detectivephiliac:

… Thank you, Hakuba-san. It’s quite refreshing, to talk to someone about a case… and not be accusing them of the crime. I feel something came out of this discussion…

*She stood up from the chair rather abruptly.*

I suppose this is where I take my leave. Good luck, Hakuba-san.

“And to you, Kirigiri-san. Again, please do not hesitate to call me if you come across anything.”

Hakuba stepped away from the fireplace, hands returning to his sides. “It was a pleasure to meet you, and I appreciate your joining me for tea. I do hope that we can resolve this matter soon. Please allow me to see you out.”

detectivephiliac:

Are you worried about me, Hakuba-san? I can assure you, I’m not easily taken down… I’ve been in situations much more dangerous than this…

He was the one who gave me your number, actually. From the beginning he said it would probably be wise for me to speak with you – even after his assumed change. He said he would be contacting me after he finished with his situation…

Oh! Now that I think about it… He said to remember a certain sketch when he called me again… It was found in the folder for the case. When I first asked him about it, he said he didn’t know what it was but I researched it afterwards. I believe it was something called… a “Seal of Solomon” flower…

I believe that’s all the information I have, unless you have more questions?

“Seal of Solomon… Solomon’s Seal…”  Hakuba repeated the name, then let out a huff. “From what I remember, it’s a flower used to promote the healing of wounds and broken bones, but there are certainly other implications… I will have to research.”

Solomon. Biblical reference. A lot of conflicting history and stories. Exorcisms. Genies and magicians. The Queen of Sheba. The Ark of the Covenant. But most related was the ring… the Seal of Solomon, said to possess the power to control demons? Hm.

Of course, Hakuba felt a twinge of irritation as he considered what Hattori might think if he knew that the ‘halfer’ detective was thinking about that ancient text. He bit his lip.

“I’m surprised that he told you to talk to me in the first place, but then…” He sighed. “Regardless, you have my number. If you run into anything interesting, please do let me know… and I’ll be sure to do the same." 

detectivephiliac:

I believe he did on the way to the crime scene. He took a nap for a good chunk of the trip… I believe that could have been when he changed, if my theory is right. Prior to that, he was very interested in my help on the case and was the one to call me about it, but once we arrived he seemed a bit less than enthusiastic. That seemed to be the only time he changed.

“This is becoming increasingly more concerning." 

Hakuba uncrossed his legs, then stood, stretching his limbs as he settled into a pace in front of the fireplace. One hand moved behind his back, the other took his chin between the pad of his thumb and the crest of his index finger. 

"At best, we have a colleague who, through various circumstances, could easily be accused and potentially charged with some very serious allegations. At worst…”

He looked back at her, frowning.

“…We have a colleague who is guilty of these crimes, whether he knows it or not. Thus, I feel it prudent to recommend that, unless there is further evidence to be discussed at present, we commence with our investigations and reconvene as soon as possible. I will get the medical records and whatever I can in terms of police reports. I do not wish you send you to observe Hattori-san alone… Are you to contact him again? Did he know that you were coming here?”

detectivephiliac:

… Yes, I should have expected that type of reaction after saying such a thing…

It’s… a bit remarkable, so please bare with me. I suppose it might be easiest to start with…

I am acquainted with some people who have experienced memory loss in various forms. One of these was a manual memory wipe – where someone took out selected memories from the person. When I first heard of Hattori-kun’s case, I briefly considered this possibility. But after investigating with him and hearing your testimony, I’m more inclined to go with a second theory…

Simply, I’m thinking a split personality. I know someone who is experiencing this, and both personalities have completely separate memories – they remember nothing from when the other is in control. The switch is triggered by a loss of consciousness or a sneeze in this person’s case, but, if this were the case for Hattori-kun, it could very well be different…

*She stops and looks at Hakuba to gauge his reaction and allow him a moment to express his own thoughts.*

Hakuba listened in silence as the young woman spoke, elbows perched upon arm rests, fingers steeped in front of his chest. Despite the incredible information, he kept his expression carefully neutral, nodding here or there, but otherwise remaining impassive as he collected, tagged, and sorted the presented information.

When she paused, he pursed his lips, then nodded once, inclining his head thoughtfully.

“I can see how your theory would fit in this situation. It would certainly explain a few things about his behavior – both previously in my interaction with him, and from what you’ve described.”

He considered a moment longer, uncrossed his legs, then crossed them again the other way, shaking the anxiety from his muscles.

“Kirigiri-san, what did Hattori-san say about the lighter, specifically? The headache he experienced when I showed it to him seemed similar to the one that he felt after I’d provoked him in the cafe. I wonder if that’s the…” Hakuba let his words trail, letting his mind catch up with his theories. “…Ah, did he have a headache when he-  did he seem to change in your presence?”

detectivephiliac:

More to it…

*She refocuses on the question that she was asked.*

I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. I… I don’t know. Hakuba-san, I don’t entirely think it’s Hattori Heiji-kun’s fault. I have a few theories… But I’m to entirely sure about them right now, to be honest. It feels like I’m close, and I even have pieces of evidence to support them but… I’m not sure. Perhaps this case just reminds me of…

…No, nevermind. That’s a different story entirely…

And just when it looked like things were wrapping up…

Hakuba leaned back in his chair, raising a brow at Kyouko, preparing to get settled in for the time being. 

