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Into The Sun	By : scarecrowslady Category: J-Rock/J-Pop & K-Pop > D Views: 812 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction. Ergo: not real or factual. I do not know D (or any other jrock band) and I am not gaining profit from this!

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Into the Sun
Chapter 3: Day 3: Truth Emerging
"I See..." -- Confucius

"I don't understand this," Lord Hoshi huffed as he circled his suite yet again. "This is... madness! Madness!"
"Hmm..." Hide-zou grunted in agreement, fingering the rough edges of his samurai hakama. Tossing long dark brown strands of hair out of his eyes, he sighed as he watched his new employer cross the room yet again. "It's odd... this... whole bottle thing... what was it again?"

"Poison, they say," Lord Hoshi glared at a young lad who stood at the door uncomfortably - ostensibly there to keep the aristocrat in.
Hide-zou didn't even spare the child a glance. He stretched lazily as he rose to his feet and nodded.
"I'll get going and talk to that young idiot of a constable... what was his name again? Tsu - Zu - You know... the odd looking one who looked bored."

"But... If what they found is -" the tall aristocrat plopped onto his bed in despair. "How is it possible to argue otherwise? I know that anybody could have come in at any time and planted it in here while I was gone..."
"Well... it looks like the older partner of the duo has more brain than fluff in his head," Hide-zou drawled, remembering the uncomfortably piercing eyes of Hiroki. "I would expect those things to have come to his mind..."
With that, the rough samurai slipped past the nervous lad giving the youngling a small smirk, before slipping out into the hallway. Silence reigned on the floor now - the whole place had been evacuated easily enough. Already most of the guests were downstairs gambling, listening to music, eating, drinking - or finding relaxation in the hot baths...
Hide-zou idly wondered where the beautiful courtesan had gone - perhaps somewhere with the short blonde...
It made him wonder - about those two...

But then... he thought. ...who doesn't have secrets...
-
"It's all nice and good to just pin the blame on the brother. He stands to gain alot with his older brother's death. But his shock seemed genuine..." Hiroki pointed out.

"Truuueee..." Tsunehito sighed, fiddling with a little braiding he had managed to surruptitiously add to the edging of his tunic. "But -"

"Yes, indeed, but..."
Tsunehito dozed off in the uncomfortably hot scene of the crime. Now used to his partner's frequent lapses into long, drawn out explanations. Whether it was discussing the mystery of missing alcohol or illegal shipments or an affair, Hiroki always took the time to divulge his second by second, step by step reasoning. His younger partner wasn't so enthusiastic about this...
"But... it could be feigned. Remember that one case? Hakase-san with the lady? That seemed real enough... and what happened then..."

Tsunehito blinked hard, trying (and failing) to look interested and awake.

For this I left the dressing rooms...
"On the other hand, the rooms were open and easily accessible. It seems like locks are unheard of here... considering the activites..." Hiroki sniffed. "That go on in this place... shocking..."

"Shocking," echoed Tsunehito dryly.

"But it means - anybody could have come in and done the old man harm in his bedroom..."

"Or somewhere else..." added Tsunehito.

"If he left his room, yes..."

"And they could be attempting to lay the blame on Lord Hoshi."

"True, true," Hiroki nodded stroking his chin. "In other words, for now, our case against Lord Hoshi is weak. It is no use for us to waste men on keeping him under house arrest."

"I'll get back to talking, then," Tsunehito rose quickly before Hiroki could give him something else to do. "I heard an interesting story from a maid... so... I'm off..."
With that, the fashionable constable fled into the luxurious depths of the brothel, leaving Hiroki deep in thought as he shuffled through a large pile of paperwork yet to read. It was already the third day - and the mystery still seemed inpenetrable. Lord Hoshi and the rest had been most helpful - but underneath...
For the first time, Hiroki hesitated...

There are so many undercurrents... Who is hiding what behind these...
Hiroki watched as a familiar, tall, black-haired courtesan swept by, smelling invitingly of scents and hot water - thin fabrics clinging to long shapely legs and a straight back. The aloof man turned a little to look down at the constable as he passed, his dark eyes flickering over Hiroki and the piles of paper. But his face was unreadable, oval, pale and beautiful - the makeup and long eyelashes creating the face of a goddess even to Hiroki's jaded eyes...
He couldn't help but wonder...

What is hiding behind these masks.
-
"So... going over this again," Tsunehito sighed, rubbing his head as he scrawled ink along the pages tiredly. "You were... drunk... like most people... and you were staggering around the place..."

"Going to my room on the third floor."

"..... room... on... third floor...." quoted the constable. "And you stopped at the second floor landing..."

"I felt like throwing up," explained the witness helpfully.

He was a short man with his hair done up in a stylish top knot, his squat, brown face lined with marks from the sun. A merchant on a short in-between ports holiday.

