Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Detective School Q Tantei Gakuen Q Fan Fiction ❯ Codename: Athena ❯ The Final Deciding Match! The Truth about Q Class ( Chapter 4 )

SailorStar9: Chapter 3 goes up and no review. You guys don`t like me anymore. (Pouts)

 

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

 

Chapter 4: The Final Deciding Match! The Truth about Q Class

 

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“The three portraits were cut just like the bodies of the victims found at the crime scenes, right when the murders occurred.” Kazuma noted, typing into his laptop.

 

“Hey!” Kinta shouted into his ear.

 

“Ah!” Kazuma exclaimed in shock.

 

“If you want to check the crime scene again, go in person instead of using the computer. In person.” Kinta reprimanded.

 

“You're annoying,” Kazuma muttered.

 

Then, he noticed something, “Hey Kinta, is it hard for you to see these portraits?”

 

“Huh? Oh yeah. They're placed lower than usual huh?” Kinta commented.

 

“They're just perfect for me though.” Kazuma noted.

 

“Okay, I should enter this info too.” he added.

 

“Tsk.” Kinta sighed.

 

Then, Kinta frowned, his nose picking up something.

 

“What is that smell?” he wondered aloud.

 

Suddenly, he clutched on the floor like a dog and started sniffing around.

 

The scent led him to a discarded handkerchief.

 

“This…” he wondered.

 

Sniffing the cloth, he muttered, “I've smelt this somewhere before.”

 

Opening the handkerchief, he frowned, “Huh? This design is…”

 

“Hey Kazuma!” he called out.

 

“This design is…” he added.

 

“Can you shut up?” Kazuma retorted, still typing furiously.

 

Then, he smiled, “Yes, done!”

 

The end result had him stunned.

 

“It can't be…” Kazuma gasped.

 

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Meanwhile, the other four were at the stairway where the footprints were found.

 

“These are all dried up now.” Kyu noted.

 

“But the shape of the shoes are still very clear.” Ryu pointed out.

 

“These footprints are just too neat.” Kyu replied.

 

“These footprints must have been made in order to lure you guys to the crime scene.” Ryu added.

 

“Anyway, let's recreate the situation at the time.” Megumi suggested.

 

The four then climbed up the staircase.

 

“Pink and white polka dots.” Kyu remarked cheekily, his eyes shining.

 

He was immediately met by Megumi's shoe in his face.

 

Ryu sweatdropped.

 

“I told you not to describe the design.” Megumi complained.

 

Ami sighed, “After all that has happened, you'd think he'd learnt something.”

 

“Huh?” Kyu noticed something.

 

“Oh no. Sorry. Did it hurt that much?” Megumi asked.

 

“It's weird. This footprint is definitely strange.” Kyu replied.

 

“But I can't believe that.” Megumi remarked, when they arrived back at the building where Kyuosuke was found dead.

 

 

“There's only one person we can think of who could be the murderer, based on those footprints.” Kyu remarked.

 

“But when Gouda-san was killed, the criminal must have been in the room.” Megumi pointed out.

 

“We all saw it from here.” she added.

 

“That's why we're going to solve this trick now.” Ryu commented.

 

The four then entered the building.

 

“At the time, we thought that the criminal was still inside the room. So we left Megu, Yukihira-san and Ami-chan behind and everyone else went to the room.” Ryu said, as they walked along the hallway.

 

“Right here.” he added, stopping in front of the door.

 

“Bloody footprints.” Megumi gasped.

 

Ryu went forward and tried to turn the door knob.

 

“The crime scene is locked.” he commented.

 

Walking to the door beside it, he tried to turn the knob.

 

“The next door is locked too.” Ryu remarked.

 

“It can't be helped.”

 

“Let's try to remember the crime scene we saw as accurately as possible.” he suggested.

 

“If only Megu and her photographic memory was there at that time…” Kyu sighed.

 

Then, Ami gasped in realization.

 

Kyu and Ryu followed likewise.

 

“I've got it.” the three chorused.

 

“What? The three of you got what?” Megumi asked.

