Chapter 210
Hagiwara Kenji was at the Metropolitan Police, eating lunch with Matsuda Jinpei. They were eating just fine when Matsuda Jinpei across from him suddenly sighed.
"Spill it. What's Samukawa done now?"
Hagiwara Kenji snapped back to attention: "What?"
Matsuda Jinpei said: "Seeing you so distracted while eating, did Samukawa violate some regulation again and get called upstairs for questioning?"
It wasn't the first time. For various reasons, when encountering such situations, the people from Criminal Investigation Division One would speak with one voice to find excuses for Samukawa Shinryu or simply hide the matter.
But normally, regardless of anything else, Samukawa Shinryu would still eat during meal times. Today, even though he hadn't requested leave, he didn't come to eat. As his partner, Hagiwara Kenji wasn't with him either. It looked like there was something that specifically required finding Samukawa Shinryu alone. Matsuda Jinpei felt his speculation was quite reasonable.
Hagiwara Kenji was exasperated: "Can't you think of something good about him for once?"
Matsuda Jinpei snorted: "Ask me again after he can clock in on time for a whole week straight."
Hagiwara Kenji was stumped.
Just then, Matsuda Jinpei's phone suddenly rang. He answered the call, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper: "Explosion? Abandoned building? How so sudden... Are there casualties?"
Hagiwara Kenji's expression also became serious.
He wanted to listen more when Inspector Megure suddenly ran over: "Ah! Hagiwara-kun, you're still at the Metropolitan Police! Thank goodness!"
"...?" Hagiwara Kenji had an ominous premonition: "What's wrong, Inspector Megure?"
Inspector Megure coughed: "Well, Samukawa-kun just called saying he caught Plamia, but the person is already dead, so he wants us to come over since there might be remaining bombs... The address is here..."
Hagiwara Kenji: "..........."
Matsuda Jinpei, still on the phone: "..........."
Inspector Megure was in a hurry since he also had to go to the scene. After giving instructions, he left hastily, leaving behind the somewhat dazed Hagiwara Kenji, whose brain suddenly flashed back to recent memories.
That gun he deliberately brought... Plamia was already dead... good thing...
Hagiwara Kenji stood up with a dark expression, instinctively reaching for his pocket to find his car keys, but came up empty.
He guessed he might have left them on his office desk and was too lazy to make another trip, so he directly asked: "Jinpei, did you bring your car keys?"
He wasn't even using his usual nickname...
Matsuda Jinpei understood that Hagiwara Kenji was in a very tense mental state and directly led the way: "Let's go, we're heading to the same destination anyway."
Although it was Matsuda Jinpei's car, Hagiwara Kenji took the driver's seat, put the police siren on the roof, and without waiting for Matsuda Jinpei to fasten his seatbelt, legally started speeding.
"Calm down!" Matsuda Jinpei quickly fastened his seatbelt.
Hagiwara Kenji stared ahead: "Call him."
Matsuda Jinpei took out his phone: "I'm calling, I'm calling... Hello? Samukawa?! Are you alright?"
He hadn't expected to get through so quickly. Matsuda Jinpei was embarrassed to admit he had guessed Samukawa Shinryu would turn off his phone and only turn it on after everyone had calmed down.
Matsuda Jinpei put it on speaker.
Samukawa Shinryu's voice came through clearly: "I'm fine. I guessed she would detonate and prepared in advance."
"It was really Plamia?" Matsuda Jinpei asked.
"Yes, we talked. I can confirm it."
Hagiwara Kenji's driving speed slowed down slightly. Although still speeding, it was a police car, so it didn't matter. The main thing was being safer: "What's her condition now?"
"Hmm, she fell from mid-air. The building wasn't very high, but she's definitely dead."
Samukawa Shinryu's voice carried slight electrical static, with an inorganic cold indifference: "This was her own miscalculation. If she had detonated later, she wouldn't have been caught in the blast."
...A bomber being killed by her own bomb was somewhat absurd, but since Samukawa Shinryu dared to say this, it should be close to the truth the police could investigate. Anyway, it was much better than the worst-case scenario Hagiwara Kenji had imagined.
Hagiwara Kenji asked again: "How did you discover Plamia?"
"I encountered her yesterday while looking for that fugitive." Samukawa Shinryu said casually, "But yesterday was on a commercial street, not very convenient, so I used some verbal tactics to arrange a meeting here."
So this guy had planned everything for today since yesterday, then didn't mention a single word about it...!
Hagiwara Kenji silently took a deep breath: "Couldn't you have told me?"
