Disclaimer: Same old, same old.
Author's Notes: The usual stuff.
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Close Your Eyes
by Kristen Elizabeth
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"I've already been interviewed by my direct superiors."
Trowa Barton folded his hands on top of his desk. "So, I
don't really know how much help I can be to you."
The older detective cleared his throat. "Actually, we were
hoping to talk to you about Quatre Winner."
"Quatre?" Trowa lifted an eyebrow. "And you've
come to me?"
"Does that surprise you?" The younger detective flipped
through a file on Trowa's desk, only stopping when the man gave
him a cold look. "We've been told you and Mr. Winner are
close friends."
"*Were* close friends," Trowa corrected him.
"Why the *were*?"
"Why do you care?"
The other detective interrupted. "Mr. Barton, anything you
could tell us about Quatre Winner, specifically his relationship
with Miss Dorlian, would be greatly appreciated. We're not here
to pry into your personal life."
Trowa scowled. "You're doing a pretty good imitation of it."
There was a long pause. "Tell me what this has to do with
Yuy's murder and I'll tell you what I can about Quatre."
"This isn't a trade agreement, Mr. Barton."
"Those are my terms."
The two detectives gave in. "Fine," the older one said.
"We believe that Mr. Winner *might* have had something to
do with Mr. Yuy's death. But we don't have any concrete evidence
as of yet."
Trowa thought for a long minute. "The Quatre I knew wasn't
capable of cold-blooded murder."
"The Quatre you knew?"
"The old Quatre. My friend Quatre." Trowa took a breath
and let the next words tumble out of his mouth. "The Quatre
I loved." He shrugged. "It was going to come out eventually."
"So..." The younger detective cleared his throat. "What
happened?"
The Preventer sighed. "Relena Peacecraft...Dorlian. Whatever.
She's what happened."
"He fell in love with her?"
"Yes. But more than that, he fell in love with being Quatre
Winner."
The older detective frowned. "Could you clarify that one
a little?"
Trowa stood up. "The Quatre Winner who could take over his
father's colony and company couldn't be gay. Clarified enough
for you?"
"He chose the title over you?" The younger detective
crossed his arms. "That must have hurt."
There was a pause as Trowa looked out his office window. "I
would have done anything for him. But he said it was his responsibility.
And when Relena retreated from the world, he stopped speaking
to me altogether. I figured out that he had fallen in love with
her right away. And I got over it."
"Easy as that?"
"Easy as that."
The older detective looked down at his pad of paper on which he
had been taking notes. "So, the old Quater wasn't capable
of killing. But what about the new Quatre?"
Trowa turned around. "The same way I would have done anything
for him....he would do anything for her."
"Even kill?" the younger detective asked.
"He's killed more men than you could possibly imagine, Detective."
"I don't understand."
Trowa shook his head. "Not important. Is there anything else?"
"Just one more thing." The older detective looked up.
"Did you know that Mr. Yuy was dying?"
The Preventer looked back out the window. "The Mercurius
and the Vayeate."
"What are they?"
"Experiments," Trowa replied. "Experiments that
Yuy and I piloted."
The younger detective raised an eyebrow. "How does that answer
our question?"
Trowa continued, unconcerned with the details. "They added
a chemical into the air ventilation in the models....I doubt they
knew what it could do. Or maybe they did."
"And this chemical in this experiment...has something to
do with Yuy's cancer?"
The Preventer closed his eyes. "And mine." His eyes
opened. "If you don't have anymore questions..."
"No." The older detective lowered his head. "Thank
you for your help, Mr. Barton. And...I'm sorry." He grabbed
his partner's sleeve and made a quick exit, leaving Trowa to stare
out the window.
Once they were in the hallway, the younger detective let out a
breath. "Guy's got rough luck. So, now what?"
The older detective scratched the back of his head. "Time
for another chat with Ms. Dorlian."
****
To Be Continued