CHAPTER 1: APPLE DAY, DOCTOR AWAY
Screaming. I heard screaming everywhere from left to right. Everything was out of control. Patients came here and there and I have no idea where to go. Blood. Blood on my hands, I stared at it and thought. What am I doing? Am I supposed to save someone's life? Why am I standing? I heard people screaming my name for help
"NAOTO! HELP! NAOTO! THE PATIENT'S DYING! NAOTO!"
I suddenly opened my eyes and jolted awake. My body is still shivering from the cold. Was it all just the dream? What kind of nightmare was that? Well if it is a nightmare then there is nothing to be worried about. It's just my mental state being wild again. I woke up in a table with my head on my arms. I simply brushed it off as nothing happened since it was all just a dream. I have to focus on my work not dreams
They said that Doctor's are life savers, they said that they are expert when it comes to Human diseases or conditions. It is quite true but they never really felt how pressured Doctors are when it comes to surgery and such. I am a Doctor myself, of course, I had many surgeries and I thank God that it was all successful. I am quite known in this hospital I'm in right now, in the Beika Hospital. I am writing this right now just to tell the little tale of how two friends gets reunited but in a unique and surprising way. My name is Naoto House and I will tell you the story of me and the Great Detective.
I was in the cafeteria that day, taking a break after having a stressful surgery once again and seeing and hearing the happiness and thank-you's of the families. I was just sitting and eating my usual food like bread and water when an interesting person came up to me and joined me.
"Naoto! You seem to be alone in there... Can I join?"
"Sure Satoshi... I don't mind at all"
Satoshi is a good friend of mine, he is a good and fun friend to have and also a great surgeon after me. I'm not trying to show off my profession or something like that but people just call me that for some reason.
"So Naoto. Was the surgery successful?"
"Surgery? Oh yeah it was"
"Good heavens as expected for a guy like you"
"Come on Satoshi I don't officially earned that title to begin with"
"But you deserve it dude. C'mon you're one of the best surgeons in this hospital"
"Yeah but I'm still pressured and traumatized about it. I only take this job it's because my parents says so"
"But that advice did really pay off. You're rich now"
"Yeah but at what cost?"
"You have a point. I'm sorry about that"
"Nah it's okay bro. You're my friend after all"
"Yeah we're bro's"
Our fist met and I realized that having Satoshi as a friend is really a good choice. I thanked God that he gave me a friend like him
A few hours have passed and I was ready to leave. But when a doctor suddenly ran and screamed.
"Everyone! Somebody's dead in the morgue!"
The atmosphere began to shift and many people reacted. I couldn't help myself but to look for it as well since I want to investigate. I remember the advice of my old friend that if there is a crime happens in certain places, even if you're not a detective you still look for the truth.
I ran toward the morgue and saw a Doctor lying on the floor. His neck was dripping with blood but the cut was clean and he is also holding a scalpel with blood in it. His eyes open almost as if he's in deep thought. He died in the room filled with dead people that is covered from white blanket from their head to toe
"Good heavens! Who could've done something like this?" A random Doctor said
"It's Doctor Simmons! He's dead!"
Dr. Simmons? That's right It was him. D. Simmons was also a great doctor and even surpasses mine and the others with a huge margin. He was a good guy but can sometimes be arrogant. But his personality suddenly change when he had a family and he was becoming to be our closest friend. It just never happens at this point.
"Call the police!" One doctor screamed
A few hours have passed and the police arrived. I saw a man in a brown trench coat, his hair spiky and his eyes filled with eye bags. His face was intimidating and he begins to talk in a loud tone.
"Hello everyone! I am Inspector Shiratori! Where is the body?"
"I'll take you there sir" I said, I didn't hesitate since I want to find out the culprit of this case
"Good. Take me there"
A few steps was done and we arrived at the Morgue. His eyes was already scanning the room and many of the police are already working and analyzing the evidence. His face was aggressive while observing. This guy is literally serious in his work huh? Then a police approached the inspector.
"Inspector! We found this in the Victim's pocket!" says the policeman while holding a paper and seemingly written in red ink from what I saw.
"What is it?" asks the Inspector
"It looks like a dying message sir!"
"Dying message?"
"Yes sir!"
"May I have a look?"
The eyes of the inspector scanned the paper like it was a paper bill. His eyes were wide opened and moving insanely fast.
"Hmm. Interesting..." says the Inspector
"What is it Inspector?" asks I
"A symbol or cryptogram... An interesting way to send a dying message... Hey I just asks you to take me here now get back up there and make sure you don't leave!"
"Uhh yes sir"
I went back to the lobby and the amount of people in there has been decreased but I saw some familiar faces. All of them are doctors and sitting very far away from each other. The two policeman are guarding the main door which leads to the exit and entrance. The doctors I have seen was.
