A young girl of about fourteen years of age was hurrying along a dark alleyway, trying to get home as soon as possible. The alarm on her digital watch went off as eleven o’clock struck. She quickly pressed the button to turn it off, looking anxiously behind her. She fancied footsteps behind her, and felt like she was being followed. She hated going along these roads, even in daylight. It seemed lately that no street in Tokyo was safe, with all the murderers being committed.
She slipped a door key out of her pocket and let herself in. She felt safe, and free. With her parents away on holiday, she could do anything she wanted. She changed into her pyjamas and opened the window in her bedroom slightly, so a cool breeze played over her face as she clambered into bed.
_______________________________________________________
A darkened figure watched the young girl enter her house, and then ran around to the side, trying to peer through the windows of the one storey house until he found her bedroom.
He instantly noted the ajar window, and opened it a crack more, until it was big enough for him to slip through.
_______________________________________________________
The girl felt a heavy weight on her back, and started to panic as her face was forced into her pillow. She tried to turn her head, but received a slap. Already a crime had been committed on her. She desperately struggled to breathe, and was starting to hyperventilate. She attempted to calm herself, realising in the back of her mind that hyperventilating was only going to make it even more difficult for her to draw oxygen. Blood had started to pound in her ears.
She risked raising her head off her pillow a bit as the weight on her back lessened a bit, and she got her first look at her attacker.
He wore an ugly samurai mask, covering his face, and to prevent any hairs from being left behind. He was dressed in a bright orange kimono that looked somewhat familiar.
No, thought the girl, taking in the brightly coloured attire of her intruder. It can’t be him…
The attacker reached on the floor and picked up a katana, and held it menacingly to her throat. The girl noticed that he wore gloves on his hands. The attacker leant forward menacingly.
‘Scream. Go on. I dare you. Scream.’
The voice was so impossibly cold. So deadly. So dangerous. The girl felt paralysed in fear more by the voice than the crimes already inflicted on her. Even more so than the fact that it looked like she was not going to make it through the night.
She drew air into her lungs and started to scream. As soon as she made the tiniest of noises, the katana of the attacker was sliced roughly across her throat. He slit her throat so badly, that he nearly beheaded the girl.
Filled with a sick joy, he raised the katana again and repeatedly stabbed the body of the already dead girl, spilling her blood over her bed sheets, over his own clothes, and over the floor.
_______________________________________________________
The next day, the little girl's next door neighbour called her phone line. No answer.
Maybe she's in the restroom? she thought to herself. I'll give her five minutes. So five minutes passed. She called the line, yet again. Still no answer. The lady began to worry.
‘Maybe I should check on her,’ she said, aloud. So, grabbing her house keys, and putting on a pair of shoes, she made her way out the door, and to the teenagers house.
_______________________________________________________
Before knocking, the lady tried looking through the glass portion of the door. She noticed that nothing was on, and all of the doors were closed.
‘How strange,’ the lady said. She began to knock, but as her knuckles touched the door, it creaked open, eerily. ‘This is... Different,’ the lady said, beginning to feel worried about the girl. She walked in, hesitantly.
‘Hello?’ she called. No answer, yet again. The lady finally made her way to the girls room. She knocked, only to find out this door was closed, securely. ‘Ryoko?’ She called, ‘Are you in there?’ She twisted the door knob to open the door. The lady's nose wrinkled at a strange odour that came from the room. Then, she went into a panic.
‘Blood??’ She walked in the little girls room, further, only to find a murder had taken place. She screamed at the site of the teenager, beheaded, and stabbed to death on her bloody bed. The lady ran to the nearest phone, and called the police office. Tears formed in her eyes, as her shaky hands held up the receiver to her ear. Then, an officer answered the phone. The lady told him the full story, her voice choked with tears and terror, and was informed that the police should be over in 10 minutes. She put the phone back down. She fell to her knees, and wailed, uncontrollably.
‘Oh Ryoko, why'd it have to be you?!’
_______________________________________________________
Half an hour later, the house was swarming with policemen, a few reporters and the chief medical examiner.
The chief medical examiner, a slender woman with shoulder length, slicked black hair stood to one side when she saw the newcomer.
The newcomer was a male, standing tall, straight backed and proud. He ran a hand through his silky black hair, moving it out of his dark eyes.
He was dressed in white, with two red stripes around each cuff, and a red stripe down the outside of both legs. Golden and red dragons were embroidered on the front of his jacket, and a growling tiger’s head on the back. There was a row of gold buttons down the centre of the jacket flanked by another red stripe. The collar on the jacket was a sparkling gold, as were the epaulettes on his shoulders. On his feet were red boots, which were just slightly lower than knee high.
