I exited the car, and entered the apartment building. I checked the mailbox to my right, to see that Esteban lived on the second floor, room 21. Seeing as there is no elevator, I walked up the stairs to the second floor and walked to the room door.
With a gentle knock, the door slowly opens. Someone's forgetting the most important thing to do when living in these kinds of places, which is to always lock your front door.
"Did I forget to lock the door again? How much of an idiot am I!?"
"Excuse me, I am Keiji Takumi, Private Investigator."
"Catalina. Catalina Morales, I don't have any business to do with gumshoes like you!"
"I haven't even explained the problem yet. Is Esteban your brother?"
"Yes, how'd you know? Detective magic?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Your brother has been found dead near Unity Station, Miss Morales."
"Dead...?" Her expression changed totally from annoyance to shock.
"I know this is hard to take in..."
"I just said goodbye this morning... I never thought..."
We both entered the apartment room, and I closed the door behind me, before I pointed my finger to her couch.
"If you may, take a seat. I might want to have a word with you."
"Sure, detective."
The Apartment layout is simple, with a kitchen close to the living room where I am right now, a small clean bathroom to the right after entering the apartment, and a door in the back leads to the bedroom.
I walked around the room, finding nothing interesting until I entered the bedroom. There is a sleeping bag on the floor, and a single sized bed. What gives? Is someone staying here or something? Crouching down and Inspecting the pillow placed inside the sleeping bag, I see the name "Catalina" written on a tag attached to it.
"Catalina's pillow. She slept on the floor last night? Or every night for that matter?"
And inspecting the pillow even further, I heard the crunching sound of paper being crushed. I opened the sheet that covers the pillow, to find a piece of paper. An illegal immigrant report, by the looks of it. I read through the paper to see that this report was against Esteban, and the person who filed this is none other than Catalina, seeing that she has written her name and signature on the bottom of the paper.
"Maybe She wanted to file this, yet Esteban died before she can do so."
With the report paper in hand, I walk back to the living room and sat down on the armchair opposite from the couch Catalina is sitting on.
"Alright, as I said, I might want to have a word with you... Scratch that might, now I will have a word with you."
"Sí, detective."
"You said goodbye to him this morning, did you see anyone following him?"
"I didn't. I went to hang the laundry on the balcony."
I looked at where the balcony is. It is facing the streets, and not some alleyway. It's unlikely that she didn't see her brother drive off. Looking back at Catalina, I see her avoiding my glance, which further increased my doubts on her.
"That balcony is facing the streets, and it exists for a reason when you're hanging the laundry. Did you witness him as he left?"
"Sí, he walked to work every day. The faulty delivery truck that he drove everyday is always parked at the company building. It's forbidden to use the truck as private transportation."
Figures. It's safer to keep the truck back on depot rather than having it getting blown up by some idiot with a rocket launcher, or a flying bike out in the open... If it even exists in this world to begin with. Rocket launchers? Ever since this world's version of the gunpowder age, explosive launchers are also made. And this world's rocket launcher was designed years before, during my time in the war with the Empire. I once witnessed a biplane pilot bailing out of his vehicle, whip out a rocket launcher from his item box magic, and shoot an imperial fighter before he landed back on board his biplane. It's like something out of a video game.
I continued the interrogation.
"Does your brother treat you well?"
"Why are you asking me this private question!? Of course he does! I'm the one and only for him!"
"Stop lying."
"What?"
I showed her the report paper.
"Care to explain?"
"That stupid report? I filed it, but I will only send it if he decides to have a girlfriend! Him supporting our life by smuggling whatever junk he is carrying in his truck is already bad to begin with!"
Ah yes, a yandere little sister. So it exists in this world as well?
"And did he get one?"
"No, Detective. I... Followed him everyday to make sure he's safe."
"So, you're admitting to stalking him?"
"It's not stalking, if I want to protect him from wenches!"
"Sure. What a chivalrous little sister you are, eh?" I asked sarcastically.
"Are you going to arrest me now that I told you everything?"
"No, since the person you stalked is dead I'm more interested in the one who killed him. You didn't have anything to do with his death, do you? Judging by your behavior--"
"NO! I LOVE MY BROTHER!"
She begins to throw the couch cushions, and I ran out of the front door. From the balcony she even begins to throw tomatoes and random vegetables at me. I quickly drive off, with Grace laughing at me.
"What's so funny?"
"You sure got a way in talking with someone's sister, Takumi."
"Don't ever bring this up again, please!" I slammed my face to the steering wheel in embarrassment.
"So, where are we going by now?"
"The city limits. Gotta head north." And I sure hope that what I said to Catalina won't come back to bite me.
