Chapter Text
The sunlight had already seeped in through the windows by the time she woke up.
In a daze, Sandrone took a glance around the familiar room she was in while enduring the repercussions of drinking too much alcohol, which was mainly a headache. Ugh, great.
Strangely, though, it’s not as bad as she expected. Usually, whenever she drank this badly, the pain afterward was more loathsome than this.
Looking around the room, she suddenly saw someone, an angelic figure etched deep in her memory. Columbina, in her bedwear, is sleeping beside her. Sandrone’s eyes widened as her mind conjured things about what could have happened last night between them. These imaginary events made her face go crimson as she immediately jolted up and rolled off the bed.
Ouch… Realizing what just transpired, it felt ridiculous to be this flustered as both of them were already adults. To save face, she warily got back on the bed.
Sandrone’s sudden actions stirred her bedmate up as she also gradually woke up. Columbina’s closed eyes remained still as her hand stretched to the side, seemingly searching for something.
“!!!”
Upon touching Sandrone’s thigh, Columbina’s hand stopped and relaxed.
“Yo-you!!! What are you doing! Why are you here?!”
“Sandrone, this is my room.”
“!!!”
Her mind froze as she once again looked around the room and confirmed that statement. Then, she carefully recalled what happened yesterday. Simultaneously, Columbina was also recounting things from her own point of view.
“I suddenly got a call from your friend, she told me that you wanted me to take you home. Being your one and only closest, I instantly obliged.” She felt that something was wrong with that sentence, but since her mind is still hazy, she couldn’t exactly muster up the energy to think further.
“Then, Lauma and I picked you up from karaoke and brought you here. You… don’t remember what happened?”
The last thing I remember is passing out on a couch after requesting Furina to call Bina. Did we do something?!
She looked at both of their states. Columbina’s clothes did not have a single wrinkle on them nor was there a scratch on her skin. Her own clothes stayed exactly the same as yesterday’s. Faced with Sandrone’s sudden silence, the singer seemed to have an idea of what she was thinking, and laughed.
“Although I would want that to have happened as well, no, it did not. You slept all the way before even being laid here.”
“Yo-you, what are you saying…”
“I prefer something to have happened between us, my dearest.”
“Huh?!!?”
Seeing that smirk, Sandrone gradually calmed down.
Tsk, she’s teasing me again. She just woke up, for goodness’ sake!
“Do you do this for just any friend you have? I mean, Columbina, letting someone into your personal quarters just like this can be dangerous.”
“I will only do this for you, Sandrone.” Her formal declaration, combined with that serious and determined face, left Sandrone feeling hot once again.
Hmph! As if. Who would believe you?
Certainly not her. “Whatever, I owe you one on this, Bina. When did you even get back? I swear you were in another country just last week.”
“Mmm, I got back just yesterday. My team was invited to perform in a fundraising event for the HVA company, just two months from now.”
Upon hearing the name, she immediately became agitated. “HVA?! Bina, I advise you to cancel this.”
“Why?” The singer’s head tilted slightly, thrown by Sandrone’s sudden flip in demeanor.
“That, uh, is something I can’t tell you for now…” It’s too dangerous. That company housed those three executives. It was akin to walking into a lion’s den!
“Hmmm, then I can’t really comply with your request, detective. Sorry.” Being shut down, and rightfully so, Sandrone only took a deep breath to calm herself.
Surely, they wouldn’t be so despicable as to do something bad at a fundraising event?
In a rare moment of solemnity from the detective, Sandrone warned the singer.
“Columbina, be careful out there. Please.”
“Yes~”
Said warning did not faze Columbina in the slightest. Sandrone wanted to get angry at this, be frustrated even by just a bit. But she can’t. She knows she’s being unreasonable here.
“K, fine. Don’t want my advice? Whatever, then. Not like I care.”
With Columbina not taking me seriously, what could I even do? It would suck if something happened, sure. But it is what it is…
…
Deep inside, her heart silently swore another.
I will ensure the songstress's safety.
Columbina will not get hurt.
Two months later
A middle-aged man dressed in a suit is currently giving a speech on a stage up front. The audience, composed of patrons of varying social positions—vieilles fortunes and nouveaux riches—mirrored the fine dress code for the occasion.
“To my dearest friends, who have gathered here tonight at this auspicious event, I welcome you. I am Dottore, as all of you know me well, this company’s humble CEO. The proceeds from this event will all go to the manufacture of inclusive, innovative healthcare for the masses. I do deeply apologize for being the only one available today. You see, my colleagues-”
In the cafe just adjacent to the venue were Furina and Sandrone. Both of them were listening in through a wiretap prepared by the detective beforehand.
“Furi, we need to know their latest plans.” For that, Sandrone was able to locate the event’s venue from the company website. The detective knew that using their entire team’s manpower to guard the place was unreasonable since there was no supposed threat. They were not needed nor invited. However, with how sinister this health company really is, she wanted to be able to respond as quickly as she could if something did happen. So, she monitored the party by planting a mole.
It was a trial at first, as the guests’ entry was limited to invite-only. Fortunately, because the health company wanted to be fully transparent with its donors, all of them were listed publicly. There, she recognized one of her acquaintances, a judge named Neuvillette. This made Sandrone’s plan easier to execute.
