canterbury bells
(for all the necessary background info, warnings and summary, please click here. thanks!)
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The Family Doctor (2/13)
My name is Hajime Hanazawa, I have been the Kururugi's family physician for the past fifteen years.
Yes, ever since I was hired, I have given up my practice to devote my services to the Kururugi family full-time. I have also lived in the family mansion for the past ten years.
Suzaku-san - I may call him that, yes? - fell sick a year after I had moved in.
(long pause) Suzaku-san used to be a very energetic, cheerful child. He was healthy, perfectly normal for a boy his age, and aside from the occasional scraped knee, broken bone, or a cold from staying too long in the rain, he didn't show any signs of bad health... at least, not before that.
By 'that' I mean the day Suzaku-san fell ill.
His... mother had been ill for the longest time. Since I entered the Kururugi family's employ, I think. She was largely withdrawn, and spent most of the days resting in bed. After she died, it was... perhaps about a week, maybe a bit more, before Suzaku-san’s health suddenly took a turn for the worse.
(shifts uncomfortably) ...Y-yes, this was around August of that year.
At that time Suzaku-san’s mother had just... (pause) Well, as I said, Suzaku-san’s mother had just died. Everyone in the household was devastated but not... really all that surprised. She had been ill for a long time after all. She was... in a rather delicate condition. (dabs at his lips with a handkerchief) Regardless, the funeral service was held at the mansion. The only thing unusual that I can remember is that Kururugi-sama didn't send those children back to [redacted] until after the wake.
Oh.... so Mori-san didn't tell you... (coughs) Kururugi-sama had an arrangement with a business partner of his, a Charles vi Britannia-san based in [redacted]. Every summer the two vi Britannia children, a boy and a girl, would come to visit. They would spend three months here as guests of the household.
(looks surprised for a moment) ...Yes, yes. I believe Schneizel vi Britannia-san, the attorney, is at least a half-brother to the siblings.
Does he have contact with - oh, I wouldn't know. I wouldn't be able to tell you. (pause) It's hard to imagine, though, given that Suzaku-san hasn't spoken to anyone since he was eight years old.
Oh, Suzaku-san is capable of writing, yes. If he knows sign language, I haven't seen it - he barely interacts with the rest of the household as it is. He's... (trails off)
He is... (hesitates) rather like his mother used to be. Quiet and withdrawn. (shakes his head) That's really all I can say.
Yes, well... well we think there might have been a connection, that is, between Suzaku-san's illness and his mother's. Both of them were kept largely indoors due to their... delicate conditions. But... (shifts further, glancing at the clock, and finally sighs) Look, I wish I could help you. I do. But a lot of this information would breach doctor-patient confidentiality laws... (trails off)
(takes a sip of water) He was... very pale. Both of them were, he and his mother, though I suppose it may be due to the fact that they both hardly ever ate anything. She was like that for as long as I knew her, but in Suzaku-san's case... only after he fell ill. The boy used to have such a voracious appetite. (chuckles weakly)
Yes, in all my years of service, I never heard his mother speak a word either.
(looks very tense now) ...I can't comment on that, I'm sorry.
The night Suzaku-san disappeared? Yes, of course. I retired early that night - at about eight in the evening, I would say. I spoke with Suzaku-san that morning because he seemed to be in... considerable discomfort. Perhaps even pain. (amends) ...Or rather, I spoke to him. (shakes his head) He never said anything, as usual.
He... (glances uneasily at the door) he had trouble walking. Again, this was nothing new (quickly), he wasn't getting proper nutrition after all, despite our best efforts.
(shakes his head) I'm afraid I can't say anything about that; it's really not my area. If you'd like, you could take it up with Fujiwara-san, Suzaku-san's current therapist. She doesn't live in the mansion, but we keep in touch. I could give you her contact information.
Right, well, her mobile number is [redacted]. I do have to warn you, though, that she might not have clearance to tell you some of the things you need to know. Ah... you know how it is.
In that regard, you might be better off talking to vi Britannia-san - Schneizel vi Britannia-san that is, the attorney.
When to contact him? That's difficult. (shakes his head) He was actually staying at the mansion until just recently. I don't know when he left, or where he's staying.
You're welcome. Yes, have a good day.
---
Suzaku’s therapist will be easy enough to track down - the doctor all but pointed the way to her. And while the attorney is indeed no longer at the Kururugi household, his office address in Tokyo is not hard to find at all.
(Interview the therapist || Interview the attorney || Quit)
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The Maid (2/13)
Noriko Toguichi. I work as a maid for the Kururugi family.
Oh. How long I’ve been working as a maid for the Kururugi family? A couple of years (ponders) Let me think. Oh (smiles) yes, it's been around three years now! It was around the time when Haruka broke up with me --
Whether I’m close to Suzaku? ... (laughs) I wouldn't really say that. He doesn't (cheerfully) talk a lot, does he, the poor boy? (places a finger on her lips) I do think he trusts me though. He always lets me read his books -- he owns a lot of books, you see...
Oh (laughs) he's such a sweet, generous and helpful boy. Always makes his bed himself, and even cleans up his room on his own -- he also washes the dishes from time to time … (makes an 'oh' sound) Actually, I wouldn’t say he's really all that much of an invalid at all -- I don't really understand why he's always stuck in his room ...(sighs) He seems awfully sullen at times, always staring out of windows ...really a poor thing.
(bats her eyelids) Ohhh, I wouldn't really know. I'm not a doctor, you see? But, in my humble opinion (grows serious), he just seems ...sad. Not really all that ill. Not anymore than a cold or a mild case of the flu. (tilts her head to the side) I know ill people. You see, when my father was dying, he ...well, I just knew he was ill. You can tell those things. I would say that Suzaku just eats too little, and spends far too much time indoors, but (smiles) of course, no one would listen to a maid. (whispers: “You aren’t going to tell his father about this, are you?”)
Oh, the night he disappeared? I can't tell you much. I was really busy ... Mori was particularly fussy that night. He told me to put the boy to bed, and then ...(long sigh) I had to help spread the tablecloths, (counts the duties off on her fingers -- one by one) bring in a few candles, wipe the floors, ...he's such a worrywart, that silly butler -- he needs a wife to help him loosen up!
Of course I did. I'm a (leans forward) very good, good girl, detective.
(loses her smile) He seemed a bit sadder, just a bit. Looked at me as if he were scared of something, or someone but ... I think he was just nervous. So many guests! And oh, he was so sweet, when I was about to leave the room, held my hand as if he didn't want me to go, but ... I had to! I told him I was busy. Jobs are important, after all! (and whispers. “Would you like to go for a date after this, Mr Detective?”)
(sighs) He was. He's not usually that anxious, just quiet, but he's always been very timid - so I think it was just the guests. I wonder if I should have stayed with him -- his hand did tremble a bit.
No ...(frowns) not at all. He mostly keeps to himself, and his books. Other than me, and the family doctor ...he isn't really close to anyone. Oh, there are his private tutors too, of course.
Oh yes, two British people, I think. Funny accents -- especially that scientist man! I don't know what he's called -- I just know it’s a strange name. Anyhow, he speaks very quickly and ...always gesticulates. He and that woman -- I think she teaches Suzaku history -- seem close, but then not. It's strange. I wonder whether they are married or ... just friends.
Oh, that's easily done. (smiles) If you invite me over for a nice cup of coffee, I'll tell you (winks) how to contact them. Of course, I could tell you just like that too, but a gentleman doesn't ask for favours without offering something in return.
Yes, the victim's therapist. I'm sure you've already (smiles and mumbles: '”Clever detective that you are”) been informed about her.
(leans forward, and touches the detective's hand) No, I have nothing more to say, but (smiles, again bats an eyelid) are we going out for a date now or not ...?
---
Fortunately, Suzaku’s private tutors happen to be listed under the phone book. The boy’s therapist is not, but a quick survey of the family’s emergency contacts yields her number and address right away.
(Interview the tutors || Interview the therapist || Quit)
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The Cousin (2/20)
My name is Kaguya Sumeragi! (perkily) Pleased to meet you!
Yes. Oh, right! You asked about my occupation earlier -- I'm still a student. (smiles)
Oh, Suzaku and I didn't always get along, but other than that he was great! I used to spend a couple of weeks at a time at the Kururugi house when I was younger, see. That would be spring break and Christmas break, every year. That's how I got to know him.
Oh, that (embarrassed laugh). I don't really know what was up with that -- something our families came up with? I don't know. Neither of us was overly fond of the idea. "I'd never marry you, ewwww." (mimics a younger Suzaku's voice)
He was mostly cheerful, yes. He was so hyperactive sometimes. Whenever I'd come over, he'd want to play tag or swim in the river or look at this bird's nest -- on top of a mountain, two towns away! (exclaims) Sometimes even I couldn't keep up with him!
Hmmmm.... (taps a finger against her lips, thoughtfully) well, he never really talked much about Genbu-ojisan. I only ever saw him at dinner -- I got the impression that he was a strict, serious man. (cheers up) But then again, who in his position wouldn't be, right?
Oh yes, I can imagine. He wasn't around very often whenever I'd come over to visit Suzaku. And even then -- sometimes he would spend all day in his study.
(shrugs) Not really. Suzaku would just always say he did 'work stuff.' I'm not even sure he knew what that meant at that time, either.
Oh, nothing really important. He had kendo lessons everyday, and I think he really liked them. He would not stop talking about them, or how he wanted to be a kendo master when he grew up. I'd tell him he was being silly, samurai don't exist anymore, and even if they did they'd be using guns and other modern things now! (chatters)
Well, no... (frowns sadly, kicking idly at a chair leg) We stopped talking much after his mom died...
(nods) Yes, I think that's right. He was turning nine.
And then.... (squints) And then we just sort of fell out of touch, I guess. (shrugs) At the funeral he said.... he said he had something important to tell me. But then my grandfather pulled me away to introduce me to some other relatives. When I got back he was gone. (shrugs) That was the last time I spoke to him...
That's right (sighs). I never did find out what that was. It's too bad, too. Sometimes he'd say things like that and it would turn out to be some stupid fort he'd built, or his sensei Tohdoh teaching him some technique or whatever. But that day -- I think, whatever he wanted to tell me that day really was important.
Tohdoh-sensei? (confused) I used to think he was a really scary man. (animated) One time, Suzaku and I jumped the fence at the Kururugi mansion and went exploring, and we got lost. It wasn't until nighttime when Tohdoh-sensei found us. He was so angry!! I honestly thought he was going to beat us.... but he didn't. (tilts her head) He didn't even yell at us, and he said he was just 'glad he found us'.
(smiles) Yes. I think he did.
(confused) Who? Suzaku or Tohdoh-sensei?
Well, I know Tohdoh-sensei left not long after that. Not sure why... but, Suzaku, he just cut me off! Completely! (hurt) I know he stopped talking, but he never once wrote to me anymore, and I think I emailed him hundreds of times without a single reply. (sighs) A couple of years ago -- after I'd finished middle school, I came to visit the Kururugi house. (bites on her lip) A lot of things changed. I never did get to see him.
Mori-san said he was sick.
The house seemed.... (hesitates) emptier, I guess. They got rid of Uehara-san too. And there was a man who would come back and forth to the house a lot. A foreigner, but not Lelouch-kun and Nunnally-chan. (catches herself) Oh, they were Suzaku's other friends. They always came to visit later than I did, but I met them a few times. They were nice. (smiles)
Oh I think so! Well, I didn't get his first name (muses) but I think he was Lelouch-kun and Nunnally-chan's brother or something.
Hmm well, they were brother and sister. Nunnally-chan was younger, and... something had happened, an accident that made her blind and unable to walk. It was very sad. But Lelouch-kun always took care of her. You could tell they loved each other very much.
I wouldn't really know about that. I didn't know them very well. Suzaku was very protective of Nunnally-chan, though. But even then, I get the feeling that he and Lelouch were very close too! (shakes her head) It's hard. Suzaku wasn't the type to play favorites anyway.
(her smile turns crooked, and her voice hitches) I do. I miss him so much. (lowers her head) Sometimes I wish...
... (shakes her head) Nothing. Nothing. (laughs slightly) It's foolish.
