[Well. Rinne had teased about zombies on HiMERU's first day here, and he's more or less heard enough around the town to fill in the rest of the blanks.]
An empty grave... because he wasn't actually dead. Sprung back to life, assumedly, just like some other needlessly resilient pests. [A pointed look away, sighing.]
... But now you think he's dead for good, if he's out there possessing people... or trying to.
[Another pause. It all lines up too well. He wants to find a contradiction, not just for the sake of proving Rinne wrong, but... there's just something uncomfortable about the pieces coming so nicely together.]
[Rinne points at HiMERU with a finger gun.] Bingo.
[Pest? Who could HiMERU ever mean? The infuriatingly smug grin Rinne has on his face grows wider as he gets closer to the answer.]
It went to the train. Couldn't find him, but he was definitely on the scene. The headlights were on when I got there. Never saw him since!
Me and Azusa-chan found somethin' curious under the train, though. It was the day of the fires. I said I got it to move, right? That kinda swept Azusa-chan off her feet, and I don't mean that in a good way. While she was flat on her ass, she saw a quilt under the car—you still following?
You think he was sleeping underneath the train car...?
[Wow. That sounds dumb as hell. Still:]
Never mind the fact that the train likely wouldn't be going anywhere without him; why wouldn't he at least sleep inside the train? Unless... he wasn't supposed to be there, and/or — didn't want to be found.
Unexpectedly, that's already more than the young master can say. Though... it was clearly an accident on his part. Just the wrong place at the wrong time...
[Hmm. A horrible mistake for certain in Tsukasa's mind, but... something everyone else could learn from, at least.]
... And what were you hoping for, bringing this to HiMERU?
[ Someone who can assess the situation with a clear head. Someone who won't try to harm Tsukasa for knowing what Rinne told him. Rinne certainly can't tell Lark about that. That said... ]
Well, Detective, that was just my preamble. We still got one more mystery on our hands. Jay's second death was an accident. We all know that. But what about the first time it happened?
Conductor-chan didn't just die, Merumeru. He was murdered.
Picture it: Me, Hiiro, Niki, Mayoi-chan and Kanata-chan on that train while the conductor has his lunch. A roast beef sandwich and a glass of pulpy orange juice. No one's allowed to come in the conductor's cabin, though. The door's sealed tight. No one gets to ruin Jay-chan's snack time!
Soon, he feels tired. In the next few hours, he finds it hard to breathe. Eventually, he chokes, dropping dead the moment he suffocates completely.
[A classic locked-room murder, except not really. The fact that it's a whole train notwithstanding, there's no telling at what point the food was poisoned... Because of course he's heard about the "how" by now. What with Rinne being so loud about it, even when he refuses to say it to HiMERU's face.]
Then assuming he had been targeted, the culprit would have to be someone on the train at the time of the murder, someone previously on the train or otherwise in contact with the conductor or his belongings, or the conductor himself. Naturally, the last is the least likely, but not impossible.
They say that upwards of 75% of murders are committed by someone acquainted with the victim. By tentatively ruling out that this was a random crime, suicide, or a freak accident, there should be a motive.
If, by killing the conductor one had thought the passengers might be rescued from their undue fates — Well. HiMERU certainly does not need to explain how well that went.
If not that, then... perhaps an act of revenge. Punishment executed for his transgressions, whether or not they pertained to his role in bringing you here.
[Rinne hasn't mentioned it because some things are meant to be said in private. That goes for HiMERU, too. They both have reputations to uphold, and Rinne hasn't had the time to speak with HiMERU indoors like this, alone.
He hasn't found the chance to bring it up yet.]
Nah. Lark said Jay was a quiet guy. Didn't hurt nobody. The train was his life.
Sometimes his wife Robin would join him. I dunno who takes care of the kids when that happens, though. She's got a uniform, too. San-chan found it in the furnace on the day we got here, I think. No body. Lark said only Jay was supposed to be on that train, anyway. That workaholic!
We know what happened at the train a few days ago, so I wouldn't rule Robin out.
But you know, the only reason we could get Conductor-chan's body was 'cause someone stuck a keycard to that very door. It happened while we were in transit. Like they wanted us to know we were all gonna die!
[Even if Rinne never does, it's in the past now. HiMERU isn't all that fond of digging up bad memories anyway. He knows enough, and if he ever needs to know more, he'll cross that bridge when he gets to it, but... he might be okay letting it go.
So long as it doesn't happen again.]
Has anyone seen his wife? Or know where she might be?
[Yes, she's potentially a suspect, but — she's also potentially innocent.]
