Case Numero Uno

Luna noticed a change in her brother recently. He looked like he was having more fun while going to school and he talks of his new friends happily. She really wants to meet Big Sister Lily from what her brother has said about her. She seems so cool!

If Luca hears what his adorable little sister was thinking, he is going to be mad jealous of Lily. But he is currently engaged in the battle of the pens with Ash as he forgot to complete the English assignment due today.

Lily and Hirokazu gazed at them with contempt as they waved their perfectly finished assignment on their faces.

The rest of the class looked at this new group with envy. Even though it hasn't been long since they became friends, they have a lot of trust in each other.

Suddenly a teacher ran in, the rushed sounds of hiding incomplete homework was heard all around the classroom. But as old time champions of completing work during class, Ash and Luca continues their debacle.

"Hirokazu,it's the usual! Want to go this time or nah?" The way the teacher spoke for some looks from the students.

Hirokazu looked done but got an idea. He looked to his friends and grinned.

"Tell him he's got company and a lot of it this time."

Fast forward from the confused looks and being seated in a car towards the police station to the kids meeting a handsome man in official police uniform.

Lily was practically drooling over him and Ash was grumbling that he only looked good because of the uniform.

"Guys this is my dad, Ayame Ibata, Captain of our police force and a very useless guy!" Hirokazu happily introduced him.

A smack to his head and a glare later, the captain had seated the kids in a briefing room and explained what was going on.

"Okay see Hirokazu is surprisingly good at solving things, which is obviously due to his good genes, and has special permission to take leave to help out here on a couple of cases. Seeing that he took things into his own hands to bring you all here means you have potential to be used here. I've got a case that's pretty interesting and I hope you can solve it for us."

Hirokazu tolled his eyes and raised his arm to receive the file.

"Yeah yeah old man! Leave already and let me have the file. And I'm good at solving because of MOM's genes, after all she was the one who topped the Police Academy unlike a certain someone."

After handing over the file to his son, the captain grumbled about his ungrateful brat and how unfilial his stupid son was.

"Okay guys lets get down to the chase. Basic facts of the case are as follows," Hirokazu stood by the whiteboard with practised ease and began marking points, "This is a murder case with a single victim. Facts on the victim: Rick Rogers, 54 years old, the owner of SuperFun videogames, apparently he used to be he kingpin of videogames back in the day. He left a daughter behind, his wife passed early on."

He then proceeded to show us the photos of the crime scene. A middle aged man face down on the floor with a pool of blood surrounding him was shown. In his hand he held a card, the king of diamonds. On his desk was a queen of hearts.

Ash was puking in a nearby trash can as Lily held his back as he did. Well it was his first time seeing a dead body after all, even if it is just a photo. I have to see them since I'm in a doctor's family and Hirokazu's done this plenty of times. Lily is just weird so there's that.

"I have a couple of suspects here and just take a look at the files I'll pass," He got up and passed around a few files, " Here are the details of the suspects."

There was the right hand man, the secretary and a partner. All of them have motive but something always comes up like the alibi that makes them seem innocent.

The right hand man, a young guy who doesn't look half bad on interrogation tells her was dating the boss' daughter and was the reason for their fight. His alibi seems airtight and he was the first to discover the body. He was the last person to see him but he had an alibi during the time of death.

The secretary was alone for long periods of time and the boss was know to be a person who often harasses her. She complained plenty times but no action was taken against him. However she had no strong means and the depth of the wound on the body seems deep so quite a lot of force only possible by men. So she's eliminated for sure. But the chances of her doing it by accident or spontaneously still stands if the evidence comes up.

Lastly the partner, he was in a tricky situation as the boss wanted to call of their partnership and make them go separate ways. This foreshadowed a huge loss for him if it proceeds and he was most likely to replace him as boss as well. He sounds like him so there's the chance of him impersonating him and making it seem like he's alive even if he wasn't to solidify his alibi.

The dead guy was apparently a card addict and loved to gamble. So the presence of the card had to mean something. His bloodstream had a slight presence of sedatives and that seems suspicious.

After a while, Hirokazu spoke up.

" I have a feeling that it's the– "

"Secretary right? She had a lot of opportunities to commit the crime!" Ash interjected.

Hirokazu shook his head.

"While she did have the opportunity, she had a pretty strong alibi with the camera's on her 24/7 and the camera footage was not tampered with."

Luca looked up from the files to continue what Hirokazu was about to say.

"You were gonna say the right hand dude right? He's got a lot on the line and he has admitted to dating that guy's kid too. Is there any message between the father-daughter duo that can incriminate him? Plus that guy died holding that card which was based on history of Julius Caesar and as a card addict he was bound to know the history and we all know how that happened. Plus he had the best opportunity being the first to discover the body... he could've just stabbed the unconscious guy while everyone went out?"

Everyone just stared at Luca with astonishment at his reasoning.

"Um yeah exactly what I was going to say but the card thing never came to me... wow you're good! Nah I have to ask the tech team for help on the message thing."

Hirokazu was impressed and he just found Luca more and more amazing. Looks like he made the perfect decision to make this team.

"Okay so I'll collect some damning evidence on him by going through his and everyone's computer, phone and anything electronic! I am a hundred times better than your puny tech team. No offence to them tho!"

Lily was pumped and she had a look that made me never make her mad ever. I feel bad for the poor soul who does.

"I'll talk to all the employees and the family of the deceased and see if there's anything that seems fishy!"

Ash looks much more livelier now that he's done puking his guts out. This sort of job does suit him since he has a glib tongue.

"Then Luca and I will go take a look at the crime scene and body once. Hey Luca you good with dead bodies?"

Hirokazu stood up straighter and and headed towards Luca as he spoke.

"Dude, I'm going to be future doctor and I have seen autopsies before because of that. So duh I'm okay!"

Luca smiled at him and stood up. He was excited for the first time in a long time and the last time he felt like this... It was a really long time ago.

The four friends looked more excited than ever and Ash had the bright idea of doing a group thing like a fist bump or something and promptly got laughed at by Lily.

"Oh my goodness! You are so cute for trying to do that! Okay fine fine I'll stop laughing so stop glaring at me. We can do your silly fist bump."

Cue an awkward fist bump that ended up with all four of them laughing.

"Okay we have gotta make a better group thing than this lame fist bump. But first this case! Bye guys and see y'all at 6!" 

Hirokazu yelled at the two and dragged Luca away to the crime scene.

So this is their first case! I wonder how they'll do for their first team effort, so are ya excited?