For the Untrained Eye

*

    A week had gone by without a word spoken to one another. Watching Mari type on her computer angrily irritated Akahoshi even more as she turned only to glare at him for a split second before going back to her work. Inari stifled her laughter, as she got up to make some copies in order to avoid bursting into a fit of laughter in front of her superior. "Captain, we're going to need to head out soon for our patrol." Hiro stated. 

    Aoyama wanted no part in the quarrel between the two sitting across from him. He merely wanted to get his work done in order to get home to his family. 

    Suga glanced over at him and nodded slightly. "Take Inari with you." Hiro grabbed his jacket sliding it on with ease before glancing back at Mari who continued to type up a report furiously on her computer. 

    "Do you have to do that so loudly?" Suga remarked. He glared at the petite woman who glared straight back. Only Mari's glare was full of contempt and rather terrifying. "Look. It was a clear case of suicide. I won't discuss this with you any further."

    "I woN't DisCuss ThiS wiTh YoU aNy fuRtHer." Mari mocked him in a sing song tone. "Then I won't tell you again. You're wrong and you're going to regret it." Mari finished up her document and grabbed her bag as she stood from her desk. "I'm going to have lunch." 

    Mari sat in her car, glaring at the dashboard. "That arrogant asshole!" She slammed her hands onto the steering wheel as she let out a frustrated scream. It wasn't like she was unaware of his mistrust towards her, but she had at least hoped it wouldn't carry into their work. Mari understood very well that it was uncomfortable to receive a new inspector. She had heard many things about the previous inspector and the incident that had occured.

    Inspector Higarashi Takuya. K.I.A. An exceptional inspector, who had been killed as he was following a lead on his own. Higarashi had been following a lead on the unstable mass murderer, or at least that was the name media had given him. His real name, uncovered in the loss of Higarashi Takuya, is Nomura Ren.

    "I will kill you with my own two hands." Mari muttered to herself. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles turned a paper white color. "Even if it means I might die too." Mari pulled a small picture of her college graduation. She stood grinning widely alongside a boy with a goofy lopsided smile.

                                                                                                .

    It didn't take long for Mari to arrive at her destination. She had not gone to lunch as planned and instead stood in front of the forensic building. She hadn't gone to go see the autopsy reports ever since Suga had signed of the case, but her heart told her that it was most definitely not a suicide. "Okay Mari, we'll just go in and confirm some things and leave."

    It wasn't as if Mari wanted to upset Suga, but she just didn't feel comfortable with the way things were handled. Especially, when she had heard such great things about the police captain. She had hoped he wouldn't be like every other police officer in her previous precinct. Mari was excited when she had been moved over to this area, but it was just very hard for her to express herself. She was aware of the cold, uncomfortable aura that surrounded her, but she just couldn't help it.

    "Hello, what brings you in today?" The receptionist smiled politely. "You're a new face."

    "I'm here to see results of an autopsy. The woman's name is Hamada Kaori."

    "Ah yes, may I see your badge please." 

    Mari complied, showing her badge and waiting patiently as the receptionist disappeared to grab the file for her. As she waited she gazed around the room, scoffing as she read the inspirational 'artwork' on the walls around her. They were almost mocking each and every person who came through the doors. She found that her favorite piece was one that read, 'those who work hard either succeed or die trying'.

    "You can come this way." The receptionist ushered Mari into a small office room before handing her the file. "Take your time reading." Mari thanked her as she shut the door behind herself to leave Mari completely alone. 

    Mari placed the small device on a round table in front of her and the file hologram popped up in front of her. Scrolling through the file made Mari more and more uncomfortable as time passed. She began to notice details she had failed to notice before. Although, she had come to the conclusion that Hamada Kaori had definitely been murdered, she felt a sense of discomfort.

    The details in the file seemed oddly familiar and she couldn't exactly pinpoint why. "Come on Kaori, show me what I'm missing." Mari whispered as she continued searching through the file. "Shot once through the skull. Piercing straight through her frontal lobe and exiting through her optical lobe." Mari stared at the pictures of the crime scene and Kaori's autopsy pictures carefully. As if a movie was playing around her, she began to imagine what happened the night of Hamada Kaori's death.

    Mari grabbed a pen and held it against her forehead. "Shot from close range. No. It had to have been far away in order to keep her face in tact." Mari pulled the pen back. "But how far? No signs of breaking and entering were found on the scene. The neighbors say that she lived alone and had no visitors." Mari sighed as she ran her hands through her hair continuously. It wasn't the first time she had been stumped on following a lead, but this time she didn't even have a lead to follow. 

                                                                                        .

    Mari had ended up deciding to head back towards the apartment complex. She knocked lightly on each of Kaori's neighbor's doors. Not everyone was home, but Mari took a keen interest in one neighbor who stared blankly at her as he opened up the door. "Hello, my name is Inspector Yamashita Mari, I just have a few more questions about Hamada Kaori. Is it okay, if I come inside and ask a few more questions?"