Just a week before the event, Sandrone, heavily disguised amidst her own issue, met up with him at a private cafe. She then told him vague information regarding the company’s dirt. The detective did not delve into details as she simply didn’t want to. For her, anyone except Furina and Columbina couldn’t be fully trusted. Surprisingly, the judge already had an inkling about the depravity of the HVA company. Neuvillette accepted the invitation to investigate them. After some explaining, when she asked him if he was willing to be wiretapped, he simply agreed. Right after, the detective left.
Now, on the evening of the event, Sandrone and Furina listened in as Dottore gave a half-assed yet pleasantly masked excuse on why Azar and Vacher were not present.
“Quelle connerie ! Those two couldn’t even be bothered to show up.”
“Pft! That comes with being old, Sandrone.”
After an hour of dull and boring pleasantries, it was finally time for Columbina’s team to perform. The singer told her they had practiced there the day before. Apparently, Columbina rented the entire ballroom for a specific timeframe, at her own expense. It goes to show that every bit of the serene girl’s performance is calculated to be perfect. It was enough reason for her to be all the more excited to hear her claim the stage.
In Neuvillette’s point of view, everything was going great. The famed songstress’s melodious voice filled the ballroom as the supporting dancers told a wonderful, heart-tugging story. As they finished, the lights went out for a brief second as the curtains closed.
The hall filled with applause, with some even loudly cheering for the brilliant presentation. Despite being familiar with etiquette, they couldn’t help but be delighted as they had the chance to witness such excellence. However, just moments later, the string of bravos were replaced with screams of terror that echoed throughout. Two bodies were found dead, their own blood surrounding them. The horrifying scene shocked everyone present out of their wits. Only the lawyer, level-headed from years of dealing with such cases, had the capability to call the police. The bodyguards of the other guests also rushed into the scene to the aid of their clients.
Outside the hotel, when the two of them heard the screams from the other end, Sandrone’s heart stopped. Without hesitation, she raced against time to run toward the hotel.
“Furina, call for backup, now!”
“Sandrone! Oh mon Dieu !”
The detective, already rushing into the scene, could not be obstructed by anybody within the vicinity.
Columbina…
How dare they! I should have gone there myself!
Please, be alright.
Upon arriving at the hall, she was stopped by hotel guards outside the ballroom. She hastily showed them her badge while tearing off her hat and glasses to reveal her face.
“Obstruction of my investigation is a crime, scram!”
When they saw who she was, they didn’t question her any further. Some of them even evaded her upon seeing her glare.
Opening the door, she saw a sizable number of people surrounding something–no, someone. Immediately, she loudly and angrily exclaimed:
“Don’t move! Anybody I see make the slightest step will be the primary culprit!”
Silence
Suddenly, a voice she was familiar with rang throughout the ballroom.
“Sandrone?”
She hadn’t even looked over when she felt all the anxiety wash away.
That voice coming from the higher vantage point could only be from Columbina.
The singer looked angelic tonight. She wore an off-shoulder white dress overlayed by dark blue tulle. Columbina’s silky arms partially seeped through the translucent fabric of her sleeves, adorned with intricate lace. On their ends peeked the fancy gloves she wore. The outfit is just so breathtakingly elegant. More than her beauty, however, she’s just more glad that Columbina’s safe.
Mustering up her strictest tone, she glared at the songstress.
“Songstress, stay right where you are.”
Columbina’s response to her rigid command was puzzling.
…why are you grinning so happily?
Speaking of perception;
In times like this, public reception be damned. She is a detective first and foremost. She wouldn’t care about these matters if the job demanded it of her. So what if they think ill of me? Still, to be safe, she figured to intimidate everyone.
“If anyone has a gripe with me, va te faire foutre. I can arrest anybody here who would impede my investigation.” In a room full of influential guests, her righteous authority was arrogantly displayed. This should make everyone present dispel any unruly ideas they had. After all, even as a subject of public criticism, a detective solving a case is simply somebody doing their job. Obstructing her is punishable by law. Even if they were influential people who yielded some authority, Sandrone’s presence is simply too dominant.
Still, they could not help but wonder, why was she alone? They wanted to ask her this. However, being quite intimidated by her, they just opted to shut their mouths. Neuvillette viewed things differently. For him, he finally realized the primary purpose of the wiretap. He felt that the detective was too concerned during their meeting last week, and now it made sense. She was worried for someone. It was all done to ensure the safety of the songstress. In the youngling’s language, she’s quite whipped.
Right at that moment, the detective looked at him. He was about to be surprised at the detective’s ability to read minds when he was questioned about what happened.
From there, he narrated the events from his point of view once again as Sandrone scanned the area.
One of the bodies was sprawled on the floor beneath one of the tables close to the stage. She was surprised to see that it was Dottore himself, the one whom she expected to have orchestrated the chaos. The other body, however, was yet to be observed. Using her phone, she took pictures of the area around the first body. Then, after sliding her hand into her glove, she examined a bullet to the bloodied holes of his clothes.
“He died because of five gunshot wounds concentrated in his abdomen. The fact that mere cheers and claps masked the sound meant that a silencer should have been used. Did you see any flash of light or spark somewhere in the room?”
“No, none of that sort.”
Strange. Guns usually emit light from their muzzles once the trigger’s pulled.
As she moved over to the stage, she saw Columbina’s closed eyes “staring” at her. However, in her work mode, she could not give much thought to the singer. There, she saw the other lifeless body on the ground: A gunshot to the side of his head as he held the silencer-equipped gun, his blank eyes open upon his death. Close to his body lay a very bloody handkerchief, presumably his. Along with this were six bullet casings scattered on the ground.
