Chapter 160
While Usuha Izuki and Kudo Yusaku were chatting, Sato Miwako suddenly exclaimed "Ah!"
"I understand!" she said happily. "It's B-ko! When A-ko came back and chatted with her at the cafe, she told her about the victim's door being unlocked and not turning on the lights herself. B-ko returned to kill the victim after separating from A-ko, and wrote that message on the wall to create an alibi for herself. The others had no need to write that message!"
Kudo Yusaku stopped his chat with Usuha Izuki and gently replied: "Correct, it's B-ko. If you remove the interference of that message, the case actually isn't that complicated."
For mystery novels, this was a very commonly used interference method, but sometimes people in the situation would react more slowly.
However, for a case that was only reported yesterday afternoon, with police continuously investigating the victim's relationships and possibly dividing attention to the drug-selling aspect, Sato Miwako had obviously felt something was off before but just hadn't reacted in time. Now that it was pointed out, she understood immediately—this efficiency wasn't slow at all.
"Ah, I accidentally fell into a mental trap. Thank you, Kudo-san, and Samukawa." Sato Miwako stood up and left briskly. "I'll go find the person right away. Excuse me!"
As she went out, Hagiwara Kenji was coming in and quickly stepped aside to let her pass.
"Good morning everyone... Kudo-san too, long time no see." Hagiwara Kenji smiled and greeted them, then apologetically said, "Though I'd love to catch up with you, on my way here I met Inspector Megure, who gave Shinryu and me a case. We need to leave now..."
Kudo Yusaku tactfully said: "No problem. I was just passing by anyway, and it's almost your work time, so I shouldn't continue disturbing you here. Please go ahead."
Usuha Izuki got up and gathered his things, following Hagiwara Kenji toward the parking garage.
Hagiwara Kenji was telling him: "I was thinking if you were late again today, I'd call you and have you go directly to the destination."
Usuha Izuki said lazily: "I don't arrive late every day."
Hagiwara Kenji looked at him speechlessly.
Averaging three late arrivals per week—he didn't believe that every time there just happened to be incidents finding Samukawa Shinryu when he was supposed to be at work... But Samukawa Shinryu was very efficient when handling cases, so these flaws could all be overlooked. Not to mention Inspector Megure, even the usually strict Section Chief Odagiri, who never showed a good face to his own son, turned a blind eye.
People in Criminal Investigation Division One had all received help from Samukawa Shinryu to some extent, so naturally they wouldn't spread rumors. Everyone could understand capable people having some special treatment, and if that person was Samukawa Shinryu, they could understand even more.
What use was arriving on time or even working overtime every day when a case was stuck for ten days or half a month without progress?
After two years, now everyone in Criminal Investigation Division One doubted not whether Samukawa Shinryu would become a corrupt cop or defect to some yakuza organization as a consultant, but mainly whether he might suddenly resign someday.
Especially when there was a period where Samukawa Shinryu arrived later and later each time, Criminal Investigation Division One was in panic. Wherever Hagiwara Kenji went, people asked him whether Samukawa Shinryu had recently expressed any intention to resign—please don't let that happen...
Even during New Year shrine visits, many colleagues prayed that Samukawa Shinryu would definitely work a few more years and not get bored and run away!
Usuha Izuki hadn't expected that while colleagues had stopped giving much suspicion value as everyone became familiar, after he'd worked for a full year, possibly worried his patience had reached its limit, colleagues' suspicion value actually increased daily—truly unexpected windfall...
The system kept praising him for choosing to be a police officer!
As long as he remained a police officer, even doing nothing all day, daily suspicion value growth was considerable. At this growth rate, he could earn enough points for exchange before the permanent residence permit unlock time.
He could completely slack off on the organization side!
But using this low-skill suspicion value farming method for too long would get boring, so Usuha Izuki would occasionally go to the organization side for a change of mood and to maintain his presence.
(Vodka: Won't anyone speak up for the organization?)
Of course, when encountering cases, though he found it boring, he would still work seriously.
Hagiwara Kenji was responsible for driving, and they drove all the way to an amusement park.
This amusement park wasn't very large in scale. More than the amusement park, it was actually more famous for the adjacent Tenshin University.
