[Repost] Part 16
As it turned out, touring an American police station was considerably less cool than the brochure had made it sound. Literally, too; apparently someone had forgotten to pay the air conditioning bills for the main station. (Coincidentally, most of the office shot Gumshoe all sorts of dirty looks during the tour.) They were all hot, sweaty, and miserable by the time they finally made their way back to the front of the office, and with not much to show for their trouble, save a picture that Yousuke had snapped of some prosecutor's office. (What kind of gay lawyer insisted on making everything in his office pink, anyway?) Even Doujima had managed to slip off, the lucky bastard. Yousuke had hoped that he'd at least be able to ask the detective a few questions.
"An' this is our mascot, junior pals! The Blue Badger!"
Not that any of this seemed to be stopping Teddie. He repeated Gumshoe's words with a flourish, his hands hidden by the too-long sleeves of Gumshoe's trenchcoat. "We -- I mean they -- just made it up a few years ago! Isn't it great?"
"That bear's really enjoying himself, isn't he," sighed Chie. Smart girl -- she'd grabbed a few spare scraps of paperwork off someone's desk and had folded it into a fan. "D'you think he even feels the heat when he's like that?"
"If he doesn't, that's beyond unfair." The back of Yousuke's neck felt absolutely soaked with sweat. God, what he wouldn't give for a pool and a couple of iced drinks right about now. "When is this supposed to be over again?"
Yukiko fanned herself with another piece of paperwork, stolen in the same way as Chie's. "I don't remember," she said. "I gave the sheet to ... Kanji-kun?"
"... socute."
"Dude, you're scaring me," said Yousuke.
Kanji reluctantly pried his eyes away from the chubby excuse for a police mascot. "I was just lookin'," he said. "You wanna make somethin' of it?"
"Guys, come on," said Chie, moving between the two of them. "I think I overheard something about air conditioning over there." She pointed at a long, dark-looking hallway that lead off into another building. A metal sign had been set into the wall next to it: D-E-N...something...
"Doesn't that say 'Detention Center'?" Yukiko leaned forward, trying to get a better look at it. "I think that's where they keep the criminals."
Yousuke scowled. "So they get AC and we don't? No fair." He was whining a little, and he knew it, but frankly, he was too hot to care. Pool. Cold drinks. Happy thoughts.
"Everything's unfair to you," said Chie. "Besides ... " she added, glancing back at the tour group, "they look pretty busy.
Yousuke stared down the long hallway. It looked dark and deliciously cool, and the shadows clung to the walls in an ordinary way. Criminals or not, Yousuke liked this plan quite a bit. "Then what're we standing around here for?" he said, leading the way down the hallway. It felt strange having anyone else leading the group, but hell, Souji wasn't here right now.
As soon as they had all entered the hallway, however, Yousuke began to have second thoughts. It was cooler, yes, but he found himself sticking close to the walls, unable to relax. "Uh, are we really 'sposed to be comin' down this way?" said Kanji, hands shoved into his pockets and his shoulders rigid. "I don't really feel like gettin' busted."
"Just a little further," said Chie. But her voice seemed a little unsteady as well. "If anyone yells at us, we just have to pretend we don't speak any English, right?"
"Oooooooooh."
Yukiko barely suppressed a squeak. "Um. Did anyone just hear ...?"
"Ooooooorgh. Ugh."
The low moan echoed in the hallway. Yousuke immediately flattened himself against the wall, followed shortly by Chie (peeking out from behind his shoulder) and Yukiko (behind Chie's). Only Kanji stood in the middle of the hallway, posed halfway between flight and fight. "Kanji!" hissed Yousuke. "Don't just stand there, dumbass!"
"I thought I heard somethin'."
"We all did!" said Chie, just a little more loudly than Yousuke. "Why do you think we're doing this?"
Kanji shook his head. "It ain't just that." But he joined them anyway, looking out nervously over the tops of their heads. "The hell do you think it is?"
"Ghost," said Chie. "Of a dead criminal, I bet. Someone's murderous ex-girlfriend who got killed in the electric chair--"
"Dude, there's no such thing," Yousuke whispered. "Besides, it's a guy's voice--"
"And platform shoes," added Kanji.
"And -- wait, what?"
"I heard a woman's voice too," said Yukiko, cutting in before Kanji could reply. "I think they're talking in English."
