Copyright Notice:This story is an original work by Muntasib_Ihshan789. All rights reserved. Do not copy or redistribute without permission.
6th December 2023
It was time to use the info that she knew.
Shuhi gathered the names of the victims. Hiroshi Jakuda, Makito Utashime, Sherley Hirako, and Danao Osume.
All four had one thing in common.
They were killed inside their homes.
She also learned about their jobs, home addresses…. but the details were too few.
"Where do I even start with this mess?"
A sudden thought popped into her mind.
"This is such a pain!
I want to solve it, but I'm stuck. There's not enough info… And I can't ask Uncle Paul. He'll just tell me to not get involved."
But the next day, Shuhi did the unthinkable.
She went to the first victim's house all by herself, Hiding from her parents.
She grabbed what she could in a rush. A cap to stay low-profile, A knife if things go south, A pocket spray to spray in enemy's eye. She wore gloves to avoid leaving any finger print and took a magnifying glass.
"Why even bother taking it? I'm sure it will be of no use except only in movies or stories or…. whatever."
Shuhi thought.
After a long walk, she arrived. The house was sealed by police, looked abandoned.
Ignoring the sealings,she went to open the door but found it already open.
"It's open?"
She stepped inside.
Quietly, she went upstairs and reached the victim's room.
Markings and prints of the dead body were present made by police using probably chalk.
She was searching carefully, but…
When she went close to the bed, suddenly a hand grabbed her right leg.
A hand from under the bed!
She screamed.
"Ahh! Who is this?! Get off me!" she shouted.
The hand let go.
A boy, maybe close to 19, came out from under the bed.
He was wearing a striped white shirt and jeans. His hair was a bit long, and his eyes had dark spots with blood mixed red eyes.
Shuhi stepped back, ready to spray.
"Oah oh! I am really sorry!" The boy apologised with a surprised voice seeing her.
"I thought the killer came back. Sometimes they come back to take something they left behind."
She paused.
"Who…. who the hell are you?" she asked.
"My name's Ukize Utaro. I'm a detective. The family hired me to handle this case personally."
He said calmly.
"I'm Yun Shuhi. I'm here because I…I was curious. But I'm serious. I can solve this case," she replied.
Utaro raised an eyebrow.
"Look, this isn't some sick joke! Let us professionals handle it. Civilians like you should not get in it."
"Tch…As expected. He's already trying to kick me out. Now what should I do?…"
"Leave? How foolish!"
Shuhi said with a faint smile.
"You think this case can be solved only if you follow rules? Detective… you have to see the bigger game here. The killer isn't ordinary."
"Really? You think this is some game?"
"Game? Nah I hate games. Too easy."
This… this is art! "
Shuhi said with a cold voice.
"You're not helping here. If you're so smart, why not let the police deal with it?"
Utaro asked.
Shuhi stepped closer.
"Why trust the police when the killer doesn't either. You see, the killer is watching us. Right now!"
Utaro's eyes narrowed.
"Nonsense! And why should I trust you?"
"Because I've already solved a part of it."
She pointed at the bookshelf.
"See those books? They're part of the same novel series. But look at the volume numbers. They're out of order. Everything else is neatly arranged. Why you may ask? It's a message from the killer. You didn't notice it, did you? I did."
"You need my help, Detective. Doesn't matter if you don't like it."
There was silence.
"Huh, you won't play fair, right?" Utaro muttered.
"You think fairness will catch the killer? That's the point I'm trying to make. Now it's up to you. Work with me or keep moving like a blind man in this maze?
He sighed.
"Fine. You can work with me. But it stays secret. Okay? "
Shuhi nodded.
"Then let the game of cat and mouse begin."
Dead Logic © 2025 by Muntasib_Ihshan789 is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International