“I told ya ta shut it, didn’ I?” Faux pas and non intentions his foot. There was no need to be so snobbish when it came to a simple greeting! Suffice to say that thinking in that manner was not unlike the pot calling the kettle black, but that hypocrisy was currently the last thing on the Osakan’s mind, as was that hint of concern he swore he heard laced in that smug detective’s voice.
“Jus’ sit yer ass down, I’ll get it… fer all th’ trouble it’s worth,” he growled. “Had that actually connected where it was s’posed ta, would’ve hurt a lot more than it probably does now.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that.”
Which is exactly why the half-Brit moved the way that he had. As he had predicted, taking the hit had done a lot more to diffuse the tension than reason would have. Still, the offer from Heiji to fetch the ice was appreciated, and Hakuba took a seat on the edge of one of the narrow beds in the motel room, furthest from the crime scene.
“Thank you, Hattori-san. After that, if agreeable, we can get down to the business at hand."
He took that moment to reach into his suit jacket pocket, fishing for the cream-colored, legal-sized envelope inside one of the inner pockets. After withdrawing it, he turned it over in his palms, then set it in his lap to wait.