RASPBERRY PLASTIC TICKLE BEAR!!!!!!

"What do you think of this 'bully killer' nonsense?" Kuwana grinned, casting a doubtful glance at Jiro.

Before he could answer, Kondo shoved his fat head between them. "You seem hell-bent on believing Kusumoto Reiko acted entirely on her own. Whatever you are to her..." Kuwana cringed. "...I'd think anyone in your position would be jumping at the opportunity to acquit!"

"Are you accusing me of something?" He laughed tersely.

"No, Sensei. Do you feel accused?"

"All I'm doing is looking at your argument from the prosecution's angle. You have a woman with a consistent confession to a crime and her fingerprints to match. What possible evidence could you dig up to dispute that?"

At that, Kondo slammed his paperwork down on the table and threw his hands up in frustration. "We could start by disclosing some of these—damn—case files!"

"It's interesting," Jiro said quietly. For the first time, Kuwana saw the usual smug wrinkle by his lip had smoothed. "This whole confusion."

"A retrial would only serve to humiliate her and Mitsuru further," Kuwana said to them both. Then, without the sense to not push any further, he continued, "Mitsuru seems to think she did it."

Jiro sighed. His lip quivered again. "Kondo hasn't convinced me either, but that's only because she told him so. Let him think his mother moved heaven and earth, for all I care."

"Maybe he saw something," suggested Kuwana.