"Or so sort of malfunction in her cara," Kazuo added the possibility.
"It’s too specific for that, isn’t it? Everything else in the photo’s clear," Fuko squinted closer.
"Maybe a smudge on the lens?" Hotaru cocked her head.
"Never mind, there must be a reason she took a picture of only the building in colour—it’s sothing important," Kazuo gave it more thought. "If it’s sothing to do with the lens, I’m not an expert in photography."
"Ooo, if it’s a spooky-scary ghost, Jotou probs knows what’s going on! She knows horror movies," Asobi glanced to the blonde.
"Movie?" Morgana raised a single brow.
"It’s like a picture," Asobi looked to her and flourished her wand, creating an illusory Kira in front of Kira that walked around. Kira tilted her head at it. "That moves! It’s not in this world though," the illusion dissipated as Kira tried to kick it gently.
"Do I need to explain the other world part?" Jotou enquired Morgana.
"I know it just fine. Not all the details, but at least that you ain’t from around here."
"So, what’s the expert’s opinion?" Kazuo handed the photography over.
Jotou took into her hand, "I don’t know if I’m an expert, ghosts don’t exactly exist in my world. But by movie logic, ghosts and other paranormal stuff tamper with technology. Things like distorting radio signals.
Putting logic into fiction, ghosts don’t appear on photos cause caras use light to get pictures. That would an the particles of a ghost aren’t focused, no matter how much light’s on them.
Which adds up with when our house in Kria was attacked by ghosts. They could go translucent and do all sorts of things. So, the weird blurry red-green-blue smudge is probably because of light distortion.
You’d need an infrared or a thermal cara to get a picture of a ghost—so thod that doesn’t use light."
"I’ve never heard of cara’s like those before," Morgana replied.
"Then this is the best picture of a ghost anyone’s gonna get," Jotou handed the photo to Fuko who reached for it.
"Maybe if the ghost posed?" Asobi pondered.
"Yeah we can apply blush and put a bow on it," the brunette snarked.
Kazuo opened up the paper with blue ink. The handwriting was delicate, smooth and slightly cursive, similar to the previous pink words written on the envelope.
’So, 10:33 last night after getting a tip from the nearby pub, I set up a little camp by so bins in an alley. I’ll write the address and the lot on another note.
If I’m being honest, I think I witnessed a murder? Can’t be sure. Anyway, I made sure the flash from my cara was far enough and by 11:06, two n entered the apartnt.
Brown coat, black hair, short beard and around 1.7m in height give or take. The other, black coat and brown hair, slightly taller, but sa range. Both of them kept looking around for sothing, probably looking for witnesses. Both mid to late-thirties.
I had to take a picture after their backs were turned. Once they were in, I had nothing to see. Windows were all shut and drapes all down.
Then... sothing spooky. It was weird, gave this feeling of, ’Euck...!’. Almost lost my nerve, but I flipped the colour lenses in and took a picture as soon as I could.
And bloody hell, it turned into a right ss. Nothing to see but a blur, but it had to be a ghost. Flew up and over the roof and poof; no way I was keeping up with that. That was around 11:14.
I didn’t get into the house, but I did stand by till the suspicious n got out. They left at 11:32 and I took a final shot, but I had to move a little and cover so of the flash, so it turned out all blurry.
Anywayyy, I got out of there and got the photos done. Now detective, do give a little scoop on the details for all this work, those police over in the last scene are being all fussy about it! You’ll tell all about in exchange for getting this info? Deal? Deal!’
Kazuo closed the note and checked the address.
"You didn’t put her up to any of this did you," Morgana read the note from over his shoulder.
"That’s the unsettling part..." he morized the address.
"Can we go investigate this?" Fuko requested.
"Let go over a few details, then we can go," Kazuo replied.
"No, I ant us," the brunette stood beside her friends as she restated. Kazuo gave her a glance... Fuko’s eyebrows lowered ever so slightly.
He brought his gaze to Morgana who gave a jerk of her brows, "I’ve got other cases, so do you. Or do you wanna keep chasing this lead?"
...
"Okay kid," Kazuo looked to his daughter sternly. Fuko’s eyes brightened. "The details of the exact apartnt unit the ghost flew out of and the address is all here," he handed the information.
Fuko took them and read through imdiately. "I’ll take them if you don’t mind," Hotaru put her hand out. The brunette kept scanning through and pouted to the redhead; she reluctantly gave it to her.
"Please rember. Try not to tamper with the cri scene too much, if there is one. The lock on the main entrance seems flimsy, try not to leave any damage and don’t leave any prints—anywhere.
Go in with caution and once you can figure out the situation, get back to the company. The area in question’s not exactly the most safe neighbourhood.
You’re better off investigating at night to keep unwanted eyes catching you in broad daylight. If you run into trouble, don’t engage unless absolutely necessary. Can you do all that?" he sincerely put.
"Yeah, I- we can do all that," Fuko nodded.
"Prints are hard, get so gloves from the storage office," Morgana instructed. "Kira, lead them there please." With silent guidance from the secretary bird, they headed out of the room.
Left alone in his office, "Thought you wanted to show a few leads, not send them on your latest hunt," Morgana released a breath.
"She wants to be a detective," Kazuo replied with a slight frown. "She’s graduating and all... It’s not like I didn’t wriggle my way into being one. I want to give her chance—at least help guide her. Otherwise she’s just gonna do it anyway."
"It’s a lotta trouble. Sothing must’ve convinced you for you to do this much."
"It’s later, isn’t it."
"I’m waiting on that explanation," she leaned her hip against the desk.
"Regardless, it’s not her alone; they’re capable," he said with a little hesitation. "I... know she isn’t gonna follow exactly what I said and is gonna do sothing more," he admitted.