The man walked up to the chief medical examiner, who respectfully bowed her head to him.
‘General Tani,’ she muttered.
‘Good morning, Dr Nakashima Kumiko,’ replied the General sombrely. ‘So, has anybody figured out what has happened here yet?’
‘Not yet,’ replied the doctor. ’I’m just about to go an examine the crime scene now.’
Dr Kumiko entered the house and strolled through to the dead girl’s bedroom. The room was a mess. She felt like her eyes had been dunked in red ink. The bed, the sheets, and the carpet were saturated with blood. Dr Kumiko examined the bed sheets after pulling on a pair of protective gloves. She folded back the sheets, which were stiffening from the coagulated blood that had been spilt on them. She touched everything as little as possible. Something caught her eye. It was a scrap of material. Just a small piece, which was bright orange in colour. She picked it up and turned it over. She went back outside and marched right up to the General.
‘I found something.’
‘What?’
‘Just a scrap of material,’ replied Dr Kumiko. She held it up for him to see.
Tani examined the cloth carefully. Wait a minute, he thought to himself. No, it can't be... That's the same colour as... Tani just shook his head in disbelief. He knew... That he couldn't be responsible for a murder... A murder. He hardly had even enough guts to stand up to Count Takeshi; a man physically and mentally stronger.
Tani followed as the paramedics and Dr Kumiko lifted the body of the dead girl up and helped them place her into a body bag, and followed after them to the morgue. Once they got there, the body was transported onto a portable gurney and wheeled her into the morgue.
Tani met Dr Kumiko minutes later in the autopsy suite, wearing the same biohazard protective clothing as the doctor herself. He watched over her as the doctor awkwardly attempted to lift the body onto the steel table.
‘Here, let me help,’ said Tani, taking hold of the body’s feet whilst Kumiko grabbed the body under the arms.
Dr Kumiko made her way over to the phone on the wall and called another section of the morgue.
‘I need a probing wand,’ she said bluntly. ‘Can you bring it over here soon please?’ Without another word, she hung up and turned back to the body which was still in waiting for her. Not that it matters, she thought to herself. The dead have as much time as they need…
She peeled the body bag off . Kumiko snatched at a nearby camera and started taking pictures of the wounds inflicted on the body. Then she started to make the Y-incision from the scapulas, meeting at the sternum and terminating at the pubis. She forced open the chest cavity, so she could get a view of the body’s vital organs. All the time, the General watched over her.
‘Where’s that strip of material you found?’ he demanded. Kumiko showed him again. He took it from her, holding it carefully in his white gloves hands.
‘I believe that’s more than likely what the killer was wearing at the time,’ stated Kumiko. Tani nodded.
‘Yes, I imagine it probably was.’
The dead girl’s heart and lungs were within normal limits. Her stomach was within normal limits and contained some chicken and rice that she had eaten for dinner. Her digestion had slowed down considerably from the fear caused by her killer.
Another figure came in, carrying something. Kumiko paid him no peed as he set what he was carrying down on the steel table near her and reached for the electricity socket.
‘Here’s the probing wand you wanted, Nakashima,’ replied the man. Dr Kumiko merely nodded, but did not raise her view.
Dr Kumiko took a pair of goggles and handed Tani a pair for them to wear underneath their face masks and flipped the switch as the man exited, plunging both herself and General Tani into darkness and turned on the wand.
‘So what is that?’ asked Tani, looking at the pencil thin oblong object she held in her hand.
‘It’s a probing wand,’ she replied shortly. ‘It’s used to detect fibres and fingerprints.’
She examined inches of naked flesh, picking any fibres that glowed up with forceps and collecting them. So far, no fingerprints had been discovered. She took oral, anal and vaginal swabs from the body and then placed the body into the huge walk in freezer in the next room, with a toe tag, and then took the swabs, along with the fibres and the bloody scrap of material from the crime scene into a different section of the morgue.
Dr Kumiko was stopped before she could hand over the evidence by another man. He seemed to recognise Tani and held out a hand, and bowed respectfully. He introduced himself as Detective Hajime Kaneshiro. The detective and Dr Kumiko talked about the evidence found at the crime scene and showed him the scrap of material. He looked puzzled.
‘No way, that’s not what I think it is,…is it?’ he asked, looking at the doctor and the General in turn.
‘The first thing that I thought when I saw it, was that it was a piece from the bright orange kimono that Sonomanma Higashi wears. The ex-leader of Takeshi’s Emerald Guards.’
