Chapter Twenty Eight: Orders

65 4 0
                                        

TW: Referenced Suicide

Saihara's POV:

I left the house in the early afternoon, sleep still calling me and the warm humid air didn't help in that regard. Tucked into my bag was a folder with photocopies of the letter, the original was being fingerprinted by one of my new assistants at the station and I had set another one to begin looking into the claims made by Otome the day before. Usually, I preferred doing it myself, the busy work but eventually I realized that the department for how well we might have been trained on talking with the family of either suspects or murder victims that there was always a disconnect.

So for when I do know the people involved, I'd rather do it myself. Because that would be the only reason at times I could sleep at night. Sometimes it set them at ease, and sometimes eyes full of daggers and venom stared back at me. They would curse me and wish me a life full of suffering and...I still heard their voices. If I ever allowed myself a minute to relax, I hear the voices that want nothing more than my end. The victims who survived cursing me every time I didn't do enough in a short enough time. The family members of the unsolvable cases wishing me well, all the while eyes filled with resentment.

It made me want to run, run away from everything and everywhere to get the sight of my head. To forget the words they said and how clear they rang to my soul, but...I need to be brave. For their sake. Though I hope no one would be upset if I chose to retire, even if I was not even in my thirties, from the life of a detective once everything was over. It'd be nice to go to college with other people, even if my experience with public school...

...

Maybe I'll get some hobbies instead. 

I approached the cafe, it gave off a pleasant aroma of cocoa the second I entered which was countered with the bitter yet refreshing scent of coffee as I drank it in allowing it to relax me. From the corner of the room, I saw a group of three people waiting for me, as the blonde-haired woman quickly noticed my arrival and with a wide smile gave me a tiny wave to come over. "Am I late?" I asked worried as I approached the trio, "no you're right on time, we just decided to come early. We actually haven't gotten together since graduation" Akamatsu assured me, she was wearing a white shirt with a woolen light purple jacket on top, with a bottom pink skirt with music notes, her hair had been slightly curled at the ends. "You've been busy" Amami commented with an amused tone as he moved aside allowing me to sit next to him in the booth seats.

"I'm sorry, it's just with the casework...well I can't actually say much, but it's just a lot of work to do" I apologized, "no it's no problem, we're glad to help you and it's nice for you to go gather us all here...but it wasn't just a meetup, was it?" Akamatsu asked, a knowing look in her eyes as she looked at me with a concerned smile. Guilt filled me slightly but I regretfully nodded as I hesitantly reached into my bag and took out the photocopies. "It's about Kiibo," I told them, deciding to break the ice. Like a spell had been washed over, the previously calm group froze in place, Akamatsu glancing down at her hands a thing I never saw her do as she closed her eyes tightly taking a few deep breaths. Iruma on the other hand looked frightened and then angry, gritting her teeth and muttering things I tried to block out, Amami just nodded in silent affirmation as if he suspected this all along. That might have been what stung the most.

"What the fuck does Kiibo have to do with the god damn serial killers?" Iruma asked clearly agitated, this let me get a better look at her. Over the years she had clearly been disheveled, her hair was messier and not well taken care of and she had deep eye bags underneath her eyes and a large oversized sweater something that was the complete antithesis of the Iruma I knew. "That's what I'm trying to figure out, I just...I know it's not going to be a comfortable conversation, but could you tell me how Kiibo acted before his..." I stopped there, a dark thought crept in the corners of my mind.

The Boy With The Blank Stare: FutureWhere stories live. Discover now