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Genshin stepped outside and took a moment to gaze up at the stars. It was late. While he would have preferred to be at his flat finishing up a letter home rather than waiting around at a crime scene after dark, such was detective work. Wandering to the gate of Number 3, Lauriston Gardens, he watched for Inspector Gregson’s return from an errand. A man with a similar silhouette approached in the fog, but to Genshin’s surprise, the man soon illuminated by the street light was Yujin Mikotoba.
“Ah! Good evening, Asogi,” he said politely.
Genshin raised an eyebrow. They were on the other side of London from the hospital where Mikotoba worked, and farther still from the flat he just moved into on Baker Street. “Good evening. I should inform you that this is a crime scene, so whatever business you have here will have to wait.”
“Oh, it—it’s nothing like that,” Mikotoba said, oddly nervous. “Actually, I was wondering if perhaps…”
Genshin cut him off. “One moment.” He stalked along the fence to the shadow attempting to creep in between the rails. “Mr. Sholmes.”
Sholmes snapped up his head and hit it on a rail, wincing. “Why, Mr. Asogi! Fancy meeting you here!”
“I could say the same,” Genshin said, crossing his arms. “All right, on your way.”
“Of course.” Sholmes’ grin shone in the lamp light. “Just as soon as I’ve had a look at the crime scene.”
“Absolutely not,” Genshin said. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mikotoba hovering and put up a hand. “One moment, Mikotoba.”
“Oh, er, you see…” Mikotoba began.
“He’s with me,” Sholmes said.
“Ha!” Genshin barked. “I’m sure.”
With a smirk, Sholmes gestured to Mikotoba. “Tell him, Doctor.”
“Lying will get you nowhere,” Genshin said. “Now stop bothering this man and—“
“Er, Asogi,” Mikotoba interrupted. “I am here with Mr. Sholmes.”
Genshin whipped around to stare at him. “What?” he said dumbly.
“This is my flatmate, Herlock Sholmes. Mr. Sholmes, this is my friend, Genshin Asogi.”
Genshin automatically took the hand Sholmes extended to shake. “Pleased to—no, I know who you are!” He snatched his hand away. “What do you mean, your flatmate?”
“I told you about that flatshare on Baker Street, right?” Mikotoba said.
Horror filled him. “You didn’t tell me he lived there!”
“I didn’t know you were acquainted.”
“This is all fascinating stuff,” Sholmes said with an exaggerated yawn. “However, we are on a rather tight schedule, so if we could just…”
“I thought I made it clear on several occasions that civilians, even amateur detectives such as yourself, are not allowed at any crime scene,” Genshin said.
Sholmes drew himself up to his full height, which was still a good few inches shorter than Genshin. “And just how is Scotland Yard coming along on this case?”
Narrowing his eyes, Genshin glared. They were going nowhere, but he wasn’t about to admit that to Sholmes.
“That’s what I thought,” Sholmes said, his smug look doubling Genshin’s irritation. “Anyway, I was invited by Inspector Gregson.”
“Somehow I doubt that, Mr. Sholmes.”
“Just ask the good doctor.”
Genshin raised an eyebrow at Mikotoba, who rubbed the back of his neck.
“Well…he was doing a lot of grumbling…and he did mention the address, so…could we take a quick look?”
Genshin couldn’t believe he was actually considering this. He gave an exasperated sigh. “Five minutes.”
“Splendid!” Sholmes said, climbing up over the fence and pumping Genshin’s hand. “You won’t be disappointed, my dear fellow!”
He went ahead into the house and up the stairs, while Mikotoba followed behind with Genshin.
“I’m used to Mr. Sholmes wheedling his way onto my crime scenes,” Genshin said, “But I don’t understand why you are here.”
Mikotoba shrugged. “I’m not sure myself. But he invited me along, and I had nothing else to do.”
“I really must warn you against him,” Genshin said, lowering his voice. “Especially as a flatmate. The man is a nuisance, and possibly insane.”
“He seems a decent enough fellow,” Mikotoba said. “Eccentric perhaps, but from what I’ve seen, a brilliant man.”
“Listen, Mikotoba.” Genshin stopped on a landing. “You see the best in people, which is admirable, but can get you into trouble. I don’t want to see you get in over your head. You tend to get swept along in whatever someone asks of you.”
“Yes,” Mikotoba said with a faint smile. “Like when you and Jigoku harassed me into coming to Britain in the first place.” He took the last few steps ahead of Genshin.
Genshin sighed through his nose and followed him through the door to the crime scene.
Sholmes took a quick look at the corpse in the middle of the room before turning his attention to the walls. As he scoured them, he gestured back to the body. “Doctor, if you would.”
“What—me?” Mikotoba said.
“Your professional opinion, as a medical examiner. It would be very useful to me,” Sholmes said.
“W-Well, I…I’ve only just begun studying post-mortem examinations, but…I’ll do what I can.” He crouched beside the body, carefully turning the head to get a better look at it. “He’s dead, that’s for certain. No signs of head trauma…” He picked up a hand. “No blood, no defensive wounds…erm…heart attack, perhaps?”