 

“Megu, I want you to remember something.” Ryu requested.

 

“Okay, what is it?” Megumi asked.

 

“Can you remember the situation when we were looking at the window with the light on? Including the surroundings and the position of the people.” Ryu appealed.

 

Megumi started sketching on her notebook.

 

After a while, she showed it to the other three.

 

“It was like this.” she said.

 

“Just as I thought.” Ami commented.

 

“Yeah, his alibi is totally destroyed.” Ryu agreed.

 

“But why would the culprit do such a thing?” Kyu asked the two older teenagers.

 

A mouse squeak was heard and a rat scrambled out of the mouse hole.

 

“Another rat.” Megumi shrieked.

 

“Don't worry. They won't bite people.” Ryu assured her.

 

Then, Kyu realized something as he recalled the rats had furiously nibbled at the flour and butter ball.

 

“I see!” Ryu gasped, realizing the same thing.

 

“I've got it!” Kyu exclaimed.

 

“Eh?” Megumi blinked.

 

“Hey!” Kinta's shout was heard.

 

“Hey, this is huge, man.” he added, running towards the four with Kazuma.

 

“Kinta, Kazuma.” Megumi blinked.

 

“I know who the murderer is.” Kazuma reported.

 

“Eh?” Megumi blinked.

 

“Yep. We did too.” Kyu nodded.

 

“The mystery has been solved.” he declared.

 

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“What's the matter, calling us, even Dan-sensei at a time like this?” Mr Shintarou asked.

 

“Well, it's okay. Let`s listen to what they have to say.” Dan-sensei waved the comment aside.

 

“Eh?” Mr Shintarou questioned.

 

“It looks like they've solved the case.” Dan-sensei smiled.

 

“Yes, that's exactly right.” Megumi agreed.

 

“What did you say?” Sakurako asked.

 

“We'll make everything clear right here.” Ryu said.

 

“The truth behind the case and the identity of Jack the Ripper.”

 

“There are five hints.” Kyu added, holding up five fingers.

 

“First, the circumstances when Gouda-san's body was found. Second, the unusual footprints. Third, the condition of Saburomaru-san's body that was cut in half. Fourth, the handkerchief left on the floor. Fifth, the position of those three portraits.” he explained.

 

“There is only one answer.” he declared.

 

“Interesting.” Hayato remarked.

 

“Let us hear, then. What you found to be the answer of this case.”

 

“First of all, hint one, the circumstances when Gouda-san was killed.” Kyu begun.

 

“With this hint, it became clear to us that the murderer was among us.” Ryu added.

 

“Wait a second. We were outside and saw the hand pulled inside the window. The criminal couldn`t be one of us.” Sakurako objected.

 

“That's exactly what the criminal wanted us to think.” Kyu replied.

 

“Actually at that time, the culprit had already left the room.” Ryu added.

 

“What did you say?” Sakurako demanded.

 

“Then, how did the hand get pulled inside?” Hayato asked.

 

“First of all, I will explain how the murderer created that situation.” Ryu replied and pulled out a drawing.

 

“The criminal tied an amputated hand with a thin string, and looped the string through the gap on the opposite side of the window. Then, he quietly pulled the string, in the midst of the commotion. That made it look like the hand was pulled inside by somebody in the room.”

 

“Oh boy. I was wondering what you were going to say, but there`s a big mistake in your deduction. If what you said was right, Gouda's hand should have been right beside the window. But at that time, his hand was far from the window.” Hayato smirked.

 

“The hand we saw from outside the window was not Gouda-san's hand.” Ryu supplied.

 

“Huh?” Hayato blinked.

 

“It was the missing hand from the first victim, Saburomaru-san's right hand.” Ryu revealed.

 

“What did you say?” Hayato gasped.

 

“Right. This was the trick created by Jack the Ripper. After the hand was pulled inside the room, we all went to the crime scene. The very first thing that we saw when we entered was the bloody footprints that led to the room. Naturally, we thought that the room was the one with the light on. But actually, the lit room was not the one the footprints led to but the room right nest to it.” Ryu explained.