She then looked at the other background performers, all of whom visibly tensed up at her gaze. She thoughtfully paused for a second to help them relax a little as she observed them. She noticed that while the performer’s roles were evident due to their varying outfits, the props team wore unified clothes. All of them wore a three-piece suit, a matching black handkerchief, and even had their hands gloved in the same color. This uncommon sight puzzled her.
“Before I begin, I’m curious as to why you lot are in matching suits? Even equipped with the exact same functional accessories as this deceased colleague of yours.”
“H-hello, Ma’am, we were all tasked by Lady Columbina to wear them as an etiquette, given the nature of a ballroom event. She provided us with our uniforms for free, she just told us to return them to the Chioriya Boutique after the event.”
“I see, then let’s start. Who is this man?”
“He’s Albert, a propsman of our team. He’s in charge of moving background objects during the performance.”
“Did any of you see a spark of-”
“So it was Albert who died.”
An aloof voice suddenly interrupted. It’s Columbina, standing assisted by her guiding cane with a slightly bigger handle.
“What of it, songstress?”
“Hm? I was just wondering. After all, everybody suddenly screamed. I could not determine what was exactly going on due to my inability to see.”
“Bina, two people just died, and–”
“Yes, I heard a man narrate it. It was sad to hear about their unlucky departure. But I also am glad to hear your comfortable voice once again.”
“Hah? We literally saw each other just two months ago. To think that you even had the audacity to call me the night before your performance!” After scolding her, she added, “Also, Bina, I don’t think you should pity a killer.”
“Okay~, my dear detective.” The grin on Columbina’s face then slowly shifted back to her usual, aloof expression.
The exchange between them made the people nearby realize something:
The two knew each other/They’re close…/They seem to be very good friends.
*cough*
The detective made a random sound to get back to the topic at hand. Misleading them with such phrasing… hmph. Her face tinged with a slight crimson.
“Anyway, how about the others? It was dark here too, right? Did any of you see a sudden spark of light on the stage?”
After a moment, one of them stepped up. It was another propsman.
“W-we didn’t see anything of that sort. It was too dark to see anything, so a tiny spark out of nowhere would have been very noticeable to any of us.”
No spark even here? How peculiar.
“If it’s too dark, how did any of you not blunder at all when moving these props?”
“To not bump into each other, we were mechanically doing our movements as practiced the day before.”
Hoh, that makes sense.
After taking pictures of the deceased's body from different angles, she noticed a peculiar object protruding from his pocket. Cautiously, she took a picture before examining it.
A note with a very concise phrase:
“I am sorry.”
Unconsciously reading it out loud, the case suddenly made sense.
It was so obvious that even the lawyer who was standing still in his place told his deduction out loud.
“Dottore was killed by that man. Then, satisfied with that resolution, he turned the gun on himself.”
It was in line with what Sandrone was thinking.
“That is my initial deduction for the case, but things aren’t always what they appear to be. To everyone present! This case is not yet over until the entire room is examined!”
“Your mindset is commendable, famed detective.”
She didn’t respond. The compliment was easily disregarded as her mind tuned out matters that she didn’t feel were important to the case.
As she examined all facets of the eerily quiet room, she saw gazes mixed with fear, wariness, and anxiety. None of them really dared to move, amazing. She knew that part of this was because of shock on the events that transpired. Still, with the amount of eyes on her, Sandrone knew that every action she took was being scrutinized. The reasons for which should vary, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. For the detective, what mattered most was finding the one and only truth.
After five more minutes of snooping around the large ballroom, only to find nothing new at all, backup finally arrived. The leader of their team, Acting Sergeant Furina, immediately distributed orders to her men. Seeing Sandrone, she hurriedly went in her direction as she scolded her.
“Sandrone! You were acting too hasty earlier. You should have waited for us instead of just barging in here!”
“Hoh? Just because you’re one case shy of an official promotion doesn’t mean you can boss me around now, Furi.”
“W-what? No, that’s not what I-”
“Hm?”
I just want you to be safe. “A–ny–way, what happened?”
The once-quiet room finally returned to some normalcy as the tense atmosphere gradually dissipated by virtue of their arrival. The other uniformed officers immediately took photos of the crime scene, while some obtained testimonies from others. Others worked on comforting the traumatized witnesses. Sandrone, for her part, talked with Furina as she immediately ordered some of the men to review the surveillance footage to confirm what happened.
“Also, see if some of them did something suspicious right after my arrival. Make haste.”
“Roger!”
While waiting for the video, Sandrone told Furina what she had deduced so far based on the evidence she had seen.
“I see, so there’s a high likelihood of this case being a murder-suicide.”
“Yeah, but it’s better to be more thorough before declaring it as one.”
A few minutes into their talk, Sandrone’s staff arrived with the footage. Watching a version of it on a laptop, Sandrone gained more insight into what happened. Just as she was told earlier, the guests were enjoying the party when, during the blackout, bodies fell. The advanced cameras' night vision captured the moment a figure in the ballroom, namely Dottore, dropped dead. It was right after the curtains closed.
