Cop Craft – Dragnet Mirage Reloaded - Book 3: Chapter 1: (16)

They arrived at Moda Norbam’s house at 4 in the morning. Due to Kariana Island’s low latitude, that time would be considered closer to the early morning, than dawn.

Matoba turned off the headlights, and kept moving through the quiet neighborhood. He turned off the engine about three buildings before arriving at the Norbam household, and let it get there past two other buildings, before completely stopping.

Matoba pulled out his beloved handgun from the holster, pulled slightly on the slide, and checked his ammo. He knew that he had loaded the first bullet, but it still was a habit that he had picked up in the army.

「Let’s go」

He put his gun back in the holster, and got out of the car, heading towards the Norbam household. The surrounding area was a stereotypical suburban residential neighborhood. The road was about as wide as a regular two lane road, and gingko trees were lining up on both sides of the road. Every home had a well kept green front lawn, and was built out of hardwood, in a stylish two-storied style.

The garden was full of different blooming flowers, and some pottery was decorating the Norbam family home’s front door. At a different time, like noon, it all probably looked beautiful.

「Don’t you ever feel like moving to a place like this?」

Tilarna said, almost whispering 「Not at all」

So ultimately she was going to go in with him.

Looking at it from the outside, the Norbam household seemed to be quietly sleeping. No activity could be seen from any of the windows. The two of them looked out of place, carrying their dangerous looking gun and sword with them around a place like that.

That was exactly why they couldn’t feel at ease.

Matoba rang the doorbell violently without hesitation several times.

「…」

There was no visible movement inside the house. There were also no signs of anybody moving in the second floor either. Even after waiting for an entire minute, it didn’t seem like anybody was answering.

But just as they were about to ring the bell one more time, the front door suddenly opened, and Moda Norbam appeared.

「Ah, officer Matoba」

He muttered, and smiled faintly. He had dark bags under his eyes.

「I was thinking that it was about time you came over. I’ve been waiting all along」 「Sorry about the time, Mister Norbam. It’s about your daughter-」 「Don’t worry. Come on in」

Norbam opened the door, and invited Matoba and Tilarna into his home.

「My wife and the kids are staying over at a relative’s, you see. So it’s just me right now. You know how it is, right? After something like that happens, your family life won’t go as smoothly as it used to」 「I can imagine」 「Do you want something to drink? Well, I took the liberty to have something prepared for me already」

He held up the whisky bottle that had been on the living room’s table, and swung it around in the air. There was only about a third left of the Laphroaig Quarter Cask.

It was a strong liquor that Semanians seemed to have a slight habit of drinking. He poured some of it in his glass, and then the distraught father said self-deprecatingly

「A priest is drinking alcohol. This must seem blasphemous to earthlings…」

「Ah no…」 「However, even in our Semani world, there are many religions that forbid alcohol consumption. Likewise, even my own god will only forgive me for drinking alcohol twice a year, on special occasions, and only if it’s a little. However, God has never banned Ailsa Malt from Earth. I mean, he didn’t even know about this world, and this alcohol in the first place.」

Norbam swirled the amber colored liquid around, and took a deep breath.

「This world, where my daughter had to go through something like that. God couldn’t have known about that. In any case, who’s that lady over there?」

Seemed like he had finally noticed Tilarna’s presence, and he was pointing at her with the little finger of the hand that was holding the glass of whisky.

「She’s a colleague」 「And she’s a Semanian?」 「We have Semani policemen recently. You should like that, right?」

Norbam shook his shoulders and laughed

「Well, you’re right. I’d like it if it simply became the norm eventually」 「Mr. Norbam. A while ago you said something that made me think you know the reason we’re here. Would you like to explain yourself?」

Matoba’s way of speaking was thoroughly polite, but he immediately took a stance where he could easily pull out his gun from the holster, refrained from sitting down, and wouldn’t stop looking around his entire surroundings.

「Ah. That boy… Nyath. If it’s about him, then I happened to hear something」

Said Norbam

「He was Norune’s friend. I really do think that it’s a shame how he gave his life away trying to get back at those junkies」 「That’s not an answer at all. You met up with Nyath, right?」 「Yeah, I saw him」

He shook the glass again, and grimaced

「It was in the evening. A boy introduced himself as Norune’s classmate, and went over to my office. It was Nyath Maybell. He was worried about not being able to contact my daughter for about a week… well, that’s obvious. And then I told him the truth」 「The truth… what truth?」

Interrupted Tilarna

「The truth as it was. The way in which my daughter was found and everything. He seemed to be quite shocked. I think I was too rash」 「Rash?! Norune was his only friend! Do you not-」 「She was also my beloved daughter」 「…」 「It was enough already. I didn’t have the time or will to be considerate to her classmate on our first meeting. I don’t know what happened next. He disappeared without saying anything, really」

He muttered powerlessly, and then lowered his head.

His words didn’t seem to be made up. That was what Matoba’s gut was telling him. But in that case, how did Nyath know about Mendoza, and then go on to commit such a crime?

