good, honest men, one and all! Trustworthiness is our watchword!"

The fourth slaps her typewriter's ribbon aside. "The figures your coachman claims most certainly do not add up. Your watchword, good sir, is a fallacy!"

"I beg your pardon?!"

I cross my arms. "Mr. Guildmaster, I think you ought to consider that if this trial were to end now... the news will surely spread all over London. The news that one of your coachmen tried to hide the fact that he lets nefarious characters ride his omnibus."

He jolts. "Well, how do I make sure this miserable trial doesn't end yet, hm?!"

"According to my book," says Susato, "toss a fire laden stick onto the innocent side of the set of scales!"

Immediately he does so, while shouting, "Wait 'till I get my hands on you, Beppo!!!"

Juror #1, the Banker and Foreman of the Jury, looks displeased. "Coachman! We were all in agreement! This is all very irritating..."

As we watch the scale finally tip a bit back to the right, Juror #2, the Maid, speaks up next. "Begging your pardon, sir, I'm going to do the same."

"Eh?! Not you as well?!"

"A penny can be the difference between a smile and a tear, after all. I certainly can't put my trust in someone who doesn't follow my exacting standards in financial matters. I, for one, think it's only proper that we hear from the witnesses again."

The Maid follows suit, and throws her fire stick onto the white side, bringing the scales closer back to neutral.

"Well done, Ryunosuke!" says Susato. "All we have to do is change two more jurors' minds!"

I nod. "We might as well look into the other two. I believe something else bothered me there."

"Let's do it!"

Now, I turn to Juror #3, the Barber, who is still waving around that knife. "You must be careful! You could hurt someone with that!"

He rolls his eyes to talk. "You're one to talk with that sword around your waist!"

"You wouldn't understand it..."

"Well, anyway, I despise anyone with too much money. They're all the same. All stabbing some brickmaker or other behind the scenes, you mark my words!"

I make a face. "That... seems very unlikely, doesn't it?"

"Are you mad, man? We know that small shorty is a rotten shylock! If he's been trying to squeeze money out of us less fortunate, then as far as I'm concerned... he's as guilty as sin! The man can hang!"

Susato smacks her arm in front of me as if telling me not to answer. It's as if she knew I'd probably slip up with what I said.

In any event, she turns to the Old Woman, aka #6. "Madam, you may want to stop waving that needle around."

"You heard what the good coachmen said before, didn't you? That hideous man stabbed the poor fellow! Just like this!" She jabs her needle in an opposite direction from what the Barber did, causing the Guildmaster to move aside in shock.

"Well... yes, he did say that, didn't he?"

She sighs. "McGilded Park is such a lovely little place, too. I've always enjoyed resting my legs there while I get on with my knitting. I had thought that anyone who donated such a delightful place must be a fine fellow indeed. I suppose I was wrong. Whoever would have thought he was a miserable, murdering moneylender with not a scrap of remorse?!"

I realize something. "Wait! Was the victim stabbed without the defendant ever getting up, or did the defendant strike after the victim fell onto the floor?!"

"Not only did the jurors contradict one another," Susato says, "but so did the witnesses! Mr. Barber is following Mr. Fairplay's words, while this Madam is following Mr. Beppo's."

"Bless my stitches! What a muddle!" says the Old Woman, almost dropping her needles to the ground.

"But why the dickens would they lie?!" demands the Barber, now stabbing his knife into the desk in front of him.

"We don't know," I admit. "But if the trial ends now, we may never find out! Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, can you really let that happen, in all good conscience?"

"Oh, dear... I can't abide by people telling lies!"

With that, the Old Woman lights her stuck and throws it into the right side, putting the scales at a balanced state again.

The Maid and the Guildmaster are especially shocked, while the Foreman's annoyance only grows. 

"Now hear this, my fellow jurors: I warn you, you cannot listen to these two! Look at them, with their outfits! They're clearly some devious Eastern sorcerers using magic on us all!"

I share an exasperated look with Susato.

"Answer me this, Dark Jinx!"

I jump. "Me?!"

"Yes, you! What exactly is the problem? What of it if two witnesses have slightly different recollections of events? Let's say the shylock did stab the victim as he was sat next to him on the omnibus and this young dandy saw him do it! Now, let's say the victim collapsed on the floor, and then the shylock stabbed him again and this old lady saw him do it! Well? What's to say it didn't happen like that, hm?"

Neither the Barber nor the Old Woman take kindly to what he's called them, threatening to take their weapons of choice to him.

"Out of the question!" Susato shouts.

"What are you about, woman?! How can you possibly say that? You... you do realize that I'm... I'm only doing my job! As foreman of the jury, I have a responsibility to steer everyone in the right direction. So where's your evidence, huh? That's what we want to see! I say the two witnesses saw two different moments of the same crime. If you say that's out of the question, show me some proof!"

"It's quite simple." She strolls over to the evidence desk and picks up the autopsy report. "According to what's written here, in the victim's autopsy, Mr. Mason was stabbed in the abdomen... only once."

"Eh?! Only once?!"

"Yes!" I say. "The witnesses couldn't have seen it happen two different times!"

The Barber hangs his head. "Alright, I concede defeat!"

At this, he throws his stick in, and now the scales have slightly tipped towards innocence.

We've done it!

Their current final statements are as such:

"I'm changing my leaning to innocent. I should like to hear what the slipshod bookkeeper has to say for himself!"

"I'm no lover of the rich, but I despise liars even more! Innocent is my call, for now at least!"

"Grrr! Beppo! This trial has to continue so I can get to the bottom of this corruption! Not guilty, I say!"

"Dear me, you can't make accusations based on lies! I wonder if the poor man is innocent after all..."

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"What are you playing at, you dandy fool?!" snaps the Foreman to the Barber.

"Shut your trap, sir! No one deceives me!"

"But we had a consensus!"

"I said shut your trap! I know a liar when I see one! If the chap ever dares to cross the threshold of my shop, I'll take this razor-sharp blade... and shave every last hair off his head!"

I hope he doesn’t go crazy... for everyone's sakes.

"Well! In a quite remarkable turn of events, the defense's summation examination has flipped the balance of the Scales of Justice!" announces the Lordship. "The jurors now stand at two for guilty and four for not guilty! Accordingly, there is no longer a large enough majority among the jury for me to adjudicate... and the trial must continue! I hereby ask the defense, prosecution and witnesses to return to their places. I call upon all of you to continue to pursue the truth!"

The gallery goes off as Susato and I make our way back to our desk. Two bailiffs bring the omnibus back to the front area.

"So... Lord Van Zieks, continue to substantiate the case for the prosecution, if you please."

The man, who has been silent all this time, pours another glass in his chalice for himself and swirls it around.

Only to shatter it within his hands in an instant!

He continues speaking as the red runs down his gloved fingers. "Having savored the rich aroma of the carmine contents of this hallowed chalice, it may seem crass to crush it to dust. Pray forgive the discourtesy."

I can see Susato shivering next to me. Either it's actually cold in here right now, or it's just us (and Beppo).

"As your antiquated tome no doubt says, the prosecution may not speak during a summation examination. So I honored a deathly silence... and listened to the charade. It seems I overestimated the intelligence of the jury."

Of course, at least half of them take offense to that.

"Well, no matter. There is nothing so hard to prove as a self-evident truth, it would seem. Why else would we grace the courtroom with our presence after all? So let us proceed to the next round of battle." All of a sudden, he throws his cloak to the ground. "Bring forth the witnesses once more!"

Beppo, Mr. Fairplay, and Mr. Ladyfirst make their way back to the stand. All three of them look nervous now.

"Witnesses!" says Barok. "I trust you heard the summation examination we have just had to... endure?"

All three of them respond in some way.

"Oh, y-yes, sir, that I did, sir."

"Of course I heard it!"

"Oh, yes, sir. I heard it."

"Beppo, if it transpires that, in your previous testimony, you were attempting to veil the presence of a fifth passenger on your omnibus..." at that, His Lordship slams his gavel so hard, it echoes all the way to the back of the courthouse, "you will be found guilty of perjury! You are advised to bear that in mind, sir."

He's now more of a blubbering mess than ever.

"Now, then, witnesses... I hereby call on you to testify before the court again. You will explain the various misgivings brought to our attention by the defense's summation examination!"

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"I... I only c-carried f-four passengers that night! I swear it! But, um...

Well, I, for one, was told I had to pay fivepence for the bus.

He fiddled us on the fare, he did! Then I saw that blood-curdling sight as well... It's all too much!

I tell you, I saw McGilded stabbing that man! Everything I said before stands!

Oh yes... yes, he s-s-stabbed him. Yes he did. I... I think so, yes."

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His Lordship makes a face. "Counsel, make sense of this for me, please."

Barok heaves a sigh. "The phantom fifth passenger conjured into existence by our learned Eastern friends never existed. The confusion has arisen from the coachman's sly little... cozenage."

"Explain yourself right this second, Beppo!" snaps the Guildmaster.

"I'm t-terribly sorry, G-G-Guildmaster!" he cries out.

"The guild's fare is fourpence across the board! You know that! Am I to understand that you've been overcharging our passengers by a penny a fare?"

"It's so c-c-cold... and the last r-run of the day is always h-h-half empty..."

"You're a disgrace, Beppo! A disgrace! Your selfish actions have brought dishonor on the entire guild!"

"Indeed." The Lordship shakes his head. "You have been dishonest, coachman."

"I'm s-sorry..."

All of a sudden, Mr. Ladyfirst raises his hand. "If I may, sir...? I had to pay tenpence on the bus just last week."

"WHAAAAAAAT?!" The Guildmaster's not happy about that one.

Susato seems to be scribbling in the back of her book. "Four passengers at fivepence each is... yes, twenty pence. I've done the arithmetic ten times already, but I just can't make the result come out differently!"

I nod. "Either Mr. Beppo has truly deceived us all with the price, or actually with the amount of passengers onboard. We won't know until we continue."

"Counsels for the Defense... your cross-examination, if you please," says the Lordship.

"We've already had the pleasure of a protracted summation examination today," Barok says shortly. "I see you two intend to continue the parlor games."

I shrug. "Absolutely."

*****

Beppo's shiver has gotten so much worse when wondering about the number of passengers, we're getting chilblains just listening to him. No point in asking again if everyone was paying the amount across the board.

By the sounds of it, Mr. Ladyfirst didn't actually see the point in which Mr. Mason was stabbed, though Mr. Fairplay and Beppo insist they did.

"You saw the defendant stabbing the victim who was sitting next to him?" I ask Mr. Fairplay.

All of a sudden, he hesitates. "That's... that's what I said, isn't it? Anyway, there was only the two of them inside the carriage, wasn't there?"

Barok shrugs. "There are talks of a fifth passenger, with no evidence as of yet."

"Then what are we wasting all this time for, eh? It's black and white! The man's guilty!"

Please, there's no way it's that easy.

"What about you?" Susato says to Mr. Beppo. "Earlier, you testified that you saw the moment when the defendant allegedly stabbed the victim, didn't you? An ice pick grip, right?"

"Oh, yes. Yes, that's right. I suppose... I m-might have...you know... p-p-put the c-cart before the horse, maybe..."

His Lordship raises an eyebrow. "What's this?"

"Well, I'm q-quite sure about m-most of it... I was d-driving the horses when I heard a scream f-f-from the seats on the roof deck."

Mr. Ladyfirst raises her hand. "Oh! I expect that was me, sir."

"Yes... then when I t-t-turned around... I s-saw it through the skylight. The g-gentleman was on the floor, and the knife was s-sticking up out of his m-m-midriff. That's right, yes. And the f-f-fellow holding the h-handle was the f-famous man. Yes."

Susato blinks. "So you didn't see the moment he was stabbed at all?"

"I... I r-really thought that I did, b-b-but... but when I g-go over it again in my head... no. I, I suppose I d-didn't actually see the p-precise moment of the s-stabbing, did I?"

After he says that, Mr. Fairplay starts biting down on the cane in his hand.

"Excuse me!"

He removes it immediately. "What?!"

"Do you have something to add?" I ask.

"Now you listen to me! I know what you're thinking! 'He didn't really see the exact moment the fellow was stabbed! What are the chances of that?' Eh?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?" I shrug. "It's hard to believe, but I suppose there are times where you'll find yourself peeping through the skylight of an omnibus?"

"Peeping?! I'm a... a respectable city banker, I'll have you know!" He starts whacking his cane on the stand quite hard, enough for both Beppo and Mr. Ladyfirst to step away. "I know what I saw! I remember it as clear as a Ballarat day! It was a grim scene, I don't mind telling you..."

All of a sudden, His Lordship cuts him off. "Thank you, Mr. Fairplay."

"Oh! Excuse me if I was getting a little hot under the collar there, My Lord."

"I would ask you to supplement your testimony with a clear statement about what exactly you saw."

"Oh, I can do that, alright. I'll tell you just how grim it was!" Mr. Fairplay turns from him to us. "D'you think I'd forget the sight of those blood-soaked hands after that butcher stabbed the man?!"

I raise an eyebrow. "You said blood-soaked, yes?"

"Well, perhaps 'soaked' is laying it on a little thick, but... but anyway, there was definitely blood all over them! Both of them were covered in it!"

Susato shakes her head. "That's not quite true, I'm afraid."

"What?"

"She's right," I say. "The gloves are over there, right? But only the right hand one has a bloodstain anywhere on it."

"Right... but I swear I saw bloodied hands!"

"Your testimony is inconsistent! If your last statement was a lie, it calls your entire testimony into question. You say you saw the moment the victim was stabbed, but is that really the truth?!"

"It was a simple mistake," Barok interjects. "You can't justify accusing this man of lying! Yes, it wasn't both hands; it was only one. But the fact remains... the victim's blood was on the accused!"

"Why did he not just say he saw blood on one glove? Why was he so adamant about it being over both hands?!"

To that, he can't answer.

"He may be trying to mislead the court," Susato says.

"Why? Why?! I'm a city banker, for pity's sake! My word should be the gold standard! I'm a gentleman, not some guttersnipe! Upstanding members of society don't prevaricate!"

She shakes her head. "Mr. Fairplay, I'm afraid you have more of a reason to lie than you are sharing with the court."

"Eh?!"

"Your name — it's written in Mr. McGilded's debtor's ledger! You owe him money — to the tune of twenty guineas."

"Mr. Fairplay! Are you currently indebted financially to the accused?" demands the Lordship.

"It's barely worthy of being called one... what of it, anyway?!"

I cross my arms. "If Mr. McGilded were to be found guilty, what would happen to it?"

"It would be annulled," answers the Judge. "In other words, cease to exist."

"It would?!" Susato asks in shock.

"That would be reason enough to force this court towards a guilty verdict!" I point out.

The gallery goes crazy while Mr. Fairplay spends a few moments biting down on his cane.

"Ordaaar! Ordaaar! Ordaaaaaar!!! Mr. Bruce Fairplay! Let me ask you again — did you or did you not see the precise moment in time at which the defendant is alleged to have thrust a knife into the victim? And be aware that your answer may have most serious implications upon your future, sir."

He remains silent, aside from the chewing.

"Your silence is speaking volumes," I say.

"Don't make a melodrama out of this! Perhaps I overstated the truth by a pinch, but I remember seeing blood on both hands!"

Mr. Ladyfirst raises his hand. "May I speak... please?"

"Go on," says the Judge."

"The thing is... I believe I remember seeing it for myself."

My eyes go wide. "You're saying that you saw two blood-stained hands as well?"

"Yes, sir."

The Lordship huffs. "Hmph. It would appear that we're going to need further testimony from all you witnesses. This time, I would like to know precisely what you did and what you did not see! Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

All of them nod fearfully.

Susato smiles. "It looks like things are turning around!"

"It does!" I say. "I'll listen to the testimony, but do you mind going to check out the omnibus?"

She nods, then walks over to it while I deal with the witnesses. 

Finally, a chance to turn things around!

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"There was blood on both hands of the assailant. I sincerely and distinctly remember that! However... I suppose you might say that I didn't see the exact moment the stabbing transpired... if that matters.

I remember seeing the knife. And... and I remember seeing both of the attacker's hands with blood on them.

I... I d-didn't actually s-see anything myself, no. N-Not until I h-heard that scream.

Anyway, the fact remains! There can't have been anyone else inside that carriage, or we all would have seen!"

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His Lordship looks completely unamused. "Well, lo and behold... in truth of fact, not one of you was witness to the crucial moment the crime was perpetrated!"

"We apologize!" says Mr. Fairplay. "But... but honestly... there was no one else inside that carriage, and the man's hands were covered in blood! Grrr... that much incriminating evidence is tantamount to saying we saw the man do it!"

I shake my head. "That's not what testimony is about."

"Let us examine the interior of the omnibus once more," says Barok. "Your assistant should be in there now, should she not?"

"Um, yes." I walk over and knock on the open door. "Susato? What do you see?"

She pokes her head out. "There is fresh blood soaked into the seat — likely the victim's, of course."

"Precisely; it corroborates the witnesses' accounts. In other words, there is no substantial — nor significant — change in the facts of the case."

Susato comes back out so we can start the cross-examination.

Among other things she noticed inside (but didn't feel important enough to restate to the court):

- The skylight can only open from the top, not inside the cabin.

- Some parts of the cabin are out of sight, due to the way the seats on top face.

- There is a handle under the seat. It's meant for storage space, which there is plenty of in terms of equipment.

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No matter what, Mr. Fairplay insists on sticking to his word that he saw two blood-stained hands instead of one.

"Why are you downplaying this situation?" I ask in annoyance. "Whether or not you saw the exact moment of the crime is a matter of fundamental importance, as well you know!"

"But... for crying out loud, we all know that no one else could possibly have done it!" he retaliates. "I was just trying to save us all some time!"

"The only time you were trying to save was on your debt money!"

"That's not entirely... not... what I was hoping for... I... I just lost a little guinea or... ten when I backed the wrong horse in the Derby, that's all. Grrr... I was going to win it all back! There's a fixture this weekend that's a sure thing! Besides, I'm a banker! No one bats an eye if I borrow a little spending money for the weekend!"

His Lordship makes a face. "I think you may have revealed rather more about your character than you bargained for, sir."

"Well, his scruples are not on trial here, as it is," Barok points out. "Proceed to the next witness."

If we must...

"So you saw the blood on both hands, too?" I ask Mr. Ladyfirst.

"Yes, sir..." He pushes his hat up again. "I know what you're going to say.... that only one of Mr. McGilded's gloves has any signs of blood on it. The thing is... as far as I remember, sir... when I looked down and saw Mr. McGilded sitting beside the other fellow... I don't believe he was wearing any gloves, sir."

I gasp. "He wasn't wearing any gloves?!"

"That's correct, sir. I saw the blood on both his bare hands quite clearly."

Barok mulls over this one. "I should point out that the police officer who apprehended the accused on the night in question reported that there was no trace of blood on Mr. McGilded's gloved hands."

Susato purses her lips. "Perhaps he saw someone else's hands?"

"How?" I ask. "We know Mr. Mason's weren't covered in any, and if there was none of the blood on Mr. McGilded's then the inside of the gloves may not have had them either."

"We should probably keep this in mind, then."

Yes, it's starting to sound like there really was another passenger riding down there with them.

Beppo is sadly being entirely useless this time, and the Guildmaster is not having it.

"To summarize," I say, "everything you saw of the incident was through the skylight on the roof of the omnibus?"

"That's right," answers Mr. Fairplay. "It was fiercely cold that night, but the glass wasn't frosted over."

"Yes, what a bitter sensation!" Mr. Ladyfirst adds to that.

His Lordship crosses his arms. "Why did you two decide to sit up top in the first place?"

"Well, I don't know about this young fellow, but I couldn't enter the cabin," says Mr. Fairplay.

"Why not?" I ask.

"It was locked from the inside. I tried knocking, but no one opened the door."

"Locked?"

"That's right! And it's a public bus service, for pity's sake! That's not what I call fair play!"

Mr. Ladyfirst agrees. "I had exactly the same experience. I tried knocking, but the gent inside just gestured at me to clear off! So I had no choice but to climb up to the roof deck and look down longingly into the warm cabin below, while Mr. Fairplay here was glaring down there."

Susato raises her hand. "Hold on. I'm afraid there's something off about your statements, both of you."

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"It's been said that you both observed the events through the skylight, yes?"

"That's right..." Mr. Fairplay looks confused.

"In that case... there is a portion of the cabin interior that would have been out of sight from you."

"What?!"

"Really?!" Mr. Ladyfirst says after.

I turn to her. "What do you mean?"

"Yes, what is the meaning of this hypothetical meandering?" Barok says. "My Far East lady, the prosecution demands that you substantiate your claims. After all, the scene of the crime is here... in the flesh."

"Very well."

As she makes her way over, His Lordship starts speaking again. "Very well, I will uphold the prosecution's demand. You will identify the area inside of the omnibus itself. Where exactly in the omnibus are you suggesting that this potential extra passenger could have been situated?"

She opens the door and gestures to the right side seats. "As you can see, the seats on top face the direction the omnibus goes in, while the ones inside here face one another. No matter which seats are taken up above, you cannot see the seats situated on this side!"

"That's right!" I realize. "It's very likely that the witnesses would have been unaware of any other passengers sitting there!"

Both Mr. Ladyfirst and Mr. Fairplay jump in shock, but Barok slams his fist down on his desk instead.

"'It's very likely' some phantom was sitting there? You Nipponese have a forbidding habit of obscuring the truth with ambiguity."

What?!

"I concur with the prosecution's rejoinder," says the Lordship. "In a British court of law, evidence is paramount. I cannot entertain this conjecture, Counsels. That is, unless you're able to put a name to this mysterious passenger to whom you allude?"

"I have an idea," I reply. "Think about it. Magnus McGilded was to be wearing gloves with a bloodstain on only one hand, the right. However, both witnesses here claim to have been blood all over both ungloved hands. That means they must have seen someone else, and Mr. McGilded was the one sitting out of their line of sight!"

"Mr. McGilded?!" they both shout.

"What are you talking about, Counsel?!" demands the Judge.

All of a sudden, Barok throws the now-filled chalice (when did he get another one?!) in his hand straight back at the candelabra off to the side of him. Susato and I jump, but it doesn't break until it hits the floor.

"If I desecrate this chamber by smashing my hallowed chalice... do forgive the discourtesy," he says simply. "People talk of those tiny island nations in the Far East as having a learning and culture of their own... but I see they use the terms ill-advisedly."

I narrow my eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"Let me explain in terms that even a student of an artless backwater such as yourself might understand... when the bloody scene unfolded, the victim and his assailant were sitting side by side. Multiple witnesses have attested to the fact. It's the very premise on which this case is built!"

Susato shakes her head. "That premise is very likely wrong now."

"What...?"

"Remember the gloves. As Mr. Naruhodo has said, both witnesses have claimed to see blood on both hands of the person sitting next to the victim, and yet both the gloves and his actual hands say otherwise."

He stays silent.

"Right," I agree. "Yet, neither witness has changed their stance. They must have seen someone else — that is, the true culprit!"

There goes the gallery again.