The gunshot really came from behind the curtain, then. Unfortunately, there were no cameras present on the stage itself. The closest view they got was on the stage’s waiting area, where people were seen going on and off the platform. Within the interval of Dottore’s death and the lights turning back on, nobody could be seen backstage. They also couldn’t get a glimpse of the stage from other angles as during that time, the curtains were closed.
In other words, there was no concrete footage of Albert committing suicide. The only proof they have of this happening was the note in his pocket that they retrieved. Sandrone intuitively felt that this was not an elementary case.
“Furi, have them close the curtains.”
“Hm? Okay.”
After her orders were received, Sandrone hopped onto the platform. Following her closely from behind was Furina. The performers from earlier were already gone as they were subjected to interrogation on what happened from their point of view.
“Sandrone.”
“What?”
“The narratives gathered from other guests in the audience matched what was given to you earlier. So far, nobody’s rousing suspicion among them as all of them obeyed your order not to move.”
“I see. Then you can release them from this bloody ballroom.”
“Mm. I already did that.”
The detective then carefully observed the now-closed curtain.
“What? How could there be no bullet holes at all?” the acting sergeant, surprised, muttered in a low voice.
Sandrone, on her part, was also confused. However, she thought of something. Opening the black curtain, she looked at where Dottore’s dead body was.
Judging by the supposed bullet’s trajectory, it should have come from–
Here!
Still not obvious…
Looking much more closely, she finally saw it.
“Furi, look at this tiny circular area. Its color is shaded slightly differently from the rest. Maybe…”
As she poked her finger into it, she found out that this was the gap they were looking for.
It was a small and very inconspicuous hole concealed by a flap of fabric. If it weren’t a tad lighter compared to the rest, she wouldn’t have been able to see it. Sandrone took a look through the gap and saw where Dottore’s body was found dead.
“Hmph, the top of the fabric was sewn within the curtain itself, so anyone could push something into it and peek through. The color was made so that it’s not obvious to the naked eye unless they looked really carefully. Then, since the cloth used to replace the area was not lightweight, it would not sway around and reveal itself unless it was pushed purposely.”
“Oh~ and by doing this, he could’ve pretended that he did not modify the curtain at all. How sneaky.”
After staring at it for a few seconds, Sandrone continued.
“Furi.”
“Hm?”
“The culprit most likely did it like this.”
She called for the forensics team and took the gun used by the suspect, along with its silencer. Then, she slotted it into the hole.
A loose fit. It could only fit up to the end of the trigger guard.
“Oui, I agree with that part. He probably fired it five consecutive times while it was slotted in.” Furina jotted it onto her notes.
However, Sandrone’s troubled face had not yet relaxed in the slightest.
There’s still something missing. If he did it like how Furi said, then wouldn’t some recoil affect the precision of the bullet’s trajectory? The hole’s too big to be able to hold the silencer in place.
Remembering the footage, there was no flash of light from where the hole should have been, nor was there a silencer to be seen.
Even the camera from earlier didn’t capture anything.
Why?
During her introspection, Sandrone’s expression shifted. Her confused face suddenly became confident.
I see! So that’s what happened!
“Ah, that expression. You figured it out, no?”
Her face scrunched up upon hearing Furina’s question.
“Can you stop staring at my face?”
“No way, you literally display what’s on your mind. So? What happened?”
“Hmph. Well, you see, it went like this.”
“If the bullets were concentrated on one point, that likely meant that there was no space for the gun to even move around. The light emitted from the gun’s muzzle wasn’t seen at all by any guests or performers. So, it’s very likely that something was covering it.”
Sandrone took the gun, covered the top part of the silencer with the handkerchief, and pushed it into the hole.
A perfect fit.
“Oh~ so that’s what happened. Now that we have an idea of how he did it, the only thing we need is the motive.” Furina left the area to collect testimonies about the deceased propsman from his colleagues in hopes of finding the root cause of this event.
After Sandrone was left alone, her own intuition kept bugging herself. Why? Why do I feel that something is still missing? Was it that contraption? Is there a more deliberate reasoning for its existence? I should go and interrogate some of those propsmen just in case.
Finding the same man who answered her questions earlier near the stage, she questioned him again. This time, however, the person was not as anxious as before– likely Columbina’s doing by making her flustered earlier.
“Was this curtain provided by the hotel?”
“No, Lady Kuutar tasked us to create a handmade curtain for this performance. My senior colleagues say that this is normal to do for every major event that she performs in. She told us that she wants everything to happen as she had envisioned, especially with aesthetics.”
“Did she also tell you lot to tear a hole into it?”
“What? No, no. We’re very particular with our work, and there were no holes anywhere before the curtains were hung.”
He then took a close look at the curtain.
“Even now there’s no hole present…”
Of course, since it was hidden in plain view. “Then could you tell me the specific people responsible for making this curtain?”
“Hm, I’m afraid I can’t. All of the propsmen had a hand in its creation. It was finished and given to the stage manager just the night before the event.”
“Okay. Then can you tell me who might have tampered with it the day before the performance?”
“Those should be the people tasked to handle it that day… If I remember correctly, it should be Albert, Godwin, and Zhihua. You can get the official roles from the stage manager’s logbook. All of our assignments are written there.”
Sandrone found the manager stationed in the backstage lounge along with Lauma. After some questioning, she let the stage manager go, successfully consolidating with the propsman’s statements. Sandrone also learned from Lauma that every prop is typically stored within Columbina’s vast storage room before being picked up on the day of the event.