Doctor Takashi Yagami, a medical doctor who is also a good man but can sometimes be carried away by his ego, he is a good doctor and many people consult for him. Doctor Lawrence E. Evans, a surgeon from the United States and decided to go here just for his own fun, he was a very charismatic man and usually gets the attention more than me. Many women, patients and doctors like him for his good looks and skills. Doctor Satoshi my best friend and has been for more than 5 years. And Doctor Lee, a Chinese doctor and also a brilliant man but lacks emotion. I sat there waiting for the police to make the conclusions when I noticed a car arriving. When the door was opened I saw a man in his 20's, wears a scarlet framed glasses and wears a suit. He looks similar to be honest but I never seem to remember.
"Excuse me, where is the Inspector? Asks the man to one of the policemen
"He's in the morgue sir" says the policeman
He walked and our eyes met. He somehow didn't look away and instead stared at me for a long time. And then he eyes widened from realization and screamed.
"Naoto! Is that you?" cries the man
"Have we met before?" asks I
"Yes my dear friend! I am Yuri. Yuri Rizuna! Don't you remember?"
Yuri Rizuna? Ah yes I remember that name. A friend from high school and we seem to have a good friendship back then. He has the mind of logic and calculation but its too lazy to use it in school works and such. He loved mathematics and science while I loved science and english. He decided to call me Watson since he thought of me as John Watson a trust worthy friend and companion of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the world's greatest detective. He loved mysteries but he never brags about his skills and even calls it as a curse perhaps. Is this him now?
"Yuri! What's up! What are you doing here?" I cried
"I work as a Forensic Psychologist now Naoto and I presume you are a surgeon"
"You're still sharp as ever!"
"Please we're only equal my dear friend. I have to take you to the crime scene and join me in my investigations"
"But I'm not a cop Yuri"
"Is that a problem? I am your partner back then my dear friend. You are Watson right?"
"Well yeah but-"
"Splendid then come with me Naoto and we'll solve this case"
"Okay if you say so"
We went in there and this is my 3rd time entering that morgue today. We went inside the room and it was cold. The breeze is shivering down my spines while my companion did not even react to the coldness of the room
"Inspector Shiratori!" my companion cried
"Oh Yuri. I knew you'd came! Hey I told you to stay at the lobby!" He said while looking so furious at me
"No need Inspector this is my companion and he will help me solve this case" Yuri replied
"Well I take your word for it Rizuna. Make sure that he doesn't do anything out of the line"
"I promise Inspector"
"Okay now we have victim named Dr. Simmons. He was found dead 7:30 pm by this man" He said pointing at me "He died from a cut by a scalpel and many people think that this was a suicide but I found it hard to believe"
"Is that so?" Yuri asked
"Yeah. There is also a dying message of the victim. He wrote it in symbols. Here." The inspector said while handing Rizuna the paper.
Yuri took the paper and when he looked at it. He was very shock and interested even. His eyes were wide not from shock but from happiness. He was thrilled.
"Interesting! Naoto look at this!" Yuri cried
I looked at the paper and I saw 3 apple drawing with numbers beside every each apple. I was curious about why such dying message like that was written. Did the victim wrote it for the killer not to understand?
"🍎3 🍎4 🍎4"
"Does this cipher mean anything to you Naoto?" Yuri asked showing me the paper
"Not at all Yuri, I have no idea what that is!" I cried
Yuri started to look at ever corner of the paper and even turned the paper around and he saw something
"APPLEBET"
"'Applebet'? Seems interesting enough"
"Do you know what that is by any chance?" I asked
"I have no data yet but I will decipher this code and catch the culprit. Take me to the doctors Naoto" said Yuri
"Sure" I replied
We went back to the lobby. Heck! I've been going back and forth now! Yuri stand tall and introduce himself to the Doctors
"Everyone. My name is Yuri Rizuna, I am a Forensic Psychologist Consultant. I must talk to every one of you" Yuri said
"A Forensic Psychologists Consultant? Yeah right" Dr. Lee said
"Yes I am. And I'm going to solve this case"
Yuri started to talk to every each one of them. Dr. Takashi was at the lobby the whole time and just heard that someone died in the morgue, he didn't go since it will be just a mess for him. Dr. Evans stated that he passed the morgue and saw the late doctor in there arguing with someone but he couldn't get the face of the man he was arguing with. Satoshi stated that I am with him the whole time and I can verify that. Dr. Lee said that he just got back from the operating room and somehow I saw him get mad and screamed at my companion. Yuri thanked the doctors and wants me to join him and sit for a while.
