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Susato had been awfully fixated on a certain witness, ever since that smoke bomb went off.
"They said it's a girl of around fifteen." She repeated for the umpteenth time.
"Yes, Miss Susato." Ryuunosuke said, exasperated. "I take it you are as well?"
"Sixteen." Susato corrected. "But that's only a year's difference."
'…Why would your ages matter at all ,' he wondered. 'Isn't she witness to a murder?—Someone died.'
It continued, as Gina Lestrade finally revealed her face and name to the court. Susato frantically checked the court record after that.
"So she's seventeen, wow…" Susato trailed off.
"Er, she does have a bit of a baby face, I guess…?" Ryuunosuke said, wondering why this was a point of discussion.
"Mr Naruhodou!" She scolded. "That's terribly impolite, she's a very pretty young woman." Susato coughed. "Anyways, that's still only one year's difference, so…"
She did not elaborate. Somehow, Ryuunosuke felt it was best to not ask.
"Look, knives are for cowards." Gina said, rolling a coin over her fingers. "Only thugs use weapons like that."
Susato was watching intently—perhaps a bit too intently, the open pages of her book blank before her.
"All I need for wot I do is these fingers." The witness finished.
Pink-faced, his judicial assistant suddenly looked down, back to scribbling notes in her book. Ryuunosuke knew better than to try and read them.
"... I think she means stealing, Miss Susato."
"I-I knew that!"
After the trial, they settled into the coach with a sinking feeling. The defendant had died—and now the truth might never be uncovered.
They had nowhere to sleep tonight, either. Susato's joke of sleeping in McGilded Park seemed more and more enticing.
Still, she was sighing dreamily, one hand to her face as she looked out the window.
"Please, Susato-san." He begged. "Can we focus?"
"Oh, yes, of course." She sat up straight. "So, about that case, I really do think we ought to find Miss Le—"
"Focus on being homeless , Susato!" He whipped around. "Not—not on your crush on some witness girl who's vaguely your age."