"You said your name is Gray?"
When I open my door, a boy with short, gray hair wearing the same Alyona Academy uniform that Yuika did this afternoon stands outside."Yes. I was looking for you." On one hand, his expression shows a tinge of anger. Which is strange, given that I've never seen him before. "No, well, I was looking for you to look for someone else." On the other hand, he's awfully stiff—he looks terrified. "I'm looking for Ren.""Ren? I don't—" Wait. Is he talking about Florence? I know she's been using that name more and more since the War. But if he is, then obviously this is bad. "Are you talking about Florence Ladisva?"
"I don't really know her full name. She's about this tall, brown, long hair. Really pretty." Sounds like her. Though, I didn't think that she'd have admirers in the Academy. "I had been working with her on a serial killing investigation last week, but she suddenly stopped contacting me." Fuck. "We hadn't finished the investigation so I was wondering if she was transferred, or something?" Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I try to maintain a neutral expression, and squeeze my grip on the door with my right hand as hard as possible, trying to stay calm. Okay, okay. Still, that doesn't explain why he's here at my place. It's not like he should know that I killed her.
"I see. Why come to my place, though?" No, what the fuck am I saying? I'm her direct superior, of course he came to me. Damn, does this mean that he's talked to enough people to find out about that?
I'd been naive.
I thought that if I could somehow deal with Florence's body, everything would be fine. That this would just go away. But that can't possibly be true. I fucked up. Of course people would look for her. And of course they'd come to me— I'm her damned superior and a fellow ex-Nugatory.
"Actually, the last time I saw her was when she left to talk to you on Saturday at the Royal Guard headquarters. So I thought I'd start with you." Wait, what? So… it's not because I'm her superior? No, more importantly, I'm the first person that he's decided to talk to. That's… great. Yeah. I need to calm down. Things aren't as bad as I thought, or as bad as they could be. Okay. Okay.
No, wait a minute. He said that the last time he saw Florence was when she left to see me. Doesn't that make me a prime suspect? Despite my inner panic, I manage to speak with a clear, calm voice.
"Oh. We did have dinner that day," Right. We had dinner that day. Meaning that other people would have seen us at the restaurant, anyway. Even if this kid saw me and Florence at headquarters together, it doesn't change anything. There are other potential eyewitnesses anyway who saw the two of us together later that night. I seriously need to calm down. "...but after that, we parted ways. I haven't seen her since then, actually. Been in and out of Alyona recently for work."
"I see…" Good, he seems convinced. "Well, sorry for bothering you." The boy calling himself Gray turns around, presumably to leave.
…Is this really a good thing? Can I just let him leave? Wouldn't he continue his search for Florence, bringing more attention to her disappearance?
Do I kill him? Here? Right now?
The sound of footsteps behind me presumably by Yuika walking around take me out of my idiotic train of thought.
No— Yuika's here. And I can't just get away with murder. This entire interaction is proof of that. And even if this kid isn't around, an unfinished case is bound to attract attention sooner or later, meaning I'll have to finish the investigation that Florence started. But I don't know anything about the case, so either I go around asking people about Florence and her investigation, or I use this kid. As much as I want to stay away from this kid as possible, I realize that letting things end here isn't a solution.
"Actually, now that I think about it— Florence told me that she was given an abrupt assignment in Nilter Town that'd take a few weeks." I make up a quick lie on the spot to bring back Gray's attention. Hearing it, he turns back around. "You mentioned some kind of investigation, right? Could you tell me a little more about it?"
"Uh, sure. There were 3 serial killings in Chester Town. The two of us found the murderer in a cave, but we didn't actually start the interrogation, yet." Okay. There's got to be something that I can use from what he just said. Oh—
"You were investigating a series of serial killings? If I remember correctly, Academy students don't take dangerous requests like that."
"Ren took me up as a subordinate."
"So you were just helping out a murder investigation… out of the goodness of your heart? Seeing as how you've been trembling this whole time, I find that a little hard to believe." Either he's just really into Florence, or— "Did she offer you something in return?"
After silently contemplating my question for a couple of moments, Gray eventually folds.
"...She said that I could keep all the rewards if I helped her with the investigation." Bingo. I can use this.
"That makes sense. Florence is actually my direct subordinate. I can't just let her job go unfinished, so I'll finish what she started. You said that you already caught the suspect, and that just the interrogation is left?"
"What? Yes, but—"
"We can meet at headquarters in two days at 5, then. That okay?"
"...Okay."
"Alright, I'll see you then." As soon as I finish my sentence, I take an abrupt step back and immediately shut the door. After I do, I slowly fall to the floor with my back on the wall.
Haah… haah…
Trying to breathe quietly enough that the kid outside doesn't hear me suddenly out of breath, I close my eyes and calm myself down.
"Caspar? Who was that— are you okay?" Yuika gives me a concerned look upon seeing the pathetic state I'm in. I stand back up to try to act like nothing's wrong.
"Y-yeah. He was just looking for one of my subordinates. The kid should learn some manners, coming here at this time of day."
"He was wearing an Academy uniform… you think we'll be in the same class?" I sincerely hope not.
While commuting to the Royal Guard headquarters, I simulated the conversation that would commence between me and Aubin one way or another. Would he complain about me being late again, maybe even adding that I should be more responsible now that Yuika was here? Would he not be annoyed and instead be just sad or worried about how Yuika would see it? Or did he already expect it at this point? Regardless, the answer that I ultimately came up with behind me being late is that I couldn't get any sleep. It was true, although the reason as to why was something that I can't share. It'd be all and good had I actually found a reason for my insane outbursts recently, but I can't think of anything. What the hell is wrong with me? The only conclusion that I'd come to was the need to avoid staying with Yuika, at least until I figure out what is going on with me. I'm not going to lose someone important again.
When I arrive at headquarters, however, nothing is to my expectations. A blatant atmosphere of chaos and confusion fills the air. Because of how peaceful the city of Alyona is, things at headquarters are often lax with people here and there slacking off. Yet the mood was nothing like it, instead being tense and sharp enough to cut through steel. When confronting Aubin, our conversation is nothing like what I'd anticipated.
"Caspar, where the hell have you been?" His tone had a certain degree of anger to it, but more importantly it was overwhelming in the amount of panic in it.
"What's wrong?"
"There's been 17—no, 19 now— murders reported since last night."
"What?"
"Yeah. No one knows what the hell's going on. None of them seem to be a part of an organized crime, or anything. We haven't found any culprits yet, but there's a plethora of evidence for the majority of them so finding the perpetrators of each doesn't seem to be too difficult. But more importantly, they just keep coming up. This morning when I came in there were just 11 that had been reported, but more and more are—"
"Officer Caspar?" The conversation between me and Aubin is abruptly interrupted by one guard.
"Yeah?" I direct my attention to him, and Aubin turns around to do the same.
"Someone just came saying that—"
"Another murder?" Aubin interrupts him half-sentence, anticipating what it's about.
"No, well, yes, but—a woman came in confessing to a murder."