#getbcnt

It was late and she was just ready to go to bed when she received that call.  The screen blinked, vibrating in silence for some seconds. 

“Kanji’s mother?” the detective felt a sting of concern in her chest that only got more painful when she picked the phone up and heard the old woman’s tremulous voice.

Kanji disappearing for days was something his mother was used to before they meet senpai. The detective wouldn’t have been surprised to hear that if she wasn’t aware of the boy’s intentions of mending his attitude. She could easily understand why his mother was so unsettled.

... What could have happened...? Naoto instinctively stared at the TV, holding her breath. That couldn’t be possible... it was all over... The old woman was still gabbling, but the detective couldn’t say a word until the clock passed midnight. No Midnight Channel. She let out a deep sight and tried to clam Kanji’s mother down.

Once eliminated that theory...  Naoto was finally able to hung up. Rushing to her closet, she dressed up as fast as she could, analyzing all the information she had to ascertain Kanji’s whereabouts.

     You looked at your phone, you really needed to talk to someone       especially after last night’s revalation. You weren’t here that early      and if what Kyu said was true. There was a chance your team was      still alive. You doubt that anyone in this park was part of your team.       But you still need to talk to someone. You pulled out your phone and      clicked on the first name from the Investigation Team and sent a      message to Kanji.

          <<To: Tatsumi Kanji>>

Her grandfather never was fond of animals. All the times she found a stray puppy or kitten and take it home with her, he was mad. She ended up trying to hold her tears, heartbroken, taking the adorable animals to a shelter. So she finally gave up on the idea of actually having a pet.  You have no time to take care of them, she always said to herself, animals need time and you have none to waste.

So that morning, when her grandfather suggested she could go to the animal shelter and pick a cat, she was utterly suspicious. Was he planning to let her have the cat for some days and, when growing fond on it, tell her to give it back to the shelter? ... Was that a trial to make her tougher?... She wasn’t sure. But, just in case, she refused to play along with him. Of course she was going to the shelter, but she would make up an excuse and leave empty handed. 

Once there, the more reasonable excuse was looking for a lost cat. The person in charge guided her to a room filled with cages. She wandered around, pretending she was concerned, but she was just trying to control her urge to open the cages and pet every single cat. 

And then... the detective saw that cat. The first thing that came to her mind was “If Kanji were a cat he would totally look like that one”. The thought drew a smile on her face. But when the cat saw her... she could swear he had recognized her. 

It couldn’t be... right? They two of them approached the cage and the cat reaction wasn’t a surprise. He shook off and payed attention to both of them. Something expected to any animal whose aim was leaving that place. But that one... he seemed quite confident about leaving. Like trusting Naoto would take him out. 

“Is that your cat?” 

Naoto crouched down and petted the cat. He even had Kanji’s scar...

       When the whole team had arrived (or what was left of it, with three members missing in action), it seemed to take Yu a minute to warm up, as if he had grown rusty in his time away from Inaba. Still, when he addresses them all. it’s with a cool, if tremulous, calm. “Adachi-san has confessed to ... murdering Chie, but I have some suspicions. The scene seems to convict him, with the button that was found from his shirt and the note that Naoto confirmed to be written in Adachi-san’s writing, but it seems too easy. I don’t know if we have much time left, but I wanted to talk with you all alone before we go into the trial.”

     “Something I want to think about is the possibility that ... Adachi-san is covering for someone. He doesn’t have a motive this time around but there are some people close to him that do.”

     A crease forms in his brow, but Yu presses on. “I don’t want to consider it, but we have to look at something from many angles, right? Remember Mitsuo, and remember Namatame.”

When he bent over, Selena couldn’t resist. Her boyfriend had a great ass, and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. she took it, and felt quite smug when she heard the yelp. Then he turned around, and all the smugness drained away when she saw the look on his face.

Oh fuck.