Ace of Spades, part 2
Mar. 8th, 2010 07:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
awesomechick15 title: Ace of Spades
author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
awesomechick15
pairing: Akanishi Jin/Kamenashi Kazuya
rating: R - NC-17
genre: romance, (bad) thriller
disclaimer: I don't own Akanishi Jin, Kamenashi Kazuya or their friends on any way. I only own the story and following characters: Kitagawa Shin, Nakazawa Akira, Kamenashi family & policedudes/dudettes
summary: There is a killing spree aiming on Kamenashi family. After Kazuya gets attacked, police transfers him into a new home with two bodyguards until investigation is over - but things don't go as planned.
warnings: death
a/n: Umm. Yeah. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, OKAY? My life is hectic right now, I think I just made the biggest decision regarding my future. But. Anyway. A damage control!A/N in the end.
”Gentlemen, right now we are facing a serious matter. The Criminal Investigation Department, known as CID, strongly believes we are chasing a potential serial killer. On the screen you can see pictures from crime scene one and two.”
The head chief turned a bit and pressed a button on his laptop. The white screen hanging on wall was suddenly filled with two lines of pictures. First chief pointed at the left one.
”Here you can see pictures from over a week ago. This was Kamenashi Kaoru's apartment and last two pictures are his body. Like you can see, it looks like our killer has a pattern. On the first picture no one has touched Kamenashi, so you can't really see anything – but on the second one blood has been somewhat cleaned up. Kamenashi Kaoru was mutilated in exactly 23 pieces. We don't know if this is only a coincidence, but we also have to take in notice the possibility that it belongs in the pattern. Also Kamenashi's eyes are missing. First we thought they were ripped off, but after careful examination we can see they have been removed with a knife. By the dead tissue found we can also predict Kamenashi Kaoru was still alive during this removal.”
Nakazawa Akira felt a chill climbing its way up his spine. Kaoru's apartment was a mess, blood everywhere and furniture broken. Also singer's body wasn't exactly something he would let his children to look at.
”A week after Kamenashi Kaoru's death his brother Kazuya was attacked. On right, you can see pictures of his apartment. Kazuya survived this attack, but we can't fully trust on his recallings because of the level of alcohol in his blood during this incident. Younger Kamenashi did get some wounds, one very close to an artery. That explains the amount of blood in the apartment.”
”Excuse me, sir,” one of the men sitting in the meeting room asked, raising his hand. Nakazawa didn't know his name; there was almost 30 people in that room, half of them unknown to him. ”How exactly did Kazuya-san survive?”
”There was one difference between Kamenashi Kaoru and Kazuya,” head chief explained. ”Kaoru-san lived alone in a detached house. Also he didn't have much neighbors. This explains why no one heard his screams or suspected anything until morning, when he didn't show up in a meeting. But Kazuya-san lived in an apartment building, and his screams woke neighbors up. Apparently killer realized that he would get caught if he continued after first neighbor waking up, so he escaped before anyone could even come in. We have no clue of his identity – all we have is Kamenashi Kazuya's memory of his body type and few useless fingerprints.”
”Why useless?” another man asked, looking critical.
”They weren't clear enough to run tests. Though we tried to compare them with other prints, nothing was found. On the main evidence there wasn't fingerprints at all.”
”Main evidence?”
”Sir, can you clarify?”
”I think he means the window left open.”
For a minute there was nothing but quiet discussion.
”Gentlemen,” head chief said with a loud voice, making the room silent again. Then he picked up something – a playing card. It was a spade, but numbers were scratched off. Instead, there was something reading on it – a red K. The card was wrapped in a plastic envelope, probably by police.
”Sir, what is this?” a man whom Nakazawa actually knew asked. He was Morimoto, an older police, already in paper work instead of field jobs.
”This was found from Kamenashi Kaoru's murder scene. Kamenashi family doesn't know about this, because we don't want to make any useless speculations. We believe it is a part of the pattern. Why K, we don't know. It's likely the killer was planning on leaving a card on Kazuya-san's murder scene too, but was interrupted.”
”Is there any killer in our records with same kind of pattern?”
”No,” head chied answered, shaking his head. ”Nothing.”
Whatever head chief said after that, it didn't leave a mark in Nakazawa's mind. He was too engrossed looking at the pictures still showing up on the white screen. Kamenashi Kaoru's body was barely recognizable, his before so pretty face now only another victim. Nakazawa knew what he had looked like, his own daughter had been a fan. Now she was broken, but with experience of almost 45-year-old man, Nakazawa could predict she'd forget the whole thing in few months. Teenagers.
”Kamenashi Kazuya has been succesfully transferred in a new location. His family and friends have all been warned, but for now only he is under monitoring.”
”Aren't you going to inform Kamenashi's family about the new evidence?”
”No. Not before we're completely sure.”
”Are you sure of what you're doing?”
Kazuya stared with great interest at the kitchen counter. Jin had collected all ingredients he could find and was now looking at them, a critical expression on his face and lips on a slight pout.
”Sure. I'll just improvise. Do you like pancakes?”
”How are you going to make pancakes without flour and eggs?”
”You can make pancakes without eggs!”
”And flour?”
”Okay, that can be a little problem. But I have syrup! And blueberries, they're yummy with pancakes!”
Kazuya rolled his eyes. He didn't get Jin's addiction in sweet things. Eating was fun, yes, but that was exaggerated. He had seen a masterpiece of Jin's eating skills last night – how to destroy a box of donuts in half an hour. After that, lollipops. And chocolate. And now the guy was going to make greasy pancakes. How did he stay fit?
”Admit it, you're going to fail. Let me make something – healthier, without material damage and better,” Kazuya said with boredom in his voice. That made Jin look at him, expression hurt.
”Are you saying you're a better cook than me?”
”Yes.”
”No, you're not. I'm obviously better than you, now step aside and let me do my magic.”
”Of destroying? Hell no, I'm better.”
”No, you're not.”
”Yes, I am.”
”No, you're not.”
”Yes, I am.”
”Want to race?” Jin asked suddenly, eyes sparkling like with a little child. Kazuya couldn't help but be annoyed. What was this guy supposed to be? He was a bodyguard!
”Like how?”
”Which one makes better food from these ingredients. The one with better taste wins,” Jin said, proud of his new idea of competition. Kazuya stirred his eyes, then snorting with arrogance.
”I'm not that childish.”
”So you're afraid of losing.”
Kazuya knew he shouldn't be provoked, but something in Jin's voice made him fire up. Also it might have been his competitive personality. Jin noticed this, a big grin starting to appear on his face; finally he was getting Kazuya doing something... weird. Jin-ish.
”Fine. But who is going to be the judge? We can't criticize our own food, you'll just say mine tastes like wood and yours could fit in Michelin guide – we need someone else.”
”Yamashita,” Jin said simply. ”He's dull and thinks I'm a brat.”
”Oh, how could that be...”
”Shut up! Anyway, he can taste for us.”
It had to be irony of some kind. Kazuya stared at Jin as he started go through rules with excited glint in his eyes, not sure if he was supposed to cry or laugh. Jin wasn't normal, he didn't fit the norms others had set – he was like a child in the body of a 25-year-old. Neither was he a bodyguard Kazuya had thought he would turn out to be; Yamashita was something the younger one had thought they were like, all serious and professional. But Jin was far from those things; he hadn't mentioned his job once or done anything to confirm Kazuya's safety. He lived in that little bubble world of his, eating donuts and making up childish games. Some people didn't grow up.
”Hey, are you even listening to me?” Jin suddenly asked, a pout slowly forming on his lips. Again. Kazuya blinked and stared with great interest if other one was going to throw a tantrum or act like an adult, but when nothing happened, he gave up and made an answer.
”Sorry, I spaced out,” Kazuya smiled lightly, making Jin's pout grow bigger.
”Kame-kun, you should listen to me when I'm talking,” he informed, ”otherwise you don't have a chance of winning the competition!”
”Oh, so you really think I could w-- wait, what did you say?”
”... That you should listen to me? Look, you're doing it again! Even though I'm your bodyguard, you should at least show me some respect!”
”No, the thing before that. Kame-kun? Where did you hear my nickname – and why are you calling me kun?”
”Ah! I heard one of your friends using it in interrogations. What was his name, Ueda?” Jin smiled brightly, looking like he deserved at least a Nobel for his realization.
”You interrogated Ueda?” Kazuya exclaimed, slight shock in his voice – what was going on? Was Ueda being suspected?
”Of course, they went through pretty much everyone you know,” Jin chirped, making Kazuya almost choke in his own breath.
”My mom?”
”She was there longest, I hear.”
For the first time since coming to that house (a day, to be precise) Kazuya stopped to think about his mother. And the most important thing of all, his brother. What had happened? How was Mom doing? Was there anyone giving her eds, telling her to calm down, listening to her when she felt like talking - because Kazuya's father was not going to take on that duty. Hell, guilt felt even worse when he left it alone for a while and then came back to it.
”Are you okay?” Jin asked with curiosity, tilting his head and glancing at Kazuya. He didn't fully understand other man's situation or mind movements, but he tried. Maybe the mention of his mother had done something. Jin could only guess – he couldn't handle these situations well, only listen and hope for the best. That had already caused a handful of not-so-nice break-ups and teary ex-girlfriends screaming at his face, saying how he was an insensitive bastard who should go to counseling.
