[restricted mingler] The investigators interview anybody who knows anything whatsoever about Titus

[in_summer_leaf]

A sign is posted in the common room on the notice board:

Information wanted:For anyone who does not know this, Titus Groan is missing, and it is feared that this is not the usual Mansion disappearance. If you believe you have any information that might help us find him, or simply have questions or concerns, please speak to a member of the Shadow

Comments

[cute_shinigami]

Tsuzuki has only met Titus through passing by him in the hallway, but the fact that the young man has disappeared is cause for concern. And the fact that it happened about the same time as Aramat's death is worrisome.

He's sitting in an armchair, not far from the notice, nursing a cup of tea -- and likely noshing on a donut from a box procured from the kitchen.

[in_summer_leaf]

"All right, you and Aramat were both interested in Titus," says Hisoka, patiently, "but I don't think either of you killed him. Do you know if anybody else was hanging about hoping for a slice of the pie?"

[silvereyedphage]

"He was involved with at least one other woman: I saw him talking with a rather fetching but queenly brunette after the theatrical, and if I'm not mistaken, he might well have went off with her for a private performance, in a matter of speaking," he says, still with the aggravating smirk. "Who's to say that he didn't anger the wrong man after our young Casanova was caught in the wrong bed?" He's still being a bit flippant, but the look in his eyes is far from that. His left eye might even look a little damp.

Tsuzuki growls under his breath, turning to Hisoka. "Can I smack him for being an ass? This isn't telling us anything except his sick fantasies."

[in_summer_leaf]

"We'll keep that idea in mind," says Hisoka, judiciously. "Although I'm inclined to believe that this was more than a matter of simple jealousy. You don't know who the woman was?" And his look says, I understand you're grieving, but stop with the aggravating smirk, will you?

"No, you can't smack him," says Hisoka, aloud.

He turns back to Muraki. "You have acute psychic senses. Is there anybody in this house who strikes you as being a very different person on the outside than on the inside? This hypothetical person would be charming or at least facile in an ordinary conversation, but underneath, he or she would have an emptiness, a gulf in which there is no feeling at all."

[silvereyedphage]

"There is one man who fits that description, a man who calls himself Rudy Cooper. I doubt that is his real name, but it will do for the sake of information," Muraki says, growing serious. He'll even go so far as to turn his head a bit, so that his blind side is turned toward them, likely in a bid to clear his head. "I could not read any emotional energy coming from him, though he knew how to mimic the tells of a normal human being. I don't doubt he is as much of a predator as I am... or was.

"He had an interest in Aramat: she had told me about it, how he fascinated, yet terrified her. I will admit... he's made me wary, and when I first heard that Aramat was dead, I wondered if he had had a hand in it."

Tsuzuki frowns at this, the irritation turning to concern. "So does this mean he was involved somehow?"

[in_summer_leaf]

"I've met a Rudy Cooper," says Hisoka, "and...say!...he did have an odd signature, to my mind, but not odd enough for me to give it much thought. This is a house full of odd people. He didn't stand out. In the prison and in the airship world, I learned how to block everybody, and I do it instinctively now, unless I have some particualr reason to want to read a person, so I didn't try to see what was under that surface."

He turns to Tsuzuki and says eagerly, "Looks like a lead? Maybe he was involved." He faces Muraki again. "Aramat was afraid of him? What did she say about him, exactly? What was she afraid of?"

[cute_shinigami]

"Might be well worth looking into, if he's that dangerous," Tsuzuki notes, somewhat dubiously, but it's the only lead they have at the moment.

"I believe she was afraid that she might become his next victim, though I might add, there was a touch of desire coupled to that fear. She had voiced to me the concern that she might someday end up like him, devoid of conscience and emotion something which she longed for yet feared," he says. "The 'death impulse', or destrudo, as it's called, was very strong in her," he adds, meditatively.

[in_summer_leaf]

"So you both think Rudy is a serial killer," says Hisoka. "Good thing we had this little discussion. Apparently, the Mansion hides a lot of open secrets."

He had been stupid. He had assumed that somebody had a handle on all of these kinds of problems because so many people knew about Muraki and had taken the time to let him know he was under their scrutiny. But this place was just like every other place, really. People could hide in plain sight and get away with murder. He shakes his head, somewhere between anger and perplexity.

[Nice thread! Want to FTB after your next post, unless you can think of anything else we should cover?]

[cute_shinigami]

"Yeah, there's plenty of little nooks for people to hide in, when they aren't hiding in plain sight," Tsuzuki says, maybe with a hint of ire, as he eyes Muraki.

"I leave the detective work to you: I shan't interfere, the better to let you catch the young man," he says. "Dare I say, he's of little interest to me: I'd take the matter into my own hands, except that he's of little use to me. I can't tap into his energy, so there's nothing in it for me. Blood from a turnip, as the Western saying goes." He glances back into the room. "If you'll excuse me, I was in the midst of a little tidying up." If either of them glances past him, before he closes the door, they'll see an overflowing ashtray on an endtable and a collection of empty wine bottles on the floor beside it.

They might hear a small, soft sob on the other side of that closed door. Tsuzuki cringes a bit, clearly *not* wanting to feel sorry for Muraki.

"Dammit... was that for real, or was that on purpose?" he asks.

FTB on yours??

[in_summer_leaf]

"I think it was for real," says Hisoka, finding the door shut in his face with a click. "Well, what shall we do concerning this Rudy Cooper?" He leans against a wall with his arms folded.

[Another post or two to wrap up?]

[cute_shinigami]

"I say we ask him a few questions, see if he knows anything about Titus's whereabouts," he says, pulling in a breath and letting it out. "If he had something for Aramat, maybe he had something for Titus: maybe he wanted to get between them to get at her. Or maybe I'm just overthinking."

[in_summer_leaf]

"Sounds good to me," says Hisoka. "Any thoughts as to where to find him? And feel free to overthink! -- I think it's a perfectly good way of generating ideas and angles."

[cute_shinigami]

"No idea, I'm afraid: I don't think I've ever met the guy before," he says. "But, at least we know who to look for now. Shall we inform the others?"

[in_summer_leaf]

"I think so!" says Hisoka.

[And FTB! Nice!]