 

“If I had been there, with my photographic memory, I would have immediately noticed the difference in the rooms.” Megumi added.

 

“The room with the hand sticking out was the fifth room from the right. But Gouda-san's body was found in the next room. The fourth room from the right.” Ami supplied.

 

“So by using the two rooms, the criminal made us miss the actual crime scene and gave himself an alibi.” Ryu divulged.

 

“Oh my god.” Miss Katagiri gasped.

 

“How could it be?” Mr Shintarou wondered.

 

“Hold it! I understand the trick but that alone doesn't solve the case.” Sakurako objected.

 

“She's right.” Hayato agreed.

 

“Do you know who the murderer is?” he asked.

 

“Of course.” Kyu nodded.

 

“Who on earth could the murderer in this case, Jack the Ripper, be? The answer is found with hint number 2: the unusual footprints.” he added.

 

Leading everyone to the stairs, he turned to Sakurako.

 

“Now Yukihira-san, could you walk upstairs?” he requested.

 

“Hey! Can't you just tell us whose they are?” Sakurako protested.

 

“I want you to verify what the culprit actually did.” Kyu smiled.

 

“Please.” he gestured to the stairs.

 

Sakurako said nothing and did what was requested.

 

After climbing a few steps, Kyu instructed her to stop.

 

“What is it?” Sakurako asked.

 

“Please don't move. Can you look at your feet right now?” Kyu asked.

 

“Eh?” Sakurako blinked and looked down.

 

“These footprints are weird.” Hayato noted.

 

“Right.” Kyu nodded.

 

“It's clear when you actually do it, but if the culprit walked upstairs in a normal way, his footprints won't be as neat as these, from the toe to the heel on these narrow steps. You won`t be able to see the heel.”

 

“Then, why are these footprints like this?” Sakurako asked.

 

“These footprints aren't made by walking. The criminal made these footprints by pressing down muddy shoes with his hands. But the murderer forgot how footprints would normally look when he actually walked upstairs.” Kyu revealed.

 

“What do you mean?” Sakurako asked.

 

“In other words, there's only one answer, considering these footprints.” Ami added.

 

Turning to Dan-sensei, she smiled, “Isn't that right, principal? The real culprit, Jack the Ripper is you. ”

 

“If you're the murderer, everything makes sense.” Ryu agreed.

 

“It was also you, Dan-sensei, who told me to stay behind when Gouda-san was murdered. It was because you thought the trick would be solved if I wasn`t there, was it?” Megumi asked.

 

“Please answer, Dan-sensei.” Kyu pleaded.

 

“What is my motive then?” Dan-sensei posted a question.

 

Kyu was silent.

 

“Why on earth would I kill my own precious students?” Dan-sensei asked.

 

Both Kyu and Megumi remained silent.

 

“Why is that? If you can't answer, you can't call me a murderer.” Dan-sensei challenged.

 

“That's because…” Kyu stammered.

 

“Now, answer me!” Dan-sensei demanded.

 

Kazuma's scream was heard next.

 

Everyone's attention was turned to the top of the stairs where Kazuma sank to the floor, panting for breath.

 

“Kazuma.' Megumi breathed.

 

“Help! Kinta…” Kazuma pleaded.

 

“Kinta was killed by Jack the Ripper!” he shouted.

 

Kyu immediately rushed to the scene.

 

Throwing the door open, he shouted out Kinta's name. The rest of Class Q followed closely.

 

Megumi let out a horrified scream when Kinta's head appeared on the table.

 

“This is…” Dan-sensei gasped when the rest entered the room.

 

Then, Kinta snapped open his eyes.

 

Sakurako screamed.

 

“Just kidding.” Kyu smiled.

 

“That's your motive, principal.” Ami told him.

 

“Boy, you really fooled us.” Kinta grinned.

 

“There you go.” he nodded and pulled himself up.

 

One by one, he pulled out the `murdered victims' bodies out of their hiding places.

 

“Alright, please wake up.” Kinta declared.

 

“Ouch.” Shishido muttered.

 

“Huh?” Kyuosuke blinked.

