Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 520 A Corner of the Truth

Fushimi Shika hadn't finished his coffee yet and really didn't want to leave; he was planning to linger in the shop for the rest of the afternoon.

Genji Tamako wasn't about to comply and urged him to leave quickly. Now that Genji Tamako was the captain, the two little monster corporals had no choice but to obey her.

The three arrived at the police station. Ping Yingzi was eating ice cream on the way. She finished eating it just as she entered the police station, with a ring of cream stains still around her mouth.

Minamoto Tamako went to borrow some paper to wipe Hira Sakurako's mouth, while Fushimi Shika stood by with his hands in his pockets, looking around to see if the Sapporo Police Department had enough funds.

He felt that the Sapporo Police Station was significantly inferior to the Sugamo Police Station. The front desk was made of old wooden planks, there was no air conditioning in the station, only ceiling fans, and the display boards were covered in wear and tear, showing that they had been wiped down too many times over a long period of time.

Yes, Tokyo is still better. As the most economically developed region, its welfare system is significantly better than that of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

But to the other officers in the police station, this scene looked like a rich young lady bringing her family to inspect the place—they had thought that Miss Tamako was not married yet, but now it seemed that she clearly already had a child!

Both mother and daughter are adorable, especially when Miss Tamako wipes the child's mouth; she radiates maternal love.

That pretty boy is so lucky!
Fushimi Shika inexplicably sensed a hostility. He glanced around and noticed that the police officers seemed to be staring at him.

What's going on here?

Does the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department discriminate against its detectives?
I had heard that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department were at odds, and that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was basically an independent agency that looked down on the Tokyo Gold Watch Group. I thought this was an isolated case and that the general trend was to jointly crack down on yakuza gangs... But now it seems that the situation is not optimistic.

In other words, the Kujo family is a large and influential family in Hokkaido; otherwise, Minamoto no Tamako might not have been able to get into the police station to get involved in the case.

Yuan Yuzi didn't notice anything amiss. After wiping Ping Yingzi's mouth, she hurriedly led the two into the interrogation room without having time to greet the others.

The lawyer stayed in the meeting room with the suspect, Kujo Hikaru, and didn't seem to care about the length of his detention.

When Minamoto no Tamako arrived, the lawyer was already discussing with Kujo Hikaru what to do after his bail was granted; while Kujo Hikaru himself was eating a bento box, which was the standard meal at the police station.

Police officers generally refer to prisoners as "eating lunchboxes," mainly because prison meals are usually lunchboxes, much like eating boxed lunches at the Hong Kong police station.

When Yuan Yuzi was questioned, her lawyer strongly objected, claiming that he would sue the police for fatigue interrogation.

"Say what you will, the interrogation will now begin."

Minamoto no Tamako didn't care at all. She believed that the police should not be afraid of lawyers, and that what she had done had not violated the law at all... Kujo Hikaru was in good spirits, so how could it be considered a fatigue interrogation?
The lawyer stated that he must be present during the interrogation to prevent police from using torture to extract a confession. Yuan Yuzi, feeling she had nothing to hide, readily agreed that the lawyer could observe the proceedings.

Fushimi Shika wanted to stop her, but she wasn't as quick-witted as Minamoto Tamako, and could only remind her afterwards, "You should have found a way to get the lawyer out."

Yuan Yuzi was quite dissatisfied and asked in a low voice, "Why? We haven't done anything wrong. Do you think I look like someone who tortures people to extract confessions?"

Fushimi Shika looked at her with a meaningful gaze: "I'm not going to argue with you. You're the captain, so if you think it's okay, then it's okay."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yuzi felt vaguely uneasy, as if she had made a mistake.

But out of pride, she didn't say anything, pouting as she sat down in the presiding judge's seat, letting Fushimi Shika take notes beside her.

Since it was inconvenient for Hirako to enter the interrogation room, she could only rest outside temporarily. The Sapporo Police Station in Hokkaido was not as well-funded as the Tokyo Police Station, and the interrogation rooms did not have one-way glass; they were just ordinary small rooms.

Kujo Hikaru looks very young, probably in his early thirties, but he is actually forty years old, after all, he is of the same generation as Kujo Yui.

