Frustrated eyes glanced over the information in the file given by Otaki one last time before Heiji closed the folder and set it on the nightstand. He’d been in Tokyo, not Nagoya… but he was sure of the very opposite! Had he found a lead? Was this linked to the fire at all, or something else entirely? His memory is immaculate—to his knowledge—so why was this so hard to recall? Too many questions with little answers. Perhaps he really should take it easy resting this time around…
His barrel of swimming thoughts rolled into a brief period of calm at the voice, though perhaps white hot rage churned in its place when he realized who it was. Heiji tensed and steadied himself, lest that unbridled (and, perhaps, slightly surprising) anger manifest into something decidedly harmful.
“… What’re ya doin’ here?” Contained uncertainty laced his tone. “Shouldn’ ya be chasin’ KID or somethin’?”
“I’m not all that interested in pursuing a sheep in wolves’ clothing, Hattori-san… homicide is much more my department. But since we’re on the subject of KID anyway…"
Hakuba let himself into the room, pushing a faint smile. He’d expected the hints of anger, but not the apparent confusion. He closed the door and raised a hand, showing the flowers – now neatly in a vase, with water, and a pale blue ribbon around the glass stem.
"It would seem that we have a mutual friend between us. His note to me suggested that you might require my assistance in some way. So I’ll pose the question to you: why am I here – and – what can I do for you?”