As soon as Usuha Izuki and the others arrived, they found that the Mobile Investigation Unit members at this scene were Officer Shima and Ibuki Ai.
"Wow, it's Samukawa and Hagiwara!" Ibuki Ai showed a brilliant smile. "Looks like we can make it to lunch today."
Hagiwara Kenji raised an eyebrow and smiled: "We meet again, you two. What's the victim's situation?"
Officer Shima very professionally got straight to the point: "An amusement park security guard, killed by a heavy blow to the back of the head. Time of death was around 2-3 AM. The scene is over here, follow me."
The group moved to the scene.
Hagiwara Kenji looked down to examine: "Reading glasses hanging on his forehead, flashlight dropped here—was he looking at something? ...Ah, there are tire tracks here. Was he checking a bicycle's license plate number?"
Bicycles in Japan need license plates, but being killed for checking a license plate number seemed extreme.
"The bike owner has problems." Usuha Izuki surveyed the scene, his mind racing. "The amusement park was already closed at this hour—what was he doing nearby with his bike parked here?"
"Shinryu, come look at this small part."
Usuha Izuki went over and glanced: "I'm guessing it fell when the bike lock chain was cut with pliers."
Hagiwara Kenji pondered: "I guess so too. Did he lose his keys? Where might he have lost them?"
Usuha Izuki looked around: "I'll check nearby. Kenji, I'll leave this side to you."
Hagiwara Kenji smiled and made an OK gesture: "No problem."
There were many things to see at the scene, so Hagiwara Kenji could study here for quite a while longer.
Though someone had died, closing for a day would cause too great a loss for the amusement park, so today the amusement park was still operating normally.
However, the amusement park manager was in a very unpleasant mood, sighing in his office.
Suddenly, the office phone rang. He quickly answered, but heard the caller say:
"I've planted a bomb in your Ferris wheel. Prepare 30 million by 12 o'clock, or the bomb will explode as soon as someone sits down. I suggest stopping the Ferris wheel immediately."
"Eh? Wait, that's absurd..."
"To prove I'm not lying, in 30 seconds, that giraffe-shaped ticket booth will explode... Don't worry, no one will be hurt—no one's selling tickets there today."
"Wait!"
But the other party had already hung up.
The manager broke out in sweat, calling police again while pulling open the curtains to look at that ticket booth.
Thirty seconds was really too short. Soon, a huge explosion echoed through the amusement park. Visitors were frightened and fled in all directions. If there hadn't been relatively few people today, it might have even caused a stampede.
Needless to say, Hagiwara Kenji soon arrived at the amusement park manager's office with the two familiar Mobile Investigation Unit members.
The broadcast had already explained the general situation. The manager was now wiping sweat and explaining in more detail to the police officers: "...That's how it was. It suddenly exploded—he really wasn't joking!"
"I see." Hagiwara Kenji's suspicions were confirmed. "The security guard discovered the culprit's car, possibly even saw the culprit directly, so he was silenced. Otherwise, when today's bombing case emerged, they could have traced the license plate number directly to find the person."
The manager wiped his sweat: "The Ferris wheel has stopped now. There are still a few people who haven't come down, and the broadcast is comforting those people's emotions."
Ibuki Ai looked through binoculars at the Ferris wheel: "Doesn't seem like many people..."
Hagiwara Kenji was still trying to locate: "When you got off work yesterday, which gondola of the Ferris wheel was closest to the ground?"
"We always stop at number one."
With the position confirmed, it would be easy to handle. Hagiwara Kenji was about to continue when he heard Ibuki Ai, who was observing the Ferris wheel, suddenly exclaim "Ah!"
"Samukawa is actually on the Ferris wheel too. Are we missing a helper?"
Hagiwara Kenji: "...???"
Almost simultaneously, Hagiwara Kenji's phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID was Samukawa Shinryu, Hagiwara Kenji quickly answered: "Shinryu? Are you on the Ferris wheel?"
"Yeah, I found a bomb."
Hagiwara Kenji: "..........."
—What kind of bizarre accident-prone constitution do you have... You really do appear wherever there are incidents?!