[The heel of Rinne's foot does not let the rest of his sole touch the glass-littered floor until the ghost of guilt catches up to him. Of course HiMERU would say that. People deserve to know when they've been abandoned—and when they haven't.]
If anyone from town's come back, I haven't seen 'em. I— Well, I wouldn't say I'd love to do it, but I can't. No one knows where they are—'cept the postman, maybe. Haven't gotten him to cough up an address, though.
He says Crow, Robin, all the others should be here soon, but it's been weeks. How long do you think a family visit should be? Two people dead on that train and no one bothered to write!
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no subject
An empty grave... because he wasn't actually dead. Sprung back to life, assumedly, just like some other needlessly resilient pests. [A pointed look away, sighing.]
... But now you think he's dead for good, if he's out there possessing people... or trying to.
[Another pause. It all lines up too well. He wants to find a contradiction, not just for the sake of proving Rinne wrong, but... there's just something uncomfortable about the pieces coming so nicely together.]
What happened to the body?
no subject
[Pest? Who could HiMERU ever mean? The infuriatingly smug grin Rinne has on his face grows wider as he gets closer to the answer.]
It went to the train. Couldn't find him, but he was definitely on the scene. The headlights were on when I got there. Never saw him since!
Me and Azusa-chan found somethin' curious under the train, though. It was the day of the fires. I said I got it to move, right? That kinda swept Azusa-chan off her feet, and I don't mean that in a good way. While she was flat on her ass, she saw a quilt under the car—you still following?
no subject
[Wow. That sounds dumb as hell. Still:]
Never mind the fact that the train likely wouldn't be going anywhere without him; why wouldn't he at least sleep inside the train? Unless... he wasn't supposed to be there, and/or — didn't want to be found.
... By the likes of you, for instance.
no subject
The hell is that s'posed to mean? Rinne-kun didn't mean to bury someone alive! [Shaking! His head!] I'm a piece of shit, not a murderer!
[We'll just not talk about torturing animals at age 10. That was a different thing.]
no subject
[Hmm. A horrible mistake for certain in Tsukasa's mind, but... something everyone else could learn from, at least.]
... And what were you hoping for, bringing this to HiMERU?
no subject
Well, Detective, that was just my preamble. We still got one more mystery on our hands. Jay's second death was an accident. We all know that. But what about the first time it happened?
Conductor-chan didn't just die, Merumeru. He was murdered.
Picture it: Me, Hiiro, Niki, Mayoi-chan and Kanata-chan on that train while the conductor has his lunch. A roast beef sandwich and a glass of pulpy orange juice. No one's allowed to come in the conductor's cabin, though. The door's sealed tight. No one gets to ruin Jay-chan's snack time!
Soon, he feels tired. In the next few hours, he finds it hard to breathe. Eventually, he chokes, dropping dead the moment he suffocates completely.
no subject
Then assuming he had been targeted, the culprit would have to be someone on the train at the time of the murder, someone previously on the train or otherwise in contact with the conductor or his belongings, or the conductor himself. Naturally, the last is the least likely, but not impossible.
They say that upwards of 75% of murders are committed by someone acquainted with the victim. By tentatively ruling out that this was a random crime, suicide, or a freak accident, there should be a motive.
If, by killing the conductor one had thought the passengers might be rescued from their undue fates — Well. HiMERU certainly does not need to explain how well that went.
If not that, then... perhaps an act of revenge. Punishment executed for his transgressions, whether or not they pertained to his role in bringing you here.
no subject
He hasn't found the chance to bring it up yet.]
Nah. Lark said Jay was a quiet guy. Didn't hurt nobody. The train was his life.
Sometimes his wife Robin would join him. I dunno who takes care of the kids when that happens, though. She's got a uniform, too. San-chan found it in the furnace on the day we got here, I think. No body. Lark said only Jay was supposed to be on that train, anyway. That workaholic!
We know what happened at the train a few days ago, so I wouldn't rule Robin out.
But you know, the only reason we could get Conductor-chan's body was 'cause someone stuck a keycard to that very door. It happened while we were in transit. Like they wanted us to know we were all gonna die!
no subject
So long as it doesn't happen again.]
Has anyone seen his wife? Or know where she might be?
[Yes, she's potentially a suspect, but — she's also potentially innocent.]
... She deserves to know, if she's been widowed.
no subject
If anyone from town's come back, I haven't seen 'em. I— Well, I wouldn't say I'd love to do it, but I can't. No one knows where they are—'cept the postman, maybe. Haven't gotten him to cough up an address, though.
He says Crow, Robin, all the others should be here soon, but it's been weeks. How long do you think a family visit should be? Two people dead on that train and no one bothered to write!