Psycho-Pass: Coping Mechanisms

Part 29 : Bona Fide Warning

PART 29 – Bona Fide Warning

"If your trip to Saiga proved useful, do share the specifics. Not in too much detail, though, for sake of everyone's hues," Ginoza coldly stated, looking at Kogami and Akibara.

Kogami filled the rest of the team in. She backed him up on several occasions, so they wouldn't miss something of importance. Shepherd One listened carefully.

"Kunizuka... add these criteria to the cross-analysis with the recorded interviews we had with potential suspects from Hitagawa's list. Run patients and medical staff again, just in case. See if there is a match with the photo from the street scanner," Ginoza instructed.

"We will have to broaden the search," Shizuka said, to what Kunizuka responded:

"Already making a parallel algorithm on a larger scale. It will take some time, though."

Shizuka was impressed once again by how fast Kunizuka caught up.

"Good. Yayoi... can you please show me the photo from the crime scene again?" Shizuka asked. Kunizuka nodded and then zoomed the image, putting it on the display for everyone. Kagari sighed.

"No matter how we look at it... it's quite shitty image. Not much of a lead."

Like a certain photo on certain Enforcer's wall, Shizuka thought. Kogami narrowed his eyes.

"It won't be very helpful, given the lack of quality," he remarked. Shizuka felt bad after hearing his tone. She had to agree. Yayoi enlarged it the best she could, but noise grains and pixels were on the way of determining the looks of their suspect.

"There should have been more than one photo, though," Kogami noted, pulling his Spinel pack out. Street scanners usually made a few before archiving it.

"There were several, actually," Kunizuka said. "However, they were deleted the moment scanner snapped them. This image was the only one I was able to save before someone interfered. They were fast."

"Nevertheless, well done, Yayoi," Shizuka looked at the capable Enforcer, smiling to her. "We are lucky you are always monitoring the scanners. Without you, we wouldn't even have this much. So... good job."

Yayoi shortly smiled back. She was grateful for the praise. "Thanks, Inspector."

Shizuka was ignoring the fact that Shinya was standing next to her, she had to shake off the presence of his warmth. The tension was still there, and they were both quite reserved towards one another. They had to act professionally, though. They had more important things to solve rather than their personal dispute.

"Well, we now know for a fact that he has an accomplice," Gino verified. It was good to confirm one theory. It meant they were closer to solving the case.

"It's someone very skilled," Yayoi nodded. "I wasn't able to backtrack the deletion. We have a dead-end."

"Or not. Come on, everyone. Let's work with this lead. We can go through this in the good old-fashioned way," Masaoka said, wanting to encourage the team.

"What way?" Kagari asked.

"Conclusions through mere observation. What do we see?"

"Someone blurred?" Kagari told what was first on his mind. He hated the case at that point. He had enough of working double shifts.

"All we get from it is that the killer is male. Other than that..." Kunizuka tried to fish for some details. It was very hard to tell. The photo was taken after midnight. The street lights cast very little light to the suspect's face. The shadow was covering most of his appearance.