The Danish cold case (1)

Around the same time, Shiruka was floating around town.

"Huh? I got a vision, but I don't recognize- wait it looks like that cryogenics place I checked out, but isn't it a good hour away from here? Better let Reiju know, there's no way I'll get there in time though," Shiruka thought.

                                                                                      ...

At the cryogenics lab, a nervous worker stared at a frozen man.

"No, isn't this guy the-GAH!?"

The worker felt a sharp pain in his back as his vision began to get blurry.

"No, I have so many questions. This room, who are these people? Why is there a young girl fully clothed in foreign attire? Is she someone important? Maybe..." the worker groaned as he stumbled towards a vat containing a young woman with platinum blonde hair garbed in foreign attire.

He unintentionally deactivated the freezing device for the girl as his head slumped into the control panel connected to it.

"Well, guess I can stick him in this one then, though maybe I should have let him deactivate the president's freezing device so I wouldn't have to hack it. Well, guess he probably didn't know the code," the murderer thought as they pulled the knife out of the researcher's back.

Suddenly, the young woman that had been frozen opened her eyes and stared at her surroundings.

"[Hvor er jeg]?" the girl asked as she stared at the murderer.

The murderer immediately charged for the kill, but the girl was able to dodge and restrain them with ease.

"[Hvad er din tilknytning?]" the girl asked.

"What language is that?" the murderer asked.

"Huh? You're Kabutoan? I know Kabutonese, so does that mean I'm in Kabuto?" the girl asked.

"Kabuto!? What do you mean? We're in Tokyo- ___."

"Tokyo? Where's that?"

"Um, Japan?"

"Ni-Pon?"

"[Japan]."

"Never heard of that place."

"Then why are you fluent in Japanese!?"

"I'm speaking Kabutonese."

"Again, what are you talking about. Who even are you?"

"Codename: Laks, are you friend or foe?" the girl asked.

"No clue, don't even know who you are you loon."

The murderer then managed to slip free and run for the exit.

"Wait! Don't just leave me!" the girl cried as she gave chase.

                                                                               ...

"Huh? A cryogenics lab worker?" Reiju asked.

"It was hard to tell where it was, but I noticed a girl frozen, and assumed it was a cryogenics lab. It's probably the same place I asked to freeze my corpse," Shiruka stated.

"So is your corpse-"

"It's at my house on the sofa. Glad they were able to get things set like I wanted, though I guess maybe he-"

"So it's unrelated to you then. Well, I guess Kintaro-"

"I doubt the police will come. That place is private property, and getting in there can be a pain."

"And you know this how?"

"Back before I became a ghost, I toured the place both as a potential customer and for research for my mystery novel. The rep told me that many people are frozen there for various circumstances. Their cutting edge technology can also be portable, which is how I was able to request they have me frozen on my sofa at home. I was so lucky they even gave me a discount as thanks for publicly promoting them. Though, despite their acceptance of publicity, they don't get along well with law enforcement. I imagine there probably are a few murder victims stuffed in there, but the company refuses to let police unfreeze and examine anyone. Unless someone is frozen outside the lab, the police can't mess with one of their frozen clients."

"But you said an employee was murdered."

"It looked like he was killed after staring at a silhouetted figure that was frozen. There were actually two other silhouetted frozen figures. The girl was the only one I could see clearly."

"Girl?"

"She had platinum blonde hair and looked like she was from another decade and country."

"Well, guess I'll try and think of a way to get the police to look into it."

Reiju hung up and filled Chika in on the conversation.

"So what are we gonna do? School doesn't get out for 3 more hours," Chika said.

"We'll tip off the police from here, but I'll need you to stand watch," Reiju smirked as she headed for the reception office.

                                                                               ...

"And done. Now let's head back to class. It's alright, they're used to me showing up 5 minutes late after lunch," Reiju stated.

"I hope that loli doesn't get mad," Chika groaned.

                                                                             ...

"Huh? Where'd you get this card at Miss?" a young girl asked as Laks showed her her ID card.

"Why from Danablu, my home country. Oh, and just call me Mimi. I trust you," Laks smiled.

"You really are an odd one Mimi, well I guess you can call me Ri. So what are you gonna do now?"