I... keep wishing that someday he would call me, out of the blue. (smiles, but her eyes are damp) That he'd get his voice back, and laugh, and be happy again, and we could hang out like we used to. That... things would go back to the way they were before.
(shakes her head) I don't know... if you could track down Fujiko Uehara-san, though -- she used to be his nanny up to around the time his mother died. It's a long shot, and she might not be easy to track down. But she might have some new information for you, because (chuckles) I'm assuming you've talked to almost everyone else already, right?
Then yes, you'd want to speak to her, I think.
No-one else really comes to mind.... (shrugs) I can't suggest anyone better to speak to than Genbu-ojisan himself, but good luck with that. (smiles wryly) You might be better off contacting his lawyer -- that man I told you about earlier.
Thank you as well. And, ah -- if you do manage to track down Uehara-san... would you mind letting me know? (earnest look) It's been so long, and I'd love to catch up with her. Please?
Thank you so much!
---
Tracking down Genbu Kururugi’s attorney should be easy; while the man is indeed no longer at the Kururugi household, his office address in Tokyo takes you less than an hour to find. The former nanny, on the other hand, will be more difficult to get a hold of, as members of the household either refuse to talk about her or simply don’t know enough to help you. You can opt to conduct an exhaustive search yourself, but that’s probably going to take a week.
(Interview the attorney || Interview the former nanny || Quit)
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The Former Kendo Instructor (2/20)
Kyoshiro Tohdoh. I used to be Suzaku-kun's martial arts instructor until he was nine years of age.
(stern, serious voice -- proud too) Kururugi-san specifically hired me to train Suzaku-kun in kendo.
(ponders, clearly choosing his words carefully) Kendo is the 'way of the sword' -- it has its origins in kenjutsu -- or in other words -- traditional swordsmanship which originated from the samurai class of feudal Japan.
(frowns, clearly offended) Do you have a problem with that? Kendo is a respectable art, teaching its pupils integrity, determination and inner strength. I don’t see why a child, no matter how young, shouldn’t learn it.
(raises an eyebrow) Dangerous? Only if not practiced or taught properly. I always ensured that Suzaku-kun wore protective armor, and (snorts) of course, we didn't use a real sword -- but a shinai: it's meant to represent a sword, but made out of four bamboo slats and held together by leather fittings... (sighs) So, you can tell that Suzaku-kun was never really exposed to any lethal danger. Besides, in modern kendo, it's common practice to only strike towards specifically targeted areas... since an incorrect strike could cause serious harm.
He was exceptionally talented, showing great promise but (wistful tone) he was also very headstrong and stubborn. I often had to tell him to stop rushing into things (shakes his head, tone clearly affectionate).
(smiles warmly, though it's subdued and careful) I was very fond of him. The boy... didn't share the closest relationship with his father, though he didn't show it -- he was a cheerful child, and very eager to please. (sighs)
(laughs) He talked a lot to me: about school, his cousin Kaguya, and the Vi Britannia siblings -- he was quite fond of them. He rarely mentioned his father, but when he did, it was always with obvious admiration (sighs) It's… difficult to believe that he's turned mute, as I've heard.
(sighs loudly) I was fired the day not long after he turned nine -- he suddenly fell sick, and all I know is that he hasn’t talked for a long time. I haven't seen him since I stopped being his instructor.
Yes, Kururugi-san fired me. With no reason at all.
(lets out a heavy breath, hesitant) You see, that's what was so strange about the whole thing: no, he didn't give me a reason, just a very vague explanation as to Suzaku-kun not needing kendo lessons anymore. It was odd, considering he'd been insistent about the boy having those lessons in the first place. Also, he wouldn't even let me see Suzaku one last time, so I can't tell whether it was due to his condition or not.
No, I didn’t keep in touch with Suzaku-kun, but I sometimes talk to Mori-san over the phone -- over nothing detailed, just to know a few general facts.
I would call him. Or vice versa. But we rarely talk about the Kururugi family -- Mori-san is a man of utter professionalism: he likes to keep work and private matters apart.
He did call me that night, telling me Suzaku-kun had disappeared.
(quietly) After I learnt of Suzaku-kun’s disappearance, I said that it was most distressing, that I didn't know anything, and hoped they would find Suzaku-kun as quickly as possible. Then I went to my room, and meditated.
Whether I went to the Kururugi main house between then and now? No.
Quite simply, I never did go because I didn't think I'd be welcome there.
Yes, that's all correct -- I think it was a few days after Suzaku-kun had fallen 'sick' that I was fired. Anything else you want to know?
(cuts him off) I don't mean any offence, but I think you're twisting things terribly out of proportion. (narrows his eyes) I would have rather cut my arm off than touched Suzaku-kun in any way that was inappropriate. Not even when my lessons with Suzaku-kun became (disgusted) more ‘advanced and involved’ as you say.
(curtly) Your choice of words was certainly very suggestive. And no, I told you before that I made sure he wouldn't get injured, and -- if he ever did -- it was nothing worse than a minor scratch. As for the other context, don't you think it's strange: a boy who'd previously been healthy suddenly falling ill and turning mute?
(quietly) It's not my position to say, but then ...I can't get fired for this anymore, can I? (chuckles bitterly) I think he was abused.
(uncomfortable) I... don't know. Someone in the household, someone he was close to, most likely.
(...hesitates, looks down and then finally looks up again) His father. I don't have any proof -- it's just a gut feeling.
I don't know where Kururugi-san is right now. But I'd advise you to contact his attorney, Schneizel Vi Britannia-san. He might know more.
You are welcome.
---
It turns out that the attorney is no longer at the Kururugi household, but his office address in Tokyo is not hard to find at all.
(Interview the attorney || Quit)
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The Childhood Friend (2/20)
(the following interview takes place over telephone, at around 5:50pm GMT)
(...It takes a while for the phone call to get through, and the first person who responds is a young female who politely says that she'll call her brother. A few minutes later...) Wait a moment. I can't hear you over the sound of bells ringing. Yes, my name is Lelouch vi Britannia. Are you the detective who's been hired to search for Suzaku? Schneizel has told me all about it.
(sighs) It's ...fine. Now is probably the best time. School just ended, and I still have time to prepare dinner. (in a tone that implies he absolutely doesn't mind doing the cooking.)
(chuckles bitterly) This simply means that so far you've got nothing but statements that are either useless or confirm that Suzaku used to be a cheerful child before he fell mute.
Yes, vaguely (chuckles). I think we were around three or four at the time? He couldn't speak English then, so I spoke to him using sign language. Over the years we expanded on it, until we'd practically developed our own ...language so to speak. (sighs) But that's hardly relevant for your case, right?
(his voice takes on a wistful quality) I spent as much time with him as I could. We were close, you know? Like brothers actually. I loved how he took care of Nunnally, and how -- even if he could be brash and stubborn -- always, just always seemed to be so kind and yet strong.
We were regular guests of the household until Suzaku was eight. Until our mother passed away. Which (bitter chuckle) happened not long after Suzaku's own mother died. Life can be rather ironic sometimes.The last time I saw him was at her funeral.
(his voice is sad, but clear) Well, the funeral procession was perfectly arranged. Suzaku's father really did make sure that everything went according to plan. But, in the midst of that, he seemed to have forgotten about Suzaku. (and for a moment, he sounds angry) And Suzaku would have needed for a father. He tried to bear it 'like a man' he said, but (a chuckle) he was actually fighting back tears. And there was something else, something that seemed to bother him, but I couldn't inquire because ...I had to leave in the middle of the funeral.
(quietly) I told him that Mother had died, and that Nunnally and I had to go, but that we would visit him as soon as possible. But he shook his head, tears finally springing into his eyes and then ...(voice breaks for a while) begged me to stay, actually held my hand and really begged me not to leave. But I had no choice.
Yes, Nunnally and I returned to Europe that very day. And I haven't really been in contact since then. Schneizel tells me about Suzaku though -- if you could call what he tells me (sarcasm and sadness blend into his tone) 'information'.
Yes, that’s the very one. I really can't believe he's working for that man, but then again, Schneizel has always been ...ambitious.
He didn't say much at first. Only that Suzaku was mute and mostly out of sight. But lately ... he's been dropping a few hints, about how Suzaku likes to read and ...strangely, he mentioned that Suzaku is good with floral arrangements. I'm not quite sure what to make of that.
From Suzaku? Pitiful -- a stray e-mail here or there. He doesn't write a lot. Mostly just asks what I'm up to, and sometimes tells me about his lessons with his tutors.
(bells toll) Sorry, can you say that again? The bells - one of the downsides to living near a church. (apologetic chuckle)
No, he didn’t mention anything else. Sometimes I wonder whether his e-mails were monitored, but I doubt it. He just ...(sighs) didn't write a lot. Or didn't want to.
Schneizel called me, and told me about it the morning after. He told me that Suzaku had run off after a festival or feast of some kind. ...Now this might not be relevant at all, but he sounded ...oddly unconcerned about it. But that might just have been my imagination playing tricks on me. And then again, Schneizel rarely displays emotions.
What I did? What could I have done? ...(silently) I don't know. Maybe a part of me was glad that Suzaku ran away because it proves that he's still alive, somehow.
No, I have no idea where he might have gone, none at all. Schneizel told me that he has no friends, and … (pauses) Why, are you suspecting my brother has something to do with this?
I know you didn’t. But you keep asking me what I did, whether I know where he is, despite the fact that we've established that I don't hear much from Suzaku. And, when I do, it's either in the form of rare e-mails or through my brother. So this means that something is fishy here.
Aside from my brother being ambitious? Actually, no. ...But then (clearly thinks for a while) those strange comments, the fact that he actually mentions Suzaku by name now, rather than just calling him that 'mute boy' as he did before...it's a bit suspicious. Why aren't you talking to him, Inspector?
No, I don't really. Only that I hope you'll find Suzaku wherever he may be.
I shall. Have a good day. (and hangs up)
---
Lelouch vi Britannia is able to give you his brother’s address, to an office in Tokyo.
(Interview the attorney || Quit)
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The Private Tutors (2/17)
(Cecile) I'm Cecile Croomy, and I work as a… (distracted because her colleague is running around with technical equipment of some sort, and she tells him to 'sit down because this isn't relevant right now’) I work as a private tutor for Mr Kururugi's son, Suzaku. I teach him history and some of the other humanities depending on his interest. Mr Lloyd Asplund here (pointedly) teaches him Maths and some of the other sciences. Is that right, Mr Lloyd?
(Lloyd) (just looks up briefly, in the middle of an experiment, and waves his hand) Yes, right. Don't disturb right now. (He puts the equipment away when Cecile gives him another pointed look.)
(C) We’ve been employed for roughly a ...
(L) (interrupts) 370 days, precisely. Do you need the seconds and minutes too?
(C) He's very sweet, kind, but (sighs) he has trouble focusing during the sessions. It's not because he isn’t a bright boy. He is (smiles) -- he loves reading, but just seems to have his mind preoccupied with other things that seem to be weighing him down. During our sessions, he'll often be found staring out of the window, or just not seem to be paying attention ...
(L) Because your lessons are boring. He always pays attention when I talk. Especially about robots. Or one of my ideas regarding them. You know, I've often thought that Suzaku --
(C) (interrupts quickly) Not now. Now is really not the time for this.
(L) (sighs) Fine. He's a very attentive student, though he does seem to have his thoughts elsewhere sometimes.
(C) (momentarily looks insulted, annoyed even) Of course (firmly) I can’t imagine why you would even ask that. I'm well assured of the fact that he can understand and is capable of learning. Just because he’s mute doesn’t mean… (takes a deep breath) He reads extensively. Anything from classical fiction to sci-fi.
(L) I recommended some sci-fi books to him. He's especially fond of anything to do with flying and space. But also robots. As I said before, if his condition had been better, Suzaku would have been the perfect test-
(C) Now isn’t really the time for this. (rolls her eyes)
(L) (sighs) Fine. Yes, he is perfectly capable of understanding and learning. He can solve basic Maths equations with no problems.
(C) It was difficult to track down his progress at first, but (firm) Suzaku is a bright boy, positively brimming with potential if he only... didn't seem so weighed down by things. But he's already made a lot of progress -- lately he's been showing more and more interest in things...
