Non-challenge: A Policeman's Tale (Day 52)
I'm calling this post the Tuesday Suprise but it sure beats the old cafeteria food. :)
Title: A Policeman's Tale (Day 52)
Author: ytak
Word count: 1060
Rating (chapter): K (G)
Rating (whole story): T (PG-13)
Comments: *cackles* I said I was going to try to get another chapter out this week. There's something about being in the home stretch that makes it easier to write. Four chapters left for me to write/complete and a bonus, an epilogue!
Other chapters can be read through here or here.
Day 52
Takagi dropped that Imai case file on his desk and then dropped into his chair. Nothing had come to him or jumped out at him when he reviewed the case yesterday afternoon. It did not make any sense. I wish it were clearcut, he thought, wistfully thinking of some of the cases he had worked on. But it doesn't fit the standard pattern for a disappearance or murder, even. Usually, we can find the person by asking people they know. Usually it is one of them. Or, with a murder, it still is someone they know but nobody has said anything about the body. If they are different people then they were both 'non-entities' which is rare.
But the feeling Takagi had said that the man who disappeared and the murder victim were the same person.
What we do have doesn't add up to anything I've ever seen before. Well, maybe in a anime or a mystery manga, he thought wryly.
A wave of motion broke through Takagi's musing. It seemed to ripple through the room as most of the officers turned towards the entrance to watch Megure enter the room. The inspector noticed that all eyes were on him and he seemed a little discomforted by it. He really shouldn't be surprised,Takagi thought, he keeps getting holed up with other inspectors all the way to the superintendent. He ought to remember that we are a curious bunch who run on rumors and there has not been one reasonable rumor or word to leak out what has been going on in the meetings.
Megure cleared his throat and began to speak, “There is a department-wide meeting scheduled in an hour. If you know of any officers on call, let them know and try to get them back. I have a... request to ask of you on behalf of the superintendent.”
Takagi felt his brows shoot upward. He looked around and could see that he was not the only officer looking surprised. Even Sato had a puzzled look on her face. She sat back down at her desk and opened a file.
“Must be something big,” Chiba said, standing next to Takagi, munching on a donut.
Takagi nodded in agreement. “But it doesn't sound like we're actually learn what's going on. A 'request' isn't information,” he sighed.
“That's true,” Chiba said, taking a sip of his coffee. “How's your main case going?” Takagi groaned in response. “Hmm, that's never fun. Glad that not too many cases like that ever come along.” Chiba finished off his donut and patted Takagi on the back. He chuckled, “Honestly, I'm glad it's you and Sato instead of me.”
“Oh, really? Why?” Takagi asked.
Chiba considered his question a minute, “I think you two are the better choice for this sort of case.” He looked in his cup and did not elaborate on his statement. “Hmm, out of coffee. I'll see you at the meeting.”
Takagi sighed. He wanted a better answer than that but it was a Chiba answer through and through.
--
“I know that we are asking a lot of you but we know that you can do it. I know a few of you have cases that will be harder to wrap up. I will be meeting with you later to discuss them and see what you might need to wrap them up,” Megure said. He looked around the room, taking a moment to look at each officer. “If each of you gives it your all, then you have nothing to be ashamed of,” Megure finished up. He sat down, indicating that the announcement was concluded and they were to return to work.
Most of the officers returned to work with new vigor, having been just reminded of their duties and responsibilities.
Takagi felt like beating his head against his desk. Instead, he opted for resting his forehead against it for a minute. Absently, he noted that a few of the detectives passing by his desk murmuring that they were glad they did not have his case.
He desperately hoped that his and Sato's case would be one the inspector would like to talk about because Takagi could not see how they were going to solve it without any further leads. He did not want to have a cold case hanging over his head years down the line. Most were solved quickly, some took a little longer. He feared that this case would be one that would never be solved.
If Megure did not understand that they were at an impasse, then Takagi knew that he would have to live with that mark of an unsolved case on his record for the rest of his career. He blinked and raised his head up, Sato-san would take it even harder, he thought.
“Takagi-kun? Are you okay?” asked Sato as she walked up to his desk.
“I'm fine,” he said. “Just a little frustrated.”
She nodded. Then a moment later, she grinned, “Well, you could think about it in two days.”
It? Takagi thought and then he felt the figurative light-bulb go on. Dinner. With Sato's mother. Eep!
Sato grinned at the slightly panicked expression on his face. “Don't worry too much about it. I don't think mom will want to scare you off.”
'Think'? Somehow, I don't feel reassured! Takagi thought.
“Sato-san, Takagi?” They turned towards the speaker. Tsutsumi said, “Megure wanted me to tell you he'll talk to you about you case in fifteen minutes by his desk.”
“Thank you,” Takagi told him.
Tsutsumi waved it off, “You're welcome.”
“Guess we had better get everything together, Takagi-kun,” Sato said.
Takagi nodded. “It really doesn't look like we've had much progress.”
“No, it doesn't,” Sato said quietly. She sounded disappointed.
“But it's not our fault that the lab can't find the evidence we dropped off for processing,” Takagi said. “I wonder what Inspector Megure will want to do about that?”
“We'll find out in a bit,” Sato said, walking back to her desk for her notes.
