Life is occasionally a merry-go-round that shows a different cinematic scene every so often, thus displaying many moments within our insignificant existence.
But in the end, as long as we have a healthy environment in which to overcome the adversities of our daily lives, any problem can be solved.
With a cup of coffee in my right hand, while between the index and middle fingers of my left hand, a roll of paper known as a cigarette lies there.
It was in the news section of the newspaper.
The dismembered body of a teenager was found on the side of the hospital two days ago. No noticeable evidence, no witnesses. Nothing to show for it really, just information, but it looks like the curfew has been lifted to a lesser hour to avoid another disgrace like this.
Oh, boy.
If it's anything like this, it gets some of my attention to be honest. It's not like it's anything too gallant, the scene sounds gruesome and whatever the autopsy says may be even more so.
Finishing with my coffee, I put the cup on the table and as if it's been synchronised, Beethoven's third symphony starts to play from my mobile phone.
I smile a little as I see the phone number she dials, seriously, she's quite timely, this damn woman.
Sometimes I think she reads my mind or something, because most of the time she knows what I'm thinking without fail.
But anyway, I don't mind her taking advantage of me.
As long as she's on my side, I guess I don't care what happens. Even though it's only been a couple of hours since she left, her calling me probably has something to do with releasing this information to the public.
I pick up my mobile phone and answer the call.
─Homura.
[─ Having breakfast?]
Oh.
Okay, she's definitely too... no, well, maybe it's because she knows so many things about me.
We go through our day to day life together, without having to bother too much about hiding our weaknesses, anyway, we're together to support each other.
Do I love her? Sure, I love her very much.
Thinking a bit about the romantic moments we've spent together, and half jokingly I answer her:
─You know too much about me, are you stalking me? I can send you to jail with that.
[No. You can't, I'm the police and you're a private detective without much popularity.]
His words hurt because they are the mere reality and the way the facts are.
Well, I guess I can't talk back to her if that's the case.
─So... What is it that I can do for you, Kotori?
[─Come to Shinjuku Gyoen now, I need your assistance on a case. Here's a very interesting case for you]
─Does it have anything to do with the case in today's paper by any chance?
[─I love that you always keep in mind the things I'm talking about. That's right, it's happened again, I'll give you all the details once you're here].
And she just cut off the call.
...
I couldn't answer her that I love her too, but anyway, it's not that important anyway, we'll have other times to talk to her about it.
I have the tools available in one place.
Fortunately, I've already had a bath, even though it's only six o'clock in the morning. I guess there must not be many people on the streets right now, so I can take advantage of the freedom to use my baby.
I moved from Nagano to Tokyo four years ago, after being exposed to a case that changed my life completely. At the same time it made my rationality oblique for a moment, but thanks to having met Yanagi Kotori, who was my trainee during my time as a police officer in Nagano, and who had also been affected by the same case, the two of us decided to lick our wounds together and move to Tokyo.
There is no need to rush things, I will tell all my experiences, but before anything else, I must fulfil my priorities.
So, it's my turn to step into the shoes of [Private Detective] Homura Kiyotaka again. Dressed in a jacket and tie, hiking boots, sunglasses and a classic sheriff's hat, I'm ready to go.
I open the door to the garage that has enough space for two cars, where a beautiful Mitsubishi Lancer sits, I smile at the black hue of the car, which shines beautifully.
So, I start my vehicle and head towards Shinjuku from Shibuya, it won't take too long, as I press the accelerator all the way down, making the engine of this beauty roar.
Before I leave, of course, I close the automatic garage door, haha.
As I drive away, I check the contents of my bag, patting my pockets.
I confirm the presence of my notebook, my lighter and my box of my favourite brand of cigarettes, Salem cigarettes. Motivated to go to the scene, it's a double prize if I'm able to see Kotori early in the morning.
To put it simply, Kotori and I are a couple.
It's just that because of her work, we can't have much time for each other. On the other hand, thanks to my job, I have a lot of free time for myself.
While I'm not working as a [Private Detective], I teach programming classes via the internet. I also take care of the housework while Kotori is at work, but even then, I get bored too much.
I resigned from the police force a year and a half ago, to go into freelance action.
I don't have much popularity as a detective, as my partner said. But of the jobs I've had, several have been thanks to Kotori's recommendation of me.
I won several recognition awards in my time as a police officer, so my name is heard around, but it's not like every day I have to be part of an investigative case, although I'm also, of course, quite popular with the neighbourhood kids, and thanks to that, I'm known as "Mr. Find-it-all" when I'm assigned to help them with their lost property.
What? I'm just too busy.
In about twenty-three minutes, I arrived in Shinjuku.
Kotori had texted me the exact address to go to, which was specifically in a lakeside area in [Shinjuku Gyoen National Park]. Leaving my hat in the car, I quietly get out and taking a cigarette to my lips and then lighting it, I make my way to the parked patrol car whose number I know.
Holding two cups of coffee from a nearby coffee shop, a woman with short black hair was leaning against the door, her expression serious. Framed glasses coupled with a sharp gaze, she's wearing an office suit like me, with tight trousers.
Underneath her clothes, she at least has a bulletproof vest, and a pair of Desert Eagle's left and right, which she can draw in any emergency.
She's a very beautiful woman, that's what all her co-workers say, but I'm sure only I've been able to see the full radiance of her beauty.
We look at each other in silence.
I walk towards her, keeping calm.
—Good morning, Major Homura!
One of the police officers who recognised me greets me at the first sight of me.
I glance sideways at him and raise my left hand slightly to salute him and reply:
─Good morning. And please don't get confused, I'm here as a private detective doing a simple job at the expense of the woman he loves.
I didn't bother staying to talk, as I'm sure I won't remember it later anyway.
I keep heading towards Kotori.
For a second, I looked a little past the police tape, to find with my eyes a gruesome scene of a body with its head completely destroyed, arms and legs bent at impossible angles, and above all, a chest that was artistically cut open to reveal lungs and ribs.
There is a sea of blood beneath the corpse.
Sure it's a horrible thing to see first thing in the morning, but I have a good resistance to this sort of thing. It won't even make me break a sweat to see it up close.
Now I'm in front of Kotori.
─Good morning, my dear Senpai.
─Here I am, my much-loved Kouhai.
Joking a bit about the way we called each other during those times when we were both in the police force, we smile.
Kotori offers me one of the coffee cups. I take it, keeping my smile on my face.
I take a sip. And just as I expected, it's the same kind of black coffee I had earlier.
It never hurts to have a second cup.
Anyway, this is all interesting, just like Kotori said. Seeing things as they are, I just wonder....
─What do you want me to do?
Kotori who had been quietly watching me drink my coffee, takes a sip of her own.
Before answering me.
She takes off my sunglasses.
I instinctively close my eyes for a second, the sunlight is low, but it can daze my eyesight a bit from the sudden change of environment.