Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 355: Arc 5, - 49: Drop Off

"In-crackle-news, there have been two cases of homicide reported in Mandrake Borough. The first victim, Mr Tristen Lineir, 42, was being investigated, while the second, Ms Samantha Floyd, 33, was becoming the next victim.

Further information is being kept private while authorities delve deeper into the case. It is uncertain that there might be a serial killer lurking around Mandrake Borough, but citizens are advised to exercise extreme caution in the area.

The current line of cases and files has not been deemed fit for public eyes, due to several grim details..."

"It was only a matter of time," Hotaru sighed as the radio continued to relay other news.

"The world knows about a serial killer," Jotou replied.

"A sewial killer!" Kineko threw her hands up and cheered.

"Mhm, they kill cereal," Jotou smiled to the child next to her at the dining table, where thin books were lying about—some open.

"Aunty thinks sewial killers kill cewrial?" Kineko’s eyes widened while she looked up to Jotou. "Aunty can’t be this stupid, sewial killers kill people! With big knives and bats," she began imitating holding such weapons.

"Really!?" Jotou gasped. "It must be all that studying you’re doing. You’re becoming smarter."

"Yesss!" after excitedly proclaiming and giggling to herself, Kineko’s body shrunk a little. "Aunty Spauky-Eyes will go find them and kill the killer first, right? You have to!"

The blonde’s lips twisted, but she retained a smile, "I’ll definitely find them and make them pay. Their justice is due and I’ll do my best to serve it.

So, you can be as brave as you need to be while I’m around. I’d never let anything bad happen to you and no killer is gonna get their hands on you, got it?"

"Hm! Got it!" with that fear pushed aside, Kineko got down from the chair. "Aunty, can I get juice?"

"You’ve been at it for long enough, go right ahead," Jotou excused, despite the fact that Kineko only studied for maybe fifteen minutes in total.

Kineko scattered into the kitchen and Jotou turned her head to the living room... Her blonde brows lowered and that playful smile went away, "Stop it."

She referred to the redhead watching the scene of course. Arms folded and tail in a wag she replied, "I didn’t say anything~"

"Your eyes are judging me and that’s enough," Jotou glared.

"I’m just imagining some things in the future," Hotaru’s fangs glistened.

Jotou’s complexion took on shades of red, "What things...?"

Hotaru shrugged and hummed.

"Kineko’s five, not a baby. Babies are disgusting creatures and caring for a baby’s way different than a kid," the blonde averted her gaze.

"Hm? Paranoid much? I was just thinking Kineko’ll grow up to be brave and strong, I think. Whatever were you thinking about Ms Howllett~?"

"Sure you were," Jotou doubted. "Anyways, it’s not like there’s an actual serial killer."

"You’re not wrong; it’s something far worse," the wolf-girl walked around the sofa. "I’m just hoping Dolpool doesn’t become gloomy all of a sudden cause of that news."

"It takes more than a couple of deaths to break the majority of people’s spirits," Jotou shrugged.

"Or we’re just morbidly used to it..."

"That too," Jotou struggled to keep this line of the conversation... but, "Isn’t it a bit early to be talking about future stuff though?"

Sensing the change in topic, the redhead grinned, "What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I’m talking about, stop teasing me," she glared.

"Aunty, aunty, look! I poured my own glass," Kineko ran out with the glass in both hands filled with some purplish juice.

Hotaru walked forward and held the cup steady, "Why did you take a glass instead of your plastic cup?"

"Aunty Spauky-Eyes doesn’t use a plastic cup, she needs a glass," Kineko continued to walk towards Jotou and hand her the glass with outstretched arms, "Here you go."

Jotou looked down to her, "For me? I, thank you," she gave a small chuckle and took the glass. ’Adorable...’ But then she looked back up to Hotaru and just as she assumed, the redhead was already starting to grin—Jotou pouted to the side and looked away.

"You’re welcome! Would you like some too Aunty Wred-Wolf?"

Hotaru put on a motherly smile, "I’ll pour some for myself, no need to worry-"

"Ring! Ring-ring! Ring!"

