Case 01: Scarlet's Letter (Part 2)

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
April 22

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

Where was I? Oh, yes.

After we said goodbye to Miss Scarlet Vance, we immediately got to work.

Seth: Midori, I want you everything you can dig up on Simon Yamada. There's something I want to check out on this blackmail letter Miss Vance received.

Midori: Acknowledged.

He did some scribbling on the blackmail letter while I scoured the internet and the local paper. A few minutes later, he glanced up at me smugly.

Seth: My suspicions have been confirmed. An indentation of Simon Yamada's signature was left on the letter. Even if he didn't write this, we can be certain that this page was indeed from his own stationery. But why resort to blackmail if he's so rich--?

Midori: Not according to this gossip column. It seems that Yamada-san is quite the gambler. This insinuates that the only thing keeping his investments -- including the Hub -- afloat are the fundraising efforts done by his secretary, a Miss Naomi Snow.

Seth: Why don't we go to the Hub and pay Miss Snow a visit? Let's see what she has to say about all this.

So Seth had me disguised as a reporter doing a feature on the Hub. As luck would have had it, we immediately ran into Snow-san.

Naomi: Excuse me, but the club opens at 10 PM.

Midori: Ya don't say? You're Naomi Snow, right? Recognized ya from the paper. I'm uh... Maddie Moore from uh... Midnight Daily. Think ya can gimme an interview on the new fundraising event Mr. Yamada's cooked up?

Naomi: Always a pleasure! I'm glad the press has caught wind of this great event; I sent out PR materials a week ago but no one's really contacted me for a story--

Of course I had to let Snow-san talk on about their fundraiser. Her eyes lit up as she babbled on and on about Simon Yamada's visionary leadership; the woman obviously had it bad. I knew, though, that sooner or later I had to move in for the kill.

Midori: So, yeah, ya think Mr. Yamada's latest squeeze will be there? His new girl... uh, Scarlet Vance?

Naomi: Where did you hear that? Mr. Yamada and Miss Vance have absolutely nothing to do with each other. There are more things worthy of Mr. Yamada's time than that two-faced spoiled brat. Please do not mention a word of her in your paper -- having her name linked to Mr. Yamada's will certainly be his undoing. Well, if you'll excuse me...

Seth came up to me as Snow-san walked away.

Seth: She may have done her job to deny the rumors between Simon and Scarlet, but it looks like there's no love lost between her and our client, huh?

Midori: And let's not forget that as Simon's trusted secretary, she'd have unlimited access to that stationery.

Seth: But... Midnight Daily? That makes no sense at all. Was that the best you could come up with?

Midori: If you don't like it, then maybe you should do it next time.

Seth: Where did you get those hideous glasses anyway?

Midori: From your desk.

Seth: Oh. Okay.

I'm sure Seth of the I-made-certain-those-glasses-were-hidden fame would have my head once he gets wind that I am sharing the details of this case with you, but I don't care! I would love it if you were here with me every step of the way.

Midori