(L) (offhandedly) Not quite true. During our last session he was horribly sullen and withdrawn. Didn't even blink when I mentioned that my experiment might be realised, and I offered him a position as a test subj-
(C) (rolls her eyes) Not relevant right now or ever. But yes, I forgot to say ...he did seem upset during our last session, and spent most of it staring out of the window.
(C) Yes. It was the day before he disappeared. (smiles sadly) I wonder whether I should have realised that something was wrong -- (folds her hands in her lap) Oh well. No point in blaming myself. I'll just (smiles again) hope he'll be found as soon as possible.
(L) (noncommittal) It’d be a regular shame if he weren't found. His body, if one just gave it the proper nourishment and training, would be the perfect carrier for one of the Knightmare Frames I have been - (shuts up when Cecile gives him a look, and lets out a defeated sigh) What I mean to say was that the last session took place a day before he disappeared.
(C) No, none. There was nothing. He didn’t give us any indication as to why he was upset or what might have been bothering him.
(L) (shrugs) The boy rarely shared anything personal. Just once, when I asked him if he'd been going through any physical training, he wrote that he'd had another instructor in the past. In martial arts, I think.
(L) (shrugs again) Yes, Kyoshiro Tohdoh or something like that. I wouldn't know why he stopped. Better to contact either him or... (looks at Cecile)
(C) Or Suzaku's cousin, Kaguya Sumeragi. She might know something too. I have (smiles) their contact details if you’d want them.
(C) No, that would be all from my side. I just hope you find Suzaku (warm voice) -- he's such a lovely boy.
(L) Yes, he is. So much potential. It would be a shame if he died because then I'd have to -
(C) (sharply) Mr Lloyd!
(L) No, there is nothing else.
---
A phone call to Kaguya Sumeragi reveals that she is en route to Okinawa to visit a friend, and that if you would like to meet with her there, she would be more than happy to make time for you later this week. A phone call to Tohdoh Kyoshiro, however, yields no useful information; the man insists on meeting in person, and in private. If you would like to arrange this meeting, it will also take several days - about the same time Kaguya is requesting as well. Both of them await your reply.
(Interview the cousin || Interview the kendo instructor || Quit)
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The Victim (3/08)
The following interview is conducted in sign language on the victim’s part, and has been transcribed by a second detective.
(looking at Euphemia, unsure)
(eventually, nods and begins to sign) Suzaku Kururugi. I work part-time at the flower shop in [redacted].
Before that, I didn't work. I was home-schooled.
(nods again) Yes. That's right.
(doesn't answer for a very long time) There was a party at my father's house. An old business associate of his had just turned 60, I think.
I spent most of that evening in my father's library. I'd been there since about noon. (smiles faintly) He never goes there himself.
"The Gods Themselves" by Isaac Asimov. I just started on it; it's kind of confusing right now. But a lot of them are like that.
I never finished reading -- Noriko-san came for me and said it was time to go to bed. I was about to go with her, but then she got called back to help in the kitchen because they needed more people. (hesitates) So she said she'd give me another half-hour.
(chews on his bottom lip) ... After a while, there was a knock on the door. I thought it was Noriko-san. But it wasn't.
... It was Schneizel vi Britannina.
He told me to come with him. (eyes lowered) I didn't want to, but then.... he said... (hand trembles a little) He said my father had basically sold me to him.
No (shakes his head). I can't imagine it was for very much money, though. At least, given my father's standards.
(bites on his lip) He wouldn't sell me in the past, no. But... sometimes he had difficult business deals to close. And then...
And then... and then in those times, sometimes... usually after he'd had a bit to drink... he'd offer me as 'incentive'.
I could give you some of the names of those that accepted, but... (stops)
(lowers his head) I don't want them to come after me.
I first saw Mr vi Britannia a couple of months ago. He'd been staying as a guest at my father's house for some time.
It was some time in the middle of the night. Everyone had gone to sleep, or so I thought. I'd been up reading, and I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water before going to bed. I ended up passing his room in the hallway, though I didn't know it then.
He came out of his room. I guess I must have woken him, or something. (lowers his gaze) He pulled me into his room.
And then... (stops, again)
(doesn't answer until Euphy somehow catches on and leaves the room; even then, he is clearly uncomfortable) He pulled me in and then... and then he forced me. (swallows) He said he... had the power to make or break my father's case. That if he went to prison, what would happen to people like Miss Cecile and Mr Asplund, or Mori-san and Noriko-san?
(nods, his hand shaking more noticeably now) Yes. Every few nights... sometimes every night, or even twice in one night. I don't know if he was drunk during those times.... (shakes his head)
(shakes his head again) My father never said anything to me.
I... (fidgets) ....I really don't see why that's relevant, sir...
Well... (shifts uncomfortably) after my mother died... I don't think my father took it well at all. He loved her so much. (smiles bitterly) It was obvious from the start that he loved her so much more than he could ever love me. But that was okay with me... I loved her too.
He didn't talk to me at all at first. I thought I'd done something wrong. But then.... he started saying strange things. Things like how much I looked like her. How my hair was starting to look like hers. And my eyes... (hesitates, before continuing on) He was really drunk most of the time.
Oh he would drink all the time, but never more than he could handle. One, maybe two glasses of wine in a night. Sake if there was a special occasion. (sighs) It started getting really bad during that last week... when my mother became very, very sick.
He... drank a lot. A lot. You could smell it all the way from the other end of the room. He... (pauses, a pained expression on his face) He called me by her name. About a dozen times. Talked to me like he would talk to her. ...Touched me, like I guess he would touch her.
(shakes his head) Not that night, no.
(nods, and is shaking visibly hard now) After the funeral... yes.
I tried to tell Lelouch, but... but then he had to leave and.... (shakes his head again, staring at the floor) I just didn't know who to turn to.
Yes, I think so. I don't really know what I would have accomplished by telling Kaguya. But at that time, I really wasn't thinking straight.
(nods again) I don't remember much of that. But... I think I was screaming, too much. And then my father -- he started screaming back. He started going at it harder. It hurt a lot.
I don't remember (admits). I might have blacked out. (pauses) I wasn't able to speak from then on.
Yes. My father was the one who ordered to have me pulled out of school. I was tutored from home from then on.
That, too. My father fired Tohdoh-sensei at about the same time he pulled me out of school. (sadly) I had no way to contact him -- nobody would ever give me his address, and it wasn't as though I could pick up a phone and call him.
Yes (smiles wryly). I only had to try once. The first letter I wrote to Lelouch after my mother died -- I didn't say anything outright. I tried to be subtle. I knew Lelouch was smart. But my father's smart too. (sighs) He was sober that night, but I wished he were drunk. Then maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much when he beat me. (shrugs) But after that, I never tried to tell anyone again.
Not very often (quickly). When he was really drunk.... he'd usually think I was her. And he would never hurt her. (pauses, before adding) It helped that I wasn't talking, anyway.
Until I was 15.
No, I’m sure. It was until I was 15. (sighs)
Well, after Mr. vi Britannia 'bought' me, he took me to an abandoned airfield that very night, where a private jet was waiting. (laughs a little, soundlessly) It was all very discreet; I didn't even have a passport or an ID on me.
Then, he took me here, to [redacted]. His owns the penthouse suite at [redacted].
Of course. (fiddles with his sleeves) It's what he bought me for, after all.
...He wasn't the nicest of people.
He... often said I wasn't good for anything else other than this. He would be angry sometimes -- then he would be really rough.
(fingers at the just-healing bruises on his cheeks, and nods)
It was Euphy who convinced me. I tried to hide it from her as long as I could, but when you can't walk properly and there are injuries in places you can't hide, it can only go on for so long. (bites on his lip) She wanted me to get out of there.
It wasn't easy. He used to lock the door from the outside too. (smiles a little) So I climbed out a window.
I made it to the rooftop and used the stairs from there. And then I just.... walked out of the building. Nobody asked me any questions. (sighs) I don't think he saw it coming. (shrugs) He knew I had nowhere to go. My father didn't want me. And it's not as if I wanted to be a burden on Euphy either.
Yes, and I'll forever be grateful to her for that. She didn't owe me anything.
She is. (smiles) She was a godsend.
(eyes drop) I... don't know about that yet. Testifying -- that means going on record in public, right? (shakes his head) I can’t promise.
May I ask what charges they're facing?
I see.
(thinks about that for a long while, and for a few seconds his expression seems apprehensive; eventually, his eyes harden and he glances up, meeting the detective's eyes fully for the first time) Tell me what I have to do.
FIN
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The Father (3/15)
You were very persistent (a bit irritated), Detective.
Shoot away, if you (still irritated) absolutely must.
I was at home, yes. But I was busy. I can hardly tell you what occurred that night.
I remember talking to my attorney. I'm sure he's already told you or, at least, alluded to matters (hardly pleased)
(sighs) There isn't much to tell. I'm a very busy man, and can't spend as much time with my son as I'd like to. (uncomfortable pause) And there isn't much in the way of conversation, seeing how he is mute.
(sighs) Yes, of course I would communicate with him. Through the written word, but I tend to hear more often about his state from his tutors and therapists. (snidely, as if Suzaku were a burden he'd love to get rid of.)
(glances, annoyed) Things such as ‘how your is your school work getting along’? ‘What books have you been reading?’ I'm sure it's all (snorts) very relevant.
(coldly) You ask whether I’m satisfied with his progress. (in a tone that he is hardly ever satisfied, if he ever was) That's a callous thing to ask of a father with a mute son. Of course, ideally, I'd like to have a successor who is strong, proud and unflinching. None of which qualities apply to Suzaku. Not anymore (grumbles) if they ever did.
I didn't have much (snorts) hope for him in the intellectual department, if you want me to be blunt. But he was strong, so I let him practice kendo, hoping he'd maybe win some tournaments one day and make a name for himself like that. He was also a cheerful child, maybe even charming. Not entirely useless.
(raises an eyebrow) You know very well what happened. He fell sick.
(raises his eyebrow yet again) What precisely are you alluding to?
(sighs) I told you before he fell severely sick, his condition turning so bad that I had him withdrawn from school, and had to keep him contained inside. It was upsetting, but (pointedly) necessary.
(reluctant) There might have some specific events -- traumatic even, perhaps -- that might have triggered off his mutism, but they were taken care of.
(uncomfortable) Assaults of the physical kind. Things that would have left traces on the psyche of a young boy.
(sighs, deeply uncomfortable) I am saying he was sexually abused, Detective.
(still uncomfortable, but does meet the detective's eyes) I fear it's a man I trusted, Suzaku trusted but who disappointed us all.
(doesn't say anything at first) I'm not blaming anyone. I'm just saying that people aren't what they appear to be.
(meets the detective's glare) I don't know what you're talking about.
(raises an eyebrow) You're either pulling my leg or trying to incriminate me. (coldly) Please be more specific.
Right. So why don't you just come out in the open then? Unless this skipping around the bush is a new interrogation method.
Admission ... (carefully) for what? (eyes widen, realising ...) you think I assaulted my own son?
(coldly) And, of course, all bets are placed on the father. How predictable, Mr Detective.
Right. As I said before, do you have any concrete evidence? Witnesses?
(a very long pause. he stares out the window throughout, brows drawn together, lips pressed in an unwavering line) ... If I confess to this, will there be a deal for me?
(then, silently) It was a mistake. It happened after the wake for the first time ... (grudgingly) I was upset. Drunk. It must have been the eyes. They reminded me of her. But I only touched him that night. It wasn’t until... after the funeral that I… you understand.
Yes, his eyes reminded me of my late wife.
He reminded me of her a lot of times. Until he was eleven or twelve.
So what? (angrily) Try not to judge me. Aren't your lot supposed to be neutral?
An unfortunate side effect. I told him to be quiet. It’s not my fault he went mute.
He was always very dutiful. But he screamed too much at first. (no remorse at all, more annoyed)
I didn’t stop because it was more convenient when he didn't scream; I could pretend it was her.
Nothing much happened in the weeks leading up to his disappearance. I'm sure everyone's already told you -- my butler is very well-informed.
(sighs) I had some trouble -- business that Mr Schneizel Vi Britannia assisted me in. I was busy, and don't know what happened. As far as I am concerned, there was nothing extraordinary about that week.