"I’ll get it," Fumeko, seemingly out of nowhere, blinked into existence right in front of the telephone and picked up the receiver, "Hello?"

"Oh, is that the little detective I hear~?" Alicia’s bubbly voice popped through.

"Yeah, it’s Fumeko," her brows furrowed as she held the phone a little tighter, "Did you get a lead on the case already?"

"Right on the money~! I’m gonna look into’it more, but should tell you what I already got. I tailed good ol’ Green-Fillet Johnes down the streets."

"...Have you slept yet?"

"Who needs sleep when you have a fresh pot’a coffee and a case to solve? The point’s t’get to the next victim as soon as possible innit?"

"Point taken, go on."

"Well, I made my way back to Mandrake last night after our parting. Found a way t’tail him and he went off into a suspicious, sneaky, dark, grim looking alley.

I had my reservations, but I decided to just get my hands dirtier and get closer. He seemed to be dropping off somethin’ near the place and made a hasty retreat. No pictures, my flash would’ve been too strong."

"What did he drop off?" Fumeko asked.

"Didn’t quite catch it in the moment, but I stayed hidden for a few hours. Away from the scene, but I had a good angle. He left as fast as he entered.

Y’know that high school girl he mumbled ’bout? Well, I didn’t see the girl wearing a uniform, but I did see one go to the same spot and pick something up—seemed to be a pen of some sort, a paintbrush maybe?

Whatever it was, it didn’t look like any normal stationery. The girl, long black hair in a ponytail and had a few pink streaks, has a good fashion sense it seems. ’Bout 1.65 metres tall, give or take."

"Hm." Fumeko held a hand to her chin while the phone was to her ear. Jotou had crept up from behind while Hotaru kept her ears wide open. "Sounds familiar..."

"You’d need t’tell me detective, I’ve got my suspicions. I’ll tell you this much, there’re schools in Mandrake, but no high schools at all. Your next victim might not be in Mandrake."

"Could you tell anything about her expression?"

"I was a bit far, but if I had to describe it, she wasn’t nervous, suspiciously not nervous. I’d say her expression was pretty bleak."

"Got it. Thanks Alicia."

"Oh detective, make sure to ask ’bout that interview with-"

Fumeko put the receiver down. "Did you all hear that?" she turned.

"Bits and pieces, might help if you explain more," Jotou replied.

"Explain what?" Asobi poked her head down from the stairs. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Kineko, studies," Fumeko pointed to the table. "And no listening in, this is private business."

Kineko pouted and drooped.

"Don’t worry, I’ll tell you a great story later," Jotou added.

"Yay! Pinkie swear?"

"Pinky swear."

Kineko ran off to the dining table cheerily. Asobi came down from her own studying and joined the rest as Fumeko whispered to them the details, sat in the living room...

"Sounds like the cult’s switching tactics," Jotou remarked.

Asobi titled her head, "How so? It’s the same thing they’ve already been doing, right?"

"They know we’re not gonna report it to the authorities, otherwise they would’ve already been exposed. If I were them, I wouldn’t just stick to the same plan and hope for the best.

Something’s changed, something’s got to have changed—something about their plan and we don’t know what," the blonde leered to the carpet.

"If that’s true, the scarier thought is that they’re continuing with the same serial killer cover story," the wolf-woman pondered.

"Well, it keeps the police occupied, alongside things like the news," Fumeko suggested. "The cult might already know that the authorities know and are keeping it under wraps—they’re taking advantage of that time by using that cover story.

There’s also one change we do know. The fact that this probably won’t be taking place in Mandrake."

"It could still be a victim in Mandrake, there’s no reason to think that the next victim has to be in a school," Jotou stated.

"No, then that gangster in the bar wouldn’t’ve specified or even needed to passively mention high school. He could’ve just called her a bitch and left it at that. I think the two are connected," the brunette retorted.

"What about the thing they picked up in the alley? The pen?" Asobi continued. "Is it a special gangster pen?"

"That must be connected to the runes," Jotou glanced up.

