Phoenix Wright / Gyakuten Saiban, its settings and characters, are property of Capcom, and are being used here without permission.  This fic is rated R for now but that might change later.

 

 

Well Frogs

Chapter 6

 

 

Kyouya bought her ice cream.

 

Not that Akane didn't appreciate good soft serve, but it seemed like a rather adolescent climax to their serious conversations that evening.  They had taken a full revolution around the block over the course of an hour, and were now leaning against the back of her car, enjoying their chocolate flavored dessert beneath the covered parking space. 

 

"It's good," Akane admitted.  She was taking her time--Kyouya had already gotten down to the cone while she was still working on the ice cream.  "I didn't know the place even existed."

 

"There are a lot of nice little shops around here."  Kyouya tilted his cone, licking a bit of ice cream that had begun to run.  "I know a little American style café nearby, too, in case you're missing the taste of the overseas."

 

Akane blushed faintly, reminded of Naruhodou and the fun he poked at her for her tastes.  “I’m fine, thanks.  But if you know…”

 

She trailed off when a bright, familiar melody reached her ears.  It sounded strangely muted, and it took her a moment before she realized that it was her phone, ringing from within her car.  She started to reach for her keys, but realized suddenly that her ice cream had dribbled onto her fingers, and retrieving them would mean getting it all over her pants as well.

 

Kyouya offered her a napkin.  “Just leave it,” he suggested.  “Your voicemail will get it.”

 

“But what if it’s the station?” Akane protested, trying to clean her fingers and retain her ice cream at the same time.  When Kyouya held up a hand, she had little choice but give up her cone until she’d cleaned her sticky fingers.

 

“So?  You’re off duty, aren’t you?”  Kyouya gulped down the last of his cone, and while she was occupied with the napkins he took the opportunity to steal a lick from her remaining ice cream.  She shot him a glare, but he only shrugged.

 

“I guess so.”  By the time she was satisfied with her hands, her phone had stopped.  She sighed, folding the napkins over and shoving them into her pocket.  “It better not have been important.”

 

Kyouya returned her ice cream, but when she went to take another lick, she suddenly paused.  Indirect kiss, she couldn’t help but think, staring at the slant in the soft serve that Kyouya had just helped himself to.  It took her a moment of determination to continue eating.  Don't be silly.

 

“Hey.”  Kyouya tilted his head as he watched her, his eyes thin with amusement.  “Do you want to come up?”

 

It was a simple enough suggestion, but Akane jumped as badly as if he’d smacked her on the butt.  She whipped around to face him.  “What?”

 

Kyouya leaned back, surprised by her uncommonly excited response.  “Come up,” he repeated.  “You know—my condo?”  He gestured to the building across from them.

 

Akane glanced between him and the building quickly, half panicked.  Kyouya’s expression was easy, but she recognized the invitation for what it was.  Or at least, what her imagination interpreted it as.  She straightened up and tried to keep her composure.  “That’s not very subtle of you.”

 

“Subtle?”  Kyouya smiled boyishly.  "I thought we were having a good time."

 

Akane tried to stare him down, but the truth was she had been having a good time.  Even if his annoying habit for teasing seemed to be resurfacing now, over the past hour he had shared with her many sincere and surprisingly deep confessions.  Even more surprising, he had evoked equal honesty from her as well.  On a strange, almost selfish level, it made her feel rather close to him.  They shared an understanding that not many outsiders could offer them.

 

"I…"  Akane lowered her hands, forgetting a moment that there was still enough of her ice cream left to melt over her fingers again.  "I am having a good time," she admitted almost cautiously.

 

"Me, too."  They were already standing side by side, and it only took a shift of Kyouya's body across the trunk of her car for him to breach the thin barrier of personal space between them.  "So why not stick around for a while?"

 

"Well I…"  Akane tried to look up into his eyes, but they bore into her with more intensity than she was prepared for.  Her foolish stomach twisted up in butterfly knots.  When he smiled at her like that, she wasn't able to distinguish which of the Kyouya Garyuus she knew was really soliciting her company: the flashy, sweet-talking rock star that had caused her so much vexation with his boyish antics, or the vulnerable brother struggling to reach out, who even now couldn't keep the faintly wounded look out of his face.  As much knowledge as she had gained concerning her coworker that evening, he still held just as many mysteries.

 

Kyouya watched her a moment more, and finally gave a quiet chuckle.  "I'm not asking you to sleep with me," he said bluntly.

 

"W-Who said anything about that?" Akane stuttered as her face turned bright red.  Her hands clenched reflexively, and when she felt one becoming sticky again, she finally gave up and let the remains of her cone drop.  "Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you?  Geez, one kiss and it goes straight to your head."