“You can’t really throw out a tease like that and expect a detective not to chase it,” he remarked dryly, but then softened his expression with a sincere smile. 

“Please, Kirigiri-san, do elaborate. If we’re to solve this case and clear Hattori-san of potential charges, we will have to pool information. Please finish your thought.”

detectivephiliac:

It would be a big help if you could do that, Hakuba-san, thank you.

And he didn’t say what it was – I had admittedly been interrogating him a bit much at that point so I didn’t want to force anymore stress onto him… From the look of his composure, however, it wasn’t something good. He had gotten a phone call and became extremely tense. He left almost immediately after that in a rush.

“I will do so, then, as soon as I can.”  Hakuba frowned, brows furrowing in concern. “This is all a tad… alarming, I suppose, to put it lightly.” Lightly? Incredible understatement. The male detective sighed, leaning forward to set his tea cup down again, then his phone.

“I wonder what he’s gotten himself mixed up in- if anything. Hattori Heiji is many annoying things, but I can’t imagine him… Well, he…" 

But then, he had attacked Hakuba when provoked. And Hakuba himself was only an obnoxious gnat when compared to, say, an actual criminal. If someone really wanted to hurt Hattori, it would be easy to pin him by the trigger and get blackmail evidence of his behavior. Had something like..? No… No, Hattori was a brute but he was no murderer. He could have killed him if he’d decided to, but he hadn’t. No… 

"No, there must be more to it. I’ll start at the hospital, then revisit the scene. What will your next step be, Kirigiri-san?" 

detectivephiliac:

Sorry, I haven’t gotten around to that—

*—More like it hadn’t crossed her mind, since she was feeling particularly attached to her theories, but they’d probably be good to check out—*

—But he told me that he was found by a patrol car passing by. I feel that doesn’t entirely add up when you put the fire and the fact that the culprit didn’t outright kill him into the mix… We had a discussion about it, but his missing memories helped us get nowhere.

“Indeed… it all sounds rather suspect. I could pay the hospital another visit to gather information and then go over the results with you, if you like. I do have a certain amount of sway when it comes to personal records by throwing the family name around…”

It wasn’t something that Hakuba liked to do, but it was definitely something that came in handy in situations like this.

“Did, ah, Hattori-san say what matter pulled him away during your investigation?" 

detectivephiliac:

My theory… Is something like that, yes. Perhaps a bit more complicated. I don’t believe he could be responsible for both. It would have been more convenient for him to leave the corpse in the burning cafe. Likewise, if he was responsible for the murder and putting the body in the dumpster, that could mean he was capable of taking on whoever his assailants were – and for him to not immediately flee the scene of the fire is most peculiar, because rather he was knocked out a few blocks away… I feel he has an important role in this but…

*She paused – now reminded of the tea she hadn’t even touched.*

Eh? O-Oh… My apologies, thank you…

*She picks up the tea cup and takes a small sip – before bringing it up to her lips again and draining most of the cup.*

Anyways… If we could rewind for a minute… When the two of you first entered the cafe. Did you notice any changes in perhaps his personality or composure at any point? Since this is where his memory breaks off, I feel this is a key moment…

*She decided to hold back any of her forced memory loss and split personality theories for now, just in case it would be met with a negative reaction. She hadn’t been keen about telling the Osakan detective about her own experiences, so she didn’t want to go through it again in attempt to justify it. Plus, she wasn’t sure if Heiji wanted her planting this idea in others’ heads, so she wanted to figure it out and confront him about it above anything else.*

Once the other detective had had some tea, Hakuba felt much more at ease. Not about the case at hand – no, that still left him quite unsettled – but at least he could be assured that he had been a decent host for his guest. A relief to be sure.

“Changes… hmm..”  Hakuba looked thoughtful at that, stirring his second cup of tea, which he took with him as he leaned back in his chair. He crossed one leg over the other, then took a sip from the cup before responding.

“Actually, yes. Once I brought up his father, I saw in him the fury that I had always suspected had been there but had never seen. Despite being in an uncomfortable position then, it was validating to finally see Hattori-san snap. That’s awful of me, though, isn’t it?”

More tea.

“Immediately after, however, once the dust had a chance to settle… he did seem to change. I imagine it was the realization dawning that I had been right. He removed himself from me without a word, at first, and seemed to suffer from an incredible headache. From that point on, it was only cold, terse exchanges. None of the previous banter – except for when I returned for the lighter. It was not quite what I had expected, but then… I had provoked him into physically attacking me, which I think may have surprised him more than it surprised me.”

Hakuba pursed his lips. “Have you had a chance to look over Hattori-san’s medical files? I’d be very curious to see what the report of his reception said regarding his condition. Actually, do we know how he was found and by whom?”