"Ex-traordinary! Ordaaar! Ordaaar! Orrrdaaar!" The Lordship has to smack his gavel 7 times before they're quiet now. "What exactly are you postulating?"

"This postulation is mere conjecture from the defense!" Barok insists. "The witnesses have clearly stated... that they saw the accused!"

"Not quite," I says. "When elaborating on his testimony... Mr. Fairplay said, 'The two of them were wearing hats and I couldn't exactly make out their faces.'"

"Right," the man in question pipes up. "I did, however, see the rest of them."

"Both gents were most certainly hatted," adds Mr. Ladyfirst. "Hatters do tend to notice such things, sir. However, I'm afraid I don't remember specifically what styles they were."

"The style makes no difference," Barok hisses. "There was no third passenger in that cabin!"

"What makes you say that?" I rebuke. 

"Because if there had been... the accused, Mr. McGilded, would undoubtedly have offered to depose the fact! Unless, that is, you are proposing an even more preposterous explanation? That the accused failed even to notice the presence of the true culprit in the very cabin in which he travelled?"

Oh no. 

He's actually right.

If there was someone there, why didn't Magnus say anything? (Unless... he's protecting them...?)

"There is clearly a simple solution to this 'problem'," His Lordship starts.

"Bring the accused to the stand?" Barok interjects.

"Yes. What say you, Counsel?"

"The prosecution objects, My Lord."

"On what grounds?"

"As a suspect, he will have already made a full statement to the police."

I ask, "But what if he can't speak freely?"

"Out of the question. Magnus McGilded is no uneducated ruffian. If it indeed turns out the man has been withholding information... you can be sure it will have been a most deliberate act."

"Counsel for the Defense, what is your opinion?"

Susato answers this time. "Whether someone else has quieted him or he deliberately quiets himself, we should make him testify either way and get an answer."

"Noted. Well, jury? What say you all?"

Aside from the Foreman, everyone else is immediately all for getting him on the stand, which causes him to agree.

We glance over to the defendant's area. The man is as quiet as ever, the smile still on his face.

I don't know why... 

but as he's being led over by the bailiffs...

it feels... a bit sinister.

*****

The jury and witnesses have cleared off into the frontside of the gallery so that Magnus may take their place.

"Let proceedings be resumed. Mr. McGilded... have you been listening to the discourse of the day?"

The man in question smiles up at the Judge. "To be sure I have, My Lord."

"There are now two matters on which the court desires to hear from you. The first... is whether or not there was a third party with you in the omnibus cabin, as proposed by the defense. The second... is that if such a person was indeed present, why did you conceal that fact from the police?"

He gasps. "Begad, no! 'Tis not in my nature to hide anytin' at all."

Barok sighs. "Just answer the questions, please."

"The truth of the matter is, I've been desperate about this all along. Do I tell youse all, or keep me mouth shut?"

My eyes go wide. "Tell us what?"

"That fine fella and the lovely madam representin' me are absolutely right. In the carriage on the night with meself and the other man, there was another passenger."

His Lordship gasps. "It's true?!"

"Aye, and 'twas me who helped the little urchin get away after it all happened."

"You let them get away?!" we both shout at the same time.

Barok scoffs. "Magnus McGilded, surely you don't expect that excuse to save you now?"

"I'm truly sorry, so I am, Lord van Zieks!" he replies. "I'm sure you'll be wantin' to know why I said nuttin' when I was taken in by the police. I do be havin' a very good reason, I assure you."

"What?"

"If the police had known the wee one was there... they'd have assumed she'd done it. They'd have hauled her into this here courtroom, just like meself. I was only tryin' to spare her that. Young hearts and young minds are easily damaged, My Lord."

Barok says nothing, so His Lordship speaks up instead. "Who was this young child of whom you speak?"

Magnus bows his head. "That... I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"Aye, well, the wee ting just happened to be in the carriage that night. I never saw her before or since."

Barok rolls his eyes this time. "We have absolutely no reason to believe this man. The prosecution calls for the witness's statements to be disregarded by the court."

In response, Magnus looks out towards the courtroom. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised... if the urchin isn't here in this courtroom as we speak, listenin' to the proceedings."

I gasp. "What?"

All of a sudden, a loud bang is heard... and white smoke rolls in! I shut my mouth immediately while the gallery is in a frenzy!

"Ah! Smoke!"

"AAAAAAGH!"

"Fire! There's a fire!"

"Look! Someone's trying to get away!"

"*Cough!* After them!"

"It's no use! *Cough, cough!*"

"I... I can't see anything through all this smoke!"

Susato, Barok, and I all cover our faces while His Lordship issues an emergency recess.

We were hurriedly removed from the smoke-filled courtroom by the bailiff amid scenes of chaos as people stumbled over one another in their desperation to flee the chamber. We had no idea what was happening. All we knew was that, for the time being at least, the trial was suspended.

~ 18th February, 12:52 p.m. ~
~ The Old Bailey, Defendants' Antechamber ~

I'm coughing up a small storm as I sit on the couch. Susato is next to me, trying to whack me on the back a few times.

"What... on earth... was that?!" I manage to choke out.

"Well, from what I was told before we came here," she answers, less affected, "it was an advanced form of 'smoke grenade' — a type of exploding device that releases smoke."

"Is this person... some sort of ninja?"

"I do not know. They're just making sure everything is safe now. I think the trial will start again before long."

Finally, I clear my throat. "Who would do such a thing?"

"Apparently, the police managed to catch someone trying to run... a girl only a year older than I am."

I gasp. "She could be the missing passenger that Mr. McGilded spoke of!"

"Exactly my thoughts!"

"Oh, what has become of him, speaking of? I wanted to ask some things, but he's not here."

"He got summoned to the prosecutor's antechamber with the young girl."

I frown. "That's such a risk."

She nods. "Yes. Though, now I am bothered by something else."

"What?"

"The 'twenty pence', of course."

I hum. "Well, if she was on board after all, it means Beppo was right about charging four pence in the first place. Otherwise, the numbers wouldn't add up again."

"Right..."

The bailiff calls us back in.

Whatever this girl says could alter the direction of the trial… we will find out soon enough.

~ 18th February, 1 p.m. ~
~ The Old Bailey Courtroom ~

As we head back inside, Susato tells me that she wants to look at the omnibus again. I continue on towards our bench.

Now, standing beside Magnus is a girl all clad in green with the brim of her cap firmly over her head.

She must be the the cause of the smoky disturbance.

Smack!

We all look up to His Lordship again.

“Well, after that rather eventful recess,” he says, "the court will now resume the trial of Mr. Magnus McGilded. Now, then, Lord van Zieks..."

Barok had been flicking his hair in a few areas (maybe to dispel any more smoke?), but then stops at his voice. "My Lord?"

"I believe you have established the cause of the smoke which veiled proceedings earlier?"

"Yes. It seems to have been an advanced form of 'smoke grenade', of the sort typically employed by the army."

His Lordship gasps. "Good gracious! The army?! What in the devil's name...?"

"Quite an elaborate attempt by a young girl to cloak her escape from the public gallery. But she was caught, and now graces the witness stand with her presence."

"I see." Now the faces the girl. "Your name, girl?"

She says nothing.

"Are you responsible for the smoke grenade which induced such pandemonium here in my courtroom?"

Still, silence.

He's losing his patience. "What is the meaning of this deplorable behavior?!"

Magnus raises his hand. "If I may, My Lord? I tink perhaps I ought to explain here why it is that this wee lass was here in the first place, and why she tried to bolt like that. 'Tis all tied up with the events of that night, so it is."

"Is it? Very well, Mr. McGilded, give your testimony. You will explain to the court exactly how this young woman is involved in the case!"

As he says this, Susato reappears beside me, but her face looks conflicted.

How funny, the defense is the most in the dark pertaining to their client...

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 *            Witness Testimony - Start           *
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"On the night in question, I took the back seat in the omnibus and promptly nodded off.

Then... begorrah! A loud thud and a wee scream woke me up with a fair start.

There was a fella collapsed on the floor at me feet, so I sat him up on the seat across from me.

Then I turned to find out where that scream had come from — and, bless my soul, what did I find?

There was a child in there, all curled up in a ball, hidin' her wee self away!"

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 *         End        *
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"I remain somewhat baffled, I confess," His Lordship admits after some silence. "But from what I gather, on the night in question... this young girl was indeed riding in the omnibus. Is that correct?"

"'Tis exactly as the defense counsels said," answers Magnus. "This lass was the fifth passenger, My Lord."

So we were actually right!

"Very well. The defense may now cross-examine the witness. Are you ready, Counsel?"

I nod, though I'm probably far from knowing at all where to start. I wonder if Barok can tell, with that stern expression boring into me.

*****

"Were any other passengers on board?" I ask.

"No," he answers. "The cabin was empty, and there was no one on the roof deck, either."

"You were the first passenger, as it were," His Lordship concludes.

"Aye. That's why I took the back side as I did. 'Tis the most comfortable, so it is."

Susato says, "So by back seat, you mean...? The one out of sight?"

"'Tis how you two already described it earlier, yes. I'm talkin' about the seat opposite the one in which the poor gentleman who was stabbed was sittin'. Like I said, 'tis the most comfortable and where I feel most at ease. Of course, I also enjoy gazin' through the skylight from time to time as well."

If he was supposedly asleep, he wouldn't have seen anything. He even says when he was awake that no one else was there except for Mr. Mason — at least visibly. That's where the compartment below came in, apparently. 

(I see Susato tense up at this. It must have to do with something she found.)

"You sat him up?!" I ask incredulously.

"That I did. On the seat across from me, as I said. I could plainly see the poor devil was already gone. You wouldn't leave a dead man just lyin' on the floor now, would you? 'Tis common courtesy, so it is!"

Why would you not just leave the dead person where you found them?! This man is something else...

Barok scoffs. "I find that hard to believe."

"Ara, Lord van Zieks! Now why would that be?"

"You wake to find a man lying dead at your feet in a carriage. Any normal person would hail the cabman. Any upstanding member of London society, that is."

Magnus grins. "Well, now, as you know... I'm in somethin' of a 'special' line of business."

The Judge squints slightly at that one. "The business of lending money at exorbitant rates of interest?"

"Yes, My Lord. Unfortunately, not everyone is tankful for the help I offer them, and some would even see me dead. So I do try, where at all possible, to avoid gettin' meself in a tangle with trouble."

I frown. "Were you going to just leave him there?"

"Heavens alive, no! I was always intendin' to report it, so I was. I had a mind to find out the whys and wherefores first, though. There were some details I wanted to understand before anyone else got to meddlin' — that wee scream I heard, for example. Wouldn't your good self do just the same?"

I guess...

"When I found that girl hidin' down there, hard to see in the dim lamplight, she was all curled up in a wee ball. When our eyes met, well..." Magnus jolts up in shock. "Me heart nearly stopped beatin' in me chest!"

Overacting...

"Still an' all, I pulled her out from under there and sat her on the seat opposite so I could have a wee chinwag with her."

His Lordship puckers up. "You sat this young girl next to a corpse, sir?"

"Well, as I'm sure I mentioned... a gentleman in my position can all too often find himself in mortal danger. So I needed to find out just who this urchin was, you see. While I was in the middle of talkin' with her, I heard another scream... a fella's voice this time."

I tap my chin. "It was probably Mr. Ladyfirst."

"Right. Looking down through the skylight, he must've seen this young girl and the gentleman with the knife in his belly."

"Here is the court's thoughts on this matter." His Honor clasps his hands together. "The previous witnesses did not, in fact, see the defendant, Magnus McGilded, at all. What they believed to be him and the victim was, in fact, this girl and the late Mr. Mason. I must admit, it is certainly plausible... the defendant is somewhat diminutive in stature, and readily confused, perhaps, with this young girl."

"That's right." Magnus flicks his hat a few times. "After that, of course, with the scream from the gentleman over us, the driver realized sometin' was wrong and pulled up the horses."

"That leaves only one conundrum. Who is the girl?"

Who, of course, still refuses to speak.

"Her name is Gina Lestrade, My Lord," Magnus answers. "She's a chancer. Earns her crust among large crowds, relievin' people of their purses... what's commonly called a pickpocket."

"What?!" We can hardly believe it.

"This girl here, a petty thief? Ordaaar! Ordaaaaaar!!!" There goes the gallery again. "Is this true... Miss Lestrade?"

Once again, no answer. 

"Miss Lestrade! You will answer the question!"

All of a sudden, she raises herself up, and her dulling dark blue eyes are filled with determination as she raises the weapon in her hand.

Bang!

"ARRRGH! How dare you?! What is the meaning of this?!" His Lordship waves away the purple smoke, only to be shocked moments later. "Ah! The girl! She's gone!"

"Open yer eyes!"

Now, Gina, as we know she is called, is on the opposite side of Magnus.

"I'm over 'ere," she says, arms crossed.

"How...?"

She doesn't let him finish before she's pointing an accusatory finger all over the place, her other hand occupied with weaving a coin between her fingers. "I know wot you lot are thinkin'! Grown-ups are all the same! 'This dirty little dipper,' you'll say, 'slipped up an' got caught on the job. She got 'erself backed into a corner, so she knifed the gent!' Go on! That's wot's in yer 'eads, ain't it?"

"Of course not!" I protest. "We're here for the truth, not to just..."

Gina blasts me with some green smoke before I can finish. Susato tries to wave it away with her book.

"Look, knives are for cowards. Only thugs use weapons like that. All I need for wot I do is these fingers. I'm a professional, alright? Maybe not in your eyes, but I got pride in wot I do!"

Susato asks, "Your smoke gun doesn't count?"

"Oh, this?" She pauses to catch the coin she was playing with earlier before gesturing down at it. "Yeah, this was in a bag I lifted the other day, down where they keep the four-wheeled drags. It's nice, innit? I like the pink best."

His Lordship smacks his gavel twice. "Do not wave that thing in my direction again!"

Barok, on the other hand, starts pouring his wine once again. How many chalices does this man have, anyway?! "So... you admit that you were riding the omnibus on the night in question?"

When she doesn't answer, Magnus pats her shoulder. "Tis alright, lass. You can tell them the truth now."

She nods to him, then looks to Barok. "Alright, yeah... it's just like the Irishman said..."

"Very well, then the court accepts you, Miss Gina Lestrade, as a valid and significant witness in this case. Accordingly, young lady, we will now hear your testimony, if you please. You will tell the court exactly what happened in the omnibus on the night in question."

Gina places the smoke gun on the floor. "Alright... if I 'ave to..."

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 *            Witness Testimony - Start           *
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"So I snuck inside the carriage before they 'ooked up the 'orses, just like always.

But it was a right old waste o' time. I got nuffin' to show for me troubles that night.

I'll tell ya, you can't see a blind thing in that hidin' place. It's pitch in there.

Then, after a while, I 'ear this loud bang. Nearly jumped out me skin, I did. An' the scream just... came out.

It's because o' that, this swell found me. 'E did 'elp me get away, mind."

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I sigh. "He did indeed let you go."

"I fail to understand why you would let this street urchin go, Mr. McGilded," His Lordship adds.

"Oh, 'tis simplicity itself, My Lord," he says. "You see, she couldn't possibly have killed the other passenger. I knew that for a fact."

I ask, "How?"

"As I'm sure I said before, sir... I was sittin' right on top o' the place where she was hidin' herself."

The Judge points towards the omnibus. "I think a demonstration is called for."

With a shrug, Magnus goes to the omnibus and points to where he was sitting. "This is where I was sat that night."

"And the 'cubbyhole' of which you have spoken is underneath this seat, I presume?"

Susato follows after and opens the hatch herself. From where I am, I can just barely make it out that it's empty.

(What? Empty? Wasn’t there equipment in there before...?)

"Hm, yes... it does appear just large enough to accommodate someone of the girl's stature."

"Aye, but, of course, the wee lass was stuck in there because I'd parked meself on the seat for the duration."

"Ah!"

"So you see, that's why I let the lass bolt. I knew that if the police found her there, they'd automatically assume she'd done it. But I couldn't live with meself if a young life was ruined when all the time I knew she was innocent."

"Even though you must have realized your action would result in your own innocence being called into question?"

"Not at all, My Lord, not at all! I knew in my own heart that I was innocent. So I thought it was worth takin' a punt on my own good name for the sake of this less fortunate lass."

The Foreman jumps in surprise.

"My goodness!" exclaims the Maid.

"What a perfect gentleman!" the Old Woman gushes.

The Foreman looks regretful. "My Lord! This... this fine example of a man cannot possibly be guilty of a heinous crime like this. I'm ashamed of myself for ever doubting you, sir!"

With that, he actually sends his flame stick into the right side of the scales... I had almost forgotten that he and #4 hadn't voted again yet!

Speaking of her... finally she stops her typing. "With calm, calculated reasoning, one arrives clearly at the truth every time."

Off it goes.

Now, the white side has completely tipped to the bottom.

"Saints alive!" exclaims His Lordship. "All six members of the jury consensual in their leaning to a verdict of not guilty?!"

Susato looks a mix of unsettled and shocked, more of the latter than the former. "Ryunosuke! Do you realize what this means?!"

It hits me. "Did... did we just win? Truly?"

"Objection!"

This time, to quiet the chatting gallery, Barok slams his whole entire leg on the bench, causing a good amount of us (Susato, myself, Juror #4, His Lordship, and Gina) to reel backwards. "If the sight of my iron-heeled Wellington offends... pray, do forgive the discourtesy. This really is a consummate example... of the one, monumental flaw in British judicial practices. Where evidence and reasoning should be paramount... emotion rules the day."

I blink in surprise. "What do you mean...?"

"The witness's latest statement gives us a clear insight into his true nature."

Susato tilts her head. "Explain, please?"

"Do you really think Scotland Yard would have made such a glaring omission? After the incident, the omnibus was comprehensively searched by officers of the police. Obviously, the interior of this 'cubbyhole', as the witness put it, was included in their investigation." He waves a paper around. "'The compartment under the posterior seat was full of the coachman's belongings.' It's noted in black and white here in the police report."

She gasps. Maybe this is what was bothering her all this time!

"Good Lord!" exclaims His Lordship. 

"Yes. The evidence has been tampered with. In order to corroborate Mr. McGilded's story... someone has unlawfully removed everything from under the seat!"

Now I'm the one gasping. "Whaaaaaaat?!"

"How could such a devious contrivance possibly have been effected, Counsel?" His Lordship demands, smacking his gavel at the same time to quiet the gallery again.

"Naturally, we must acknowledge the deficiencies of the constabulary in allowing this to have happened. However, I assure you, when the omnibus was wheeled into the courtroom this morning... the compartment under the seat was not empty." Now he eyes Susato. "Well, my Far East lady?"

She covers her mouth. "Me?"

"When the carriage was submitted as evidence... doubtless you have been examining it in fine detail, as would any self-respecting practitioner of the law. Pray, what did you find the condition of the under-seat compartment to be?"

"Oh, to be sure," Magnus interjects. "The young lady will be able to clear this up in a jiffy."

I make a face. "What are you talking about?"

"Go ahead. You tell the court how this is all an elaborate excuse by the desperate Lord van Zieks!"

"Do either you have something to say?" His Lordship says.

I scratch my head. "Well, I am a failure for not looking..."

"When I looked," Susato starts, only continuing once I nod (she sees how bad this looks with us saying it), "I saw quite a few pieces of equipment inside of it, at least."

"Are you quite sure?" asks His Lordship.

"What are you saying?!" snaps Magnus. "Are you two not supposed to be on my side?"

Barok squints. "What game are you two playing? You are supposed to be defending this man, are you not? Why are you compromising his position?"

I cross my arms. "Would you prefer if we had lied? We may not be clear where we stand as advocates for the defense, but we know one thing for sure — we must state what facts we know as honestly as possible."

That actually makes him raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Interesting," he says finally.

Magnus, conversely, looks annoyed. "'Tis not altogether pleasin', fella."

"We are just telling the truth, Mr. McGilded..."

"Well, don't you and her forget that yer supposed to be representin' my best interests here, lad." He faces the gallery. "Now, then... a lady's memory is a curious ting, and not altogether reliable. No, the court must consider the facts — that there cubbyhole under the seat is as empty as the devil's heart, so it is! D'you think perhaps it would be... in your best interests now to admit that you might have been mistaken?"

Susato steps back until she reaches our bench again. "Ryunosuke..."

I nod. "I know... something doesn't feel right here..."

"Jury, what say you?" asks the Lordship.

By now, they’re all back in their seats.

Naturally, the Guildmaster speaks up. "That compartment is designed to house equipment used to maintain the smooth running of the carriage. The guild's rules state that omnibuses should be properly and fully equipped at all times. So it certainly wouldn't have been empty on the night in question." He gestures to the gallery, where our earlier witnesses are seated. "Beppo isn't that irresponsible. That money-lending fleecer and the pickpurse are lying!"

Oh, no... he's sent a flame stick back to the left side!

The Barber starts waving his knife around again. "I can't believe I was nearly taken in. The stinking rich are always stinkers. Nothing but cowards, the lot of them! It's a trick! Of course it's a trick!"

#4, the Typewritist, shakes her head. "Quite so. I must concur here. With calm, calculated reasoning, one arrives clearly at the truth every time."

A different one every time, it appears...

"My Lord, I humbly exhibit the Scales of Justice..." Barok gestures to them, as they have now been rendered completely balanced again after the other two have weighed in. "Clearly, a verdict of not guilty at this time would be wholly inappropriate."

"Thank you, Counsel. But before we proceed any further, there is the matter of the outstanding cross-examination. Counsels for the Defense, begin your questioning of the witness, please."

Susato has come back behind the bench by now. "It feels as if the atmosphere has shifted."

"Yes," I agree. "This must be how it feels when the 'Reaper of the Old Bailey' is at work..."

I'm not sure if he can hear us, but the temperature definitely feels as if it's dropped with that piercing stare.

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 *            Cross Examination - Start           *
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According to Gina, she was already inside before the omnibus was set to leave. Makes sense, or Magnus would have known she was already in there beforehand. That means if she didn't pay, then Beppo actually did charge the five pence after all. Let's hope it doesn't switch again...

She also says that she moved the items so she could hide there. When did the items get back inside? Were they ever actually moved out at all?

"Why did you call it a 'waste of time'?" I ask Gina.

She fiddles with her coin again. "Well, most nights I'm on me own in the God permit at least some o' the time."

His Lordship looks baffled. "Did you say 'God permit'?"

"Yeah, well, that's wot my kind call it. You'd say the 'omnibus', I s'pose. The point is, any normal run, the carriage ain't got no one in it for a while."

"I assume that's when you'd usually get away?" I ask.

"Right. Only that night..." she glances over at McGilded when she says this, "this cove was sat on me seat from the start. And 'e didn't budge the whole way, did 'e? Not one inch! I was totally stuck."

"Do you mean to tell us that you were present in the carriage for the duration?" asks the Judge. "You were under the seat the entire time while events unfolded in the enclosed cabin?"

"Yeah. Right, Mister?"

"To be sure, to be sure," Magnus confirms. "I was as shocked as anyone. You don't expect to lift the cushion you've been sat on and find a child, now, do you?"