The elf’s eyes bubbled, "You mean it’s the thing used to carve the runes into the body...?"

"What else? The bigger question is why some high school girl’s handling it," the blonde thought aloud.

"That’s assuming the pen, this girl and this gangster are all related to the cult in any way shape or form," Hotaru seeded doubt. "Do we know for a fact that this gangster is even involved with the cult? This could be something entirely different."

Fumeko had that thought as well of course. "This is more so trusting Alicia’s information. Besides, I saw the guy. A gangster with some renown wouldn’t be so shaky unless it’s some bigger force he’s dealing with—obviously."

"Then it could be some rival gang for all we know," Hotaru shook her head.

"Then the pen used for carving the runes-"

"It could be something completely different, it could be a wand shaped like a pen that has a bunch of spells stored in it—we don’t know!" Hotaru interrupted Fumeko.

"Fine wolfy," the brunette furrowed her brows, "It’s a theory, sure. But if all the pieces fit."

"They all fit based on the majority of accounts from one person."

"The issue?" Fumeko snapped back.

"Look, I’m all for being enthusiastic about your work and wanting to uncover the truth, but I don’t trust her. She’s a mouthpiece for the papers of the city.

I understand she’s talented and that your dad trusts her. But at the end of the day, she’s a reporter looking to expose anything she can and pry for private information. No one’s that perky and high-energy all the time."

Fumeko squinted at Hotaru... then directed her hand towards Asobi.

"A-Asobi’s different. Alicia’s dangerously smart and manipulative, she can lie and string us along on a wild goose chase."

Jotou knitted her brows, "Asobi lied to us and took us to fight slimes that were disguised as velatos. That’s how we first met."

Asobi gripped her wand and her face cringed, "Don’t bring that up, I’m still sorry for that!"

Hotaru folded her arms, "I, just, don’t, trust her. We should be used to ulterior motives by now. Mayor Gestryle, Jack Tenner, Lexi, Moren, Minister Saady, Countess Keya—don’t act like I’m being unrealistic."

"Fine, don’t trust Alicia; do you trust me?" Fumeko looked her in the eyes.

"I-" Hotaru sealed her lips tight... and her shoulders, tail and ears relaxed, "Of course I do."

"Then that’s that. I trust Alicia—it’s settled," shadows glimmered in the brunette’s eyes.

...

"Fine."

"There, no need to be grumpy anymore firefly," Jotou cooed.

"Shut."

"Yeah firefly, you look better flustered," Fumeko smirked.

Hotaru’s ears wiggled, "You especially shut it," she turned away with a hmph.

"Firefly, firefly, firefly~!" Asobi sang.

"You’re fine, but now it’s lost all meaning," the Azure Firefly replied.

"Anyway, the pen and the girl. I assume Alicia’s gonna track them down?" Jotou queried.

"We can definitely assume," the brunette muttered. She held a hand to her chin right after, "That girl... I know I have something about it on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t remember, ugh..."

"The only time you would have contact with any high school girl, would be when you were in Dolpool Academy. Anyone ring a bell?" the redhead asked.

"I mainly just hung out with Tiffany..." Fumeko pondered all those she had met in her short time there, "Wait, it couldn’t be her, could it...?"

"Tiffany? But she’s blonde silly," Asobi replied.

"No. It’s one of the girls at school that bullies Tiffany—or used to anyway. I don’t remember her name, but it could be her. But why?"

Jotou sighed, "That’s always the question..."

"What about the runes? Maybe Detective Namora got something else about it?" the raven-haired woman suggested.

"It’d help if we had that pen I think," Hotaru remarked.

Jotou spoke, "Maybe we can find that girl and get it from her? Maybe we break into the academy."

"That’d be no use, most graduates would’ve moved out by now even if she was one of the girls staying at the dorms. We have no idea where she lives, so that’s not an option. Looks like we’ll just have to trust Alicia," Fumeko said.

"Unless we wanna break some laws!" Asobi cheered.

"As if we haven’t already..." Hotaru hushed under her breath.

"Bwreak the law!" Kineko rebelled with a textbook she held.

"I said no listening!"