The four of them fell silent for a long moment, listening, until Yousuke finally said, "Guys, I can't see anything like this. I'm moving up." And he did so, stealthily creeping up towards the bend in the path. The others followed, a bit more hesitantly, until all four of them could peek their heads around the corner. (Somehow, Yousuke ended up on the bottom again. How the hell did that keep happening?)
Despite their best efforts, however, they couldn't see much. Several of the lights had burnt out in this section, which made things difficult. And not just for them, if the noises were any indication. The moaning thing kept bumping into the walls, accompanied by a flurry of words in English. ("Nick! That's a wall, silly!" or "Perhaps you should proceed a little more cautiously, Mr. Wright." Nicks and lights? Weird.) Kanji kept poking his head out farther and farther, his face a mask of concentration.
The voices approached. Closer and closer, until they were practically on top of the corner. Yousuke leaned forward, intending to get one last good look before stepping out into the hallway ... and then someone slipped. Maybe him, maybe one of the girls; he couldn't tell. But one moment he'd been crouched against the floor, and the next he'd been sprawling. And once he went, the others tumbled over him, knocking into him and the floor and the three people who'd been coming around the hallway, until they were all one enormous mess of limbs and pain. "Ow!" he said, failing to worm his way out from under someone's legs. "Watch it!"
And then, quite suddenly, a wholly familiar head popped up out of the tangle of people. Blue eyes, dark hat, nice shirt and tie -- "Naoto-kun!?" said Chie, goggling at her. "What are you -- how did you -- ?"
"Platform shoes," mumbled Kanji, his voice muffled by Yukiko's legs.
Meanwhile, Naoto stared blankly at them. "Hana...mura-san?" she said. "Amagi-san? Satonaka-san?" A glance at Kanji as well. "What on earth are you doing here?"
Someone kicked Yousuke firmly in the knee. Wincing, Yousuke saw Chie sit up next to him. "Um ... actually, that's a long story," she said.
Yukiko nodded. "We're on a tour. It's a special summer program."
"Tour," repeated Naoto, blinking slowly. "Surely not of the detention center."
"Ahaha, well..." Chie knuckled one hand into her head. "It's really warm out in the office, you know?"
Two more people sat up. A girl that looked to be about their age, plus a man in his early twenties, with hair-spikes that seemed to have been flattened by the fall. He looked terribly exhausted, as opposed to the girl, who immediately stood up and started gesturing at them. "What?" said Yousuke, rubbing at his head.
"She's asking if I know you," replied Naoto. Her expression had blanked completely, a mask of 'I know you people but I seriously wish I didn't right now.'
"Is this really what we should be talking about right now?" interrupted Chie. "You're here! I mean, we kinda hoped, but we didn't know for sure, and ..."
Kanji pulled himself to his feet slowly, using the wall for balance. After a moment, he offered a hand to Naoto. "Uh. Yeah. Good to see you again," he said.
Naoto's frown only deepened. "This is a serious matter," she said. "I'm currently engaged in a case."
"We heard about it," said Yukiko. She shifted her hairband back into place and tucked a few strands of hair behind it. "The bridge murder. We're glad to see you, of course," she added hastily, "but with that happening, things are ..."
The detective nodded slowly. "Of course. I have my own priorities as well." She glanced at the two Americans. "Although, my translating abilities are the skills most needed at the moment."
"Ow," muttered the spikey-haired man. "Maya, what did we hit?"
"People! Didn't you notice?"
"Magatama," he said, before rubbing at his head again and leaning against the wall.
"Should I hit you again? Mia says that always snaps her right out of it!"
The man cringed. "Later, maybe."
Meanwhile, the Japanese speakers' conversation continued uninterrupted. "Who're they?" said Yousuke, looking pointedly at the Americans. "Is this case stuff?"
Naoto hesitated. "He is one of the lawyers involved, yes," she said. "Adachi Tohru's trial will be held in three days."
"-- I knew it!" said Chie. Both hands flew to her waist, and she stood the with her feet planted wide and firm against the floor. "That bridge murder looked exactly the same!"
Yousuke groaned and attempted to stand up. Again. "That bastard. How the hell did the police just let him waltz over to America like this?"
