Justice at Delphi - The Fall of Sibyl

Chapter 28

There are no secrets that time does not reveal.

-Jean Racine

Akane jumped at the sound of Kogami's voice. She was barely able to stifle the little squeak of surprise. Her eyes darted around the cordoned off zone. The curious bystanders had long gone and only drones stood guard. Thanks to Kogami's various gadgets, they had yet to notice him. Even so, she grabbed his arm and dragged him into the shadowy warehouse.

"What are you doing?!" She hissed.

Kogami allowed himself to be dragged and pushed up against a wall just inside the entrance. A small smile played on his lips. "I didn't know you could be so forceful, inspector."

Akane glared at him, her mouth compressed into a thin line. "I can be a lot more forceful than this if you don't stop messing around."

He couldn't help himself. "Promise?" He teased, sliding a hand under her inspector's jacket. He grinned when her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.

"Shinya!" She whisper yelled. Pursing her lips, she shoved her hand under his shirt and pinched his side. 

"Ow!" Kogami released her, rubbing his side. "Not so rough." He held his hands up in surrender when she narrowed her eyes. "I yield."

"What are you doing here?" She repeated, still looking around for a stray onlooker. It was business as usual in the rest of the warehouse district. No one had time to stand around gawking at a crime scene.

He shrugged. "Killing a little time until tonight. I saw you and the drones. Caught a new case?"

She nodded and gestured to the scrap pile behind her. "A body was found this morning."

Kogami frowned, his eyes glancing over her shoulder at the scrap pile. A jaded weariness settled over him. It seemed there was a never ending river of darkness in the hearts of man.  "A woman?" He guessed.

She nodded. "Her throat was slashed most likely with a straight razor."

Kogami winced. A cold kill. Quick and efficient. Remind you of someone?  Ignoring the voice, he gave the scene a cursory scan. "Doesn't look like she was killed here." There was little to no blood surrounding the pile. If she had been killed here, there would have been blood everywhere. 

Akane sighed and backed up. "No, she was just dumped here...like trash."

The tone in her voice drew his attention. "Akane?" There was a waver in her usual businesslike manner.

She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's nothing...it just reminded me of Yuki."

Kogami stiffened. He remembered that night. That was the night everything changed. His rookie inspector got her first taste of horror and lost her friend to a cold, calculated monster. It was the turning point that plunged them all into the depths of Hell. He squeezed her shoulder gently, reassuring her he was there. She smiled absently, covering his hand with her own. 

"I'm fine. It's just a little hard sometimes." 

He nodded, solemnly. He knew that all too well. There were no words of comfort he could give to ease that pain. It was just something one learned to live with. "I wasn't kidding about the fresh set of eyes." She was silent for so long he wasn't sure if she was going to agree.

Then she spoke, "Our victim was found this morning when recycling came to pick up scrap. There were signs of a struggle at her apartment. No witnesses. Her neighbors were out of town. We might have a lead with her new boyfriend, but so far she had no other known enemies."