Hajime nodded.
‘Yes, that is what I was thinking. I’m glad that somebody else thinks the same. I think I’ll go and pay a visit to Higashi’s house, ask a few questions. Don’t wait up for me,’ he added, giving the doctor a cheeky wink. She sighed and shook her head before turning away, with Tani following her.
_______________________________________________________
Sonomanma Higashi was sitting in front of the television set when he heard a knocking on his front door. He went to answer it and found himself face to face with a rather well built man with a fierce expression. An identity badge was shoved in his face.
‘Detective Hajime Kaneshiro. Do you mind if I have a look around?’
Hajime pushed his way into Sonomanma’s house before he had a chance to reply.
‘Have you heard about the murder that was discovered today? This morning?’ questioned Hajime. Sonomanma gave a solemn nod of his head.
‘Yes. Just awful.’
‘Yup. Do you mind if I have a look around? Especially at your kimonos?’ The detective was being brutally forward. Sonomanma hesitated.
‘Why would you want to have a look at my kimonos?’ he asked, puzzled.
‘I’m going to be straight with you, Higashi,’ started Hajime. Sonomanma swallowed. He felt uneasy. ‘A scrap of material was found at the crime scene this morning when the doctor was having a look around. Thing is, it looked just like a scrap from your kimono. Can I see it please?’
‘Yes, yes, of course,’ replied Sonomanma, still with a sense of unease. Surely the detective did not think he was the murderer?
He led Hajime over to his wardrobe and opened it.
‘Hey -!’ he called out.
‘What?’ asked the detective in a bored voice.
‘My - my kimono! It’s missing. So’s my katana…’ Sonomanma’s voice trailed off.
The detective look suspicious.
‘Hmm, that’s convenient.’ Sonomanma shot him a sharp look. Hajime continued. ‘Last night, a murder was committed. A piece of your kimono was discovered at the scene of the crime. Yet you claim your kimono is missing, along with your katana.’
‘If you’re implying that I committed these murders -’
‘I suppose you might’ve gotten rid of the kimono and katana because they were covered in blood. You couldn’t risk them being discovered.’
‘I don’t appreciate your assumption that it was me that did anything,’ snapped Sonomanma.
The detective motioned for Sonomanma to follow him, and led him outside to the police car.
‘You’re arresting me?’ queried Sonomanma.
‘Well, if you don’t want to think of it as an arrest, just think of it as being taken in for questioning,’ retorted Hajime, with a nasty smirk.
_______________________________________________________
Later that evening, Sonomanma was released temporarily from his cell so the police could question him on his whereabouts. He sat down at a table, which had nothing on it apart from a voice recorder. Detective Kaneshiro entered, followed by General Tani. Sonomanma bristled at the sight of the General.
‘What’s he doing here?’ he snapped. Tani fixed him with an icy gaze.
‘I requested to be here. I can do that, you know.’
Kaneshiro sat down opposite Sonomanma, and Tani next to the detective. Hajime hit the record button. Sonomanma’s eyes followed the fingers as they depressed the button.
‘Interview begun at five past eight,’ stated Hajime, for the recording. ‘Now then, Mr. Higashi, can you please tell me where you were last night?’
‘I was at home, watching TV,’ replied Sonomanma swiftly. Hajime raised one eyebrow.
‘Can anybody else vouch for this? Did you have company?’
‘Uh…no, no, I normally spend my evenings alone.’
Hajime questioned Sonomanma more about what he did during his evening, with General Tani butting in with a few questions of his own. Every few seconds, Sonomanma’s eyes seemed to dart to the tape recorder. Tani seemed to have picked up on the fact that Count Takeshi had not yet realised that one of his counsellors had been taken in for questioning, and was enjoying making Sonomanma sweat. He was certain that the General was taunting.
‘Excuse me,’ interrupted Sonomanma, ‘but I don’t like the way Tani-san seems to be bullying me here.’
Not a hint of expression passed over Tani’s face as Sonomanma accused him of badgering. Detective Kaneshiro held up a hand.
‘Please, if we can continue with the interview please. Right, let’s get to your kimono and katana, which are suddenly…missing.’ The detective placed a nasty inflection on the end of his sentence, which caused Sonomanma to frown angrily. ‘Why did you not call the police when you noticed they had gone?’
‘Because I had both items yesterday!’ protested Sonomanma. ‘It was only when you demanded to see my kimono that I noticed they had been stolen.’