Naoto's discomfort increased visibly. "Perhaps we should return to the office before you are missed," she said. "Mr. Wright is in need of an aspirin as well."
"We can talk on the way," said Yukiko. "That is," she added, after glancing between the detective and Kanji, who looked worried, "if Naoto-kun doesn't mind."
"I ... could use your insight," said Naoto, her eyes half-closing. "Very well."
"An' this is our mascot, junior pals! The Blue Badger!"
Not that any of this seemed to be stopping Teddie. He repeated Gumshoe's words with a flourish, his hands hidden by the too-long sleeves of Gumshoe's trenchcoat. "We -- I mean they -- just made it up a few years ago! Isn't it great?"
"That bear's really enjoying himself, isn't he," sighed Chie. Smart girl -- she'd grabbed a few spare scraps of paperwork off someone's desk and had folded it into a fan. "D'you think he even feels the heat when he's like that?"
"If he doesn't, that's beyond unfair." The back of Yousuke's neck felt absolutely soaked with sweat. God, what he wouldn't give for a pool and a couple of iced drinks right about now. "When is this supposed to be over again?"
Yukiko fanned herself with another piece of paperwork, stolen in the same way as Chie's. "I don't remember," she said. "I gave the sheet to ... Kanji-kun?"
"... socute."
"Dude, you're scaring me," said Yousuke.
Kanji reluctantly pried his eyes away from the chubby excuse for a police mascot. "I was just lookin'," he said. "You wanna make somethin' of it?"
"Guys, come on," said Chie, moving between the two of them. "I think I overheard something about air conditioning over there." She pointed at a long, dark-looking hallway that lead off into another building. A metal sign had been set into the wall next to it: D-E-N...something...
"Doesn't that say 'Detention Center'?" Yukiko leaned forward, trying to get a better look at it. "I think that's where they keep the criminals."
Yousuke scowled. "So they get AC and we don't? No fair." He was whining a little, and he knew it, but frankly, he was too hot to care. Pool. Cold drinks. Happy thoughts.
"Everything's unfair to you," said Chie. "Besides ... " she added, glancing back at the tour group, "they look pretty busy.
Yousuke stared down the long hallway. It looked dark and deliciously cool, and the shadows clung to the walls in an ordinary way. Criminals or not, Yousuke liked this plan quite a bit. "Then what're we standing around here for?" he said, leading the way down the hallway. It felt strange having anyone else leading the group, but hell, Souji wasn't here right now.
As soon as they had all entered the hallway, however, Yousuke began to have second thoughts. It was cooler, yes, but he found himself sticking close to the walls, unable to relax. "Uh, are we really 'sposed to be comin' down this way?" said Kanji, hands shoved into his pockets and his shoulders rigid. "I don't really feel like gettin' busted."
"Just a little further," said Chie. But her voice seemed a little unsteady as well. "If anyone yells at us, we just have to pretend we don't speak any English, right?"
"Oooooooooh."
Yukiko barely suppressed a squeak. "Um. Did anyone just hear ...?"
"Ooooooorgh. Ugh."
The low moan echoed in the hallway. Yousuke immediately flattened himself against the wall, followed shortly by Chie (peeking out from behind his shoulder) and Yukiko (behind Chie's). Only Kanji stood in the middle of the hallway, posed halfway between flight and fight. "Kanji!" hissed Yousuke. "Don't just stand there, dumbass!"
"I thought I heard somethin'."
"We all did!" said Chie, just a little more loudly than Yousuke. "Why do you think we're doing this?"
Kanji shook his head. "It ain't just that." But he joined them anyway, looking out nervously over the tops of their heads. "The hell do you think it is?"
"Ghost," said Chie. "Of a dead criminal, I bet. Someone's murderous ex-girlfriend who got killed in the electric chair--"
"Dude, there's no such thing," Yousuke whispered. "Besides, it's a guy's voice--"
"And platform shoes," added Kanji.
"And -- wait, what?"
"I heard a woman's voice too," said Yukiko, cutting in before Kanji could reply. "I think they're talking in English."
The four of them fell silent for a long moment, listening, until Yousuke finally said, "Guys, I can't see anything like this. I'm moving up." And he did so, stealthily creeping up towards the bend in the path. The others followed, a bit more hesitantly, until all four of them could peek their heads around the corner. (Somehow, Yousuke ended up on the bottom again. How the hell did that keep happening?)