"Say Watson. Does this doctors have enemies?" asked Yuri
"From what I know and observed they have no enemies" I answered
"I see. From what I observed. They're all good persons. From what I see in Dr. Takashi's face, he seems to be a good a man but can be carried away by small victories or even insults. Dr. Lawrence is a charismatic man a huge advantage to manipulate someone but I can't conclude that yet. Satoshi is a good companion of yours so he is a kind man like you. Dr. Lee is the same as Takashi but he is more of a hot headed man and boastful even but don't get me wrong Chinese people are kind and gentle and I am half Chinese myself. Are these deductions correct Naoto?" Yuri deduced
"Precisely so. But how could you know that?" asked I
"It is all in their expressions Watson" Yuri said. "Dr. Takashi showed some signs when I talked to him, he has a very soft tone of voice but when I complimented him for telling the truth his posture suddenly went straight that means he is simply arrogant whenever someone complimented him in small or big achievements. When I talked to the foreigner Dr. Lawrence, posture was pure straight and he has his chin up and always smiling and nodding whenever I say something important, I can't blame him he's a foreigner so many Japanese would fall for him. Dr. Satoshi's expression was worried, his brows were furrowed and even asks if you're okay, he seems to be concerned for you too so I deduced that you two have been friends a very long time. Dr. Lee was a madman and egoistic, when I talked to him his brows were close to each other and his jaw are clenched and when I try to accuse him of something he overreacts and gets mad. That is my deduction"
"You got smarter!"
"No. I just learned more things."
Later the body was now in the black bag and now was taken to the ambulance. We saw the Inspector and he talked to Yuri about what they found
"Hey! We found some fingerprints on the white blanket of a corpse near the victim but it was his. The strange thing is why was his fingerprints in there if the corpse was fully covered in it? And the note from earlier, it might point something about the culprit"
"Interesting" my companion replied "Naoto, tell me more about Dr. Simmons"
"Well, Doctor Simmons was a family guy, he was kind and he even gave us gifts last Christmas. He was also practicing aikido since he told us that he has many enemies as well and he need to be secured all the time. That's all I know, I never get to knew him more"
"Okay. Thank you" Yuri nodded and sat once again, closed his eyes and leaned back.
"There he is again." The inspector said
"He is thinking" I replied
"Wait. You know?"
"Yeah we've been friends for too long now. I pretty much know how he thinks especially during math or science tests when we were classmates back then"
We waited there for 3 minutes and Yuri was still there leaned back and eyes closed. He's still thinking, I can't blame him since this is a murder he's solving. The Inspector began to walk in circles waiting for Yuri's deduction and then this happened...
"I got it!" Yuri leaped and screamed "Everyone! Take of your coats!" He screamed to the doctors
Of course they were confused but they just took them off. Yuri collected every each of it with determination on his face as if he was now confident about what he's doing. Then he started to approached to me and handed all of the coats.
"Naoto. Could you run a DNA Test on this coats?"
"What? Oh okay"
"What exactly are you doing?" the Inspector asked
"Looking for evidence" Yuri replied with a smirk of determination on his face
I quickly ran to order the doctors to run a DNA test on the coats as soon as possible. I waited there for at least 6 minutes. And the results came in
"Doctor House. We found one positive into one of the coats. It's a ski cell" One of the nurses said and handing me the results
Wait. Isn't this "his" coat? Impossible
I quickly return to the lobby and see Yuri there with his eyes closed once again and the Inspector tapping his shoe repeatedly and the doctors still waiting
"Hey Yuri! I got the records!" I cried
Yuri didn't seem to noticed me and still with his eyes closed. He is also tapping his shoe repeatedly on the floor while his brows too close to each other and I hear whispering to himself
"Hmm is that really it? Are there any solutions left?" he whispered to himself
"Yo Rizuna! You good?" asked the Inspector
He suddenly opened his eyes like wide opened and he suddenly smirked.
"I see it now." He said and then he quickly began to approach me again and leaned in to whisper
"Hey Naoto. I presume that the positive one was his right?"
"His?"
He pointed at a certain doctor and I quickly nodded but I was still disappointed that he was the culprit and then Yuri took the records to me
"Everyone! We have gathered here to solve the murder of Dr. Simmons and now I understand what the dying message means, who is the culprit and how did they did it."
The demeanor of the doctors suddenly changed and their postures suddenly went straight. Yuri with his straight and loud voice delivered his deduction to us
"First things first. Dr. Simmons was found dead in the morgue and I deduced that he was there to perform an autopsy on the body he is near with but the culprit stopped him and killed him for his own motive. The dying message was found at Dr. Simmons' coat pocket. So I presume that it was a pre-dying message. He knew that the culprit will kill him so he prepared a dying message for the police and detectives to decipher. I have deciphered the code" He quickly picked the dying message and showed it to the victims
"The mechanics of the cipher is quite simple. Applebet means that in the world Apple there is the culprit's name. And some apples and has numbers on it were written. Every number represent the times you will skip every letter that is in the word 'Apple' for example.
