(Jared's POV)
9th January
SS Burya, First-Class Cabin Passageway…
"I wish we hadn't been thrown out like that." Susato said, annoyed.
"I wish we'd managed to find some clue as to what that 'speckled band' might be." Ryunosuke said.
"If only it was 'the Speckled Blonde'." I said, sadly. "At least I know how that case ended compared to this one."
"You have been comparing the future to now." Ryunosuke said, looking at me.
"I can't help it. I'm used to the conveniences of my time. I never realized how hard it is to investigate using obsolete devices."
"We didn't manage to investigate at all. And I imagine... ...that we won't be able to for a while longer. We'll never get past that sailor guarding the door." Susato said, frowning.
'He's clearly glaring at us, as if to say, 'Don't even think about it!'' Ryunosuke said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "Oh! Wait a minute!"
"What is it?"
"What's up?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"Well, what happened to our great detective friend? Where did he go?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Oh yes! He's completely disappeared!" Susato said, at a loss for words.
"When did he do that?" Ryunosuke asked, while he thought this to himself. 'He's slipped away as quietly as the wind. But not before ensuring these were securely back on my wrists…'
"Well, there's the cabin door on the left." I said, looking at Kazuma's cabin.
"'First-Class Cabin No. 1'... Yes, that's our cabin." Ryunosuke said, happily.
"Not 'our' cabin. It's Kazuma-sama's." Susato said, frowning.
"Sorry?"
"Your accommodation is confined to the wardrobe inside the cabin."
"And my cabin is over here." I said, walking over to First-Class Cabin No. 3. "Right across from Kazuma's. At least I didn't sleep in a wardrobe."
"You two know how to make a stowaway feel small, don't you?" Ryunosuke asked, looking between Susato and I. "As small as the wardrobe I've been calling home. Anyway... ...I wonder if Inspector Hosonaga has managed to uncover any new clues."
"Yes, we should probably find him and ask." Susato said.
9th January
SS Burya, First-Class Cabin No. 1…
"It looks like they're still investigating in here." Ryunosuke said.
"Yes. On that subject... ...I wonder if Inspector Hosonaga is unscathed." Susato said.
"What do you mean, 'unscathed'?"
"Surely you haven't forgotten, have you, Naruhodo-san? Don't you remember what he said about allowing you out of this cabin to investigate? He was going to talk to the captain about it. He said he'd lay his life on the line for you!"
"He could have gotten beaten up, Ryunosuke." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag. "It is a high possibility."
"Oh...yes. But I'm sure he was exaggerating. Let's see what he has to say for himself." Ryunosuke said, and he thought this to himself. 'He might have some new information for us... You never know.'
"Ah, you're back." Hosonaga said, covering his black eye.
"In-Inspector!" Ryunosuke said, worried.
"What happened to you?! Your face is...!" Susato cried.
"That must hurt." I said, looking down at the ground.
"Please, don't worry about it. They're just scratches." Hosonaga said.
"Scratches after being beaten up." I said, while Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'Made by a bear, maybe!'
"When I told the captain that I'd given you permission to investigate... ...he told me he'd pummel me with his fists and then toss me overboard." Hosonaga said.
"What?!" Ryunosuke exclaimed.
"But the pummelling was over in a flash, and he must have decided against throwing me overboard. So it was nothing, really."
"It looked more than nothing." I said, as Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'It looks like he wasn't joking when he said he'd lay his life on the line if he had to…'
"Well, thanks to your efforts, we now know a little about the neighbouring cabin." Susato said.
"Yes, so I understand." Hosonaga said.
"Oh!"
"I bumped into a man claiming to be a great detective a little while ago. I think his name was something like 'Herr Lock Holmes'. I don't think he was German, though…"
'Ah, that explains it.' Ryunosuke said, as he thought that to himself, before talking aloud. "Shall we compare notes, then? We can tell you what we've found out."
"Yes, let's do it!" Hosonaga said, excitedly.
"So, the cabin next door. It has a Russian ballet dancer, Nikolina Pavlova." I said, happily. "She is trying to smuggle a tiara out so she can start a new life in America. Her disguise is that of a male Russian revolutionary."
"...What?! Nikolina Pavlova?! She's in the cabin next door?" Hosonaga asked.
"Oh, do you know who she is?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Please! What self-respecting ballet fan wouldn't know that graceful angel?" Hosonaga asked, as blood came out of his mouth. "Ahem! ...Ahem, ahem! AHEEEMMM!!!"
"Are you okay?" I asked, looking down at the floor. "Sorry for upsetting you."