He wore frameless glasses, had neatly tousled hair, and a high nose bridge. His facial features were very similar to those of Kujo Yui, but he didn't have that world-weary air. Instead, he had a kind of aristocratic arrogance.

Right now, Kujo Hikaru is eating his bento, picking and choosing with his chopsticks, chewing with his mouth pursed, his eyes lowered, not looking directly at the interrogating police officer.

Genjiro made a fist, coughed lightly twice, and announced:

"We will now begin the formal interrogation. I am now in charge of the case, so let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point."

Hearing the girl's voice, Kujo Hikaru looked up and glanced at her. Seeing that the newcomer looked somewhat familiar, he asked with rice in his mouth, "Are you Yui's daughter?"

Gen Tamako said in a serious tone, "This is an interrogation room. There is no one's daughter here, only police officers and suspects."

Kujo Hikaru said "Oh" and then lowered his head: "Xiao Wei always causes trouble whenever she comes back. Even now that she's not here, she's still causing trouble for the family."

Yuan Yuzi found it grating. What was this "Little Wei, Little Wei"? Mom-chan is clearly your older sister, how could she call her own sister like that?

But considering that the man in front of her was her uncle, Gen Tamako didn't say anything harsh. Maintaining a businesslike attitude, she pretended not to hear Kujo Hikaru's words and asked on her own:

Where were you at 11 PM on the night of the incident?

Kujo Hikaru lowered his head again, picked out the green peppers he didn't want to eat with his chopsticks, and just left them on the table.

The lawyer interjected, "Mr. Kujo was resting at home that night. It's perfectly reasonable for him to be at home at 11 p.m.

Genji Tamako found it baffling: "Why doesn't he answer himself?"

The lawyer said, "Mr. Kujo has the right to remain silent and have his lawyer answer on his behalf."

Genji was taken aback. She turned to look at Fushimi Shika, who shrugged, indicating that he couldn't help her.

Well, now she knows why she kicked the lawyer out.

"Okay, can anyone prove that you were resting at home at the time?" Yuan Yuzi pressed.

The lawyer evaded the question: "Mr. Kujo has a very regular daily routine. Everyone who knows him knows that 11 p.m. is his private time..."

Yuan Yuzi couldn't help but interrupt, "I'm just asking if anyone can prove that he was indeed at home that night."

The lawyer then started dodging the issue, first saying that according to their daily routines, Kujo Hikaru must have been at home at the time, and then saying that the police should provide evidence to prove Kujo Hikaru's guilt, rather than asking Kujo Hikaru to provide evidence to prove his innocence.

Yuan Yuzi was completely bewildered and increasingly regretted having her lawyer involved in the interrogation.

Unable to continue the interrogation, she stepped down from her position as presiding judge, tugged at Fushimi-kun's sleeve, and prepared to close the door and release the deer.

Fushimi Shika had anticipated things would develop this way, and he muttered sarcastically, "What did I tell you?"

"Okay, okay, you're right... Hurry up! If you don't hurry, Kujo Hikaru will get away!" Gen Tamako urged, pushing him along.

Fushimi Shika reluctantly sat in the presiding judge's seat. He first made eye contact with the lawyer for a moment, who maintained a smile on his face; then he turned his gaze to Kujo Hikaru, who was still eating, and he didn't know whether the bento box was delicious or not.

"Ahem," Fushimi Shika said, his fingers interlaced, "I'll get straight to the point and not beat around the bush with you two."

The lawyer immediately chimed in, like a straight man in a comedy duo: "We had no intention of interfering with or delaying the investigation, nor did we take any actual actions. In fact, we have been cooperating with you both in your investigation of the truth..."

“Yes, that’s what I think too.” Fushimi Shika nodded.

The lawyer paused, taken aback, before continuing, "That's right, if you can understand, that would be wonderful..."

“But then again,” Fushimi Shika craned his neck to look at Kujo Hikaru, “there have been some rumors going around lately that have caught our attention.”

"Police can't solve cases based on rumors..."

Before the lawyer could finish speaking, Fushimi Shika interrupted in a very smug tone: "I heard that Mr. Kujo is incompetent and messed up all the companies that my father entrusted to him."