”Yeah,” Kazuya answered, smiling politely. ”It's just... Right now, is anyone taking care of my mother? I mean, she-- she is not feeling that... well. Is there someone to watch her?”
”I'm sorry, but probably not,” Jin bit his lip. Should he say he knew about Kazuya's mother? Maybe, maybe not. ”Though it can be they have gotten her some crisis help. I'm not told these things. So, wanna race?”
Kazuya was about to answer, when Yamashita came in, closing the door silently and then bowing at him.
”Kamenashi-san, Kitagawa-san would like to talk with you. He's waiting outside right now.”
”Um, call him in?” Kazuya suggested, confusion and anticipation filling his mind. Was there something new about the killer? A little voice in his head asked for something bigger – had they caught him – but Kazuya tried to tone it down as well as he could. Yamashita nodded and vanished to the hallway, first glaring at Jin, who snapped out of his daydreams and followed. Soon Kitagawa Shin came into the room, smiling again shyly at Kazuya.
”Please, Kamenashi-san,” he said and indicated the sofa, ”sit. I think you're going to like my news.”
With mixed feelings of doubt and curiosity the younger one did what he was told to and sat on the sofa. Kitagawa landed next to him, dropping a pile of papers on the table.
”We are considering to let one of your friends or a family member to visit today. Actually it was supposed to be all of them, but well, the police is very strict – they're letting only one. Who would you like? Or don't you want anyone?”
It felt weird, but reassuring. Seeing someone he knew well felt comforting, like a gift (it had only been a day in there, what the hell?). Kazuya swallowed once and then tilted his head. Who?”
”Do you have Ueda Tatsuya in your records?”
Tatsuya wasn't someone who felt down about every little case of misfortune – actually he considered himself as a strong person, someone others could rely on. He didn't let anyone walk over him and he was never left speechless, there was almost something he had to say. But now, on this time, he felt small. So small and vulnerable he wasn't sure was it even worth it.
He had never been connected with police. An interrogation was already something scary, but a polygraph test? Was he suspected of something? Apparently police hadn't found anything alarming, because he was the first person let to see Kazuya. Now, when he was waiting in the hallway, feeling security camera's lens turn to look at him, pierce his neck, he felt like running. He didn't want to be involved in anything like this. Was it Kazuya's will? So they had said.
Soon the bodyguard he had already met before, a young, expressionless man with curly hair invited him in, opening the door. Tatsuya stepped in, first seeing only a wall – then, something resembling a living room. And Kazuya, looking tired but still smiling, sitting on a sofa and waving his hand at him.
The bodyguard nodded politely and closed the door but didn't leave. From the corner of his eye Tatsuya also noticed another man, slightly hidden in the shadows. Probably another bodyguard, Tatsuya suspected. He sat on an armchair opposite Kazuya's sofa and smiled softly.
”How have you been?”
”Better than when we last met,” Kazuya shrugged. ”What's going on in the big world? Isolation is really strict, all we have is TV. They took away my cell phone and Internet connection was cut, police was sure the... the person who attacked me could use it as a weapon or something. Like, spy on me.”
”That sounds paranoid,” Tatsuya frowned. ”Um, I haven't visited your parents. I'm sorry, but... well, I haven't met them much before, right? I hear that your mother has some personal nurse taking care of her, or so they said.”
”What about my other friends? The ones I was drinking with, did they say anything about them?”
Tatsuya blinked, staring at Kazuya. ”Excuse me?”
”Yeah, you know, Ryo and others. I mean, I was out the night I got attacked. I don't know if they told you.”
”Kazuya, I was with you. I joined you guys halfway after you called and left with Subaru,” he explained like to a little child. ”Were you really that drunk?”
”Huh? I have no memory,” Kazuya said, shocked. Though his memories had been faded a lot from the night, so maybe Tatsuya was telling the truth? He only vaguely remembered Subaru leaving and then Ryo and Koki disappearing. Yeah, he guessed Tatsuya could fit in there somewhere.
They kept talking for about 20 minutes before Yamashita took a step forward and cleared his throat, making them fall silent in seconds.
”Excuse me, gentlemen, but our time is over. We've been given a limited time,” he told and bowed, making two men stand up. Tatsuya smiled and ruffled his hair, not really sure of what to do.
”Well, I guess this is it, then,” he sighed. ”I hope I'll see you soon.”
Kazuya was about to answer him, when a shrilling noise started to rise, getting louder and louder. Everyone in the room jumped and had to cover their ears.
”It's the alarm!” Jin shouted over the noise, opening a large cabinet in the corner. ”There's nothing in the security cameras, it has to be an accident!”
”Oh, for God's sake,” Yamashita rolled his eyes and grabbed Kazuya's arm. ”I'm sorry, Kamenashi-san, but you'll have to follow me. Akanishi, check the cameras upstairs!”
And they were gone.
”I mean, this building is equipped with highly developed technical... stuff,” Kazuya moaned, hands around his tea cup. ”Everything should be the best. And then a false alarm?”
”Technicals can fail us,” Jin mused and sat next to him. ”Those are not that rare, though I was convinced mistakes couldn't happen here.”
”Why can't they get a better sounding alarm,” Kazuya snorted. ”It was like someone was trying to pierce my ears.”
”If it was nice, it wouldn't be an alarm,” Jin sighed, wriggling his toes and sipping from his own cup. ”Just wait when a real one comes. The whole building will be a freak circus after that.”
”Oh, like you have prior experience.”
”What, I work in this business! Of course I have experience.”
”How old are you anyway?” Kazuya asked, his voice amused.
”I'm 23,” Jin grinned. ”Older than you!”
It was weird, how Jin knew so much about Kazuya, but Kazuya had no idea of his personal life. Jin never said anything about his knowledge unless Kazuya brought it up. He probably had read his file or something. Also there was other strange things about Jin – or not really Jin, just their relationship. Or the lack of it. Kazuya had known Jin for, what, day? They weren't really friends, but communion got easier and closer when you were isolated from everything else. And Jin was annoying and obviously missed company anyway. They hadn't talked really much – only last night and this morning when Kazuya had walked in, finding Jin making breakfast. Or trying to.
Jin, as a concept, was weird. He acted like a child, but still was in a job like this. Kazuya really couldn't bring himself to respect that by any means. Work was supposed to be seriously, and he was a client, not some play friend set up by the daycare. In other circumstances Kazuya would have told this to Jin and told him to do his job, but right now Jin was also his only source in the world outside. And, the only reason he would stay mentally healthy in the future. Being alone in that place could get nasty in a long term.
After the false alarm had been solved, Tatsuya had left. Kazuya was driven to another room by Yamashita by then, so he didn't have time to discuss the event with his friend. Shame.
”Okay, I'm going to shower now,” Kazuya said after drinking the last drop of his tea. All this time Jin had been chattering something happily, probably about the TV show he had been watching. ”Don't you dare to peek on me.”
”In your dreams,” came the answer sharply and made Kazuya laugh as he went. His room was upstairs and was also connected to a bathroom. Actually it had a door, so Kazuya could go in straight from the hallway, but in theory it was his own.
He went in through the hallway door, closing it behind him and putting some lights on. The bathroom was huge and luxurious, just as predicted. Kazuya had spent half an hour just looking at it last night, but now he wanted to be faster.
After stepping into the shower and turning the water on realization hit him. All his spare clothes were in his room. I'll just go and get them after I'm done, Kazuya sighed in his mind. Hopefully I won't wet the room too much, that would be just nasty. I can imagine that fish guy being secretly a total control freak and flipping out of one, single drop. Yeah. It definitely would fit him.
Soon Kazuya got out, wrapping a towel over his waist and stepping out of the other door, inside his room. The light switch was more or less far away, so he decided to live without it – even though the room was creepy in darkness. Kazuya could feel shivers every time he heard something, probably Jin's movements downstairs. Even the smallest noise could make him jump suddenly. Kazuya opened his wardrobe, going through the stuff someone else had put in there for him. The darkness became a nuisance; he couldn't see properly clothes or identify them. After a desperate fight of 3 minutes he gave up with a sigh and walked to the other end of the room, switching lights on, then coming back to his wardrobe.
Something caught his eye. Like, a shadow. Kazuya shook his head and threw his towel on the floor, pulling on boxers and sweat pants. He reached for a random T-shirt and turned around, facing something he would have never wanted to testify.
For a minute he just stood there, eyes staring at the sight. Then his reactions started to work again, the sound of rushing blood filling his ears.
Scream.
”Last night at 10.30 pm. Kamenashi Kazuya found new evidence from his room. We believe this is a death threat, and also definitely connected to our killer.”
The head chief pressed a button – again – on his laptop. A picture on Kamenashi's room's wall appeared. There was a mirror hanging on it, covered with play cards. Or, not really – they were cut half. They formed some kind of a figure, in the middle of them words ”I am coming for you” written on something red.
”Sir, is that blood?” some over-excited kid asked.
