THE THIRD INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

THE THIRD INVESTIGATION
(~SK. 17)


[It's Friday, Friday. Or...something like that. What is up with the calendar in this place?


Anyways, everyone knows what's happened in the past two weeks: someone has died. And, unfortunately, there's no reason to think someone else has not fallen prey to someone who wishes to fulfill the motive. But...maybe you're lucky this time. Maybe someone doesn't have someone they hate enough to kill for. Let's be honest with ourselves-saving someone you love is understandable. Switching with someone you hate? Surely no one would go that far for someone that they don't like.



Right?



OOC: Content Warning: This investigations involves dismemberment.]

Comments

[voidseeing]

[Okay, what's going on there? Is he going to need to stick his hand in there too...]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Eeeyup.


He feels something decidedly note-shaped underneath it.]

[voidseeing]

[Oh boy. What does the note say?]

[strangerpeople]

[Unknown. It's in cipher.

Maybe someone can help with this...]

[voidseeing]

[... well, with Brain gone, there are maybe three people left who he thinks might have any idea when it comes to that sort of thing so.

GONNA USE THE "PHONE A FRIEND" OPTION and call Hubert in for this.]

[pegasinister]

[Hubert comes when called... but he pauses when he sees Brain's corpse. He looks... pained, and doesn't respond right away to whatever Gai has]

[voidseeing]

... I already examined it. You don't have to look if you don't want to.

[pegasinister]

Too late to turn away now.

[But he does finish coming back to Gai.]

What do you have?

[voidseeing]

A note that's written in some sort of cipher. I figured you might be faster at this than me.

[A tiny, wry smile.]

I usually leave that sort of thing to Tsugumi back at home.

[pegasinister]

...a cipher, you say?

[He looks very very worried all of a sudden and reaches his hand out for it:

does it look familiar?]

[strangerpeople]

[It sure does to Hubert. It looks like his cipher.]

[pegasinister]

... damn it. Damn it-!

[So what's it say...]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

watch out for \

[pegasinister]

"Watch out for-" And an... i? A slash?

[He wrote a good number back and forth with Brain in said cipher: is this Brain's handwriting?]

[voidseeing]

The start of a letter that they didn't have time to finish?

[pegasinister]

That would be my guess.

[voidseeing]

[Peering over his shoulder, don't mind him.]

I would say it would help narrow things down somewhat, except most of the names of the people remaining start with letters that contain a part that looks almost exactly like that.

[pegasinister]

And it was certainly written by Brain. Or someone who broke my cipher AND could forge his handwriting.

[exequte]

[Akane had been weighed down with dread this morning, too much so to be able to get out of bed. It had gotten worse when her watch had vibrated. She had covered her ears, curling up, blocking out the announcement as if that could have changed what happened.

It took her a long time before she was able to make herself move. But she did, finally, forced herself out and into the ship, and found her way to the lounge in time to hear... about the cypher.

After last week, the need for double verification had been burned perhaps more brightly into her than anyone, seeing as she'd given the evidence that had been the beginning of the end. But it did make this part obvious, at least. He'd been right. He'd made the rule himself.]

Hubert, give me your notebook. Now, please.

[pegasinister]

Of course. Follow me.

[No hesitation- it's exactly what he would demand too. He stalks to his room and takes it from under his pillow, offering it. It has Brain and his writings in it]

Our thought... was if we ever needed to communicate in a way that Delta wouldn't be able to see...

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Yes. And it is indeed a slash, for whatever reason.]

[pegasinister]

[Anything else of... lol... note?]

[strangerpeople]

[Not on the note itself, no.

But there's likely more elsewhere.]

[voidseeing]

[Well, seeing as he had been headed to the bookshelf, let's go back to that!]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Very well!





Incidentally, one of the books is missing.]