Of course, that means Gina couldn't have done this at all.

Speaking of, she's not sure if the thud she heard was from Mr. Mason falling to the ground or not, but she was certain of hearing Mr. Ladyfirst's scream.

"Once 'e dragged me out and sat me down, the carriage lurched a bit, and the bloke next to me ended up fallin' onto me. Both me 'ands got covered in blood. It made me feel sick as a dog."

In other words, Mr. Fairplay and Mr. Ladyfirst saw Gina's hands.

"You couldn't see out at all?"

"Not a jot. Most days I push the cushion up wiv me 'ead an' look out the crack. Then I can 'ave a butcher's at who I'm gonna fiddle."

I blink. "Aren't you a pickpocket?"

"I mean, I can 'ave a look. The seat I get under ain't as plush as the other one, see. So most o' the time, the passengers plant 'emselves opposite. But for some reason that night, this 'ere Irishman spent the whole journey right over me 'ead!" She looks away. "Truth is... I ain't too 'appy in small, dark places. Feels too much like bein' thrown in the clink. But it's the only place to 'ide in them carriages, so it's 'Obson's choice.

For some reason, Magnus starts chuckling to himself after she says this.

"Excuse me!" I call out. "Something wrong, Mr. McGilded?"

He waves a hand at me. "Oh! I do apologize. Was there sometin' the matter, Counsel?"

"I'm just wondering... did Miss Lestrade's comment make something occur to you?"

"No, no, nuttin' important. I was feelin' bad for the poor lass, is all. I remember feelin' desperate meself as a young lad, shut up in the dark. 'Twas terrifying, so it was. I don't know about yeself... but I find that the darkness seems to make everytin' you hear seem that much louder as well."

Gina rubs the back of her neck. "Yeah... I... I s'pose it does... maybe."

"Miss Lestrade! Did you hear something that night? Anything? An unusual noise, perhaps?" I ask.

"Nah. Not really. All I could 'ear was the Irishman snorin'." She throws her coin up. "I was strainin' me ears to work out wot was goin' on, but all I could 'ear was that snorin'."

Susato folds her hands. "Were you trying to listen out the entire time you were inside?"

Gina shakes her head. "Not exactly, no. There was no one in the cabin to start wiv, after all. I could just push the cushion up and 'ave a butcher's to see wot was wot. But then, when I saw this swell gettin' on, I got me 'ead down so 'e didn't notice me."

"Then Mr. McGilded sat on your seat..."

"Yeah! Would you Adam an' Eve it, eh?! Wot a mug! So then all I could do was listen. I was waitin' to jump out o' there as soon as I 'eard 'im leave, see. But would 'e? Not likely! Even though he stopped 'ere an' there, I never 'eard the door open. So I just 'ad to stay put an' listen to 'im drivin' 'is pigs to market. Snorin' like an old dog, 'e was."

Magnus rolls his eyes ever so slightly to that.

"Hang on a second." I sigh. "Miss Lestrade, something doesn't add up about what you said!"

She blinks at me. "Eh?!"

"Are you sure, man?!" demands His Lordship.

I nod. "I am."

Barok swirls his chalice around. "It seems my learned Nipponese friend is not as dull-witted as I feared."

Of course he noticed.

"Counsel! I must insist that you bolster your claim with evidence! Or some complicit party's name at the very least!"

"Yes, My Lord!"

Susato asks, "What is it?"

"Think about it," I tell her. "Miss Lestrade said she could only hear Mr. McGilded snoring that whole time. But there's something she missed when she said that."

"Really?! I didn't notice!"

"Yes!" I turn. "My Lord, allow me to elaborate. Miss Lestrade says she heard Mr. McGilded. However, she should not have failed to hear... the presence of one 'Thrice-Fired' Mason!"

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *         End        *
*                                                          *
****************************************

Susato gasps. "Oh, I see! Miss Lestrade says that she got in first, and then heard Mr. McGilded enter. If she was looking out during any of the stops, she should have noted the door opening and closing!"

"Exactly, I never 'eard anythin' like that," Gina says. "That's exactly wot I was listenin' for, weren't it?"

"I wasn't travellin' with anyone else at that point, if that's what you mean," Magnus adds.

I tap the desk with my finger rapidly. "How on earth did the victim get into the carriage, then?!"

"Ah!" Gina reels backward again.

"Yes, this petty thief's statement was clearly flawed." Barok sets down the chalice. "It would seem words of thanks are in order for my learned friends. You two have demonstrated matters impeccably. This witness, and her... colorful statements, are entirely unreliable! Her words are convenient untruths, nothing more!"

"He's dead right..."

"How could the victim possibly not have boarded the omnibus? That makes no sense whatsoever..."

"And this girl is a pickpocket. Let's not forget that."

They're judging her... so harshly...

Without warning the Old Woman holds up a stick again and sends it to the left without saying a word.

"Ah!" I gasp.

She sighs.  "I didn't want to judge the dear little mite just because she has some rather naughty ways. But I must say... I can't abide liars."

The Foreman joins her. "Neither can I!"

"Wait!"

Too late. He also tosses his to the left.

"That's five for guilty!" Susato laments.

"There must be another way to explain this!" I reply, slapping the sides of my face.

Barok somehow manages to look amused without smiling at all. "Well, your consideration for others is... refreshing, my Nipponese friends. To the considerable troubles you have spared me! Yes, very refreshing."

Magnus, of course, is very clear about how he feels about this. "What are ye two playin' at?! Have ye forgotten who you're workin' for, ye useless Eastern amadans?!"

The Barber is cackling, as he licks his knife (that just cannot be sanitary). "This is carnage! It's perfect!"

The Maid, the only one who has not changed her stance yet, sighs. "I very much wanted to believe the words of one of London's most respected gentlemen. But those of us in service know we must accept hard truths."

"Hold it!" I call out. "Yes, the witness's last statement seems to have revealed a critical inconsistency in her story. However, if we consider the possibility that her statement is in fact the truth... it may shed an entirely new light on this whole case!"

Everyone is absolutely confused.

"What are you saying?"

"Counseeeel!

"I'm... sorry, sir? Whatever do you mean?"

"Counsel, I will not tolerate you attempting to prorogue my adjudication! Explain yourself at once!"

I take a deep breath. "As we've heard, when the defendant got onboard, the victim wasn't in sight. We also know that the doors never opened. Yet, his body ended up in the carriage anyway!"

"How do you explain it getting there, if this thief's words were ever to be believed?" asks Barok.

"Well, of course, we know he wasn't down there already or Miss Lestrade and Mr. McGilded would have said so. You cannot put a body so easily in a moving carriage in that manner, either. He would have had to come in another way..." I point to the omnibus. "The only other way in is from the skylight!"

He exhales sharply. "Don't be ridiculous. Do you have a shred of evidence for this claim at all?"

"As these two have said, they each claim to have heard a loud thud, such as the noise made by someone falling to the floor. Falling from the seat should not have caused enough noise for Miss Lestrade to let out an involuntary cry. This moment must have been when the witness made his entrance... falling into it!"

"Good gracious!" says His Lordship.

Barok slams his hand down, not leaving any residue as his wine has dried to the gloves by now. "That's impossible! Why did neither witness up above mention a body falling into the room?"

"Might I say sometin' here?" Magnus waves one hand. "To be sure now, the two fellas who were sat on the roof that testified afore said nuttin' of the victim fallin' through the skylight. But... it seems to me, My Lord, that 'tis not so much a case of them not sayin', but 'tis a case of them bein'... unable to say." At the surprised silence, he continues. "I tink perhaps the two fellas do be havin' sometin' of a compellin' reason not to mention what happened. Would youse not agree... fine ladies and gentlemen of the jury?"

Everyone except for the Typewritist starts getting all riled up.

"Hmmmmmmph!"

"Oh my... my goodness! Surely not..."

"Those two chaps on the roof...?"

"You mean, the ones who stuck that knife in the man were...?"

"Aaaaaagh!"

"Hold it!" This comes from Mr. Fairplay, who is jabbing his staff out from the gallery. Beside him, Beppo is about the same while Mr. Ladyfirst looks terrified. "Just what exactly are you insinuating here, you... you blitherer?! This is a flaming outrage! I've a good mind to give you a blinker in a minute!"

"You rotter, he said!" Mr. Ladyfirst moves his hands away long enough to say something. "What are you insinuating? He'll give you a shiner in a minute, he said — and so will I!"

"You're effectively accusing us — a city gentleman and well-respected banker, and a very angry hatter! Suggesting that people like us could have stabbed that man in the guts, it's... it's... It's a disgrace! It's scandalous! It's... ARGH! I protest! I protest in the strongest possible terms!"

"That's right! I protest, too — about you, you rotten scoundrel!"

The gallery is louder than they have been all day.

"Ordaaar! Ordaaar! Ordaaaaaar!!!" Once they're all quiet, His Lordship addresses the ranting duo. "This is not the time, witnesses!" 

Over their protests, Barok starts speaking again. "My Lord, if I may comment?"

"Go ahead, Lord van Zieks."

"It was the defense that incited this outburst from the witnesses. My learned friend over there has seen fit to abandon all protocol and accuse the witnesses without proof."

I cover my mouth. "That... that was not my intention!"

"Pray tell, what was it then, young Nipponese? It seems that your command of the English tongue is wanting."

I fall silent.

"You proposed to this court that the victim fell through the skylight from the roof deck of the omnibus. That hypothesis cannot possibly stand without the rooftop passengers being aware of the events. You have branded these gentlemen liars! You have intimated their criminal guilt! In our British courts of law, that is what is termed a baseless accusation!"

Without thinking, I cry out, "You can't just dismiss this idea without a second thought!"

He can't even answer to that before the jury and gallery start demanding testimony from both Mr. Fairplay and Mr. Ladyfirst.

Terrified, they both make their way back down to the stand, looking around frantically. Gina moves back to her original position when they arrive, and Magnus is finding this all amusing, of course.

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *            Witness Testimony - Start           *
*                                                          *
****************************************

"We were the only two people up on that roof deck, dead or alive! I can swear to that!

If anything had happened where we were sitting, don't you think one or the other of us would have noticed?

In any case, neither of us know the first thing about the victim. We had no reason to kill the man!

The skylight was shut the entire time, I tell you! We couldn't possibly have opened it!

If you're so sure the victim fell through the skylight, where's your proof?"

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 *         End        *
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"I must say that on listening to this testimony, it is somewhat hard to imagine how either witness could have performed any malevolent act on this open rooftop deck without the other noticing forthwith," His Lordship admits.

"You see!" Mr. Fairplay insists.

"We're innocent, I tell you!" Mr. Ladyfirst adds afterwards.

#4, the Typewritist, slaps the ribbon of her typewriter on cue. "Although, logically, of course, the argument falls down if the two of you were in collusion with one another."

"What?!"

"Eh?!"

"According to investigations by Scotland Yard, the two witnesses share no common dealings," Barok puts forth.

"Well, I don't trust coppers any more than I trust the stinking rich!" says the Barber.

Susato looks at me. "Feeling uneasy again?"

"Yes..." I can't help mumbling.

It's going in our favor! Why does this feel so wrong?

****************************************
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 *            Cross Examination - Start           *
*                                                          *
****************************************

This cross-examination ends up being some sort of 2 versus 1 with Magnus chiming in every now and again to stop Mr. Fairplay and Mr. Ladyfirst in their tracks while we're asking them things.

Round 1:

Me - "So at no time did the victim, Mr. Mason, climb up to join you on the roof deck?"

Fairplay - "Absolutely not! Dicken!"

Ladyfirst - "No question about it, he said! None at all! I... I remember seeing them both myself! I saw the victim inside the enclosed cabin talking with this man here!"

Magnus - "Dear me, at the risk of repeating meself... I boarded the omnibus alone, and nodded off inside almost immediately."

Fairplay - "That's an outright lie! Without doubt, you were engaged in—"

Magnus - "Let me stop you there, fella, and ask... do you have any evidence at all, at all? 'Tis all about evidence in the courts these days, so it is. You'd do well to remember that."

Fairplay - "Argh! I saw you! With my own eyes!"

Going so well right now...

Round 2:

Susato - "Perhaps it was too dark for you both to see what was going on down below clearly? Or perhaps... one or the other of you fell asleep briefly?"

Fairplay - "Is this some kind of a lark? Are you fair dinkum, madam?"

Ladyfirst - "Is this some kind of a joke? Is that what this is? It's impossible, I tell you! Try falling asleep in that cold! We had to put up with it because that man locked the door! Any true gent would have unlocked it and let me in when I knocked!"

Magnus - "I'm dreadfully sorry about that, young fella. But ye see, I was away with the fairies and I didn't hear ye at all."

Ladyfirst - "That's a lie! I saw you through the glass! You were talking to someone!"

Magnus - "Now, now, 'twas a cold night, so it was. People do be seein' tings that aren't real in the cold. 'Tis hardly surprising."

Ladyfirst - "Seeing things? Seeing things?! You... You... You...!"

When we ask about them knowing Mr. Mason, they keep insisting that they don't... only for one perusal from Magnus later to reiterate Mr. Fairplay's debt and then something new... with the victim being a customer of Mr. Ladyfirst's. We're even treated to a photograph of Mr. Mason with a distinct looking hat on.

They're also very clear about the skylight not being able to be opened (with a little too much information from Mr. Ladyfirst on proving it)... but then suddenly Gina is the one fidgeting, turning her coin faster than usual.

"Miss Lestrade, do you have something to say?"

She crosses her arms. "It opens. That skylight. They all do, dead easy."

"That's a lie!" Mr. Ladyfirst insists.

"They do. You just can't do it from inside. From a personal run-in, I know the catch is on top side. That's why you can't open 'em down below."

"Bailiff!" demands the Judge. "Go open that skylight at once!"

Susato follows after him, likely to examine it again.

Sure enough, it does open.

"Neither of us knew that!" Mr. Fairplay snaps. "If we didn't know, we couldn't have opened it! And if we didn't open it, we couldn't have kicked the fellow down!"

I squint. "What is this kicking business?"

"What kind of skylight doesn’t open from the inside?!" Mr. Ladyfirst rebukes.

Don't ask me, this is YOUR country!

Right then, Susato comes back, looking dazed.

"Are you okay...?" I ask her.

"I believe I found something..." she says. 

****************************************
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 *         End        *
*                                                          *
****************************************

"On the night in question, the victim was fatally stabbed in the stomach. Immediately afterwards, the victim's body was pushed through the skylight into the cabin below. Those are the facts. The proof we seek remains clearly visible in the omnibus that stands before us today in this very courtroom!"

The men's mouths drop open.

"That's humbug!" shouts Mr. Fairplay! "You can't possibly have any evidence!"

"That's right, you can't!" Mr. Ladyfirst adds. "We didn't do it!"

"Proof, here?" Even Barok sounds lost.

His Lordship pushes up his glasses. "Counsels... I believe everyone would appreciate a little clarification here, hm? Where exactly within the omnibus is this evidence to which you allude? You will point out what it is that proves the victim fell from the roof deck through the skylight!"

Susato walks back over to the omnibus. "Bailiff, if you would help me, please...?"

He opens the door for her so she can reveal what she had been looking at.

Once she slides the skylight door back open, I gape.

What?!

"By Jupiter, is that blood?!" he asks in shock.

Mr. Fairplay drops his cane immediately.

"I'm afraid this proves two things," I say. "One, the skylight was open. Two, Mr. Mason was already bleeding when he fell inside."

"Oh my..." Mr. Ladyfirst murmurs.

"It follows that Mr. McGilded, who was inside the entire time, could not possibly have committed this crime!"

"Nooooooo!"

"Couldn't the blood have sprayed up there?!" Mr. Fairplay protests.

Magnus squints at him. "That would be very convenient to have it only be findin’ its way there! Let's keep it in mind that the skylight catch can only be unfastened from the roof deck. I meself wouldn't have been able to open it, now, would I?"

"But there's no way to know for certain, is there — that he actually fell through?"

"Why don't ye have a good look at the floor of the cabin between the two seats, Mr. Ladyfirst?" He gestures inside to the bloodstain on the floor, which I'm sure was another thing Susato noticed on her second examination along with the storage space. "There's the aftermath that shows the poor fella dropped from a fair height right there, so it is."

"It's all liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiies!!"

Everyone in the jury is, of course, discussing.

"My fellow jury members! I think we can all agree that this is clear proof of the defendant's innocence, can't we?"

"I believe we can, yes, sir. It's clear to me now where the filthy rubbish can be found in this courtroom."

"So... they thought they could pull the wool over my eyes, did they?"

"I won't tolerate any of the guild's carriages being sullied with blood! I won't tolerate it!"

"Oh, I always knew that nice gentleman who gave us that delightful park couldn't have done such a thing."

"On three then, everyone!" The Foreman raises his hand. "One..."

Next, the Maid and Old Woman.

"Two..."

Now, the Guildmaster and Typewritist.

"Three..."

Finally, the Barber.

But before they can light their sticks...

"Objection!"

Surprisingly, it's Barok who says this. He starts clapping slowly.

"A... chilling performance, Mr. McGilded."

"What would ye be referrin' to there now, Lord van Zieks?"

"A bloodstain on the frame of the skylight? Such 'evidence'... is null and void!"

"Why?!" Susato and I ask at the same time.

"For one extremely simple reason — that smear of blood... never existed!"

She gestures to it. "But we can all see it right here!"

"My Far East lady, I personally attended Scotland Yard's investigation of the omnibus. The officers involved went over the carriage with a fine-tooth comb. So I can state with absolute surety... no such smear of blood existed in the carriage! At least, not until this trial began."

I bite down on one of my fingers. "But wouldn't that mean...?!"

His Lordship is thinking the same thing. "Are you suggesting, Lord van Zieks... that this stain of blood was..."

"Fabricated? Yes, My Lord, I am — while this court has been in session, no less!"

Magnus starts chucking again. "Heh... what a palaver... I must say I didn't expect such crude reasonin' from a prosecutor of your standin', Lord van Zieks. But I'm Magnus McGilded, a fella known all over the capital for his fine contributions to public life. I don't take kindly to slander. I'll fight it to the bitter end, even if it's rollin' off the tongue of the Reaper of the Bailey."

Barok narrows his eyes. "Mr. McGilded... I realize that this is your first appearance in court as the accused. However... I am well aware of your involvement behind the scenes in a great many affairs of dubious nature. You're very adept when it comes to avoiding getting your own hands dirty. Each time it happens that a case you're involved in is investigated, you 'adapt' the facts."

My eyes widen in contrast. "Adapt the facts? What does that even mean?"

"When you wield a fortune the size of Mr. McGilded's, however ill-gotten it may be, nothing is impossible. Tampering with evidence, manipulating the scene of a crime, bribing witnesses... I toast your ability to concoct the most convenient of stories, sir."

Magnus waves a finger at the chalice now pointed in his direction. "Tut tut, Lord van Zieks. This will not do, to be sure. I tink it's fair to say... this does all sound like a rather far-fetched excuse by a desperate man. The blood on the skylight didn't exist, ye say? But if youse will all cast yer minds back... is it not true that the omnibus there has been in the courtroom the entire time? How could anyone possibly have put a smear of blood in it without the world and his wife seeing? Isn't that right, now, Counsel?"

Unfortunately, he's not correct about that. Even considering when it was temporarily moved away, the bailiffs still had their eyes on it. There was an actual time, however, when none of us were present around it.

Barok seems to be reading me on his next lines, turning the chalice towards me. "My learned friend, here's to hearing your opinion on this matter... in your own words."

"Very well."

As the defense, we're supposed to be advocating for the defendant as best we can.

But, to be frank, the truth is at stake here — and that will always be more important.

"It's not out of the question," I say. "There is no evidence to suggest that the defendant did as my learned friend suggests. However... in terms of having the opportunity to carry out the alleged tampering... there is one possibility."

Susato catches on fast. "You can do this!"

"Explain yourselves!" says His Lordship.

Barok nods in approval. "It appears that my learned Nipponese friends have no intention of running from this deceit."

"Deceit?"

"Do you recall the recess we were forced to take, when Miss Gina Lestrade fired her smoke gun into the room?" I ask.

"Oh!"

"Yes, we had all left the omnibus by itself!" Susato realizes. "Even before we all left, no one could see anything through it!"

“Yes!” I point straight towards the omnibus. “Under the veil of smoke and chaos, it would have been possible to sneak inside!”

At that, Magnus slams his fist down hard onto the stand, causing everyone else around him to either jump in surprise or back up. “Are you wise, ye… ye rotten feckless gougers?! What are youse tryin’ to pull over there?!” He shakes his fist. “Yer both supposed to be defendin’ me! ‘Tis a wicked plot to undermine me, so is it?!”

Barok cuts him off. “Whatever you think this is, it changes nothing. The facts are the same — after this courtroom was evacuated earlier as a result of the smoke grenade, a number of inconsistencies materialized in relation to that omnibus.”

“Such as…?” His Lordship asks, startled.

“For one, the storage compartment suddenly being empty. For two, the smear of blood being at the top edge of the skylight. Neither of things were true at the start of the trial.”

“Unfortunately, no one else can corroborate those things. I’m afraid to say that we cannot establish with any certainty if this evidence was the result of tampering or not.”

True… both things were shut before.

“Indeed… no doubt there was not a single person who can verify such things.”

Susato suddenly raises her hand. “My Lord, if I may…?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I do believe Prosecutor van Zieks is mistaken here. There is an inconsistency that can be verified as not appearing at the start of this trial.”

“What?!”

Even I’m shocked. “Susato, you saw such a thing?!”

“What in the devil’s name are you goin’ to say now, woman?!” Magnus screeches. “If… if either of youse dare to betray me, start watchin’ yer backs, ye little maggots!”

“Silence!” Barok counters. “The court awaits the defense’s clarification.”

He growls in response.

“Susato, what is it you say that only appeared during the trial?” I ask.

In response, she opens the omnibus for the final time, gesturing to the floor where a bloodstain lay. “One would expect blood to end up where the victim landed if he had fallen from above. Even if we cannot verify the blood on top… surely we all recall that when this omnibus was examined far earlier… that there was no blood on the floor at the start!”

“Oh!” says the Judge. “I do believe you’re right.”

“Well said,” Barok adds. “Although, as an advocate for the defense, one might say that was a very careless slip of the tongue.”

“Perhaps,” I admit, “but we are also advocates for the truth. We are compelled to admit that there is, indeed, a possibility that this ‘decisive’ piece of evidence is fake!”

”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!”

Shocked, we all turn to Magnus, who is huffing and puffing like never before.

Then…

“This trial… is over.”

“Excuse me…?” I ask.

“Ye heard me. I’ve done everytin’ I possibly can to cooperate with the court, but… ‘tis all over now.”

“You’re the defendant! You can’t just give up!”

He immediately looks up sharply at me, and his expression is manic.

“‘Tis over, I tell ye!”

My mouth drops open. Susato hurries back to our bench.