The lawyer was baffled: "What does this have to do with the murder case?"

"It's just casual conversation. Besides, I didn't say that. Everyone says it. They think Mr. Kujo is a parasite on the family, an incompetent good-for-nothing," Fushimi Shika said sarcastically.

The lawyer was even more baffled. Although he could let Fushimi Shika spout nonsense and drag things out until his detention period ended, he was, after all, a lawyer who had been paid, and he couldn't just stand by and watch the police humiliate his client.
"I must remind you, do not personally humiliate my client..."

Fushimi Shika waved his hand dismissively, interrupting casually, "It's just relaying! Is relaying something considered personal humiliation?"

Kujo Hikaru suddenly spoke up and asked, "Who said that?"

The lawyer turned around and realized that his client was in an unusual mood.

Kujo Hikaru was gripping chopsticks in his right hand, his neck was bright red, and the veins on his forehead were faintly visible. His lips were pursed tightly, almost forming a line.

wrong!

Just as the lawyer was trying to calm his client down, Fushimi Shika said, "I'm a police officer, how could I not respect witness privacy? Of course I can't tell you! But I can tell you some other things..."

"Don't listen to his nonsense, Mr. Kujo!" the lawyer quickly interrupted.

"Hey, how can you, as a lawyer, prevent a suspect from communicating normally with the police?" Fushimi Shika tapped the lawyer's nose with his finger and said, "Naughty boy, be careful your license gets revoked."

The lawyer was surprised again, realizing that this guy was not on the same level as that policewoman.

"I've also heard that Mr. Kujo is often led around by women. Although he appears strong and carefree on the surface, he actually often begs women in a humble manner in private..."

"Some people even witnessed Mr. Kujo bowing and apologizing to his lover! I heard the scene was quite embarrassing; Mr. Kujo almost knelt down before her..."

"Tsk tsk tsk, how can a man be manipulated by a woman?"

“Mr. Kujo, you are the eldest son of the Kujo family, how come you are sitting in an interrogation room now? How disappointed the head of the Kujo family must be in you…”

It's unclear whether Fushimi Shika's words offended Kujo Hikaru, or whether all of Fushimi Shika's words had hit Kujo Hikaru's sore spots, but he finally couldn't hold back and exploded.

"Shut up!!" Kujo Hikaru suddenly swung his arm, sweeping the bento box onto the ground.

"Oh dear, what's wrong?" Fushimi Shika said in a coaxing tone, "Are you angry? It was just chatting, it's not that serious..."

"You bastard! Who gave you the right to talk to me like that?!" Kujo Hikaru suddenly stood up.

"I've always spoken like this, is there a problem?" Fushimi Shika leaned closer, offering his face: "What? Are you going to hit me?"

Kujo Hikaru clenched his fist, startling the lawyer who quickly grabbed his arm: "Calm down, don't hit people! Absolutely don't hit people!"

“Tsk tsk, spineless.” Fushimi Shika shook his head, not giving the lawyer any leverage: “I was talking about myself, I didn’t mean anything against Mr. Kujo.”

"This is provocation!" the lawyer shouted.

“I can show you the transcript of the conversation. Which sentence was provocative?” Fushimi Shika retorted. “But Mr. Kujo, why are you acting like a child, getting angry at the drop of a hat?”

The lawyer, unable to reply for a moment, quickly leaned close to Kujou's ear and chirped, his expression and demeanor like that of a young wife trying to calm her husband down.

But Fushimi Shika kept stirring things up, making sarcastic remarks about Ichikawa Akira, claiming that Kujo Hikaru couldn't even control his lover and that his lover had slapped him in the face, which made him seem like a complete lackey.

He had figured out Kujo Hikaru's trigger point: 'male dignity'... Any insult to Kujo Hikaru's self-esteem as a man would provoke his rage.

In particular, he mentioned his father's disappointment in him, his lover's betrayal, his control over women, and his public image and prestige...

Just mentioning it will increase the rage of the nine light beams by 1.

Fushimi Shika deliberately kept his neck outstretched in a position to be hit, hoping that Kujo Hikaru would make his move quickly.