You are right. Nothing I am aware of. You might want to talk to someone else.
(narrows his eyes) Very well then. Why don't you talk to Mr Vi Britannia? He might tell you something. Something about Suzaku's location.
Yes, my lawyer. And a good businessman. A very good (chuckles darkly) businessman.
Oh, I’m sure he’ll oblige you this time.
---
You know what you have to do.
(Interview the attorney (once again) || Quit)
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The Florist (3/10)
My name is Euphemia [surname redacted]. I run the flowers section at [redacted].
I first saw him sometime earlier this month. He'd been shopping with an older gentleman that day.
Yes, but I didn't know his name at the time. Anyway, Mister vi Britannia wanted to buy a bouquet. Roses, I think. As I was checking out his purchase, Suzaku accidentally knocked over a shelf with several arrangements.
Well he was very angry. He wasn't yelling or anything like that, but you could tell. Suzaku... seemed terrified.
Yes. He seemed so scared. So I tried to assure them that it wasn't a big deal, but Mister vi Britannia was having none of it.
A part of me had expected that. But... the man seemed to be in a particularly sour mood that night. He said something to Suzaku about 'teaching him a lesson'. (shakes her head) I couldn't think of anything else to diffuse the situation so I.... offered a suggestion of my own. (bites on her lip)
Well, we were understaffed at the time, and my assistant had just gone on maternity leave the month prior. I told them, I told them maybe Suzaku could make up his debt by working at the store. Just until those arrangements were paid for -- and if he liked the work, I would take him on as a paid employee afterwards.
Yes. I had him come in Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm to 8pm to help with the evening rush.
He seemed a bit lost and out of his element during the first day (giggles a little, remembering). But he learned quickly after that. Even though he didn't speak, it was clear he understood me very well. By the time he'd finished his first week, he was already good enough to make his own arrangements without being supervised.
Oh he was (nods). My regular customers warmed up to him in no time. And he was an honest worker too -- never slacking off.
(chewing on her bottom lip) ... Not at first, no.
Well I don't think I noticed it at first. (sighs) I hadn't been paying as much attention as I should have been.
I... well it became clear to me eventually that Suzaku was living with that man. And that his home life.. might not have been in the best of shape.
(looks down) Sometimes... I'd talk to him. I'd picked up sign language while teaching English abroad -- that was four years ago, but I still remembered enough to communicate with Suzaku. And.... I'd ask him about that man.
(shakes her head) That's exactly it. Whenever I'd ask him about his opinion on flowers or music or books -- especially books -- he had a lot to say. He even told me about some old childhood friends of his. But when I asked about that man... he'd close up.
No, I never saw Mr. vi Britannia after that first day... but (trails off) …
(shakes her head) No, I -- I couldn't. (shakes her head again) I can't be 100% sure, but....
Suzaku... would show up with bruises on him (whispers). Some cuts on his lips sometimes -- often, marks on his wrists. I could tell because on those days he would try to cover up with long sweaters, and he seemed to be... in pain.
(shakes her head again) He... always walked with a bit of a limp, so I thought -- I thought it was an old injury. But then, some days it was clearly worse than others. And the cuts -- he couldn't hide the ones on his face. They were fresh. (swallows) He would be evasive. "It was my fault." "I could have been more careful." "I'm fine Miss Euphy." "Please don't worry Miss Euphy."
(bites on her lip) ...I don't know where he is. (but is avoiding the investigator's eyes...)
(is trembling) I don't... want him to be in any more trouble. Please! (earnestly) He's already been through so much. I can't...
(doesn't say anything for a very long time, looking clearly conflicted) If I tell you where he is... (quietly) do you promise not to hurt him? Not to tell that man?
(nods, wringing her hands together) He's been staying with me (whispers). After... he came in the other day with a black eye, and red marks around his neck... I was the one who convinced him to run away.
He's at my apartment (wiping her eyes with the back of her hand). I told him not to come in to work, not even to go outside. I'm sure...I'm sure that man is looking for him.
Good. (visibly relaxes at that, but not completely) That's good...
(nods) Right. The address is at [redacted]. He won't open the door, though. If you'd like, you can accompany me home -- after my shift is over.
---
You wait until the end of Euphemia’s shift, after which she leads you to her apartment. Once there, she knocks in a specific pattern, and the face of the person who opens the door informs you that this investigation is finally, finally nearing completion.
(Interview the victim)
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The Florist (3/17)
My name is Euphemia [surname redacted]. I run the flowers section at [redacted].
I first saw him sometime earlier this month. He'd been shopping with an older gentleman that day.
Yes, but I didn't know his name at the time. Anyway, Mister vi Britannia wanted to buy a bouquet. Roses, I think. As I was checking out his purchase, Suzaku accidentally knocked over a shelf with several arrangements.
Well he was very angry. He wasn't yelling or anything like that, but you could tell. Suzaku... seemed terrified.
Yes. He seemed so scared. So I tried to assure them that it wasn't a big deal, but Mister vi Britannia was having none of it.
A part of me had expected that. But... the man seemed to be in a particularly sour mood that night. He said something to Suzaku about 'teaching him a lesson'. (shakes her head) I couldn't think of anything else to diffuse the situation so I.... offered a suggestion of my own. (bites on her lip)
Well, we were understaffed at the time, and my assistant had just gone on maternity leave the month prior. I told them, I told them maybe Suzaku could make up his debt by working at the store. Just until those arrangements were paid for -- and if he liked the work, I would take him on as a paid employee afterwards.
Yes. I had him come in Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm to 8pm to help with the evening rush.
He seemed a bit lost and out of his element during the first day (giggles a little, remembering). But he learned quickly after that. Even though he didn't speak, it was clear he understood me very well. By the time he'd finished his first week, he was already good enough to make his own arrangements without being supervised.
Oh he was (nods). My regular customers warmed up to him in no time. And he was an honest worker too -- never slacking off.
(chewing on her bottom lip) ... Not at first, no.
Well I don't think I noticed it at first. (sighs) I hadn't been paying as much attention as I should have been.
I... well it became clear to me eventually that Suzaku was living with that man. And that his home life.. might not have been in the best of shape.
(looks down) Sometimes... I'd talk to him. I'd picked up sign language while teaching English abroad -- that was four years ago, but I still remembered enough to communicate with Suzaku. And.... I'd ask him about that man.
(shakes her head) That's exactly it. Whenever I'd ask him about his opinion on flowers or music or books -- especially books -- he had a lot to say. He even told me about some old childhood friends of his. But when I asked about that man... he'd close up.
No, I never saw Mr. vi Britannia after that first day... but (trails off) …
(shakes her head) No, I -- I couldn't. (shakes her head again) I can't be 100% sure, but....
Suzaku... would show up with bruises on him (whispers). Some cuts on his lips sometimes -- often, marks on his wrists. I could tell because on those days he would try to cover up with long sweaters, and he seemed to be... in pain.
(shakes her head again) He... always walked with a bit of a limp, so I thought -- I thought it was an old injury. But then, some days it was clearly worse than others. And the cuts -- he couldn't hide the ones on his face. They were fresh. (swallows) He would be evasive. "It was my fault." "I could have been more careful." "I'm fine Miss Euphy." "Please don't worry Miss Euphy."
(shakes her head in despair, her eyes well up and her lower lip begins to tremble)
(breaks) He was here! He used to be. (shakes her head again, more desperately this time) I just couldn't help it anymore. One day -- one day he came in, and he looked awful. He had a black eye -- it was terrible. And there were marks around his neck.... red marks, angry ones. (wraps her arms around herself) I told him to run away from that place, from that man. I told him to stay with me.
I didn't know what to do. (crying freely now) That was a week ago. I thought, maybe, he could stay here until I figured something out. He was scared all the time. So scared -- like he would be eyeing the door, glancing at the phone every so often. He refused to open any of the curtains. (softly) It was heartbreaking.
(clasping and unclasping at the hem of her skirt) I tried my best. I made some phone calls to my sister in America -- with her help, I managed to get him on a flight to [redacted] leaving this Sunday. The red eye... (retrieves an envelope from her purse and hands it to the inspector. inside is a boarding pass, a very new passport, and some loose bills in U.S. currency) I told him he could trust her. That he would be safe there -- I gave him my word.
(shakes her head sadly) I thought he might have believed me, at first. I thought I might have been getting through to him. But apparently not. (hangs her head, and sighs) He took off. Two days ago. (gestures lamely at the interior of the apartment) Just like that.
No. (sighs) He left a message for me, but it didn't say where he was going.
(shakes her head, but she's smiling sadly) Look behind you, Detective. (there is a bouquet of flowers on the side table there) That's the only thing he left me.
Canterbury bells, and rosemary sprigs. (is speaking as though murmuring to herself now, looking at the bouquet with something shining in her eyes) "Thank you", and remembrance -- though, whether he's telling me he'll remember me, or asking me not to forget him, I don't know. (laughs then, a sad, pained sound) I don't know where he is. I don't know what he was thinking. I wish I did.
---
Five days later, an 18-year-old boy is found dead, washed up on the bank of [redacted]. Eyewitnesses reported having seen the boy jump off the railing of the bridge; he was carried away by the current before they could help him. The cause of death is ruled as a suicide. The boy is taken to the morgue at the nearest hospital; he is identified by his employer that same day. The funeral service is going to be held a week later.
(Interview the childhood friend)
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The Childhood Friend (2nd Interview: 3/29)
(is silent for a long time, and when he looks up his face is ashen-white and his eyes blank) Yes, the very one. You're...the detective. We have talked over the phone.
(chuckles bitterly, and accepts the offered hand) I'm not sure if it's really a loss. I lost him a long time ago. (removes his hand) This is just the final goodbye.
(he doesn't even look surprised, just sad) So it was true then, after all. (laughs hoarsely) So that's why he... (quietly) jumped. And... Schneizel... he was involved, too. (sounds disbelieving, still)
(for a second, he pales, understanding seeping in rather quickly...and his voice is pained, bitter) So, you're saying that Suzaku was whored out by his own father, and that my… (so very pained, disgusted) brother went for that deal. (snorts) So that's why he started speaking more often about Suzaku. And I thought it was because he'd finally started taking an interest in things other than his work.
(just shakes his head) It's ...well, not fine, but you understand what I mean. (tries to sound calm when looking up) Do you have any idea why Schneizel accepted the deal? (narrows his eyes) What did he tell you? I... haven't talked to him since he got... arrested. I didn't, couldn't and refused to believe -- (he stops talking and clenches his fist) Just tell me everything. Also about Mr Kururugi.
(it's a testament to his strength -- mental strength, that he can take all this in without collapsing but he does turn impossibly pale, and his eyes have narrowed, and he's clenching his fists so hard that his knuckles are pale) And all that time I... just thought he'd deplored that I'd left him, that I... I never suspected that his father… (mutters ‘how selfish’ and looks at Euphy sobbing in the corner) Well, I'm glad he had someone in the end at least. Someone who... (voice breaks a bit) understood.
… (but he regains his voice, now speaking more coldly) His father, the members of the staff that didn't care and (disgust more pronounced now) my brother... they are facing charges. Not that it matters. (whispers) I only wanted Suzaku to live. (whispers) I only wanted Suzaku to live.
But I'm starting to think that this wasn't ever the case, not after I left. That he was just waiting for this, that he was already dead inside and this was nothing but the final plunge.
… (just shakes his shoulders helplessly, and lets out another bitter chuckle) Do I think he’s better off? (eyes narrow) No. He was eighteen. And he could have -- (cuts himself off) It doesn't matter anymore, does it? Those men killed him. That's all there is to it now.
FIN
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You have decided to quit the investigation.
For a variety of reasons, you decided that the investigation into the disappearance of Suzaku Kururugi from his home on the morning of February 11, 2012 would be left unresolved.
On March 22, 2012, an 18-year-old boy was found dead, washed up on the bank of [redacted]. Eyewitnesses reported having seen the boy jump off the railing of the bridge; he was carried away by the current before they could help him.
The cause of death was officially ruled as a suicide.
The boy was taken to the morgue at the nearest hospital. His employer then, a florist who shall remain unnamed to protect her privacy, identified him that same day. She confirmed that the body was indeed that of one Suzaku Kururugi.