“Memory, recollection, what people tink they saw… all nonsense! Facts are what counts, and the fact is that bloodstain is here, now! Not only, over the course of this desperate trial, long and extremely drawn out as it has been…” at this, he points an accusing finger in Barok’s direction, “that good-for-nuttin’ Reaper of the Bailey has failed to present any decisive evidence at all!”

The man in question looks troubled, nothing like any other expression he’s pulled in here.

“I’m scandalized, so I am. I’d thought better of Lord van Zieks.” His next words startle Mr. Fairplay, Mr. Ladyfirst, and Gina all over again with the gritted tone. “Well, My Lord?”

His Lordship is conflicted for a few moments before nodding solemnly. “I must concur with the defendant. The unaffirmed recollections of any individual cannot stand as evidence. At this moment in time, the particular bloodstain in question is very much there, and without any credible means to say it was not before otherwise… I regret to say that it would be improper for this trial to continue.”

I don’t know how to look except for blank. “Your Lordship… surely you’re not serious…”

“Your position, Lord van Zieks?”

Defeated (as he can look, anyway), he says, “The prosecution has no further witnesses or evidence to present, My Lord.”

“Very well. In that case, I shall proceed to my adjunction; however, as a formality, I am obliged to confirm with the defense first… your closing statement, please.”

Susato looks dejected. “He will be found ‘not guilty’… we’ve won.”

I sigh. “Why doesn’t it feel like we have?”

She pats my shoulder. “What will you say now?”

“I suppose… I’ll say what I truly think.” I straighten up. “We are here in this courtroom today as advocates for the defense of our client, Mr. Magnus McGilded. However… at this moment in time, we cannot in all good conscience attest fully to the defendant’s innocence.”

If the Lordship were drinking something, I’m almost certain he would have spat it out right now. “What are you saying, man?”

Magnus looks bemused in contrast.

“Without any question,” I continue, “there is no conclusive evidence to prove that the defendant is guilty. However… the opposite also rings true — he is not conclusively innocent, either.”

The gallery has a field day with that one.

“Good gracious!” His Lordship exclaims. “Unprecedented! The defense calling the accused’s innocence into question?! Are you of sound mind?!”

We can’t answer before Magnus starts cackling all of a sudden, like some maniac.

“Wah ha ha ha hah! Oh, ‘twas a grand decision to appoint the two of youse, so it was! A grand decision! I must say, I didn’t expect quite such an excitin’ spectacle at the end there, but still… have this for your troubles!”

“Hey!” (He’s flicked another coin at me!)

“Your job here is done. Some fine work ye’ve done, so ye have!”

“What do you mean?” asks Susato.

“'It’s just as the Right Honorable gentleman so succinctly put it afore; the trial can’t go on any more. Yer friend’s closing statement was — as he put it — nuttin’ more than a formality.”

Off he goes laughing again, and now the jury is in an frenzy again.

”I… I really don’t know what to make of all this…”

”Was the evidence ever genuine, or was it fake…?”

“His Lordship would be furious. Any unsightly rubbish should be disposed of promptly, as I said.”

”The stinkin’ rich are always guilty of something, mark my words!”

”I feel terribly ashamed of doubting the lovely man who gave us the lovely park.”

After His Lordship quiets them, he continues. “Now that proceedings have unfolded this way, I am compelled to declare a premature end to this trial. Furthermore, the court must accept the defendant’s plea.”

Magnus smiles, with a bow, having finally calmed down. “Tank you kindly, My Lord.”

”I hereby pronounce the verdict of the court…”

”Wait!”

All eyes are now on me. I resist the urge to cover my mouth.

”We still haven’t determined if the bloodstain in the omnibus is genuine or not!” I insist. “We don’t even know if our witnesses were telling the truth or not!”

”I’m afraid it doesn’t matter in this moment. The case made by the prosecution was flawed, plain and simple. If, indeed, the omnibus presented as evidence was tampered with… the prosecution is as fault for allowing such a disgraceful perversion of justice to occur.”

Barok does nothing else aside from apologize. “My sincerest apologies, My Lord.”

”Are you not the one who ordered the evidence be secured?” Susato says. “You were trying to do your duty!”

”Yet it appears this duty was shunned in the chaos,” His Lordship interjects.

”That’s not fair!” I shout.

”The culpability of this defendant has not been established by the court at present. Consequently, the jury will not be required to proffer judgement.”

Now that has rendered all six jury members confused. The one time they immediately agree on something…

Magnus looks from His Lordship, to Barok, to Susato and me. “Well, Lord van Zieks, it’s been a pleasure, so it has. As for you, my dear fella and madam, I couldn’t have asked for a better defense! Wah ha ha ha hah!”

“You mean this has been a waste?” The Foreman throws down his hat, displeased.

”'Tis the law of the land, my good man,” Magnus answers simply. “Try and change the law if ye wish to pursue any further.”

”This is far from over.” Barok’s voice is sharp. “Take this as a warning from me.”

“Good grief, ye had more to say to me? Well, I suppose I’ll be lookin’ forward to that!”

"Allow me to pass my pronunciation on the defendant, Magnus McGilded."

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Despite the confetti and small (and hopefully safe) fireworks show, instead of cheers, it’s a harrying of statements that drown out the smack of the gavel.

“I can’t believe it!”

”This is an outrage!”

”They should have examined the evidence more!”

”What are you talking about? The man’s been cleared! He’s innocent!”

That’s how our first trial in Great Britain came to an end — with the defendant not guilty… it was a victory for us.

~ 18th February, 5:14 p.m. ~
~ The Old Bailey, Defendants' Antechamber ~

Silence. I sink into the couch, face in my hands.

Eventually, I can feel Susato’s hands on my shoulders. “That was a long trial, certainly.”

”It was.” I raise my face, but I don’t turn around.

”Despite everything, I still wish to congratulate you. What a wonderful performance you put on in there.”

”Congratulate yourself as well, Susato. Your assistance was amazing.” I sigh. “We should be happy, but… we have no idea what truly happened at all.”

”Sadly, we didn’t have enough time,” she replies. “I’m afraid that, on paper, it doesn’t matter much beyond that for us — exonerating the defendant is all we’re meant to do, and we did just that.”

”Aye, that you did!” Magnus comes strolling up with Gina now trailing him.

”Hello, Mr. McGilded,” I say, a bit flatly.

”It seems the stories are true after all.”

”What stories?”

“The six fireworks they do be lettin’ off during a not guilty verdict. Spectacular, wouldn’t you say?”

I nod. “Yes.”

”I should be tankin’ you both for letting me have the opportunity to see it for meself!”

Something snaps in me then. “I don’t think we really did anything for that.”

He blinks at me. “What are ya sayin’? How did I walk out a free man, then?”

”It wasn’t so much us as it was your planning, I’m sure.”

At this, his eyes narrow very slightly. “Straight-talkin’, I see. I guess your madam here is the one with all the nuance! I must say, though, ye two almost had me astray in there a few times, but yer both young and headstrong! So ‘tis water under the bridge!”

Susato takes this time to finally walk in front of the couch where the rest of us are. “Congratulations on having your name cleared, Mr. McGilded.”

”Ah, tank you, madam. But there’s only one ting that matters to me.”

”What?” I ask.

”Aye, that they’ve all seen that I didn’t do the odious and absonant deed! Now the fine fellas of Scotland Yard can take matters in hand and sort out any wee details so they see it for what it is! I have faith in ‘em — after all…” He hides his face behind his hand. “I do be providin’ a good amount of their wages with all the taxes I pay.”

That sounds ominous, somehow…

”Ah, as we agreed… one thousand guineas for yer troubles.”

I shake my head. “We couldn’t possibly accept that!”

With what we learned about him, I’m not sure we’d even want to.

”Humble, ye are. If you insist. But have this, still an’ all.” He gives Susato a small pouch. “Fifty guineas for the two of youse. Ye deserve it.”

At least it won’t be life-threatening money if he makes us pay it back later.

One of the bailiffs pokes his head out. “Mr. Magnus McGilded? Everything is ready, sir, if you’d like to follow me into the courtroom…”

He looks confused. “What’s this? ‘Tis sooner than I was led to believe.”

”Apologies, but it appears there were some changes to the schedule.”

”Very well.” He faces us. “Well, I must be makin’ tracks now… ‘tis time for the inspection.”

”There’s an inspection in the courtroom?” I ask.

“Yes, for that omnibus. I asked to be present for it myself.”

”Right now?” asks Susato.

”So it is. Naturally, I’m not obligated to take part in it anymore, but as an upstandin’ member of society, I do be doin’ me best to help where I can — gentlemen’s duty, so it is. Fare thee well!” He waves. “I hope ye have a whale of a time while yer studyin’ here! A pleasure to meet youse both.”

There he goes, a free man.

Before we can go anywhere, though, Gina points her smoke gun at us. “Don’t move!”

More like ‘Get a move on!’ Loading that thing took so long… 

“Miss Lestrade,” I say, “will you please put that thing down?”

She doesn’t, opting to speak instead. “Yer a grown-up. I ‘ate the lot of ‘em.”

”Aha! There you are!”

All of a sudden, a young girl appears. Gina is so startled that she drops the smoke gun.

Wait! That’s the girl we saw at the beginning of the day… and on board the SS Burya with Sherlock!

”How naughty of you, running away with my grenade launcher! I was looking forward to testing that!”

Gina now turns it on her once she picks it up again. “Ha!”

”Oh, do you want to play?” All of a sudden, the girl pulls out an even bigger version of the smoke gun, with a heart scope and everything. “I’m afraid you won’t beat me!”

”Grr…”

”Who are you?” I ask.

She turns to me and, for a second, her eyes go wide. But then her expression changes to a normal smile. “Good day to you! I’m actually the inventor of that machine over there.”

”Oh?”

”As far as I’m concerned, normal grenade launchers are so dull… white all the time, don’t you agree? If you must be shrouded in smoke, it should at least be a pretty color!”

I tilt my head. “Do we have to be shrouded in smoke at all?”

”No, but if you have to, make it pretty! In any event, I took my eyes off of it for one second while changing omnibuses when she pinched it! Luckily, I managed to put a special tracker on it!” She faces Gina. “Now, you’re coming with me to apologize to my technician!”

Her eyes are wide. “Wot? You want me to say sorry?”

”Yes! You must when you’ve done something wrong! Surely an adult has told you that before!”

”I don’t listen to no adults!”

”Well, then, come along with me.” 

Gina heaves a defeated sigh. “Fine, ‘ave it your way.”

”Sorry for the fuss!” the little girl says, pointing her large gun at Gina and waving at us with her free hand.

Off they go.

”We should be on our way now, too, right?” Susato says.

“Yes,” I agree, “but where to? We ran out of time to find a place to stay here.”

“At the very least, we should go get our things. The poor bailiff has been looking after them all day.”

“As long as we’re not staying in McGilded Park. I won’t hear of it!”

”It may be chilly, but our youthfulness should see us through!”

”I don’t believe the snow cares if we’re young or not. We will freeze regardless.”

”Oh dear… Worst comes to worst, we’ll have to bury ourselves in our belongings and find another park.”

We probably can’t get too far on only fifty guineas. This is the only reason I regret turning the rest of it down.

If only we knew what was going on some time later after we took our belongings away.

It’s as the Reaper warned…

this case was far from over.

All I can hear are the screams of panic as I make my way to the courtroom where the omnibus was to be inspected.

Their voices are clear as the night. 

“What’s going on?!”

”Get the fire brigade!”

”Bring water, quick!”

Among the voices I hear one Tobias Gregson, an inspector of Scotland Yard.

I hear him before I see him.

”How did this happen?” he asks the bailiff outside.

”I dunno, sir! By the time I got ‘ere, it was already engulfed.”

”No one was supposed to be allowed in here before we started investigatin’!”

By the time I arrive at the doors, they’re both looking at me in shock.

Before they can say anything, there is a faint knocking heard.

Inspector Gregson’s face morphs in horror as we all go inside to the burning omnibus. 

“Good God!” he exclaims. “There’s someone in there!”

By now, His Lord has appears beside us. “This… this can’t be…”

Sadly, I know exactly what it is.

The curse continues… whether I like it or not.

Chapter Text

~ 19th February, 9:47 a.m. ~
~ British Supreme Court, Lord Chief Justice's Office ~

On the way to the Supreme Court come next morning, all Susato and I can talk about is the hotel we had barely managed to book ourselves into at the last minute.

It was quite expensive, so we were lucky to have gotten that small token from Magnus when we did.

However, we can't keep living like this.

I've apologized to Susato at least three times already by the time we've arrived.

We've finished our conversation just in time for Lord Stronghart to approach us.

"Good morning to you both at this early hour," he greets us.

"Good morning, Lord Chief Justice," she replies. "We have come to report on the outcome of the trial at the Old Bailey yesterday."

Wow. I wish I was as brave as her.

"Yes, I believe you had a very comprehensive initiation into British courtroom practices."

I manage to nod. "It was... definitely eye-opening!"

"We performed our duty to the very end," Susato adds.

"I have been apprised," he says. "Consider your test passed. No longer are you a student from the Empire of Japan, Mr. Naruhodo... you may henceforth claim to be a fully fledged lawyer! My country is delighted to welcome young talent from such a remote Eastern land."

I gasp. "Thank you!"

I can't believe it... I'm officially a lawyer now!

"Now, in view of your new appointment, I have a fresh case in mind for you. I'd like you to take it on at once. I trust that won't be a problem?"

Both Susato and I blink in shock. "Already?"

"Nothing trains a lawyer better than practical experience." He raises an eyebrow at us. "I'm sure I don't sense dissatisfaction, do I?"

"Not exactly," I reply. "I just haven't come to terms with the ending of yesterday's trial."

"What's to come to terms with? The man was cleared. What more were you hoping for?"

The truth, that's what.

"It just makes me wonder... was Mr. McGilded really innocent?"

Susato sighs beside me. "Sadly, that truth may be lost to us forever with the ending of the trial."

Lord Stronghart shakes a finger at us. "Well, you needn't let it trouble you for a second longer. Magnus McGilded passed away immediately following the trial."

We gasp, even louder. "He's dead?!"

With an almost invisible amount of annoyance, he checks his watch. "I have nineteen minutes and forty-one seconds until my next engagement... time enough to talk."

"What happened?! How is he dead?" I ask, shocked.

"As you know, an omnibus was left in the courtroom yesterday."

Susato nods. "Of course; it was the scene Mr. McGilded was accused of defiling with murder, after all."

"Yes. Well, while the bailiff's attention was diverted by some other matter, the omnibus went up in flames."

"No!"

"How could that happen?" I ask.

"That is being investigated as we speak. But, already... the police have identified a corpse found inside the charred shell of the carriage as that of McGilded. The man must have slipped inside whilst the bailiff's attention was elsewhere."

Susato makes a face. "How could he be so irresponsible? Yes, he insisted on being present for reinvestigation, but still…"

"Why would he need to go back inside of it in the first place?" I muse.

At least, aside from the obvious reason.

“Another investigation?” Lord Stronghart actually looks slightly confused. “I don’t believe Scotland Yard requested one.”

“No?!” I tap my chin. “What on earth was Mr. McGilded talking about, then?”

“Never you mind that. The Yard is making a thorough investigation. This matter is no longer any concern of yours. Leave it to the police.”

Even if he was guilty, he didn't deserve to go up in flames.

"So... how did you find your first taste of our country's supreme court?"

I already know I'm not going to be able to say it articulately, and Susato rolls her eyes fondly at me realizing this. "The whole experience was steeped in the solemnity of Great Britain's long history. It's really a world apart from our own judicial system in Japan, which is only a few short decades old."

"The judicial system here is the most advanced in the world," he replies. "Learn all you can."

"Such a way with words," I say.

She scoffs. "Somehow, your ability is failing you these days."

Uncalled for!

Lord Stronghart ignores our banter there. "It was fortunate... that your very first trial was a simple affair."

We're stopped in our tracks.

"I'm sorry, that's considered a 'simple' case here?!" I can't believe what I'm hearing here.

"Of course. I do believe I told you that this was a trial you can't lose."

Susato shakes her head. "I'm afraid that case was anything but simple, Lord Stronghart!"

He stares at her, and I see his look harden a bit.

"She's right," I say. "The circumstances of the case were so incriminating, I was stunned when I first heard them. In fact, I'm still finding it hard to believe that we managed to get a favorable verdict."

For some reason, he chuckles at that.

"Is there something funny...?"

He waves his hand. "No, no, my apologies. However, the fact is that you did receive the not guilty verdict you set out to achieve, which can only be attributed to exceptional talent... wouldn't you agree?"

I wilt. "I'm not sure I can agree to that."

Something else appears to be on the tip of his tongue, but he changes tactics. "Well, the point is that you exceeded my expectations, I freely admit. That much at least is an undeniable truth... which is precisely why I have prepared the new case for you that I mentioned before."

"We may need more details," Susato pipes up.

Tell me this isn't another murder trial that starts in ten minutes. I don't think I'm ready for Susato to practice her Holmesian vernacular again.

He raises his eyebrow. "Don't worry, it's nothing so alarming or quite so urgent as your last assignment. In fact, this case is completely different."

"Oh?" (Did he read my mind?!)

"No one has died... at least, not yet, and the trial will not be today. There is plenty of time to research the case thoroughly." At this, he stares at his pocket watch. "Twenty-three hours, forty-three minutes and nineteen seconds to be precise."

Great, so it's tomorrow. I slump down a bit.

Susato notices. "Are you alright?"

"Not quite," I say with a sigh. "I'm a bit confused, to be honest. Yesterday's trial leaves me wondering if I'm cut out for this 'lawyer' thing..."

To this, she puts her hand on my shoulder again, giving it a squeeze. 

"Ah, I forgot to mention," Lord Stronghart says, "there is one similarity with yesterday's case. Once again, there is currently no one to advocate for the defense. If the situation remains unchanged, the trial will start tomorrow with the defendant unrepresented. And if that happens, I need not remind you of the inevitable outcome."

I cover my face with one hand. "Here we go again..."

What is it with people not wanting to advocate for anyone around here?

"Your time is up. You will have to excuse me." I manage to focus back onto Lord Stronghart. "I would advise you to begin making preparations for tomorrow's trial. After all, the clock is ever ticking. There is now but twenty-three hours, twenty-six minutes and thirty-nine seconds until the court sits." Before he turns to leave, he start addressing me directly. "One more thing, Mr. Naruhodo. There is something I should like to ask you."

I straighten up immediately. "Yes?"

"Yesterday, you remarked upon something... that you intend to see through the will of your late compatriot, Mr. Asougi."

Susato's eyes go wide at that one.

"I would be interested to hear what exactly you mean by that... inside thirty-four seconds."

Way to put me on the spot like that! I try my best not to stutter too much.

"Oh, well... Kazuma always used to say, you see, that he wanted to learn how the greatest justice system in the world worked so he could change ours in Japan. Now that he's gone, I'd like to work towards that myself." I hesitate before going on. "And... there's another thing..."

"Something else?!" Susato asks in shock.

"Continue," Lord Stronghart says, calmly.

I scratch my head. "On our way here, he said something to me... 'There's something very important that I have to do.'"

"Oh? What, exactly, would that be?"

"Sadly, he didn't get to tell me. If he had made it here, I'm sure he would have."

He nods to me. "How enlightening."

"What is this about, Ryunosuke?" Susato demands. "Kazuma never said anything like that to me!"

I wonder if he was trying to keep her out of this mess, too...

"I urge you both to focus your attentions on the matter at hand," says Lord Stronghart. "I've taken the liberty of summoning the police inspector in charge of the case. He'll be able to apprise you of the details."

He points behind us, and when we turn, sure enough there is a man standing there, arms crossed with some sort of food tucked in his arms. Was he there the whole time?!

"I wish you the best of luck... and bid you farewell."

With that, Lord Stronghart finally takes his leave, and the detective looks up with a stern expression.

"What did Kazuma mean by 'something important to do'...?" Susato muses.

"We may never find out," I answer with a sigh. "Come on, we shouldn't keep the detective waiting."

"Oh, right!"

Once we approach, it's as if his expression gets even more annoyed at us.

"May we trouble you for a moment?" I ask.

The man jolts to attention, almost knocking the notepad in his hat out of it. "What do you think?!"

I jolt in surprise. I wasn't expecting that! "Lovely weather, isn't it?"

He squints. "What's the weather got to do with anythin'?! Listen to me, you young Japanese upstart — some frippery about the weather doesn't get every English gent eatin' out of your hand, you know?"

I bet if Susato tried it, it sure would. I share a glance with her and gesture helplessly in front of me.

"I'm a busy man — a very busy man!" the man continues, munching away on the snack in his hand between sentences. "There's a crime scene to investigate, but I'm here havin' to give the likes of you a talkin' to! Can you imagine what the other officers there will be sayin'? Hm? 'Haven't seen Gregson anywhere, have you?' 'No, he's too busy with the bigwigs these days.' All because of some bumpkin who's here on a jaunt from a country I've never even heard of! Hear that rippin' sound? That's my reputation at the Yard goin' to tatters!"

Did he have to tear us apart, too?!

Susato bows to him. "I don't believe we've been introduced. This is Mr. Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a defense lawyer. I'm his judicial assistant, Susato Mikotoba." 

He stops ranting and looks at her, confused. "Eh?"

She smiles slightly. "It's lovely weather we're having today, isn't it?"

He tips his hat. "It is unseasonably fine, I grant you. London winters don't see a lot of sunshine."

I knew it! Of course she would be able to pull it off.

The man clears his throat. "So... Lord Stronghart has asked me to fill you in on the case. The name's Tobias Gregson — Inspector Gregson to you. I'm from Scotland Yard."

Susato gasps. "Gregson, you say?!"

I tilt my head. "Let me guess... it's the Randst Magazine again."

"Of course! He features prominently in 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'! They enjoy a wonderful friendly rivalry!"

"Do you really?" I ask, surprised. "Incredible!"

Tobias rubs the back of his head. "Well, I don't know about that. Mr. Holmes isn't a professional like myself, of course, but he does come up with the goods from time to time."

"Mr. Holmes is equally complimentary about you, Inspector, isn't he? You've earnt his highest praise! "Susato exclaims. "'Gregson is the pick of a bad lot of all the Scotland Yarders!' Those were his own words!"

I roll my eyes. "If Mr. Holmes considers that praise, I would hate to see someone actually being insulted."

"Well, he's not exactly known for giving compliments," she tells me.

"That he is not!" Our resident Inspector starts flinging a few pieces of his snack in the air. "Thanks to that magazine, my name's known all over London town now!"

I blink a few times. "Is that not a good thing?"

"I have to admit that to start with I was a little... well, flattered by all the attention. Everyone wanted to shake my hand, and my reputation at the Yard went through the roof."

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's what it's devolved into now! There's nothin' more sinister than the man on the street! People are always lookin' at me now. They're whisperin' rumors about me under their breath, I'm sure."

Susato asks, "like what?" 

"'He's changed since he started appearin' in those stories... the fame's gone to his head.' Stuff like that."

"Do you really think people are saying such mean-spirited things about you?"

"Like I said, they whisper! So I can't catch exactly what they're sayin'. But I know what folk are like. I'm sure that's what they're sayin'! As sure as eggs is eggs!"

