KaitoPuri: Tsubame 3

Bird from the sky

January 14th 1940, London

Tezuka had seen it happen clearly. From his location, he hoped he had been the only one. But where to go from now?

Again, Tezuka took the fire case, wondering if this pattern would someday get him into trouble.

He had a fair idea of where Tsubame might have fallen down. Working his way through the rain, he tried to leave the scene unnoticed.

From there, he head towards the Tower bridge.

Looking left and right, Tezuka felt a certain rush in his chest. He had only seen the thief in action twice, but knowing he might be wounded made Tezuka feel uneasy.

Tezuka ran. Not exactly knowing where to head for, as long as it was a clue to Tsubame's location and wellbeing.

After not too long, he found it, to his distress: a trail of blood.

Following, he walked parallel to the shore. 'What if he had fallen into the water?' was the thought that crept Tezuka's mind.

He grunted in stress. The trail had stopped. From here on, he couldn't follow. Then again, neither could the police if they'd come here. But Tezuka was almost certain that Tsubame was wounded, which was frustrating.

There was no use but to give up. Tezuka decided to head home. In deep thought, his feet made him drag forward. Something broke his thought though.

for a short moment, a sudden pressing warm thing against his chest and a soft 'hmpf!'

Tezuka realized he had run into someone.

"Err.. my apolo-....." Tezuka stopped himself and eyed the person in front of him.

"Ah! no, I'm sorry. It was my fault." The boy rubbed his front head, which he had bumped.

"You're.....from before.." Tezuka recalled. The boy he had seen in the museum....

Why had it struck him as odd back then? It wasn't very unnatural for someone to spectate art. And if it's someone not very interested in Tsubame, all the more.

Besides, the ring the boy had been watching wasn't the item which was stolen.

"erm... have we met?" The boy looked a little troubled. He was frail and petite for a male. The narrowed eyes he had before were now more open. Penetrating blue. His face was pretty female too. Tezuka couldn't deny that he had mistaken him for a woman, back at the museum. Though a little embarrassing, Tezuka found he looked quite charming, despite looking like a drowned cat in the rain.

"ah...at the mu-" Tezuka noticed that the boy hadn't much attention to him, though.

He pointed at the camera around Tezuka's neck.

"Sightseeing?" the boy smiled.

Something snapped in the back of Tezuka's head. He couldn't quite place it though.

"Ah.... erm, can I?" Tezuka held the camera up.

"Hn? Sure, why not?" The boy showed a charming smile.

Tezuka aimed. Watching the boy through the lens, he seemed..... well, Tezuka didn't quite know what to think of it, but he decided it was better not to forget him.

He took the picture and smiled satisfied.

"I'll be taking you along to Swiss." Tezuka mumbled to him, keeping up the act that he was indeed sightseeing.

"I see. That's nice." The boy clasped his hands. "Well, if you don't mind me. Good luck in Swiss." The boy turned off and left.

Maybe Tezuka just wasn't too well cut for this work. He was starting to see things.

Yagyuu was so kind as to offer him a towel as he returned to the office. He sat behind his desk and stared at the ceiling.

"Puri?" It sounded from the window.

"Hello, Niou. This is the 3rd floor and it's pouring, you are aware?"

"Yeah I know. What happened? You look sore." Niou climbed in.

Tezuka sighed. "To be honest, I don't really know."

"Something happened at the scene?" Niou fussed with a plant on Tezuka's desk, watering it with a wet sleeve. Yagyuu entered the office as well, wondering how Tezuka was doing.

"Hnn.... Perhaps it's because I let my guard down."

"uh?" Niou and Yagyuu stared at each other.

"Yagyuu, can you pass me that note?"

"Very well..." Yagyuu did as told. He grabbed Niou by the neck and dragged him along. "We won't bother you..."

Tezuka dialed the phone number written on the note as he got home. Again, the nervous Oishi took the phone.

"I'm Tezuka from the daily Times. I wish to talk to the agent who shot a gun at tonights scene."

"wah! err... I-I can't let you-"

"hn?" Tezuka grunted.

"alright! I'll get him for you."

If only all people were as easy as Oishi, Tezuka thought.

After waiting for a while, a man with a laid back voice took the phone. he introduced himself as Oshitari Yuushi.

He asked about the scene. Oshitari was a lot less easy then Oishi had been though. Tezuka had to press him.

Oshitari, in the end, explained him that he had tried to shoot the glider, rather then Tsubame himself. He didn't seem to be aware that he had hit Tsubame.

They also hadn't found him after Tsubame had land on the ground.

"Where did you learn to shoot so well, though? It almost seemed like you knew where he would be at that moment." Was it a conspiracy? Did Oshitari perhaps have a connection to Tsubame? For starters, was police allowed to shoot an unarmed thief? Tezuka caught himself to be far more anticipating, considering Tsubame, then he had wanted.

Oshitari sighed, though. "Give me a break. I'm with the police. I'd be in trouble if I couldn't shoot like that..."

Tezuka admitted to himself that he had little knowledge of just how skilled a police agent should be with a gun. But Oshitari's aim, even though he had missed... it had been too good.

"Who had thought you to shoot so well, though?"

Oshitari grunted. "A man named Atobe Keigo. Can I go to bed now? it's past 3..."

Tezuka decided he'd better give up. He was very tired himself too.

But the name of Atobe...... It rang a bell from somewhere.

Atobe Keigo was a very well respected man. He seemed to have his hands in many areas. sponsors, stockings, things like that. And to top it, a Japanese.

Hated for his nationality, but feared for his power.

It was a dead lead, though. What would a middle aged businessman have to do with a thief? Tezuka sat backwards in his chair. He tried to have a short nap, but it seemed to be tougher then usual. He felt like he was very close to the truth... but also like he was just circling around things.

He got up to go to the bathroom. Maybe a shower could clear his mind.

What were the puzzle pieces he had in his hands?

'Tsubame, a thief. He couldn't be older then 20. Probably Japanese origin, seeing from his handwriting. There's no record of him learning roman writing at an academy, though. And concluding from his handwriting only... a little too shabby, perhaps.

His thievery is aimed. He doesn't take more then he needs. Also, it seems he likes to show off, in a way. He struck only 5 times by now, but the population seems to be interested in him.

Then there was the note at the last robbery.... 'Every art is of equal value'. Is he an art appreciator? Or was he just trying to mock the police?

Things that might or might not have to do with him: ........'

Tezuka's train of thoughts stopped for a moment.

That boy.... was there a connection? Tezuka had just so happened to notice him, among many others. it was pure coincidence.

There was probably no chance of tracking him either, nor ever meeting him again.

He left the shower, gazing annoyed at the clock, telling him it was already close to 8 in the morning.

He heard something at the front door. Still rubbing his hair dry, he opened it.

On the floor was a newspaper. A local one, not the Times.

'Young lady challenges Tsubame.'