Chapter 12 - "Repetitive Offense"

It was only a few days ago that she received the news. So far she hadn't done anything. She had neither met nor reported to him. How was she supposed to face him? What should she tell him when they were facing each other? Did he even want to hear anything? With the best will in the world, she didn't know.
Sighing, she sat on her bed, took her cell phone and opened the text message that she had received from Akio. She thought for a moment. A short smile flickered over her lips. She would just drop it under the table. At least for now. She just decided to write something to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't get in touch.
I misplaced my cell phone "

She sighed. She couldn't think of a better excuse. She couldn't tell him that he'd caught her at a sore spot. Couldn't say that she wanted to hear those words from someone else a short time ago.
Just as she was about to put the cell phone down, it rang. She read the message with a smile. He thought he had hurt her and asked her if she wanted to go out with him today.
Well, why not? She had nothing better in mind anyway. So they arranged to meet in Beika Park.

A few hours later a young man was sitting on a bench in Beika Park. "Hopefully she'll come too ..." he said to himself and sighed. He looked at the clock. She was already half an hour late. He was about to pick up the cell phone when he saw her. He got up and smiled at her. "Hello, nice to see you."
The addressed took a deep breath, bowed slightly and apologized. "I'm so sorry for the delay. I just couldn't get away from home." She looked at him, slightly ashamed. Actually, being late wasn't her way. But of course her father had to interfere again. After a long back and forth she had told him that she wanted to meet Akio. And what is Kogoro doing? Do you give a talk about anything. How bad he thought it was that she wanted to meet a complete stranger who almost kissed her and that in front of his eyes.
"That's not a problem. You still came. I was afraid you'd have changed your mind. Shall we?" He gave her his arm with a smile. Ran nodded and hacked into Akio. They walked slowly through the park and talked. They weren't planning to do anything great today. Nothing special was going on in the cinema and they didn't want to kill time somewhere in a café or restaurant. They used the opportunity to get to know each other better.

They didn't notice how time went by. Ran noticed it by accident when they passed a clock. Only then did she realize that the sun was already going down. She had to smile. When was the last time she forgot time?She didn't know exactly when it was anymore. What she still knew exactly, however, was with whom. That was a good sign, she thought. One more reason to continue to meet Akio.
"Hey, I'm talking to you."
Ran winced and looked at Akio questioningly. She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that he had spoken to her.
She apologized meekly. But he only dismissed it with a smile.
“So what did you say?” She hadn't listened at first, but still wanted to know what he had said. She was anything but rude now.
“I asked you what you think of the crowd over there.” He pointed to the bank of the little pond that formed the center of the park.
Looking questioningly, she followed his finger pointing and shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. But if you want to know, we can have a look at it." She said slightly absently. She had a bad feeling. One that she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Sure. Sure," Akio said, slightly excited and pulled Ran slightly with him.
Moments later, they knew what had happened. A body had been found. Akio watched the scene excitedly. While Ran became increasingly restless. She tugged lightly on Akio's sleeve. "Let's go, please. I'm not comfortable being here. Besides, I have the feeling that we would only be a disturbance here."
Akio looked Ran's face. She looked pale. Why didn't he know. Well, she had just given him a possible reason. But he was unsure whether this was the truth. She was too calm. If he looked at the other women here, most of whom were crying, and then compared Ran with them, he had to say that she was too calm.
"Let's stay, please. I find this more than interesting. Besides, I've always wanted to know how the police work," he said calmly. Ran took a deep breath. Well then she should let him have that joy. Why not. She could count the trees or something like that by now. She already knew all of this.
No sooner had she turned to the side than she saw Inspector Megure, Takagi and Sato. She swallowed hard. Why did the three of all people have to come to the crime scene? She easily hid behind Akio in the hope that she would not be recognized. With success, as she found out. Nobody took any notice of her.
The three policemen examined everything carefully. No one could tell with any accuracy whether it was murder, suicide, or an accident.
Akio, who didn't understand much what was going on, pulled Ran even closer to the corpse and the policemen.
"Well," began Megure, "we probably can't do anything else here. We'll probably only find out what the facts of the matter are from the forensic medicine department."
Sato agreed, while Takagi just sighed and hung his head.
"That would be perfect for Kudo ... If he were here now, we would be off work in half an hour at the latest."Ran hadn't noticed how she'd dragged Akio along. Her breath caught. She had heard every word from Takagi. She literally tore herself away from Akio and ran as fast as she could towards the detective agency.
Akio just looked after her in amazement. Now he didn't care what was going on and ran after her.

Ran supported himself on the wall, breathing hard. How so? Why did he have to say that? How so? Her tears came. And that although she had vowed not to do that anymore.
"Everything OK with you?"
She turned in the direction from which the voice was coming and saw Akio who, like her, was out of breath.
He saw her tears and slowly walked up to her, pulling her into his arms.
She let it go to her. "I ... I just couldn't take this sight anymore ..." she said through tears.
He stroked her back lightly. "I saw earlier that you were pale. If you had said something, we could have gone too." Sensitively, almost tenderly, he spoke the words. Ran looked into his eyes. She remembered the last time she had stood here with him. Why shouldn't she try this time. Before the little argument, her father had told her that he wanted to play mahjong that evening. Slowly, as if in slow motion, her face came closer to his. Akio smiled slightly when he noticed this.
Just before their lips could meet, they started apart. “Are you Ran Mori?” Slightly irritated, Ran looked at a young American.