Love Hina Fan Fiction / Case Closed Fan Fiction ❯ The Ace of Knaves ❯ Chapter 5

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- Chapter 04: Kudo -

 

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Kudo and Brea exited the interrogation room after the Joker finally finished the story, though it was more for Brea than Kudo, as the detective had experienced the last bit of the story herself. Hearing the extra details of his handiwork, he hadn't told her what she already didn't deduce.

 

“You're holding up well…”

 

Kudo looked towards Brea with a frown.

 

“Yeah… does that mean I'm turning to him?” she asked.

 

“Good God, no,” Brea replied with a laugh. “I don't think you can actually turn out like him.”

 

“Ah… well… what do you think of him, now that you got your interview. Can we put the sonovabitch in jail for good?”

 

“Ah… I got a bit of bad news,” Brea scratched the back of her neck nervously. “His mental capacity is clearly under the insane category. I'll place forth my honest assessment of the Joker and submit it to your people. Your laws can decide what to do then. I recommend he be placed in a high security in an asylum for therapy.”

 

“You think therapy will work on him?” Kudo asked.

 

“Honestly… no,” Brea shook her head. “He suffered massive scarring to his body, and his mind may be completely broken. He's… dangerous to everyone.”

 

“How about suicide watch?”

 

“He doesn't show signs of being suicidal,” Brea muttered.

 

“I guess that makes it easier,” Kudo muttered. “At least he'll be confined. He won't be a danger to anyone anytime soon.”

 

“Glad to hear that,” Brea smiled. “Is it fine if I had one last talk with him as your guard transfers him to a cell here?”

 

“Go ahead…” Kudo replied. “What are you going to do after this?”

 

“I have to return to the US. My flight's tomorrow,” the doctor answered. “You?”

 

“I have something to investigate,” the detective looked up the ceiling. “There is something that is still bothering me.”

 

The doctor smiled kindly at her. “Don't overwork yourself. Its over. Take a rest.”

 

Kudo wanted to. She wanted to rest after a whole year of just tracking him. But… the big picture hasn't been completed. There were a few more unexplainable factors in this case. The Joker was not alone… he had a helper. And there were still a few inmates which he freed, not yet caught, unaccounted for.

 

She dragged herself to her office, and sat down in front of her computer, grabbing her phone up and dialing a certain person, asking for a few favors. She needed all the help she needed in this case…

 

It wasn't over yet.

 

There were still many unexplained factors in this case. Urashima Haruka, who had supposedly sent the envelope explaining the Joker's identity and apparent change… how would she know such details if she had, as Aoyama Motoko claimed, moved out of Japan after marrying this Seta?

 

A quick scan, she tried to trace out who this Seta person is… and after moments of cross-referencing, she had deduced and found her mysterious person. Noriyasu Seta, archeologist, graduate of Tokyo University. He had apparently spent most of his adult life abroad, coming in to Japan from the USA at the same time-line where Urashima Keitaro was the manager's in the all girl's dorm.

 

A lot of DMV records… reckless driver. But he seemed to have friends up above to keep his license. Of course, it helped that most of his accidents caused no deaths, and almost no damage to property, government or private, otherwise. He did have to work a lot to keep his van fixed, though.

 

He had a daughter. American kid. Adopted. McDougal Sarah. Pre-teen. Nothing to take interest in.

 

Another unknown factor was the Joker's helper. She had a very good mind who it was, reviewing interviews with a lot of people concerning Urashima. She was apparently smitten by him, even before he was transformed. She was the only pillar of strength, the only rational mind that had accepted his presence, and not shunned him away because he was the only guy in a all girl's dorm.

 

And she was still unaccounted for.

 

Kudo grabbed her phone. She dialed a number of someone who could very well help her in such short notice.

 

“Agasa-san?” Kudo asked when the line connected.

 

“Ayumi-kun!” an elderly man from the other line replied. “I heard you finally caught your criminal. Good job.”

 

“Yes, thank you, Agasa-san… is father keeping you busy?”

