Beastars: A Symphony of Life

Chapter 84: Meetings

"What have you got on the DNA?" Masumi asked.

"Which case?" Kira asked.

"Either," she said.

"So," he started, addressing the whole of the closed off conference room. "I was able to run a test to see if the wild dog's DNA matches the same sequence in the old dried blood. No match, but he does have a criminal record. He's been brought in once on charges of drug use and prostitution. He's not our Razor Killer."

"But he knows who he is," she said.

"Possibly," the owl said. "Now, for the other case, as I've stated before, no criminal record, however, I was able to isolate which animal they were. We're looking for a golden labrador retriever."

"That narrows down the field of suspects considerably," Wiru said in his usual monotonous voice, looking out the window and the only one not sitting at a chair. "We're looking for a golden labrador retriever, most likely someone who was in attendance during the massacre at the Meteor Festival. And possibly someone who lost another close to them."

"What makes you so sure?" Kira asked, unnerved by the canine.

"These are crimes of passion," Wiru said. "They aren't used to killing but they feel the need to because someone they knew, and were very close to, was taken by them."

"I mean I'm not a criminal profiler," the medical examiner said. "But that seems to be quite the leap and connection of random dots."

"I can't explain it either," the dog answered. "It just happens."

"So what do we do with..." the bear agent broke off to look at the wild dog's name and record. "Shoji Sazama?"

"I think we should keep him here," Masumi said. "Drain him of every ounce of information he has on our terrorist group. Then we can put him away. For good this time."

"Well he hasn't said anything yet," the rhino said. "Our men haven't gotten anything and his jaw is like a vault. He hasn't said a word since he got here. Nothing."

"Then I think we need to change our approach," the wolf added. "The usual ways aren't working. Maybe we can try just talking with him."

"As in a shrink?" the bear asked.

The wolf nodded.

"Nope," Masumi said. "I don't know how this kind of thing works in the higher levels, but doctor-patient confidentiality is something that can not be overstepped."

"Well maybe it's not an actual shrink," Wiru suggested. "What if it's someone who does just that. Talks to him, but doesn't have a doctorate in psychology. Or at least, isn't his doctor on paper. Actually, a psychological examination is pretty standard."

"I think I like the first idea better," she said. "But still, even if the person we send in isn't on record as a doctor a public defender could still twist the idea that they were under the idea of doctor-patient confidentiality, making anything he says unusable. What if we just sent in someone to simply talk to him. He may be more inclined to open up if we aren't jumping down his throat all day."

"So then the question remains," the wolf said. "Who's going to do that? Who hasn't he seen that could ease their way in and get him to spill something we can use?"

Everyone looked at Masumi. She was the only one who hadn't gone in to see the canine. She didn't want to. Whenever she saw them, her stomach churned and she got flashbacks to Yahya's caved in skull in that back alley.

"Fine," she said with a slight shake to her voice. "I'll do it."

"Then it's settled," the rhino said. "Chief, you'll have access to the prisoner and someone will be there recording all you say through the intercom."