"Thank you," Umi says. "And now, since I believe that truly is everything, if you'd like for my partner to walk you out of the station?"
"She's already spent so much of her time on me," Eli says. "I wouldn't want to trouble her further."
"We really should have someone walk you out," Umi insists.
"In that case," Eli says. "Why don't you give your poor partner a break. It won't take more than a minute or two for you to accompany me outside, would it?"
It's an ordinary enough request, and Umi sees no reason to refuse her. But she's had the steadily-growing sense, all throughout the interview, that Eli Ayase has been sizing her up just as much as she's been assessing Eli's ability to give them any answers. She can only guess at what conclusion Eli has reached concerning her, and that uncertainty sends another cool shiver down her spine.
Eli is incredibly composed, poised, and well-spoken. She's the sort of person Umi never would have spoken to outside of her job, and the kind of person who ordinarily trips all of her cues to slide into proper deference toward an authority.
She can't quite stop herself from treating Eli that way even now, though she disguises it as simple politeness toward someone who is helping out the police.
"Of course," she finally says, after a pause that she knows is too long. "Kotori, if you'd review the case files while I'm gone, I'll take a moment to escort Mrs. Ayase outside."
"Miss," Eli says, as she rises from her chair. "I'm not a 'Mrs' yet. You need only call me 'miss.'"
"Ah, I apologize," Umi says. "If you'd come with me?"
Nothing out of the ordinary happens at all as she escorts Eli to the outside of the precinct, not even conversation. Eli only makes a few more casual comments as they walk downstairs, then she takes her leave. Nevertheless, Umi's feeling that something is amiss lingers, and she can't help going over and over in her head the course of the interview.
It was short, but Nico told her to keep it short. Nico told her it was just a formality — a matter of course, something to keep the public happy and avoid causing themselves trouble with pursuing the case, when Eli Ayase is someone visible in the public eye.
Umi thinks about it the entire way back upstairs, and even Kotori's gentle presence isn't enough to put her back at ease.
-
Umi doesn't get around to calling the art director until that afternoon, in between the whirlwind of activity comprising an ordinary work day for her and Kotori. She tries once closer to her lunch break, but with no response. An hour before the end of her shift, she gets the woman on the phone.
"Ms. Toujou?" Umi says, walking to sit down at her desk as she makes it back into the squad room.
"That would be me," a warm voice, more girlish than Umi is expecting, says in reply. "Is there something I can help you with? Or, hmm, should I guess?"
"That won't be necessary," Umi tells her. "As I said in my message, I'm officer Umi Sonoda from the major case squad downtown. I'm calling about the theft that happened three days ago in the gallery you work for. This is a routine follow-up."
"Oh, is it?" Ms. Toujou responds. "In that case, I'll try and be of service however I can."
"We're to understand that some pieces were moved between exhibits in the week leading up to the burglary," Umi says. "This is only a minor detail, of course, but we were wondering if you could give us insight into why that was done?"
"Oh, it's nothing unusual. I consult with all of our major contributors on the way we arrange our displays in the gallery, to make sure that everyone is happy with the showcasing of their personal pieces they're being so kind as to give to us on loan. In the week before the theft, I moved several pieces at the request of one of our biggest, long-term contributors."
"Oh?" Umi says. "Would you be able to give me the name of that person?"
"Of course," Ms. Toujou says. "I've worked closely with her frequently since taking this position back in March. The person who asked me to move the pieces was Ms. Ayase. Eli Ayase."
"I see," Umi says, on only a bit of a delay, so that her voice sounds small and distant to her own ears.
There's a dull rushing building behind them, and a cold trickle makes its way down her spine. She's learned in her line of work that more than anything else, she needs to trust her instincts. Her instincts had been telling her all morning that something was out of place with how Eli went about the interview, though she couldn't place what.
This isn't concrete confirmation of anything, but Umi feels like her worries are being vindicated all the same.