 

“No, actually, he went to the US... he seemed to have stumbled an interesting corpse that turned up, so I've been catching up on the new Quantum Mechanical theories…”

 

“So… you're free?” Kudo cut him off gently.

 

“Hehe… I know that tone of yours. Need ol' professors help, now do you?”

 

“Yes, please.”

 

“Why not use your resources there?” Agasa asked. “Would be more reliable.”

 

“Too much red-tape. And I need it fast,” Kudo replied.

 

“Why? What's the hurry?”

 

Kudo paused.

 

“I have a feeling that something big is just around the corner,” she replied honestly. “Something terrible.”

 

Agasa seemed to take that in easily because he just asked, “What do you need?”

 

“I need rumors, files, or anything you can get on Maehara Shinobu and Urashima Haruka.”

 

“I'll find it as soon as I can,” Agasa said, assuring. “And Ayumi-kun… get some rest. You sound tired.”

 

Kudo didn't promise, but told him she would take it to consideration. She hung the phone, and massaged her temples. She took a moment to re-arrange her mind, now slowly recalling what happened in that dark alley a few days ago…

 

-@-@-@-

 

“Ooh, detective… why so serious?” the Joker asked, laughing.

 

“Urashima Keitaro… you're under arrest!” Kudo growled, the deformed face of Aoyama Motoko, the woman who she just saw alive minutes ago, in her mind. “Put you're hands in the air, turn around, go to your knees…”

 

“Serious, serious, serious!” Joker exclaimed, shaking his head. “Your mother must have been a horse to give you such a long face.”

 

Kudo, without warning, shot just a few meters in the ground where he stood. The Joker blinked with a bit of surprise, looking at the ground where the bullet hit.

 

“Ooh, did I hit a nerve?” he laughed.

 

“I'm not going to tell you again. Raise your arms above your head!”

 

The Joker smiled, opening his flesh colored hands, showing them clearly towards the detective. And suddenly, threw them upwards. Kudo spotted a small glint in the darkness, and ducked, at the same time shooting towards the Joker, who just retreated away through the darkness.

 

Kudo cursed, feeling a slight irritation in her arms. A quick check, she saw a clean cut across her arm, bleeding. Nothing lethal, so Kudo just readied her firearm, reloading it with another clip as she followed him in the alleys.

 

It was dark, smelly and humid… but Kudo ignored all that. She kept her eyes and ears open for him... she is finally this close. She could have asked for back-up with her cell phone, but she'd rather have her free hand ready. Besides... it may give him time to escape... and there was no way she'd let him go now.

 

“Ever had a bad day, detective?”

 

Kudo's eyes and gun swept her dark surroundings. His voice seemed to echo around the place... she couldn't use it to pin-point his current location.

 

“Bet you do... everybody has bad days.”

 

“You can save the sob story for the courts, Urashima!” Kudo replied. She heard laughter.

 

“Sob story? You misunderstand... this is a comedy! It's the life of a man who's dream was to pass Tokyo University to get married to a girl he had never seen for more than ten years. How ridiculous is that?”

 

Kudo turned, his laughter unnerving her. Where was he?

 

“All it took was one bad day...”

 

A fast whipping action took Kudo by surprise as she was disarmed. The Joker suddenly appeared in front of her, swiping something at her. She automatically dodged, but was kicked away, making her marvel at his lithe and speed. When she finally recovered, though, he was gone again.

 

“One bad day for that loser to realize how funny his world actually was. He was a pervert, a maid, a punching bag, a clown... and when he saw himself at the mirror that fateful day... he knew... it was too damn funny not to appreciate the whole joke.”

 

He laughed again, longer this time. Kudo growled, her eyes scanning the ground for her gun. She let him talk, put all what he said out of her head. He was just distracting her... make her too scared to make the right move. Make her do a mistake.

 

She saw her gun. It was just a few steps away. She took a few careful steps towards her weapon, and was about to grab it when she felt a hit on the side of her head. If she hadn't been careful, nor ready, she may have been knocked out.