“Anyway, how is she right now?”
“She’s just recuperating after her performance from earlier.”
“I see. Keep her dehydrated, then.”
“It’s my job to take care of Lady Kuutar, don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not!! Who’s worried about that songstress, hmph! I’m going out.”
On the other side, the acting sergeant rounded up some of her uniformed officers to collect the information they had gathered. According to the performers and propsmen, Albert, aged 25, was a newly-employed propsman they had to work with for this event. When asked about his personal life in order to conjure up a possible motive—such as problems he might have been dealing with—all of them agreed on one thing:
“He is the problem.”
The man had stalker tendencies toward his idols. He was an infamous figure in the entertainment industry for problematic behavior toward the rising star named “Barbara”. Just a year ago, his love letters were leaked onto the internet, some of which were disturbing enough for them to spread like wildfire.
The backlash he received was incredibly damaging that he opted to delete his entire social media accounts. However, some people made copies and distributed them around the net. Many anonymous users trolled him online up to this date.
As he and his colleagues headed home in groups, Albert, already tired from the day’s mandatory preparations, suddenly exclaimed angrily upon checking his phone’s messages.
“When will these guys learn to shut up!? Has my life not gone to enough shit already?! It’s not like she was even troubled by my behavior! An idol’s supposed to let her fans be fans…” His colleagues quickly exchanged eyes with each other as they all agreed to just let him speak. It’s more gossip, anyway.
“So he was highly unstable as of late and due to his own doing, heh, classic.” Furina couldn’t help but quip as her tone dripped with frustration. However, for her, the information gathered is not yet enough. Staring at her uniformed officers, she questioned them. “Still, why did he even kill Dottore?”
“That…we also don’t know.”
Could it be related to what Sandrone has been investigating?
“What if it was revenge?”
A voice suddenly cut through them; it was Sandrone’s.
“Furina, come with me for a bit.”
Something private… was I correct?
Huddled in a corner, the detective first made sure that nobody could eavesdrop before continuing.
“Why would a civilian shoot to kill a health company CEO? Based on my digging, quite a large number of malpractices were caused directly by Dottore’s negligence; Not to mention the unauthorized trials on random patients without their knowledge. It wouldn’t be strange to think Albert fell victim to it in some way or another.”
“If there’s no conclusive evidence for his motive, then the most we could say is that there’s a high chance that this is a case of revenge.”
“Oui, still, I don’t think everything’s finished yet.”
“Why?”
Hand on her chin, Sandrone looked at Furina contemplatively.
“Furina, there are three things that continue to confuse me.”
“First, why did he sew a small hole in the curtain? He could’ve just shot directly from behind the curtain to save himself the trouble. It’s even positioned directly in line with Dottore’s seat. This meant that he prepared this in advance. Second, why did he hide the gunshot spark? I find it strange that a person who had resolved to kill himself really went through all this trouble. He could have just done it in a much messier way and still be over with it.”
“Hm…and the third?”
“The motive feels non-conclusive. The fact that we had to rely on hypotheses to declare why he might have done it rubs me the wrong way.”
“Who knows? Maybe there’s no direct evidence for his motives as that CEO was just too cunning in hiding his traces. Albert just happened to know who was behind his troubles which then led to this–hey, what’s with that disbelieving look?”
Furi, what you’re saying is all guesswork.
“Well, since you clearly don’t agree, we could start by verifying if the note and gun used were really his. Sigh, how could a gun even be smuggled here?”
“Right.” Sandrone went towards the hotel guards stationed in the area, leaving Furina’s question unanswered as the acting sergeant also followed her.
“How could a gun even be smuggled in by mere civilians? These hotels have special detectors on them, no?”
“Ye-yes, ma’am. If you had entered through the proper channels earlier, alarms would have been raised. However, led by the songstress, all of her staff went through a VIP gate, which granted them no firearms check. After all…” It was left unsaid, but she could still deduce it. Nobody could’ve expected people of Columbina’s status to blatantly commit heinous crimes.
“Do not blame Columbina for this. She cannot be liable for the carelessness you all demonstrated with people of her status and her associates. It is not her fault that one of her colleagues suddenly went rogue and shot someone; it’s all that deranged person’s fault. Do you understand?”
“Y-yes...”
“Speak with no hesitation.”
“Yes!”
“That’s what I thought.”
Turning back, she and Furina walked towards an empty area in the ballroom.
“Furi, so far, we can reconstruct what happened if the case is a murder-suicide. Unfortunately, only the note left would be the strongest piece of evidence if not the gun’s ownership. I already had some of our men trace back its origins and investigate whether or not it’s Albert’s.”
“Oui, and based on what I had noted, there’s a high possibility that it had gone like this. Albert smuggled the gun in and hid it in his suit. As the performance’s end drew near, he, who arrived at the place a day earlier to practice, noted where Dottore was seated. Then, during the blackout, he covered the gun, put a handkerchief over the silencer, and lined himself up with Dottore’s seat. With that, he could easily access the small hole he had prepared in advance and shot him. Lastly, resolved to die instead of getting arrested, he shot himself.”
Hearing this deduction, the fog lingering within the detective’s mind since earlier finally dissipated… partially.
“Furina... what you just said… could have also been pulled off by anyone on the stage.”
“Huh?! No way! You mean that this could be a double murder incident?”
“Yes, you’re exactly right.” This is exactly what my intuition has been telling me.