”No,” head chief answered. ”Only paint. Our killer is obviously smart enough to know using blood of himself, someone else or even an animal could in the worst case to his arrest. But right now that is the last one of our problems. Gentlemen, all of you, who were in charge of this building and all of you who are involved in solving this case, answer to one question. How is this possible?”
Head chief's voice rose dangerously in the end of his sentence. Another kid raised his hand, then starting to talk without a real permission. He was different than the first one though – his face was serious, straight hair, pale skin. He looked somewhat professional.
”Was there anyone unusual in the building today?”
”Yes,” someone said, making everyone turn. It was Kitagawa, the man in charge of Kamenashi's security. ”Ueda Tatsuya, Kamenashi's close friend. It was discussed with police, but apparently not with you, sir. He was there for a limited time of 25 minutes after full-body check-out and also under eyes of two bodyguards and security cameras. Everything was made as safe as possible.”
”How did anyone make this decision without me?” head chief asked, his voice turning cold. ”I think we have our first suspect. Anything other unusual?”
”The alarm was set off when Ueda was leaving,” Kitagawa answered firmly. ”It was read as a false one, sir. Security cameras showed nothing to be worried about. Kamenashi was lead to safety by Yamashita and Akanishi checked the security cameras.
It went silent. The head chief bit his lip.
”This doesn't make sense. Do we have an invisible killer?”
No one answered. Then, the professional kid from before cleared his throat.
”One question, Kitagawa-san.”
”Yes?”
”Was Ueda Tatsuya left alone in the building during the alarm, even for few minutes?”
Nakazawa felt chills again. You could actually feel how shocked the whole room was, head chief's face going through every emotion from pure anger to calculative planning. Silence fell down on them, heavier than ever. Then, chief started to talk again, his voice firm and strong.
”It could be that when Akanishi went to check the security cameras and rolled tapes from the time alarm had set off, Ueda got his chance. There was no one watching him and even the cameras didn't collect the action.”
”Do you want us to take him to new interrogations, sir?”
”No. No, we don't have enough proof. Even with these, it's just a theory. Don't tell him, Kamenashi or Kamenashi's family anything. But...”
”Yes?”
”Feel free to let Ueda visit again tomorrow. This time, make sure he can be left alone – but not with the expense of Kamenashi's own safety.”
”So do you understand?” Yamashita asked for the nth time, making Kazuya almost roll his eyes. Instead of that arrogant action he just nodded and played with his fingers for some more.
”Ueda is visiting again tonight, but for a bit longer time, because I need mental support.”
”Not really that.”
A minute of silence.
”If I find anything suspicious, even if I think it's only in my head, I have to notify you about it. It can be very important evidence. By the way, you really don't have a clue of how those... things got there? Are you suspecting Ueda?”
”Do we have a reason to? No, we're not. He has an alibi.”
It wasn't exactly a lie, Yamashita thought. Police didn't have real proof to say with certainty Ueda was the killer. Or, if not the killer, the person who had left the death threat yesterday. But to Kamenashi he wasn't allowed to say even that.
Yamashita bowed and left the room. Jin came up – he had been behind Kazuya the whole time, now sitting next to him, looking at him with great interest.
”Are you okay?”
”Of course I am,” Kazuya answered, but in his mind he snapped at Jin. Okay? Of course I'm not okay! There's a fucking killer after me, and whoever it is, he has an access to my fucking room! And no one is doing anything! I might die, and you are just sitting there, looking at me like some lost puppy dog and thinking everything is going to be alright! Fuck you! ”So, when is Ueda coming?”
”In few hours,” Jin answered, smiling a little. ”Is he your boyfriend?”
”Not real-- what? How do you-- when-- what--”
”Of course we have a list of your former lovers. Actually you gave us some of them, but absinthe can do tricks to one's mind. I just did some accusations from the amount of guys on that list...”
”It's not that I'm denying I'm gay,” Kazuya blushed, ”this is the 21st century! It's just... Well, it feels uncomfortable. Wouldn't you feel used if someone just started to tell you stuff about your ex-girlfriends?”
”And boyfriends,” Jin answered casually.
”What?”
The clock hit six, and Jin got up, stretching his body like a lazy cat. Or dog. ”Want some dinner? I think I could make the effort, Yamashita isn't going to be that nice today, I guess. There is some leftover pasta in some of those kitchen cabinets. I'm not that sucky in cooking, you know.”
”Yeah,” Kazuya answered, staring. ”Yeah, okay.”
Five minutes later Kazuya was following from the sofa how Jin was boiling the pasta, trying to make some kind of a sauce at the same time. Who the hell was that guy, anyway? Childish, sweet-addicted, bodyguard and gay? (And sang in the shower, it had been heard.) Kazuya couldn't really ask any details since they weren't real friends or didn't even know each other, but still he was interested. Somehow. Not really on an interested-interested-level, but... well, just generally curious. Why should he have cared for Jin? And since when had he been calling him with first name?
He found himself thinking about that through dinner, through some stupid TV show Jin laughed at like a hyena and through the occasional fight of Jin and Yamashita where Jin acted like a brat (no surprise) and Yamashita tried to control himself even though it was obvious he wanted to use Jin as a floor mop (no surprise either) after he had done something stupid. Very alarming, because before Kazuya had loved watching it. Those times were very entertaining.
Kazuya was woken up from his thoughts when Tatsuya finally came in, followed by Kitagawa. He smiled brightly and tapped at the place besides him.
”Hi, you!”
”Looks like they wanted to let me here again,” Tatsuya smiled. ”Cool, huh? In some time Ryo and others might be able to come, too.”
”You make it sound like I'm going to be here forever. It's only two weeks!”
”I know,” Tatsuya said, laughing silently. ”But it still feels like a retirement home or something. This whole place is so calm, it doesn't have any of that... police-y feeling.”
”Except for the bodyguards, body examinations on door, security cameras and locked windows.”
”Yes, except for those.”
Kitagawa interrupted them by putting tea cups in front of them both.
”Yamashita just made them. Akanishi-kun has donuts, but I don't think he's willing to share them.”
”Um, thank you, I guess,” Kazuya answered, looking at the cups. There was something weird in the way Kitagawa acted. Like a servant or something, when he was supposed to be a superior. Tatsuya didn't seem to notice anything strange; he lifted the cup and took a sip.
”I had to talk to you about something, anyway,” Tatsuya said after lowering the cup from his lips. ”You remember Haru-san, that guy from apparel design techniques? He's year older than us.”
”I remember him,” Kazuya said. ”He asked your sister out once, didn't he?”
”That's the guy,” Tatsuya sneered. ”He said he could help you with that thesis work of yours for this school year? I think it would be worth giving a shot. The guy also said I should hook up with his friend, Toma or something like that.”
”Sure,” Kazuya shrugged. ”Any help is fine. And I think you should go!”
This time, after 15 minutes they got interrupted – weird, because this time the promised time was 45 minutes. Kitagawa came to them with a phone on his ear, smiling with an apologizing expression.
”I'm sorry, but I just got a call from the crime department. Kamenashi-san, could you come with me?”
Kazuya nodded, curious, nonetheless. He stood up and followed Kitagawa. Strangely Yamashita followed the man too – maybe he was demanded to be with Kazuya during visits.
Before getting in the guest room, Kitagawa turned to Jin.
”Akanishi, could you go to the control room and change temperature? It's way too hot in here.”
Jin didn't look even confused, just nodded and turned around, disappearing to the hallway. Kazuya didn't see anything more before he was already pushed to the guest room.
”What did they have to tell you?”
Jin looked like a little child waiting for present. Kazuya glared at him before shrugging and answering.
”Nothing that important. Something about my mother's personal nurse changing. Kinda weird, since they didn't bother to even mention about the first one.”
”Indeed,” Jin answered and frowned. ”Maybe the first one was crazy or something.”
”Or got a better job.”
”Or was kidnapped by aliens.”
”Or wanted to be paid better.”
”Or became a pirate and joined Jack Sparrow's crew.”
”You're an idiot.”
”And you don't have a sense of humor. Look, we're even!”
”Humorless is better than an idiot.”
”No, it's not. I might be an idiot, but I am an idiot with humor. Which makes my life exciting.”
”Why should I care about your life?”
”Because you have a burning crush on me?”
Kazuya stared at Jin for a minute to check if he was serious and then rolled his eyes.
”In your dreams, Casanova.”
Yamashita walked in, glancing at the two sitting on a sofa.
”Have you eaten yet?”
”We were kind of hoping you would cook for us,” Jin smiled sheepishly. ”We're out of pasta and that's pretty much everything I can cook. Kame isn't even allowed to touch the equipment without someone watching out for him.”
”What, for flying knives?” Kazuya added himself in, his eyebrows rising.
”Exactly that,” Yamashita said dully. ”I'll make something.”
Jin sighed and opened the television.
”Is there anything coming from TV?”
”Probably not,” Kazuya commented. ”Only Japanese version of Cheaters and hentai, if you'll bother to stay up until 2 am. and pay for that channel. I think you could make the effort, you're in need of some sexual content.”
”Very funny,” Jin sneered. ”Let's watch Cheaters then.”
”Anything found yet?”
Nakazawa flinched. He had been already half-asleep, but was woken up by a sharp voice. He turned to face head chief's assistant, who looked like someone had just sneezed on his face. Maybe it was his basic expression.
