SPOILER: Click to show

Timeline
Events occur in the summer of 1955.

Yori frowned slightly, staring down at the array of papers spread across his desk: information delivered to him regarding a murder victim in the nearby residential district, nestled between the Third and Fifth Divisions. Apparently, the victim was a well-to-do man, a merchant, found dead within his residence of multiple stab wounds; judging from the size of the wounds, it seemed likely that they were inflicted by a very large dagger or a small sword. The weapon, of course, was nowhere to be found, and the only piece of physical evidence was a partial shoeprint in the puddle of blood that surrounded the body.

Reports from those that knew the man, however, gave a strong case against a disgruntled rival; it seemed he and the victim often got into heated arguments over the latter's undercutting of the former's products (both were merchants of ornate jewelry), trading blows in several instances. The suspect even lived near the victim's house, a mere couple of blocks away. Seems like we've got motive, means, and opportunity, thought the fourth seat grimly, running a hand through his untidy hair. Guess this will be an open-and-shut case.

Gathering up the file's papers, Yori left his office and made his way towards the investigators' area; they would be the ones to actually take action, bring the full force of Seireitei's law upon those who would dare to break it. As he arrived, Yori looked about slowly, seeking an investigator that might be available. His gaze locked on to a nameplate he recognized: Seta Shuichi. He'd heard some good things about the man's case-solving abilities...and a good deal about his rather lax and unfocused attitude. Grimacing, Yori approached the investigator's office, rapping his knuckles lightly on the doorframe to announce himself. "Seta-san? I have a file I would like you to look at."

"Come in," said Shuichi without even looking up as Yori rapped on his office's door, waiting for the man to enter. "I've already seen the files." Shuichi had already intensely read up on the case that Yori had just brought in to investigate. "Are you the Yori I've heard so much about? I've been expecting you; in fact, I've been waiting for the right case to be privileged enough to work with you. Have a seat, please, and we can get started."

Shuichi has read over the case file repeatedly in an industrious fashion, making sure not to leave a single stone unturned. Every detail is crucial to a case such as this. "So, you already knew about the murder? I'm not surprised, this is the talk of the town right now." Although the rival of the deceased seemed to be the most clear suspect, it was far too easy. Shuichi already knew that he wasn't the murderer. Having gone into town immediately after hearing the news, he discovered that the opposing merchant was out of town during the time of the murder, and didn't return until a day later.

While the alibi made the case more of a mystery, Shuichi grinned at the challenge it presented. He extended his hand towards Yori in hopes that they will work together to unravel the truth. "I hope you're ready, this one's going to be tough."

Yori's eyes narrowed marginally at Shuichi's rather exuberant greeting; he found the investigator's attitude towards such dark dealings to be a mite distasteful. Well, nothing to be done about that, I suppose. It was curious that Yori's arrival was so anticipated; he did not think of himself as having higher standing than the other analysts, he simply did his job as swiftly and efficiently as possible.

Entering the office proper, Yori moved to stand before Shuichi's desk. "Yes, I knew about the murder. It's part of my job. I am an information analyst in multiple fields. There's little I don't know or hear about," he replied, somewhat sharply. Casting a wary eye at the investigator's proffered hand, Yori hesitated a moment before sighing and clasping it briefly in his own. "What makes you say this will be a tough case? We have enough evidence to convict the primary suspect," objected the fourth seat, beginning to question the wisdom of approaching this man.

Shuichi seemed puzzled at Yori's statement. Does he not know about the suspect's alibi? "Guess I better fill you in. Our primary suspect has an alibi, and a solid one at that. He wasn't even in town during the time that the murder could have possibly taken place." Shuichi thought to himself aloud so that Yori could hear him, "If the primary suspect was the killer, why would he draw attention to himself so easily? To an untrained detective, of course he's the killer. The jealous rival eliminating the competition is enough reason to believe it. That makes him the perfect suspect to the naive mind; which also makes him an even more likely candidate as a frame victim. But, no. He wasn't in the district."

Shuichi didn't want to jump to conclusions so hastily. He knew he had to go in depth into the situation before he can find any real evidence of who the killer could be. "So, Yori... Why don't we start our investigation as soon as possible? I don't want the trail to go cold."

Brain sighs softly as he exits the Investigator's Building however more than likely this is drowned out by the loud, obnoxious barking of the current sector head, "AND DON'T FREAKIN' STEP FOOT BACK IN HERE UNTIL YOU'VE READ THAT FILE, GREINZ-BAKA-" There was about another half-minute of the loud, indistinct shouting but the door's closing luckily muffled the worse half of such.

In his hand he held a binder containing the murder of a merchant and it was because of his procrastination of reading such file that he was just being chewed out. As Brain lurks the grounds, head burred within documents, he would sooner or later find himself at the Investigators Building. "This is a complete waste of my time, it wasn't even too long ago that I heard a suspect was even yet to be found. Let alone a stubborn, hostile one requiring interrogating." he mutters before closing the binder and entering the establishment. Being rather green in comparison to other older members, he had not yet even been in this building so things seemed rather different for him.

He glances around and from his angle of entrance it wasn't quite easy to spot the right person so he gives to a bit of wandering. Slouched, with eyes so full of discontent, the unseated Division member lurks. Sooner, or later, his eye is caught by a pair of familiar faces. Brain stops by the doorway of Seta Shuichi's office and kind of like an awkward man, he just stands there, starring inward through his lensless glasses until recognized.

Yori's face darkened considerably at the mention of the primary suspect having an alibi -- more from the fact that this particular fact was not in the report. Not the one he read. Someone screwed up, didn't follow procedure, and if that someone was found by Yori, they would learn quickly the full measure of the analyst's wrath. "If that's the case, then what can we do? The rival merchant was our only lead," Yori protested, his shoulders rising briefly in a bemused shrug. "Perhaps...perhaps it would be wise to visit this suspect, regardless; he may have enemies of his own?"

The Fourth Seat's ponderous posture paused, to be replaced by a furious countenance at Shuichi's words about a "naive mind." As he opened his mouth to snap at the investigator for daring to insinuate any lack in Yori's mental capablities, he heard a slight sound behind him -- the scuffing of a shoe, rustle of cloth. Whirling about, Yori eyed the sullen, bespectacled man in Shuichi's doorway, barking, "Yes? Who are you, then, and what do you want?"

''Sounds like a plan to me,'' chimed Shuichi as he leapt from his bureau and shot Yori a mischievous glance. ''We better make haste. It's not always easy to procure information on such... public personalities. Wouldn't want the hype to die down.'' Having said that, he wandered past his superiors, shuffling around Brain with a coy ''Scuse me.''

[thread ended]

Yori - 3 RP
Shuichi - 1 RP [rewards halved]