 

The Joker was behind her, swinging what looked like to be a hammer. Kudo's ears were still ringing with the hit, but moved efficiently and ducked over his swing, and disarmed him. Taking the hammer out of the equation, she punched him hard on his face, making him step back, moan in pain, holding his mouth and nose.

 

He suddenly seemed to spit something out. Kudo's eyes suddenly followed the red and white object that had fallen to the floor, only to realize it was a gag clattering teeth. The distraction worked as the Joker suddenly punched her towards her stomach.

 

Big mistake.

 

Using her karate training, she squeezed the muscle of her abdomen, positioning her legs and arms to give maximum compression in the target area. The Joker yelped as he found himself hitting something akin to a wall of bricks, and held his hand painfully.

 

“If you were aiming to hurt... aim higher!” Kudo growled as she twisted her body, and unleashed a haymaker to the criminal, who flew on impact, crashing painfully on the floor. He coughed up bloodied spit, but didn't get up.

 

“Urashima Keitaro... you're under arrest,” Kudo muttered as she approached him. “You have the right to remain silent...”

 

The Joker quickly turned to her, sitting on the floor, now holding a gun. Kudo froze, looking at the weapon she hadn't anticipated. He laughed as he pulled the trigger, making the detective squint, waiting for the inevitable bang and probably death to come... but it didn't.

 

The Joker laughed.

 

“You squinted! HAHAhAHAHAHAHahAHAHAHA!”

 

Kudo opened her eyes. The gun which he was holding and aiming at her was now sporting a banner perturbing from the barrel. The flag was brightly colored, and so were the letters, which Kudo could easily make out even in the dimly lit surroundings.

 

BANG!

 

Kudo rushed forward and grabbed the gun from his hands, and the Joker swung his free arm at her... she nimbly blocked it and pounded at his face over and over again. The Joker kept laughing, even through the hits, and it fed the detective's new found rage. He could only raise his hands after he seemingly had enough.

 

“Okay, okay... you win... uncle...” he muttered weakly. “Party-pooper...”

 

Kudo remembered pinning him down on the floor... she remembered taking out her handcuffs, and taking her cellphone to call Kyoto Police HQ, and have her bring some back-up. She dragged him towards the entrance of the alley, where the street lights illuminated his bloody bruised face over his stark pale face.

 

“You're going away,” Kudo muttered, calming herself down. “You're paying for everything you did, you monster.”

 

The Joker just gave her a bloody smile. “The joke's on you, detective.”

 

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The phone rang, brining Kudo out of memory lane. Blinking slightly, she grabbed her receiver, and greeted the person on the other line. It was Agasa.

 

“Ayumi-kun... I got your stuff... I'll fax it to you.”

 

Kudo appreciated the effort, and began to take in what the professor had found out. Apparently, Aoyama Motoko was speaking the truth... according to immigration, Noriyasu Seta had moved from Japan a year ago towards an obscure country in the South East Asian continent. With him were his daughter, and one Noriyasu Haruka.

 

There was no marriage certificate, nothing official anyway. No wonder they haven't heard anything from Urashima Haruka after the accident.

 

Maehara Shinobu was not heard from since moving out of from Hinata-sou. Her parents never seemed to file a missing person's report, something that struck odd to Kudo.

 

“Agasa-san... thank you very much,” Kudo said after arranging her new info in her head.

 

“Anything for you, Ayumi-kun. Now... let me get back to my reading, and get some rest.”

 

Kudo didn't promise anything, but said she'd consider it. Hanging up the phone, she sighed and relaxed on her chair again. There is now some serious doubt about Urashima Haruka sending that envelope, now that it was established that she had left the country before she would have known anything about the Joker's appearance.

 

Even if she had seen it on the news on whatever country she was, how would she know the exact details of the chemical scarring that took place? Urashima Keitaro, falling in a corrosive batch of toxic chemicals, surviving whilst suffering heavy damage to his visage and mentality...