”No,” Nakazawa tried to suppress a yawn. ”Nothing. Ueda was left alone for 5 minutes, more than last time, but there is no alarm or threatening yet.”
”Well, they're having a meeting in ten minutes, so be prepared.”
”Yes, sir,” Nakazawa said and watched as the assistant turned around, his back disappearing slowly. When the man was gone, Nakazawa tried to rub his eyes and then stretch. His wife was disappointed for staying in work again, but the whole Kamenashi case was keeping him in the headquarters.
Nakazawa opened Kamenashi's and his bodyguards' files once again. Actually he silently hoped something would occur, anything – it would bring some excitement into the boring, lazy night. It wasn't in his habits to wish for the worst, but Ueda could have thrown at least some kind of threatement.
And he had a feeling he would.
”Where the hell can they be?”
Kazuya didn't speak to himself that much, at least aloud, but now was a special occasion. He had officially lost all his cigarettes. They had been on the table when he had left his room, they must have! Lighter was still existing in his pocket, but it was useless without objects.
Kazuya felt frustrated, walking to his nightstand and starting to open the boxes. Maybe he had pushed his precious items in there for some inexplicable reason no one could think of right now. More than anything, right now Kazuya needed his nicotine fix, that sweet, oh so sweet feeling of peace and euphoria. He could listen to all that 'cigarettes are bad, cigarettes kill you'-talk later, when he wasn't feeling so annoyed there could have been something growing on his forehead.
Kazuya ripped open the last box, blinking once. It was a old-fashioned videotape. No name on the tag, it just-- was there, looking innocent. Kazuya was sure it hadn't been there before.
He stopped and listened to the house. Jin's snoring could be heard, he must have been asleep. Yamashita's room was further away... Maybe Kazuya could still go back to living room and check out the tape. It might've been from Kitagawa, but he just didn't remember it for not listening to the guy. After all, he was pretty boring. There was a VCR downstairs, connected to the television, so it made sense.
Minutes later Kazuya found himself sitting on the floor, in front of the TV. He had been like a cat, flinching from every little noise and almost dropping the tape every time Yamashita still hadn't come to check what he was doing, so he probably was asleep though. Or, what you could call a bodyguard's sleeping...
Kazuya put the tape in and pressed play. For few seconds he was sure the tape was empty, because screen was showing only black. Then, slowly, he started to hear faint music – first Kazuya had to look around, then he concentrated on the screen. Now he could recognize the music; it was Für Elise, that classical song he had heard multiple times on different occasions. Just when Kazuya had time to get used to the music, it stopped and an image appeared on the screen.
Kazuya had to press a hand over his mouth to stop himself from screaming. It was a woman – or at least he thought it was, her body badly mutilated and eyes missing. The picture lasted for two seconds before it changed, showing another body, treated the same way as former. Pictures started to change with speed, making Kazuya wanting to press stop and escape – but then, they stopped fully and only one picture was left for at least for five seconds. First Kazuya couldn't recognize the person in it, but then it hit him.
Kaoru.
Breath caught in his throat, and he didn't even realize it when the tape stopped and TV screen turned black again. Who was able to do anything like that?
Kazuya didn't want to find out. Fuck, this was another threat. His first reaction was to stand up and almost rip the videotape out of the VCR, probably destroying some equipment. His memory picked up thoughts from before; the lighter. No, he couldn't let anyone see this. Anyone. Never. Never.
Before Kazuya even understood what he was doing, he had already thrown the tape in the closest trash bin and pulled the lighter from his pocket. He didn't understand it either when he started to see flames, videotape slowly melting, the film getting destroyed right before his eyes.
This time, he didn't even try to scream when someone grabbed him from behind.
”What the hell were you doing?!”
”I told you, I don't know!”
The whole situation was weird. First of all, it was the only time ever Kazuya had seen Jin angry. Which was, for some reason, very strange – even if he had known the guy for two days. Jin's happy mask was gone, and he was almost pulling his hair off from roots while trying to tone himself down without any success. Kazuya was sitting on the sofa, head buried in his hands, trying to forget the whole thing he had just testified.
”Do you understand that with this they can start to accuse you of Kaoru's murder?”
”I know,” Kazuya groaned and ran nails through his hair, pain feeling mostly soothing. They weren't alone – Yamashita was standing next to the door, taking a look at his watch more often than usually – maybe it was his way of showing shock.
Jin and Yamashita had walked (ran) in the living room as soon as they could smell smoke. By then the tape was already almost completely destroyed and useless, but they didn't have to guess much from leftovers. After that everything had been a mess; Yamashita was calling someone, probably Kitagawa, and Jin was screaming his lungs out while Kazuya tried to calm down and forget all the things he had just seen.
”Head chief is coming,” Yamashita said suddenly and turned around, his phone in his hand. It didn't take long before two men stepped in the room – other one old and looking serious, almost furious, other one much younger, trying to keep his pace up. Suddenly Jin stood up and bowed at them, turning to face Kazuya again.
”This is the head chief of Tokyo's police. That is his assistant. They came here to shortly discuss with you.”
And how did you know that?
”Good evening, Kamenashi-san,” the head chief said, his tone cold and low. ”I have few questions before making decision. Where did you get the tape?”
”It... It was in one of the boxes in my nightstand,” Kazuya said, swallowing a lump from his throat. This sucked.
”Had you ever seen it before?”
”No, I--”
”Yes or no, Kamenashi.”
”No.”
Head chief turned around to face his assistant slowly.
”Matsumoto-kun, call my colleagues. Their men are going to break in Ueda Tatsuya's apartment and arrest him.”
”Miyake-sama, don't you think this decision is made a bit hastily? You don't have real proof against Ueda-san – and he went through a body examination, you don't hide a videotape so easily!”
”Do as I say.”
It wasn't the best gig of all, Suzuki Hibiki decided when he followed others, trying to stop himself from falling in stairs. Ueda Tatsuya, whoever that was, lived in dorms – and those places were always somewhere far away and included lots of running and only little space.
Someone pushed him behind, and if the situation had been other, Hibiki would definitely have pushed back. But now wasn't time for aggressive behavior; they had – hopefully – a guy to arrest. No one had given more information, any specific mention about who the person was and why they were arresting a student like this, breaking into his apartment. Like he was someone dangerous. It was just a kid!
Suddenly all the movement stopped. They had arrived. Someone counted in three with his fingers, and then everything was moving fast again. Hibiki couldn't see who were the ones breaking the door down after first warning, but deciding by sounds it was no one from his team. Everyone ran in a controlled queue (okay, it resembled more a chaos, since the form of queue disappeared every 2 seconds) inside, but then Hibiki felt them stop. He pushed a little, getting more space and a better view.
Someone was lying on the floor. It was one of the most disgusting things Hibiki had ever seen – probably a teenage boy, fully covered in blood, his eyes ripped out and some wounds all over his body. One of them stepped forward and slowly crouched next to the body.
”It's our guy,” he confirmed soon with a loud voice. ”Ueda Tatsuya. Looks like someone got here before us.”
”Um, guys,” one of men standing next to Hibiki said suddenly, his voice slightly wary. ”I think you should look at that wall.”
Almost all their flashlights turned to point in the direction the man had shown. It was letters – words – written on something very red and very sticky. Blood.
help me
author:
awesomechick15 pairing: Akanishi Jin/Kamenashi Kazuya
rating: R - NC-17
genre: romance, (bad) thriller
disclaimer: I don't own Akanishi Jin, Kamenashi Kazuya or their friends on any way. I only own the story and following characters: Kitagawa Shin, Nakazawa Akira, Kamenashi family & policedudes/dudettes
summary: There is a killing spree aiming on Kamenashi family. After Kazuya gets attacked, police transfers him into a new home with two bodyguards until investigation is over - but things don't go as planned.
warnings: death
a/n: Umm. Yeah. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, OKAY? My life is hectic right now, I think I just made the biggest decision regarding my future. But. Anyway. A damage control!A/N in the end.
”Gentlemen, right now we are facing a serious matter. The Criminal Investigation Department, known as CID, strongly believes we are chasing a potential serial killer. On the screen you can see pictures from crime scene one and two.”
The head chief turned a bit and pressed a button on his laptop. The white screen hanging on wall was suddenly filled with two lines of pictures. First chief pointed at the left one.
”Here you can see pictures from over a week ago. This was Kamenashi Kaoru's apartment and last two pictures are his body. Like you can see, it looks like our killer has a pattern. On the first picture no one has touched Kamenashi, so you can't really see anything – but on the second one blood has been somewhat cleaned up. Kamenashi Kaoru was mutilated in exactly 23 pieces. We don't know if this is only a coincidence, but we also have to take in notice the possibility that it belongs in the pattern. Also Kamenashi's eyes are missing. First we thought they were ripped off, but after careful examination we can see they have been removed with a knife. By the dead tissue found we can also predict Kamenashi Kaoru was still alive during this removal.”
Nakazawa Akira felt a chill climbing its way up his spine. Kaoru's apartment was a mess, blood everywhere and furniture broken. Also singer's body wasn't exactly something he would let his children to look at.