‘Stolen,’ repeated Hajime. ‘Okay…’
‘If I can interrupt things for a minute,’ started Tani. ‘But I was under the impression that Dr Kumiko was meant to be here questioning Sonomanma as well?’ Hajime shrugged.
‘She was. Couldn’t make it. She had another case come in at the last minute and couldn’t put it off, so she had to miss the interrogation here.’
Sonomanma felt slightly relieved. Knowing that he had missed being questioned by another person who would most likely badger and bully him was a relief.
Detective Kaneshiro kept on questioning Sonomanma for ages afterwards. General Tani seemed to have little else to say.
‘Interview terminated at ten minutes to nine,’ stated Hajime as he pressed the ‘record’ button again to stop the tape. ‘You are to spend a night in the cells tonight, but you can leave tomorrow morning, right?’
Sonomanma nodded. The detective led him back to his cell, but not before he and General Tani exchanged one lingering, dirty look.
_______________________________________________________
A week after Sonomanma was released from his overnight stay in a prison cell, the same, kimono clad figure was stalking through the night. Searching for a new victim…
______________________________________________________________
Nakashima was roused from her sleep, by the phone on her bedside table ringing loudly. She glanced at her clock. It was five minutes past ten.
‘Dr Kumiko,’ she answered, sleepily. It was Detective Kaneshiro on the other end.
‘Another body has been found. Tani’s already here, but when you arrive, can you bring Count Takeshi with you? I think he should see this as well.’
Hajime gave the doctor the address of the latest victim’s house and then hung up, leaving Nakashima cursing to a dial tone about having to pick up the Count.
She quickly made herself look presentable and then leapt into her car and sped over to where the Count resided. Five minutes after that, they had arrived at the scene of the latest crime. The Count rushed over to Detective Kaneshiro.
‘What’s going on? Why have you called me out at this time in the morning?’ he demanded angrily. Kaneshiro looked past the Count and at Dr Kumiko, who was coming up behind.
‘You wanna go do your thing?’ he asked. She gave him a sharp glare.
‘Like I have a choice.’
_______________________________________________________
Dr Kumiko froze. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the body in the blood spattered room.
‘Oh my God,’ she muttered.
She recognised the long red wig that had been thrown carelessly across the room, and knew why Count Takeshi had been ordered to come and have a look as well. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around to find herself face to face with General Tani. Hajime was walking behind him.
‘Kibaji Tankobo,’ whispered Tani. ‘At least, it looks vaguely like him.’
‘It is, I’m sure of it,’ replied Kumiko, snapping on a pair of gloves. She walked across to the other side of the room and gingerly picked up the red wig. ‘This is his.’
Tani carefully stepped through the mayhem to join her. He spotted something in the corner of his eye. He went over and crouched down, beckoning to Kumiko, who picked it up.
‘It’s another scrap of material,’ she said, turning it over in her white gloved hands.
‘Sonomanma,’ added the General, voicing what Kumiko was thinking in a low growl. ‘He’s done it again.’
Count Takeshi was listening to the pairs’ low conversation, but said nothing in regards to the comment about his counsellor. Instead, he kept an angry, tight lipped expression.
Tani stood up and got out of the way as Kumiko exited the room to start carrying the body out.
_______________________________________________________
Tani and Takeshi were forced to wait together whilst Dr Kumiko finished the autopsy in the afternoon. Tani yawned. He had been awake for too long. Kumiko’s assistant came out of the autopsy suite with a copy of the report that Kumiko had written. Takeshi hastily beckoned him over, and snatched the report.
‘Jesus, it is Kibaji. Some sicko killed him. Did to him what happened to that girl.’
Tani was sure that a green tinge was spreading over the Count’s face. Dr Kumiko herself came out of the autopsy suite and Tani walked over to her.
‘Well?’ he asked.
‘His internal organs were within normal limits. It’s always the same. Within normal limits, within normal limits, within normal limits. Always. Again, there was still food contained in his stomach. Like in the previous cases, his digestion must have slowed down considerably in his fear. We also found anal tunnelling, a sign of homosexual activity.’
‘Kibaji was gay? I always thought he was straight. But then, you’d have to ask Takeshi,’ replied Tani.
‘We discovered seminal fluid, as well. So if Kibaji was gay, then he must’ve had a…visitor over before the attacker came, no pun intended. Either that, or Kibaji was raped.’
Tani cursed under his breath. Takeshi had been listening in to Tani’s and Kumiko’s conversation.
‘There was no way that he was gay. No way. Not at all.’
‘Then he must have been raped, Count,’ stated Kumiko. Takeshi shot her a furious look.
