The Investigator's Visit

As Uncle Joe and Aunt May left for the hospital, Ryo retreated to his room and settled onto his bed. The space was noticeably smaller than his previous room, but he paid little mind to it. After all, his previous room had been mostly empty, so the size wasn't much of a concern.

The doorbell's creak cut through the air, prompting Ryo to stir from his thoughts.

"I'm home! I'm so hungry. Get me something to eat, Mom," Cassandra called out.

"Your parents aren't home, Cassandra," Ryo informed her as he stepped out to meet her.

"Oh, hey Ryo. I guess we'll be living under the same roof from now on," Cassandra said, her tone carrying a hint of irritation. "So, where did Mom and Dad go?" she asked, rummaging through the fridge for something to eat.

"They went to the hospital," Ryo replied matter-of-factly.

"The hospital? Who did they go to see?" Cassandra questioned, her mouth stuffed with cookies.

"Uncle Joe collapsed, so Aunt May took him to the hospital," Ryo explained.

"Papa colla-- cough-cough," Cassandra choked on her food, her face contorting in discomfort.

"Water, water," she managed to gasp, reaching out for the glass Ryo offered.

"Here," Ryo handed her the glass, watching her gulp down the water.

"Wait, Papa collapsed?" Cassandra's eyes widened in concern.

"Yes, he saw some news on TV, and then he collapsed," Ryo elaborated.

"After watching TV?" Cassandra seemed puzzled.

Ryo remained silent, prompting Cassandra to impatiently dial her father's number on the house landline.

"Hello, Mama. How's Papa?" she asked as she finally got through.

"Oh, Cassandra dear, Ryo must have told you. It's nothing to worry about; your father collapsed due to some strenuous stress, but now he's just fine. We'll be back after the doctor has finished the other tests. Take care, dear," her mother reassured.

"That's a relief," Cassandra sighed, sinking onto the sofa. "Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?" she turned to Ryo.

"Telling you wouldn't have changed anything," Ryo replied, his tone impassive.

"What? Of course, it would have, you idiot," Cassandra retorted.

"Sorry, I don't understand," Ryo remained unfazed.

"You really are irredeemable," she sighed, frustration evident.

Even though Cassandra was older than Ryo, their height was about the same. If they stood together, nobody would guess who was older.

Ryo went back to his room while Cassandra remained in the living room watching TV.

Ding-Dong! The bell rang.

"Go get the door, Ryo," Cassandra ordered.

Ryo went to the door, only to be greeted by the police. "It's the police. We need to talk," the officer announced.

"As I was saying, can you call Mr. Joe Kosana? We need to talk to him," the police officer requested.

"He's not at home; you can come later," Ryo informed them.

"Not at home? That's oddly suspicious. Do you have an idea where he might have gone?" the officer probed further.

"He collapsed this morning and was taken to the hospital," Ryo replied.

"The hospital, huh? And who might you be?"

"I am—I am his nephew," Ryo replied. This was the first time he had to refer to himself as a nephew.

As soon as the word 'nephew' came out of Ryo's mouth, a grin appeared on the face of the man standing beside the two officers.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Ryo. I am Asaku Ken, a private investigator. I hope you will cooperate with our investigations," the other man spoke with a grin on his face.

"Okay," Ryo replied with an expressionless face.

Ryo was taking long at the door so Cassandra came to check on him. "What's taking you so long? U creep?" She was then surprised to see the police.

"You must be Cassandra," Asaku spoke. "Nice to meet you. Won't you invite us in for tea?"

"Please come inside," Cassandra said. "Ryo, you keep them company. I'll make some tea," she added as she went to the kitchen.

Now the two officers, Mr. Asaku, and Ryo were in the living room.

"I know it's hard on you since you lost your parents yesterday, but still, your cooperation will be highly—"

"Do you know anyone who might hold a grudge against your parents?" Mr. Asaku interrupted the officer.

"I do not," Ryo replied.

"Where were you when your house burned down yesterday?" Asaku questioned.

"I was probably at the graveyard," Ryo replied.

"Mr. Asaku, you are being far too inconsiderate. What is this, an interrogation? The kid just lost his parents!" one of the officers spoke.

"I know what I am doing," Asaku spoke. "Besides, he seems unaffected by it, ain't I right?"

Ryo remained silent, ever so emotionless.

"Mr. Asaku!" the other officer broke in. "Sorry, young man. We will come back when Mr. Joe returns," he said.

Cassandra came back with tea only to find them already gone. "Argh, damnit!"

As they were about to leave, Mr. Asaku whispered something in Ryo's ear, but Ryo remained unaffected. Asaku soon burst into laughter. "I knew there was something special about you! We will surely meet again, Ryo-chan. Till then, ciao!" They went away, the sound of his laughter slowly fading away.

"Your parents didn't die in an accident; they were murdered." Mr. Asaku's words flashed in Ryo's mind. A sharp pain accompanied by a relentless beeping sound surged through him, bringing vague memories of a car falling down a cliff.

Soon after that, Aunt May and Uncle Joe returned. Uncle Joe hugged Ryo as soon as he opened the door for them.

"I am always here for you, Ryo," he added.

They went inside only to find Cassandra gulping down tea.

"What happened?" Aunt May asked, her eyes narrowing at the sight of Cassandra's distressed state.

Cassandra looked up, her face pale. "The police were here. They were asking about the fire... and your whereabouts, Joe."

Uncle Joe's face tightened. "Did they say why they were looking for me?"

Ryo hesitated before speaking. "They wanted to talk to you, but they didn't say much. Just asked a lot of questions."

Aunt May put a comforting hand on Ryo's shoulder. "We'll deal with this together. Don't worry, Ryo. We're family."

Ryo nodded, but inside, his mind was racing. The beeping sound and the fragments of memories kept surfacing, unsettling him. "Uncle Joe," he began, "do you know why they would think my parents were murdered?"

Uncle Joe exchanged a troubled glance with Aunt May. "Ryo, there are things about your parents' past that we need to talk about. But not tonight. You've been through enough."

After dinner, as the family dispersed to their respective rooms, Ryo couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. He lay in bed, the words of Mr. Asaku echoing in his mind.

His thoughts drifted to the vague memory of the car falling. Why did it feel so real? And why was he remembering it now?

Ryo wakes up to see the same old roof. He goes to brush his teeth and notices blood on his right canine. He simply brushes it off. Deciding to take a bath before breakfast, he discovers a new wound on his shoulder, seemingly like a bullet wound. It wasn't bleeding until he poked it. After taking his bath, Ryo goes to the living room where Aunt May is watching TV.

"Oh, good morning, Ryo, or should I say good evening," Aunt May chuckled.

"You were sleeping like a log, so we decided not to wake you," she added.

Ryo looks at the clock and, to his surprise, it's already 1 pm.

"You watch some T.V meanwhile I'll make you breakfast," she said as she left for the kitchen.

Ryo changes to a news channel.

"A whole family was murdered overnight, the killer still at large," the news anchor reports.

Ryo changes the channel again.

"Mr. Asaku, who just spoke with us yesterday, is no longer with us. He was a passionate detective who had solved many big cases," the anchor announced solemnly.