 

They were out of napkins, so she lifted her hand thinking she could suck the worst of the ice cream off--not realizing what Kyouya might make of such a move.  Before she could reach, he reached out to take her wrist.  His worn fingertips suddenly renewed her memories of that first kiss, and the strength in his hands that had helped initiate it.  Akane gasped softly as she was forced to meet his gaze.

 

Kyouya was still smiling, but in his half-lidded eyes were traces of the seriousness that had occupied them all evening.  "You looked nervous," he explained gently.  "I was trying to put your mind at ease."

 

"I'm not nervous," Akane retorted, though her voice had unintentionally lowered to almost a whisper.  This time, he was certainly going to kiss her--her every instinct was assured of this, and it made the wait unbearable.  How dare he give her the time to contemplate whether or not she wanted him to.  "I just don't…want you getting carried away.  It's been a trying day…."

 

Kyouya's other hand snagged her coat, tugging her close like he had that morning.  She resisted only a little, just for the sake of it.  "I'm not," he said simply.  "I just don't think you should leave yet."

 

Akane tried to stand up a little taller, thinking it would keep him from leaning over her so much from his greater height, but her straining only made it more obvious what she was waiting for.  "Don't think I should?  Or don't want me to?" she challenged.

 

Kyouya's lip quirked in a smirk.  "Does it really matter?"  He tilted his head to the right, the telltale cue, and Akane held her breath expectantly. 

 

Their first kiss had been a fluke, a thoughtless whim derived from what remained of her childish romanticism.  Their second almost kiss, a bizarre miscommunication.

 

But when Kyouya's lips finally touched hers it was no mistake.  It was a question.  Akane clearly felt his slight hesitation before they met, and noticed the uncommon lack of bravado in his tender kiss.  The thought that Kyouya Garyuu--international star and object of worship to millions of women--was uncertain in this simple affection charmed her more effectively than even the perfect, delicate attention his mouth was paying hers.  Shivering, she answered him.  With one hand already caught by his, and the other curling against his bicep, she pressed up on her toes to better meet him.

 

It was soft, slow, and unexpectedly intimate.  Maybe it was only Kyouya's vulnerability showing through after their long and painful recollections, but for that short time it didn't really matter, because she was feeling just as exposed.  They were equal, in a way she had never truly felt with him before.

 

Kyouya pulled back, and Akane was still so caught up in the moment that it took several seconds passing before she realized there had been an outside cause for his retreat: his phone was blaring its ridiculous Love Love Guilty ring tone.  Kyouya let her go as he pulled his phone out of his back pocket to answer.  "Hello?"  He sounded a little breathless, and it made Akane smile as she lowered herself to her heels once more.

 

"Oh?  Yes, she is."  Kyouya offered the phone over.  "It's for you."

 

"Mm?"  Akane had finally gotten around to sucking the ice cream off her fingers, but quickly stopped when he returned his attention to her.  Though suddenly wary, she accepted the phone.  "Hello?"

 

"Detective Houdzuki?" came the familiar voice of one of their dispatch officers.  "Sorry to interrupt, but we need you and Prosecutor Garyuu at Tranquility Gardens.  There's been a homicide."

 

Akane took in the information, though it was the first part that caught her attention.  "Interrupt?" she said tensely.  "Wait a minute, how did you even know I was with Prosecutor Garyuu?"

 

"Oh."  Akane heard what sounded like a muffled giggle.  "I'm sorry, Detective, but…everyone knew."

 

"What!?"  Akane flushed, remembering suddenly the many guilty-faced officers that had scrambled away from the interrogation room viewing glass earlier that day.  Before she could say anything to embarrass herself further she snapped into the phone, "We're on our way!" and quickly hung up.

 

"Trouble?" Kyouya asked innocently.

 

Akane shoved his phone into his stomach.  "Homicide," she said shortly.  "Get in the car.  I'm driving."

 

Kyouya smirked, but she saw a look of disappointment briefly cross his face as he turned toward the passenger side.  She understood what he must have been feeling, because she felt the same.  After a kiss like that…maybe she would have come up after all.

 

Not to sleep with him, Akane told herself firmly as she finished licking her fingers clean and tugged her keys out of her pocket.  But he's a good guy, and if there's a chance I can get to know him better…. 

 

Akane shook her head, pushing those concerns out of her mind before climbing into the car with him.  Later.  We can always talk about it later.