Even if Kujo Hikaru doesn't actually touch him, Fushimi Shika will fall to the ground in agony and wail, and his detention will be extended on charges of obstructing official business and assaulting a police officer, as long as Kujo Hikaru makes a waving gesture.

Unfortunately, Kujo Hikaru was already forty years old and not as impetuous as a young man. In addition, he was knowledgeable about the law, so he did not take action even when the incense was red.

Alas, what a pity.

When Fushimi Shika's first plan failed, he sat up straight and tried another. With a serious face, he said, "The police now have conclusive evidence that you killed Ichikawa Aki. Although you may not have committed the Kujo Yuka case, you absolutely cannot escape the charge of murdering Ichikawa Aki... I advise you to confess now, at least to reduce your sentence."

Kujo Hikaru turned to the lawyer, who asked, "What evidence?"

"I'm sorry, I can't disclose that," Fushimi Shika said.

The lawyer immediately understood and slightly shook his head at Kujo Hikaru, who understood and continued to remain silent.

"Still not giving up?" Fushimi Shika turned around and gave Minamoto Tamako a look, indicating that it was now her turn.

Unfortunately, Minamoto no Tamako wasn't cooperative enough with him. Seeing Fushimi Shika's gaze, she didn't understand what it meant and sat in the recording position, lost in thought.

Fushimi Shika had no choice but to lean closer and say frankly, "Tell me your reasoning, pretend you have evidence, and scare them a little."

Genji Tamako paused for a second, then asked, "What deduction? The Ichikawa Akira extortion case? That was just a motive, wasn't it?"

“That was my deduction. Don’t you call yourself a famous detective? Don’t you have any deductions of your own?” Fushimi Shika asked. “It’s your time to shine, so don’t mess it up!”

Minamoto Tamako wanted to say something more, but Fushimi Shika gently nudged her. He whispered in her ear, "As a future famous detective, you can't possibly fail to solve such a simple case, can you?"

Genji's expression changed slightly, and she turned around to ask, "Have you already deduced the truth?"

Fushimi Shika initially wanted to deny it, but then he realized something and changed his story:

“That’s right, I’m testing you now. If you can’t even see something this obvious, you don’t deserve to be the captain of the deduction team.”

After saying that, he pressed down on Gentamako's shoulders with both hands, forcing her to sit down in the presiding judge's seat.

Genji was a little dazed. She first glanced at Fushimi Shika, who shrugged, indicating that it was her turn to perform. Then she looked at Kujo Hikaru and the lawyer, who were staring at her with hostile eyes.

Now that she's a full-fledged criminal investigator, she naturally has the instincts and intuition of one.

Once you've seen enough suspects, you can tell from their eyes whether they feel guilty or not.

This is a matter of experience; as long as you handle cases carefully, you can summarize the patterns.

Gen Tamako could tell at a glance that Kujo Hikaru was bluffing.

He was indeed angry, but his anger stemmed from fear.

If Kujo Hikaru is indeed the murderer, how did he manage to commit crimes in two different locations simultaneously?
Gen Tamako's mind began to work out subconsciously; she didn't want to lose her position as the captain of the reasoning team no matter what.

Even if there are only two team members, even if Fushimi Shika and Hirako Sakura don't take it seriously, she doesn't want to lose this title.

Losing means she is regressing, and it means she is one step further away from her dream of becoming a famous detective.

At the same time, driven by her instinct to seek the truth, Minamoto no Tamako's curiosity reached its peak.

If her brain were a high-performance computer, its CPU would be rapidly heating up right now.

Fushimi Shika narrowed his eyes, carefully observing Minamoto no Tamako's state. The last time he saw Minamoto no Tamako with this expression was when he was profiling her at the Sugamo apartment.

Kujo Hikaru was already getting impatient and couldn't help but slam her hand on the table: "You're just wasting time, babbling on and on, it's so annoying! I can't even eat anymore!"

The lawyer chimed in, "A prolonged interrogation raises suspicions of interrogation due to fatigue. We hope the two officers will not delay any longer..."

As he spoke, he tapped his watch and reminded everyone, "In ten minutes, the detention period will be up. The court has rejected the police station's application for an extension, and the person will be released soon. Let's all part ways amicably."

