The disappearence

At Police HQ, Purin and Inoka snuggled together in bed. Purin then slowly opened her eyes and noticed Inoka.

"Mmmph, MMPH!?"

Purin immediately shot up and went red in the face as she trembled and touched her lips.

"W- why were our lips t- touching!?" Purin trembled as Inoka groggily got up.

"Heh, we made first kiss," Inoka blushed as she felt around for her glasses.

"KAORI INOHARA! PURIN MYOUCHI! ASSEMBLE THIS INSTANT!" Nakayama's voice screeched over the loud speaker.

"Ugh, I know she's not one to use nicknames, but why the full name callout?" Inoka groaned as she groggily put on her glasses.

                                                                             ...

Everyone assembled before Nakayama.

"MADAM OOKUMA IS MISSING! NOT ONE HOSPITAL OR PRIVATE MEDICAL FACILITY CLAIMED TO BE GIVING CARE TO HER, NOR DID THEY IN THE PAST 24 HOURS!" Nakayama frantically screeched.

"Perhaps she's recovering at a secret place. One where she can be left alone by the media until either she or her daughter recovers," Himawari suggested.

"AND WHERE IS THAT!? NONE OF HER CLOSE COLLEAGUES I SPOKE WITH KNEW HER WHEREABOUTS! TRACK DOWN THOSE OPPOSITION FIENDS THAT BURNED HER HOUSE DOWN! I WANT THEM ALL ON DEATH ROW!"

                                                                                 ...

Purin let out a heavy sigh as everyone was dismissed.

"She may be a useful idiot, but it's because she's a useful idiot out of the loop that we gotta deal with her screeching. My ears are screaming, dammit," Purin growled.

"I guess this radio silence means she really did mess up. Wonder if she accidentally fried her brows while cookin," Inoka mused.

"Come to think of it, yesterday was her daughter Mao's 16th birthday. Perhaps maybe Inoka's theory is right. Madam Ookuma might have accidentally set off the fire by cooking something for Mao," Himawari theorized.

"I saw crispy plates, no cake, but it probably all got overcooked."

"And there were no corpses or other signs of human remains, so the two of them likely escaped. Just tell the press she's gone missing after the fire. I imagine she's going to make a dramatic reappearance. For now, let's focus on the Sundae case."

"Yes Ma'am!!" Inoka and Purin saluted.

                                                                            ...

Matcha sat bound and gagged in a prison cell much like her mother was as Purin strolled by.

"Hear the judges are gonna hand you down a harsh punishment. Heard somethin about S-Prison," Purin sneered as she kicked the bars and continued on her way.

"You monster, I hope Rika lops your head off for what you did to mother, and are doing to me," Matcha angrily thought.

                                                                           ...

Helga sat bound in gagged in prison attire and a strait jacket in maximum confinement as someone entered her cell.

"Well, I always knew you were a piece of shit, but to think you were a greedy piece of shit too," Himawari sneered as she undid Helga's gag.

"*PEH* The hell do you want!?" Helga glared.

"I'm just here to get a confession before you're unlikely to be able to think coherently."

"The hell does that mean!?"

"Yumeko will be arriving shortly to interrogate you. She usually brings her sister Fujiko with her for those sorts of things."

"Fujiko?"

"Yes, Yumeko claims she's an interrogation prodigy, though through my own experiences, I can warn you that 99% of the female prisoners she interrogates become either so mentally broken that they must be thrown in asylums or so submissive and horny that all they do is beg for Fujiko to degrade and humiliate them further. This also means all that prized white hair you've got will be destroyed at the follicle. So, would you like to confess to your crime?"

A chill went down Helga's spine as she began to sweat rapidly.

"I- I- I'm i- i- innocent!" Helga trembled.

"Oh well that's a shame. Well enjoy becoming a hairless wreck, murderer," Himawari snickered as she gagged Helga again and left the cell.

When she reached the ground floor, she received a call from Yumeko.

"Yume-"

"*Achoo* Ugh, Himawari-chan, I'm not feeling good," Yumeko moaned.

"What happened? You sound awful."

