“Well, it’s common knowledge that the Kudous aren’t currently here and it’s currently being taken care of by someone else. And, really, it would be downright dangerous to leave a weapon here with the house unoccupied, if someone broke in… The rifle was also in the guest room’s closet, which is an odd place for a weapon if it belonged to the owner of the place.”
Shuichi stood up and walked around. He needed for it to appear natural, that he wasn’t specifically going out of Hakuba’s line of sight. More that he was pacing.
“I am not sure, either, about how the others will take to you joining the fold, but you have potential, as dangerous as the situation is. The safe story is that Kudou is off on a difficult and tough case and allowed me to take care of his house. Edogawa is his young distant relative.”
For someone as paranoid and suspicious as Hakuba, he certainly didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary as Shuichi began his rounds. Instead, he took another sip of tea and contemplated the story. It sounded reasonable enough, really, and fit with what everyone else had told him. This he had to admit, much to his internal annoyance, though he somehow managed to avoid rolling his eyes.
“I’ll stick to that then, thank you…” Another sip. “What in heaven’s name was she doing in the guest room in the first place? I’m a little concerned that she was able to snoop around your things… Does she have no sense of propriety? Did she already suspect you? Or was it a situation where your hands were tied by societal conventions, I wonder?”
Another sip. Distracted by his line of questioning, Hakuba crossed one leg over the other and considered the details at hand. Detectives were so easy in that way.