”A week after Kamenashi Kaoru's death his brother Kazuya was attacked. On right, you can see pictures of his apartment. Kazuya survived this attack, but we can't fully trust on his recallings because of the level of alcohol in his blood during this incident. Younger Kamenashi did get some wounds, one very close to an artery. That explains the amount of blood in the apartment.”
”Excuse me, sir,” one of the men sitting in the meeting room asked, raising his hand. Nakazawa didn't know his name; there was almost 30 people in that room, half of them unknown to him. ”How exactly did Kazuya-san survive?”
”There was one difference between Kamenashi Kaoru and Kazuya,” head chief explained. ”Kaoru-san lived alone in a detached house. Also he didn't have much neighbors. This explains why no one heard his screams or suspected anything until morning, when he didn't show up in a meeting. But Kazuya-san lived in an apartment building, and his screams woke neighbors up. Apparently killer realized that he would get caught if he continued after first neighbor waking up, so he escaped before anyone could even come in. We have no clue of his identity – all we have is Kamenashi Kazuya's memory of his body type and few useless fingerprints.”
”Why useless?” another man asked, looking critical.
”They weren't clear enough to run tests. Though we tried to compare them with other prints, nothing was found. On the main evidence there wasn't fingerprints at all.”
”Main evidence?”
”Sir, can you clarify?”
”I think he means the window left open.”
For a minute there was nothing but quiet discussion.
”Gentlemen,” head chief said with a loud voice, making the room silent again. Then he picked up something – a playing card. It was a spade, but numbers were scratched off. Instead, there was something reading on it – a red K. The card was wrapped in a plastic envelope, probably by police.
”Sir, what is this?” a man whom Nakazawa actually knew asked. He was Morimoto, an older police, already in paper work instead of field jobs.
”This was found from Kamenashi Kaoru's murder scene. Kamenashi family doesn't know about this, because we don't want to make any useless speculations. We believe it is a part of the pattern. Why K, we don't know. It's likely the killer was planning on leaving a card on Kazuya-san's murder scene too, but was interrupted.”
”Is there any killer in our records with same kind of pattern?”
”No,” head chied answered, shaking his head. ”Nothing.”
Whatever head chief said after that, it didn't leave a mark in Nakazawa's mind. He was too engrossed looking at the pictures still showing up on the white screen. Kamenashi Kaoru's body was barely recognizable, his before so pretty face now only another victim. Nakazawa knew what he had looked like, his own daughter had been a fan. Now she was broken, but with experience of almost 45-year-old man, Nakazawa could predict she'd forget the whole thing in few months. Teenagers.
”Kamenashi Kazuya has been succesfully transferred in a new location. His family and friends have all been warned, but for now only he is under monitoring.”
”Aren't you going to inform Kamenashi's family about the new evidence?”
”No. Not before we're completely sure.”
♦ ♣ ♥
”Are you sure of what you're doing?”
Kazuya stared with great interest at the kitchen counter. Jin had collected all ingredients he could find and was now looking at them, a critical expression on his face and lips on a slight pout.
”Sure. I'll just improvise. Do you like pancakes?”
”How are you going to make pancakes without flour and eggs?”
”You can make pancakes without eggs!”
”And flour?”
”Okay, that can be a little problem. But I have syrup! And blueberries, they're yummy with pancakes!”
Kazuya rolled his eyes. He didn't get Jin's addiction in sweet things. Eating was fun, yes, but that was exaggerated. He had seen a masterpiece of Jin's eating skills last night – how to destroy a box of donuts in half an hour. After that, lollipops. And chocolate. And now the guy was going to make greasy pancakes. How did he stay fit?
”Admit it, you're going to fail. Let me make something – healthier, without material damage and better,” Kazuya said with boredom in his voice. That made Jin look at him, expression hurt.
”Are you saying you're a better cook than me?”
”Yes.”
”No, you're not. I'm obviously better than you, now step aside and let me do my magic.”
”Of destroying? Hell no, I'm better.”
”No, you're not.”
”Yes, I am.”
”No, you're not.”
”Yes, I am.”
”Want to race?” Jin asked suddenly, eyes sparkling like with a little child. Kazuya couldn't help but be annoyed. What was this guy supposed to be? He was a bodyguard!
”Like how?”
”Which one makes better food from these ingredients. The one with better taste wins,” Jin said, proud of his new idea of competition. Kazuya stirred his eyes, then snorting with arrogance.
”I'm not that childish.”
”So you're afraid of losing.”
Kazuya knew he shouldn't be provoked, but something in Jin's voice made him fire up. Also it might have been his competitive personality. Jin noticed this, a big grin starting to appear on his face; finally he was getting Kazuya doing something... weird. Jin-ish.
”Fine. But who is going to be the judge? We can't criticize our own food, you'll just say mine tastes like wood and yours could fit in Michelin guide – we need someone else.”
”Yamashita,” Jin said simply. ”He's dull and thinks I'm a brat.”
”Oh, how could that be...”
”Shut up! Anyway, he can taste for us.”
It had to be irony of some kind. Kazuya stared at Jin as he started go through rules with excited glint in his eyes, not sure if he was supposed to cry or laugh. Jin wasn't normal, he didn't fit the norms others had set – he was like a child in the body of a 25-year-old. Neither was he a bodyguard Kazuya had thought he would turn out to be; Yamashita was something the younger one had thought they were like, all serious and professional. But Jin was far from those things; he hadn't mentioned his job once or done anything to confirm Kazuya's safety. He lived in that little bubble world of his, eating donuts and making up childish games. Some people didn't grow up.
”Hey, are you even listening to me?” Jin suddenly asked, a pout slowly forming on his lips. Again. Kazuya blinked and stared with great interest if other one was going to throw a tantrum or act like an adult, but when nothing happened, he gave up and made an answer.
”Sorry, I spaced out,” Kazuya smiled lightly, making Jin's pout grow bigger.
”Kame-kun, you should listen to me when I'm talking,” he informed, ”otherwise you don't have a chance of winning the competition!”
”Oh, so you really think I could w-- wait, what did you say?”
”... That you should listen to me? Look, you're doing it again! Even though I'm your bodyguard, you should at least show me some respect!”
”No, the thing before that. Kame-kun? Where did you hear my nickname – and why are you calling me kun?”
”Ah! I heard one of your friends using it in interrogations. What was his name, Ueda?” Jin smiled brightly, looking like he deserved at least a Nobel for his realization.
”You interrogated Ueda?” Kazuya exclaimed, slight shock in his voice – what was going on? Was Ueda being suspected?
”Of course, they went through pretty much everyone you know,” Jin chirped, making Kazuya almost choke in his own breath.
”My mom?”
”She was there longest, I hear.”
For the first time since coming to that house (a day, to be precise) Kazuya stopped to think about his mother. And the most important thing of all, his brother. What had happened? How was Mom doing? Was there anyone giving her eds, telling her to calm down, listening to her when she felt like talking - because Kazuya's father was not going to take on that duty. Hell, guilt felt even worse when he left it alone for a while and then came back to it.
”Are you okay?” Jin asked with curiosity, tilting his head and glancing at Kazuya. He didn't fully understand other man's situation or mind movements, but he tried. Maybe the mention of his mother had done something. Jin could only guess – he couldn't handle these situations well, only listen and hope for the best. That had already caused a handful of not-so-nice break-ups and teary ex-girlfriends screaming at his face, saying how he was an insensitive bastard who should go to counseling.
”Yeah,” Kazuya answered, smiling politely. ”It's just... Right now, is anyone taking care of my mother? I mean, she-- she is not feeling that... well. Is there someone to watch her?”
”I'm sorry, but probably not,” Jin bit his lip. Should he say he knew about Kazuya's mother? Maybe, maybe not. ”Though it can be they have gotten her some crisis help. I'm not told these things. So, wanna race?”
Kazuya was about to answer, when Yamashita came in, closing the door silently and then bowing at him.
”Kamenashi-san, Kitagawa-san would like to talk with you. He's waiting outside right now.”
”Um, call him in?” Kazuya suggested, confusion and anticipation filling his mind. Was there something new about the killer? A little voice in his head asked for something bigger – had they caught him – but Kazuya tried to tone it down as well as he could. Yamashita nodded and vanished to the hallway, first glaring at Jin, who snapped out of his daydreams and followed. Soon Kitagawa Shin came into the room, smiling again shyly at Kazuya.
”Please, Kamenashi-san,” he said and indicated the sofa, ”sit. I think you're going to like my news.”
With mixed feelings of doubt and curiosity the younger one did what he was told to and sat on the sofa. Kitagawa landed next to him, dropping a pile of papers on the table.
”We are considering to let one of your friends or a family member to visit today. Actually it was supposed to be all of them, but well, the police is very strict – they're letting only one. Who would you like? Or don't you want anyone?”
It felt weird, but reassuring. Seeing someone he knew well felt comforting, like a gift (it had only been a day in there, what the hell?). Kazuya swallowed once and then tilted his head. Who?”
”Do you have Ueda Tatsuya in your records?”