A little less than fifteen minutes later, Takagi and Sato met Megure by his desk. He lead them back into one of the smaller conference rooms to discuss their case.
Title: A Policeman's Tale (Day 52)
Author: ytak
Word count: 1060
Rating (chapter): K (G)
Rating (whole story): T (PG-13)
Comments: *cackles* I said I was going to try to get another chapter out this week. There's something about being in the home stretch that makes it easier to write. Four chapters left for me to write/complete and a bonus, an epilogue!
Other chapters can be read through here or here.
Day 52
Takagi dropped that Imai case file on his desk and then dropped into his chair. Nothing had come to him or jumped out at him when he reviewed the case yesterday afternoon. It did not make any sense. I wish it were clearcut, he thought, wistfully thinking of some of the cases he had worked on. But it doesn't fit the standard pattern for a disappearance or murder, even. Usually, we can find the person by asking people they know. Usually it is one of them. Or, with a murder, it still is someone they know but nobody has said anything about the body. If they are different people then they were both 'non-entities' which is rare.
But the feeling Takagi had said that the man who disappeared and the murder victim were the same person.
What we do have doesn't add up to anything I've ever seen before. Well, maybe in a anime or a mystery manga, he thought wryly.
A wave of motion broke through Takagi's musing. It seemed to ripple through the room as most of the officers turned towards the entrance to watch Megure enter the room. The inspector noticed that all eyes were on him and he seemed a little discomforted by it. He really shouldn't be surprised,Takagi thought, he keeps getting holed up with other inspectors all the way to the superintendent. He ought to remember that we are a curious bunch who run on rumors and there has not been one reasonable rumor or word to leak out what has been going on in the meetings.
Megure cleared his throat and began to speak, “There is a department-wide meeting scheduled in an hour. If you know of any officers on call, let them know and try to get them back. I have a... request to ask of you on behalf of the superintendent.”
Takagi felt his brows shoot upward. He looked around and could see that he was not the only officer looking surprised. Even Sato had a puzzled look on her face. She sat back down at her desk and opened a file.
“Must be something big,” Chiba said, standing next to Takagi, munching on a donut.
Takagi nodded in agreement. “But it doesn't sound like we're actually learn what's going on. A 'request' isn't information,” he sighed.
“That's true,” Chiba said, taking a sip of his coffee. “How's your main case going?” Takagi groaned in response. “Hmm, that's never fun. Glad that not too many cases like that ever come along.” Chiba finished off his donut and patted Takagi on the back. He chuckled, “Honestly, I'm glad it's you and Sato instead of me.”
“Oh, really? Why?” Takagi asked.
Chiba considered his question a minute, “I think you two are the better choice for this sort of case.” He looked in his cup and did not elaborate on his statement. “Hmm, out of coffee. I'll see you at the meeting.”
Takagi sighed. He wanted a better answer than that but it was a Chiba answer through and through.
--
“I know that we are asking a lot of you but we know that you can do it. I know a few of you have cases that will be harder to wrap up. I will be meeting with you later to discuss them and see what you might need to wrap them up,” Megure said. He looked around the room, taking a moment to look at each officer. “If each of you gives it your all, then you have nothing to be ashamed of,” Megure finished up. He sat down, indicating that the announcement was concluded and they were to return to work.
Most of the officers returned to work with new vigor, having been just reminded of their duties and responsibilities.
Takagi felt like beating his head against his desk. Instead, he opted for resting his forehead against it for a minute. Absently, he noted that a few of the detectives passing by his desk murmuring that they were glad they did not have his case.
He desperately hoped that his and Sato's case would be one the inspector would like to talk about because Takagi could not see how they were going to solve it without any further leads. He did not want to have a cold case hanging over his head years down the line. Most were solved quickly, some took a little longer. He feared that this case would be one that would never be solved.
If Megure did not understand that they were at an impasse, then Takagi knew that he would have to live with that mark of an unsolved case on his record for the rest of his career. He blinked and raised his head up, Sato-san would take it even harder, he thought.
“Takagi-kun? Are you okay?” asked Sato as she walked up to his desk.
“I'm fine,” he said. “Just a little frustrated.”
She nodded. Then a moment later, she grinned, “Well, you could think about it in two days.”
It? Takagi thought and then he felt the figurative light-bulb go on. Dinner. With Sato's mother. Eep!
Sato grinned at the slightly panicked expression on his face. “Don't worry too much about it. I don't think mom will want to scare you off.”
'Think'? Somehow, I don't feel reassured! Takagi thought.
“Sato-san, Takagi?” They turned towards the speaker. Tsutsumi said, “Megure wanted me to tell you he'll talk to you about you case in fifteen minutes by his desk.”
“Thank you,” Takagi told him.
Tsutsumi waved it off, “You're welcome.”
“Guess we had better get everything together, Takagi-kun,” Sato said.
Takagi nodded. “It really doesn't look like we've had much progress.”
“No, it doesn't,” Sato said quietly. She sounded disappointed.
“But it's not our fault that the lab can't find the evidence we dropped off for processing,” Takagi said. “I wonder what Inspector Megure will want to do about that?”
“We'll find out in a bit,” Sato said, walking back to her desk for her notes.
A little less than fifteen minutes later, Takagi and Sato met Megure by his desk. He lead them back into one of the smaller conference rooms to discuss their case.