“Ridiculous! There’s a handful of evidence that directly points to Albert as the killer.”
“Furina, we can’t rely on fingerprints since all of the propsmen wore gloves. Surveillance footage provides nothing as the gun would have been concealed within those suits, and none of them were patted down thanks to those irresponsible guards. Heck, the gunpowder’s residue locations could not be investigated too due to the handkerchief on top of the silencer. It will… wait a minute-”
“Huh?”
Another puzzle piece fit in as her brain’s cogwheels turned. The look on Sandrone’s face became more enlightened as the case’s whole picture slowly came into focus.
So that’s why that was done…”Furina, I really think that this is a double murder. Come with me.”
The blue-eyed girl complained as they reached their destination. “Just explain it already instead of dragging me everywhere then vaguely stopping like an idiot!”
“Hmph! How dare you call me an idiot when I just wanted to be considerate and show things more clearly!!! Look, if you were to fire gunshots in succession, it would be inevitable that the handkerchief itself may not cover the gunpowder spread. But what if you used the curtain? The real culprit avoided the residue of the gunpowder from landing on their body with the use of this curtain itself.”
Wide-eyed, Furina saw some logic within Sandrone’s deduction. Still, she could not help but find loopholes in it.
“Sandy, not that I’m doubting you, but… what about the last gunshot? It would be placed directly on the victim’s side head… Wait, do you mean-”
“Yeah, analyze every performer’s outfit for any trace of gunpowder right this instant! The culprit couldn’t have possibly avoided getting even the slightest residue onto their clothes. Furi, don’t forget to include their gloves and accessories they may have in their possession.”
“Wouldn’t the accessories near their hands be enough? Sandy, we can’t just make them strip here.”
“Right, sorry, I forgot that some may not have backup clothes…But their gloves and handkerchiefs should be analyzed.”
“Handkerchief? Why?”
“See, if the one used in the killings was the culprit’s, then they themselves shouldn’t have one in possession or had switched it with Albert’s. If it’s the latter, we can analyze it for gunpowder that may have latched on from the culprit’s gloves when they did the switching. Whatever the case, there should be gunpowder on their gloves after killing Albert. A mere handkerchief on top of a silencer is not enough to erase all traces of it.”
.
.
.
“My detective is really so smart.” Someone’s voice suddenly sounded right from their behind. She quickly turned around, as Furina suddenly became tense.
“Merde ! You- Bina!?”
“Sandy, your voice switches so quickly. It’s amazing to hear in real time…Hehe,”
Her eyes darted around as she realized that the songstress was so close to her personal space.
“Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you were asleep?”
“Well, Lauma told me that a certain someone was worried for me.”
How dare she?! Angry and flustered, her voice became high-pitched as she screamed.
“I’m not!! Your manager is lying to you, that’s all!”
“Hmmm, then can I hug you? I really missed your warmth, Sandrone.”
W-what? wawawawawa
As the singer’s figure drew nearer, she couldn’t even mutter a coherent statement.
Sandrone.exe stopped working– reason: Columbina is too shameless.
“Y-you…”
Finally, salvation arrived as somebody interrupted them.
“Alright, that’s enough, Lady Kuutar. Please stop disturbing the investigation.”
Columbina ignored Furina’s warning as she continued to get closer in order to hug Sandrone. This infuriated the acting sergeant as she followed up with a more rigid tone.
“Hey, you songstress, cooperating with the police is mandatory in times like this.”
Columbina then swayed as she positioned her lips right beside Sandrone’s ear, followed by an intimate whisper:
“We’ll meet later after all of this is done, okay?”
“....M-mhm.”
After hearing her answer, Columbina quickly pulled away as she waved both of them goodbye while walking with her cane.
“Sandrone, are you okay?”
“...”
“Tch.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing~”
“Hmph.”
“Anyway, I’ll have forensics analyze every performer’s gloves and handkerchiefs now. I’ll return in twenty minutes. Cool yourself off during that timeframe. After I return, walk me through what you think exactly happened.”
Sandrone, still recovering from what had happened, answered with a slight nod.
Ten minutes later…
“Me? Lovestruck? How ridiculous! I was just surprised.” She couldn’t help but complain out loud as she waited for Furina.
Deep inside, Sandrone knows that they’re correct. Still, that doesn’t mean that she would just admit it.
To hell with romance! Columbina may not even like me romantically!!
…
After ten more minutes, she finally calmed down.
“So, are you fine now?” Furina came back at exactly the twenty-minute mark.
“I was okay even earlier, idiot.”
“Hmmm, whatever you say. Anyway, there was no performer with a missing handkerchief. If what you’re thinking is the truth, then the culprit must still be in possession of the handkerchief containing traces of gunpowder.”
They walked onto the stage as Sandrone explained.
“The real culprit smuggled the gun through the same VIP area. Right as the lights went out, they ran towards the spot where the hole was, gunned down the CEO with five shots, and proceeded to also shoot Albert, the one closest. They saw how close he was to the spot during practice and planned to frame him from the very beginning. Remember how his love letter was exposed on the internet some time ago? They copied his handwriting from it and wrote the note. That’s why it was so vague. Writing more would have given away the fact that it was not Albert’s handwriting. Since it was so dark, they must have reached out to grab Albert’s head and then fired. After that, they felt around to grab his hand and stuffed the gun there. The note as well was also put into his pocket following that.”