The funeral service was held a week later.
FIN
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The Family Doctor (2/13)
My name is Hajime Hanazawa, I have been the Kururugi's family physician for the past fifteen years.
Yes, ever since I was hired, I have given up my practice to devote my services to the Kururugi family full-time. I have also lived in the family mansion for the past ten years.
Suzaku-san - I may call him that, yes? - fell sick a year after I had moved in.
(long pause) Suzaku-san used to be a very energetic, cheerful child. He was healthy, perfectly normal for a boy his age, and aside from the occasional scraped knee, broken bone, or a cold from staying too long in the rain, he didn't show any signs of bad health... at least, not before that.
By 'that' I mean the day Suzaku-san fell ill.
His... mother had been ill for the longest time. Since I entered the Kururugi family's employ, I think. She was largely withdrawn, and spent most of the days resting in bed. After she died, it was... perhaps about a week, maybe a bit more, before Suzaku-san’s health suddenly took a turn for the worse.
(shifts uncomfortably) ...Y-yes, this was around August of that year.
At that time Suzaku-san’s mother had just... (pause) Well, as I said, Suzaku-san’s mother had just died. Everyone in the household was devastated but not... really all that surprised. She had been ill for a long time after all. She was... in a rather delicate condition. (dabs at his lips with a handkerchief) Regardless, the funeral service was held at the mansion. The only thing unusual that I can remember is that Kururugi-sama didn't send those children back to [redacted] until after the wake.
Oh.... so Mori-san didn't tell you... (coughs) Kururugi-sama had an arrangement with a business partner of his, a Charles vi Britannia-san based in [redacted]. Every summer the two vi Britannia children, a boy and a girl, would come to visit. They would spend three months here as guests of the household.
(looks surprised for a moment) ...Yes, yes. I believe Schneizel vi Britannia-san, the attorney, is at least a half-brother to the siblings.
Does he have contact with - oh, I wouldn't know. I wouldn't be able to tell you. (pause) It's hard to imagine, though, given that Suzaku-san hasn't spoken to anyone since he was eight years old.
Oh, Suzaku-san is capable of writing, yes. If he knows sign language, I haven't seen it - he barely interacts with the rest of the household as it is. He's... (trails off)
He is... (hesitates) rather like his mother used to be. Quiet and withdrawn. (shakes his head) That's really all I can say.
Yes, well... well we think there might have been a connection, that is, between Suzaku-san's illness and his mother's. Both of them were kept largely indoors due to their... delicate conditions. But... (shifts further, glancing at the clock, and finally sighs) Look, I wish I could help you. I do. But a lot of this information would breach doctor-patient confidentiality laws... (trails off)
(takes a sip of water) He was... very pale. Both of them were, he and his mother, though I suppose it may be due to the fact that they both hardly ever ate anything. She was like that for as long as I knew her, but in Suzaku-san's case... only after he fell ill. The boy used to have such a voracious appetite. (chuckles weakly)
Yes, in all my years of service, I never heard his mother speak a word either.
(looks very tense now) ...I can't comment on that, I'm sorry.
The night Suzaku-san disappeared? Yes, of course. I retired early that night - at about eight in the evening, I would say. I spoke with Suzaku-san that morning because he seemed to be in... considerable discomfort. Perhaps even pain. (amends) ...Or rather, I spoke to him. (shakes his head) He never said anything, as usual.
He... (glances uneasily at the door) he had trouble walking. Again, this was nothing new (quickly), he wasn't getting proper nutrition after all, despite our best efforts.
(shakes his head) I'm afraid I can't say anything about that; it's really not my area. If you'd like, you could take it up with Fujiwara-san, Suzaku-san's current therapist. She doesn't live in the mansion, but we keep in touch. I could give you her contact information.
Right, well, her mobile number is [redacted]. I do have to warn you, though, that she might not have clearance to tell you some of the things you need to know. Ah... you know how it is.
In that regard, you might be better off talking to vi Britannia-san - Schneizel vi Britannia-san that is, the attorney.
When to contact him? That's difficult. (shakes his head) He was actually staying at the mansion until just recently. I don't know when he left, or where he's staying.
You're welcome. Yes, have a good day.
---
Suzaku’s therapist will be easy enough to track down - the doctor all but pointed the way to her. And while the attorney is indeed no longer at the Kururugi household, his office address in Tokyo is not hard to find at all.
(Interview the therapist || Interview the attorney || Quit)
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The Maid (2/13)
Noriko Toguichi. I work as a maid for the Kururugi family.
Oh. How long I’ve been working as a maid for the Kururugi family? A couple of years (ponders) Let me think. Oh (smiles) yes, it's been around three years now! It was around the time when Haruka broke up with me --
Whether I’m close to Suzaku? ... (laughs) I wouldn't really say that. He doesn't (cheerfully) talk a lot, does he, the poor boy? (places a finger on her lips) I do think he trusts me though. He always lets me read his books -- he owns a lot of books, you see...
Oh (laughs) he's such a sweet, generous and helpful boy. Always makes his bed himself, and even cleans up his room on his own -- he also washes the dishes from time to time … (makes an 'oh' sound) Actually, I wouldn’t say he's really all that much of an invalid at all -- I don't really understand why he's always stuck in his room ...(sighs) He seems awfully sullen at times, always staring out of windows ...really a poor thing.
(bats her eyelids) Ohhh, I wouldn't really know. I'm not a doctor, you see? But, in my humble opinion (grows serious), he just seems ...sad. Not really all that ill. Not anymore than a cold or a mild case of the flu. (tilts her head to the side) I know ill people. You see, when my father was dying, he ...well, I just knew he was ill. You can tell those things. I would say that Suzaku just eats too little, and spends far too much time indoors, but (smiles) of course, no one would listen to a maid. (whispers: “You aren’t going to tell his father about this, are you?”)
Oh, the night he disappeared? I can't tell you much. I was really busy ... Mori was particularly fussy that night. He told me to put the boy to bed, and then ...(long sigh) I had to help spread the tablecloths, (counts the duties off on her fingers -- one by one) bring in a few candles, wipe the floors, ...he's such a worrywart, that silly butler -- he needs a wife to help him loosen up!
Of course I did. I'm a (leans forward) very good, good girl, detective.
(loses her smile) He seemed a bit sadder, just a bit. Looked at me as if he were scared of something, or someone but ... I think he was just nervous. So many guests! And oh, he was so sweet, when I was about to leave the room, held my hand as if he didn't want me to go, but ... I had to! I told him I was busy. Jobs are important, after all! (and whispers. “Would you like to go for a date after this, Mr Detective?”)
(sighs) He was. He's not usually that anxious, just quiet, but he's always been very timid - so I think it was just the guests. I wonder if I should have stayed with him -- his hand did tremble a bit.
No ...(frowns) not at all. He mostly keeps to himself, and his books. Other than me, and the family doctor ...he isn't really close to anyone. Oh, there are his private tutors too, of course.
Oh yes, two British people, I think. Funny accents -- especially that scientist man! I don't know what he's called -- I just know it’s a strange name. Anyhow, he speaks very quickly and ...always gesticulates. He and that woman -- I think she teaches Suzaku history -- seem close, but then not. It's strange. I wonder whether they are married or ... just friends.
Oh, that's easily done. (smiles) If you invite me over for a nice cup of coffee, I'll tell you (winks) how to contact them. Of course, I could tell you just like that too, but a gentleman doesn't ask for favours without offering something in return.
Yes, the victim's therapist. I'm sure you've already (smiles and mumbles: '”Clever detective that you are”) been informed about her.
(leans forward, and touches the detective's hand) No, I have nothing more to say, but (smiles, again bats an eyelid) are we going out for a date now or not ...?
---
Fortunately, Suzaku’s private tutors happen to be listed under the phone book. The boy’s therapist is not, but a quick survey of the family’s emergency contacts yields her number and address right away.
(Interview the tutors || Interview the therapist || Quit)
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The Cousin (2/20)
My name is Kaguya Sumeragi! (perkily) Pleased to meet you!
Yes. Oh, right! You asked about my occupation earlier -- I'm still a student. (smiles)
Oh, Suzaku and I didn't always get along, but other than that he was great! I used to spend a couple of weeks at a time at the Kururugi house when I was younger, see. That would be spring break and Christmas break, every year. That's how I got to know him.
Oh, that (embarrassed laugh). I don't really know what was up with that -- something our families came up with? I don't know. Neither of us was overly fond of the idea. "I'd never marry you, ewwww." (mimics a younger Suzaku's voice)
He was mostly cheerful, yes. He was so hyperactive sometimes. Whenever I'd come over, he'd want to play tag or swim in the river or look at this bird's nest -- on top of a mountain, two towns away! (exclaims) Sometimes even I couldn't keep up with him!
Hmmmm.... (taps a finger against her lips, thoughtfully) well, he never really talked much about Genbu-ojisan. I only ever saw him at dinner -- I got the impression that he was a strict, serious man. (cheers up) But then again, who in his position wouldn't be, right?
Oh yes, I can imagine. He wasn't around very often whenever I'd come over to visit Suzaku. And even then -- sometimes he would spend all day in his study.
(shrugs) Not really. Suzaku would just always say he did 'work stuff.' I'm not even sure he knew what that meant at that time, either.
Oh, nothing really important. He had kendo lessons everyday, and I think he really liked them. He would not stop talking about them, or how he wanted to be a kendo master when he grew up. I'd tell him he was being silly, samurai don't exist anymore, and even if they did they'd be using guns and other modern things now! (chatters)
Well, no... (frowns sadly, kicking idly at a chair leg) We stopped talking much after his mom died...
(nods) Yes, I think that's right. He was turning nine.
And then.... (squints) And then we just sort of fell out of touch, I guess. (shrugs) At the funeral he said.... he said he had something important to tell me. But then my grandfather pulled me away to introduce me to some other relatives. When I got back he was gone. (shrugs) That was the last time I spoke to him...
That's right (sighs). I never did find out what that was. It's too bad, too. Sometimes he'd say things like that and it would turn out to be some stupid fort he'd built, or his sensei Tohdoh teaching him some technique or whatever. But that day -- I think, whatever he wanted to tell me that day really was important.
Tohdoh-sensei? (confused) I used to think he was a really scary man. (animated) One time, Suzaku and I jumped the fence at the Kururugi mansion and went exploring, and we got lost. It wasn't until nighttime when Tohdoh-sensei found us. He was so angry!! I honestly thought he was going to beat us.... but he didn't. (tilts her head) He didn't even yell at us, and he said he was just 'glad he found us'.
(smiles) Yes. I think he did.
(confused) Who? Suzaku or Tohdoh-sensei?
Well, I know Tohdoh-sensei left not long after that. Not sure why... but, Suzaku, he just cut me off! Completely! (hurt) I know he stopped talking, but he never once wrote to me anymore, and I think I emailed him hundreds of times without a single reply. (sighs) A couple of years ago -- after I'd finished middle school, I came to visit the Kururugi house. (bites on her lip) A lot of things changed. I never did get to see him.
Mori-san said he was sick.
The house seemed.... (hesitates) emptier, I guess. They got rid of Uehara-san too. And there was a man who would come back and forth to the house a lot. A foreigner, but not Lelouch-kun and Nunnally-chan. (catches herself) Oh, they were Suzaku's other friends. They always came to visit later than I did, but I met them a few times. They were nice. (smiles)
Oh I think so! Well, I didn't get his first name (muses) but I think he was Lelouch-kun and Nunnally-chan's brother or something.
Hmm well, they were brother and sister. Nunnally-chan was younger, and... something had happened, an accident that made her blind and unable to walk. It was very sad. But Lelouch-kun always took care of her. You could tell they loved each other very much.
I wouldn't really know about that. I didn't know them very well. Suzaku was very protective of Nunnally-chan, though. But even then, I get the feeling that he and Lelouch were very close too! (shakes her head) It's hard. Suzaku wasn't the type to play favorites anyway.
(her smile turns crooked, and her voice hitches) I do. I miss him so much. (lowers her head) Sometimes I wish...
... (shakes her head) Nothing. Nothing. (laughs slightly) It's foolish.