"Is that helpful?" Ms. Toujou says, when Umi doesn't continue. "She's very personable, and has always been good about working our meetings into her schedule while accommodating the needs of my own work hours. If there's anything you need to ask her, I can give you her number."
"No," Umi hears herself say. "That won't be necessary. Thank you for your time."
She has no solid reason to believe that Eli moving pieces around means anything, but Umi is very aware that Eli is the one who told her pieces had been moved, Eli is the one who gave her Ms. Toujou's name. She can't help thinking that she's been given the run-around, and she doesn't want to trouble the art director of an important gallery any more than necessary, if she's not getting new information.
"You're welcome," Ms. Toujou says in return. "I hope I was a help."
"You were," Umi says, though she isn't sure about it yet. "Thank you again. Goodbye."
She sets her phone down, leaning back in her desk chair to run the facts again through her head. If pieces were moved... Everything stolen was from a very specific installation in the gallery, in its own room isolated from the rest. Umi has written down everything that was taken, she should cross-reference those items against whichever items were moved, and—
"Sonoda!" she hears called through the open door to captain Yazawa's office.
"Yes captain!" Umi calls back, immediately pushing herself up from the desk and cutting off all other worrying.
She walks to the door in time to catch Nico stepping out of it, pausing a few steps back so she isn't towering over her boss. Nico's expression is pulled down in a frown, and she's yanking her heavy outer coat on as she moves.
"The district attorney's office just called," she says. "As did the governor. You need to get down there immediately, ADA Kousaka is waiting for you."
"Of course," Umi says. "I'll do that immediately."
"Good," Nico says, her voice sharper than usual, done away with the false warmth that means she's getting things done. Whatever is going on, it must not be good. "I have a meeting to get to, and it's going to be hell. Don't be late. Tell the DA to call me in the morning. Ugh, this is a mess."
Nico rushes the rest of the way out of the squad room without waiting for further confirmation from Umi. For a long moment, Umi stands there, processing the fact that her work day is about to be over — she'll see the ADA and that's the end of it. She only hopes that the DA isn't full of unreasonable demands.
[PART 2/3]
"She's already spent so much of her time on me," Eli says. "I wouldn't want to trouble her further."
"We really should have someone walk you out," Umi insists.
"In that case," Eli says. "Why don't you give your poor partner a break. It won't take more than a minute or two for you to accompany me outside, would it?"
It's an ordinary enough request, and Umi sees no reason to refuse her. But she's had the steadily-growing sense, all throughout the interview, that Eli Ayase has been sizing her up just as much as she's been assessing Eli's ability to give them any answers. She can only guess at what conclusion Eli has reached concerning her, and that uncertainty sends another cool shiver down her spine.
Eli is incredibly composed, poised, and well-spoken. She's the sort of person Umi never would have spoken to outside of her job, and the kind of person who ordinarily trips all of her cues to slide into proper deference toward an authority.
She can't quite stop herself from treating Eli that way even now, though she disguises it as simple politeness toward someone who is helping out the police.
"Of course," she finally says, after a pause that she knows is too long. "Kotori, if you'd review the case files while I'm gone, I'll take a moment to escort Mrs. Ayase outside."
"Miss," Eli says, as she rises from her chair. "I'm not a 'Mrs' yet. You need only call me 'miss.'"
"Ah, I apologize," Umi says. "If you'd come with me?"
Nothing out of the ordinary happens at all as she escorts Eli to the outside of the precinct, not even conversation. Eli only makes a few more casual comments as they walk downstairs, then she takes her leave. Nevertheless, Umi's feeling that something is amiss lingers, and she can't help going over and over in her head the course of the interview.
It was short, but Nico told her to keep it short. Nico told her it was just a formality — a matter of course, something to keep the public happy and avoid causing themselves trouble with pursuing the case, when Eli Ayase is someone visible in the public eye.
Umi thinks about it the entire way back upstairs, and even Kotori's gentle presence isn't enough to put her back at ease.