 

*****

 

Odoroki and his comrades made their way quickly but carefully down the garden pathways, anxious to leave the park without running into any other unexpected company.  Their encounter with Yuuri Katagi and his lackey had spooked Makoto somewhat, and Odoroki had relinquished her care to Naruhodou for the trip back.  She had no trouble adjusting to Naruhodou, and pressed tightly against his side with his arm around her shoulders.  Though Odoroki had always known that Minuki valued her father as a loving parent, he couldn't remember seeing Naruhodou display the protectiveness he was over both girls now.

 

"Papa, do you really think something bad happened?" Minuki asked, holding onto his sleeve.  "It sounded like he said…someone was shot."

 

"It did," Naruhodou agreed, though he kept his voice light, for Makoto's sake.  "Even Katagi yakuza aren't usually that jumpy.  But let's not worry about it until we're out of the park, all right?"

 

Odoroki glanced around them in sudden paranoia, as if expecting armed gangsters to burst out of the tall bushes.  The park was so crowded with vegetation that it would have been easy for anyone to hide…just about anywhere.  He hastened his steps to keep up with the rest of his group.

 

By the time they reached the high trellis that marked the exit, Odoroki could see colored police lights flashing through cracks in the shrubbery fence.  The sight of uniformed officers moving about came as a great relief.

 

"I'm going to see if I can find out what's going on," Odoroki volunteered, moving on ahead of them.  "Meet me at the curb?"

 

"I'm coming, too!" Minuki piped up, and the two of them quickened their pace towards the group of officers beginning to fan out into the park.

 

It didn't take long for them to be spotted, and one of the officers moved swiftly to intercept them.  Odoroki explained that they had been in the park, and that Naruhodou was the one that called the police in the first place.  "Can you tell us what's going on?" he finished.  "We didn't hear or see anything, but…"

 

"I'm sorry, but I can't give you that information," the man predictably replied.  "If I could just ask you to step aside, and stay put until…"

 

"Hey look, Odeko himself!"

 

Odoroki cringed at the familiar nickname; he followed the voice to its source, and easily spotted Kyouya and Akane heading in his direction.  At least he had better chances of getting information out of them than the patrolmen.  As the pair approached Akane dismissed the officer, allowing the four of them to consult.

 

"Good to see you, Prosecutor," Minuki greeted happily, looking quite captivated by his more casual appearance.  "Are you here on the case?"

 

"Seems that way."  Kyouya flicked his sunglasses down onto his nose, even though the sun was beginning to set, and it had to have been more difficult for him to see that way.  "What are you two doing here?"

 

Odoroki took over.  "We were just enjoying the park.  Did something happen?  It looks like there are an awful lot of cops around."

 

Kyouya and Akane exchanged glances, and it was the latter who answered.  "We only just got here ourselves.  But yes, it's pretty serious."

 

"You didn't happen to see anything, did you?" Kyouya added.

 

Odoroki and Minuki shared a look of their own, but there wasn't any point in hiding it.  "Sort of," Odoroki admitted.  "But…"  He glanced back toward Naruhodou and Makoto.  "Is it all right if some of us are cleared to leave?  We all saw the same thing, and I don't think Makoto's going to be able to help much anyway…."

 

The pair followed his gaze, and after yet another silent conference of facial expressions, Akane nodded.  "Yeah, that's probably all right, if you're going to make a statement.  It's not like we don't know where to find you all."

 

By then Naruhodou had taken it upon himself to join their impromptu meeting, and he and Akane exchanged a brief greeting.  For Kyouya, he had only the same dry smile left over from the Halloween party, while Kyouya himself seemed to ignore him.  But now wasn't the time to work on that, so Odoroki instead explained the situation.  "I'm going to stay here and give a statement.  The rest of you don't have to stay--it's getting late, and I'm sure Makoto wants to get home."

 

Makoto nodded solemnly, and her downcast eyes made Odoroki's heart wilt.  It was a shame that such a pleasant and uplifting afternoon was ending so poorly.

 

He smiled at her in hopes of lifting her spirits.  "You're going to call Takita later tonight, right?" he reminded her.  "Remember--he'll be calling you, if you don't."

 

Makoto straightened, and nodded again.  "Yes.  I will."

 

"Good."

 

He looked to Naruhodou, who was watching him with amusement again.  "I'll take care of her," the elder assured.  He gave Minuki a tug.  "Come on, Minuki.  Time to go."

 

"But I want to stay," she insisted.  "I'm Odoroki's assistant."

 

"Not this time," Naruhodou told her, his voice firm despite the smile he bore.  "You haven't even been home yet.  Don't think I forgot about your test tomorrow."