"Indeed," Tsunehito sighed.

This is getting... really... repetitive... was there anybody NOT drunk at this place last night? Other than Lord Yasume being dead???
"So you were drunk and feeling the worse for it - and were on your way to the room when... you... stopped at the second landing and saw two men outside Lord Yasume's bedroom?"

"Yes."

"I see... and they looked like???"

"One was tall and dark-haired.... I think... and the other one was... short... maybe... yeah... shorter than the tall one... at least shorter than him... yeah... and he was... brown haired? No... lighter perhaps???? I can't remember?"

"You can't remember?"

"Well... I was dizzy - my eyes were none too good at that point..."

"How can blind-drunks be walking around so easily in this place?" grumbled Tsunehito to himself, remembering Hide-zou's account. "And then?" he prompted.

"Well... that's it... I kept climbing... thought nothing of it... but... I was thinking... perhaps they saw Lord Yasume? Or maybe... saw something... so I mentioned to the maid this morning about it - and she said to talk to you... so..."

"So... you think you saw two people talking outside his bedroom... but they could have been there for a walk... or just happened to pass by each other... and you're not sure who they were exactly... you didn't recognize them?"

"No. No... well... Second floor... is... for the higher ups... I figured they were just the high-end prostitutes... I remember them... being real pretty... but... after I got to my room, my servants had found a girl and more wine so..." The merchant petered off.

"Common enough in this place," murmured Tsunehito, going back to his writing. "I might ask around... Thank you for taking your time in telling me this."

"I dunno if it's helpful... just thought you should know..."

"Yes, yes... things like this... I like to know..."

"Good, good," the merchant brightened. "I'll let you know if I remember anything else."

"Sure, sure... don't strain yourself," Tsunehito smiled bitterly as he rose.
But as he left the homey room of the merchant, Tsunehito's face sobered up - as he forgot his regrets over his occupation and his inability to really enjoy himself.

Somebody had left something out...
Asagi...
Lord Ruiza...
Those two... surely...
-
It was in the gardens that Tsunehito found Asagi, Lord Ruiza and Hide-zou underneath a tree having a small, quiet, cultured tea party. They all looked guilty when the constable approached - no doubt talking about the crime and the investigation, Tsunehito smirked. Or slandering the dead. A few of the young courtesans rose gracefully and offered the constable a seat. He nodded, bowed to the Lord and as carefully as he could, sat, hoping that like Asagi, he looked equally calm, cool and collected.

Not really, the constable thought regretfully, as he eyed Asagi's uncrumpled silk and the smooth hands neatly folded in his lap around a small tea cup.

It's not like my job is to sit around all day...
Damn him...
-
Hide-zou could see the young constable was miffed - so he said nothing. Twenty minutes ago, he had gone in search for Tsunehito and found instead Hiroki, buried in Lord Yasume's journal. It made the samurai apprehensive - the fact that the constables had so easily gotten their hands on the thoughts of the dead aristocrat.

Kami knows what he's written... sighed Hide-zou.
Still... at least Hiroki no longer thinks Lord Hoshi is a suspect... Although... That makes things harder for us now...
"I just need to ask a few more questions," Tsunehito said with a small smile, accepting an offered cup of tea with a sweet tilt to his head. He smoothed one of his curls and looked demurely at Lord Ruiza and Asagi.
Asagi raised a delicate eyebrow.
"More..."
Lord Ruiza frowned just a little.
"I thought... you had found the suspect."

"So did we," Tsunehito said with mock regret. "But... the case won't hold without further details ironed out... I could ask you here - or in private."

"Here is fine," the Lord said quickly, glancing at Asagi. "We have nothing to hide," he smiled.

"That's good to hear," replied Tsunehito with equal smoothness. "It's about that... night..."
Asagi leaned forward, placing his tea cup down carefully on a tray.
"Yes?" he asked simply, drawing an enviable purple rose stole around him closely.
Tsunehito tore his eyes away from the fabric and glared at his now VERY crumpled sheets of paper.
"It appears that a witness - who admits to be being rather drunk - saw people with descriptions rather similar to you two outside the Lord Yasume's bedroom late at night. Talking? Walking? He can't say... do you have anything to say about that?"
Hide-zou's eyebrows rose as he sipped his tea.

Outside his bedroom, hm. So that... makes... sense...
"Outside of his bedroom?" Lord Ruiza blinked then shrugged, giving a light laugh. "I think we went for a walk at one point... just a stretch really..."

"But we never left each other's company at any time," Asagi added gravely. "Perhaps we paused several times in the hallway... but... I don't remember seeing Lord Yasume at any point in time... do you?"

Lord Ruiza shook his head and looked at the constable who was scribbling fiercely.

"I find this hard to understand - why you would take the word of some drunk over ours..."