I share an exasperated look with her again. We have our work cut out for us, alright.

"So..." I start again. "What was it about the case that Lord Chief Justice Stronghart mentioned before?"

"Nothin' to tell, really," he replies. "As far as we're concerned at the Yard, it couldn't be simpler."

Susato frowns. "Obviously meaning it will be the exact opposite for us."

"Of course, you're going to find a way to be right," I mutter.

"A young woman was walkin' along the pavement on Briar Road when she was stabbed from behind." Tobias starts gesturing with one arm behind him while not letting that snack fall. "Fortunately, it wasn't fatal, but she's still laid up in hospital, unconscious."

"What sort of coward would attack the poor woman from behind?!" Susato snaps.

"As opposed to doing it from the front?" I make a face. "I guess you would have taken them down your way, huh?"

Her head turns towards me so fast, I'm wondering if she got whiplash. "That is neither here nor there!"

I raise my hands in defeat. Uh oh... I'm not ready to be taken down again so soon.

"Anyway, after somethin' of a whirlwind investigation, the criminal was arrested. He barely had time for a cup of tea after the incident took place, to be honest."

"Inspector Gregson, surely there must have been something left at the scene that led you directly to the culprit?"

"Maybe a reliable witness?" Susato pipes up.

"Let me stop you both right there. You're wastin' your time on this one."

We blink in surprise. "Sorry?"

"There's nothin' you can do. There's no way to help the bloke now."

"Why?" I ask.

"Simple... the prosecutor that's been assigned to the trial tomorrow is Lord Barok van Zieks."

I gasp. "Him, again?!"

"We are quite familiar with him by now," Susato says with a sigh. "Mr. McGilded told us that in every single trial he prosecutes for, the defendant ends up in some kind of trouble."

"Likely the guilty verdict, no doubt," I say. "But that didn't happen for us last time."

"It was worse, wasn't it?" Tobias says. "They either end up guilty or worse. If van Zieks could get the dirt to stick on everyone, he'd be a miracle-worker. But that's not how it goes. He doesn't work miracles; he works magic... black magic. I'd have a good, long think about that, if I were you."

Barok may be scary, but this magic thing is a step too far, isn't it?!

Tobias puts his snack back in his pocket. "Right, well, I've filled you in as requested, and I'm very nearly out of chips... so I'll be headin' back to the crime scene now. We're still carryin' out a few investigations there."

"On Briar Road, correct?" Susato asks.

"That's correct, ma'am. If you head over to the holding cells, you can meet the criminal himself."

I squint. "You've branded him a criminal already?"

"He's as good as. Shakin' like a leaf in his cell, he is. It'll give you a chuckle if nothin' else. He's inmate fifty-three. Speak to the jailer and he'll show you the way."

"Thanks..."

Off he goes.

I heave a sigh.

"What's wrong, Ryunosuke?" asks Susato.

"Do I even need to say it?" I reply.

Now she's the one sighing. "I know, the idea of facing the Reaper again seems... daunting. If you think it's too much, perhaps we should turn the case down? That takes courage, too."

"But what if the man is innocent?" I turn to face her. "You could well imagine he would be shaking like a leaf in his cell... and I, for one, wouldn't find the sight of that funny."

"So... what now?"

"Honestly, yesterday was still so shocking. I may not be certain that I can help this man, but that doesn't mean I won't try. Will you help me?"

She smiles. "You don't have to ask! I am your assistant, after all!"

I nod. "And my friend, I hope."

"Of course! Let's get going!"

Please don't let the next defendant end up dead...

~ 19th February ~
~ Local Prison, Cell 9 ~

I almost feel like Susato and I have stepped into the dungeons walking through here.

"Suddenly, our wooden cells back home are looking a lot cozier..." I say.

Susato smacks me on the shoulder. "Ryu-san, don't make it worse!"

"Sorry..."

The bailiff beside the cell nods curtly to us, then calls into the cell beside him. "Inmate fifty-three! Your legal representative is 'ere to see you! Stop 'iding at the back of the cell and show your face at once!"

Looking into the cell, it's impossible to see so far back there.

All of a sudden, some sort of monologue reaches our ears.

"Am I...?
Am I a cat, as yet with no name?!
Calling me by a number!
It's utterly, unbelievably, unjustly unreasonable!
I refuse to answer!"

The bailiff sighs. "'E's been recitin' that for a good hour, 'e 'as."

"What was that?" Susato asks.

"No idea," I say. "But that accent... no doubt, that was Japanese!"

Eventually, a figure appears at the bars. He looks absolutely harrowed.

"Excuse me?" I ask. 

"Shhh!" he shouts at us. "Quiet!"

He starts swinging around, looking around frantically while all we can do is stare at him.

"They're all around. Hiding. I know they are! They're watching... listening… even now... I... I can sense it!"

Susato lifts the small bars in front of his face while he's busy jumping around like that.

"Right..." (This is going to be a tough one...) "So could I ask you who exactly—"

He stops for only the briefest of moments before he's at it again, even louder than before! "There you are! You've come to curse me, haven't you? Don't try to hide it! You're a ghost!"

I balk. "A ghost?!"

Susato pushes me aside slightly. "Let me... We mean you no harm, prisoner-san. Are you Japanese, by any chance?"

That causes the man to stop, immediately. 

Then, he starts sobbing!

"This is... beyond my wildest dreams!!!"

We jump back. That's louder than anything else he's said today!

He manages to right himself before speaking again. "Forgive me for that outburst before. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright..." I say. "We were just surprised, that's all."

"Imagine it! It's been twelve long months since I left my hometown! And here I am, in a frightful fix in a foreign land!" He switches from shouting to almost crying again. "So hearing the sweet, sentimental tones of a compatriot's voice here in this damp, dark hellhole was a... a..."

I can't make this up, he starts posing on the next words.

"Most Monumentally Moving Moment!"

Then he starts the crying again.

"Ah... what compassion my fellow countrymen show! To dispatch a first-class lawyer all the way from Japan to defend a mere foreign student! Noble, Nurturing, Never-Failing Nippon!"

It seems that he enjoys alliteration...

"Would you be so kind as to tell us what happened?" Susato asks him. "Like why you have been detained as a suspect, for example."

He nods so frantically I'm worried his head may come off. "Yes! I can! I will! Shan't Stay Sullen and Silent!"

Susato looks to me. "I'm not quite sure I understand what he means, but... he seems happy!"

"I do, and he definitely is," I say. Here's hoping he has a good reason to be...

"Oh, right, you're an English major, aren't you?"

How easy it is to let that get lost in translation.

I nod, before facing our mystery client. "Thank you for your cooperation. I am a lawyer, as you said. My name is Ryunosuke Naruhodo."

"I am Susato Mikotoba, his assistant," she says after me.

"I am... a visiting student, sent here by our government." He gestures out towards us. "Notably, Notoriously Named Natsume!... Soseki Natsume."

Okay, how to start with this one...

"Your name is quite... unusual, Soseki Natsume-san," I say.

"Call me Soseki, please," he says. "I'm a poet, you see — a writer of haiku. It's something of a nom de plume."

"Like an alias?"

"Don't be so prosaic! It's much more refined than that!"

"Sorry..."

"You are a visiting student here?" asks Susato.

"That's right. A year ago, I was told to go and study English. First I had to suffer that misery, and now this! It's beyond the pale!"

I ask, "did you not want to study here?"

"No, that's not it! I've had an interest in Great Britain for some years, of course. But just because the government tells you to do something, does it mean you can do it? No!"

"What do you mean?"

"I can understand studying English literature, but they sent me here to study the English language!" He starts puffing again. "Utterly, Unbelievably, Unjustly Unreasonable!"

Now if only I could have been sent to study here for what he is... it is my major, after all!

"Only the other day, I was told to send a report about my first year here. I tendered a blank piece of paper. Wise Words on White Washi!"

Susato hums. "You must be a man of great standing."

"Oh, yes, so I'm often told!"

I assume he likes to be told it often, too.

"Could you perhaps tells us exactly why you've been arrested, Soseki-san?" asks Susato.

Soseki starts shaking his fists in the air. "I didn't do it! I didn't commit that atrocious murder!"

Her eyes go wide. "Murder?!"

In response, he waves his hands as placatingly as he can muster. "No, no, no, it's all alright. The woman didn't actually die, did she? But she was stabbed! With a knife! Right before my eyes!"

"Are you saying you saw the attacker?" I ask, surprised.  

Now he's surprised. "I didn't see anyone."

"What...?" I'm dumbfounded now.

"Would I be locked up here if I saw them?"

He has a point, doesn't he?

"Oh, dear," Susato says. "He does have a point. It seems this case will be more complicated than we hoped."

"Why me?!" Soseki starts shrieking again, pacing around his cell while still looking back behind him as he's going. "Why did that silly woman have to be stabbed in front of me?! It's the curse! The curse of London! It's... Incredibly, Inexcusably, Irritatingly Inconvenient!"

I hate to say it, but it's outwardly, officially, obligatorily obvious that we must learn more about this case.

As if reading my mind, Susato gives me a very strange look before continuing. "Would you care to give us more details?"

Soseki starts clenching his fingers over and over and over. "It was an accursed evening, just after the snow had started to clear and heavy with fog. I'd been to the bookshop to buy some books, and I was on my way back to my accursed lodgings. As I was walking along that accursed pavement, I could make out the sole silhouette of another ahead of me. A woman, wearing a green overcoat, she was. Just as I went to overtake her... she suddenly let out a little scream and collapsed onto the cold, hard slabs of stone at my feet!"

So the bookshop isn't accursed, is it?

"How terrible!" Susato says, while nudging me, hard. Stop reading my mind, Susato!

"I called out to the woman, but...she didn't move! It… it was like a... Ghostly, Ghoulish, Grim Graveyard!" Now he's pointing all over the place. "I was terrified! I had to get away from there! So I ran as fast as my legs would carry me back to my accursed lodgings! They'll... they'll say it was shameful, I know, to run away like that..."

I sigh. "Indeed... that's not good."

"Did you know her?" asks Susato.

"Don't be ridiculous, Miss Mikotoba! Do you think I know nay of these fair-haired English — and a young woman at that?! I'm diffident! Shy! Timid! Unsure! I can't talk to people!"

We can tell.

"No one passed by you?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Regrettably... apart from myself and the woman... I didn't see a soul."

"No one?!"

Susato sighs. "That's quite a conundrum... a victim unknown to our defendant with no one else around..."

It hits me. "How did they know to arrest him, then?"

"Exactly my point."

Soseki balls his fists. "That annoying, accursed Herr Lock Sholmes detective led the police to me! I shall never forget that man's name as long as I live with his haughty laugh and his self-proclaimed greatness! Brash, Big-Headed Busybody, Begone!"

I blink in surprise. "Did you just say 'Herlock Sholmes'?"

"Yes! May he be cursed until the end of his days!"

I see Inspector Hosonaga isn't the only one who says it that way.

"Oh, dear, I believe you mean 'Sherlock Holmes'," Susato says gently.

"Who cares which way around I mean it?! He shall be cursed either way! It was the morning after that nightmare had unfolded on the pavement before me. I was gnawing on a sliver of hard cheese when some men suddenly burst in through the door. They started shouting at me! 'This is the police! Put the weapon down!' Yes, it was a thin sliver; yes, it was hard... but I wasn't eating a weapon!" Instead of posing this time, he punctuates his words by slamming his fist into his opposite hand. "Disgusting Dietary Discrimination Devils!"

I scratch my hand. "How... trying."

"There he was, grinning like a Cheshire cat! I've since found out that he's a famous name in detection here in London, and his overly sharp mind managed to deduce my whereabouts, apparently. He thinks I'm the knife-wielding madman! Me, this weak, stooped kitten of a man?!"

I frown. What on earth could he have deduced this time?

Susato's eyes widen. "That's unreasonable! Do you mean to say that Mr. Holmes's deduction is the only reason why they arrested you?"

Soseki's shoulder's droop. "Well, um... the thing is... I was... I was thrown into a panic when they barged their way in."

"That's only natural, surely!"

"Not to them! I was terrified and trembling, and they kept throwing question after question at me in impossible English and something else! Fiendish Foreign Flim-Flammery!"

"But you're better at it now, aren't you?" I ask. "You can't blame them for questioning you like this."

"I know, I know, but then that other language a few of them spoke at me made my mind blank! I knew I had to answer, but I didn't know what to say. All I kept saying was 'Yes, I do!' and 'I'm fine!' The next thing I knew, I was in manacles, and before I knew it I was thrown in here."

Susato purses her lips. "Other language?"

"I assume he means Welsh," I say.

"I'm afraid that, with your short responses, this is hardly surprising."

He's definitely not fine now.

All of a sudden, he straightens up. "Miss Mikotoba Esquiress and Mr. Naruhodo Esquire!"

That catches me off guard. What's with the titles all of a sudden?!

"You may just call me 'Mr. Naruhodo'," I say.

“And me ‘Miss Susato’,” she said.

"Oh, yes... alright, then. This country is poisoning my mind, I fear! But please, I beg you two to defend me in court tomorrow. You can tell them what really happened. You'll do it... won't you?"

I wince at that. I wish I could be as confident as he wants me to be.

At that, he starts shouting again. "Why is it so hard for you to say 'yes' to me?!"

I scratch my head. "Well... to be honest, we are students on a study tour, like yourself."

"You... you are...?"

"Yes. We've only defended one case in the Old Bailey. But as it stands right now, I don't understand how justice in this country works at all."

Susato gives me a sad look.

"I'm not even the foreign student who was supposed to be here. I'm... a sort of locum lawyer, I suppose."

"But that armband is the mark of a defense lawyer in our great empire!" Soseki protests.

I heave a sigh. "I know. It's a keepsake from the man who should have been here... my best friend."

"A keepsake...?"

All of a sudden, Soseki is almost scarily still. He's not looking at us.

"I know exactly what they're saying about me."

"'They'?" asks Susato.

"The lawyers. All the British defense lawyers. They won't defend me."

"Goodness! Why?"

"For the same reason as you noted before. When it happened... there was only the victim and myself around. And I ran away from the scene of the crime. I'm not a fool. I know it looks as though I must be the culprit." His eyes meet ours again, with tears. "I'm just a foreign nobody to them, not to be trusted.  I heard them openly laughing about me before, in my earshot, without any compunction at all. 'Any trial for this man would be a waste of time,' they said. And, 'Of course the foreigner did it!' They even had the gall to say, 'The man doesn't understand half of what's being said anyway!'"

I shake my head. "That's awful."

"They're wrong! I've studied more English than half of the policemen out there on the streets! I've travelled halfway around the world to learn about these people's country and its great history! But no one here wants to listen to a man with a strange accent. They all hate me! So... at the very least... I'd like to entrust my fate to someone who can listen to me, in my native tongue." At our silence, he falters a little. "You could do it... couldn't you? When I look into your eyes, I can see it. I can see what you've been through."

It takes a while before I say anything again. "You have to... give us some time."

He perks up a bit. "Hm?"

"We'll do what we can."

"Yes! We shall investigate the case as thoroughly as possible," Susato adds. "If we can find some clues, it will give us a much better chance, I'm sure!"

Soseki gasps, then starts tearing up again. "Thank you!! I'll be waiting here for you both!"

"Let's go, Ryunosuke!"

~ 19th February ~
~ Briar Road ~

Susato looks so excited to see Scotland Yard men investigating around here. (Wow, these stories have really gotten to her.) She even gushed about trying on one of their helmets someday and I wish her luck with that.

Let's look around...

Red Brick Building - It seems to be crooked and sagging all over. It's a reminder that we had better find some lodgings ourselves or actually end up in the park.

Bricked-Up Windows - Why they're covered up, we don't know. There still appears to be someone living at that property, by the black smoke from the chimneys being shot into the sky. Much more to learn, it seems...

Bicycle - I'm not exactly a fan of anything that involves taking both feet off the ground for any reason (can you tell that I don't do heights?). Susato says she will get me on one someday.

Clouds/Silhouettes - They're casting a haze over the yet-to-be-built. Susato says the unfinished is likely for a building called the Crystal Tower for the Great Exhibition in six months. (Wait! Is that the one the Russian revolutionary blew up?!)

Sidewalk with Barriers - The scene of the incident. One of the bobbies shoos us away due to possible conspiracy. Susato is especially saddened by it.

Snowman - I am so tempted to take the scarf away, but even if I did, that scarf would be entirely too cold.

Carriage - Susato would love to ride around in one, but I remind her of her own words that they only cart away criminals. One of us being arrested is enough, Susato!

"What's the Japanese delegation doin' here?"

Tobias seems to appear from nowhere.

"Hello, Inspector Gregson," I say.

"This isn't on the tourist trail, as I'm fairly sure you're well aware."

"Of course!" says Susato. "We're here to investigate."

"You've been to the holdin' cells, then? What d'you make of the criminal?"

Her eyes narrow. "He is a suspect, Inspector, and nothing more."

"We'll see about that. You Japanese like to stick together, I s'pose. Well, do what you will; it doesn't bother me. The bloke's in court tomorrow whatever happens... and the verdict's a foregone conclusion."

Talk about stone cold… I wonder if we can get some other answers.

I’ve almost zoned out over their discussion over Scotland Yard.

“As I hear, that twitchy Japanese bloke’s goin’ to be on trial tomorrow,” says Tobias. “Are you two goin’ to defend him or not?”

I scratch my head. “Well, that’s the idea.”

“Of course, it makes no difference to me, but I will say this: no London lawyer worth their salt would touch that case with a barge pole."

I frown. “It’s because of the Reaper thing, right?”

“Mm hmm. No way to save that man now.” He hums. “It’s kinda strange, though — he hasn’t been in court for a few good years... and he only ever deals with the real scum.”

“Like master criminals?” I say.

“I bet they’re particularly violent,” Susato adds.

“Right,” says Tobias. “He always hand-picked people that were going straight to the gallows.”

I tilt my head. “Surely Mr. Natsume wouldn’t hang for this?”

“That’s my point, sunshine. You can’t even say the intent to kill her was there, so it’s strange he picked this one.”

I hope that reason has nothing to do with us.

"Could you tell us about the case now?" asks Susato.

"S'pose I might as well get to it, huh?" He wrinkles his nose. "Two days ago, around five in the evenin', a young woman was stabbed with a blade from behind on that open bit of pavement over there."

"That poor lady... she's still unconscious now?" I ask.

"Yes, but we won't be findin' out much about her if she doesn't come to right quick." He hands us a map of the area as he continues. "As far as we know, there was no one else aside from the victim and the countryman here, so it's not too much of a head scratcher, is it?"

I frown. "It's true that Mr. Natsume also claims that there was no one else around..."

"But that doesn't mean we're certain no one else was present!" Susato points out.

"Hate to break it to you, but we can definitely be certain," Tobias cuts in.

"How...?"

"Well, the precise moment of the stabbing didn't go unnoticed. There were two very reliable witnesses there!"

"Eh?!" I cross my arms. "Were there people around or not?! It sounds as if there were clearly other people present even if Mr. Natsume didn't see them!"

Susato asks, "Who were these witnesses, Inspector?"

"It was a fellow copper from Scotland Yard along with his wife. He's one of the most reliable and well-respected people in London."

Oh dear, that might change things...

“May we ask him some questions?” I ask.

He rolls his eyes. “You can ask him all you like in court tomorrow. Something to look forward to, I’m sure!”

Talk about gatekeeping witnesses…

“There something else we heard,” I say. “Apparently, Sherlock Holmes led you to the suspect.”

All of a sudden, he looks pale. “Why are you bringin' him up? Who told you about him?”

“Well, aside from himself,” says Susato, “Mr. Natsume says that he was with the police. I bet his great deduction led to it!”

“Fiddle-faddle!” We get a face full of that snack of his again. “That man is an amateur and I'm sick of seein’ him parading all over the place! I don’t know where he gets his info, but he turns up at scenes with his rubbish and claims to solve cases immediately!”

“He’s certainly an interesting one,” I muse.

“Doesn’t he help you out here quite a bit?” Susato asks.

"Gibble-gabble!" At this point, half of that snack is all over the ground. "Randst Magazine sees fit to include several of the Yard's detectives in its stories, where the so-called Great Detective makes a mockery of all of us! If you ask anyone at the Yard, it's a misadventure to be included in any Sherlock Holmes tale at all! We work our socks off, every one of us, only to be frumped by the public thanks to that obnoxious detective! The man's as dangerous to us at Scotland Yard as he is to all our criminals!"

She gasps. "Surely that isn't true!"

Wow, Sherlock is a master at annoying people, isn't he?

As we thank Tobias for his info, Susato pulls me aside. "We must find him and speak to him about this case, immediately!"

I raise an eyebrow. "You are talking about Mr. Holmes, right?"

"Yes! After all, he is the reason Mr. Natsume was arrested!"

"Right, he blamed Mr. Holmes for that very thing. But I have a feeling there's more than you're letting on here, Susato..."

She actually stutters a bit before speaking. "Maybe I do have a selfish desire to meet him again, but he is still an involved party!"

"Alright, alright..."

"You do know where he lives, don't you?"

I frown. "I can't say I do, unless a certain friend of mine has changed her living situation recently."

"Well, in case she has, the stories will see us through! He lives at 221B Baker Street!"

I shrug. "You win. I suppose we're going."

She grins. "I'll summon us a carriage right now!"

"Try not to get us killed on the way over, please..."

Yet another chance for her to practice that Holmesian vernacular... I am not ready for this.

~ 19th February, 12:53 p.m. ~
~ Holmes's Suite ~

It feels very surreal to be here, now. Susato is much further dazzled than I am, considering she's read the stories far more than what I've been told by Iris.

"I can't believe we're here!" Susato says, with a spin. "Many, many famous cases have been solved here in this very room! The detective chases the villain relentlessly as he disappears into the fog down an unlit London street... Oh, the thrill of it! The romanticism! Can't you feel your heart thumping in your chest? Can't you, Ryu-san?"

I chuckle. "Not nearly as much as you."

"Do you mind if I soak in the atmosphere a while?"

"Of course not. To your heart's content, if you must."

She smiles at me before going over to lean on one of the chairs.

Meanwhile, I call out, "Excuse me! Is anybody home?"

"Oh! Do we have a visitor?"

A few moments later, a young girl steps out from another hall.

Wait! It's the same girl that we saw at the courtroom and on the SS Burya! But what on earth is she doing here?

She gasps when her eyes fall on me. "It's you! It's really you!"

I'm surprised, though I shouldn't be. This girl seems to have spent her time studying us, after all.

But the way she says it makes me think this is something far beyond those occurrences.

"Hello," I manage to say, in surprise.

"I'm afraid Shurley's not here right now," she says. "But where are my manners?! I'll be right back with some tea!"

Away she goes. Also, "Shurley"? She really calls him that?

"Susato!" I call out. "Did you just see that girl?"

"Hm?" She looks over at me. "Sorry, I'm much too immersed in the atmosphere. To think that the King of Bohemia came to this very room to ask Mr. Holmes to take on his case..."

"That one with the very long name?"

"King Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismund von Ornstein, of course!"