 

“Where am I?” Saburomaru asked.

 

“Actually nobody died.” Ryu revealed.

 

“Gee, I was totally tricked by it.” Megumi giggled.

 

“What a trick, for supposedly dead people to act as different parts of a dismembered body.” Kazuma commented.

 

“You made space to hide apart of a body, like the hole in the wall and got the Class A students to pretend to be dead. At first, we were shocked by looking at half of a body that we weren't clam enough to think about why we couldn't find the other half.” Kyu explained.

 

“But of course, we couldn't find it. Because Saburomaru-san's other half was hidden underneath the floor. But if a part of the victim's body was missing every time, we would become suspicious. That's why in Shishido-san's murder scene, you had both of them act as a part of his body. In Gouda-san's case, you did the same thing.” Ami added.

 

“The head was Gouda-san's, but the body was Shishido-san's and the arms were Saburomaru-san's.” Kyu continued.

 

“I searched the building and found these three hiding, when they were supposed to be dead. Although I feel a little sorry for my sempai, I stunned them by hitting a vital spot, and made them act as part of a dead body one more time.” Kinta announced proudly.

 

“And using the trick that was left as Shishido-san's murder scene, we recreated the crime.” Kazuma declared.

 

“Yukihira-san and Shiramine-san are in Class A, you two were also involved in on this, weren't you?” Megumi asked.

 

Both Sakurako and Hayato went silent.

 

“In other words, the five people in Class A were the cast for this from the very beginning.” Kyu remarked.

 

“Isn't that right, Dan-sensei?” he asked the principal.

 

The principal went silent.

 

Kyu blinked.

 

“Right?” he asked once more.

 

Then, Dan-sensei started laughing.

 

“Alright, I give up. Well done, you guys.” he declared.

 

“Sensei.” Kyu breathed in relief.

 

“Damn.” both Shishido and Kyuosuke sighed.

 

“But can you tell me something?” Dan-sensei asked.

 

“What is it?” Kyu smiled.

 

“What made you think that nobody was dead?” Dan-sensei posted the vital question.

 

“That was hint number 3, which was Saburomaru-san's supposedly dead body. I noticed the rats ate the ball of made of flour and butter at an incredible speed, but they didn't even try to go near Saburomaru-san's body. And as far as I know, rats don't touch a living body. So I thought that it might be because Saburomaru-san was alive.” Kyu replied.

 

“And hint number 4, the handkerchief that was left on the floor.” Kinta declared.

 

“Oh, that's mine.” Saburomaru exclaimed.

 

“So it is yours.” Kinta noted.

 

“I thought you'd be the only one who'd show off that you're Tokyo University student by carrying the handkerchief with its emblem.” Kinta teased.

 

“What? I just like it.” Saburomaru protested.

 

“But how was that a hint? He might have dropped it before he was killed.” Dan-sensei asked.

 

“My nose is as good as a dog's.” Kinta boasted.

 

“The cologne on this handkerchief was also in the air at Gouda-san's murder scene. That's why I thought that Saburomaru-san might still be alive.” Kinta added.

 

“Give it back to me!” Saburomaru declared.

 

“The last conclusive evidence that made us think that Dan-sensei was the culprit was hint number 5: the position of the portraits.” Kazuma declared.

 

“Those portraits were hung too low for Kinta, but they were perfect for a grade school student like me. In other words, they're hung lower than normal. They were hung low so that Dan-sensei could reach them from his wheelchair, right?”

 

“Exactly. Great job noticing that.” Dan-sensei smiled.

 

“But why did the Class A students have to do it to Class Q?” Megumi asked.

 

“We'd like to know that too.” Sakurako demanded.

 

“Huh?” Megumi blinked.

 

Turning to Dan-sensei, Sakurako asked, “Sensei, why did you make us to this?”

 

“Right, after coming all the way here, why did you make us trick and provoke the Class Q students?” Kyuosuke asked.

 

“Provoke us?” Kyu echoed.

 

“Hey Dan-sensei. You didn't do this just t play a joke on us Class Q losers, did you?” Kinta asked.