"Well, that tells us the neighbouring cabin is unrelated to the case at least." Hosonaga said.
"Oh? How?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Because angels don't go around committing crimes, do they?"
"Yeah. They don't. Sorry." I said, still looking down at the floor.
"Inspector, has your investigation in here proved fruitful?" Susato asked.
"If I'm honest, there's very little more I can do. Our duty is to make sure the scene isn't disturbed, ready to hand over to the Hong Kong police. So I'm just keeping watch here. Trying not to take my eyes off the job." Hosonaga said.
"Oh, I see…" Susato said, frowning.
"Ah, there is one thing. I do have a small piece of new information for you."
"Oh! What?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Yes, do tell us, Inspector! Please!" Susato said, excitedly.
"What is this new information you have, Inspector?" Ryunosuke asked.
"It's this. The Burya's medical officer has finished his examination of the body. I managed to obtain the report." Hosonaga said.
"Oh... Kazuma's post-mortem report?"
"Kazuma-sama…" Susato said, letting out a sigh.
"So...what was the cause of death?" Ryunosuke asked.
"'Damage to the cervical vertebrae', is what's written in the report." Hosonaga said.
"His...neck was broken?" Susato asked.
"Yes, it would seem so. There were no obvious wounds or other signs of injury. So at first, I think they were considering poison. But it turns out they found no trace of poison in his system at all."
"Well...what weapon was used, then?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Nothing has been found as yet. But the fact that there are no signs of a wound... ...suggest it may have been a blunt object. Something that wouldn't leave a mark." Hosonaga said.
"Oh, I see…" Ryunosuke said.
"So, did he survive?" I asked, still looking down at the floor.
"I don't think he did, Jared." Susato said, grabbing my hand. "All the body's nerves run through the spine to the brain. A strong enough impact to the neck could induce death. It is a possibility. And no obvious wound would be left."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kazuma." I said, while Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'Poor Kazuma…'
"I have a second copy of the report. If it might be useful, you're welcome to have it." Hosonaga said.
"Really? Are you sure?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Yes, it's fine. I trust you."
"...!" Susato said, at a loss for words.
"After all, if I didn't trust you... ...I'd never have agreed to you leaving this cabin in the first place, would I?" Hosonaga asked.
"Ah…" Ryunosuke said.
"..." Susato said, squeezing my hand.
The post-mortem report has been entered into the Court Record.
"Sherlock was here." I said, looking up at Hosonaga.
"Oh! That's right. Mr Holmes was here, was he?" Susato asked.
"Yes, he seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much as he crept about on the floor investigating. But then he suddenly left. I suppose he must have become bored." Hosonaga said.
"That's Sherlock for you. Unsolved case, he shoots a wall of his apartment." I said, smiling. "So, did he say anything at all before leaving?"
"Actually, now you mention it, yes... Just one thing, but he practically shouted it. 'It's shoe polish!' ...was all he said."
"Shoe polish? ...I wonder what he meant." Ryunosuke said.
"It was when he was over there." Hosonaga said, pointing at a certain direction in the room. "By the piece of broken glass. Do you see?"
"Ah, perhaps he was talking about this brick-coloured mark, do you think?" Susato asked, looking down at the floor.
"Ah...yes! That must be it!" Hosonaga chirped.
"But how could Mr Holmes know that it's shoe polish?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Hm... That leaves me cold, I'm afraid. I have no idea."
"..." Susato said.
"What is it, Susato-san?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Well... ...Kazuma-sama was wearing leather shoes with a very dark tan hue."
"Dark tan...?" Ryunosuke asked, and he thought this to himself. 'A sort of dark brownish-red then…'
"Yes, a little like the colour of red wine, but darker. I often repaired them for him." Susato said, sadly.
"Oh! Does this mean...?" Ryunosuke asked, while he thought this to himself. '...that this mark was made by the polish on Kazuma's shoes as they scuffed on the floor?'
The mark on the floor has been entered into the Court Record.
"Yeah." I said, letting go of Susato's hand.
"Erm…" Ryunosuke said, looking at the sailor in front of the shelf.
"You! Where did you go?!" The sailor exclaimed, walking up to Ryunosuke.
"Oh! Sorry! I, I just went to the next-door cabin to investiga…"
"Why?! Who gave you permission for this?!"
"Um, well, Inspe- I mean, Seaman Hosonaga did."
"Hmph. That new Japanese, was it? Later, I will roll him into ball and throw him in cold room!" The sailor yelled, walking back to the door.
"That's a close one." I said, sadly. "He went back to guarding the door."