"Ah. Well, will you please stop for a moment? Look over there!"

In moments, the girl is back with a tray. Three cups sit on it with a teapot and a small rounded cake.

"Here it is!" She bows. "I've even made a cake!"

Susato gasps. "Oh! You're the girl we met the other day!"

"Yes! I've heard a lot about you, but far less about the Far East! What a shame, having to be put to work right away when you just got here!"

What? She's heard a lot about Susato? How?

"In any event, please, try my tea. It's a special blend that I think I've perfected."

I stare at it, admiring the unique color, while Susato takes a sip right away.

"Oh my! This such a lovely mellow flavor!" she says.

The girl smiles wider. "Yay! I'm glad you liked it! I tried blending different leaves designed to alleviate fatigue, you see. You must be exhausted after your long voyage here, not to mention that you have another ticklish trial tomorrow, set to defend a Japanese man. I do wish you lots and lots of luck!"

Okay, time to get to the bottom of how she knows so much.

"By any chance, did Mr. Holmes tell you about us?" asks Susato.

"Well, he did, but that's not why I know you! Besides, he's out on errands again so he couldn't have said anything today!" The girl points to me. "It's actually because of you!"

I blink in surprise. "Sorry? Me? Do we know each other?"

"Actually, we do!" She produces what looks to be a paper with writing behind her back. "From last month — 'I've just defended my very first case here in Japan! Not bad for an English language major, huh? We're set to arrive in London within a month's time; however, my circumstances will be quite... special. Trying to explain this to Susato will be complicated, but I hope she understands!'" She looks up. "It's all there in the fine print, Runo!"

All of a sudden, my mouth drops open.

Only one person has ever called me that.

"Wait..." Susato looks at the girl, then at me. "You said only one person refers to you like that, Ryu-san, did you not?"

"I did say that..." My eyes are wide with realization. "Are you... are you Iris?!"

"Ah, so I'm right, it is you!" The girl curtsies. "I know you wrote it, but I never thought that I'd get to see you in person one day! I hear you're officially a lawyer now!" She turns to Susato. "You must be Susie, the judicial assistant! Runo's told me quite a bit about you, as you can see! I'm Iris Watson; what a great pleasure to finally put faces to the words I've been reading for the past two years!"

Immediately, she runs over and hugs me around my waist. I'm caught off guard, but manage to pat her on the head once I've snapped out of it.

Susato gasps. "Wait! You said 'Watson'?!"

"I did!" says Iris. "I hope he doesn't mind too terribly that I've borrowed his name. I think it suits me well!"

"So are you not related to Dr. Watson, the writer of the stories?!" Susato waves her newspaper.

"Oh, I'm afraid I'm not related to him, but it's exciting to hear that my stories are being read across the world!"

I gasp. "I knew you were a writer, but of these stories?! Mr. Holmes must have been referring to you back on the SS Burya when speaking about them being written!"

Iris giggles, finally releasing me. "Shurley's a strange one with the way he phrases things, isn't he?"

"You are his daughter, then!" Susato realizes.

"Yes! Every way except biologically, that is. I never got to know my parents... but that will have to be a battle for another day."

"But, wait... about the 'pen name' thing..."

"Are you wondering about the 'doctor of medicine' part? That much is true, I assure you."

"But you... you're only a child!"

"Ten years old now!"

It's funny how ages never really came up in our conversations; I had merely told her I was a university student and she told me that she studied medicine.

"My word, you have been busy!" I point out.

"I have! Of course, that included having to drag Ginny back here so she could apologize to Shurley outright for stealing my poor invention!"

"'Ginny'? Oh, you mean Gina. Are you talking about your smoke gun?"

At that, Iris picks it up from where it was lying under the coffee table. "That very one! I'm lucky I fitted it with tracking of some sort or I'd never find it again. I'm wondering if I should start fitting a self-destruct mechanism in my inventions..."

I scoff. "You said that last year, too, and I say it's still dangerous."

"Did I? It must have slipped my mind, then!"

"Wait, wait! How did you know that we'd had a difficult trial, since Mr. Holmes doesn't appear to be here?" Susato says, clearly astonished. "By the sounds of it, I assume you learned our professions from Ryunosuke's letters..."

"That's right! As you heard, the last one he sent me detailed his very first trial, as it were, though I learned of his switch from the trial you both took here. Having been on the ship with you both, it's only natural that I knew when you'd arrived! Even without being privy to that, accepting a case against a certain prosecutor would tell me that you were unaware of London's court affairs, which could not happen if you hadn't just arrived."

"True..." I murmur.

"Next, I noticed the tattoo on the back of Susie's hand. They use them down at the prison to keep a close eyes on the comings and goings of the place, and red ones are for foreign inmates!" She snaps her fingers. "That told me that even though you had only yesterday concluded the trial of Magnus McGilded, the two of you had already had cause to visit a foreign inmate at a local prison. However, neither of you was wearing a particularly sad expression on your face, so I concluded that the prisoner was unlikely to be a friend or a relative. That led me to believe that you must have accepted a new case."

"But what about knowing the trial was tomorrow?" Susato asks.

Iris giggles. "Shurley was amused by the case he claimed to have solved yesterday. He told me that he'd caught a Japanese man who was bawling and trembling."

"Right, Mr. Natsume!"

Poor Soseki...

"Looking at you two, Runo has a katana — that's what they're called, right? — and you, Susie, a kimono! Even without the letters, that would have told me that you were from Japan yourselves, so surely you two were defending that man and you came to ask Shurley all about it, right? He even has a note over there saying it's tomorrow!" She points to a piece of paper, skewered by a knife. "Always been a silly one, Papa is!" Then she bows. "Thank you for listening to one of Iris Watson's 'Great Deductions'!"

At first, we're both speechless.

"Well? Was I right?" Iris actually looks slightly uncertain at our silence.

"That was perfectly amazing!" Susato bursts into a round of applause.

"Mr. Holmes definitely taught you all that he knows and then some," I say.

Iris is grinning from ear to ear now. Better to see her happy than upset.

"Well, seeing as Shurley's not here, I can tell you about this case instead, if you don't mind?"

"I think you'll definitely be more straightforward than Mr. Holmes with it," I can't help saying.

She smiles again, leading us towards the chairs and placing the cake on the table.

"So, as you know," she says, "he apprehended a Japanese man yesterday. We had just come back after our sea voyage, but the police were already on the scene to take him off to a crime scene. I opted not to go this time, but he told me what happened afterward."

Wow, he's a popular one, huh...

"Apparently, a woman was stabbed on a quiet street somewhere in town. There were witnesses who had seen a short, shifty-looking, stooped man running away from the scene."

"That's definitely Mr. Natsume!" Susato confirms.

As we learned, Tobias heard of these witnesses, yet Soseki told us that he didn't see any. Where did these people come from?

"In any event, Shurley used his great deductive powers to determine the man's address. It was a lodging room, very nearby. He went directly there with the police, and what did they find? A short, shifty-looking, stooped man, shivering in fear."

I groan. "Of course, he had to be correct this time."

"Well, he is still a great detective, after all!" Susato points out.

Why did we have to go through all that subterfuge on the SS Burya before, then?!

"Still, tomorrow is far too soon for the trial," I counter.

"I concur," she replies. "We have no time for proper investigation, and it's not like we can just drag the crime scene into the courtroom this time!"

Iris heaves a sigh. "Sadly, London is quite rife with crime, to the point that Scotland Yard can't stay on top of it all, despite their best efforts. That's why they can't afford to spend too much time investigating cases and trying the criminals in court. Staff and money are both short. Crimes are usually pinned on the first suspicious person."

"How dire! I suppose it's the harsh reality of the workings of the world's greatest justice system..."

With that in mind, I can't hold up much hope for Soseki despite our future best efforts.

"Thank you for your help, Iris," I say.

"You're welcome!" she says. "It was fun, especially getting to speak to you in person for the first time!"

I can't help laughing at that. "By any chance, do you know where Mr. Holmes is?"

"Oh! I would expect he's still at the scene, investigating this Nuts-ooh-may fellow you spoke of — which would be at would be his lodgings, of course. If you leave now, you'll likely catch him."

"Can you direct us to them?" asks Susato.

"They're near Briar Road, actually, so you should likely examine it again while the police are out. I'll even accompany you — my 'Speckled Band' manuscript can wait a bit!"

She's already writing about the SS Burya case?! Wow, she works fast.

In any event, off we go, then! I'm sure investigating with Iris won't be even half as frustrating as doing so with Sherlock.

~ 19th February, 2:38 p.m. ~
~ Briar Road ~

"Did you happen to run into a detective by the name of 'Gregson' when you were here last?" Iris asks, walking between me and Susato with one hand curled in a fist and the other through mine.

"Yes, we know of Inspector Gregson," I say.

"Oh, good! Hopefully, he's still here, because I have something for him..."

"There he is!" Susato points across the way to where the man of the hour is, munching away. "Oh, Inspector! Do you have a moment, please?"

He looks up at us and begrudgingly starts heading over. "I'm sorry to say I don't. I'm a very busy man. Much too busy to talk to a pair of foreign gadabouts, that's for sure."

That's when Iris speaks up. "Oh, Gregsy! I have something for you!"

All of a sudden, Tobias's demeanor shifts immediately. "Oh! Your Ladyship! I didn't see you there!"

What? 'Your Ladyship'...?

"This is for you!"

She uncurls her free hand to reveal a silver shilling in it. He looks so excited to take it.

"A silver crown?" asks Susato. "What is that for?"

"It's an appearance fee!" Iris replies.

"Oh, for the stories?" I ask.

"That's right," Tobias answers. "She always, without fail, offers me a financial reward for appearin' in 'em."

Iris hums. "It's the least I can do! I can't imagine it being too easy for you showing up every time."

"All your exploits are fun to read!" Susato offers.

He shrugs. "So, what d'you all want to know?"

"Can you tell us where Mr. Natsume is staying?"

"Ah, the little knife-wieldin', mustached Japanese fellow? He lives in a right old hovel. It's just over there, look." He gestures off in a nearby direction. "On the first floor of that house on the corner where that wreck of a bicycle's propped up."

"That is indeed nearby."

"If I remember rightly, the landlord is a Mr. John Garrideb."

"Thank you, Inspector," I say.

"Yes, thank you for helping my friends, Gregsy!" Iris pipes up.

"Anything for you and your friends, Your Ladyship!"

With that, he tips his hat and walks off.

"Susie, Runo, shall we go?"

"We shall," I agree.

~ 19th February ~
~ Mr. Natsume's Lodgings ~

"May I help you?"

The sudden voice startles Susato and me while Iris looks unaffected.

"Yes," I say. "Would this be the residence of Mr. John Garrideb?"

"It would, sir." The maid whom the voice belongs to bows to us. "Who may I say is calling?"

"Ryunosuke Naruhodo," I say, "along with Susato Mikotoba and Iris Watson."

"We are representing Mr. Soseki Natsume," Susato explains. "We were told he takes lodgings here? We would very much like to ask him some questions about our client."

At this, the maid startles twice before nodding. "One moment, please. I shall convey the message to Mr. Garrideb."

Away she goes. This Mr. Garrideb must be in pretty high standing.

"I wonder how many more maids we'll see in London before we're through," I muse.

"I wonder who that juror worked for," Susato agrees. "Perhaps it was His Lordship himself?"

"I think that would make her biased, wouldn't you?"

Before she can answer, the maid returns. "Thank you for waiting. Mr. Garrideb will see you now. This way."

As she leads us to another part of the room, where the man happens to be sitting, we decide to look around a bit.

Cannon - It's been reduced to a drying rack, but seeing it in here is still overkill. 

Book Pile - Among those things is a copy of Randst Magazine. Sherlock must have fans all over.

Uniform - It must be one of Mr. Garrideb's. It's sort of hanging haphazardly.

Mortar Shells - They're quite huge.

Medal - It's also hanging crooked. What's with the messy hanging of things?

Screen - It appears to be covering something up. The maid immediately steers us away from it.

Window - We can see Briar Road out of it, including the scene of the crime, though it's quite hard to see through. Perhaps too hard for them to see out of as well.

Cakes on the Table - There's exactly ten on here and some are all demolished.

Candles - They've blackened from their original gold. Maybe from burns?

Dresser and Shelves - There are a lot of things broken here.

"Good day to you all," the man says when we finally reach him. "John Garrideb, at your service." He looks at Iris. "I do believe I've heard of you around, Miss Watson, but who are your friends here?"

"I'm Ryunosuke Naruhodo," I say. "This is Susato Mikotoba."

"Ah. Do excuse me not getting up. Took a shot to the knee a few years back in the Battle of Maiwand, don't you know. Earned a medal for my pains, but had to withdraw from service. Handed over the reins to the up-and-comings. It's a hell of a job getting up and down stairs now, I can tell you. Don't get out much, as you can imagine."

A retired soldier, huh... it makes me wonder why Sergeant Iyesa Nosa doesn't retire one of these days.

"It must be quite a climb, huh?" I say. "I was already panting at the top of the stairs."

Susato rolls her eyes. "You need more exercise, Ryunosuke."

I copy her. "We can't all be strong like you, Susato."

Iris smiles at him. "Surely, you must be very courageous to have such a medal."

"It's nothing, really," John insists. "The medal's just a folderol, really. Wouldn't like to offend the general, though, so I grudgingly displayed it on the wall." He turns to the maid. "Why don't you fetch it down, Joan? Let these good people see it properly."

Joan, the maid, says nothing for a while, only starting to pour tea into his cup. Before John can repeat himself, all the tea suddenly spills into his lap!

"Dash it all, woman!" he snaps. "Be careful!"

Her eyes snap open in surprise. "Oh, dearie me! I do beg your pardon, sir!"

"You jolly nearly took the skin off my hands!"

"I shall be more careful, sir."

John turns to regard us and our concerned expressions. "Anyway, there you have it — living the quiet life now. Now, then, I hear you want to know about the chap lodging downstairs. Is that right?"

"That's right!" Leave it to Susato to come to her senses first. "We would be very grateful if you could answer some questions for us."

"Only too pleased, naturally. Especially if it helps to keep the peace here in Blighty. We've forged an alliance with the Empire of Japan recently, as I'm sure you're aware. So this case is very much in public eye, as it were. Even had that famous detective poking around, you know. In this old house, would you believe?"

I blink. "Is it, really?"

"Yes, Mr. Sherlock Holmes is quite famous, isn't he?" Susato muses.

"Mm hmm, though I'm not into all that detective business."

"Oh?" Iris glances at a pile of books some ways away. "You have a copy of Randst Magazine right here!"

"Ah, yes, well... Joan is the one who prefers those stories more than I do. Anyway, the chap's investigating the foreigner's room as we speak."

If we want to get to him, we'll have to go into Soseki's room, then.

John rolls his eyes then. "It's a bally nuisance, is what it is. The whole neighborhood's twitching its curtains now. I don't like all this fuss. It's jolly unsettling."

Let's see what we can figure out...

"That Japanese chap you're asking after, he's only been here a week," he starts. "I have two lodgers most of the time. One on the ground floor, and one just below us. The first floor room became available a week ago, you see. There'd been— AAAAAAAAARGH!!!" He's interrupted by Joan spilling the tea all over him again. "Dash it all, Joan! Do be careful!"

She gasps. "Oh! My goodness! I'm terribly sorry, sir!" She walks over to a different part of the room for a towel and tosses it onto his lap before speaking. "If you want to know my opinion... I thought he was a shady sort from the moment I set eyes on him."

"Why?" asks Susato.

She taps her cheek. "He seemed to have a most nervous disposition — always shaking and looking over his shoulder. The man had 'shady' written across his sweat-soaked brow, if you ask me. I said to myself, 'Joan, that man is trouble. Sooner or later, he's going to do something untoward.' And I'm rarely wrong about anything."

Note to self: do not call her up as a witness.

"Anything else?"

"Oh, yes, indeed!"

"Like what?" I ask.

"Take the man's room, for instance. It's absolutely stuffed full of books, it is, more than anyone could ever read! He never so much as passes the time of day with another living soul. I haven't seen a single visitor call. He just trots off to that old bookshop every single day, and comes back at five to light the gas fire. And the funny little man is up long past the time everyone else in the house has gone to bed, too."

Iris hums. "He must really be dedicated to reading!"

"The gentleman on the ground floor goes to bed at around nine each night. But I've never known that Japanese fellow to retire any earlier than two in the morning."

Susato raises an eyebrow. "If you don't mind my asking... how do you know so much about the routines of your lodgers, if they don't live on the same floor as you?"

At that, Joan ends up dropping the entire teapot on John, causing him to drop both his pipe and the cup he was stirring it into. "Good grief, Joan! Be more careful, woman!"

"Forgive me!" she says, immediately off in search of a broom.

While she does that, we continue our questioning.

"As we've heard, the incident took place at about five in the evening," I say. "Did you happen to look out the window at that time?"

John glances over to the far end of the room. "You mean the one by the screen, is that right?"

"Yes, we noticed it looks over Briar Road," Susato clarifies.

"Five o'clock is dinner time in the Garrideb household, so I'm afraid I don't remember seeing anything. How about you, Joan?"

"No, sir," she replies as she makes her way back. "It would have been dusk outside already at that hour. And with the fog as well, I should think it would have been quite impossible to see the other side of the road."

"Well, did you see anything else around?" Iris asks. "I'm sure anything will be helpful in solving our mystery!"

John hums. "Well, it's nothing particularly significant, but at around that sort of time in here, there— AAAAAAAAARGH!!!" This time, Joan accidentally drops all the shards of glass she was sweeping up onto John, some piercing straight through the clothes. "For the love of God, Joan! Watch what you're doing!"

She winces. "Oh, dearie me! What have I done? I'm awfully sorry, sir!" As she starts trying to pick them up, she eyes me. "If I may, Mr. Narrow-Hollow... I have an exceedingly good memory, and as far as I remember... nothing of any significance took place here at that hour. Nothing at all."

"Curious," says Iris. "Mr. Garrideb sounded rather like there might have been something there!"

"Nothing of the sort," Joan says quickly before John can even try saying anything about it again.

"Ah, right," John says. "We sat down to a quiet, uneventful meal, hm, Joan?"

"That's right."

I exchange exasperated looks with both Susato and Iris. Something is wrong with these two, alright. Not to mention that something definitely happened here that they're hiding from us. We'll have to file that away for later.

"Which one of the lodgings is Mr. Natsume's?" I ask.

"It's the one directly below us, on the first floor. That detective says Nats-his-name asked him to look into the matter, so I gave him the key."

That's a lie if I ever heard one.

"May we also look around, then?"

"I don't see why not. It's just down one flight of stairs."

Off we go, then.

~ 19th February ~
~ Mr. Natsume's Room ~

Wow! I have never seen this many books in my life! Judging by Susato's expression, she definitely hasn't either.

"Even Father's shelf doesn't measure up to this," she replies.

"It definitely explains how musty it is," Iris pipes up. "It doesn't quite help that there's no window in here, either."

"It appears to have been bricked up," I say, pointing at where it was. "There's only a candle for light here."

"Let's see... Shurley has to be around here somewhere, so let's get looking!"

"Right."

Susato observes the cat statue and actual cat on the far left side of the room while Iris takes a closer look at the bricked up window and desk toward the middle, where she finds a receipt among the clutter.

"It appears he was on his way back from buying some books on the day of the incident," she points out.

"Good looking, Iris," I say, stepping over the paper wads to check out the right side, following the candle light.

Who do I see but Sherlock hiding in a book alcove, immersed in one.

"Susato, Iris, he's over here!" I whisper-shout.

They both poke their heads into the alcove.

"Hello again, Mr. Holmes!" Susato calls out.

Unphased, he shuts his book. "Ah, good day, you two!" He raises his eyebrow. "From the SS Burya, if I remember correctly."

"You remember right!" she says. "How nice for us to be remembered!"

That's when he sees Iris. "Iris! Don't you have a manuscript to be writing?"

"It can wait!" she says. "It's not every day you get to investigate with an old friend!"

"Hm? You know one of them?"

"Do you remember those letters that I would write?"

He steps out of where he is and taps his temple for only a few brief seconds before removing it. "Aha, yes! Your tales from Mr. Naruhodo, that's right. I thought that name sounded familiar when I recognized it in that Mr. Asougi's writing!"

Aha, so that’s why he acted almost familiar with me to start on the SS Burya!

"Didn't he mention me anywhere?" Susato asks.

"Just so! But your name is of another familiar sort to me, Miss Susato, yet that shall be a story for another time." He hums. "In truth, I had hoped to invite you both to my Baker Street suite the day we arrived in London. But some Scotland Yarders ambushed me at the railway station and whisked me away to a crime scene. It was an entirely trivial case, of course. I solved the matter in no more than thirty minutes."

He was that fast?! Quite scary, I would say.

“I’m afraid the pursuance of a new case does little in the department of recalling things precisely. It is a mistake to think that one’s brain-attic has elastic walls that distend to any extent.” This time, Sherlock tosses the book that was in his hand aside. “I do my best to forget useless facts, lest they elbow out the useful ones.”

“‘A Study in Scarlet’!” Susato pipes up.

“Very good, Miss Susato! Even when I don’t remember my pearls of wisdom, I’ll always have my darling Iris to pen them beautifully for me.”

The girl in question beams with pride.

“If you don’t mind,” Susato speaks up, “we have extremely important questions to ask pertaining to the ‘trivial case’ you mentioned just now!”

He laughs. “Goodness, how earnest you are, Miss Susato. I should only be too pleased to answer while the murky atmosphere is upon us!”

I roll my eyes. “For starters… we know of this place to be the lodgings of foreign student Soseki Natsume. He is Japanese, like us. We hear that you assisted in his arrest for the non-fatal stabbing of that woman out there on Briar Road.”

He taps his chin. “That name does sound familiar, yes…”

“But he denies it!” Susato insists. “Why have him arrested on so little?”

At this, he sticks his pipe in his mouth. “Forgive me, Miss Susato; I truly have not the slightest idea what you mean.”

Iris asks, “What do you mean, Shurley? Was he not arrested based on your words?”

“You surely aren’t feigning ignorance, are you?” I add.

“Yes, Iris, I suppose he was. No, Mr. Naruhodo, I can confidently say that I am not feigning ignorance and I did not accuse your compatriot of anything. I can see that you all have no idea what I was actually told to do.”

“Which was…?”

“The good Detective of Scotland Yard made this request of me verbatim: ‘We need you to ascertain the identity and whereabouts of a man fleeing the crime scene.’”

"That's all??"

"That's all. There were a number of books scattered on the pavement at the scene. From the bookplates, I was quickly able to determine the bookshop from which they had been purchased. On speaking with the proprietor, I was immediately led to this address." He smiles slightly. "Elementary, wouldn't you say? I believe there is a receipt around here somewhere from the establishment in question."

"Here it is!" Iris waves it in her hand.

"You don't think Mr. Natsume is the culprit, then?" I ask.

Sherlock shrugs. "I can't say that for certain; only that it was not my intention to have him arrested. However, this case was aggravating my faculties, which is why I returned here. Alas, this place is such a trove of fascinating books, I found myself quite lost in bibliophily." All of a sudden, he moves with a start. "Do not be deceived into believing that I am a man of leisure. No no no!"