The drive to the northern city limits took a while, and we arrived at 12:30 PM. Right before the sign, there is a little outpost. They took security to the next level here, with a security post right before leaving the city. We parked the car within the outpost's parking lot, which has a refueling station.
"Grace, fill it up. I need to speak to the post guard."
"Got it." She replied as she switched to the driver's seat, and turned the engine back on.
She then floored it, ramming into a chain-link fence.
"Scratch that, maybe you should wait instead!" I angrily shouted.
I walk over to the post, and I see a shaggy looking, brown haired man wearing a cap and a tan shirt with the words "Border security" written above the left chest pocket as well as a pair of black jeans and shoes.
"Heyo, you wanna leave the city? Or here to have a small talk?"
"I am Keiji Takumi, Private investigator."
"Zoinks, a good for real detective! I'm Raggedy Ralph, that's what my friends called me!"
"Alright Ralph, do you have a list of the people that pass here this morning?"
"I work here for the day, so I guess I listed them down!" He said, handing me over a big black book.
I turned over the pages, to today's date, Marche 21. I eyed down the page, and found Esteban's name and the time he is at when he passed the limits.
"He passed the city limits at 7 in the morning. He then came back 3 hours later."
I also noticed that the handwriting is different during the 3 hour gap. Did Ralph take a long break or something? I mean, sure I once spent 3 hours in the can after a bad batch of junk food back in my world but Ralph doesn't strike me as a big gulper.
I still don't have evidence, but I'm sure that Ralph did it. I gave the book back to him, before he placed it back on the desk. Right afterwards, I ask him.
"Where'd you go from 7 to 10 AM?"
"Some place cool. I mean, it gets hot 'round here."
"Oh really? Cooling down for that long sounds off."
"Heh, cheeky gumshoe."
He then headbutted me, causing me to stagger and back off with a "Damn!"
I shook my head, and I see him trying to drive back to the city... Is he an idiot!? Why didn't he go pass the limits himself? I ran back to the car, made a U-turn from the parking lot, and drove after him.
"Are you alright!?"
"Sucker surprised me!"
"I see him heading back to the city, we can make it!"
I floored it, avoiding every single car that is in front of me. I really should have attached a siren to the car.
I was so close to him, but he then accelerated even faster in his pickup truck just as mine lost it's acceleration. He took me for a fool, but not before a tri-wheeled police motorcycle passed an intersection, to which Ralph crashes onto, bumping the rider off the bike and spinning the truck out of control, hitting a fire hydrant where the truck's engine finally died.
The rider, turning out to be June Parker, the dwarf girl I saw this morning near the crime scene, angrily stood up, and pulled out a semi-automatic pistol from her belt's holster. She opened Ralph's door, and pointed the gun at him.
"You're going to jail, Mack-Daddy!"
"Nice job, June! Put your hands in the air, Ralph!" I shouted, as I pulled out my pocket revolver.
We arrested him without incident, and we investigated his truck. At the back, there is a rag that covers it, hiding a bloody machete beneath. He was brought to the downtown station, where me and Grace waited for the results. June, with an angry look on her face walked over to us from the direction of the interrogation rooms. Since June is the official that made the arrest, she has the right to interrogate him, and I could guess that something went awry.
"So, what's his motive?" I asked.
"I swatted him a few times after I heard it. That jerk!"
"What is it?" Grace asked.
"Ralph killed Esteban feeling that he's the peacekeeper of the city after ending Esteban's smuggling! What a scumbag!"
"You're technically right. The Heisenberg Family would replace Esteban easily... That's the loss on Ralph's part." I sighed. At least with the motive known, I can close the case.
I see June bending over, taking heavy breaths after her outrage.
"Sorry about your bike. Want me to take you home?"
"Home? About that..."
"What's wrong?" I asked again.
"I failed to pay this month's rent at the apartment I'm staying after I met you at the train tracks, so the landlord kicked me out. Got no place to live by now."
"Got any relatives?"
"Sure, but they're at Freedom City. I came here expecting good opportunities, but this is the only job I'm capable of getting, a patrol officer!"
"Why not stay with Grace? The bunkroom at my office still had a couple of bunkbeds."
"Really? How much is it per month? No, per week? NO! per day?"
"Take it easy, I'm not charging you."
"Seriously!? Tak... You... You're the first one other than my family members to treat me this nicely."
"Glad to know that. Feel free to stay as long as you need to."
"Thanks again!" I'll get my things first in the locker room!"
And that makes it 2 people living in my office's bunkroom. At least the case is done, and that's what satisfied me.