Cemetary Investigation

So the squadron searched the cemetery good. The cowboys were brought along the ride too, and they were tied up, so they won't try anything.

A bunch of officers just found a grave that had been dug up. Sakume observed their inspection.

Hirata said, "Well, the body is completely gone, along with the coffin."

Sakume asked, "I'll say. Where do the bodies go?"

Joe said,"Dude, I don't know. Dracula just instructed us to find someone who's got blood, bury him, and leave him there. We don't know the rest of it."

Sakume went to the gravestone. He noticed it had a scratch on it. "Hmmm, what's this? The other graves that were dug up had this mark too."

Joe said, "That's how we mark the place where we put the unfortunate bastards. That's how we keep track of them."

"And this is how Dracula finds them?"

"Yeah, dude."

"Hmmm." Sakume said, rubbing his chin. "A coffin is too much for one person to carry. Even if he is a vampire."

Hirata said, "You saying he has help?"

"Definitely."

One of the cops came up to Shikura: "Sir, we've searched the entire altar. We didn't find a soul."

"Hmmm, so he's not there. I have one question, boys. Dracula is paying you a handsome fee for doing his service. You find victims, and bury them. Then he digs them up and sucks their blood. Why bother doing all that? Why not deliver the bodies directly to him?"

Dorlan said, "That is what he told us to do. He probably doesn't want us to know where the bodies are going to."

Sakume said, "And thus hide his real location. This guy is smarter than we thought. So he's crazy and smart. This is not good. You guys have no idea where he is?"

Dorlan: "We told you everything we know, I swear to God."

Sakume went into deep thought. "Hmmm, I see."

Hirata: "What?"

"This guy sure is something. Hirata, why do you think he doesn't just put all the bodies in one place?"

"I don't know."

"It might take up too much space."

"What?"

"Think about it. Dracula takes the blood of victims who are still alive. And if he puts all the coffins in one place, the people inside would be kicking and yelling. It'd be really noisy, wouldn't it? And that would be distracting. Whereas, in this situation, he hides the live victims underground, digs them out, suck their blood, and when they're not needed anymore, put them back under ground. It's like nothing happened at all."

Hirata: "I see."

"A normal person wouldn't think of looking in a cemetery for a missing person, right? So it all works out. Once someone is missing, he gets put in a coffin underground, then dug up when he is needed, then when he's dead, goes back into the ground. And the process repeats. You can never run out of space underground."

The cowboys looked at each other. "Wow, he really is smart."

Hirata: "So the main question is, where is Dracula hiding?"

"Hmmm, perhaps the answer is simpler than we think."

Ritoshi was watching from a distance.

Ritoshi: "Sir, Detective Sakume does not suspect you anymore. He has seen Dracula for himself, and they even had a confrontation."

Yokoyama: "Good, excellent. Good work Ritoshi. You no longer need to delve further into this matter."

"What?"

"You are off this case."

"Sir, are you sure?"

"This is an order. You are to remain on standby and wait for my next mission for you."

"Yes sir."

Ritoshi also thought of the meeting between Yokoyama and the three mysterious vampires.

Sakume: "Hirata, I guess I was wrong about this whole thing. I admit it. Vampires do exist. And I'm going to catch this son of a bitch and slice his head off. And Yokoyama is innocent after all. Please send him a letter on my behalf, expressing my apologies."

Hirata: "You got it."

Suddenly, Ritoshi jumped amongst the trees.

Sakume sensed it. "Who's there?" He drew his sword.

Ritoshi landed. "No need for that. I am not your enemy."

"You sure are a damn nosy person, how much have you seen?"

"I was here the entire time."

Shikura was surprised. This ninja had been here the whole time, undetected? How come I was unable to sense him?

Ritoshi: "Detective, I am glad you are trying to get Dracula. But he is a very powerful vampire. And this case is not that simple."

Shikura: "Not that simple? What do you mean?"

"Yokoyama is involved, though indirectly."

"What? How do you know this? Who are you?"

"Someone who works for him." Ritoshi jumped away.

Hirata: "Who the hell was that? A friend of yours?"

"I have never seen him in my life." Shikura replied.

Sakume went to the funeral home service.

Manager: "Anything we can help you with, officer?"

"We are having a problem with disappearing bodies, and we're currently investigating it. Would you happen to know anything about it?"

"What do you mean, officer?"

"Has any unusual amount of orders come in lately?"

"Well I can check the records. Hold on, one second please." The manager proceeded to take out a record book. "Hmmm, we may have something."

Sakume: "What is it?"

"It seems like someone has been asking us to retrieve coffins for him - all within the past three weeks. And it is all to the same location."

"I see. What is the address?"

Sakume grabbed Hirata on the shoulder. "I've found out where Dracula is. I need a full squadron there tonight!"

Hirata nodded in surprised.

Ritoshi was watching him, hidden behind the wall. "Detective Sakume has found out where Dracula is hiding?"