"Oh well, you misunderstood me. I was merely requesting you, not blackmailing you. How could such a saintly citizen like myself even think of blackmailing the righteous police!"
Ryuga seemed genuinely hurt by Hiryuu-san's words. His pitiful look was so authentic that one would actually think he had been wronged.
It didn't work on Hiryuu-san though. "Go on, and tell me the clue. If it's something useful, I might consider letting you two into the case."
"As you wish!" Ryuga continued. "You remember the symbol, sigil, sign, whatever, carved on the man's face? This weekend, me and my friends toured around the famous haunted mansion of Akebono.
"At that mansion, we found a decayed body and quickly reported it. The peculiar thing was… where the body was hidden, on the wall a strange drawing was drawn with darkened blood. Four circles inside a bigger circle, joined through a cross. Within one of these circles, similar to the mirrored and normal 'D', was another letter. The letter 'S'."
Hiryuu-san made a subtle twitch of her forefinger. Noticing that movement, Ryuga shook his own finger. "I'm not done yet. At first, when we reported the body, the room where it was found was decayed, filled with dirt, dust and cobwebs. But when the police arrived, the room had transformed back into its pristine form. And not only that. Even the body was changed from a decayed one to a fairly new one.
"Meaning, when we were exploring the mansion, these 'people' were present there with us. Watching our movements. Why did they let us live? Well, that is a mystery. And I don't question their generosity. Either way, all in all, I want to point out that they operated at that haunted mansion this weekend. And there is a very good chance they might return there."
Hiryuu-san tapped her fingers on the chair's armrest, thinking deeply about his clues.
"I have heard about these 'drawings' before. But rather than connecting them with the kidnapping cases, we ignored them as a ritualistic practice. You know, the ones where people try to communicate with the dead… those ones."
"Why would you do that? What made you assume it's that, of all things?" Ryuga was confused. The drawing was a little unique, but what part of it made it ritualistic?
For the record, Ryuga himself considered those 'people' as cultists, but that was because he had heard the faceless man blabber about vengeful spirits.
If not for that, he wouldn't have connected that 'drawing' to a ritual. At most, it could have been a puzzle or a serial killer's sign, signifying their kill.
Maybe the 'S' was the first or last letter of the girl's name. There were a lot of possibilities besides that.
Hiryuu-san eyed the duo, her fingers tapping on the armrest. A second later, she took a sigh and leaned back. "These 'drawings' have a certain pattern to them. They are usually found at specific locations… especially around 'haunted' spots. We also found many spiritualists and clients conducting their 'sessions' there. So we brushed these 'drawings' off. But if what you said is true, then we have a major clue regarding the hooded people's location."
Ryuga nodded, bobbing his head up and down. That made sense. These cultists had chosen 'haunted' spots as their operative base. Most people wouldn't dare venture near them. Even the police rarely explored such areas. They were truly isolated places. Perfect for doing their shady work.
"Ka… Ryuga, your information is highly valuable, thank you for cooperating. The police will handle the investigation now. If we find ourselves in a bind or if we find evidence against you, then we will meet again. Until then… goodbye."
Saying so, Hiryuu-san stood up from her seat and subtly bowed. Naoya-san accompanied her outside the office, after which she went on her way.
Inside the office, Ryuga remained seated on the chair, absentmindedly staring at the corner.
'So, Hiryuu-san refused our help. The reason for that wasn't because I'm a citizen or because Naoya-san isn't credible enough. There is one reason for it… she doesn't trust me. At least not enough. She might have talked about investigating those 'haunted' spots, but I'm 50% sure she will focus on digging into me first. Only after she has fully unveiled my life will she start trusting me and my words… such a hassle-full woman, she is.'
Glancing at the clock, it read 7:27. It was pretty late. He needed to go back home. Naoya-san hadn't returned after accompanying Hiryuu-san outside, so he locked the door and shoved the keys under the doormat.
Half an hour later, on his way back, the night sky had shrouded Akebono under its thick blanket of darkness. Accompanying that blanket was a layer of white mist, a fog obscuring his vision. Adding to that, the cold chill of the night air brushed against his skin, making his hair stand on end. Even the smell of the air felt chilling.
The night lights were out, and wherever he looked, only empty fog-covered roads stared back.
There was not a single soul remaining near the area. It was empty, silent, and sterile.
'Did I mess up? Haaaahhh.' He sighed. 'Maybe the cultist stuff has been getting inside my head. Messing up directions wasn't my style.'
In the fog of darkness and mist, as a lone traveler journeying through obscurity, Ryuga walked with his hands in his pockets.
Completely oblivious to the eyes stealthily following him.