♦ ♣ ♥
Tatsuya wasn't someone who felt down about every little case of misfortune – actually he considered himself as a strong person, someone others could rely on. He didn't let anyone walk over him and he was never left speechless, there was almost something he had to say. But now, on this time, he felt small. So small and vulnerable he wasn't sure was it even worth it.
He had never been connected with police. An interrogation was already something scary, but a polygraph test? Was he suspected of something? Apparently police hadn't found anything alarming, because he was the first person let to see Kazuya. Now, when he was waiting in the hallway, feeling security camera's lens turn to look at him, pierce his neck, he felt like running. He didn't want to be involved in anything like this. Was it Kazuya's will? So they had said.
Soon the bodyguard he had already met before, a young, expressionless man with curly hair invited him in, opening the door. Tatsuya stepped in, first seeing only a wall – then, something resembling a living room. And Kazuya, looking tired but still smiling, sitting on a sofa and waving his hand at him.
The bodyguard nodded politely and closed the door but didn't leave. From the corner of his eye Tatsuya also noticed another man, slightly hidden in the shadows. Probably another bodyguard, Tatsuya suspected. He sat on an armchair opposite Kazuya's sofa and smiled softly.
”How have you been?”
”Better than when we last met,” Kazuya shrugged. ”What's going on in the big world? Isolation is really strict, all we have is TV. They took away my cell phone and Internet connection was cut, police was sure the... the person who attacked me could use it as a weapon or something. Like, spy on me.”
”That sounds paranoid,” Tatsuya frowned. ”Um, I haven't visited your parents. I'm sorry, but... well, I haven't met them much before, right? I hear that your mother has some personal nurse taking care of her, or so they said.”
”What about my other friends? The ones I was drinking with, did they say anything about them?”
Tatsuya blinked, staring at Kazuya. ”Excuse me?”
”Yeah, you know, Ryo and others. I mean, I was out the night I got attacked. I don't know if they told you.”
”Kazuya, I was with you. I joined you guys halfway after you called and left with Subaru,” he explained like to a little child. ”Were you really that drunk?”
”Huh? I have no memory,” Kazuya said, shocked. Though his memories had been faded a lot from the night, so maybe Tatsuya was telling the truth? He only vaguely remembered Subaru leaving and then Ryo and Koki disappearing. Yeah, he guessed Tatsuya could fit in there somewhere.
They kept talking for about 20 minutes before Yamashita took a step forward and cleared his throat, making them fall silent in seconds.
”Excuse me, gentlemen, but our time is over. We've been given a limited time,” he told and bowed, making two men stand up. Tatsuya smiled and ruffled his hair, not really sure of what to do.
”Well, I guess this is it, then,” he sighed. ”I hope I'll see you soon.”
Kazuya was about to answer him, when a shrilling noise started to rise, getting louder and louder. Everyone in the room jumped and had to cover their ears.
”It's the alarm!” Jin shouted over the noise, opening a large cabinet in the corner. ”There's nothing in the security cameras, it has to be an accident!”
”Oh, for God's sake,” Yamashita rolled his eyes and grabbed Kazuya's arm. ”I'm sorry, Kamenashi-san, but you'll have to follow me. Akanishi, check the cameras upstairs!”
And they were gone.
♦ ♣ ♥
”I mean, this building is equipped with highly developed technical... stuff,” Kazuya moaned, hands around his tea cup. ”Everything should be the best. And then a false alarm?”
”Technicals can fail us,” Jin mused and sat next to him. ”Those are not that rare, though I was convinced mistakes couldn't happen here.”
”Why can't they get a better sounding alarm,” Kazuya snorted. ”It was like someone was trying to pierce my ears.”
”If it was nice, it wouldn't be an alarm,” Jin sighed, wriggling his toes and sipping from his own cup. ”Just wait when a real one comes. The whole building will be a freak circus after that.”
”Oh, like you have prior experience.”
”What, I work in this business! Of course I have experience.”
”How old are you anyway?” Kazuya asked, his voice amused.
”I'm 23,” Jin grinned. ”Older than you!”
It was weird, how Jin knew so much about Kazuya, but Kazuya had no idea of his personal life. Jin never said anything about his knowledge unless Kazuya brought it up. He probably had read his file or something. Also there was other strange things about Jin – or not really Jin, just their relationship. Or the lack of it. Kazuya had known Jin for, what, day? They weren't really friends, but communion got easier and closer when you were isolated from everything else. And Jin was annoying and obviously missed company anyway. They hadn't talked really much – only last night and this morning when Kazuya had walked in, finding Jin making breakfast. Or trying to.
Jin, as a concept, was weird. He acted like a child, but still was in a job like this. Kazuya really couldn't bring himself to respect that by any means. Work was supposed to be seriously, and he was a client, not some play friend set up by the daycare. In other circumstances Kazuya would have told this to Jin and told him to do his job, but right now Jin was also his only source in the world outside. And, the only reason he would stay mentally healthy in the future. Being alone in that place could get nasty in a long term.
After the false alarm had been solved, Tatsuya had left. Kazuya was driven to another room by Yamashita by then, so he didn't have time to discuss the event with his friend. Shame.
”Okay, I'm going to shower now,” Kazuya said after drinking the last drop of his tea. All this time Jin had been chattering something happily, probably about the TV show he had been watching. ”Don't you dare to peek on me.”
”In your dreams,” came the answer sharply and made Kazuya laugh as he went. His room was upstairs and was also connected to a bathroom. Actually it had a door, so Kazuya could go in straight from the hallway, but in theory it was his own.
He went in through the hallway door, closing it behind him and putting some lights on. The bathroom was huge and luxurious, just as predicted. Kazuya had spent half an hour just looking at it last night, but now he wanted to be faster.
After stepping into the shower and turning the water on realization hit him. All his spare clothes were in his room. I'll just go and get them after I'm done, Kazuya sighed in his mind. Hopefully I won't wet the room too much, that would be just nasty. I can imagine that fish guy being secretly a total control freak and flipping out of one, single drop. Yeah. It definitely would fit him.
Soon Kazuya got out, wrapping a towel over his waist and stepping out of the other door, inside his room. The light switch was more or less far away, so he decided to live without it – even though the room was creepy in darkness. Kazuya could feel shivers every time he heard something, probably Jin's movements downstairs. Even the smallest noise could make him jump suddenly. Kazuya opened his wardrobe, going through the stuff someone else had put in there for him. The darkness became a nuisance; he couldn't see properly clothes or identify them. After a desperate fight of 3 minutes he gave up with a sigh and walked to the other end of the room, switching lights on, then coming back to his wardrobe.
Something caught his eye. Like, a shadow. Kazuya shook his head and threw his towel on the floor, pulling on boxers and sweat pants. He reached for a random T-shirt and turned around, facing something he would have never wanted to testify.
For a minute he just stood there, eyes staring at the sight. Then his reactions started to work again, the sound of rushing blood filling his ears.
Scream.
♦ ♣ ♥
”Last night at 10.30 pm. Kamenashi Kazuya found new evidence from his room. We believe this is a death threat, and also definitely connected to our killer.”
The head chief pressed a button – again – on his laptop. A picture on Kamenashi's room's wall appeared. There was a mirror hanging on it, covered with play cards. Or, not really – they were cut half. They formed some kind of a figure, in the middle of them words ”I am coming for you” written on something red.
”Sir, is that blood?” some over-excited kid asked.
”No,” head chief answered. ”Only paint. Our killer is obviously smart enough to know using blood of himself, someone else or even an animal could in the worst case to his arrest. But right now that is the last one of our problems. Gentlemen, all of you, who were in charge of this building and all of you who are involved in solving this case, answer to one question. How is this possible?”
Head chief's voice rose dangerously in the end of his sentence. Another kid raised his hand, then starting to talk without a real permission. He was different than the first one though – his face was serious, straight hair, pale skin. He looked somewhat professional.
”Was there anyone unusual in the building today?”
”Yes,” someone said, making everyone turn. It was Kitagawa, the man in charge of Kamenashi's security. ”Ueda Tatsuya, Kamenashi's close friend. It was discussed with police, but apparently not with you, sir. He was there for a limited time of 25 minutes after full-body check-out and also under eyes of two bodyguards and security cameras. Everything was made as safe as possible.”
”How did anyone make this decision without me?” head chief asked, his voice turning cold. ”I think we have our first suspect. Anything other unusual?”
”The alarm was set off when Ueda was leaving,” Kitagawa answered firmly. ”It was read as a false one, sir. Security cameras showed nothing to be worried about. Kamenashi was lead to safety by Yamashita and Akanishi checked the security cameras.
It went silent. The head chief bit his lip.
”This doesn't make sense. Do we have an invisible killer?”
No one answered. Then, the professional kid from before cleared his throat.
”One question, Kitagawa-san.”
”Yes?”
”Was Ueda Tatsuya left alone in the building during the alarm, even for few minutes?”
Nakazawa felt chills again. You could actually feel how shocked the whole room was, head chief's face going through every emotion from pure anger to calculative planning. Silence fell down on them, heavier than ever. Then, chief started to talk again, his voice firm and strong.
”It could be that when Akanishi went to check the security cameras and rolled tapes from the time alarm had set off, Ueda got his chance. There was no one watching him and even the cameras didn't collect the action.”
”Do you want us to take him to new interrogations, sir?”
