*She remained quiet for a short time, digesting the information and trying to piece it together.*
And you returned to the very same cafe – nothing amiss at that point? And if it isn’t a bother, could I examine that lighter?
“Certainly.”
Hakuba set his tea cup down and reached into his suit jacket, withdrawing the polished silver lighter. He looked it over briefly before offering it to the girl,
“And, no… other than Hattori-san’s barbed comment, which might have been poetic were it not for his atrocious accent, there was nothing about the cafe that I noticed.”
He tilted his head curiously, regarding the other detective.
“Might I ask what it is that you’re looking for, specifically?”