I... keep wishing that someday he would call me, out of the blue. (smiles, but her eyes are damp) That he'd get his voice back, and laugh, and be happy again, and we could hang out like we used to. That... things would go back to the way they were before.
(shakes her head) I don't know... if you could track down Fujiko Uehara-san, though -- she used to be his nanny up to around the time his mother died. It's a long shot, and she might not be easy to track down. But she might have some new information for you, because (chuckles) I'm assuming you've talked to almost everyone else already, right?
Then yes, you'd want to speak to her, I think.
No-one else really comes to mind.... (shrugs) I can't suggest anyone better to speak to than Genbu-ojisan himself, but good luck with that. (smiles wryly) You might be better off contacting his lawyer -- that man I told you about earlier.
Thank you as well. And, ah -- if you do manage to track down Uehara-san... would you mind letting me know? (earnest look) It's been so long, and I'd love to catch up with her. Please?
Thank you so much!
---
Tracking down Genbu Kururugi’s attorney should be easy; while the man is indeed no longer at the Kururugi household, his office address in Tokyo takes you less than an hour to find. The former nanny, on the other hand, will be more difficult to get a hold of, as members of the household either refuse to talk about her or simply don’t know enough to help you. You can opt to conduct an exhaustive search yourself, but that’s probably going to take a week.
(Interview the attorney || Interview the former nanny || Quit)
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The Former Kendo Instructor (2/20)
Kyoshiro Tohdoh. I used to be Suzaku-kun's martial arts instructor until he was nine years of age.
(stern, serious voice -- proud too) Kururugi-san specifically hired me to train Suzaku-kun in kendo.
(ponders, clearly choosing his words carefully) Kendo is the 'way of the sword' -- it has its origins in kenjutsu -- or in other words -- traditional swordsmanship which originated from the samurai class of feudal Japan.
(frowns, clearly offended) Do you have a problem with that? Kendo is a respectable art, teaching its pupils integrity, determination and inner strength. I don’t see why a child, no matter how young, shouldn’t learn it.
(raises an eyebrow) Dangerous? Only if not practiced or taught properly. I always ensured that Suzaku-kun wore protective armor, and (snorts) of course, we didn't use a real sword -- but a shinai: it's meant to represent a sword, but made out of four bamboo slats and held together by leather fittings... (sighs) So, you can tell that Suzaku-kun was never really exposed to any lethal danger. Besides, in modern kendo, it's common practice to only strike towards specifically targeted areas... since an incorrect strike could cause serious harm.
He was exceptionally talented, showing great promise but (wistful tone) he was also very headstrong and stubborn. I often had to tell him to stop rushing into things (shakes his head, tone clearly affectionate).
(smiles warmly, though it's subdued and careful) I was very fond of him. The boy... didn't share the closest relationship with his father, though he didn't show it -- he was a cheerful child, and very eager to please. (sighs)
(laughs) He talked a lot to me: about school, his cousin Kaguya, and the Vi Britannia siblings -- he was quite fond of them. He rarely mentioned his father, but when he did, it was always with obvious admiration (sighs) It's… difficult to believe that he's turned mute, as I've heard.
(sighs loudly) I was fired the day not long after he turned nine -- he suddenly fell sick, and all I know is that he hasn’t talked for a long time. I haven't seen him since I stopped being his instructor.
Yes, Kururugi-san fired me. With no reason at all.
(lets out a heavy breath, hesitant) You see, that's what was so strange about the whole thing: no, he didn't give me a reason, just a very vague explanation as to Suzaku-kun not needing kendo lessons anymore. It was odd, considering he'd been insistent about the boy having those lessons in the first place. Also, he wouldn't even let me see Suzaku one last time, so I can't tell whether it was due to his condition or not.
No, I didn’t keep in touch with Suzaku-kun, but I sometimes talk to Mori-san over the phone -- over nothing detailed, just to know a few general facts.
I would call him. Or vice versa. But we rarely talk about the Kururugi family -- Mori-san is a man of utter professionalism: he likes to keep work and private matters apart.
He did call me that night, telling me Suzaku-kun had disappeared.
(quietly) After I learnt of Suzaku-kun’s disappearance, I said that it was most distressing, that I didn't know anything, and hoped they would find Suzaku-kun as quickly as possible. Then I went to my room, and meditated.
Whether I went to the Kururugi main house between then and now? No.
Quite simply, I never did go because I didn't think I'd be welcome there.
Yes, that's all correct -- I think it was a few days after Suzaku-kun had fallen 'sick' that I was fired. Anything else you want to know?
(cuts him off) I don't mean any offence, but I think you're twisting things terribly out of proportion. (narrows his eyes) I would have rather cut my arm off than touched Suzaku-kun in any way that was inappropriate. Not even when my lessons with Suzaku-kun became (disgusted) more ‘advanced and involved’ as you say.
(curtly) Your choice of words was certainly very suggestive. And no, I told you before that I made sure he wouldn't get injured, and -- if he ever did -- it was nothing worse than a minor scratch. As for the other context, don't you think it's strange: a boy who'd previously been healthy suddenly falling ill and turning mute?
(quietly) It's not my position to say, but then ...I can't get fired for this anymore, can I? (chuckles bitterly) I think he was abused.
(uncomfortable) I... don't know. Someone in the household, someone he was close to, most likely.
(...hesitates, looks down and then finally looks up again) His father. I don't have any proof -- it's just a gut feeling.
I don't know where Kururugi-san is right now. But I'd advise you to contact his attorney, Schneizel Vi Britannia-san. He might know more.
You are welcome.
---
It turns out that the attorney is no longer at the Kururugi household, but his office address in Tokyo is not hard to find at all.
(Interview the attorney || Quit)
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The Childhood Friend (2/20)
(the following interview takes place over telephone, at around 5:50pm GMT)
(...It takes a while for the phone call to get through, and the first person who responds is a young female who politely says that she'll call her brother. A few minutes later...) Wait a moment. I can't hear you over the sound of bells ringing. Yes, my name is Lelouch vi Britannia. Are you the detective who's been hired to search for Suzaku? Schneizel has told me all about it.
(sighs) It's ...fine. Now is probably the best time. School just ended, and I still have time to prepare dinner. (in a tone that implies he absolutely doesn't mind doing the cooking.)
(chuckles bitterly) This simply means that so far you've got nothing but statements that are either useless or confirm that Suzaku used to be a cheerful child before he fell mute.
Yes, vaguely (chuckles). I think we were around three or four at the time? He couldn't speak English then, so I spoke to him using sign language. Over the years we expanded on it, until we'd practically developed our own ...language so to speak. (sighs) But that's hardly relevant for your case, right?
(his voice takes on a wistful quality) I spent as much time with him as I could. We were close, you know? Like brothers actually. I loved how he took care of Nunnally, and how -- even if he could be brash and stubborn -- always, just always seemed to be so kind and yet strong.
We were regular guests of the household until Suzaku was eight. Until our mother passed away. Which (bitter chuckle) happened not long after Suzaku's own mother died. Life can be rather ironic sometimes.The last time I saw him was at her funeral.
(his voice is sad, but clear) Well, the funeral procession was perfectly arranged. Suzaku's father really did make sure that everything went according to plan. But, in the midst of that, he seemed to have forgotten about Suzaku. (and for a moment, he sounds angry) And Suzaku would have needed for a father. He tried to bear it 'like a man' he said, but (a chuckle) he was actually fighting back tears. And there was something else, something that seemed to bother him, but I couldn't inquire because ...I had to leave in the middle of the funeral.
(quietly) I told him that Mother had died, and that Nunnally and I had to go, but that we would visit him as soon as possible. But he shook his head, tears finally springing into his eyes and then ...(voice breaks for a while) begged me to stay, actually held my hand and really begged me not to leave. But I had no choice.
Yes, Nunnally and I returned to Europe that very day. And I haven't really been in contact since then. Schneizel tells me about Suzaku though -- if you could call what he tells me (sarcasm and sadness blend into his tone) 'information'.
Yes, that’s the very one. I really can't believe he's working for that man, but then again, Schneizel has always been ...ambitious.
He didn't say much at first. Only that Suzaku was mute and mostly out of sight. But lately ... he's been dropping a few hints, about how Suzaku likes to read and ...strangely, he mentioned that Suzaku is good with floral arrangements. I'm not quite sure what to make of that.
From Suzaku? Pitiful -- a stray e-mail here or there. He doesn't write a lot. Mostly just asks what I'm up to, and sometimes tells me about his lessons with his tutors.
(bells toll) Sorry, can you say that again? The bells - one of the downsides to living near a church. (apologetic chuckle)
No, he didn’t mention anything else. Sometimes I wonder whether his e-mails were monitored, but I doubt it. He just ...(sighs) didn't write a lot. Or didn't want to.
Schneizel called me, and told me about it the morning after. He told me that Suzaku had run off after a festival or feast of some kind. ...Now this might not be relevant at all, but he sounded ...oddly unconcerned about it. But that might just have been my imagination playing tricks on me. And then again, Schneizel rarely displays emotions.
What I did? What could I have done? ...(silently) I don't know. Maybe a part of me was glad that Suzaku ran away because it proves that he's still alive, somehow.
No, I have no idea where he might have gone, none at all. Schneizel told me that he has no friends, and … (pauses) Why, are you suspecting my brother has something to do with this?
I know you didn’t. But you keep asking me what I did, whether I know where he is, despite the fact that we've established that I don't hear much from Suzaku. And, when I do, it's either in the form of rare e-mails or through my brother. So this means that something is fishy here.
Aside from my brother being ambitious? Actually, no. ...But then (clearly thinks for a while) those strange comments, the fact that he actually mentions Suzaku by name now, rather than just calling him that 'mute boy' as he did before...it's a bit suspicious. Why aren't you talking to him, Inspector?
No, I don't really. Only that I hope you'll find Suzaku wherever he may be.
I shall. Have a good day. (and hangs up)
---
Lelouch vi Britannia is able to give you his brother’s address, to an office in Tokyo.
(Interview the attorney || Quit)
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The Private Tutors (2/17)
(Cecile) I'm Cecile Croomy, and I work as a… (distracted because her colleague is running around with technical equipment of some sort, and she tells him to 'sit down because this isn't relevant right now’) I work as a private tutor for Mr Kururugi's son, Suzaku. I teach him history and some of the other humanities depending on his interest. Mr Lloyd Asplund here (pointedly) teaches him Maths and some of the other sciences. Is that right, Mr Lloyd?
(Lloyd) (just looks up briefly, in the middle of an experiment, and waves his hand) Yes, right. Don't disturb right now. (He puts the equipment away when Cecile gives him another pointed look.)
(C) We’ve been employed for roughly a ...
(L) (interrupts) 370 days, precisely. Do you need the seconds and minutes too?
(C) He's very sweet, kind, but (sighs) he has trouble focusing during the sessions. It's not because he isn’t a bright boy. He is (smiles) -- he loves reading, but just seems to have his mind preoccupied with other things that seem to be weighing him down. During our sessions, he'll often be found staring out of the window, or just not seem to be paying attention ...
(L) Because your lessons are boring. He always pays attention when I talk. Especially about robots. Or one of my ideas regarding them. You know, I've often thought that Suzaku --
(C) (interrupts quickly) Not now. Now is really not the time for this.
(L) (sighs) Fine. He's a very attentive student, though he does seem to have his thoughts elsewhere sometimes.
(C) (momentarily looks insulted, annoyed even) Of course (firmly) I can’t imagine why you would even ask that. I'm well assured of the fact that he can understand and is capable of learning. Just because he’s mute doesn’t mean… (takes a deep breath) He reads extensively. Anything from classical fiction to sci-fi.
(L) I recommended some sci-fi books to him. He's especially fond of anything to do with flying and space. But also robots. As I said before, if his condition had been better, Suzaku would have been the perfect test-
(C) Now isn’t really the time for this. (rolls her eyes)
(L) (sighs) Fine. Yes, he is perfectly capable of understanding and learning. He can solve basic Maths equations with no problems.
(C) It was difficult to track down his progress at first, but (firm) Suzaku is a bright boy, positively brimming with potential if he only... didn't seem so weighed down by things. But he's already made a lot of progress -- lately he's been showing more and more interest in things...