"It's not..." Tsunehito sighed, feeling like a cad. "We just have to cover all of our bases. In a brothel this size, it's hard to pin down anyone..."

"That I can believe," snorted Hide-zou.
Asagi gave the samurai a look and then turned back to the constable.
"I'm sorry... That's all we can say..."
Tsunehito rose and stowed away his papers and carryable ink and brush.
"No, the apologies are mine. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day," he bowed and edged away, feeling more and more like an ogre by the minute.
He turned and left them sitting there - the three men, all relaxed in their bathrobes under the blossoms of the tree. A picture of youth, beauty... and...
To the constable's fancy, it seemed ethereal - as if the moment were about to disappear any minute...

And it will, he realized. When this mystery is solved, no one will be the same - will look the same... because the truth will bring out the darkness in all of us and examine it...
He moved down the small hill - and his ears caught the gentle laughter that followed him.
"Yes... charmingly provincial... don't you think?" Asagi was saying.

What am I thinking? Tsunehito thought sourly. Beauty and youth indeed... Bastards all of them... Bastards...
-
"I refuse to talk to him again," Tsunehito deadpanned later on that day.
The sun was now sinking fast - the noon having swiftly turned darker as the afternoon went by. After having an interesting talk with the servants of Lord Yasume, Tsunehito had gone in search of his older partner. Hiroki was in a booth on the first floor, enjoying a small pot of tea and some mochi. Tsunehito felt even more annoyed by his partner's small enjoyments. He loomed over Hiroki and glared at the green tea.
"Tsunehito... it's just a prostitute... how bad can it be?"

"Have you talked to Asagi before?" the young constable asked his older partner flatly. "It's like... talking to the wind - or to the sea..."
Hiroki raised an eyebrow at Tsunehito.
"Been listening to the biwa one too many times, now have we?"

"We haven't been listening to anything good all day long," retorted Tsunehito crossly. "It's been drunkards and assholes - for the whole afternoon. People drunk. People think they see things... People thinking they heard things... the amount of stories that are created in this place rivals the Emperor's library, I am sure..."

"Now, now -"

"No 'now, now'. You go talk to Asagi if you want to find out what his relationship was like with Lord Yasume. I'm not going to be the one asking him a question like that."
Hiroki blinked.
"It's not that hard of a question, really."

"No?" Tsunehito replied a little shrilly. "How do you ask a courtesan like Asagi 'have you been raped lately'?"

"Welll..."

"You see? And you know, you don't have to ask him to verify it. Ask the servant girls - they'll tell you the many times that Lord Yasume came through - he left the pretty bastard aching more than once - let me tell you."
The older man pinched the bridge of his nose and huffed. Running his hands through now wild, dark hair, Hiroki leaned back.
"You don't have to talk about it like that..."

"How else are you going to talk about it?" Tsunehito plopped down on a seat across from his partner. He tossed his now really filled sheaf of papers onto the table. "Everyone knows this. And nobody has talked about it - not even the owner. Why?"

"Well..."

"We all know why. It's not done. In a place like this - nobody talks about something like that. It's faux pas..."

"But rape is rape is rape..." Hiroki said, his face red. "It's... scandalous how this goes on..."

"Lord Yasume... is a lord..." Tsunehito deadpanned. "What he pays for is control and the right to - put it bluntly..."

"No, no," Hiroki sighed. "You don't have to spell it out. The servant girls told you he often left Asagi in a bad state."

"He'd be bedridden for a couple days after Lord Yasume's stay."

"So a perfect motive for Asagi to kill him."

"Or any of Asagi's other admirers who might be jealous..."

"Or one of the staff..."

"Yeah..." Tsunehito sighed. "It's impossible to pin this down. Besides... Lord Ruiza was with Asagi for most of the night. And... Lord Akita was with Asagi in the early part of evening. The only chance Asagi had was in between the two Lords and that was spent listening to the brother fight... for that small time..." He shook his head.

"But if Asagi did manage to squeeze some time in - AFTER the brother left..."
"He couldn't have," a new voice put in.
The two constables looked up to see Hide-zou lounging in front of them, face slack with signs of drink. Scratching his head, the samurai looked thoughtful.
"During my roving drunk stage -"

Hiroki's eyebrows rose as he reread Tsunehito's scribblings.

"- I just remembered this morning - that during my one walk - I noticed Asagi outside Lord Ruiza's door... he must have gotten there earlier..."

"You were stalking Asagi?" Tsunehito blinked.

"Not really... I saw him and thought to approach him..."

"How fortunate for me," a smooth voice interjected.

"Oh... it's you..." Hide-zou waved hazily at the courtesan in question. "Fancy that."

"Indeed," replied Asagi softly, his dark hair falling forward to mask his face. He brushed the long hair back and smiled at the two constables. "How goes the investigation?"

"You're the suspect now," Hide-zou smirked.
Asagi coughed demurely.
"How sad for me..."