 

"Ah ha…"  Minuki shrugged with a kitten-ish smile, but she didn't try to fight him more than that.  "Okay.  Goodnight, Odoroki."  She gave him a pat on the shoulder.  "Don't be taking any cases without me!"

 

Odoroki rolled his eyes--they didn't even have a crime yet, let alone a suspect or a client.  "Good luck with your studying, Minuki."

 

Naruhodou finally moved off with the two girls in tow, and when Odoroki turned back to the prosecutor and detective, their impatient stares made him wince.  "Uh…sorry."

 

"Did you really see something?" Kyouya asked doubtfully.

 

"Sort of…."  Odoroki licked his lips.  "A while ago we were over at the snack shop, and we ran into Yuuri Katagi."  The mention of the name caused both his listeners to pay a bit better attention.  "He was trying to wash a stain out of his shirt.  But then one of his friends came over and said something about his dad, and… they ran off."

 

Akane pulled a notebook out of her satchel and began taking notes.  "And how long ago was that?"

 

"Fifteen minutes, maybe…?"  Odoroki felt his pulse pick up a bit.  Someone really was shot.  It must have been his dad, like that man said….  "Just the time it took to get from there to here.  Naruhodou called the police right after."

 

"I'll check with dispatch, then."  Akane closed her book.  "Can you stick around here for a while?  We haven't even been to the scene yet, but we'll want to ask you some more questions."

 

"That's fine," Odoroki said quickly.  He was beginning to understand what Naruhodou had meant about that bad feeling…  "I won't get in the way."

 

"A lawyer, not getting into trouble?" Kyouya teased as he started down the path again.  "I think we both know better than that."

 

Odoroki made a face at his back, but it wasn't worth it to respond.  He took a seat on a nearby bench, close to a few of the officers--hoping to overhear a clue as to what was really happening.  It wasn't until one of them uttered a familiar name that he finally remembered.

 

Kitaki.  His fists tightened against his knees.  Takita's parents were coming here to have dinner at the restaurant next door.  Was the Katagi family here, too?  Was there a fight?  A sudden thrill of dread sharpened in his chest.  With this many cops, someone must have been murdered.  It couldn't be….

 

Unable to keep still, Odoroki pushed to his feet once more and headed off.

 

*****

 

Akane shoved her radio back into her satchel after getting the information out of it she needed.  "According to dispatch, the murder was reported at six-thirty, by the victim's wife," she related.  "Only about two or three minutes before Naruhodou called in.  Guess his instincts were right on again."

 

Kyouya snorted lightly.  "Awfully convenient that they were here, don't you think?"

 

"Oh come on--it must just be coincidence."  Akane winced as a copper smell stung the back of her throat--they were coming up on the crime scene, it seemed.  "No one really predicts these things."

 

"Really?"  Kyouya shrugged.  "I actually thought this would have happened a long time ago."

 

The reached the scene of the murder: a tall, wooden, Western-style gazebo located on the edge of the park.  It was surrounded on all sides by more of the same tall shrubbery that enclosed most of the area.  With only two gaps on either side for people entering, the small structure was almost perfectly hidden from the rest of the park: private, quiet, even romantic.  The kind of place teenagers or even adults often came to sneak in some intimacy.

 

That reputation was probably about to change, however, as sprawled out on the polished wooden floor was the dead body of a man in his fifties.  "Looks like a single gunshot wound to the head," Akane murmured as she stepped inside, keeping out of the way of the photos her officers were snapping, not to mention the splattered blood-stain.  The victim's face was locked in an expression of surprise, his eyes rolled up as if trying to stare into the bullet hole in his forehead--slightly off from dead center, but lethal nonetheless.  "What do you think?  He must have seen his attacker."

 

"Not necessarily."  Kyouya shoved his glasses back up as he took in the scene.  "He's facing perpendicular to the two entrances.  Assuming he fell flat on his back, he was facing the bushes when he was shot."

 

"Maybe he was shot through them?  We could have them tested for gunshot residue."  Akane pulled out her notebook again for more scribbling, taking note of the victim's position, and the broken cell phone near his feet.  One of the two entrances to the gazebo led back into the park, but the other led into a covered pathway.  In the darkening light she could only just barely make out a garden on the other end.  "Where does that go?"

 

Kyouya followed her gesture.  "What, you've never eaten at Tranquility Gardens?"

 

Akane scoffed.  "Not on my salary."  The other officers echoed her sentiments with quiet chuckles.