“Would it be a crime scene if it was a heart attack?”
“Oh, right, then…poison?”
“Excellent!” Sholmes snapped his fingers. “Now take a look at this marking on the wall and tell me what you make of it.”
Mikotoba jumped when Sholmes pointed it out. “Oh! There is blood! It looks like writing.”
“Rachel,” Genshin said impatiently. The bloody scrawl of the woman’s name, though missing the L, had been the most obvious clue in the room.
“Is that indeed what it says?” Sholmes turned his grin on him, and Genshin got a sinking feeling. “Scotland Yard is falling down on the job these days. This crime is completely transparent to me!”
Mikotoba gaped, and it needled Genshin to see him so impressed. “You—you’ve worked it all out?”
“The clues are here, we need only interpret them.” Sholmes pointed aloft. “It is time for Herlock Sholmes’s Logic and Reasoning Spectacular!”
Genshin groaned as the spotlight fell on Sholmes, who twirled around the room as if it were a stage and pointed to the red writing.
“Here we have a word written on the wall. What does it say?”
“That’s obvious,” Genshin said, his arms folded as he watched from the doorway. “Rachel, though he was interrupted before he could write the ‘L.’ I believe it to be the victim writing the name of his killer.”
“Rachel, is it?” Sholmes said. “Mikotoba, is there any other meaning it might have?”
“Well, this may be far-fetched,” Mikotoba said. “But I know a little German. It struck me that it might be ‘rache,’ the word for revenge.”
“Precisely!” Sholmes spun around again. “Don’t lose your time looking for Miss Rachel. The word is revenge, the motive for the murder, written…in tomato paste.”
“Er, Mr. Sholmes…” Mikotoba ventured. “Don’t you think it might be blood?”
“Indeed, it is!” Sholmes disappeared from the wall and reappeared near the body. “And just what is this revenge all about? Strange that it was written by the victim, don’t you think?”
Mikotoba said nothing, looking intently at the body. Then his eyes lit up. “Hold it, Mr. Sholmes. That’s not it at all.”
He tapped out a few dance steps before tipping his hat stylishly. “The victim’s fingernails are perfectly clean and smooth. Since the word was scratched onto the wall with blood, it couldn’t possibly be the victim who wrote it.”
“And thus we may conclude…” Sholmes spun closer so he and Mikotoba could point out the solution together.
“Rache was written by the killer!”
They began work on another clue in the same manner while Genshin watched in astonishment. From time to time, Sholmes turned over the spotlight to Mikotoba, who danced as he explained his own deductions. He was light on his feet, suggesting a certain lightness of heart that had been absent in him for a long time.
Softening at the sight, Genshin almost missed Sholmes appearing behind him.
“Brilliant, isn’t he?”
Genshin chafed at the detective leaning close over his shoulder. “He is. You on the other hand…”
Sholmes laughed loudly and went off to twirl around the stage again.
Once their deductions were complete, Genshin, to his chagrin, had a much better understanding of the case.
“All right,” he growled. “Your five minutes are more than up.”
“Not a problem at all, my dear fellow,” Sholmes said. “Our work here is finished. Do excuse me, I must fetch the victim’s missing suitcase from the back alley.”
He dashed down the stairs. Genshin and Mikotoba went back outside at a slower pace, waiting by the house while Sholmes conducted his search. Genshin sighed.
“Why don’t you like him?” Mikotoba asked.
“Why don’t I—why do you like him?”
“Well, it’s hard to explain, really.” Mikotoba looked out at the dark street where Sholmes had disappeared. “He fascinates me. Yes, he has some bothersome habits, but he’s the cleverest man I’ve ever met. It’s never a dull moment with him.”
“Yes but, not being rude Mikotoba, you’re more of a dull man yourself.”
Mikotoba laughed, filling Genshin with warmth to hear the sound again. “Yes, well, good to keep the mind occupied, you know? I think I’ve had rather enough dreary days all to myself. You were the one telling me to get out more—”
“Not like this!”
“—And to make new friends—”
“Not like him!”
“Asogi…” Mikotoba faced him directly. “I know you’re trying to protect me. And I know you’re older and wiser and know better. But if I am making a mistake, I’m confident I can handle myself.”
If he put aside his own annoyance, Genshin would agree. It was possible that Sholmes had a good side to him, and if he could make Mikotoba laugh again…
Well. It was not as though Genshin had much choice in whatever the detective made up his mind to do. Perhaps if Sholmes had Mikotoba to civilize him, he would be less of a pest at his crime scenes.
“Tell me that when I bail the pair of you out of prison,” Genshin muttered.
Sholmes appeared out of the darkness holding a packing case. “Come, Doctor, the game is afoot!” he called.
Mikotoba chuckled. “I’m sure I will.” Wishing Genshin goodnight, he stepped out into the London mist and followed after Sholmes.