    "I told the police officers everything I know." 

    "Yes, well there are just a few things I need to confirm, so I've been visiting all of this buildings tenants again." Mari glanced down at the man's, who seemed no older than twenty, hands. They were covered in scars and fresh cuts and scabs. "Would that be alright with you?"

    "Would you like any water or tea?" The man asked. He seemed somewhat annoyed as Mari sat quietly on his couch. 

    "No, thank you very much. Could you remind me what your name is again? I didn't quite catch it."

    "Miura Yato."

    "Ah yes that's right! Well Mr.Miura-"

    "Yato is fine."

    "Right, Yato. I asked all the neighbors, but I would also like to ask you. Were you close to Ms. Hamada? Did you ever notice anyone she might have had a close relationship with?" Mari watched his every move as he sat tensely across from her.

    "No, Kaori usual kept to herself and was very awkward when it came to interacting with other tenants." Yato sighed, "Kaori didn't ever have anyone over so we all assumed she didn't have family to visit her. Or at least she wasn't on good enough terms with her family to have them visit her."

    "Did you ever see her bring anyone home?"

    "Like I said, Kaori kept to herself and never had visitors. At least not that I'm aware of." Yato continued to stare blankly back at Mari.

    "I feel as if you were the only one that wasn't very close to Ms. Hamada. All the other tenants, told me she was a bright girl. Very sociable, but you're right no one reported that she had any visitors." Mari smiled. "They would have had to sign in at the reception desk as a visitor, yet no one signed in as a visitor for Ms.Hamada." Mari began to put pieces together as her puzzle began to take form. "That is why, I am going around and asking questions, it's just formality really."

    Mari noticed the unbothered look Yato had before he changed it to a sympathetic one. Every other tenant Mari had seen today had either cried or had shown some sort of sympathy for Kaori, yet Yato remained unfazed and quite disconnected. "I see, so are we done?"

    "Yes, thank you again for complying so well." Mari smiled once more before she disappeared back into her vehicle.  

    The feeling of being watched washed over Mari making chills run down her spine. Glancing back at the apartment complex she couldn't quite pinpoint where the gaze was coming from, but dark brown eyes peered down at her as she drove off.

                                                                                                .

    "You're back!" Section chief Tanaka grinned as Mari walked through the doors and into the station. "We have some news on that suicide case you and Suga were covering." Mari sighed but took the file in Tanaka's hand before walking into her office. Inari and Aoyama were still on their patrol, so Sugawara sat there alone as he typed away on his computer.

    "You were right." Suga muttered just under a whisper. He was obviously upset that he had been caught in a mistake by the new girl and he was sure she wouldn't just let it slide. However, Mari just nodded and sat down as she began reading the file that was handed to her.

    "Another 'suicide'."

    "It is too similar to Hamada Kaori's case to be just pushed off as a suicide again. We're going to have to take a look into what the hell is happening." Sugawara sighed. They both glanced at each other, Mari was exhausted from the encounter she had just had and Sugawara had exhausted himself with this new case. "The only thing that doesn't make sense is that the two victims have no connections to one another."

    "The victims might not have any connections, but the assailant may have connections to both. Or he might have just picked them randomly." Mari stated. "Look. I don't want you to get upset, but I went back to Kaori's apartment complex and spoke to some of the neighbors. Something just isn't right. All the neighbors reported that Hamada Kaori was a very sociable, polite girl. Except for one, Miura Yato, a tenant on the floor below her. He seemed quite unaffected and reclusive."

    Suga watched as Mari showed an emotion other than her usual cold one and the fake ones she usually put up. He could tell she was very uncomfortable speaking about this man she had encountered. "You shouldn't have gone alone. Chasing leads on your own have very heavy consequences."

    "Like Higarashi Takuya?" Mari watched Suga closely. His face showed a great sense of lose as the name slipped out of Mari's mouth. In all honesty, Mari was very curious about Higarashi. His case was kept under very closed wraps and Mari had never had the clearance to read his file. Although, she had heard multiple stories about the all inspiring inspector. "I'm not him you know. I won't do anything that will get me killed."

    "That's what he said." Suga scoffed. "Anyway, we'll have to look into this, Miura Yato. Did you get any sort of alibi out of him?"

    "No. He seemed to be trying to get me out fast without actually getting me out fast." Suga typed up the man's name into the system to see if he had been brought in for any previous crimes. Not one thing popped up making Suga push a hand through his hair in frustration.  "We should get a warrant for his medical background. Any substance abuse, therapy even."

    "Were you with him long enough to sense any sort of disorders?"

    "No, I'd need to see his medical records."