‘There is no way that Kibaji would let anything like that happen, you stupid woman. Do you understand? There was no way he was raped.’
‘Count Takeshi, sir,’ started the doctor in a soothing tone. ‘He had anal tunnelling. There was presence of seminal fluid. Since you have already said that he was straight, there is only one realistic solution to how that could have gotten there. Rape.’
‘What is Detective Kaneshiro doing?’ queried Tani, before Takeshi could make a retort.
‘He’s going back to Higashi’s place.’
_______________________________________________________
Sonomanma went to open the door with a feeling of dread when he heard the insistent, loud knocking. Hajime Kaneshiro was on the other side of the door, with a wide grin on his face. He roughly grabbed Sonomanma and handcuffed him.
‘Sonomanma Higashi, you are under arrest on suspicion of the murder of Kibaji Tankobo. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence when questioned in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’
Higashi kept deadly silent all the time whilst he was roughly shoved into the police car and driven to that station. To his surprise, Count Takeshi was already at the station, waiting for him.
‘Count Takeshi! Tell this idiot will you, that I had nothing to do with this murder! Please!’ screamed Sonomanma. The detective gave him an interested look.
‘Why would Takeshi know anything like that?’
‘I spent all day with him. Please, tell them Count!’
Takeshi shook his head.
‘I have nothing to say. This is the first time that I’ve seen you, Higashi.’
Kaneshiro took off the handcuffs and started to direct Sonomanma to one of the cells. He struggled in the detective’s arms, all the while screaming at Takeshi.
‘Tell them the truth, Count! You know I didn’t do it! Tell them the truth!’
He continued to fight with the detective, and realising that Takeshi was not going to come to his aide, he panicked.
‘I’m sorry, Higashi. But I won’t lie to save your murderous skin.’
Sonomanma managed to break free and slammed the detective into a wall, rendering him unconscious. He burst through the doors of the police station and ran as fast as he could manage.
______________________________________________________________
General Tani’s Corporal, a young woman was sitting in front of the television, when she heard a sound coming from her bedroom. Curious, she went in to see what was causing it, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the ugly samurai mask, and the orange kimono. The figure forced himself in through her window.
‘Don’t scream. Or I’ll kill you right now. Understand?’
The woman just about managed to nod her head. She did not think that she would be able to scream if she tried. She was frozen solid in her fear.
_______________________________________________________
Her screams sounded once, loudly, and reached the ears of her neighbours who were walking home. As they listened, the terrifying shriek was abruptly cut off. One of her neighbours took out his phone and dialled the police.
_______________________________________________________
‘I said don’t scream, bitch!’ hissed the masked figure. ‘If anybody heard that…’
He had forced her into her bedroom and sliced off her clothes with the katana, taking care not to handle the fabric too much, despite he was gloved. He had forced himself inside her roughly, which had caused her to scream. He clambered off her, breathing heavily in his anxiety. He grasped the katana, and held it above her chest. The blade rose and lowered repeatedly, in and out of raw flesh.
The front door burst open, and Detective Kaneshiro, Count Takeshi, General Tani and one of the Count’s Emerald Guards, Kanata Ishimata forced themselves into the house.
Kaneshiro whipped out a pistol and held it level with the murderer’s head, who had stopped. He had dropped the bloody katana in his surprise.
‘Take off that mask!’ the detective screeched. ‘Take it off right Goddamn now!’
The murderer raised his hands to his face and lowered the mask. Sonomanma Higashi stared out at them. Tears were rolling down his face. He dropped the mask to the ground, as misery engulfed him. His shoulders heaved as, great, racking sobs swept over him.
‘I didn’t want to do it…’ he muttered.
Sonomanma raises his eyes to Takeshi, who was looking at him with an expression that was a mix of amazement and disappointment. Sonomanma stared at him, boring into the Count’s eyes, trying to make him understand.
‘I didn’t want to do it!’
Kanata Ishimata stepped forwards. He tsk-tsked under his breath, and shaking his head as he stepped closer to Sonomanma.
‘So it was you who has been committing all these murders. The police actually got the right man first time. Good for them. I hope you like prison life Higashi. You’re going to be living that lifestyle for a long while.’
Something inside Sonomanma’s mind snapped.
‘Own up to it, Kanata! It’s you! You’re just putting the blame onto me! Confess to what you did! You killed the first two! You put me up to this murder!’
Kanata just laughed openly in Sonomanma’s face. Hajime stopped Sonomanma from attacking him.
‘You really are under arrest this time,’ he whispered, giving Sonomanma a dirty look.
