"Reiko! Alex!" The Kujo couple finally rushed in.
Seeing her nephew and daughter safe on the stairs, Kinna Kujo ran over, pulling them into a tight embrace. Her eyes red, she choked out, "Thank goodness you're both okay…"
"Mom!" Reiko's tears welled up again as she hugged back. "If it wasn't for Onii-chan, I might never have seen you again."
Yoshiyuki Kujo let out a relieved sigh beside them, then frowned at Seiji Kubo's body on the floor. "Inspector Samezaki, what's this…?"
"An accident," Samezaki said with a small smile. "Alex caught Kubo, but he tried to escape and fell down the stairs."
Yoshiyuki, familiar with Samezaki, furrowed his brow. "Has it been fully investigated?"
His concern wasn't doubt in Alex but worry that lingering issues could affect his nephew's future.
"Don't worry, Prosecutor Kujo," Samezaki assured him. "The evidence is clear. This was an accidental death caused by a break-in for revenge."
"Aunt Kinna, why did Kubo come after you?" Alex asked, catching his breath as he wriggled free from her embrace. "From what he said, it seemed tied to his case."
"We thought he'd target the judge who sentenced him," Officer Megure added. "We even sent officers to protect the judge. No one expected him to come here."
"…His case does involve me, in a way," Kinna said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
Alex quickly pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Five years ago, I was invited to lecture at Tokyo University's law school," Kinna continued. "Kubo was my student. He came to our house once, asking about sentencing for passion killings under various scenarios."
"Not long after, he was arrested for murdering his live-in girlfriend. Prosecutor Kuroda, who handled the case, asked me about Kubo. I told him about the visit, as it was."
"Kuroda's investigation found that Kubo's relationship with his girlfriend soured after that visit. They fought constantly, often because of Kubo. Kuroda concluded it wasn't a crime of passion but premeditated murder and prosecuted him as such."
"That's probably why Kubo held a grudge against me."
"He said as much," Alex confirmed. "He blamed you for his twelve-year sentence."
"It's not Mom's fault!" Reiko snapped, biting her lip. "Why blame her?"
"It's over now," Yoshiyuki said, patting his daughter's head to change the subject. "He's gone. By the way, where's lucky?"
"Lucky ate a drugged meat bun," Alex said with a wry smile. "He's still out cold."
"As long as he's okay," Yoshiyuki said, his gaze softening with gratitude toward Alex. "We owe you everything, Alex. If anything had happened to Reiko, your aunt and I would've lived in pain and regret for the rest of our lives."
"Onii-chan said he'd always protect me," Reiko said, clinging to Alex's arm and puffing out her chest proudly. "He never breaks his promises."
"You," Kinna said, playfully pinching Reiko's cheek. "When you grow up, I'm marrying you off to Alex."
Reiko blushed and ducked her head, while Alex looked thoroughly embarrassed.
Kinna and Alex's mother had been close sisters. After his mother's death, Kinna treated Alex like her own son, caring for him deeply and often joking about marrying Reiko to him.
In Japan, cousin marriage was legal, and Kinna's teasing likely played a part in Reiko's attachment to her brother.
"Aunt Kinna," Alex said, seizing the moment, "how about letting Reiko move in with me?"
"Oh?" Kinna said, amused. "What, Alex, already eager to marry Reiko?"
"Aunt Kinna!" Alex groaned, half-laughing. "I just mean you and Uncle get home so late. Reiko's alone here, and it's not just lonely—it's not safe."
"Why don't you move back here?" Kinna countered, seizing her chance. "With you looking after Reiko, we'd feel at ease. As for university tuition, your uncle and I…"
"Aunt Kinna, I'm grown now," Alex said firmly. "I can't keep relying on you. The izakaya's business is picking up, and I can save enough for tuition. Plus, it's lively there. Reiko could make more friends."
Kinna hesitated, glancing at her husband.
"Alex is right," Yoshiyuki said thoughtfully. "Reiko's alone too much. The izakaya's not far—we can visit her anytime."
"Mom, I'll come back to see you and Dad all the time," Reiko chimed in eagerly.
She'd been dreaming of living with her brother for ages and wasn't about to miss this chance.
"Already ditching your parents before you're even married," Kinna teased, pretending to scold.
"Mom…" Reiko whined, clutching Alex's arm tighter.
Kinna sighed but nodded. "Fine, you can move. But tonight, you're both sleeping here. Let me hold my Reiko one more night. Ugh, girls grow up too fast…"
Blushing, Alex stood and headed outside. "I'm gonna check on 旺財." Reiko scurried after him.
The officers in the room watched the family, dumbfounded. Kubo's body was still at their feet—could they show a little respect for the dead?
"Now I get why Alex stays so calm around corpses," Megure muttered, recalling his own embarrassing reaction to his first body. He'd once wondered, along with Officer Morimura, if Alex's composure hinted at psychological issues or a latent criminal streak.
"It's the family environment," Samezaki said, misunderstanding the situation. "I was worried this would scar him, but looks like I didn't need to."
With Kubo's death ruled an accidental fall during an escape attempt, the investigation wrapped up. The officers bagged the body for transport to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Alex, as a key figure, was supposed to go with them.
But given his ties to the First Investigation Division and the Kujo prosecutors' influence, Samezaki waved it off, allowing Alex to handle the remaining paperwork at the station tomorrow. The case would close after that.
After the police left, Alex helped clean the house. Kubo's death left little blood, but it still felt unsettling. He scrubbed the floor and stairs a dozen times before exhaling in relief. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was nearly seven.
(Chapter End)
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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