(L) (offhandedly) Not quite true. During our last session he was horribly sullen and withdrawn. Didn't even blink when I mentioned that my experiment might be realised, and I offered him a position as a test subj-
(C) (rolls her eyes) Not relevant right now or ever. But yes, I forgot to say ...he did seem upset during our last session, and spent most of it staring out of the window.
(C) Yes. It was the day before he disappeared. (smiles sadly) I wonder whether I should have realised that something was wrong -- (folds her hands in her lap) Oh well. No point in blaming myself. I'll just (smiles again) hope he'll be found as soon as possible.
(L) (noncommittal) It’d be a regular shame if he weren't found. His body, if one just gave it the proper nourishment and training, would be the perfect carrier for one of the Knightmare Frames I have been - (shuts up when Cecile gives him a look, and lets out a defeated sigh) What I mean to say was that the last session took place a day before he disappeared.
(C) No, none. There was nothing. He didn’t give us any indication as to why he was upset or what might have been bothering him.
(L) (shrugs) The boy rarely shared anything personal. Just once, when I asked him if he'd been going through any physical training, he wrote that he'd had another instructor in the past. In martial arts, I think.
(L) (shrugs again) Yes, Kyoshiro Tohdoh or something like that. I wouldn't know why he stopped. Better to contact either him or... (looks at Cecile)
(C) Or Suzaku's cousin, Kaguya Sumeragi. She might know something too. I have (smiles) their contact details if you’d want them.
(C) No, that would be all from my side. I just hope you find Suzaku (warm voice) -- he's such a lovely boy.
(L) Yes, he is. So much potential. It would be a shame if he died because then I'd have to -
(C) (sharply) Mr Lloyd!
(L) No, there is nothing else.
---
A phone call to Kaguya Sumeragi reveals that she is en route to Okinawa to visit a friend, and that if you would like to meet with her there, she would be more than happy to make time for you later this week. A phone call to Tohdoh Kyoshiro, however, yields no useful information; the man insists on meeting in person, and in private. If you would like to arrange this meeting, it will also take several days - about the same time Kaguya is requesting as well. Both of them await your reply.
(Interview the cousin || Interview the kendo instructor || Quit)
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The Victim (3/08)
The following interview is conducted in sign language on the victim’s part, and has been transcribed by a second detective.
(looking at Euphemia, unsure)
(eventually, nods and begins to sign) Suzaku Kururugi. I work part-time at the flower shop in [redacted].
Before that, I didn't work. I was home-schooled.
(nods again) Yes. That's right.
(doesn't answer for a very long time) There was a party at my father's house. An old business associate of his had just turned 60, I think.
I spent most of that evening in my father's library. I'd been there since about noon. (smiles faintly) He never goes there himself.
"The Gods Themselves" by Isaac Asimov. I just started on it; it's kind of confusing right now. But a lot of them are like that.
I never finished reading -- Noriko-san came for me and said it was time to go to bed. I was about to go with her, but then she got called back to help in the kitchen because they needed more people. (hesitates) So she said she'd give me another half-hour.
(chews on his bottom lip) ... After a while, there was a knock on the door. I thought it was Noriko-san. But it wasn't.
... It was Schneizel vi Britannina.
He told me to come with him. (eyes lowered) I didn't want to, but then.... he said... (hand trembles a little) He said my father had basically sold me to him.
No (shakes his head). I can't imagine it was for very much money, though. At least, given my father's standards.
(bites on his lip) He wouldn't sell me in the past, no. But... sometimes he had difficult business deals to close. And then...
And then... and then in those times, sometimes... usually after he'd had a bit to drink... he'd offer me as 'incentive'.
I could give you some of the names of those that accepted, but... (stops)
(lowers his head) I don't want them to come after me.
I first saw Mr vi Britannia a couple of months ago. He'd been staying as a guest at my father's house for some time.
It was some time in the middle of the night. Everyone had gone to sleep, or so I thought. I'd been up reading, and I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water before going to bed. I ended up passing his room in the hallway, though I didn't know it then.
He came out of his room. I guess I must have woken him, or something. (lowers his gaze) He pulled me into his room.
And then... (stops, again)
(doesn't answer until Euphy somehow catches on and leaves the room; even then, he is clearly uncomfortable) He pulled me in and then... and then he forced me. (swallows) He said he... had the power to make or break my father's case. That if he went to prison, what would happen to people like Miss Cecile and Mr Asplund, or Mori-san and Noriko-san?
(nods, his hand shaking more noticeably now) Yes. Every few nights... sometimes every night, or even twice in one night. I don't know if he was drunk during those times.... (shakes his head)
(shakes his head again) My father never said anything to me.
I... (fidgets) ....I really don't see why that's relevant, sir...
Well... (shifts uncomfortably) after my mother died... I don't think my father took it well at all. He loved her so much. (smiles bitterly) It was obvious from the start that he loved her so much more than he could ever love me. But that was okay with me... I loved her too.
He didn't talk to me at all at first. I thought I'd done something wrong. But then.... he started saying strange things. Things like how much I looked like her. How my hair was starting to look like hers. And my eyes... (hesitates, before continuing on) He was really drunk most of the time.
Oh he would drink all the time, but never more than he could handle. One, maybe two glasses of wine in a night. Sake if there was a special occasion. (sighs) It started getting really bad during that last week... when my mother became very, very sick.
He... drank a lot. A lot. You could smell it all the way from the other end of the room. He... (pauses, a pained expression on his face) He called me by her name. About a dozen times. Talked to me like he would talk to her. ...Touched me, like I guess he would touch her.
(shakes his head) Not that night, no.
(nods, and is shaking visibly hard now) After the funeral... yes.
I tried to tell Lelouch, but... but then he had to leave and.... (shakes his head again, staring at the floor) I just didn't know who to turn to.
Yes, I think so. I don't really know what I would have accomplished by telling Kaguya. But at that time, I really wasn't thinking straight.
(nods again) I don't remember much of that. But... I think I was screaming, too much. And then my father -- he started screaming back. He started going at it harder. It hurt a lot.
I don't remember (admits). I might have blacked out. (pauses) I wasn't able to speak from then on.
Yes. My father was the one who ordered to have me pulled out of school. I was tutored from home from then on.
That, too. My father fired Tohdoh-sensei at about the same time he pulled me out of school. (sadly) I had no way to contact him -- nobody would ever give me his address, and it wasn't as though I could pick up a phone and call him.
Yes (smiles wryly). I only had to try once. The first letter I wrote to Lelouch after my mother died -- I didn't say anything outright. I tried to be subtle. I knew Lelouch was smart. But my father's smart too. (sighs) He was sober that night, but I wished he were drunk. Then maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much when he beat me. (shrugs) But after that, I never tried to tell anyone again.
Not very often (quickly). When he was really drunk.... he'd usually think I was her. And he would never hurt her. (pauses, before adding) It helped that I wasn't talking, anyway.
Until I was 15.
No, I’m sure. It was until I was 15. (sighs)
Well, after Mr. vi Britannia 'bought' me, he took me to an abandoned airfield that very night, where a private jet was waiting. (laughs a little, soundlessly) It was all very discreet; I didn't even have a passport or an ID on me.
Then, he took me here, to [redacted]. His owns the penthouse suite at [redacted].
Of course. (fiddles with his sleeves) It's what he bought me for, after all.
...He wasn't the nicest of people.
He... often said I wasn't good for anything else other than this. He would be angry sometimes -- then he would be really rough.
(fingers at the just-healing bruises on his cheeks, and nods)
It was Euphy who convinced me. I tried to hide it from her as long as I could, but when you can't walk properly and there are injuries in places you can't hide, it can only go on for so long. (bites on his lip) She wanted me to get out of there.
It wasn't easy. He used to lock the door from the outside too. (smiles a little) So I climbed out a window.
I made it to the rooftop and used the stairs from there. And then I just.... walked out of the building. Nobody asked me any questions. (sighs) I don't think he saw it coming. (shrugs) He knew I had nowhere to go. My father didn't want me. And it's not as if I wanted to be a burden on Euphy either.
Yes, and I'll forever be grateful to her for that. She didn't owe me anything.
She is. (smiles) She was a godsend.
(eyes drop) I... don't know about that yet. Testifying -- that means going on record in public, right? (shakes his head) I can’t promise.
May I ask what charges they're facing?
I see.
(thinks about that for a long while, and for a few seconds his expression seems apprehensive; eventually, his eyes harden and he glances up, meeting the detective's eyes fully for the first time) Tell me what I have to do.
FIN
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The Father (3/15)
You were very persistent (a bit irritated), Detective.
Shoot away, if you (still irritated) absolutely must.
I was at home, yes. But I was busy. I can hardly tell you what occurred that night.
I remember talking to my attorney. I'm sure he's already told you or, at least, alluded to matters (hardly pleased)
(sighs) There isn't much to tell. I'm a very busy man, and can't spend as much time with my son as I'd like to. (uncomfortable pause) And there isn't much in the way of conversation, seeing how he is mute.
(sighs) Yes, of course I would communicate with him. Through the written word, but I tend to hear more often about his state from his tutors and therapists. (snidely, as if Suzaku were a burden he'd love to get rid of.)
(glances, annoyed) Things such as ‘how your is your school work getting along’? ‘What books have you been reading?’ I'm sure it's all (snorts) very relevant.
(coldly) You ask whether I’m satisfied with his progress. (in a tone that he is hardly ever satisfied, if he ever was) That's a callous thing to ask of a father with a mute son. Of course, ideally, I'd like to have a successor who is strong, proud and unflinching. None of which qualities apply to Suzaku. Not anymore (grumbles) if they ever did.
I didn't have much (snorts) hope for him in the intellectual department, if you want me to be blunt. But he was strong, so I let him practice kendo, hoping he'd maybe win some tournaments one day and make a name for himself like that. He was also a cheerful child, maybe even charming. Not entirely useless.
(raises an eyebrow) You know very well what happened. He fell sick.
(raises his eyebrow yet again) What precisely are you alluding to?
(sighs) I told you before he fell severely sick, his condition turning so bad that I had him withdrawn from school, and had to keep him contained inside. It was upsetting, but (pointedly) necessary.
(reluctant) There might have some specific events -- traumatic even, perhaps -- that might have triggered off his mutism, but they were taken care of.
(uncomfortable) Assaults of the physical kind. Things that would have left traces on the psyche of a young boy.
(sighs, deeply uncomfortable) I am saying he was sexually abused, Detective.
(still uncomfortable, but does meet the detective's eyes) I fear it's a man I trusted, Suzaku trusted but who disappointed us all.
(doesn't say anything at first) I'm not blaming anyone. I'm just saying that people aren't what they appear to be.
(meets the detective's glare) I don't know what you're talking about.
(raises an eyebrow) You're either pulling my leg or trying to incriminate me. (coldly) Please be more specific.
Right. So why don't you just come out in the open then? Unless this skipping around the bush is a new interrogation method.
Admission ... (carefully) for what? (eyes widen, realising ...) you think I assaulted my own son?
(coldly) And, of course, all bets are placed on the father. How predictable, Mr Detective.
Right. As I said before, do you have any concrete evidence? Witnesses?
(a very long pause. he stares out the window throughout, brows drawn together, lips pressed in an unwavering line) ... If I confess to this, will there be a deal for me?
(then, silently) It was a mistake. It happened after the wake for the first time ... (grudgingly) I was upset. Drunk. It must have been the eyes. They reminded me of her. But I only touched him that night. It wasn’t until... after the funeral that I… you understand.
Yes, his eyes reminded me of my late wife.
He reminded me of her a lot of times. Until he was eleven or twelve.
So what? (angrily) Try not to judge me. Aren't your lot supposed to be neutral?
An unfortunate side effect. I told him to be quiet. It’s not my fault he went mute.
He was always very dutiful. But he screamed too much at first. (no remorse at all, more annoyed)
I didn’t stop because it was more convenient when he didn't scream; I could pretend it was her.
Nothing much happened in the weeks leading up to his disappearance. I'm sure everyone's already told you -- my butler is very well-informed.
(sighs) I had some trouble -- business that Mr Schneizel Vi Britannia assisted me in. I was busy, and don't know what happened. As far as I am concerned, there was nothing extraordinary about that week.
You are right. Nothing I am aware of. You might want to talk to someone else.
