Artifice - The Copycat Killer

Chapter 3: Retrieve And Retreat

Shuichi clambered, awestruck, out of the vehicle as soon as it pulled over and Kyoko followed him to the front door. He looked up at the great building, a wide expanse of white stretching across the field, windows neatly arranged at each level of the building, each of which decorated neatly with a small flowerbed filled with blue.

The front door was tall and black, but the angry red cross was clear as day. Kyoko inspected it and, with a gentle hand, traced her finger over a small fraction of paint to study the parts that flaked onto her glove.

"It definitely is paint," she confirmed.

"What else would it be?" Shuichi rebutted. She glared at him and then somehow he knew the answer. "Oh..."

Kyoko went to knock, raising her fist at the wood, but suddenly paused in her antics. "That's strange."

Shuichi took a moment before he caught the door being slightly ajar. He really was off his game today; maybe it was the nerves. "Kyoko—"

"Shush...listen."

She pointed upwards and like on cue, sounds of footsteps - heavy thuds like frantic running - thundered from within. In the midst of all the commotion they heard a male voice scream for help.

Kyoko pushed the door open. "Let's go!"

The detectives dashed into the depths of danger, legs carrying them through the entry hall and up the carpeted stairs as quickly as their bodies allowed. Neither of them had time to properly take in their surroundings; the adrenaline made everything a whizzing blur.

It was Shuichi who reached the source of the pleas for help first, but the door was shut tight and the more he rattled the handle, the more panicked he became - it was jammed. Kyoko shoved him out of the way and, unlike anything Shuichi had seen before, she mustered up all her strength and booted the door open.

A long-haired woman took a leap of faith from the open window and disappeared from view. A loud shatter rang out a moment later as Kyoko sprinted over to where she vanished.

Shuichi looked around the room desperately, eyes landing on absolutely everything in sight to search for the mansion owner - the made bed, the chest of drawers, the TV, the closed door with a dumbbell holding it shut. Ah! He blinked, scrambled towards it and kicked the dumbbell onto its side. With his foot he rolled it away and opened the door to find their second victim.

"Kyoko! Here!"

But they weren't too late. The man was breathing, lime eyes wide and pupils pinpricks, bound tightly in his en-suite with an extension cord. They were right on time.

Shuichi knelt down to meet him and fumbled to untie the man. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine thanks. I didn't think anyone would be coming to save me!" the man laughed, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

"It really was lucky timing." Shuichi smiled. He put the cord to one side and helped him stand. "I'm Detective Saihara, but I'd prefer if you just called me Shuichi. That's Detective Kirigiri."

"I know who she is already. She's that famous detective, big fan of her really." He shook Shuichi's hand. "Rantaro Amami."

Kyoko approached the pair. She was writing something in her small black notepad.

"What are you writing?" asked Shuichi.

"The suspect escaped in a red car, not very discreet. I memorised the registration plate number. Once this gets traced back to its owner we'll have our culprit," she said. She took out her phone and began the witch hunting process.