"🍎2 means P since you skipped A and P in the word apple and it's still P since the word apple has two P's in it. The more numbers the more you skip. So if we decipher the code then 🍎3 means L, and the two 🍎4's means E. Which leads us to the word L.E.E"
"Wait! Does that mean Dr. Lee is the culprit?!" Satoshi screamed out of panick
"Are you stupid? Why would I kill Dr. Simmons? It seems that there is a flaw in your logic Mr. Rizuna" Dr. Lee said
"No. There is no wrong about my deduction Dr. Lee since you're not the culprit to begin with" Yuri replied
Everyone was shocked and looked at each other wondering who is the culprit.
"Then who is it?" The Inspector asked
"It's you! Dr. Lawrence! You're the culprit!"
"What? That is ridiculous! I never went to the morgue to begin with!" Lawrence said quickly standing up
"Dr. Simmons wrote that cipher for a reason so in case that you were the first one to solve the cipher you will think that it was Lee that he was pointing but the L.E.E means Lawrence E. Evans. You were at the morgue since based on the DNA records your coat has skin cells, same as the corpse that Dr. Simmons was supposed to perform an autopsy on!"
Dr. Lawrence was shocked and his eyes widened. And his face became quickly mad as he approach Yuri
"Okay. I admit that I was in the morgue and I must've touched one of the corpse there but I didn't kill him!"
"I'm afraid this is where you stop Dr. Evans. Even if there were no fingerprints of yours there that still contradicts your statement"
"What?!"
"The only fingerprint found was Dr. Simmons but why was his fingerprints in there if the blanket wasn't even pulled back to the begin with? It means that you were the one who put it back. You snuck on Dr. Simmons but he noticed you and you and Simmons fought in the morgue with him having the upper hand and backing you against the table but you eventually won due to your immense strength and height. You used surgical gloves so that your fingerprints won't be detected. After you killed Dr. Simmons you noticed that the corpse was completely ruined and put the blanket back on. You panicked so that's why you did that and you flushed the gloves to the men's bathroom so they wont know."
"This is nonsense! If I were the one to kill Dr. Simmons. What is my motive?" Dr. Lawrence screamed and furious
"Blackmail" Yuri said quietly and composed
"What?!"
"You use your charm to attract women in this hospital both doctors and patients. This leaves for you to have many affairs in this hospital. Dr. Simmons knew this and decided to tell this to everyone but you killed him so that you won't get exposed. Admit it already! You killed Dr. Simmons!" Yuri screamed as well tired of Evans lying his way out
Dr. Lawrence eventually dropped to his knees and his hands shaking and trembling
"Alright. I did it. I killed Dr. Simmons. You're right about the motive as well Mr. Rizuna. You must be a great psychologist."
Yuri nodded quietly and the Inspector quickly approached Dr. Lawrence to arrest him. A few hours have passed and Lawrence was taken to the police station. Yuri and I walk for a bit inside and talked.
"So. How is your life being a doctor?"
"You know. It's still traumatizing. How about you?"
"Nothing else. Solving cases like these when I'm consulted but I am planning to be a Private Eye instead."
"Private eye?"
"Yeah. I'm tired being consulted by those police. Anyway, you should visit me sometimes."
"Where are you exactly?"
"At Kichijōji"
"Oh okay"
Suddenly a huge fire exploded on us. Knocking both of us out. I woke up lying in a coma trying to process everything. Then I saw a woman next to me and was worried.
"Riko?" I asked
"Naoto! You're awake" she said hugging me
Riko Ayanokoji. A Lawyer and my girlfriend. She is a great Lawyer and still many win records. She is sharp as that lawyer with glasses called 'Queen of Prosecutors' But somehow she thinks that she is still below that Lawyer. We met on the internet a few years back and started chatting.
"Wait. Where's Yuri?"
"Who?"
"Yuri Rizuna the one who is with me during the explosion"
"Wait isn't he the one you always told me. Your sharp friend?"
"Yeah. Do you happen to know where he is?"
"I think he's just in the next room."
"Oh thank you he survives"
"It seems that you have to introduce me to your friend Naoto"
"Yeah that's what I'm waiting for. Sharp meets sharp you know"
We both laughed and chatted. This is the beginning of my adventure with my friend Yuri Rizuna and my lovely lawyer Riko as we solve cases from all over japan-no-from over the world. But there is still one more question. Who started the fire? Was it just a misinterpretation?
End of First Chapter