The girl in Darkness - Kousano

Chapter 5

"So you found two port mafia guards there? And nobody else?" Kunikida asked suspiciously.

Yosano maintained a carefully neutral face. "Yes."

"So the Port Mafia was involved... and you didn't find anything they could be guarding?" Kunikida barked.

"No."

"Very well." he turned back to his desk, probably preparing to write a ten-page essay on Yosano's supposedly moot findings and one-word answers.

She walked by Ranpo's desk, where he was slumped over and resting his head on the table. "Hey, Ranpo. Can I talk to you for a second?" When he didn't respond, Yosano tapped him on the back. No response.

She kicked the leg of the desk, causing Ranpo to snort and sit up suddenly. "Eh?"

Yosano laughed. "Come on, Ranpo. I need your help with something."

He groaned and let his head fall back onto the chair. "Can't you ask someone else to do it? Dazai's not doing anything."

Dazai, who was lying on the couch on the other side of the room, very loudly declared that he was busy being a bitch boss.

"You see? Can't argue with that logic, Ranpo," Yosano chided.

Ranpo, after another minute or two of coaxing, agreed to help Yosano with her unmentioned 'something'.

Yosano led Ranpo into the hallway of the agency.

"So, what do you need my help with?" Ranpo asked.

Yosano calmed her nervous fidgeting. "You know how I told Kunikida that I didn't find anything on my mission?"

"Nah, I was asleep. So, what'd you find?"

"Basically, there were two Port Mafia guards and a Mafia executive."

"Did you catch the executive's name?"

"No," Yosano lied. She saw Ranpo's eyebrow perk slightly, and she knew he could probably tell she was fibbing. He let her continue, however.

"She claimed that the mafia had heard rumors of the ADA investigating that area, the same way we heard about suspicious activity in that area. Also, our fight dragged on because the executive's ability prevented me from harming her, and I could heal myself whenever she attacked me," Yosano continued.

"That sounds like it was set up," Ranpo said instantly.

"Brilliant as always, detective," Yosano joked. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"So, what did you need me for?"

"I need your ability to help figure out who set me up."

Ranpo smiled and straightened up proudly. "Naturally. I'm happy to help someone in need of my awesome skills, but why would you hide this from Kunikida?"

Yosano scratched the back of her neck. "It just... it felt wrong to tell anybody else. Like something bad would happen if the ADA found out."

Ranpo tapped his chin. "Ah, I see. Well, I trust your intuition. Shall we investigate, then?"

Yosano nodded gratefully at his understanding. She was glad she had Ranpo to rely on, if nothing else. "We shall."

"No, I don't remember seeing any ADA members here before this young lady," the old woman remarked.

Yosano and Ranpo stood on her front doorstep, listening to her accounts of the supposed 'suspicious activity' that had attracted the ADA to this area.
"And no shady-looking fellas, either? Ones that might look the part of.... A mafia member?" Ranpo asked. Yosano sighed at her friend's blunt questions. For someone as smart enough to solve a murder mystery in under a minute, his straightforward interrogations sometimes set them off track.

The woman clutched her chest in fear. "Goodness, there aren't any Port Mafia in this neighborhood, are there?"

Yosano nudged Ranpo's arm. "No," he fibbed. "Just a precautionary question. Our main ongoing investigation has to do with the Port Mafia."

The woman relaxed. "I see. Well, if we're taking suspicious characters, there was a bit of a tall tale flying around a few weeks ago. You see, there was a bougie-looking man hanging around here a while back, talking to some non-locals. There were rumors that he was a wealthy city man looking to gentrify this neighborhood. Well, it wouldn't be the first time something like that happened, and I'm glad he went and left fast."

Yosano smiled. This old lady was quite a character, she had to say. "Well, could you point us in the direction of someone who saw him firsthand?"

The woman thought for a moment. "You know, now that I think of it, I'm not sure where the rumors started up. Just spread like a wildfire, you know how it goes, but I'm pretty certain if you asked around enough you'd find someone who saw him."

"Very well. Thank you for your answers, ma'am," Yosano said.

"No problem."

Yosano and Ranpo left the woman's house. "Where should we start asking around, Ranpo?" Yosano asked.

"No need," he said dismissively. "We won't get any farther here."

Yosano furrowed her brow and stared at her friend. Ranpo might be strange at times, but it wasn't like him to suddenly give up on a case. "What do you want to do, then?"

"I'm going to investigate on my own," he announced.

Yosano blinked, too surprised to argue. "Okay... Did you realize something, or-"

"Now that's that, Yosano! The world's greatest detective needs to rest his brilliant mind before he embarks on his solo-mission!" Ranpo cried, summoning the attention of a few startled passersby.

Yosano felt like arguing, but at the same time... Ranpo had never been wrong about a case anymore. For some reason, he was putting a lot of emphasis on working alone from this point on. He had to have a reason for that, right?

"Hey, Yosano, let's go hang out at the Agency cafe for a bit!"

"Eh? Oh, alright, Ranpo.."