"Mm hmm," I say, a little flatly.

"Oh, dear..." Susato covers her mouth.

"Tell me." He finally leaves the alcove. "Have you encountered the landlord of these lodgings?"

"Mr. John Garrideb!" Iris offers. "He's the local veteran around here."

"It was the first time ever meeting a soldier here," Susato says.

"Even seeing a maid in service, too," I add. "The last one we saw was a juror."

All of a sudden, Sherlock starts belly laughing like there's no tomorrow.

"Eh?!" I shake my head, bewildered. "Surely it's not that funny!"

"Forgive me," he says with a wave of his hand. "As you may well be aware, many households in London employ a maid."

Susato flips through her book (different from the one she read in court) and points something out on the page. "Here it is, straight from the 'Great Britain Primer'!"

"Conversely, whether or not a household employs a maid has come to betoken the social standing of those dwelling therein."

I tilt my head. "As in... their class?"

"Just that! Those who employ at least a single maid are considered middle class. Those who do not, are beneath that. In the upper echelons of society, of course, households employ enough staff to constitute a large family."

Susato gasps. "How extraordinary!"

"As you can appreciate, for those on the precarious boundary between the middle and lower classes... being able to afford just one maid is of the first importance."

I tap my chin. "That makes sense, I suppose."

"In fact, it is for precisely that reason that I find great stimulation in the situation upstairs — specifically, in the retired army veteran, Mr. John Garrideb."

"Why's that?"

"Affable as he is, the fellow is hiding something. Whether or not it imposes on the circumstances of this case, I am as yet unable to ascertain."

I make a face, utterly confused. Iris taps on me.

"He's trying to find out if whatever he's hiding will impact this case or not," she explains.

Well, we do know they must be hiding something by the sheer amount of times Joan interrupted him, but what it is remains a mystery.

"This room is thoroughly suffocating for the soul, I'm afraid." As if to prove his point, Sherlock makes a fanning away gesture with his hands. "I assure you, any man whose lot is to dwell in a place such as this will stab somebody sooner or later."

Susato wags a finger. "Mr. Natsume has stabbed no one!"

"Ah, I do believe I said 'sooner or later', Miss Susato..."

"Not the issue here!"

"You know what may be?" I ask. "Mr. Holmes, do you know why there's not a window in here anymore?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yes, it's been bricked up over here." I walk over to it and everyone else follows.

"I see. The answer is quite simple: window tax."

I squint. "Eh?"

"It's not a tax on windows, surely?" Susato inquires.

"I'm afraid it is."

"Goodness!"

"Iris?"

She knocks on the bricks of the ghost of a window. "It's only a recent thing they've decided to finally toss — back then, households got taxed proportionally to their window quantity, so the ones of lesser means boarded them up!"

"Meanwhile," Sherlock lowers his pipe now, "the rich opened windows here, there, and everywhere in an effort to curry favor with those in power by furnishing them with large sums of tax money."

Susato balls her fists. "That's unjust and awful, forcing people to live in rooms devoid of all light!"

"Indeed it is. Disease was rife as a result, so some forty years ago or so they abolished it. As you can see here, however, its legacy still remains."

"Poor Mr. Natsume," I lament. "I suppose his stipend for living here isn't too generous."

"It would appear so. I've done a little digging and discovered that these lodgings were offered at an extraordinarily low price."

Susato frowns. "I would think it's due to how awful this room is."

"He did only move in a week ago," I add. "There's no way he could have known."

"Correct, you are, Mr. Naruhodo; however, Miss Susato... I don't believe the low rent is explained by the shabby nature of the accommodation."

She raises an eyebrow. "What do you think, then?"

"It matters not now. It's of little relevance here, I'd say."

Is it? I'm sort of curious now.

“Well, I do believe I’ve told you all that I know.”

“Thank you, Mr. Holmes,” I say.

He eyes me. “Ah, Mr. Naruhodo… it was your intention to become a practitioner of the law, yes? Will you perhaps be offering your services to this… Natsume, it was?”

At least he remembers that much.

“That’s the idea, but…” I sigh. “I’m quite unsure of myself.”

“On what grounds?” he asks with only a small trace of surprise.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of our recent defense endeavors from just yesterday.”

“Yes, Iris told me all about that. Congratulations on your ambition realized… and so promptly, too.”

“Perhaps… but now I’m questioning a lot of things. Am I right to trust in my client… in their innocence?”

He mulls this over. “Trust… rather a strange thing, isn’t it?”

“Mr. Natsume didn’t do it, did he, Mr. Holmes…?”

He shrugs. “I’m afraid I don’t have the faintest idea!”

“Shurley!” Iris pouts. “You’re supposed to be investigating!”

“Yes, I know, dear Iris, but I’m afraid there were so many fabulous books here that caught my attention! I simply couldn’t ignore them.”

The biblophily simply cannot be denied, it seems.

“However, there are three facts I can state with the utmost certainty.” He counts them off. “The man who fled the scene was Mr. Natsume, there were witnesses who saw him, and…” He pauses. “Despite my remark to write it off, that retired army veteran who owns this property… is certainly hiding something.”

Susato folds her hands. “At present, we still lack any information to help us prove Mr. Natsume’s innocence.”

I nod. “I know. We have our work cut out for us, alright.”

“Maybe we should interrogate Mr. Garrideb again,” Iris suggests. “But we will have to try without his maid around!”

She’s right. Joan is the one who kept stopping John from answering, after all.

It’s at this point that Sherlock picks up the same book he was reading before. “Remember that I cannot be sure how relevant that secret is to this case. But I will wish you all success in that it does, of course!”

He waves us off as we head back upstairs. Always busy, he is.

~ 19th February ~
~ Mr. Garrideb’s Room ~

John acknowledges us from his chair across the room. “Ah, you all again. Tell me, is the detective chap still at work down there?”

“He’s definitely in his element,” I say.

“Jolly good show.” He raises his cup. “Another cup of tea, if you please, Joan.”

She suddenly appears from the opposite end of where we arrived with a new teapot.

“Now, then… why don’t you tell me what— AAAAAAAAAAAGH!!”

In typical Joan fashion, she interrupts him with an overflow of scalding tea.

“For the umpteenth time, woman,” he snaps, knocking the teapot out of her hands, “will you watch what you’re bally well doing?!”

She doesn’t apologize this time, but her eyes actually do snap open again. “I shall be serving dinner shortly, sir.”

“Ah, right.” He looks to us. “Frightfully rude of me, but I must ask if you would be so kind as to take your leave.”

“Of course.” Susato bows. “Thank you for your assistance.”

“Not at all! Don’t get much of a chance to talk with young foreigners like yourselves, so it was a pleasure. Best of luck and all that, as you see yourselves out.”

We’ll have to come back a little later to dig into it, it seems.

But before we can even start leaving…

"Hold it!"

It’s Iris who says it.

“What is it, Iris?” I ask.

She taps her temple. “Doesn’t something seem a bit funny to you in this room?”

“What do you… ah…”

I follow her subtly pointed gaze over to the window… where Sherlock is suddenly splayed out trying to hold himself up inside of it!

When on earth did he get there?!

Susato finally takes notice, stepping back in shock. “Mr. Holmes?!”

“Ah-ha!” He jumps out of his position and scares both John and Joan. “We meet again, my dear fellows!”

John manages to startle the cup he is holding, for more hot tea to land all over him. “ARRRRRRGH! Good gracious, when did you sneak in here?!”

He doesn’t answer that, but does tip his hat to them. “Sherlock Holmes, at your service, sir.”

“Whatever were you doing over by that window?” Joan asks with a flap of her hand.

“I am given to watching the evening sky as the sun sets, madam; sadly, that stimulating room downstairs lacks the aperture to make it possible, so I came up here.” Then, he faces us. “One other thing… I figured, Mr. Naruhodo, that you and Miss Susato could be in need of a certain Great Detective’s great mind!”

I blink. Wow, so soon?

Susato claps. “Oh, it’s that time again, is it?! Time for a Great Deduction!”

“Whose turn is it this time to lead the assist?” I ask. “Yours or mine?”

“I do believe it’s mine!”

“As I’m sure the three of you are aware —” he is, of course, addressing Susato, Iris, and I when he says it — “there is a mighty secret in this modest room; even this trivial trifle shall not escape my eyes.” He grins. “Miss Susato! My dear lady, I take it you are prepared?”

She matches his energy. “I think I am, yes!”

"There is just time enough for one of my greatly admired great deductions, so let us conclude the matter before dark!"

At this, Sherlock moves to the middle to the room, closer to them and away from us.

"Mr. Garrideb, though it would seem you are a military man of considerably distinguished service... your standing as a landlord is most certainly not what one might call 'first-rate'. I'm afraid, sir, that it is all too clear to me. There are two conclusions I have been able to draw by careful observation of your living arrangements."

John makes a face to this. "Hm? I beg your pardon?"

"The first is that, even as we speak... you are concealing the presence of a ferocious beast in your care! The second is that, as a result of the beast's violent rampage, you have lost something very dear to you!"

Susato gasps. "Look, Ryu-san, at Mr. Garrideb!"

Iris hums. "Something Shurley has said must have struck a nerve somewhere!"

They're right. He's broken into a cold sweat. In spite of how ridiculous what he said sounds... he must have been spot on somewhere!

"How...?" John asks. "How could you possibly...?"

"'How could I possibly know?' you mean to enquire?" Sherlock interrupts. "The answer couldn't be simpler, sir — for in the dense jungle of logic and reasoning... I am the king of beasts! I know only too well, that wild beasts are not easily tamed." He claps his hands. "Miss Susato, shall we begin?" As she approaches him, Iris and I step back. "Once again, Sherlock Holmes is proud to present... his 'Logic and Reasoning Spectacular'!"

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *            The Great Deduction - Start           *
*                                                          *
*           The game is afoot!          *
*                                                          *
****************************************

Topic 1 - Nature of the Beast

"It certainly shouldn't take a great detective," Mr. Holmes begins, with his hands behind his back, "to see that a fearsome beast has been on the rampage of late within these four walls." To that, he glances over to the shelf of where all the broken things are. "Thus, we are faced with the question: what form might this beast take?" Once he notices Mr. Garrideb looking somewhere at the wall, he adds, "Ah, for a man with a military breeding, your eyes are uncommonly candid."

Both Mr. Garrideb and Joan look harried, but neither gives any answer this time.

"Your furtive glance, Mr. Garrideb, leads us directly to the answer. The true nature of the beast that has run rampant here is revealed by that lion statue! Yes, though an army man, you appear unimposing at best. A fact that has fueled your admiration for the mighty lion, the king of beasts."

"What is this piffle, I ask you?!" snaps Mr. Garrideb.

"In the end, your admiration became so great, in fact... that you had a living, breathing specimen shipped from India, which you tried to keep in this very house!"

"Whaaaaaaat?!" 

Apparently, it's so ridiculous that he has almost fallen out of his seat at the very idea of it. I can almost see some sort of reddish mark on the other side of his face as he's turned it.

"Yet living with such a wild beast proved more difficult than you had imagined. The chilling traces of a wild rampage are still very much in evidence... although, as we look around, the beast in question fails to present itself. Where could this angry creature have disappeared to... madam?"

"Well!" Joan ruffles. "What do you mean by me?!"

"I hope you will not find me unchivalrous, but it takes only one glance in your direction to make it all clear to me."

"It is…?"

"Yes! Your dress pocket reveals but a handsome clue as to where that beast resides! That is a handbill advertising a circus show protruding from it, is it not?

"Ah!"

"Your master sought to dispose of this terrifying Indian lion by selling it to Batty’s Circus! Were we to go there now… we would find your fearsome beast prancing jubilantly through a ring of fire!”

Conclusion - A rampaging Asiatic lion

**********

Topic 2 - Aftermath

"Now, Mr. Garrideb... it is plainly clear that you still have deep feelings for this formidable 'beast'." Sherlock taps his pipe against his hat. "Indeed, in that blithe pose, the distress this loss has caused you is veritably tangible."

John startles before leaning his head against his hand, but says nothing else.

Sherlock gestures towards his arm. "Your head weighs heavy on your shoulders... the pain you feel being revealed by that supporting arm. Amid fits of tears, you let your beloved beast go. The strain of losing something so dear to you is clearly visible in your visage."

"What?! Nonsense!" he says.

"The question now is, what is the true cause of this pain? We need only follow the direction of your gaze to find the answer." Where it takes us is somewhere on the other side of the room from everyone. "Yes, it is this pile of bills that has given rise to the pain you suffer. Every envelope contains another demand for payment."

Joan looks like she wants to go over there and remove them right at that moment, but thinks better of it.

"Cart-loads of meat, potatoes, wheat and tea. Indeed, feeding your beloved has had a devastating impact on the financial circumstances of your household. So you had no choice but to let it go." Now Sherlock is leaning against the green chair. "In a final fit of rage, the ferocious beast carried out one last, unimaginable attack... the aftermath of which can be clearly seen by observing the carpet over there!" In his almost impossibly fast way, he is already at the area where it is. "A very expensive woolen carpet, if I am not mistaken."

"Dearie me..." she murmurs.

"Now, what could have caused such a destructive outburst, you may ask? This time, madam, I'm afraid it is you who has inadvertently revealed the truth to me. Your wandering eye has settled upon the answer very neatly indeed." Snap! "Yes, to explain the dire state of the carpet, we need only look at the tower of cakes!"

"Ah!"

"There is no creature more dangerous on this earth than a beast with an unsatiated appetite. Was it or was it not once said by a noblewoman, 'If they have no bread, let them eat cake'? Food is at the heart of all tragedy, in fact."

She looks lost. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Having tired of the taste of cake, the beast began to stalk its next prey. I'm sure I need not spell out the nature of this final act of destruction carried out by the beast. There is only one logical conclusion: Worked into a frenzy by hunger, the lion attacked and ate the carpet! The teeth marks in the carpet are a perfect match with those of a lion I once saw in India."

Conclusion - Carpet gnawed on by the starving lion

With that, Sherlock takes a bow. "This now concludes Sherlock Holmes's Great Deduction... of this beastly puzzle!"

For a while, no one says anything.

The silence is only broken by Joan pouring more scalding tea, on cue, into John's lap. How large is that teapot anyway?!

"What is the matter with you, Joan?!" he screams. "You're pouring scalding hot tea all over me!"

Joan barely reacts, but she does open her eye again. "I'm afraid I'm in such shock that I didn't notice, Mr. Garrideb."

Sherlock rolls his eyes at that one. "My deductions can be startlingly sharp, much like the pain you must feel as your cup runneth over once more. Indeed, my revelations can make people spill tears at times, too."

I raise an eyebrow. "Mr. Holmes, how do you propose a lion fitting into this room so easily?"

He turns to me. "Surely you know, Mr. Naruhodo — the terrifying truth all too often lies beyond the realms of common sense!"

Iris laughs at my expression. "Looking for the truth within the bounds of common sense couldn't hurt either, right, Runo?"

Thank you!

Susato looks over at John and Joan. "Wouldn't both Mr. Garrideb and his maid have been hurt were a lion to come running amok in here?"

"Naturally, yes. But I have no doubt that he held his own with that large cannon over there."

I frown. "Next, you're going to tell us that you saw an impossible feat of a ghost lion performing at the circus, are you, Mr. Holmes?"

He shrugs, so Susato speaks up instead. "Of course not! Though, I will admit... have you ever heard of a lion drinking tea?"

Sherlock laughs this time. "Miss Susato, everyone who sets foot here, irrespective of race and breeding, are infused with a highly appropriate taste for afternoon tea!"

Her eyes are wide. "Is that so? Well, I suppose we'd better get to it!"

Uncovering the truth is always worthwhile no matter the motivation, so here's hoping that Sherlock and Susato can find something to help us with Soseki's case...

Course Correction

Hold it, Mr. Holmes!

"Could you have ever seen the lion thing coming?" asks Ryunosuke.

I shake my head. "No, but judging by Mr. Garrideb's reaction... there was certainly something beastly running amok in here."

Iris nods. "Something fierce, but certainly not an animal!"

"So what could it be?"

I look over at Mr. Garrideb. "The only way to find out, Ryu-san, is to see where he is really looking!"

I walk over to the lion statue, which is more or less where his gaze went. We know that this is not the beast we are looking for.

Next to it appear to be some mortar shells. For the cannon, perhaps? But if they're all here and used, he couldn't have shot the lion with them, surely...?

"Do you think Mr. Garrideb was hit with one of these?" I ask.

Ryunosuke stares at them in disbelief. "There would be nothing left of him let alone his knee if one did," he replies bluntly.

He has a point.

The only other thing up here is what appears to be a newlywed photo... but the bride's face has smashed.

"What a shame," I say. "I wonder what happened to it here."

It suddenly occurs to me.

"Ah, the 'beast' who ran rampant here... surely it's your newlywed bride, Mr. Garrideb!"

The man in question startles at that while Mr. Holmes claps.

"Precisely, Miss Susato! No other explanation could possibly fit! Yes, this framed print pictures your wife, Mr. Garrideb. While we lament the fact that her face is obscured... we can still make out her mighty arms, and note the considerable horsepower they must contain."

"Now the question is, 'where is she?'" says Ryunosuke. "She hasn't presented herself anywhere all day."

Iris hums. "Oh? I wouldn't be too sure about that one!"

"What do you mean?"

This time, I approach Joan herself, since Mr. Holmes's next deduction involved looking at her. Her eyes are shut yet again, perhaps to avoid any revealing eye glances. There is, of course, a circus handbill in her pocket, but I find it strange as to why it's there.

Then, when she moves her hands holding the teapot and plate, I see it.

There is a ring on her finger... one that matches in the photo we were looking at before!

"I do believe we have found our 'beast'..." I point to Joan's hand. "Your wedding ring gives a striking clue!"

"Indeed it does!" Mr. Holmes says in agreement. "That flowery band gleaming on your finger gives you away... for it is identical to the one shown on the hand of Mr. Garrideb's bride in this photographic print!"

Iris says, "She's no ordinary housemaid, by the look of things..."

"Correct!" I cross my arms. "You are Mrs. Garrideb herself!"

Joan — rather, Mrs. Garrideb — jumps in shock, almost dropping her teapot. "Oh my word!"

Mr. Garrideb heaves a sigh. "Jolly fine detecting, all of you. As you rightly surmised, this is the wife, yes — my Joan. Rather let herself go, you might say, but she was a bally corker back— AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!"

Instead of pouring out tea the normal way, she opens the top of the lid and throws half of the tea out at that remark.

There must be some animosity here... far deeper than this maid business.

"It would appear that you don't live in the most comfortable of circumstances," Mr. Holmes says. "After all, you are a retired army man, yet you are in the business of renting out rooms. I would assume, therefore, that you have insufficient means to employ a maid. Would that be correct?"

Mr. Garrideb huffs. "That's right. But it's all wrong, I tell you! I was second lieutenant of the third regiment! A man has his pride, don't you know! By golly, it's a sorry thing when a chap can't even afford to have a single maid in his employ!"

Iris shrugs. "London can be a judgmental mistress..."

"Indeed she can, Iris," Mr. Holmes hums in agreement. "A household cannot be considered worthy of society if it employs no staff at all. Though, in my considered opinion, such concerns about appearances are a folly."

Ryunosuke frowns. "So Mr. Garrideb has been using his wife as his maid?"

"Precisely. Are we right, Mr. Garrideb?"

He nods meekly. "Only in company, of course! But this must remain top-secret!"

Topic 1 - SOLVED!
Nature of the Beast - The raging wife of Mr. Garrideb

*****

After that, I make my way over to the carpet, as that was the next thing to solve. However, Mr. Holmes's gaze apparently is not through with the books on the opposite side… or Mr. Garrideb’s face.

“That mark must be painful,” says Ryunosuke.

I nod. “It’s clearly in the shape of a hand. He must have been slapped hard!”

“The amount of people who could have done it would be very limited, I’d think,” Iris points out.

She’s quite right…

Wait! That’s it!

"Your pain is not from your arm, but from your slapped cheek!" I realize.

"Naturally, there is but one who could have left such an impressive mark," says Mr. Holmes. "It must have been Madam Joan Garrideb!"

She nods slightly. "That's right..."

"You have been desperate to hide the slap mark on your cheek, sir."

Mr. Garrideb stares in surprise. "How on earth did you work that out?!"

"Nothing escapes the notice of one trained in the art of observation, my dear fellow."

Iris hums. "It would certainly explain why you have only been looking at us with your profile."

"Now to what caused it," I say. "But the carpet wasn't eaten by Mrs. Garrideb, surely?"

"No cake would be able to explain that," Ryunosuke says.

He's right. Over in that area is another circus bill and a three-stand candlestick. Except...

"This candlestick looks old," I muse.

"It must be," Ryunosuke pipes up. "One slight knock with that base would send it falling over."

Iris walks up to me and bends down. "There's only two sticks here!"

My eyes go wide. "What happened to the third one?"

Ah, the carpet... those aren't chew marks, but floor burns!

"To explain the dire state of the carpet, we need only look at the candlestick!" I gesture to the floor. "The remnants of a ferocious attack in which the carpet was devoured are clearly visible."

"Most illuminating, my dear lady!" Sherlock has moved across the room to stand beside me (Iris has gone back towards Ryunosuke's direction already). "Indeed, the scorch marks at the edge clearly give the truth away."

Mr. Garrideb frowns. "Scorch marks?"

"Precisely. It would appear that this room was the scene of a little marital altercation."

"So she knocked over the candle somehow!"

"Exactly, Miss Susato! Mrs. Garrideb's mighty arm muscles left an impression not only on her husband's face, but on the entire room. The force of her strike caused a candle to fall from the holder... and in seconds the carpet was alight, and the whole corner of the room in flames! For, you see, the most ferocious beast in this world is neither a violent lion nor a vengeful woman... but fire."

Our resident army man looks very uncomfortable now.

"It would appear that, in this room, that ferocious beast bared its claws and ran amok."

"Ah, well said, Mr. Naruhodo! So, you see, Mr. Garrideb, there is but one conclusion to be drawn here..."

At that, he and I step up and tap our fingers to our temples.

"After the sparks of marital discord flew, this room was the scene of a fire!"

Mr. Garrideb gapes. "I.... I salute yoooooou, Mr. Holmes!"

Topic 2 - SOLVED!
Aftermath - Carpet scorched by a small fire

*****

****************************************
*                                                          *
 *        End        *
*       Deduction Complete      *
*            Elementary!          *
*                                                          *
****************************************

Susato and Sherlock head back in my and Iris's direction as John starts speaking again. "It's these dashed long winter nights, you know," he says. "Nothing to do but read in front of the fire. Luckily, there's a jolly good secondhand bookshop just around the corner. Buy all my old novels there."

Sherlock hums. "It sounds like, in the pages of one particular novel, you discovered some rather illicit material?"

"Admonished harshly for it, no less," Susato adds.