 

There was a chance that she had sent it... or maybe it was the Joker himself... but it begs to question why he would do that.

 

What was there to gain in announcing Urashima Keitaro? Kudo scratched her head slightly. It would have been more logical if he had kept his name quiet. Konno Mitsune and Aoyama Motoko were too reluctant to give their selves away, the latter opting to after she was the only one left. If the police investigated the matter, they wouldn't have figured heads or tails. He would have gone through it all cleanly.

 

Of course, there was the obvious answer of using the police to find Konno... something that the Joker loved to rub salt on. But Kudo shook her head at that... it seemed too simple of an answer. The way she saw it, as insane as he was, he had planned the whole thing elaborately.

 

He robbed banks to supply him with weapons; he released criminals from the asylum to have as foot soldiers; he murdered Narusegawa and displayed her on screen, giving warnings to Konno and Aoyama; he got to Konno and used Sakuraba's hakama to infiltrate the Aoyama compound, and eventually, got caught by Kudo. Was it really that simple? Was his motives purely revenge? If so, did she get lucky in capturing him? Was his second gun really loaded with blanks on purpose? He also seemed to have corrosive on his person the time she disarmed him... had he forgotten to use that?

 

The joke's on you, detective.

 

Was that him being serious, or was that another snide comment to rile her up? Did he actually mean to be captured? If so, why? What did he have to gain? And what of his mysterious helper? Who was she? What angle was she on this? Is she going to help him escape, or was she just a figment of imagination, told by the Joker to make Kudo lose focus on the big picture?

 

Her thoughts were getting heavier and depressingly more worrisome. It also didn't help when her phone suddenly rang, and was about to receive some really troublesome news.

 

“Detective Kudo...” she answered. “Chief... good evening sir. No. Wait... can you repeat that sir?”

 

She frowned.

 

It seemed Aoyama Tsuruko has arrived from Kyoto.

 

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Aoyama Tsuruko had stepped off the train and towards the platform, greeting camera flashes suddenly going at her front. Left and right, a barrage of lights, microphones, camera's, and news crews came at her, only to be pushed back by her three male guards.

 

“Aoyama-san, what brings you to Tokyo?”

 

“What will the Aoyama clan now do that their heir has been murdered?”

 

“Rumor has it you're going to confront the Joker... is there any truth in this?”

 

Tsuruko never replied, but kept walking forward, her guards keeping the media at bay. She was wearing a black hakama, her sword dangling at her waist, held on by the belt on her waist. On her free hand was another sword, wrapped in fabric.

 

“Aoyama-san!”

 

“Aoyama-san!”

 

“Please answer a few questions!”

 

She ignored them, and walked down the steps where a limousine was waiting for her. Up above the sky, a beautiful bird fell, and landed softly on her shoulders. She took a moment to look at the bird, and nodded. It flew upwards again, and Tsuruko had finally arrived at the door of her limo. The driver promptly opened the door for her, and she entered.

 

She had waited for a moment until the driver had returned to his position.

 

“Where to Aoyama-sama?” he asked.

 

“Police Headquarters.”

 

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Doctor Brea looked around as everyone on the calling area seemed to be receiving non-stop calls. She had spotted Detective Brea in the sea of chaos that had suddenly erupted. She raised her hand, waved towards the detective, who took a moment to realize who was calling her.

 

“What in God's name is going on here?” Brea asked.

 

“Aoyama Tsuruko is on her way here,” Kudo growled. “The media is calling non-stop... it's a freaking circus.”

 

“Why would Aoyama-san come here?” the doctor asked.

 

“There are two versions of it... the clean one, and the realistic one,” the detective muttered. “Chief of police just got a call from the Commissioner-General of the National Police Agency... it seems the Aoyamas have pulled a few strings, and are ordering us to allow Aoyama Tsuruko to visit Urashima Keitaro before he is to be handed to the asylum.” She growled. “Of course, the news leaks out, and we got a riot out there. We don't need this, damn it. We're still trying to recover from the damage he caused, and now we got something potentially explosive in our midst!”