(narrows his eyes) Very well then. Why don't you talk to Mr Vi Britannia? He might tell you something. Something about Suzaku's location.
Yes, my lawyer. And a good businessman. A very good (chuckles darkly) businessman.
Oh, I’m sure he’ll oblige you this time.
---
You know what you have to do.
(Interview the attorney (once again) || Quit)
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The Florist (3/10)
My name is Euphemia [surname redacted]. I run the flowers section at [redacted].
I first saw him sometime earlier this month. He'd been shopping with an older gentleman that day.
Yes, but I didn't know his name at the time. Anyway, Mister vi Britannia wanted to buy a bouquet. Roses, I think. As I was checking out his purchase, Suzaku accidentally knocked over a shelf with several arrangements.
Well he was very angry. He wasn't yelling or anything like that, but you could tell. Suzaku... seemed terrified.
Yes. He seemed so scared. So I tried to assure them that it wasn't a big deal, but Mister vi Britannia was having none of it.
A part of me had expected that. But... the man seemed to be in a particularly sour mood that night. He said something to Suzaku about 'teaching him a lesson'. (shakes her head) I couldn't think of anything else to diffuse the situation so I.... offered a suggestion of my own. (bites on her lip)
Well, we were understaffed at the time, and my assistant had just gone on maternity leave the month prior. I told them, I told them maybe Suzaku could make up his debt by working at the store. Just until those arrangements were paid for -- and if he liked the work, I would take him on as a paid employee afterwards.
Yes. I had him come in Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm to 8pm to help with the evening rush.
He seemed a bit lost and out of his element during the first day (giggles a little, remembering). But he learned quickly after that. Even though he didn't speak, it was clear he understood me very well. By the time he'd finished his first week, he was already good enough to make his own arrangements without being supervised.
Oh he was (nods). My regular customers warmed up to him in no time. And he was an honest worker too -- never slacking off.
(chewing on her bottom lip) ... Not at first, no.
Well I don't think I noticed it at first. (sighs) I hadn't been paying as much attention as I should have been.
I... well it became clear to me eventually that Suzaku was living with that man. And that his home life.. might not have been in the best of shape.
(looks down) Sometimes... I'd talk to him. I'd picked up sign language while teaching English abroad -- that was four years ago, but I still remembered enough to communicate with Suzaku. And.... I'd ask him about that man.
(shakes her head) That's exactly it. Whenever I'd ask him about his opinion on flowers or music or books -- especially books -- he had a lot to say. He even told me about some old childhood friends of his. But when I asked about that man... he'd close up.
No, I never saw Mr. vi Britannia after that first day... but (trails off) …
(shakes her head) No, I -- I couldn't. (shakes her head again) I can't be 100% sure, but....
Suzaku... would show up with bruises on him (whispers). Some cuts on his lips sometimes -- often, marks on his wrists. I could tell because on those days he would try to cover up with long sweaters, and he seemed to be... in pain.
(shakes her head again) He... always walked with a bit of a limp, so I thought -- I thought it was an old injury. But then, some days it was clearly worse than others. And the cuts -- he couldn't hide the ones on his face. They were fresh. (swallows) He would be evasive. "It was my fault." "I could have been more careful." "I'm fine Miss Euphy." "Please don't worry Miss Euphy."
(bites on her lip) ...I don't know where he is. (but is avoiding the investigator's eyes...)
(is trembling) I don't... want him to be in any more trouble. Please! (earnestly) He's already been through so much. I can't...
(doesn't say anything for a very long time, looking clearly conflicted) If I tell you where he is... (quietly) do you promise not to hurt him? Not to tell that man?
(nods, wringing her hands together) He's been staying with me (whispers). After... he came in the other day with a black eye, and red marks around his neck... I was the one who convinced him to run away.
He's at my apartment (wiping her eyes with the back of her hand). I told him not to come in to work, not even to go outside. I'm sure...I'm sure that man is looking for him.
Good. (visibly relaxes at that, but not completely) That's good...
(nods) Right. The address is at [redacted]. He won't open the door, though. If you'd like, you can accompany me home -- after my shift is over.
---
You wait until the end of Euphemia’s shift, after which she leads you to her apartment. Once there, she knocks in a specific pattern, and the face of the person who opens the door informs you that this investigation is finally, finally nearing completion.
(Interview the victim)
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The Florist (3/17)
My name is Euphemia [surname redacted]. I run the flowers section at [redacted].
I first saw him sometime earlier this month. He'd been shopping with an older gentleman that day.
Yes, but I didn't know his name at the time. Anyway, Mister vi Britannia wanted to buy a bouquet. Roses, I think. As I was checking out his purchase, Suzaku accidentally knocked over a shelf with several arrangements.
Well he was very angry. He wasn't yelling or anything like that, but you could tell. Suzaku... seemed terrified.
Yes. He seemed so scared. So I tried to assure them that it wasn't a big deal, but Mister vi Britannia was having none of it.
A part of me had expected that. But... the man seemed to be in a particularly sour mood that night. He said something to Suzaku about 'teaching him a lesson'. (shakes her head) I couldn't think of anything else to diffuse the situation so I.... offered a suggestion of my own. (bites on her lip)
Well, we were understaffed at the time, and my assistant had just gone on maternity leave the month prior. I told them, I told them maybe Suzaku could make up his debt by working at the store. Just until those arrangements were paid for -- and if he liked the work, I would take him on as a paid employee afterwards.
Yes. I had him come in Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm to 8pm to help with the evening rush.
He seemed a bit lost and out of his element during the first day (giggles a little, remembering). But he learned quickly after that. Even though he didn't speak, it was clear he understood me very well. By the time he'd finished his first week, he was already good enough to make his own arrangements without being supervised.
Oh he was (nods). My regular customers warmed up to him in no time. And he was an honest worker too -- never slacking off.
(chewing on her bottom lip) ... Not at first, no.
Well I don't think I noticed it at first. (sighs) I hadn't been paying as much attention as I should have been.
I... well it became clear to me eventually that Suzaku was living with that man. And that his home life.. might not have been in the best of shape.
(looks down) Sometimes... I'd talk to him. I'd picked up sign language while teaching English abroad -- that was four years ago, but I still remembered enough to communicate with Suzaku. And.... I'd ask him about that man.
(shakes her head) That's exactly it. Whenever I'd ask him about his opinion on flowers or music or books -- especially books -- he had a lot to say. He even told me about some old childhood friends of his. But when I asked about that man... he'd close up.
No, I never saw Mr. vi Britannia after that first day... but (trails off) …
(shakes her head) No, I -- I couldn't. (shakes her head again) I can't be 100% sure, but....
Suzaku... would show up with bruises on him (whispers). Some cuts on his lips sometimes -- often, marks on his wrists. I could tell because on those days he would try to cover up with long sweaters, and he seemed to be... in pain.
(shakes her head again) He... always walked with a bit of a limp, so I thought -- I thought it was an old injury. But then, some days it was clearly worse than others. And the cuts -- he couldn't hide the ones on his face. They were fresh. (swallows) He would be evasive. "It was my fault." "I could have been more careful." "I'm fine Miss Euphy." "Please don't worry Miss Euphy."
(shakes her head in despair, her eyes well up and her lower lip begins to tremble)
(breaks) He was here! He used to be. (shakes her head again, more desperately this time) I just couldn't help it anymore. One day -- one day he came in, and he looked awful. He had a black eye -- it was terrible. And there were marks around his neck.... red marks, angry ones. (wraps her arms around herself) I told him to run away from that place, from that man. I told him to stay with me.
I didn't know what to do. (crying freely now) That was a week ago. I thought, maybe, he could stay here until I figured something out. He was scared all the time. So scared -- like he would be eyeing the door, glancing at the phone every so often. He refused to open any of the curtains. (softly) It was heartbreaking.
(clasping and unclasping at the hem of her skirt) I tried my best. I made some phone calls to my sister in America -- with her help, I managed to get him on a flight to [redacted] leaving this Sunday. The red eye... (retrieves an envelope from her purse and hands it to the inspector. inside is a boarding pass, a very new passport, and some loose bills in U.S. currency) I told him he could trust her. That he would be safe there -- I gave him my word.
(shakes her head sadly) I thought he might have believed me, at first. I thought I might have been getting through to him. But apparently not. (hangs her head, and sighs) He took off. Two days ago. (gestures lamely at the interior of the apartment) Just like that.
No. (sighs) He left a message for me, but it didn't say where he was going.
(shakes her head, but she's smiling sadly) Look behind you, Detective. (there is a bouquet of flowers on the side table there) That's the only thing he left me.
Canterbury bells, and rosemary sprigs. (is speaking as though murmuring to herself now, looking at the bouquet with something shining in her eyes) "Thank you", and remembrance -- though, whether he's telling me he'll remember me, or asking me not to forget him, I don't know. (laughs then, a sad, pained sound) I don't know where he is. I don't know what he was thinking. I wish I did.
---
Five days later, an 18-year-old boy is found dead, washed up on the bank of [redacted]. Eyewitnesses reported having seen the boy jump off the railing of the bridge; he was carried away by the current before they could help him. The cause of death is ruled as a suicide. The boy is taken to the morgue at the nearest hospital; he is identified by his employer that same day. The funeral service is going to be held a week later.
(Interview the childhood friend)
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The Childhood Friend (2nd Interview: 3/29)
(is silent for a long time, and when he looks up his face is ashen-white and his eyes blank) Yes, the very one. You're...the detective. We have talked over the phone.
(chuckles bitterly, and accepts the offered hand) I'm not sure if it's really a loss. I lost him a long time ago. (removes his hand) This is just the final goodbye.
(he doesn't even look surprised, just sad) So it was true then, after all. (laughs hoarsely) So that's why he... (quietly) jumped. And... Schneizel... he was involved, too. (sounds disbelieving, still)
(for a second, he pales, understanding seeping in rather quickly...and his voice is pained, bitter) So, you're saying that Suzaku was whored out by his own father, and that my… (so very pained, disgusted) brother went for that deal. (snorts) So that's why he started speaking more often about Suzaku. And I thought it was because he'd finally started taking an interest in things other than his work.
(just shakes his head) It's ...well, not fine, but you understand what I mean. (tries to sound calm when looking up) Do you have any idea why Schneizel accepted the deal? (narrows his eyes) What did he tell you? I... haven't talked to him since he got... arrested. I didn't, couldn't and refused to believe -- (he stops talking and clenches his fist) Just tell me everything. Also about Mr Kururugi.
(it's a testament to his strength -- mental strength, that he can take all this in without collapsing but he does turn impossibly pale, and his eyes have narrowed, and he's clenching his fists so hard that his knuckles are pale) And all that time I... just thought he'd deplored that I'd left him, that I... I never suspected that his father… (mutters ‘how selfish’ and looks at Euphy sobbing in the corner) Well, I'm glad he had someone in the end at least. Someone who... (voice breaks a bit) understood.
… (but he regains his voice, now speaking more coldly) His father, the members of the staff that didn't care and (disgust more pronounced now) my brother... they are facing charges. Not that it matters. (whispers) I only wanted Suzaku to live. (whispers) I only wanted Suzaku to live.
But I'm starting to think that this wasn't ever the case, not after I left. That he was just waiting for this, that he was already dead inside and this was nothing but the final plunge.
… (just shakes his shoulders helplessly, and lets out another bitter chuckle) Do I think he’s better off? (eyes narrow) No. He was eighteen. And he could have -- (cuts himself off) It doesn't matter anymore, does it? Those men killed him. That's all there is to it now.
FIN
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You have decided to quit the investigation.
For a variety of reasons, you decided that the investigation into the disappearance of Suzaku Kururugi from his home on the morning of February 11, 2012 would be left unresolved.
On March 22, 2012, an 18-year-old boy was found dead, washed up on the bank of [redacted]. Eyewitnesses reported having seen the boy jump off the railing of the bridge; he was carried away by the current before they could help him.
The cause of death was officially ruled as a suicide.
The boy was taken to the morgue at the nearest hospital. His employer then, a florist who shall remain unnamed to protect her privacy, identified him that same day. She confirmed that the body was indeed that of one Suzaku Kururugi.
The funeral service was held a week later.
FIN