"I don't know about 'admonished'," he admits. "'Demolished' might be rather closer to the mark. And 'beast' is most certainly an apt—"

Right on time, Joan has dumped all the rest of the tea over him again.

"So the missing candle destroyed the carpet?" I ask.

"I'm afraid so. Happened in the blink of an eye, you know. The whole place filled with smoke. Couldn't see a bally thing. I was caught between the old stick's rage and the raging flames."

"You paint a torrid picture, sir," says Sherlock. "One that would have been most entertaining."

"Well, didn't take long for the fire to spread, of course. The bally furniture started going up as well! We've had to hide the mess behind that screen for the time being."

Susato walks over to the screen. "Over here?"

"If you'll allow me..." Sherlock moves it over a bit.

The bookshelf hiding behind it has quite the impressive scorch mark.

"Had all my favourite old novels in that case," John explains. "But as soon as the fire got hold of them, that was it. Whoosh! Up in smoke!"

I blink in surprise. "Wow..." (How terrible!)

He makes a head gesture at Joan. "Then the wife started hurling things at me. There was I, back up against the window, under heavy enemy fire! Incendiary books incoming ten to the dozen. Worst of it is, I lost my favourite. Book called 'The Lion's Pride'."

"What a terrible sight, I'm sure," says Susato.

"Ah, yes, your notorious love of big cats coming through again," Sherlock adds.

John wags a finger. "I assure you, the title didn't influence my choice in the slightest."

"Another one of Shurley's Great Deductions!" Iris applauds.

"Yes! They turned out to be correct again!" Susato joins her.

I shake my head. "Another British wonder. Say, though... what time did this happen?"

"Hm, not sure I can remember. It was two days ago now. Let's see..." John waves his pipe around. "Around five o'clock, I think."

Susato's eyes go wide. "That's the same time as that terrifying incident!"

"Even more terrifying on the inside, I can assure you. The whole of Blighty could have been flattened outside my window at that moment... and I wouldn't have noticed a dashed thing!"

"Oh...?"

I turn to Sherlock. "Mr. Holmes, we've gotten to the bottom of the situation, but what does it have to do with Mr Natsume's circumstances?"

He shakes his head. "I'm afraid I can't help you there."

"What?"

"Don't you remember, Runo?" Iris taps her temple. "Shurley was very clear about saying he didn't know if what he was hiding was relevant or not."

I slap the side of my head. She's right; he did say that!

"Don't lose heart, Mr. Naruhodo!" he says. "Bear in mind... that all things fall into one of only two categories: Those relevant to the case, and those not. It is of far greater importance that you make up your mind now... which one this falls into."

"Now? Why?"

"Well, visiting hours at the prison will soon be over."

I gasp. "Oh no! It's that late already?"

"If we're to accept Mr. Natsume's case, we have official paperwork to attend to," Susato points out.

She's right. We have no more time to mull this over.

"Perhaps you'd like to betake yourselves to bidding us farewell now?" Joan says after a while. "I must prepare supper for Mr. Garrideb."

"Right... sorry."

"Thank you for your time, both of you," Susato says.

As we head out, we run into two men arguing outside on the road, one of them the other lodger of the Garridebs. That one specifically is quite the character.

~ 19th February, 6:31 p.m. ~
~ Local Prison, Cell 9 ~

"Locum Student Mr. Naruhodo Esquire! You came back!" Soseki's eyes are shining with fresh tears. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU CAME BACK! I'M SO TOUCHED!"

Susato offers a small smile. "We are so sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Natsume."

"Oh! No! Think nothing of it! Relax! If... if I were a cat, I would purr with pleasure at the company of such fine compatriots." There he goes, posing again. "Noble, Nurturing, Never-Failing Nipponese!"

I wave my hand. "Try not to get carried away."

"On the contrary," Sherlock pipes up from behind us, "I quite agree. There is nothing more reassuring than the familiarity of one's native land. On the other hand... it is through friendship transcending international borders that one truly appreciates the fact. Such is my belief, at least."

At that, Soseki's demeanor immediately shifts. "YOU! THE MISERABLE, ROTTEN SPY! HERR LOCK SHOLMES!"

We turn in surprise. 

"What exactly are you doing?" I ask.

"I have no intention of doing anything per se," he replies. "Iris and I are just here to observe." He gestures to her as she stands a few feet away.

"Whatever do you mean?" asks Susato.

"Well, having encountered some curious reading material in that gloomful room, and having unmasked the secret identity of that eccentric pair we just saw... I decided we should drop in on our way home. To see how our divested friend is faring."

Soseki makes a face. "Gloomful room?"

"Well, yes. At least your accommodation here offers a window, my dear fellow. In that sense, it is the superior option. Anyway, I must commend you on your taste in books. My day has been a delight, and cost me not a penny."

"You read through my things?! HOW DARE YOU!" Soseki is shaking up a frazzled storm at first, but then slumps into a resigned state. "I've had it. I'm through. I'm at the end of my rope. I should never have come to Great Britain. It was a terrible mistake. Haunted by spirits in those accursed lodgings... no doubt my luck will be cursed in tomorrow's trial as well... MY WHOLE LIFE IS BEDAMNED!"

I tilt my head.

"What is it, Runo?" asks Iris.

"He said something about his lodgings being cursed before."

"That's right, he did, didn't he?" Susato remarks.

"There is much truth in Mr. Moustache's words," Sherlock says.

I look surprised. "What?"

"'Cursed' is a wholly appropriate description, I would say — for the man's lodgings... and indeed for tomorrow's trial."

I frown. "Well, I know the trial part is because of van Zieks, right? Both Magnus McGilded and Inspector Tobias Gregson once said that he was cursed."

"Yes. Normally, as you are no doubt aware, in a British criminal trial, there is both a judge and a jury. The judge officiates based on the letter of the law, whilst the jury offers public opinion and common sense. It is an excellent system, whereby the defendant's guilt is considered from several points of view. However, public opinion, in particular, is somewhat easily manipulated. Criminals, and corrupt lawyers for that matter, can use it to their advantage by any means at their disposal — contriving evidence, calling imposters as witnesses, and so on. By such underhand means, those who would want to are able to sway the jury... which means that even in the light of irrefutable evidence, the prosecution can fail."

"That means the wrong verdict can be passed on a person!" Susato shouts.

"I'm afraid so, Miss Susato; that is just the reality of the situation. However... those indicted by Lord van Zieks cannot escape justice. Their fate is sealed. Though the adjudication may see them leave the courtroom with their freedom... within months, they all disappear! It is most striking."

"Disappear?!" Soseki shrieks. "But.. how?!"

"Ah, by all manner of misfortune, sir. Perhaps they are trampled under a passing carriage. Perhaps they fall into the Thames and drown. Perhaps they are suddenly overcome by a raging fever. Or perhaps attacked by highwaymen."

"Aaaaaaah!! I knew it! I'm... A Dead Dodo, Done for, DOOMED!"

"So what about the lodgings, then?" I ask. "Why are those cursed?"

Soseki sighs. "It's been a year now since I came to Great Britain. But I'd only been in London a week before I started to notice strange feelings in myself. Everywhere I looked there were foreign faces staring at me, laughing behind my back... I was sure people were talking about me. I started to become nervous about going outside. They were always staring at me! All the time! From dawn till dusk! So I shut myself away in my room. But even that didn't help. The fear wouldn't go away."

"You must have been lonely," says Susato.

"Yes. I've had to move a number of times... most recently, to that room on Briar Road, a week ago now."

"Why choose there?" I ask. "It's quite inconvenient."

"The rent is cheap. I have so little money, it appealed to me straight away. Of course, I asked why it was so affordable. The landlord just simpered and said: 'The room is cursed... oops!' He quickly tried to cover his mistake, but it was too late. So I told him... 'if you have something to say, then say it! But if not, DON'T MENTION IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!'"

"Well said."

"But sadly it was true! All true! Ever since I moved into that windowless hellhole... my sleep has been plagued with nightmares! I awake feeling as though I'm being choked to death! In my waking hours, people are stabbed in front of me as I walk down the street... I'm branded a killer... thrown in prison... nobody wants to know me... I'm... I'm... Surrounded by Scary, Sinister Spirits!" Soseki covers his face. "If only there was someone... just one person on my side... Can no one find it in his or her heart to believe in me? Really, no one at all?"

I look at Sherlock. "Mr. Holmes?"

"Yes, Mr. Naruhodo, what can I do for you?"

"It's about the case on the SS Burya, if you recall?"

"The one with the snake, yes?"

"That's the one... at that time, I was the suspect. But you believed in me and listened to my side of the story and you helped us to investigate."

I can see Susato wince ever-so-slightly at that. She must still feel guilty.

"Why did you believe me?"

"It's quite simple, really. You said, 'I didn't do it.'"

"Eh? But I could have been lying! Surely you must have had your doubts? You must have suspected me a little."

Sherlock taps his temple. "I think, perhaps, that you have misunderstood. I neither recall believing in you, nor in that which you were telling me. The only things I believe in... are those I choose to believe in!"

Susato's eyes go wide. "What do you mean, Mr. Holmes?!"

"I make up my own mind about what is to be believed and what is not. If I should like to believe in something, I do. The circumstances can hang as far as I am concerned."

"But what if I had betrayed you?!" I ask.

"Ha! In that case, I should have made an elementary error of judgement, nothing more. Betrayal of trust is an overused excuse, in my opinion."

"Meaning...?"

Iris speaks up then. "The concept of trust is all up to you, Runo! You have to decide whether or not you can trust yourself before extending it to someone else!"

"Ah! She's right!" Soseki says.

I remember Kazuma saying something to that effect, too... he was so right.

"Well, my dear fellows," Sherlock says, with a cursory glance to the clock above, "it is time we were leaving, I believe."

"Already?!" Susato looks surprised.

"Yes, visiting hours are over, after all. The guard will be here shortly to escort us out. There is a restaurant near here that serves excellent trout. Would you care to join us?"

"Oh dear, there is never enough time, is there?"

Soseki, conversely to them, looks completely dejected.

I know what I must do now.

"Soseki?" He looks up at me. "If you'd like, in the trial tomorrow... I'd be happy to represent you."

Susato covers her mouth and Sherlock nods in approval. Iris clasps her hands together instead.

"Locum Student Mr. Naruhodo Esquire...?"

"As I said, I only experienced a British courtroom for the first time yesterday. Although the man I was representing was found not guilty, I lost sight of something crucial."

"What...?"

"What to believe in: the defendant, justice or the truth. How to believe, even. But... I think I've finally worked it out. I've decided I must believe in myself above all else — to trust my instincts."

Susato claps. "Well said, Ryunosuke!"

"My instincts are telling me that you, Soseki, are innocent of this crime, and it's imperative that we prove that in court. I will fight for your innocence until the bitter end, with every weapon available to me. So I hope you'll permit me... to represent you tomorrow."

He stares at me for a few tearful moments before answering. "As I said when we first met... I'd like to entrust my fate to someone who will listen to me... in my native tongue."

I nod. "Of course."

Sherlock quirks a small smile. "It would be fair to say, Mr. Naruhodo, that your mind was, in many ways, made up from the outset. You merely needed the events of today to fully realize it."

"You're quite right about that." I turn to Susato. "Susato...?"

"You don't have to say it," she says. "I told you this morning — as your judicial assistant and your friend, I will stand by you, no matter what!"

First, the insanity of yesterday's trial, then its shocking outcome today.

In between, a meeting I never thought would happen.

It's time to stop looking backward.

Kazuma believed in me... and now, so do Sherlock and Iris.

Susato, of course, does too.

It's time to believe in myself for Soseki's sake... to be in his corner.

Tomorrow, in court... we must give it our all!

Chapter Text

~ 26th February, 9:17 a.m. ~
~ British Supreme Court, Lord Chief Justice's Office ~

I heave a sigh. "Here we are, again..."

"Every time we visit here, the atmosphere in this place seems to get more and more overbearing," Susato agrees.

Iris, who has never been here before by her own admission, looks all the way up to the ceiling. "I can see what you mean! We had better hurry before Shurley gets the idea to burn down the house trying to cook something in my absence!"

With the sheer amount of things Iris has told me that he's burned down through the pursuit of knowledge, I don't doubt that for a second.

"I'm afraid it can't be avoided," Susato points out. "It's our duty, you see. Especially since we're guests here in Britain."

"But is anyone even here?" I ask, looking around in confusion. "You could hear a pin drop in this place. It's too solemn for its own good."

"Indeed," she agrees. "The only sound is the ticking of the great clock as it keeps perfect time."

...Tick...tock...tick...tock...tick...tock...tick...tock... *Pitter patter*... *Pitter patter pitter patter*...

All three of us make a face.

"That's not just the clock today," says Susato. "Something else is shuffling about."

...Tick...tock...tick...tock...tick...tock...tick...tock... Hahh...hahh... *Huff, huff, huff, huff*...

"Indeed," I agree. "Something's disturbing the rhythmical ticking. It sounds rather like an unfit middle-aged man running from pillar to post... clumsily, I might add."

"Hey! Who are you callin' unfit?!"

Almost on cue, Tobias comes dashing in from the opposite direction.

Iris grins. "Your powers of observation never fail to impress, Runo!"

"What are you doing here, Inspector?" I ask.

He looks at me as if I've sprouted five eyes. "What am I...?! Isn't it... flamin'... obvious?!"

It's really not. Lord Stronghart's sudden presence from where he ran from does not make it any more clear.

"Fifty-eight seconds remaining, Inspector," he says dismissively with a flick of his pocket watch.

"AAAAAARRRGH! We'll have to talk later, sunshine!"

With that, Tobias takes off again. All three of us stare after him before looking back to Lord Stronghart.

"Good morning!" Susato tries breaking the tension.

Luckily, it works, but only after a few more moments of intense pocket watch staring.

"Good morning to you," he replies. It's then that he notices Iris. "Who's this?"

She introduces herself. "I'm Iris Watson; good day to you, Lord Stronghart!"

I'm surprised. No nickname? Maybe she needs time to come up with one.

In any event, my powers that be notice Lord Stronghart's twitch at that. First Susato, now Iris... does he just have problems with the female gender or something?

"Good day." He turns to me. "Business so early in the day?"

"Yes, actually... it's about the other day."

Susato pipes up on cue. "We are to deliver our report, Lord Stronghart, as our dealings with Mr. Natsume are now over."

Lord Stronghart looks back towards his desk. "Ah, yes, the little Japanese man. I've already cast my eyes over van Zieks's report. I must say the outcome surprised me. I thank you for a job well done."

"You are too kind, My Lord."

Meanwhile, Tobias is still shuffling about back there. We can hear him yell something occasionally.

"It's not here! ... It's not there! ... It’s not over there, either!"

"If you don't mind our asking, sir," Iris says, "what is Gregsy doing over there?"

"Yes, he's beside himself with worry by the sounds of it," I add.

He shoots a short glance back there. "He's looking for a particular work: 'The Lion's Pride'."

Susato frowns. "There's that title again."

"I'd heard it was a popular tale, so I obtained a copy from the rental library. However, it wasn't able to maintain my interest, so I soon cast it aside. I happened to notice a vacant spot on one of my shelves at the time... so I duly stowed the book there. Unfortunately, I no longer remember where that was, and the book is due back today, so I've asked Gregson to locate it for me with his investigative prowess... inside five minutes!"

"Goodness!" says Iris. "He's a man possessed!"

"Nope! ... Not there! ... Not here, either! Come on! Where are you lions hidin'?!"

"Even I don't understand why is he working so hard to find it," Susato says. "Surely he has until the end of the day?"

Lord Stronghart smiles. "Not so. His month's salary is staked upon the outcome."

"On the limit?!"

"Yes. Just my vulgar mischievous spirit showing itself, I'm afraid."

Dear, dear...

Of course, poor Tobias can't manage the trick, so he's stuck working the next month with no pay or days off.

It's then that all of us approach Lord Stronghart's bookshelf.

"There are so many books here, it's overwhelming," I remark.

"Shurley would lose himself for weeks trying to read them all!" Iris points out.

"Yes, impressive, isn't it?" Lord Stronghart gestures upward. "I've purchased every book, new or old, on the subject of law from all over the globe."

Tobias crosses his arms. "Wouldn't have believe it a few short decades ago. A place like this couldn't have existed."

"Why is that?" asks Susato.

"Is it about the books being luxuries?" I ask.

"No, that's not it. When I was a kid, no one ever dreamed of buyin' books. There was a tax on paper, see? I mean, it was abolished about thirty years back now, but it used to be the case. There was tax levied on any kind of paper, so obviously that meant most folk couldn't afford to buy any books at all."

"That's why the rental library exists!" says Iris.

"Indeed, Miss Watson. Vestiges of the paper tax system, you could say. The general public consider books as items for hire." Lord Stronghart gestures out widely. "London is home to a vast lending library of some three and a half million books."

Susato hums. "You couldn't hope to read all of that even if you were reincarnated ten thousand times."

"Even I would choose to rent a book rather than purchase it, if I knew I would read it infrequently."

"The subject of taxes will never not be surprising, despite how absolute they are," I say. "Just the other day, we were discussing window tax in Mr. Natsume's room."

"That would be true. Fortunately the window tax was abolished here some forty years ago. Sadly, in the East End in particular, many windowless houses remain."

Tobias shrugs. "Britain's always had a bit of a thing for taxin' stuff. Whatever they can tax, they tax! Sugar, salt, tea, coffee... you name it. Candles... beards..."

I hold up a hand. "What? Did you say 'beards'?!"

"Yep. Never heard of it?"

"Never!" I look shocked. "Why should people have to pay money just because they let their facial hair grow?"

"You may well ask. I suppose it's because it makes them look self-important."

I groan. "That's it... all Naruhodos are confined to clean-shaven faces forever."

"Relax," says Lord Stronghart. "That one was confined to the annals of history long ago."

"Even so," I point out, "it's clearly something the British really love. Paying taxes, I mean."

"You've got that back-to-front, sunshine," says Tobias.

Iris purses her lips. "Runo has a point, though... we've had so many weird taxes here over the years! Do you have anything like that in Japan?"

"Do we, Susato?" I ask.

She taps her chin. "We did, at some point."

"Surely it wasn't a window tax?"

"No, not like that. However, back in the Edo period, there had been a frontage tax."

"What did that do?"

"It was a tax not on windows, but on the entrance to properties. The larger a property's entrance was, the greater the tax that was levied on it. Even today, some mansions survive with extremely narrow entrances due to that old form of taxation."

Iris giggles. "If we had that here, no one would want to step into the Bailey!"

I look astonished. "To think, I had no idea."

Tobias scoffs, taking a fish and chip out. "So you Japanese are as twisted as us Brits."

"Hey! We've never been as twisted as to have a beard tax!"

"True," Susato says. "I'm not aware of any taxes for beards at least."

I stop short. "'At least'...?"

"Well, rather than tax them, the shogunate did once prohibit them outright."

"Another Edo one?"

"Yes. It was called the Great Beard Prohibition."

"What did they get out of doing that?"

"Perhaps the same reason Britain taxed 'em here? Just an idea," says Tobias.

"It would seem that rulers in the East and the West have had very similar ideas over the years." Susato starts flipping through her little book again. "There have been other unusual taxes in our history. Even in our current Meiji period."

"Like what?" I ask.

"For example, though it was before either of us were born... there was a rabbit tax."

Iris looks affronted. "Those poor things! Those taxes must have been astronomical, Susie!"

"They were, Iris. The government demanded extraordinary sums of money."

"How could they have justified such a tax?" I ask.

"Well, after Japan opened its doors to the world, there was an unprecedented rabbit boom in the Meiji capital. Keeping rabbits became hugely popular, and new species were traded at exorbitant prices. People were even swindled out of all their money for exotically colored rabbits. So in response to this worrying social vogue, the government imposed a rabbit tax."

"Can't imagine it," Tobias says, flicking his hat. "Rabbits are so timid and quiet. Wouldn't have thought one could bankrupt you."

"It worked anyway," Susato points out. "The rabbit boom came to an end and they abolished the tax 6 years later."

"Wow, Japan is strange. But surely abolishing the tax would have..."

"Way ahead of you." Susato points at a page in her book. "After the rabbit tax was abolished then... of course, society reacted by launching straight into a second rabbit boom."

I tsk. Iris says, "Your government didn't quite think that through, did they?"

"Your ideas about the world are very much altered by the position you hold in society," Lord Stronghart points out. "If you are responsible for the running of the country, you will feel the need to raise revenue keenly."

"Without a stable taxation system, the whole country would go down the drain," Tobias adds.

"I suppose," I admit, "but some of these taxes..."

Lord Stronghart cut me off. "That's precisely why ministers of state use their wiles to invent new and novel ways of taxing the public."

"Novel?"

"Tell me, Mr. Naruhodo. If you were one of my country's statesmen... what novel tax would you impose? Pray, give us something truly original... inside five seconds."

I jump. "What?! Uh..."

"Something everyone uses!" Susato says quickly, with an intense stare (let's be glad that she's not in charge of things!). "Try and squeeze every penny out of the population!"

"How about an air tax?" I say, promptly.

Iris gasps. "What a fiendish idea!"

"An interesting one, yes!" Susato agrees.

"Everyone has to breathe," I say. "So while the population is inhaling air, my government is inhaling money!"

Tobias raises both eyebrows. "A tyrant at heart, this one."

Lord Stronghart shakes his head. "A somewhat radical solution to a country's revenue problems, but sadly not an original one."

"No!" Now I'm the one who's gasping. 

"Surely not!" Susato says.

"I'm afraid so. Last century, the finance minister of our neighbor France proposed it."

I shake my head. "I'm holding my breath if I ever go there."

"No need to stress over it. Unsurprisingly, it was strongly opposed by the public and soon scrapped. The minister didn't last long, either."

"What a force to be reckoned with they are."

Iris asks, "Gregsy, do you have any tax ideas?"

He nods. "My first thought is a tax on objections."

I turn my head so fast. "Eh?!"

"Been hearin' far too many of them recently in court. There's a particular lawyer I have in mind, as it happens." He shoots a smirk in my direction. "So I think an objection tax could be very handy."

I squint. "Good to see you don't allow your personal feuds to influence your work in public office."

"I reckon fivepence for every objection raised would be about right."

Lord Stronghart finds it amusing; I do not, of course.

It's been a few hours since we were here. I wonder if Sherlock has managed to behave or if we will be seeing the smoldering ruins of 221B when we get back.

"Well, then, I think it's your turn now."

I blink at Lord Stronghart. "Sorry? For what?"

"Why, what else? To locate my missing copy of 'The Lion's Pride'."

"We're not still on that, surely?" Susato says.

Tobias, of course, looks relieved that it's not him. Iris watches in amusement.

"For you, I will give you ten minutes to search these shelves. Fail to find the book... and you forfeit next month's payment."

I balk. "Excuse me?! Objection!"

"Your time starts... now. Oh, and one more thing." He grins wickedly. "I believe you just said the word 'objection'. Kindly leave your fivepence over there before you begin combing the shelves."

I glance over at Susato. "If I don't find that book soon, kindly put me out of my misery before I have to pay this tax."

Both she and Iris laugh at me.

Good luck, me...