 

Brea looked slightly worried.

 

“I don't like this...”

 

“Me neither,” Kudo replied. “But I'm not letting this farce get out of hand... you can bet on that.”

 

“I'm sure,” Brea smiled slightly. “Kudo... don't think bad of me, but I have to go...”

 

“No, don't be silly,” Kudo nodded. “Pack your bags. You're leaving tomorrow, right?”

 

Brea nodded.

 

“Alright. I'll see if I can say goodbye later on,” the detective smiled. “If not... well...” she stopped and offered her hand. Brea looked at her for a moment, before shaking it, and both hugged.

 

“It's been a pleasure working with you,” Brea said.

 

“Me too,” Kudo nodded. “Visit again if you can.”

 

“I will,” Brea nodded. “And Kudo... be careful.”

 

Kudo knew there was no need to reply as she watched the woman who she had the pleasure of working with for the past few months was leaving the building. She had bumped into one of the janitors on the way, clumsily apologized, and left the vicinity.

 

The detective could only sigh, feeling migraine hatching in her head. Sometimes, she hated this job.

 

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The police had their hands full as the Aoyama Tsuruko had arrived, along with groups of the media. Barricading the way for the mob, Tsuruko had gracefully exited her vehicle, and with her three body-guards, went straight through the entrance, where Kudo was waiting.

 

“Aoyama-san...” the detective greeted.

 

The three body-guards seemed to form a wall between them, but Tsuruko told them to move.

 

“Detective Kudo, how nice to see you again,” Tsuruko greeted towards her with a smile.

 

They walked on, Kudo beside Tsuruko, who had her three body-guards behind her.

 

“What are you doing here?” Kudo asked.

 

“I am here to talk to my sister's killer,” Tsuruko replied easily.

 

“Aoyama-san... I may not be allowed to hinder you... but rest assured, if you take a step against him, I will stop you,” the detective muttered. “No one is above the law... not even your clan.”

 

“My dear detective, only you would suspect something awful about my visit,” the swordswoman replied.

 

“Mark my words, Aoyama. Mark them well.”

 

Kudo lingered behind as she watched the Chief welcome her. Tsuruko courteously greeted back, but had requested that she meet up with him urgently. Kudo stole a look from the Chief, who nodded, and led that Aoyama woman towards the interrogation room.

 

Urashima Keitaro had been brought back, however he seemed a bit tamer than earlier. His eyes were open though, and he kept his smile.

 

“I'll just be a few minutes,” Tsuruko had stated.

 

“If you need an escort inside...”

 

“No, but thank you,” she replied. “I shan't be long.”

 

Kudo almost objected when Tsuruko entered the room with the swords she had been carrying, but before she could reach her, her guards blocked Kudo's way, and Tsuruko closed the door after her.

 

“Chief!” the detective called.

 

The Chief shook his head, and motioned her to come forward.

 

“Leave it be...” he told her. “For now.”

 

“You can't be serious...”

 

“I am, Kudo,” he replied. “But... don't think I'm just bending at the politics. If she does something that could compromise or harm him, we're moving in.”

 

The chief of police motioned with his head behind him. Kudo spotted a few uniformed police officers.

 

“I doubt those three can stop us all,” he muttered, motioning towards the three body-guards blocking the door. “But until she does something... we're keeping still.”

 

Kudo hated the idea. There was something wrong with the whole thing... and she could hear her little bells in her head, ringing as her gut kept telling her that something big was finally coming down. There was something wrong alright... but for some reason, it wasn't Tsuruko being alone with Urashima Keitaro... she wasn't particularly worried even if the swordswoman was going to try and kill him.

 

It was the Joker. Something worried her about the Joker. She felt that everything wasn't over. And everything was just starting.

 

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Tsuruko laid down the sword she had been carrying with her hand down at the table. She could hear the slow breathing of Keitaro... very relaxed. Almost as he wasn't afraid of her. She chuckled to herself darkly. She'd change that.