“Sandrone, the blackout was too brief for that many actions to happen. If we looked at the CCTV footage, there were only fifteen seconds for the [real culprit] to do all of that. Putting the handkerchief on top of the silencer, then making it so that even when it was pushed back due to friction is still able to cover the spark could take seconds already. Follow it up with the consecutive gunshots and placement of the gun and note to the framed victim, could all of this really be done within fifteen seconds?”
“Yes, it is possible. All propsmen had their positions planned out the day before the performance. That means, whoever was closest to Albert, most likely committed this double murder.”
Furina immediately used her walkie-talkie.
“*cough* Hello, this is Furina, over. Every officer who can hear this is hereby commanded to make all performers and propsmen gather at this stage for the final round of questioning!”
“Roger!”
“Okay.”
“Noted.”
“Oui.”
“Yes”
“Wait, Ms. Detective, Columbina has already left the premises.”
“That’s fine, she surely couldn’t have done it anyway.”
Five minutes later.
“It seems like everyone’s here.” Looking at them, Sandrone saw how tired they were with the way their postures slumped. On the grand stage of this ballroom, with the lights all turned on, the contrast was immense.
“Do not fret. After this, most of you can go home. The only thing that I need is for you to stand in your positions right after the curtains closed.” The speed at which they moved was so quick that not even ten seconds had passed and they were already done shuffling. The detective then took a picture of their position from every angle. Then, pointing at two people just behind Albert’s supposed position, she said:
“Name?”
“Godwin” / “Zhihua”
Interesting. The person most likely to have messed with the curtain is also positioned so close to him.
“I see. Both of you will remain detained temporarily for investigation. The rest can go home.”
Pointing to a uniformed officer, she commanded: “You, prepare and handle the necessary documents for it.”
“Thank you!!!”/“What?”/“Why!?”/”Roger!”
She knows that this is bound to make them complain.
“Do not worry. You will be fairly compensated by the government after this if you are found to have no wrongdoing.”
Godwin quieted down after hearing this. Zhihua, however…
“I thought this was a murder-suicide? What happened?”
“You have the right to remain silent.”
He snickered, “Then I'd better get that money. Otherwise, I will complain about this injustice!”
She didn’t even register what he said as she was too used to this type of reaction.
She just cannot let anyone she thinks is a suspect roam freely, not until forensic analysis says otherwise. Even if there’s no motive established yet, as long as she thinks that someone has the possibility of being a culprit, then she will treat them as such. The government will compensate them anyway for the short-time they’re in their custody.
It’s a good thing that I still have the go signal to do this even when my reputation is down in the gutter.
Sandrone then went over to Furina, who was currently distributing tasks in order to assist everyone in exiting the premises. As Furina was taking a breather, she called out to her.
“Furi.”
“Sandy.”
“Good work out there.”
“Yeah, why did you call for me?”
“Tell the forensics to prioritize analyzing the belongings of both Godwin and Zhihua.”
“Mhm. I will. *sigh* I hope we get to solve this soon.”
“Heh. You have me, of course, that’s bound to happen-”
“Uhm, excuse me, Ms. Sandrone.”
A girl interrupted their conversation. Sandrone remembers her as part of the performers who have just been told to return home.
“Yes?”
“Can we talk privately?”
Confused, she and the girl went to an empty corner of the ballroom. The girl hesitated at first, consciously eyeing Sandrone.
The atmosphere between the two was tense.
Is it a scoop related to this case?
Was she silent earlier out of fear of being retaliated against?
As they stared at each other, the girl spoke.
“A-are you and Lady Kuutar… lovers?”
“No! Who let you have that idea?!”
“We-well, every time we finished practicing, she always whispered your name longingly.”
“Hah? How can you even hear her if she just mutters it?
Suddenly, the girl’s gears shifted. She became more confident as her eyes…sparkled?
“I’m always positioned just right behind her, which is why I always got to hear it. When I saw how the two of you interacted earlier, I could not help but feel joyful too! Please, you have to get together!”
“Ridiculous!!! Calling me out for something like this!! S-scram!!!!!”
“Thank you for the service, Ms. Sandrone! I cheer for you both!!” The girl said as she scrambled to separate from Sandrone. The detective clenched her fists in irritation.
“Co-lum-bi-na!!!
Ugh!!! Good thing we were talking far from others…That was so embarrassing.
…
After about a hundred quick scoldings were launched in her mind, all of which were directed to the singer, she calmed down. Remembering what the girl said earlier, she felt incredulous.
Just as suddenly, something clicked for the detective.
“Ri-right in front of that girl was her? That’s impossible…”
Sandrone’s eyes went wide in shock.
She analyzed everyone’s position in the photo. That girl from before stood a few steps adjacent to the two detained propsmen. If that was the case, then the one closest to Albert at that time wasn’t Godwin nor Zhihua. Instead, it would have been Columbina.
“No!! It can’t be…!”
She’s the primary suspect for this case?!
She involuntarily lost strength in her legs as she kneeled down.
Her anxious mind conjured up multiple reasons;
[Maybe she faked being blind?]
Followed by her countering those statements.
No! Everyone clearly said that she’s blind, Columbina herself included…
[You can never know!]
Well, I know!!
[What if that curtain was also modified by her?]
Stop! She can never do something like this!
[Then why is your instinct telling me that I may be correct?]
!!!