”No. No, we don't have enough proof. Even with these, it's just a theory. Don't tell him, Kamenashi or Kamenashi's family anything. But...”
”Yes?”
”Feel free to let Ueda visit again tomorrow. This time, make sure he can be left alone – but not with the expense of Kamenashi's own safety.”
♦ ♣ ♥
”So do you understand?” Yamashita asked for the nth time, making Kazuya almost roll his eyes. Instead of that arrogant action he just nodded and played with his fingers for some more.
”Ueda is visiting again tonight, but for a bit longer time, because I need mental support.”
”Not really that.”
A minute of silence.
”If I find anything suspicious, even if I think it's only in my head, I have to notify you about it. It can be very important evidence. By the way, you really don't have a clue of how those... things got there? Are you suspecting Ueda?”
”Do we have a reason to? No, we're not. He has an alibi.”
It wasn't exactly a lie, Yamashita thought. Police didn't have real proof to say with certainty Ueda was the killer. Or, if not the killer, the person who had left the death threat yesterday. But to Kamenashi he wasn't allowed to say even that.
Yamashita bowed and left the room. Jin came up – he had been behind Kazuya the whole time, now sitting next to him, looking at him with great interest.
”Are you okay?”
”Of course I am,” Kazuya answered, but in his mind he snapped at Jin. Okay? Of course I'm not okay! There's a fucking killer after me, and whoever it is, he has an access to my fucking room! And no one is doing anything! I might die, and you are just sitting there, looking at me like some lost puppy dog and thinking everything is going to be alright! Fuck you! ”So, when is Ueda coming?”
”In few hours,” Jin answered, smiling a little. ”Is he your boyfriend?”
”Not real-- what? How do you-- when-- what--”
”Of course we have a list of your former lovers. Actually you gave us some of them, but absinthe can do tricks to one's mind. I just did some accusations from the amount of guys on that list...”
”It's not that I'm denying I'm gay,” Kazuya blushed, ”this is the 21st century! It's just... Well, it feels uncomfortable. Wouldn't you feel used if someone just started to tell you stuff about your ex-girlfriends?”
”And boyfriends,” Jin answered casually.
”What?”
The clock hit six, and Jin got up, stretching his body like a lazy cat. Or dog. ”Want some dinner? I think I could make the effort, Yamashita isn't going to be that nice today, I guess. There is some leftover pasta in some of those kitchen cabinets. I'm not that sucky in cooking, you know.”
”Yeah,” Kazuya answered, staring. ”Yeah, okay.”
Five minutes later Kazuya was following from the sofa how Jin was boiling the pasta, trying to make some kind of a sauce at the same time. Who the hell was that guy, anyway? Childish, sweet-addicted, bodyguard and gay? (And sang in the shower, it had been heard.) Kazuya couldn't really ask any details since they weren't real friends or didn't even know each other, but still he was interested. Somehow. Not really on an interested-interested-level, but... well, just generally curious. Why should he have cared for Jin? And since when had he been calling him with first name?
He found himself thinking about that through dinner, through some stupid TV show Jin laughed at like a hyena and through the occasional fight of Jin and Yamashita where Jin acted like a brat (no surprise) and Yamashita tried to control himself even though it was obvious he wanted to use Jin as a floor mop (no surprise either) after he had done something stupid. Very alarming, because before Kazuya had loved watching it. Those times were very entertaining.
Kazuya was woken up from his thoughts when Tatsuya finally came in, followed by Kitagawa. He smiled brightly and tapped at the place besides him.
”Hi, you!”
”Looks like they wanted to let me here again,” Tatsuya smiled. ”Cool, huh? In some time Ryo and others might be able to come, too.”
”You make it sound like I'm going to be here forever. It's only two weeks!”
”I know,” Tatsuya said, laughing silently. ”But it still feels like a retirement home or something. This whole place is so calm, it doesn't have any of that... police-y feeling.”
”Except for the bodyguards, body examinations on door, security cameras and locked windows.”
”Yes, except for those.”
Kitagawa interrupted them by putting tea cups in front of them both.
”Yamashita just made them. Akanishi-kun has donuts, but I don't think he's willing to share them.”
”Um, thank you, I guess,” Kazuya answered, looking at the cups. There was something weird in the way Kitagawa acted. Like a servant or something, when he was supposed to be a superior. Tatsuya didn't seem to notice anything strange; he lifted the cup and took a sip.
”I had to talk to you about something, anyway,” Tatsuya said after lowering the cup from his lips. ”You remember Haru-san, that guy from apparel design techniques? He's year older than us.”
”I remember him,” Kazuya said. ”He asked your sister out once, didn't he?”
”That's the guy,” Tatsuya sneered. ”He said he could help you with that thesis work of yours for this school year? I think it would be worth giving a shot. The guy also said I should hook up with his friend, Toma or something like that.”
”Sure,” Kazuya shrugged. ”Any help is fine. And I think you should go!”
This time, after 15 minutes they got interrupted – weird, because this time the promised time was 45 minutes. Kitagawa came to them with a phone on his ear, smiling with an apologizing expression.
”I'm sorry, but I just got a call from the crime department. Kamenashi-san, could you come with me?”
Kazuya nodded, curious, nonetheless. He stood up and followed Kitagawa. Strangely Yamashita followed the man too – maybe he was demanded to be with Kazuya during visits.
Before getting in the guest room, Kitagawa turned to Jin.
”Akanishi, could you go to the control room and change temperature? It's way too hot in here.”
Jin didn't look even confused, just nodded and turned around, disappearing to the hallway. Kazuya didn't see anything more before he was already pushed to the guest room.
♦ ♣ ♥
”What did they have to tell you?”
Jin looked like a little child waiting for present. Kazuya glared at him before shrugging and answering.
”Nothing that important. Something about my mother's personal nurse changing. Kinda weird, since they didn't bother to even mention about the first one.”
”Indeed,” Jin answered and frowned. ”Maybe the first one was crazy or something.”
”Or got a better job.”
”Or was kidnapped by aliens.”
”Or wanted to be paid better.”
”Or became a pirate and joined Jack Sparrow's crew.”
”You're an idiot.”
”And you don't have a sense of humor. Look, we're even!”
”Humorless is better than an idiot.”
”No, it's not. I might be an idiot, but I am an idiot with humor. Which makes my life exciting.”
”Why should I care about your life?”
”Because you have a burning crush on me?”
Kazuya stared at Jin for a minute to check if he was serious and then rolled his eyes.
”In your dreams, Casanova.”
Yamashita walked in, glancing at the two sitting on a sofa.
”Have you eaten yet?”
”We were kind of hoping you would cook for us,” Jin smiled sheepishly. ”We're out of pasta and that's pretty much everything I can cook. Kame isn't even allowed to touch the equipment without someone watching out for him.”
”What, for flying knives?” Kazuya added himself in, his eyebrows rising.
”Exactly that,” Yamashita said dully. ”I'll make something.”
Jin sighed and opened the television.
”Is there anything coming from TV?”
”Probably not,” Kazuya commented. ”Only Japanese version of Cheaters and hentai, if you'll bother to stay up until 2 am. and pay for that channel. I think you could make the effort, you're in need of some sexual content.”
”Very funny,” Jin sneered. ”Let's watch Cheaters then.”
♦ ♣ ♥
”Anything found yet?”
Nakazawa flinched. He had been already half-asleep, but was woken up by a sharp voice. He turned to face head chief's assistant, who looked like someone had just sneezed on his face. Maybe it was his basic expression.
”No,” Nakazawa tried to suppress a yawn. ”Nothing. Ueda was left alone for 5 minutes, more than last time, but there is no alarm or threatening yet.”
”Well, they're having a meeting in ten minutes, so be prepared.”
”Yes, sir,” Nakazawa said and watched as the assistant turned around, his back disappearing slowly. When the man was gone, Nakazawa tried to rub his eyes and then stretch. His wife was disappointed for staying in work again, but the whole Kamenashi case was keeping him in the headquarters.
Nakazawa opened Kamenashi's and his bodyguards' files once again. Actually he silently hoped something would occur, anything – it would bring some excitement into the boring, lazy night. It wasn't in his habits to wish for the worst, but Ueda could have thrown at least some kind of threatement.
And he had a feeling he would.
♦ ♣ ♥
”Where the hell can they be?”
Kazuya didn't speak to himself that much, at least aloud, but now was a special occasion. He had officially lost all his cigarettes. They had been on the table when he had left his room, they must have! Lighter was still existing in his pocket, but it was useless without objects.
Kazuya felt frustrated, walking to his nightstand and starting to open the boxes. Maybe he had pushed his precious items in there for some inexplicable reason no one could think of right now. More than anything, right now Kazuya needed his nicotine fix, that sweet, oh so sweet feeling of peace and euphoria. He could listen to all that 'cigarettes are bad, cigarettes kill you'-talk later, when he wasn't feeling so annoyed there could have been something growing on his forehead.
Kazuya ripped open the last box, blinking once. It was a old-fashioned videotape. No name on the tag, it just-- was there, looking innocent. Kazuya was sure it hadn't been there before.