"I hope Inspector Hosonaga doesn't find himself in too much trouble on our account." Susato said, looking between Ryunosuke and I.
"He's really gone out of his way to help us, hasn't he? When we get back to Japan, we'll have to take him for a steak at La Carneval." Ryunosuke said.
"That could be a very long time from now, Naruhodo-san." Susato said.
"If this was the early 21st century, it would take 14 hours by plane to get from Tokyo to London than six months by boat." I said, sadly.
"That's really all I can tell you at this stage. I should return to my post. My fellow crewman's eyes are boring into the back of my head." Hosonaga said, frowning.
"Yes, that might be for the best. Thank you." Ryunosuke said.
"Ahem! ...Ahem, ahem!" Hosonaga said, while blood came out of his mouth.
"Poor Inspector... You look exhausted." Susato said, letting out a sigh.
"Oh... No. Well... ...I feel terrible that I failed to protect Asogi-san. He was my responsibility."
"..."
"Of course, my pain is nothing compared to yours. You were his friends. The truth is... ...I seem to have had a heavy head ever since I woke this morning."
"A heavy head...?" Ryunosuke asked, as he thought this to himself. 'That's interesting... My head's still throbbing, too.'
9th January
SS Burya, First-Class Cabin Passageway…
"Ah! Look, Naruhodo-san! Seaman Strogenov has gone!" Susato said, excitedly.
"Strong...enough...?" Ryunosuke asked.
"The burly Russian sailor who's always crossing his arms and glaring at us!"
"Yeah. The Russian sailor that kicked us out of the ballerina's room." I said, sadly.
"Ugh, all these Russian names are impossible to remember…" Ryunosuke said, annoyed.
"... ...Tra-la-la…" Holmes said, singing.
"Did you hear that?" Ryunosuke asked.
"It sounds like someone is singing…" I said, happily.
"Tra-la-la-lira-lira-lay… I did it the great deteeective way…" Holmes said, singing.
"This carolling... ...I know that lark-like voice." Susato said, her eyes widening.
"Well, never mind that now. This is a golden opportunity for us." Ryunosuke said.
"Yes, you're right! We must seize it! Let's get inside Miss Pavlova's cabin while we can and investigate!" Susato cheered.
"Definitely. Before that 'Stringy-knot' crewman comes back!" Ryunosuke said, angrily.
"It's Strogenov, not 'Stringy-knot'!" Susato yelled.
"Today, we're learning how to cook beef stroganoff." I said, singing. "It's the beef stroganoff you know from anime and manga. Chop the onions in half from top to bottom, slice the tomatoes in half from left to right, quickly coat the meat with wheat flour. It doesn't matter if you don't use beef! Add in mushrooms with your onions, pour in the milk, and when it's simmering, rendezvous the salt with pepper at last, and finish it all off with sour cream! Boys don't know this part, but it's shockingly simple to make beef stroganoff. Today, we're learning how to cook beef stroganoff. It's the beef stroganoff you know from anime and manga, meow!" I walked over to the cabin on the right of Kazuma's. "Now it's time to go to Pavlova's cabin."
"Miss Pavlova's cabin…" Ryunosuke said.
"... This could be our chance." Susato said.
"What?"
"The burly sailor doesn't appear to be around at the moment. We could investigate every last inch of that cabin!"
"...I'm not sure if we could go that far." Ryunosuke said, while he thought this to himself. 'But we could certainly do with looking around more. I'm sure we could learn something!'
"Look guys, it's Sherlock!" I said, skipping over to Sherlock.
"Oh! Jared's right! It's Mr Holmes, look!" Susato said, looking at Holmes.
"Wow, you never know where he's going to turn up next, do you?" Ryunosuke asked.
"He seems to be stealing a look at something as he sings to himself!" Susato said, worried.
"Tra-la-la-lira-lira-lay… I did it the great deteeective way…" Holmes said, singing.
"He's still singing. Do you think he hasn't noticed us?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Or he's simply in extremely high spirits." Susato said, at a loss for words.
"...Yes there were times, I'm sure you knew… ...When the Yard bit off more than it could chew… ...And through it all, when there was doubt… ...It's lucky Sherlock was about…" Holmes said.
"Um, excuse me…" Ryunosuke said, frowning.
"...I solved it all and I stood tall… ...I did it the great deteeective way…"
"MR Holmes!!!"
"AAAAAAAAAGH!!!" Holmes yelled, falling down, and getting up into a boxing motion. "...What is it? You want to fight? Hm? Honestly! Interrupting a fellow when he's singing! And I was just about to reach the climactic finish!"
