DANGER ZONE | Kenzou Tenma

Chapter 10: Kicked out

This chapter is either one of the best or worst things I've ever written. Enjoy.

She was an interesting woman, that detective.

When she first started working here, everyone thought all she had was her looks. But she had been underestimated by far - I held her for astoundingly capable, but only after she proved herself. And she was the only one who didn't get on my nerves, which was a big plus for me. She just did her job in a professional manner, always keeping her composure and leaving out her emotions.

She was impressively well-trained, always being able to deduct whether someone was lying or not. It was as if she needed to take one look at a person to figure out his or her personality, and she only had ten years of experience at most. Yes, she was a good detective.

That was, until she suddenly sided with Doctor Tenma. I thought she was joking, but apparently, she truly meant it - which meant that she believed an operated ten-year-old was capable of poisoning candy with a muscle relaxant. A wild theory, if you ask me. And she wouldn't give in - on the contrary, she became obsessed with her conviction that Doctor Tenma was innocent. So obsessed that she turned her back on me. Not that I took it personally, but it was... inconvenient. Everything that slowed down our working process was inconvenient.

And then, she headed to Frankfurt. No one at the police knew exactly why she left, so I assumed she had found out something about Doctor Tenma. In that case, it wouldn't be so bad to stick around, even if her naivety annoyed me.

But was it actual naivety, or did she have another motive to insist on Doctor Tenma's innocence? This question came to my mind while she was away, so I used the chance to make a background check on her - a detailed one, in fact. When she started working here, I looked through her files, which all seemed to be valid, but I wondered whether there was something I didn't know. And after doing a new background check, I could say there was a lot I did not know.

Everything was too clean, too perfect. Helene Meyer, born 1966 in East Berlin, spent her childhood there... I also knew, because I overheard a conversation with her and Officer Hermann, that she had Polish and French ancestry - a rare combination. I couldn't find anything on that in her files, but I went to Berlin to look into their archives, because that's where she last lived before moving to Düsseldorf. And surprisingly, there was not a single file about a Helene Meyer, but someone else's with very similar data, someone who - according to the archive - went missing after the unification of Germany. I was truly pleased I had found this information. And if I took Helene with me to my next case in Hamburg, I could ask her all alone, and she would not be able to run away.

"Now, Detective... This is quite unfortunate for you."

Many weeks passed after the Frankfurt incident, and I was back home in Düsseldorf, back to business. I did my usual work, did interrogations, shared a drink with Officer Hermann on Fridays and filled out tons of reports.

"If we keep on going to the bar every Friday", I once told him at work, "you're gonna end up as an alcoholic." "But I enjoy our tradition." Finn sorted his stack of paper, looking through documents, "it's fun talking to you. You have so many interesting things to tell." "Do I?" I was surprised by his statement. "Well, either way, I'm supposed to be a role model for you. You're almost ten years younger than me, after all." "Don't worry about it, Detective." Then, the door opened, and Lunge came in.

"Detective, I need to talk to you."

Finn took his things and left the room. After he was gone, Lunge continued.

"I need to go to Hamburg tomorrow. There was another couple murder."

Another one?

I looked at him in anticipation.

"And I'd like you to come with me."

I thought about it. Was there any reason to decline? "Alright", I responded, "I'll join you."

Little did I know that this trip was gonna be wild.

The next day, when we were almost in Hamburg, I watched the Autobahn and the suburbs of Hamburg. What a huge city, I thought. I hadn't been here in ages.

"So..."

Lunge spoke. I turned to him. His eyes remained focused on the road.

"Who do you think murdered this couple, Detective Helene?"

"Well, if everything about this case fits into the pattern, it's probably one of the couple murder series. But we'll have to see about that."

"..."

He was silent for a moment, but I guess he couldn't hold back, after all.

"... So you still think Tenma is innocent?"

"Tenma?" I furrowed my brows. "Why Tenma? What does he have to to with this?"

"Who else could be behind the murders?"

"My assumption is that the young man named Johan is behind it."

"So you believe Johan exists? Do you have any proof for that?"

In my mind, I rolled my eyes.

"Inspector, I've never seen him before, but I read his messages in Frankfurt. I even met his relative. I can't imagine one single reason why Doctor Tenma would make him up."

"Perhaps he isn't consciously making him up." I looked at Lunge in confusion. He stopped in front of the red traffic light, looking at me. "That man named Johan Liebert is none other than Tenma's second personality." "Inspector, with all due respect, Doctor Tenma is not a candidate for a split personality disorder. That is a quite far-fetched theory." He started driving again. "Do you know what's also a far-fetched theory? That a young boy, who was shot days before, is able to poison three grown men to death." "Inspector, the culprit we're dealing with is a dangerous phantom. He may cover his traces incredibly well, but he does exist, and I don't think we can grasp what he is capable of. I think you're obsessed with fitting Doctor Tenma into your narrative, so you don't have to admit you might be wrong about your assumptions."

Lunge stopped the car at the edge of the road. "Obsessed? Me?" He chuckled. "In contrast to you, I'm drawing the only logical conclusion." "No, you're being irrational! Don't take it personal, inspector, but I have to say it. You're wrong! Doctor Tenma is not the killer!"

For a moment, it was dead silent in the car. Lunge stared at the car parked in front of him, processing what I just said. Slowly, the insecurity inside me started to grow, but his attitude was getting on my nerves and I had to tell him what I truly think. No matter what was to come, I wouldn't regret speaking my mind.

"Amusing that you talk about obsession, Detective... aren't you the one who is obsessed with proving Tenma's innocence?" He grinned slightly. "Well, Detective, thank you for your opinion... which I didn't ask for, actually."

"You did ask for it. You just didn't get the answer you wanted."

He slightly raised his eyebrows in annoyance. "I've heard enough. If you could step out of the car."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Get out."

He leaned over and opened my car door. I stepped out, realising he was basically kicking me out. "What the— Inspector?" He closed my door, then winded down the car window.

"I need some time alone. I guess that after our disagreement, you wouldn't be upset if I solved this case on my own."

I frowned, with a facial expression as if I was hit by a bus. "What the fuck, Inspector?"

"Have a good ride home."

And he actually drove away without me. I stood there with an open mouth, staring at the car turning around the next corner.