"Thought as much. But if you think they can handle it."
"I can take a guess, but it’s not like I know exactly what happened in that building."
Morgana cleared her throat, "Still waiting."
"I was getting to it," Kazuo cracked his knuckles.
The four of them headed back ho from the company after obtaining so gloves and awaited nightfall to start their investigation.
_
"This is the place?" Fuko uttered.
"For the fifth ti, yes; I’ve checked the map and the street sign confirms it. This is Servant Street in Mandrake Borough," the redhead replied with a swish of her tail.
"That ans this is 16," Jotou paused and looked up the four-storey apartnt of brownish bricks. The number one by the side of the few doorbells and a six hanging off to almost look like a nine.
Moving past an alley wafted over the scent of rotten trash and so dirty cat that ran by. Various stains tainted the pavents and the roads had dips and litter. Crickets chirped their lodies while the cold night breeze nipped at their noses.
Fuko peered to an alley across the street and spotted a few bins. "This is definitely it," she confird the angle from the photographs.
"No one, not even the neighbours know sothing happened?" Asobi hushed.
"That would need witness accounts and we’re not going in authorized right now," Fuko answered as she stuck close to the magician.
"You don’t have to stick so close silly, my invisibility spell will still work," an invisible Asobi gave a little hug to the invisible brunette.
"I was gonna ask you to open the door in case a ghost pops out," Fuko replied.
"Eep!"
"Ai, ai, ai," the sound of boots clacked up the steps and the invisible Jotou checked the lock on the door.
"So run-down..." Hotaru looked around the area as the streetlamps flickered once or twice. Her ears pricked and faintly heard sothing muffled, "I think there’s a couple arguing in there."
"Which one?" Asobi glanced at the building.
"Probably the one with the lights on," Fuko stood next to Jotou by the lock and examined it.
"Everyone, shhh," Hotaru whispered.
A group of three n walked around the corner and into the street—the one in the middle supported by the other two was clearly in a drunken haze, if the residue of his dinner across his coat wasn’t a sign enough.
"I think I can just push the door open, lift the knob up a bit and it should work," Fuko hushed.
"Hold on detective."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
By the ti the group had entered one of the apartnts across the street, another pair or a few people walked into the street, followed by a carriage that passed through.
"At this rate..." Fuko cursed. "Not to ntion, we gotta be careful of the people inside too."
"Sobi, can you make a fake wall around us? So that when we open the door."
"It’ll look like nothing’s happening to anyone on the street? Yup, yup!" she hopped up the steps to Jotou’s idea. Hotaru went up the stairs and they huddled close to the door.
With traces of white light, the elf carefully drew an illusion without garnering too much attention from the public. "All done!"
"Won’t help for the inside, but we’ll have to risk it," Jotou reached for the doorknob.
"Hang on," Hotaru spoke and bumped into Jotou’s arm, "Sorry."
"Sorry," Jotou retracted her arm. The wolf-girl pressed up her ear against the door and closed her eyes. The sound of a couple arguing, so garble on the radio, but fortunately at the mont, no footsteps.
"Let’s go, now," Hotaru lifted the knob with her gloved hand and turned it, making the tal scrape- "Gh," her ears folded down and she clenched her teeth, but she still opened the door.
"Great security," Jotou remarked as she walked in after Hotaru and Fuko. Asobi kept the illusion going till she entered and the door shut.
The beige wallpaper along the hallway seed to be peeling off lightly. The lights on the walls were purposefully dimd and the temperature didn’t drastically change...
Hotaru firmly placed her bluish beret back on her head to shield her ears. "Third floor," Fuko walked further in and found the staircase wedged in between apartnt units.
Still in their invisible guise, they made their way up to the third floor and stopped at the apartnt they intended to investigate. "Seventeen," Fuko checked the door.
"Aru?" the elf murmured.
Hotaru took off her beret and moved her ear to the door without pressing up against it, "Doesn’t seem to be much of a sound."
Fuko’s nose twitched to a sll coming from the seams in the door. Copper and sort of like the rotting of sweet fruit. Even so, as soon as she caught a whiff she imdiately lost the scent—it was too faint.
Jotou grabbed the door handle and gently turned it till she heard a clack. "ko?"
"I got it," Fuko fished out a hairpin from her hair and got close to the keyhole of the locked door. "I’m gonna need to see my hand for this one..." she couldn’t even see the hairpin she held.
"Mhm!" the invisibility faded completely, revealing the brunette in the middle of the hallway in earmuffs and gloved hands. Jotou and Hotaru kept an eye down the hall whilst Fuko fiddled with the lock.
With one hand on the handle, she heard the lock click within and turned the knob at the sa ti. The sa sll from before whacked her in the face, making her expression twist.
All four were perhaps familiar with the fresher version of the scent, but this was the result of it being left out for longer. Squeaks and little pitter-patters scattered to the sound of the door opening.
Tiny shapes dashed behind the furniture. Upon opening was a sight Asobi shuddered and shifted her eyes away from. Hotaru curled her fingers in and recoiled at first, Jotou knitted her brows and scrunched her nose to the scent.
Fuko furrowed her brows and examined the entirety. In the middle of the living room was a circular wooden board, propped up by stilts.
The centre was hollow, making the board more ring-like. Crimson was soaked by the wood in four positions as a few drops stained the faded grey carpet. Stuck to it like a poorly held marionette, was the corpse of a woman.
Several nails were brutally hamred into the palms of each hand onto the wood. The sa was for both feet spread wide from each other on the circle—the toes appeared to be chewed off by small teeth.
The lifeless body’s head hung down, only kept up by the arms held up high to the sides. "Hell..." the blonde murmured.
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