He stopped and listened to the house. Jin's snoring could be heard, he must have been asleep. Yamashita's room was further away... Maybe Kazuya could still go back to living room and check out the tape. It might've been from Kitagawa, but he just didn't remember it for not listening to the guy. After all, he was pretty boring. There was a VCR downstairs, connected to the television, so it made sense.
Minutes later Kazuya found himself sitting on the floor, in front of the TV. He had been like a cat, flinching from every little noise and almost dropping the tape every time Yamashita still hadn't come to check what he was doing, so he probably was asleep though. Or, what you could call a bodyguard's sleeping...
Kazuya put the tape in and pressed play. For few seconds he was sure the tape was empty, because screen was showing only black. Then, slowly, he started to hear faint music – first Kazuya had to look around, then he concentrated on the screen. Now he could recognize the music; it was Für Elise, that classical song he had heard multiple times on different occasions. Just when Kazuya had time to get used to the music, it stopped and an image appeared on the screen.
Kazuya had to press a hand over his mouth to stop himself from screaming. It was a woman – or at least he thought it was, her body badly mutilated and eyes missing. The picture lasted for two seconds before it changed, showing another body, treated the same way as former. Pictures started to change with speed, making Kazuya wanting to press stop and escape – but then, they stopped fully and only one picture was left for at least for five seconds. First Kazuya couldn't recognize the person in it, but then it hit him.
Kaoru.
Breath caught in his throat, and he didn't even realize it when the tape stopped and TV screen turned black again. Who was able to do anything like that?
Kazuya didn't want to find out. Fuck, this was another threat. His first reaction was to stand up and almost rip the videotape out of the VCR, probably destroying some equipment. His memory picked up thoughts from before; the lighter. No, he couldn't let anyone see this. Anyone. Never. Never.
Before Kazuya even understood what he was doing, he had already thrown the tape in the closest trash bin and pulled the lighter from his pocket. He didn't understand it either when he started to see flames, videotape slowly melting, the film getting destroyed right before his eyes.
This time, he didn't even try to scream when someone grabbed him from behind.
♦ ♣ ♥
”What the hell were you doing?!”
”I told you, I don't know!”
The whole situation was weird. First of all, it was the only time ever Kazuya had seen Jin angry. Which was, for some reason, very strange – even if he had known the guy for two days. Jin's happy mask was gone, and he was almost pulling his hair off from roots while trying to tone himself down without any success. Kazuya was sitting on the sofa, head buried in his hands, trying to forget the whole thing he had just testified.
”Do you understand that with this they can start to accuse you of Kaoru's murder?”
”I know,” Kazuya groaned and ran nails through his hair, pain feeling mostly soothing. They weren't alone – Yamashita was standing next to the door, taking a look at his watch more often than usually – maybe it was his way of showing shock.
Jin and Yamashita had walked (ran) in the living room as soon as they could smell smoke. By then the tape was already almost completely destroyed and useless, but they didn't have to guess much from leftovers. After that everything had been a mess; Yamashita was calling someone, probably Kitagawa, and Jin was screaming his lungs out while Kazuya tried to calm down and forget all the things he had just seen.
”Head chief is coming,” Yamashita said suddenly and turned around, his phone in his hand. It didn't take long before two men stepped in the room – other one old and looking serious, almost furious, other one much younger, trying to keep his pace up. Suddenly Jin stood up and bowed at them, turning to face Kazuya again.
”This is the head chief of Tokyo's police. That is his assistant. They came here to shortly discuss with you.”
And how did you know that?
”Good evening, Kamenashi-san,” the head chief said, his tone cold and low. ”I have few questions before making decision. Where did you get the tape?”
”It... It was in one of the boxes in my nightstand,” Kazuya said, swallowing a lump from his throat. This sucked.
”Had you ever seen it before?”
”No, I--”
”Yes or no, Kamenashi.”
”No.”
Head chief turned around to face his assistant slowly.
”Matsumoto-kun, call my colleagues. Their men are going to break in Ueda Tatsuya's apartment and arrest him.”
”Miyake-sama, don't you think this decision is made a bit hastily? You don't have real proof against Ueda-san – and he went through a body examination, you don't hide a videotape so easily!”
”Do as I say.”
♦ ♣ ♥
It wasn't the best gig of all, Suzuki Hibiki decided when he followed others, trying to stop himself from falling in stairs. Ueda Tatsuya, whoever that was, lived in dorms – and those places were always somewhere far away and included lots of running and only little space.
Someone pushed him behind, and if the situation had been other, Hibiki would definitely have pushed back. But now wasn't time for aggressive behavior; they had – hopefully – a guy to arrest. No one had given more information, any specific mention about who the person was and why they were arresting a student like this, breaking into his apartment. Like he was someone dangerous. It was just a kid!
Suddenly all the movement stopped. They had arrived. Someone counted in three with his fingers, and then everything was moving fast again. Hibiki couldn't see who were the ones breaking the door down after first warning, but deciding by sounds it was no one from his team. Everyone ran in a controlled queue (okay, it resembled more a chaos, since the form of queue disappeared every 2 seconds) inside, but then Hibiki felt them stop. He pushed a little, getting more space and a better view.
Someone was lying on the floor. It was one of the most disgusting things Hibiki had ever seen – probably a teenage boy, fully covered in blood, his eyes ripped out and some wounds all over his body. One of them stepped forward and slowly crouched next to the body.
”It's our guy,” he confirmed soon with a loud voice. ”Ueda Tatsuya. Looks like someone got here before us.”
”Um, guys,” one of men standing next to Hibiki said suddenly, his voice slightly wary. ”I think you should look at that wall.”
Almost all their flashlights turned to point in the direction the man had shown. It was letters – words – written on something very red and very sticky. Blood.
help me
next part »
Damage control!A/N: I KNOW the fic isn't happening in Britain, so sorry about CID, but the name was cool! And yes. I know. I know. Just. Don't kill me, please. Even if this fic is the most unrealistic thing in the world. I like Jin's donuts! Think about his donuts! Their misery if you kill me!
Damage control!A/N: I KNOW the fic isn't happening in Britain, so sorry about CID, but the name was cool! And yes. I know. I know. Just. Don't kill me, please. Even if this fic is the most unrealistic thing in the world. I like Jin's donuts! Think about his donuts! Their misery if you kill me!
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Date: 2010-03-08 10:15 am (UTC)New Chapter, ne and more interesting XD XD XD Love it and waiting for the next XD XD XD
*kiss*
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Date: 2010-03-08 10:16 am (UTC)*kiss you again*
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Date: 2010-03-08 12:31 pm (UTC)you're fiiiiirst \o/
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Date: 2010-03-08 10:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-08 12:32 pm (UTC)thank you for commenting & reading!
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Date: 2010-03-08 12:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-08 12:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-08 12:38 pm (UTC)thanks for reading and commenting ♥
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Date: 2010-03-08 12:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-08 12:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-08 01:00 pm (UTC)don't kill anymore...please!! :(
good twist of the story, for a second i thought it was ueda, but seriously now...why ueda? why not ryo?
ueda.. :((
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Date: 2010-03-08 04:08 pm (UTC)but thank you for reading and commeting and and and ♥ and it was painful to kill him :---( but well, i'm a sadistic person. about no one dying anymore... i can't promise anything 8(
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Date: 2010-03-08 03:15 pm (UTC)thanks for sharing this~
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Date: 2010-03-08 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-08 07:32 pm (UTC)Although Yamapi's character is quite opposite of what he usually is and it's a little bit funny. Over all I do think you have your audience/readers where you want them 'coz honestly I can feel shivers going down my spine when Kazuya finds something from the Killer or when there's a moment in w/c it's dark and he's alone.
I'm really liking this! Thanks so much! Please update soon!
**HUGS**
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Date: 2010-03-08 08:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-09 03:52 pm (UTC)it can! >D i think-- well, not really on a sense-making way, but... it can!
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Date: 2010-03-09 04:59 am (UTC)the fic just picture up and rolling in my mind.. okay, that's scary :((
*hic* aniway, gotta sleep now
Thank neh~ ^^
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Date: 2010-03-09 03:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-09 06:40 am (UTC)new chapty!!!thank u!
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Date: 2010-03-09 03:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-09 02:11 pm (UTC)and omg!! hime got killed?!?! major FTW!! uwaa! now i'm having the creeps. shocks!
please update soon. i want to read more.
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Date: 2010-03-09 03:58 pm (UTC)i willl :D ♥ thanks for reading and commenting!
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Date: 2010-03-09 04:07 pm (UTC)i don't drink alcohol so i really have no idea about ityay! can't wait for that ♥♥
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Date: 2010-03-10 05:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-14 06:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-15 02:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 06:47 pm (UTC)jin's donuts ♥ thank you!
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Date: 2010-03-23 04:02 am (UTC)like your fic, keep writing! :
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Date: 2010-03-24 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 10:30 am (UTC)it started like a bit slow, but in the middle it feels a bit relax
but as time goes by, the killer try to show more of his/her colour, those threat are scary!(even Ueda is already dead!!)
I cant stop reading it! thanks for writing!*off to read next*
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Date: 2010-03-24 06:49 pm (UTC)ueda ;____; but killing is fun. you know, not literally. so thankyouuuu ♥