Despite their best efforts, however, they couldn't see much. Several of the lights had burnt out in this section, which made things difficult. And not just for them, if the noises were any indication. The moaning thing kept bumping into the walls, accompanied by a flurry of words in English. ("Nick! That's a wall, silly!" or "Perhaps you should proceed a little more cautiously, Mr. Wright." Nicks and lights? Weird.) Kanji kept poking his head out farther and farther, his face a mask of concentration.
The voices approached. Closer and closer, until they were practically on top of the corner. Yousuke leaned forward, intending to get one last good look before stepping out into the hallway ... and then someone slipped. Maybe him, maybe one of the girls; he couldn't tell. But one moment he'd been crouched against the floor, and the next he'd been sprawling. And once he went, the others tumbled over him, knocking into him and the floor and the three people who'd been coming around the hallway, until they were all one enormous mess of limbs and pain. "Ow!" he said, failing to worm his way out from under someone's legs. "Watch it!"
And then, quite suddenly, a wholly familiar head popped up out of the tangle of people. Blue eyes, dark hat, nice shirt and tie -- "Naoto-kun!?" said Chie, goggling at her. "What are you -- how did you -- ?"
"Platform shoes," mumbled Kanji, his voice muffled by Yukiko's legs.
Meanwhile, Naoto stared blankly at them. "Hana...mura-san?" she said. "Amagi-san? Satonaka-san?" A glance at Kanji as well. "What on earth are you doing here?"
Someone kicked Yousuke firmly in the knee. Wincing, Yousuke saw Chie sit up next to him. "Um ... actually, that's a long story," she said.
Yukiko nodded. "We're on a tour. It's a special summer program."
"Tour," repeated Naoto, blinking slowly. "Surely not of the detention center."
"Ahaha, well..." Chie knuckled one hand into her head. "It's really warm out in the office, you know?"
Two more people sat up. A girl that looked to be about their age, plus a man in his early twenties, with hair-spikes that seemed to have been flattened by the fall. He looked terribly exhausted, as opposed to the girl, who immediately stood up and started gesturing at them. "What?" said Yousuke, rubbing at his head.
"She's asking if I know you," replied Naoto. Her expression had blanked completely, a mask of 'I know you people but I seriously wish I didn't right now.'
"Is this really what we should be talking about right now?" interrupted Chie. "You're here! I mean, we kinda hoped, but we didn't know for sure, and ..."
Kanji pulled himself to his feet slowly, using the wall for balance. After a moment, he offered a hand to Naoto. "Uh. Yeah. Good to see you again," he said.
Naoto's frown only deepened. "This is a serious matter," she said. "I'm currently engaged in a case."
"We heard about it," said Yukiko. She shifted her hairband back into place and tucked a few strands of hair behind it. "The bridge murder. We're glad to see you, of course," she added hastily, "but with that happening, things are ..."
The detective nodded slowly. "Of course. I have my own priorities as well." She glanced at the two Americans. "Although, my translating abilities are the skills most needed at the moment."
"Ow," muttered the spikey-haired man. "Maya, what did we hit?"
"People! Didn't you notice?"
"Magatama," he said, before rubbing at his head again and leaning against the wall.
"Should I hit you again? Mia says that always snaps her right out of it!"
The man cringed. "Later, maybe."
Meanwhile, the Japanese speakers' conversation continued uninterrupted. "Who're they?" said Yousuke, looking pointedly at the Americans. "Is this case stuff?"
Naoto hesitated. "He is one of the lawyers involved, yes," she said. "Adachi Tohru's trial will be held in three days."
"-- I knew it!" said Chie. Both hands flew to her waist, and she stood the with her feet planted wide and firm against the floor. "That bridge murder looked exactly the same!"
Yousuke groaned and attempted to stand up. Again. "That bastard. How the hell did the police just let him waltz over to America like this?"
Naoto's discomfort increased visibly. "Perhaps we should return to the office before you are missed," she said. "Mr. Wright is in need of an aspirin as well."
"We can talk on the way," said Yukiko. "That is," she added, after glancing between the detective and Kanji, who looked worried, "if Naoto-kun doesn't mind."
"I ... could use your insight," said Naoto, her eyes half-closing. "Very well."