_______________________________________________________
Sonomanma was unceremoniously thrown into a cell, with the door slammed shut. He collapsed into the small bed, and buried his face into his hands. He knew now that he was going to have to wait for court.
_______________________________________________________
General Tani finally made his way back home. He was exhausted. It had been a long day. The most tedious had been listening to Count Takeshi’s statement that had been recorded after Sonomanma had ran from the police after knocking out Hajime. All it had been was Takeshi saying that he had not seen Sonomanma all day, nearly repeatedly. That was all the Count had to say. ‘He wasn’t with me. I hadn’t seen him all day. Can I go yet? I’ve nothing more to say.’
He slipped off his jacket and set it down on the back of a chair and rolled his shoulders. They ached dully. He removed his boots and lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, whilst his eyelids drooped.
Just as he slipped into sleep, he felt a hand tightly grasp his jaw. His eyes shot open. He was suddenly wide awake. A masked figure wearing a bright orange kimono was standing over him. The point of Sonomanma’s katana dug lightly into Tani’s throat.
Molten waves of fear washed over the General. How did he get out? he thought. Tani shifted his weight uncomfortably.
‘You move…’ warned Sonomanma.
That voice…
Tani naturally recognised the voice, but there was some subtle error, that he had almost missed in his paralysing fear. Sonomanma jerked the General up and made a slit in his clothing, so his shirt was half hanging off him. Tani knew exactly what Sonomanma was going to do. He remembered the girl, Ryoko. He remembered Kibaji. The room, every inch of the walls, the floor, even parts of the ceiling, heavily coated on blood. The bed sheets, stiffening as the crimson fluid started to coagulate. Tani remembered Kibaji’s wig that had been carelessly tossed aside. What was Sonomanma going to toss aside of his?
Sonomanma was going to end up ripping off every item of clothing he was wearing, before forcing himself inside. Tani was unable to move. He could barely breathe. He felt choked. Blood was pounding away, roaring in his ears. His tongue seemed to fill up his entire mouth, suffocating him.
‘Don’t do this,’ he managed to mutter. The point of the katana, the very tip, was thrust closer to his neck, to his jugular vein. He could feel the kiss of the icy steel against his throat.
‘Don’t say a word!’ hissed that same, venomous voice. Tani was struggling to think, to work out what was wrong. There was something about Sonomanma’s voice. If only he could keep Sonomanma talking, he might be able to figure out what the small error was.
Sonomanma placed his hands on Tani’s trousers. Before he could even so much as think about completing his move, Tani suddenly lashed out. He caught Sonomanma squarely in the abdomen with his foot, and winded him. Caught by surprise, Sonomanma rolled off Tani’s bed and onto the floor.
Tani leapt off the end of the bed and sought desperately for his own weapon. He spied his own katana laying on the floor, where he had left it, not being bothered to put it away.
Thank God I was so careless that day, he thought, as he snatched it up.
The two men faced each other. Tani had started to breath deeply, in his fear. But he was determined not to let it show. Sonomanma was also breathing more heavily than necessary, after the initial winding he received.
Tani leapt out of the way as Sonomanma lunged for him. Tani quickly turned on his heel and thrust. The blade of his katana was deflected. Sonomanma raised one foot and kicked Tani’s katana clean out of his hand. He fumbled for it as it fell to the floor, but then felt the freezing cold steel of Sonomanma’s weapon at his own throat again.
‘Get onto the bed,’ ordered Sonomanma. Tani gave him a dirty look.
‘Why don’t you make me,’ he challenged. Something flashed in Sonomanma’s eyes, through the mask.
Sonomanma swung one fist and caught Tani in the collarbone, just under his neck. The General emitted a choking noise, and backed off a bit, struggling to breathe. Sonomanma pushed him back, onto the bed. Tani fought and struggled with him. There was no way he was going to let Sonomanma get away with what he was attempting to do. Tani punched Sonomanma in the jaw, and then embedded his other fist into Sonomanma’s stomach, winding him for a second time. He forced Sonomanma off, and threw him onto the floor. The back of Sonomanma’s head struck the floor loudly. Tani winced from the sound. He stood in front of Sonomanma, towering over him.
As Sonomanma swiftly raised himself off the floor, he and Tani grabbed each other by the shoulders. They pushed against each other, Sonomanma trying to get Tani back on the bed again so he could finish his attack, and Tani resisting with all his might. Sonomanma grabbed a handful of Tani’s hair and threw the General bodily away from him. Tani slammed into a wall and slid down it, feeling light headed, as though he was about to fall unconscious.