"I'm gonna explore some more. Kabutonese tech really is cool, it advanced so quickly since I was last here. Hylda would probably like a souvenir."

"Hylda?"

"Oh, she's a friend from Danablu- HYLDA! I forgot! She was in danger, quick take me to your spy agency!"

"Spy? I told you I'm not a spy I'm-"

"Then I'll just head back to Danablu. Where's the airport?"

"Hold up, where even is this Danablu?"

"Europon!"

"Europe? Hold on, come into this bookstore for a second."

Mimi followed the young girl into a bookstore and was led to a globe.

"Recognize this?" Ri asked.

"Yes, it's a globe of the world," Mimi smiled.

"Correct, see this, this is Japan," Ri stated as she pointed to Japan.

"Huh? But I was taught that was Kabuto. Did you guys change your name?"

"No. Now where's Danablu?"

"Right here!" Mimi smiled as she pointed to Denmark.

"Denmark? You're Danish?"

"Denmark? Is that how Kabutoans refer to Danablu now?"

"Could you pull out your ID again?"

Mimi did as Ri asked.

"It says you were born in 1952..."

"Yeah, I'm 18."

"Impossible, it's 2007."

"2007?"

Mimi went pale as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"This is just a joke right? It's almost 1971 right?"

"No, it's 2007."

"Then, I was frozen for over 30 years!? So is that why? Did Crimgulag do something?"

"*Sigh* What's Crimgulag?"

"It's- huh? I thought it was much bigger, but now it's smaller," Mimi said as she pointed at Russia.

"Oh, the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989. I wasn't born yet, but I do know it happened."

"I hope that means that bitch Mei is dead."

"I think I have a somewhat clearer picture of who you are. You're a Danish spy that fought against the Soviets in the Cold war. This Hylda you mentioned, how old was she?"

"Same age as me."

"Then she's probably old and retired now assuming she survived."

"Ri-chan, do you think you could help me search for them?" Mimi asked.

"Fine, not like I wanna return home right away anyway," Ri groaned.

                                                                                 ...

At the cryogenics lab, Shiruka floated around.

"So this guy's just laying here in secret room. It doesn't look like anything else is amiss, aside from the fact that the girl I saw is gone. I wonder what this case is then. The fact that all the other frozen people are still silhouetted suggests they must be important."

Shiruka then heard the sound of voices and floated into the main room to see Kintaro, Kaemi, and a group of forensics officers arguing with some researchers.

"You are all trespassing!" the head researcher glared.

"We heard there was a murder. Apparently it's one of your employees," Kintaro stated.

"A likely farce. I can see the army of forensics officers behind you. Even now they're examining our clients and violating their privacy."

"Don't any potential clients and tour groups get to see the same thing?"

"I know what your aim is! You seek to haul some of our clients off to see if they can be used to solve cold cases!"

"We're just here because of a tip-off. Likely from one of your employees."

"Preposterous! No one has touched the phone, and I have been with everyone that came in today! Leave now!"

"Reporting live from the Hie cryogenics lab, I'm Maria Kotobana from the Mizutani-shimbum," a woman with a blonde asymmetrical bob stated as she appeared with a camera crew.

"What is the meaning of this!?"

"Heard there was a scoop, and I'm the gossip girl round here," Maria smirked.

"Why must such an acclaimed paper have a tabloid division? Well, write this! Trespassers invade private property under guise of investigating a murder."

Shiruka shook his head as he watched the argument.

"Ugh, this won't go anywhere, if only I could open the hidden room," Shiruka thought.

"Ghost can move objects and open doors," I snickered telepathically to Shiruka.

"Muramasa Jouzu!? Well, guess I'll give it a try then."

Shiruka floated back inside and began fiddling around with the door.

"Look at that! There's a door opening!" Maria shouted as she pointed towards the secret door.

"How!? Uh, I don't know what's happening, but you-"

Kintaro bolted towards the door before the nervous head researcher could protest. Maria and her crew quickly followed as did Kaemi and some forensics officers. Once they entered, Shiruka could clearly see all the figures that had previously been silhouetted.

"What the hell!? That man in there, isn't that the former president of the United States!?" Kintaro gasped.