 

"Well."  Kyouya moved around the body toward the path in question.  "The restaurant has a garden in the back, which is connected to the park through this walkway.  You're really supposed to tour the park after your meal to get the full effect of the 'experience', but most people are too lazy for that."  He smirked.  "I'll take you sometime."

 

Akane blushed, and did her best to ignore the little glances from the other cops.  She cleared her throat.  "Anyway, if they're connected that closely, all the people in the restaurant will have to be questioned.  Someone might have heard the shot."  She frowned at the mess of blood and brain matter; she hadn't been a detective long enough that it didn't get to her.  "It must have been a big, loud gun to make an exit wound like that."

 

"Hm, probably."  Kyouya gave a little hop as he left the wooden floor of the gazebo for the sodden path.  "I think I'll pop over there now, and make sure your guys aren't letting anyone sneak away."

 

"Have fun," Akane called after him.  As he moved off, she let out a quiet sigh.  It was a shame that they had been called away for something like this.

 

*****

 

Odoroki spent some time moving around the park entrance, but he had very little success getting any more information out of the officers.  In frustration he slipped out of the park, heading for a different group of cops that had gathered outside the Tranquility Gardens restaurant itself.  They were detaining a rather irate group of customers, whose complaints could be clearly heard up and down the sidewalks.  As Odoroki hurried toward them, he noticed a pair that had been pulled to the side and placed under heavy guard.  To his great relief, it was Tsunekatsu and Koume, both looking perfectly unharmed.

 

Odoroki almost called out to them by name, but he quickly thought better of it considering the number of people around.  He waited until he was much closer before trying to get their attention.  "Um…Sir!  Over here!"

 

Tsunekatsu turned his head, and his thick brows gave a shudder before lifting slightly in surprise.  "Mr. Odoroki."

 

"Thank goodness," Odoroki said with a grin.  "For a second I was worried--"

 

"Hey."  One of the officers guarding the pair gave Odoroki a push to keep him back.  "I'm sorry, but this area is off limits to the public now.  We're conducting an investigation."

 

"It's okay," Odoroki attempted.  "I'm Housuke Odoroki--Mr. Kitaki's lawyer."

 

The officers each suppressed snorts of laughter, though not very well, and Odoroki was about to show them his lawyer's badge when he realized that he wasn't wearing it.  He must have looked pretty ridiculous trying to speak to the head of a yakuza family in his T-shirt and jeans.  He dug the badge out of his wallet and pinned it to his collar.  "See?"

 

"Listen kid, we don't have time for practical jokes," the officer grumbled at him, giving him another shove.

 

"Hey."  Koume gave the man a push of her own.  "Don't you talk to Mr. Odoroki that way," she growled.

 

The officer turned on her with a sharp frown.  "Do that again and you're both going to the station!  You're lucky you're both not under arrest already!"

 

Koume scowled, looking more than ready to respond, but thankfully they were interrupted by the reappearance of Kyouya Garyuu, who was just then coming out of the restaurant.  "Whoa, hold on there," he said, putting a hand on Koume's shoulder.  "No one is under arrest.  Not yet, anyway."  He squinted at Odoroki.  "Didn't we tell you to stay put?"

 

Odoroki stared back at him dumbly.  "How did you get in there when you were just…?"

 

"The world is full of mysteries," Kyouya replied smartly.  "But I can clear up one, at least: the reason we're all here."  He turned his gaze soundly on the Kitaki couple.  "Shouri Katagi was murdered tonight."

 

The pair tensed, and Odoroki noticed Koume reach for her husband's hand.  "I thought it might have to be something like that," Tsunekatsu murmured.  "For so many of you to have shown up."

 

Kyouya shrugged.  "We take our organized crime disputes very seriously in this city.  In fact, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions."  He bowed slightly and gestured toward the restaurant behind him.  "The owner was kind enough to grant us use of the VIP room."

 

"Interrogating already?" Tsunekatsu asked stoically.  "I don't suppose you have a warrant for our arrest so soon?"

 

Kyouya smiled dryly.  "Oh come on, we're just talking.  Do I look properly dressed to start arresting people?"  He turned back towards the building.  "Besides, what are you worried about?  Your lawyer's here."

 

Odoroki straightened.  "You mean…I'm invited?"

 

"For now."  Kyouya waved for them to follow, and after some hesitation, they did so.  "I've got questions for you, too."

 

Odoroki swallowed hard, falling into step behind the Kitakis as the officers took the rear.  Shouri Katagi, head of the Katagi yakuza, was murdered, he thought as he fingered the badge on his collar.  Next to the restaurant where his rival, Tsunekatsu Kitaki, was eating dinner.  He sighed grimly.  It's going to be a long night.