"Sorry, I thought you were never going to stop, so I figured now is as good a time as any."
"I very nearly dropped you to the floor with one of my famous right hooks!" Holmes said, still in his boxing motion.
"...Alright, I get the picture. Now could you put those fists away?"
"Mr Holmes... ...you seemed to be examining something before we interrupted you." Susato said.
"Ah, yes. That. I was immersed in study of the ship's log, as penned by the stockily-built crewman who's usually on guard here." Holmes said, looking down at the ship's log.
"Oh yes, the ship's log."
"And did you find out anything useful from it?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Well, after 2 a.m. this morning, the majority of the entries are blank." Holmes said.
"Which means that there was nothing to report. Nothing of note happened, so…"
"Ah ha ha ha hah! Hah ha ha ha ha ha ha hah!" Holmes said, laughing a lot. "You truly are a student from the Land of the Rising Sun! You've been utterly blinded by it! Ah ha ha!"
"Sorry?"
"Your logic, my boys, is inverted."
"Whatever do you mean, Mr Holmes?" Susato asked.
"Observe the other pages, and all shall become clear." Holmes said, while I flipped through the ship's log. "It would seem the same crewman oft stands sentry in this first-class passageway. And he has an almost religious practice of recording 'Nothing to report' every half hour."
"Oh, he writes that in every thirty minutes?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Nothing to report...?" Susato asked.
"Precisely! Put simply, the seaman writes 'Nothing to report' when there is just that. And yet…" Holmes said.
"...The ship's log from last night is largely blank. He didn't even write 'Nothing to report'..." Ryunosuke said.
"It's like having a binder but it's completely empty." I said, letting out a sigh. "With no mention of any sick days. God, I miss Donna. She noticed in the binder where aliens invaded a workplace, not one of the employees got sick. No one having a hangover by getting drunk, getting a virus, sneaking out to shop or go on a vacation, nothing."
"Do you mean...?" Susato asked, looking between Holmes and I.
"Yes. There were circumstances afoot last night, which led to the seaman being absent from his post." Holmes said.
"What kind of circumstances? What happened?!"
"That remains a mystery for now. But we can be sure something significant took place. So significant, that it caused the seaman to forget his regular habit of scribing 'Nothing to report' in the log. These are important details. I would stake my life on it! You must log the ship's log in your mental file!" Holmes said, angrily.
The ship's log has been entered into the Court Record.
"And that's Sherlock for you." I said, as Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'Now THAT deduction was worthy of a great detective.'
"Ah, you're starting to understand what 'my way' is, I see. What makes Holmes 'Holmes'. ...Brilliance!" Holmes chirped, before he started laughing. "Ah ha ha ha ha hah! Hah ha ha ha ha...hah." He then clutched his head in pain. "...Ooh. Ouch."
"What is it? Are you hurt?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Oh, don't worry yourself. I seem to be afflicted with a throbbing head this morning for some reason, nothing more." Holmes said.
"...!" Susato said, at a loss for words.
"Well, my friends... Until our next encounter!" Holmes said, walking away from us.
"See ya, Sherlock." I said, and Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'He's still singing to himself. I can hear it as he wanders off down the passageway.'
"..." Susato said.
"Is something wrong, Susato-san, Jared? You both seem lost in thought." Ryunosuke said, looking between Susato and I.
"It's just... Well, I feel the same." Susato said.
"Same." I said, sadly.
"Sorry?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Ever since I woke this morning, I've had something of a headache. A sort of...continuous throbbing." Susato said, frowning.
"Me too." I said, letting out a sigh.
"Oh! You too?" Ryunosuke asked.
"..." Susato said.
9th January
SS Burya, First-Class Cabin No. 2…
"Miss Pavlova isn't back yet." I said, looking around the room.
"Susato-san... Oh!" Ryunosuke said, looking around for Susato.
"Where did she go?" I asked, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"Hey!" Ryunosuke cried, running up to Susato who is checking Pavlova's things. "What are you doing?! Those are her private things…"
"There's not a moment to waste, Naruhodo-san! We must investigate as quickly as we can!" Susato said, worried.
"...I suppose you're right. For Kazuma's sake." Ryunosuke said, happily.
"... Not just for Kazuma-sama."
"What do you mean?"
"It can't be long now until we arrive at port. In Hong Kong. I...don't want you to be in those handcuffs when we get there."
"R-Really...?" Ryunosuke asked.
"We must solve this case, Naruhodo-san, Jared! By ourselves if we have to!" Susato chirped.