No, something was off…

Gut? What was he even thinking?

「Please laugh, officer Matoba. I was powerless. I couldn’t help my daughter, and I couldn’t have helped him either」

To urge a father who had lost his daughter any further than this would be cruel. That shouldn’t be done, even by an officer.

That’s right… even more importantly than a police officer, I’m a human being.

Let’s just leave it like this.

Wait, wait a second. Why am I…

「Excuse us, Mr. Norbam. Just knowing that was enough」

Matoba said compassionately to the man, even though he had no need to do so. He was overflowing with grief, and felt an almost passionate need to “help this father”.

What even is this? I’m not like this. Even though there are thousands of things that don’t add up, why am I-

「Thank you, officer Matoba」 「That’s okay. I know that I would do the same if I were in your position」 「You’re an incredible detective, officer Matoba」 「Not at all. But I do pray that you will heal from your wounds eventually」 「Yes. I will do my best, officer Matoba」

Officer Matoba. Officer Matoba. Officer Matoba.

His calls kept popping up in the back of his head, and from his distorted point of view, he could see his figure moving back and forth in space, as he felt an incredible sympathy for the man swell up from within his chest

「Kei!」

Tilarna grabbed Matoba by the collar, and screamed in his ear.

What, shut up. I’m having an important talk with Moda Norbam. Stop fooling around.

「Kei! Pull yourself together!」 「Shut up. He’s an unfortunate man. Don’t cause any more trouble for him」 「What are you saying? This man’s words are nothing but lies!」 「… Forgive her, Mr. Norbam. She’s just a little confused, that’s all」

Tilarna’s just feeling worried about Nyath, so she can’t judge the situation properly. That must be it. I need to shut her up soon.

「That’s not impossible, officer Matoba」

Right now Norbam was neither griefing nor feeling sad. The tips of his mouth were rising, and he was looking straight into Matoba’s eyes.

「Ah, well then. Feel free to call me Moda. Consider us good friends」 「Thank you, Moda. You can call me Kei as well」 「Kei…!」

Tilarna made up her mind, she took her hand to her waist, pulled out her Krége, pointed it towards Moda Norbam, and swung it towards him. What stupid trick was she trying to pull?

「Stop!」 「Ah…」

Matoba grabbed her arm from behind, and pulled her away from Norbam. Suddenly, in an act of desperation, he threw Tilarna away. Matoba saw her sword fall on the floor, and kicked it away from her. And before she realized, he was already pointing the barrel of his automatic handgun at her.

「So you feel like doing something to him? I won’t have mercy, not even with you」 「… Kei, can’t you see it? This man’s words are all lies!」

Tilarna kept shouting as she was lying flat on the floor.

「Lies? Stop saying incomprehensible-」 「That man is not a priest at all! He’s a Mildita that can manipulate people’s hearts! You have been charmed by him already!」 「Don’t be stupid. Moda is not a magic user at all. Can’t you tell by looking at him? He’s all messed up. His daughter died in such a horrible way, give me a break!」

His anger towards Tilarna kept rising. This girl, what was she even saying about him?

To insult Moda, what an insolent brat. There was no way he was any kind of sketchy magician or anything. He was a man among men, a true servant of god who was only helping poor immigrants. To ignore something like that-

「Officer Kei Matoba. She has lost her mind completely」

Said Norbam

「She was probably even hiding drugs from you and using them everyday. I have seen many young people like her, so you can believe me」 「What?! Tilarna, is that true?!」 「Kei!」 「Officer Kei Matoba. There is no way to cure her. I’m sure you know that better than anybody else. If we let her be with her mind as broken as it is, she may become an “alien” that just attacks anybody without holding back. She was even about to attack me just a moment ago」 「… You’re right」

Hurtful thoughts were making his chest feel tight.

It was just as Moda Norbam said. There was no way to cure Tilarna. It had been fine because he had been with her all along, but maybe she had always been like that. Or at some point someone struck her with the curse of madness. Surely even a sane Tilarna would hate that.

That’s right.

He had to help her no matter what

「There is only one way to help your partner」 「Yes…」 「Just end it in one single moment. So she doesn’t suffer. And you know how to do it」 「Yes Moda, I know」

He pointed his gun towards the back of her head. A point blank bullet would travel all the way through her cerebellum and exit through the top of her head, through her brain tissues.

「I’m sorry, Tilarna」

He muttered

「Kei?!」 「The only thing we can do to help you is this. There seems to be no way of stopping you from cutting up a fine man like Moda right here」 「That’s right, officer Kei Matoba. Save her!」 「Kei, come back!」

He could feel her trembling with the tips of the fingers with which he was pressing down on her. She started squirming, freaking out, and struggling with all her might, but Matoba’s physical strength was too much for her.

「Don’t freak out. Just close your eyes and it’ll be over in a second」 「Kei!」 Tilarna kept screaming regardless

「Are you going to blame me, just like that time with your sister?!」

She suddenly said something odd and Matoba seemed confused