Sonomanma walked slowly over to where the crumpled General sat, and held a hand to his throat. He dragged Tani up, nearly throttling him in the process, and held him against the wall. Tani’s face was only millimetres away from the hideous samurai mask. Sonomanma rested his hands on Tani’s waistband again, and started to pull, when Tani sharply raised one knee. Sonomanma emitted a startled, and pained gasp, and staggered away. Tani shoved him with all his might, and knocked him over. Sonomanma was almost instantly on his feet again. Tani grabbed the first thing to hand - a lampshade - and swung it at Sonomanma’s head. This time, when he fell, he was unconscious.
Still feeling slightly stunned, Tani dropped the lampshade and slowly made his way over to the phone and dialled the police. Within five minutes, Detective Kaneshiro was at the house, and looking at the slumped figure of Sonomanma on Tani’s bedroom floor. He scratched his head.
‘I don’t understand it.’
‘What?’ asked General Tani.
‘I checked the cells before I went home, and Sonomanma was locked up. There was policemen all over the place. How the hell could he have escaped?’
‘I don’t know, but he certainly seemed to have managed it,’ snapped Tani impatiently.
He walked briskly over to Sonomanma’s slumped figure and was about to unmask him, when Hajime stopped him.
‘Dr Kumiko received the call as well. I’d let her do that, if I were you,’ remarked the detective.
She arrived minutes later, and instantly handed Detective Kaneshiro her crime scene suitcase, and was tugging on a pair of gloves. She took one look at Tani and then looked at Sonomanma. She felt his pulse.
‘He’s still alive. When you bludgeoned him with that lampshade - at least, I’m assuming that’s what you did -’ she added, eyeing the shards, ‘- you didn’t kill him.’
‘Somehow I’m under the impression that’s to my advantage.’
She gently took off the mask - and gasped when she saw the face underneath. The unconscious figure was not Sonomanma Higashi, like everybody had suspected, but it was the man whom he was yelling at when arrested - Kanata Ishimata.
_______________________________________________________
The following day, after Count Takeshi had been notified of his Emerald Guard, Kanata being arrested, he appeared outside the police station. He threw open the doors and marched straight in, immediately demanding to speak to Detective Hajime Kaneshiro.
‘I’m sorry, sir, but he is -’
‘Right now!’ snapped Takeshi.
The woman he had screamed at looked momentarily flustered and dashed off to find Hajime.
‘I’d like to change my statement,’ stated Takeshi, as soon as Detective Kaneshiro came over to him.
‘Why would you want to do that?’ asked the detective, suspiciously.
‘Because…’ hesitated Takeshi, ‘I lied the first time round. I want to come clean.’
‘You do realise that lying to the police is a serious felony, don’t you sir? And Count or not, I can still arrest you for it.’
‘Yes, I know, but unless I do this, my conscious will not be clear.’
Detective Kaneshiro sighed. Why can’t they just tell the truth the first time round? he thought.
‘Come on then,’ he said, leading the Count onwards.
He closed the door behind Takeshi, and sat down in the seat opposite him. As he did when questioning Sonomanma, he hit the ‘record’ button, and the tape started.
‘Interview begun at twenty minutes past twelve. Present are myself, Detective Hajime Kaneshiro, and Count Takeshi Kitano. Do please start, Count.’
Count Takeshi took a deep breath and started to confess all.
‘That day, when you tried to arrest him. When he said that he was with me all day, he was telling the truth. He had been with me for most of the day. He could not have committed that murder.’
‘And why did you not tell me this before?’ asked Hajime, leaning forwards. He clasped his hands together and placed his index fingers over his lips in a thoughtful fashion.
‘I was threatened, by Kanata.’
‘Now, I find this extraordinary. Somewhat difficult to believe,’ replied Kaneshiro. ‘You are the head of the Emerald Guards, yet one of them had the nerve, the temerity, to threaten his boss?’
_______________________________________________________
Count Takeshi was standing in his doorway, saying goodbye to Sonomanma. He waved to his counsellor and started to close the door, but it would not shut. Looking down, he saw a foot had wedged itself in the way. Kanata appeared into sight. He forced himself through the door.
‘Was that Sonomanma I saw leaving?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ replied the Count, looking somewhat bemused.
‘How long has he been here?’ demanded Kanata.
‘I really don’t think that’s any of your -’
‘Tell me!’
‘All day.’
Something flashed across Kanata’s face. He paced in the Count’s living room, obviously thinking hard. Takeshi started to speak, but Kanata held up a hand to silence him.