After speaking, the lawyer stood up first, indicating to the police officers that they could proceed with the formalities and prepare to release the person.

"Get out of here! You're just as annoying as your mother!" Kujo Hikaru shouted.

Minamoto no Tamako's eyes suddenly focused.

Her gaze fell on Kujou Hikaru, and as if in a daze, she murmured softly, "I understand... I know how you did it..."

"What?" The lawyer didn't hear clearly.

Fushimi Shika stood up abruptly, shoved the lawyer back down, and glared at Kujo Hikaru with a stern look, forcing the two to quiet down: "Listen quietly!"

Gen Tamako paused for a few seconds, as if sorting through the clues in her mind.

Normally, if she figured out the truth, she would definitely say a few cool things, but now she just wanted to get her reasoning process out as soon as possible.

"The key to the case lies with Yuka Kujo. She ran a flower shop on her own. Why did she close the flower shop due to health problems when she had no financial problems and had not sought medical treatment?"

Yuan Yuzi continued speaking to herself. Her voice was not loud, but her tone was exceptionally clear, possessing an inexplicable magic that made people unable to help but hold their breath and listen attentively.

"What occupational diseases might occur from running a shop? Do you have to lift heavy objects, such as flower pots or fertilizer? Moving them back and forth can indeed cause lumbar muscle strain, and it is reasonable to close down due to lumbar injury."

"However, her friend Ms. Owada said that Kujo Yuka had thought about becoming a caregiver—as a caregiver, one would definitely need to support patients, which means that her lumbar spine is still healthy."

"Then there is another possibility, which is pollen allergy."

As Genji Tamako spoke, Kujo Hikaru's eyelids twitched slightly. Just as he was about to interrupt, Fushimi Shika suddenly grabbed his chin, looked down at him over the table, and whispered, "I told you to be quiet. Can't you understand human language?"

Kujo Hikaru's face contorted in pain, a sharp pain shooting through his chin as if it were being crushed.

The lawyer wanted to say something to stall for time as much as possible, but Fushimi Shika turned around and glared at him, his pupils gleaming menacingly against the light of the incandescent bulb. The lawyer's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately swallowed the words he was about to say.

Yuan Yuzi saw it, but didn't pay attention. Her mind was already too busy to process visual information—she was still organizing the case clues, piecing them together, and gradually reconstructing the truth.

"Ms. Owada also mentioned that Kujo Yuka once lamented that she 'hates autumn.' Since it didn't specifically refer to autumn in Ichikawa, it's very likely that she 'hates the flowers that bloom in autumn.'"

"By extension, the reason why Kujou Yuka hates autumn is most likely because she suffers from a pollen allergy to a specific flower—she couldn't possibly have a severe pollen allergy, otherwise she wouldn't have chosen to open a flower shop."

"This flower usually blooms in autumn, which is its seasonal bloom, so Kujo Yuka will choose to close its doors during this period..."

Before Minamoto no Tamako could finish speaking, Fushimi Shika guessed what she was thinking. He immediately released Kujou Hikaru, opened the interrogation room door, and shouted for the detectives to retrieve Kujou Yuka's medical records.

The archivist was prepared. The entire police station was currently overwhelmed with these two cases, and upon hearing that medical records were needed, he rushed over with both hands.

Fushimi Shika snatched it, quickly flipped through it, tapped his fingers, and said, "I've got it, chrysanthemum allergy."

The last missing piece of the puzzle in Minamoto no Tamako's mind was finally pieced together, and she felt a sense of enlightenment. She continued, "Back then, Kujou Yuka went to a Japanese restaurant, and there were flower arrangements there. The type was chrysanthemum, which caused Kujou Yuka's allergic reaction... How could someone with pollen allergy be in the mood to eat properly?"

"Furthermore, according to the waiter's eyewitness testimony, Kujo Yuka was eating very heartily at the time, which means..."

Genjiro slowly turned her head, met Fushimi Shika's gaze, and stated her final conclusion: "The woman who went to the restaurant to eat at that time was not Kujou Yuka herself."

——Clang!
Kujo Hikaru suddenly stood up, knocking over a chair, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

(End of this chapter)