 

“Urashima-san... it's good to see you again,” Tsuruko greeted formally. “I see you're in good health. Apart from your apparent skin bleaching.”

 

The Joker just seemed to laugh softly.

 

“Ah... it's good to see you appreciate some sort of self depreciation,” Tsuruko slowly began to unwrap the sword on the table. “I wish to show you this, Urashima... you probably recognize it. Its Motoko-han's sword...”

 

She unwrapped a black katana in front of him.

 

“You remember this sword, I presume,” she smiled at him.

 

The Joker just laughed at her again, softly.

 

“You know what I will do with this sword, Urashima?” Tsuruko asked him, her voice getting edgy, her smile disappearing. “I will draw it soon... and stab you with it.”

 

Tsuruko exploded forward, her fist hitting him hard on the face. The Joker, still in a straitjacket, was prone, open to the attack. Hit head on, full force, he was thrown out of the chair he was sitting in, and hit the floor.

 

There was a slight noise on the door, but Tsuruko ignored it. She went after him mercilessly, and hit him with a solid kick in his gut area so strongly that he went straight towards the wall.

 

“You will pay for your crimes, Urashima... and it won't be in a padded cell!” Tsuruko growled as she raised him up, and punched him again in the face. “You will suffer like you let my sister suffer. You never gave her a clean quick death, so why should I do the same?”

 

The Joker moaned, muffled through his smiling teeth. Tsuruko's temper exploded, hitting him with more punches to the gut. She could hear him laughing as she was hitting him.

 

“You find this funny, Urashima!?” Tsuruko growled as she continued to hit him with her fists. “You find this FUNNY!?”

 

And she hit him again in the face, so hard that she felt something suddenly stick to her fist. She thought for a moment it was his blood, but she stopped when she realized what it was.

 

Just behind her, Kudo and a group of police officers rushed in through the door, their guns raised.

 

“Aoyama, step away from him, put your hands in the air!” Kudo demanded.

 

Tsuruko seemed to shake.

 

“I'm not giving you a second warning Aoyama! Step away from him!”

 

“Where...?” she suddenly asked. “Where is he!?”

 

Tsuruko gave way, and Kudo gasped as what she saw. The Joker's face... was ripped off. It wasn't him. It was some guy wearing the Joker's face... a mask. Underneath the mask was a bloodied, beaten man whose lips were sealed with packing tape.

 

“Oh kami... check on him!” Kudo muttered.

 

Police officers flocked around the beaten man. One checked his pulse, the other removing the latex mask he was wearing. They also found a small bag inside the straitjacket... every few seconds, they'd hear a soft laughter emanate from it.

 

“It's Kinta!”

 

Kudo froze. Kinta was the sergeant assigned to guard the Joker during his stay here in the Police HQ. He was also the one who would escort him to his cell. If that man was here... where was the Joker?

 

“You four, hold Aoyama,” Kudo ordered. “You three, get Kinta free from those constraints, and get him to the hospital immediately! And you two... follow me!”

 

Kudo and two police officers ran out of the room, and went straight towards the holding cell where the Joker was supposed to stay until his transfer. It was empty, except for a single Joker card laid there, face up. Kudo cursed.

 

He was just there... they had him finally, and he just escaped from under their noses! She was about to report the incident to the Chief when her cell phone began to ring. She holstered her weapon, and got her phone and answered.

 

“Kudo.”

 

“We have a situation...”

 

It was the Chief.

 

“Sir... he's not here,” Kudo muttered immediately. “He's gone... escaped. I don't know how.”

 

“I know...” the Chief replied. “He seemed to have left us something. A bomb.”

 

Kudo shivered slightly.

 

“Where?” she asked.

 

The Chief's reply wasn't easy to hear.

 

“Here.”

 

- To Be Continued -

 

Author's Notes:

 

One more chapter plus the epilogue. Enjoy it.