 

“You guys aren't losers.” Dan-sensei pointed out.

 

“Huh?” the four Class Q students blinked.

 

“There's a hidden meaning to the `Q' in Class Q.” Dan-sensei revealed.

 

“A hidden meaning?” Megumi echoed.

 

“Is the `Q' in `Quiz'?” Kinta guessed.

 

“Or could it be the `Q' in `Kyukyusha'?” Kyu ventured a guess. (A/N: Kyukyusha means ambulance in Japanese.)

 

“No!” Dan-sensei retorted, scaring the four.

 

“The true meaning of `Q' is qualified! It means you meet the qualifications. In other words, Class Q are the candidates who are qualified to succeed me as the authorized Tokyo Police special detective.” Dan-sensei explained.

 

“No way…” Kazuma gasped.

 

“We are…” Kinta stammered.

 

“Dan-sensei's successors?” Megumi blinked.

 

“This training camp was the last test to see if you guys are really suited for Class Q.” Dan-sensei smiled.

 

“How can that be?” Sakurako protested. “Then are you saying that all those competent sempais at DDS, and we, who thought we were the top class, are all disqualified?”

 

“No, I'm not saying that. There are many students whom I think are quite promising at DDS. Besides, if I found anyone lacking in this training camp, I was going to replace them with students from Class A and I will do the same from now on. Generally, they may still be behind you guys in terms of real strength, but I want my successors to have not only great deductive abilities, but also the strong sense of justice and courage to fight evil without flinching; no matter how horrible the situation might be. In terms of that, Class Q dared to face this tragic case and solved it splendidly. We have absolutely no complaints about them.” Dan-sensei explained.

 

“That badge really suits you.” he smiled.

 

“Now then, as principal of DDS, I will announce the members of Class Q again. The first one is, Kyu-kun.”

 

“Yes!” Kyu exclaimed.

 

“Narusawa Kazuma-kun.”

 

“Yes!” Kazuma beamed.

 

“Minami Megumi-kun.”

 

“Yes!” Megumi replied joyously.

 

“Touyama Kintarou-kun.”

 

“Yes!” Kinta nodded happily.

 

“And as a new member, Amakusa Ryu-kun.”

 

“Huh?” the four Class Q students turned to the blue-haired boy.

 

“Yes.” Ryu smiled.

 

“He passed our test in New York, when he was studying there. I'll be teaching him, just like you all, from now on.” Dan-sensei explained.

 

“And what about Ami-chan?” Kyu asked.

 

Dan-sensei looked over at the girl, then laughed.

 

“She passed the test nine months ago. So technically she's your senior.” he replied.

 

“I see!” Kyu beamed.

 

Running to the two older students, he exclaimed, “Ryu-kun, Ami-chan, the two of you are going to be in Class Q too! It's nice to have you.”

 

“Thank you.” Ryu nodded.

 

Ami just gave a sisterly smile at the younger boy.

 

“Everyone.” Dan-sensei begun, and the attention was shifted to him.

 

“You are at the starting line in Class Q. Good luck too all of you, form now on.”

 

“YEAH!” came the unified chorus from the four Class Q students as Ami and Ryu looked on.

 

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The storm finally blew over as the murder case came to a close.

 

Megumi, Kinta, Kazuma and Kyu were frolicking in the sea with Ryu looking on at the shoreline.

 

“Mothering them won't be easy, especially Kyu.” Ami commented, smiling at the carefree scene before her.

 

“Or Kinta and Kazuma for that matter.” she added.

 

Ryu blinked at the shorter girl, not saying anything.

 

“Boy Dan-sensei, you came up with such a difficult camp.” Mr Shintarou commented.

 

“Seriously, reconstructing the facility on the island… it was tough. I injured myself too.” Miss Katagiri agreed.

 

Dan-sensei burst out laughing.

 

“Sorry, sorry.” he apologized.

 

Turning serious, he added, “But some day on of those six might become my successor. I will teach them all I can to be a detective as Morihiko Dan's last great work.”

 

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SailorStar9: This chapter is done!