"Taking you along would have alerted her." Samukawa Shinryu said, "As long as the result is good, don't worry about the details."
Hagiwara Kenji: "..........."
Here it was again, this unilateral decision-making attitude...
Regardless, after this phone call, confirming some details, Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei were somewhat reassured and their emotions stabilized considerably.
However, after Matsuda Jinpei hung up and was silent for a while, he suddenly remembered something and couldn't help repeating what Hagiwara Kenji had said earlier in the restaurant: "'Can't you think of something good about him for once?'"
Hagiwara Kenji: "...Isn't Plamia being caught a good thing?"
"That's very much in Samukawa's style." Matsuda Jinpei nodded. "I bet he'll brush you off like this later too."
Hagiwara Kenji instantly recalled Samukawa Shinryu's "good thing" comment before leaving at noon and fell into silence.
...Terrible, he could already imagine how little Shinryu would twist words and change concepts.
Looking like a cold, aloof guy, but with unparalleled skills in twisting words and changing concepts that ordinary people probably couldn't dream of.
Under Hagiwara Kenji's speeding, they finally arrived at the scene.
Plamia's capture was a major international event. The Metropolitan Police took it seriously and quite a few people had already arrived.
As soon as Hagiwara Kenji got out of the car, he asked the officer setting up the police tape where Samukawa Shinryu was. After finding him, he discovered the other party was talking with Inspector Megure.
"...Although she was a criminal, I was the one who caused her death after all. If she hadn't been so nervous, she might not have made such a mistake. Plus, this is an internationally watched major case. With such problems arising, I feel I need to take responsibility. This time, please don't make any excuses for me. I will resign to take responsibility."
Such sincere words would probably make any uninformed listener think this was an upright and responsible police officer who valued everyone's lives so much—including criminals'—that seeing a criminal die in front of him made him blame himself.
But hearing these words, Hagiwara Kenji seemed to finally realize something. His originally serious and worried expression instantly became expressionless. He narrowed his eyes and silently looked toward Inspector Megure.
He saw that Inspector Megure's small eyes were now filled with the wisdom of seeing through everything.
Faced with Samukawa Shinryu's very reasonable words, he looked completely unmoved, even faintly showing an expression that said "let's see what else you can make up."
After Samukawa Shinryu finished his prepared lines, he stared at Inspector Megure, seemingly expecting him to give him face and cheerfully reply "no problem" like when he had requested leave before.
Inspector Megure had been his superior for two years and had somewhat built up immunity to Samukawa Shinryu's constant pressure. He bravely withstood his eye attack and said rationally and calmly: "Rejected."
Samukawa Shinryu: "..........."
"The current scene situation hasn't been thoroughly investigated yet. What specific responsibility you should bear is also unclear. Maybe there's no responsibility at all. Talking about resignation now is too early."
Inspector Megure not only refused to take that blame-accepting bait but even began frantically giving Samukawa Shinryu high praise, clearly intending to treat him as a hero regardless of the person's refusal: "Regardless, you're now a great contributor. Dealing with such a vicious criminal, barely escaping with your life—you've already worked very hard. Go back and rest now. We don't need you here."
Samukawa Shinryu was silent for a moment, seemingly unable to accept that even after all this, his resignation had failed: "...Inspector, I fired a shot this time."
"Hmm, was it a fatal wound?"
"No, but I remember 90% of Japanese police never fire their guns before retirement. I had no application and acted without authorization..."
"That's not important. You were defending yourself too. I understand. The report can be filled out later... I'll write it for you, no need to trouble you. Just go back and rest. I'll handle the rest!"
After tormenting his Criminal Investigation Division One colleagues, finally, even Inspector Megure, who was Samukawa Shinryu's superior, couldn't escape and became one of Samukawa Shinryu's ghostwriters. But he was willing.
Looking at Samukawa Shinryu's somewhat speechless expression, Inspector Megure chuckled inwardly.
So that's why Samukawa Shinryu didn't call anyone else and insisted on facing Plamia alone, even making such a big scene—it was because he thought this would be more manipulable and convenient for finding excuses to resign...
Are you kidding? Even if it turned out Samukawa Shinryu killed Plamia, he could work it so that Samukawa Shinryu would get two months off... no, two months of reflection before returning!!!
Japanese police didn't usually use guns, but Plamia was an internationally wanted criminal, extremely vicious. When our police were forced into a situation where they would die if they didn't act, what's wrong with killing her?!
He even wanted to give Samukawa Shinryu a commendation!!! He'd apply to the department head as soon as he got back!!!