detectivephiliac:

Unfortunately, I don’t believe I know any… Not at the moment, at least. Thinking about it, perhaps I did know something that could lead to a solution, in the past… But not anymore…

*She trails off a bit before refocusing.*

My classmate is… still around. Out there. Doing the things that they do. I’ve seen activity from both personalities – both around our academy and out in the public media. That’s… all I feel I can say about the matter. I’d rather you not get involved with someone like them, to be quite honest…

“Understandably. I imagine a situation as such would be complicated at best, with far too many variables involved to be certain that you’re not simply strolling into disaster." 

Hakuba flipped the pages of the report again, then pulled out the pen from his suit jacket to mark a note in the margin.

”…That said, I recommend exercising extreme caution and discretion regarding this case. If Hattori Heiji is impaired in such a way and may not even be aware of this alternate self, I do not think it wise to… involve anyone else. For his safety and reputation, as well as our own.“ 

The foreign detective glanced at the footnotes again, thinking once more upon the sketch of the flower as it was described by Kyouko, reading over the notes thoughtfully. Was Hattori’s darker self delivering a pointed message to Kyouko through that knowledge? Such great lengths to convey meaning, though, when simple words might have done… Unless he was unable to give them overtly for whatever reason. A threat? Or perhaps a plea… He couldn’t be sure, and chose not to say anything on the subject. 

"I’m not certain how you work on your own cases, Kirigiri-san, and of course I would not presume as much to tell you how to best perform in your position. I only prefer to keep the variables within manageable conditions – less cooks in the kitchen, more control, less chance of rats from the diffusion of responsibility."