"... Yes, we will!"
"Let's go to the bookshelf." I said, walking over to the shelf.
"All the books have toppled over together, look. Every single one." Ryunosuke said.
"Do you think that's a god of the sea, perhaps? He's toppled too, though." Susato said.
"It's exactly the same as the bookcase next door. In Kazuma's cabin."
"Perhaps... Perhaps Miss Pavlova was practising a difficult ballet pose and fell against the bookcase?"
"I don't know... Would she really be practising ballet on the same night she ran away from her ballet company?"
"Alright then... ...it must have been you. You lost your temper and knocked them all over in a fit of rage?"
"...Not everything bad that happens on this ship is because of me, you know."
"Well anyway. I'll set them all straight again in here, too. I don't like seeing things in disarray." Susato said, setting the books neatly.
"There's the air vent." I said, looking up at the air vent.
"So this ventilator connects to Kazuma's cabin next door." Ryunosuke said.
"Yes. Although what a fool a shipbuilder must be to open a ventilator into another room." Susato said, frowning.
"Ah! Maybe... ...it's so that if there's a gas leak next door, the occupant of this cabin would notice and raise the alarm!"
"Or...the occupants of both cabins would die of gas poisoning."
"Or cars let out gas that tries to poison the entire population of the world." I said, looking down at the floor. "Yeah. That actually happened in the future."
"Hm...that is a possibility. Not with the car thing." Ryunosuke said, as he thought this to himself. 'Anyway, last night, Kazuma wrote that he saw a 'speckled band' coming out of this ventilator.'
"..." Susato said, spotting the open suitcase. "Oh my! Miss Pavlova's case is open!"
"...It's completely empty inside. But according to the great detective's 'great deduction'... ...she was hiding her special friend in there." Ryunosuke said.
"Yes. A friend that she had to keep secret." Susato said.
"Because you're not allowed to bring animals aboard the SS Burya." Ryunosuke said, and he thought this to himself. 'I wonder what kind of animal she had in there. And more to the point... ...where is it now?!'
'Ding-aling-aling-aling-aling-aling-aling…' A bell rang nearby.
"Agh! What's that?!" Susato exclaimed.
"That was a bell." I said, walking around the room.
'Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir! Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir!' A horn honked nearby.
"Shut down the engines immediately! Vessel sighted a quarter mile fore! Full stop! Hard to starboard! All hands, brace for impact!" Someone said, over the speaker.
"What the...?" Ryunosuke asked.
"I think we're about to crash into another ship…" Susato said, her eyes widening.
"WHAT?!" Ryunosuke exclaimed.
"Crap." I said, looking down at the floor.
"I, I can't stand…" Susato said.
"Susato-san! Jared! Hold on to me! WAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" Ryunosuke cried.
Ryunosuke, Susato, and I fell down onto the floor.
"Susato-san! Jared? Are you alright? Are you injured at all?" Ryunosuke asked, looking between Susato and I.
"I'm okay." I said, lifting myself off the ground. "Okay. That was worse than the Titanic in space."
"I, I think I'm fine. Thank you, Naruhodo-san." Susato said, while Ryunosuke lifted her off the ground.
"It looks like we avoided a collision…" Ryunosuke said.
"I think…"
"Yes, the ship has come to a stop."
"Oh my goodness, what about you, Naruhodo-san? Are you hurt?"
"No...I'm fine."
"Hello! Is anybody in there? Shout if you need assistance!" Hosonaga yelled, nearby.
"Oh, that sounds like…" Ryunosuke said.
"...Inspector Hosonaga." Susato said.
"Is that you in there, Naruhodo-san? Unbolt the door! Quickly!" Hosonaga cried.
"What? The bolt...?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Look at that!" Susato said, looking up at the bolted door.
"The door's bolted! Did you do that, Susato-san, Jared?" Ryunosuke asked, looking between Susato and I.
"Nope." I said, happily.
"No! I didn't touch it." Susato said, sadly.
"Well that's strange. How did...?" Ryunosuke asked, while he thought this to himself. 'And look at all the books. They're just like they were before again.'
"Naruhodo-san, aren't you going to open the door and let the inspector in?" Susato asked.
"Yeah. Let him in." I said, as Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'I'd better tidy this place up first…'
"Our violent emergency stop had solved one mystery at least, in a very vivid way. But I knew that what awaited us on the other side of the cabin door would not be pleasant. I hurried around tidying up the cabin with a new sense of foreboding in my heart…" Ryunosuke said, as a voiceover.