‘The police are going to be asking you questions soon. About Sonomanma. They’re going to ask where he was. Do you know what you’re going to say?’
‘I’ll tell them the truth, of course. He was here all day.’
‘No, wrong answer, Count. You will tell them that you haven’t seen him. He didn’t come here today, do you understand?’
‘And what does it matter to you what I say? Are you involved in any wa -’
Count Takeshi tailed off mid word, as Kanata drew a katana from the folds of his clothing. He held it level with Takeshi’s jugular vein.
‘If you really have to know, then it was me. I’m the murderer.’
‘You’ve been framing Sonomanma! All this time everybody thought it was him, and it wasn’t! It…was you!’
‘Yes. So if you tell them that Sonomanma was here, then they’ll know that he couldn’t have committed that crime. And if that happens, I’ll come back. I’ll do everything to you that I have done before. I have no aversion to raping other men. Do you understand me?’
‘Yes,’ replied Takeshi, softly. Kanata noted that this was the most docile the Count had been.
Kanata lowered the katana again, after pressing it into Takeshi’s throat lightly, acting as a warning.
_______________________________________________________
Count Takeshi looked up, after retelling his recollection of Kanata’s threat.
‘So you reckon he would’ve done it, then? Had you told us the truth the first time round?’ asked Detective Kaneshiro.
‘Yes. I’m sure of it,’ replied the Count. ‘He looked like he meant business. He wasn’t going to fool around.’
_______________________________________________________
Sonomanma was sitting on the edge of his bed, deep in thought. How had things gotten like this? He was an innocent man, locked up. Well, I’m innocent compared to Kanata, he thought bitterly. I only killed one person…And that was through force…
He thought about how Kanata had forced him into these murders. Since then, he realised who was framing him. If only there was some evidence to prove his innocence, that it was Kanata who did all the rape murders. But it looked hopeless. The door to his cell opened, revealing the figure of Detective Kaneshiro. Sonomanma could feel himself bristle at the sight of the policeman.
‘Come on you, interview time.’
Sonomanma was sat in the seat that Count Takeshi was in, just moments before. When the tape started recording, Kaneshiro started his interrogation.
‘Count Takeshi has given us evidence to suggest that you didn’t murder Kibaji Tankobo. He came forwards and told us that you spent all day with him. So therefore you were in his company when the murder was committed. What do you say to that?’
‘Apart from “I told you so”, you mean?’
‘Don’t get smart with me. Alright?’ snapped Hajime. ‘So, Kanata has not yet been spoken to, so we never know, he may admit to all the murders. He may not. He may just say that he murdered Kibaji and attempted to kill Tani. We don’t know. What have you got to say about the other murders? Let’s start with the one we caught you at. What was going on there?’
‘That was the only one I did! I swear!’
‘I should imagine you do,’ interrupted Hajime.
‘That was not what I meant, Detective. Honest to God, when you arrested me, that was the only murder I tried to commit. The others were Kanata.’
The detective leant forwards again, and took the same pose he did when questioning Takeshi.
‘So why just this one?’
‘I was forced into it. Kanata manipulated me, bullied me. He said that I would be next. I would never do anything like that, I honestly wouldn’t! The thought of it sickens me…’
‘So did you rape Tani’s Corporal? Before brutally murdering her, that is?’ asked Kaneshiro.
‘…Yes…’ replied Sonomanma, after hesitating. He sighed. ‘I did. I didn’t want to though! If Kanata found out that I didn’t no exactly what he did, he’d kill me! The only reason I did any of this was because he threatened me! Honest! You’ve got to believe me!’
‘Um, excuse me, Mr Kaneshiro?’
The detective turned in his seat to look at the woman who just entered.
‘I just got this statement from Kanata Ishimata. He says that he did all the murders bar the one that Mr Higashi was arrested at. He said that Sonomanma was innocent.’
Sonomanma could hardly believe his ears. He was going to be released! Kanata had admitted to all of it!
‘Alright, fine. I guess you’re innocent, Higashi. Since Ishimata confessed to it all. You’ll need to stay overnight, and then we can decide what happens to you in the morning.’
_______________________________________________________
In the early hours of the morning, somebody broke into Sonomanma’s cell, and viciously woke him up. It was Kanata.
A furious half an hour later, Kanata slithered out of Sonomanma’s bed and dressed. He looked down at the sobbing man in contempt. Sonomanma was stark naked, covered only by the sheets that had been ripped so angrily off him half an hour before.
Just before he left, Kanata leant down and whispered into Sonomanma’s ear:
‘You’ll never be rid of me.’
THE END