*badump*
The floor felt uncomfortably cold against her palms. Her capable mind was unable to conjure anything as the ache within was too agonizing for her to bear. Sandrone’s heart, which was usually heavily locked within, soared out as she herself begged fate.
Let my intuition be wrong.
“Haha! Sandrone, you’re really adorable. I love talking with you even if we met just a week ago!”
If an all-knowing being is in my presence;
“I love hugging you; it feels safe and comfortable.”
Please…
“I hope we get to talk for much longer after this busy period, Sandrone…”
Prove me wrong!
“We’ll meet later after all of this is done, okay?”
Tell me that Columbina is not a murderer!
…
When Furina was done on her end, she went to look for her childhood friend. On an empty corner, she saw her sitting on the floor with a blank look on her face.
“Sandrone? Hey, Sandrone!”
After nudging her a few times, she almost resorted to blunt force when she finally heard a reply.
“What?” The voice that answered her was unmistakably sad.
“What do you mean, ‘what’? Sandrone, what happened? What got you so dejected?”
“I…Furina, I!”
She waited for the detective to continue, only for her to suddenly look down.
“No, I…I have to wait first. When will the forensics result come?”
A secret? Something that you can’t tell even me?
“What did that girl tell you? That she’s got you acting like this?”
“No! It’s not related to that at all. I… I just realized something.”
She let her voice adjust to a cheerful one.“Okay! Well, it will be in less than twenty-four hours, that’s for sure. Since this case has way too many influential figures involved. The ones we prioritized will have their results in about six more hours.”
Sandrone, whenever you lie, did you know? I can sense it too.
Still, if I’m not allowed to know, then I won’t pry.
Six hours later.
They were in the police headquarters writing up a preliminary report of the case.
“Sandrone, results came in. Both gloves and handkerchiefs of Zhihua and Godwin tested negative for gunpowder residue.”
“I see. Then they can now be released.”
Columbina…did you actually do it?
Eighteen hours later.
Sandrone is running high on adrenaline due to the amount of coffee she had taken to remain awake. It did not help that she did not get enough sleep the night before. So, she opted to attend work in this state. She knows that doing this can’t change the outcome she had been anticipating. Still, she wants to be awake when she gets to hear the news. Furina, on the other hand, was acting just like herself.
“Sandrone.”
Here it is, the moment of truth.
“There was no gunpowder residue found on anybody else on the stage.”
“What!?”
“Y-yeah, apparently, according to this report.” What’s gotten her so riled up?
Hurriedly grabbing it, she scanned for Columbina’s name.
Columbina Hyposelenia
Gunpowder Residue on: Gloves- Negative
Handkerchief- Negative
Giving back the paper to Furina, her mind went blank.
“Furi, so this case…”
“Yes, it’s a murder-suicide. In addition, the gun’s ownership cannot be traced back as it was suspected to be picked up from the black market. Since Albert couldn’t be proven guilty or innocent through this, his note is indeed going to be the key evidence. Your second deduction would be ruled out by yours truly. The first one, however, would be treated as the official event.”
Since her mind was not working compared to usual, her feelings took over. The instinct in her heart told her to feel relieved as Columbina, the blind songstress, was not a killer. She smiled as she packed up her things.
“I-I see. Then, I’ll go home early now.”
“Yeah, I can cover your part as it’s obvious that you haven’t even slept a wink! Ba-bye! Keep safe!!!”
Sandrone fought the exhaustion and haziness her mind was enduring from 36 hours of consciousness. As she got home, she mechanically went into her room and plopped onto her bed, and fell asleep immediately.
…
“Hmmm, Lauma, she still hasn’t replied. I wonder why.”
“Lady Kuutar, the case this time involved high-profile people such as yourself. They’re probably being hurried to finish a write-up of what happened.”
“Aw.”
“Still, the fact that a CEO was murdered by a mere civilian is concerning. Should I assign more guards to you?”
“No need~”
After that, no matter the amount of concern Lauma showed, Columbina said nothing and chose to just show her that usual serene smile in response.
…
“Sandrone, are my eyes beautiful?” They were in Columbina’s room. She heard herself moan as the songstress got close.
Columbina was holding a towel as she wiped…my face?!
“Bina?!?!” She woke up with a start.
What the hell was that dream?!
Ugh!!!
She let herself stare into nothingness as her mind slowly calibrated. After which, since she’s no longer tired, her brain’s finally back into full operation. She then recalled and absorbed what had happened after that breakdown she had the other day.
I was wrong with my deduction.
I actually got something wrong for the first time?
Impossible, then those three things that bothered me back then would remain unanswered! Maybe I got something wrong in some part of the process?
But, if it did get answered, it would mean that the most likely culprit is Columbina, given how she could pull it off due to how close she was to Albert’s position at that time.
I need to get to the bottom of this.
As a detective, she needs to find out the truth.
Forcefully suppressing what her heart felt, the one that broke out that night, she told her mind that it was necessary to investigate the songstress’s background first and foremost. The truth of the case should be connected to Columbina.
That is what her intuition said.
If that's the case,
Then why is she so hesitant to follow its orders?
She froze for a good while before deciding to just use her phone for the meantime. It is currently Friday, 11:00 A.M. Her lock screen featured a picture of Columbina and her hugging during a random evening hangout. On the notifications, she saw her message.
[Sandrone, can we meet up this Sunday?]