-
Umi doesn't get around to calling the art director until that afternoon, in between the whirlwind of activity comprising an ordinary work day for her and Kotori. She tries once closer to her lunch break, but with no response. An hour before the end of her shift, she gets the woman on the phone.
"Ms. Toujou?" Umi says, walking to sit down at her desk as she makes it back into the squad room.
"That would be me," a warm voice, more girlish than Umi is expecting, says in reply. "Is there something I can help you with? Or, hmm, should I guess?"
"That won't be necessary," Umi tells her. "As I said in my message, I'm officer Umi Sonoda from the major case squad downtown. I'm calling about the theft that happened three days ago in the gallery you work for. This is a routine follow-up."
"Oh, is it?" Ms. Toujou responds. "In that case, I'll try and be of service however I can."
"We're to understand that some pieces were moved between exhibits in the week leading up to the burglary," Umi says. "This is only a minor detail, of course, but we were wondering if you could give us insight into why that was done?"
"Oh, it's nothing unusual. I consult with all of our major contributors on the way we arrange our displays in the gallery, to make sure that everyone is happy with the showcasing of their personal pieces they're being so kind as to give to us on loan. In the week before the theft, I moved several pieces at the request of one of our biggest, long-term contributors."
"Oh?" Umi says. "Would you be able to give me the name of that person?"
"Of course," Ms. Toujou says. "I've worked closely with her frequently since taking this position back in March. The person who asked me to move the pieces was Ms. Ayase. Eli Ayase."
"I see," Umi says, on only a bit of a delay, so that her voice sounds small and distant to her own ears.
There's a dull rushing building behind them, and a cold trickle makes its way down her spine. She's learned in her line of work that more than anything else, she needs to trust her instincts. Her instincts had been telling her all morning that something was out of place with how Eli went about the interview, though she couldn't place what.
This isn't concrete confirmation of anything, but Umi feels like her worries are being vindicated all the same.
"Is that helpful?" Ms. Toujou says, when Umi doesn't continue. "She's very personable, and has always been good about working our meetings into her schedule while accommodating the needs of my own work hours. If there's anything you need to ask her, I can give you her number."
"No," Umi hears herself say. "That won't be necessary. Thank you for your time."
She has no solid reason to believe that Eli moving pieces around means anything, but Umi is very aware that Eli is the one who told her pieces had been moved, Eli is the one who gave her Ms. Toujou's name. She can't help thinking that she's been given the run-around, and she doesn't want to trouble the art director of an important gallery any more than necessary, if she's not getting new information.
"You're welcome," Ms. Toujou says in return. "I hope I was a help."
"You were," Umi says, though she isn't sure about it yet. "Thank you again. Goodbye."
She sets her phone down, leaning back in her desk chair to run the facts again through her head. If pieces were moved... Everything stolen was from a very specific installation in the gallery, in its own room isolated from the rest. Umi has written down everything that was taken, she should cross-reference those items against whichever items were moved, and—
"Sonoda!" she hears called through the open door to captain Yazawa's office.
"Yes captain!" Umi calls back, immediately pushing herself up from the desk and cutting off all other worrying.
She walks to the door in time to catch Nico stepping out of it, pausing a few steps back so she isn't towering over her boss. Nico's expression is pulled down in a frown, and she's yanking her heavy outer coat on as she moves.
"The district attorney's office just called," she says. "As did the governor. You need to get down there immediately, ADA Kousaka is waiting for you."
"Of course," Umi says. "I'll do that immediately."
"Good," Nico says, her voice sharper than usual, done away with the false warmth that means she's getting things done. Whatever is going on, it must not be good. "I have a meeting to get to, and it's going to be hell. Don't be late. Tell the DA to call me in the morning. Ugh, this is a mess."
Nico rushes the rest of the way out of the squad room without waiting for further confirmation from Umi. For a long moment, Umi stands there, processing the fact that her work day is about to be over — she'll see the ADA and that's the end of it. She only hopes that the DA isn't full of unreasonable demands.
-