"But... I saw you... so..." Hide-zou shrugged and grinned lopsidedly, ignoring Asagi's suspicious glance.

"You can't have had time then..." Hiroki sighed regretfully, making a note.

"Well... no..." Asagi smiled. "I was... rather..."

"Busy that night?" prompted Tsunehito with a tiny bit of malice.

"As usual."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Quality goes with Quality, Tsunehito-san. And trash with the trash. I would think you'd realize that -"

"Oh I do. Very much so."
Both men settled to a tiny glaring contest before Asagi turned away.
"If you wish to talk to me some more -"

"Or arrest you," Tsunehito interjected.

"You will find me available in Lord Ruiza's room," continued the courtesan without skipping a beat. "I'm sure Hiroki-san will understand."

"Oh yes," Hiroki folded his arms. "If more evidence comes against you, for certain."

"And as for our brave samurai here," Asagi smiled thinly at Hide-zou. "I'd appreciate being able to fight my own battles. Last time I checked, I didn't need saving from anybody - least of all... you..."
With that, the pale beauty turned away and disappeared in the direction of the stairs - the crowd parted for him almost naturally, making a straight path through to the door.
"Bastard," grumbled Tsunehito. "He's... hiding something..."

"Perhaps," Hiroki agreed. "Most people do... but right now, I'm more concerned about these accounts you brought in... Hide-zou... some questions..."

"What now?" Hide-zou turned back to the table. "I wanted to get a drink."

"The drinks will be there when you get back," Tsunehito retorted sharply. "No fear of that."

"It's these accounts we got. From our sources - people seem to remember you fighting with Lord Yasume over pay or some such thing? Is this true?"

"We had our differences of opinion," Hide-zou shrugged. "I hated his skinflint miserliness... and he was always trying to cut my pay in half... but I protested - I am a samurai and such deserve some respect."

"Fair enough."

"But no, he's a beast... and when he died, I admit that I felt relieved..."

"Indeed..."

"But that is neither here nor there... that doesn't mean I'd find poison and kill him or whatever else you think he died from."
Tsunehito found a cup and poured himself some tea.
"It's the rumour about you having to commit seppuku that I found interesting. He was blackmailing you? Or what? Just pay?"

"Just a matter of pay," repeated Hide-zou, his face turning red at the mention of seppuku. "And the bastard knew that I'd crumble if he demanded that from me..."

"I see..."

"I'd like to investigate this further," Hiroki said coolly. "Until then, stay in the vicinity. If you try to leave the brothel - my men will apprehend you immediately. Do you understand."
Hide-zou sighed.
"Fine. Whatever. It's not like I can go anywhere without Lord Hosh anyways. And besides... here is where the drink is at anyway. If you excuse me, I have an appointment with a bottle."
And with that, the samurai turned away and disappeared into the crowd.
-
Leaning against the panelling of the booth, enjoying the comfortable feel of the pillow beneath him, Tsunehito turned to stare out the darkened windows of the brothel. Outside, night had fallen - rather suddenly to him. So quickly - the day had passed by. And he was exhausted.
There's no way I'm gonna get home tonight, he thought mournfully. Oh well...
"Things have gotten really complicated," Hiroki said thoughtfully, flipping through Tsunehito and his notes.
"Lord Yasume seems to have been a real..."

"Bastard?"

"Mhmmmm... Mean to the servants. Miserly. Cruel to the courtesans here... Had no sense of respect towards his peers and fellow men..."

"In other words," Tsunehito sighed. "Somebody very unlovely. His absence... won't be really missed. If you think about it..."

"Yes. And it makes things worse for us... Lord Ruiza has no motives. He lives nowhere near Lord Yasume. Has never met the man... Asagi has more reason... but no time... and Hide-zou has alot of motive and some time... but... there's Lord Hoshi as well..."

"I think... that...." Tsunehito rose and stretched. "I'm going to sleep on it. Tomorrow is another day for us to look at this again in a fresh light. Who knows? Perhaps something will come to light... like... for example... where did the money go? Is it here? Or did somebody walk off the premises with it?"
Hiroki paused.
"The money... we should trace that..."

"I think an impromptu hunt would be good," Tsunehito yawned. "Tomorrow - first thing in the morning when everyone is still asleep. I'm sure we'll discover something else."

"Agreed," nodded Hiroki. "And tomorrow, I'll try to finish his diary... Perhaps more truths about these people will come to light in it. I'm hoping Lord Yasume wrote a secret down - maybe he knew something - something that a person would kill to hide..."

"Secrets to hide..."
When Tsunehito dreamed that night - all he could see was Asagi's remote face with black holes for eyes. He peeled off his skin and underneath a mutant creature emerged, skin crawling with death worms. And Hide-zou's voice over and over again...
"He's a beast..."
-

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Into The Sun