It was a cool summer noon. The sky was cloudy with only grey clouds could be seen with a peak. There were no noise, only his steps, and the drizzling rain made a way through Edmonds's ears.

Before the sliding door of a big Japanese style house Edmond stood in silence. The house was huge. Having a big lawn right in front which is regularly taken care of, and even a dojo in the back. Edmond always found it to his liking.

“Nah rather not” the detective leaves a dissatisfied sigh. As he began to leave he heard footsteps running towards him, thrashing the drenched land.
“Ah~” The woman made a satisfied sound closing.
“Mr. Detective. Hi there, are you working in these areas recently? We’ve been bumping into each other quite often. Don’t you think?” She said closing her red-pink umbrella.
“Fujimaru? I suppose so…”
“Are you on your way back? Just come in. I”l make some tea. You don’t have an umbrella, do you? That’s a bit sad for a detective”
“Well, it seems my detective skills are poor when it comes to the weather. And I'll take you up on that offer.”

Fujimaru was a bright girl, not in the academic sense. That’s the first impression you’d get from her. She always flashes a smile the chance she gets and her big eyes brighten every now and then. She isn’t Japanese as the name would suggest. Her mother is Japanese but she has her fathers genes. But she's quite into the culture. With her short ginger hair and puffy cheeks, almost anything would look great on her. You would expect her to wear more western clothing.But she always settles in a Yukata or a Kimono. It really punctuates on her femininity. Like right now she’s wearing a colorful Yukata with dazzling flower designs which is inned by a long blue skirt.

They both went inside and Edmond made himself at home, sitting on the porch that gives a good view of the lawn. After a few minutes, Fujimaru bought tea and sat beside him. While she was stirring it she posed a question,
“Detective, do you remember the first time we met?”
“Yes, I do. Why?”
“Do remember the color of the kimono I wore?”
“Is that a trick question? You were wearing a standard collar blouse with some floral design. It was black and a bit brown- greyish. It wasn’t your normal wear so you were a bit uncomfortable.”
“Spot on. You have a good memory detective.”

She was done stirring. Both of them slowly took a few sips. The drizzle was only increasing. It didn’t look like it was going to let up any time soon”

“You were here to see my mother?”
“Yes. I needed to consult her about a case I’m having trouble with.”
“That’s surprising. It’s the second Saturday of the month. You know she’s never home on this day.”
“Ah. Looks like it slipped my mind.” The detective coughed a bit.
“You didn’t bring any documents either…”
“Say, Fujimura. Let me tell you about a friend's case I’m having problems with.”
“Me? You're the detective, Edmond. I sell flowers in the market.”
“It’s always helpful to see things with a fresh mind. You might see it in a different angle. So, the crime took place in a big mansion. It had three floors and ten occupants in it. All of the occupants had different jobs, and of them was a painter. One night, four of the occupants were having a drink. During the night a big earthquake happened….”
“Remember the last time when an earthquake happened and you were in the area? You didn’t call and just rushed here. That was sweet of you.”
“An earthquake can be pretty bad for the heart. That’s the last thing your mother needs, in her age. Back to the point, the painter was on the second floor during the earthquake and four of the occupants were on the first floor having a drink. After the earthquake on of the occupants who were having a drink called the painter on the second floor.”
“Why?”
“He was the painters attendant. He was just making sure if she(the painter)was alright. She said that she was and that nothing major happened except for paint fell all over the place. So after that, all of the occupants went to sleep. In the next morning, they found the painter's body. Everyone gathered before the room of the painter. Paint was spilled all over the room and it still hadn't dried. The paint made it so that you couldn't get in or out of the room without stepping on the paint.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You see the room was very big. The body was in the middle. And the river of paint streamed right between the gate and the body. , the stream was big. So if you had to go in you had to step on the paint which would leave a footprint. So it’s safe to say no one got in after the earthquake. Also, everyone in the mansion had alibis except one”
“So he/she killed him. Easy.”
“But here's the thing, how? The painter was beheaded and the head wasn't there. It’s not like the killer could just throw a knife from behind the paint. There isn’t any way he could get inside except from the gate either.”
“It’s a tough one. But there's another tough one.”
“What?”
“I don’t see how you can just forget that mother’s not home today.’
“Huh? I tend to forget things too.”
“I don’t know you didn’t bring any documents too. Your clothes tell me you were just passing by rather than coming here. That's your taking a stroll clothes.”
“I don’t- “
“Also, I kind of saw you coming in. You just stood in front of the gate. You didn't ring the bell either, you just… stood there…”
“Look if you're not going to help I’m just going to leave. Thank’s for the tea.”
Edmonds jumped off the porch. He felt his patient had runned thin.. or maybe it was something else that ticked him off suddenly.
“Don’t you think the paint was convenient?”
“What?”
“The paint seemed to conveniently block you from many suspects.”
“I don’t see your point.”
“It just seemed weird to me an earthquake made a mess of paint so big. I can tell the paint fell from shelves but still, it wouldn't make a mess that big. You seem to think the earthquake and the spilling of the paint are connected just because someone said so.”
“What ar- oh…”
“I think you figured it out.”
“Let me hear it from you.”
“The painter was dead before the earthquake. Someone killed her, took her head, then deliberately made the mess with the paint.I’m guessing the guy without the alibi. The painters attendant was in on it and was lying. They probably had a different plan but the earthquake gave them a convenient escape route.”
“You did get your mother's intellect.”
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
“It was just an observation. I should be leaving now, got to report this.”
“I think I figured out the other one too.”
“Hm?”
“You came to see me didn’t you?”
Edmond hid his face from her as if from shame. He lost here. His flustered face kept reminding him that
“Come on! Tell me you did! I deserve this!”
“Yes. Fujimura, I came here to get a peek at you.”

Fujimura didn’t expect such a straight answer. Her puffy cheeks blushed red. She crouched and hid her face behind her knees. She was so close to winning…

“I'll take my leave then.”
“Hey, detective.”
“Yes?”
“Stay for the day. It gets lonely on Saturdays. Besides the rain isn’t letting up and the only umbrella we have would be too girly for you.”

“T-That would be for the best”