"I got sick. Fujiko and Mako-chan caught it too."

"Makoto too!? How!?"

"She was sleeping here with me. Guess Fujiko caught something at school and brought it back. Now all three of us are out."

"Ugh, so I guess this means you won't be coming to torture the prisoner?"

"WAH! *Achoo* Ugh, Fujiko's really pissed, but she's so stuffy she can't even hold her shears properly without spewin snot everywhere, also doesn't feel well enough to march over there herself."

"Then rest up you three. Getting everyone sick is the last thing we need now that Nakayama's in full panic mode."

"Huh?"

"Ugh, let me brief you on the situation..."

                                                                              ...

Makoto blew her nose as she groaned and flopped onto the futon as Yumeko hung up.

"Ugh, so Ookuma's missing? Best not send Fujiko then. *Achoo* Ugh," Makoto groaned.

"I can go just- *ACHOO* ugh, I'm shaving that bitch balder than bald for getting me sick," Fujiko groaned as she flopped down on the sofa.

"Guess we better stay home and rest- *Achoo* for a week, or until Nakayama calms down," Yumeko groaned.

                                                                          ...

Rebelle began to get a bit anxious as she failed to get in touch with Ookuma again. Sayuri Benise angrily glared at her as she too failed to contact Ookuma.

"All my messages are saying un-read, this is not like her," Benise scowled.

"Please, you just hopped on her campaign 2 years ago. You're also just a business partner with Illumous so don't go acting like you know Madam Ookuma better than me!" Rebelle scowled.

"I appreciate her far more, and I will become a full fledged member of Illumous once my human trafficking ring reaches worldwide infamy."

"Madam Ookuma is my idol! She helped mold me into the fine woman I am now!"

"I also think she's a woman worthy of respecting and following. But I still haven't forgiven you for having your servers stolen."

"But I have back ups!"

"But information that could harm Madam Ookuma's colleagues and by extension, Madam Ookuma herself might be-"

"*Pft* THAT'S why you were so keen on selling me to the cult!? What a riot. You don't know jack about Madam Ookuma."

"Explain or I'll glue your mouth shut so you can't talk your way out of being assimilated by the cult!" Benise glared as she took a combative stance.

"*Sigh* Swear in blood that this ain't leaving your lips," Rebelle glared.

Benise pulled out a knife and sliced one of her palms.

"Alright, it's true I collected dirt on Madam Ookuma's colleagues, but it was naturally to use as a backup should one of them step out of line and try to betray her. I also gave all that footage to Madam Ookuma, whom personally keeps them safe."

"And you DON'T have backups?"

"Not of those. If they got destroyed in the fire, they're gone, though not like anyone besides the two- er now three of us know about the existence of the footage. Plus, Madam Ookuma naturally has countermeasures should by some fluke they get leaked."

"Very well. Though know that I will have the cult assimilate you if you do anything that hurts Madam Ookuma."

                                                                                   ...

At the restaurant, Rika sat in her wheelchair at a table as she ate a burger and watched the news.

"That's probably why father was so anxious, but it doesn't make sense. If Ookuma planned this like she usually did, father's the kind of person that would gain word of it. Hmm, what the hell is her aim?" Rika thought.

                                                                                  ...

Reika sat and mulled what her next move would be.

"Mao seems to be recovering well, but if I announce that Ookuma's dead, that will throw things into chaos and overwhelm poor Mao. It would also open further investigations from Illumous. I can't let them find out Mao's alive, but that might prove difficult. Mutsumi was able to find Ookuma's remains, or what little was left of them. The girl really went all out in making sure not a trace of her was left. The problem is that if Illumous finds out Ookuma's dead, I'd have to fake Mao's death, which they would probably see through. I could let Fubuki know, but she'd likely want to see proof. Fubuki is my best bet on that front. The problem is this case Mao took with her," Reika thought as she pulled out one of the SD cards from it.

"All these cards have material that could incriminate a good chunk of Ookuma's supporters. I imagine Rebelle and possibly Fujiko were the main culprits that catalogued all this. Hmm. I guess I'd better take some precautions while I let the soup simmer," Reika thought.