Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 523 Speculations After the Truth
After agreeing on the compensation, Kujo Mutsumi then shifted the topic to the final stages of the case.

"Tamako, you are, after all, a serving detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. If you were to close the case, there's no guarantee that the Sapporo Police Department wouldn't have objections."

"As for Fushimi-kun, there's no need to say more. After all, you don't even share the surname Kujo, and you have shady dealings with the fishermen at the docks. The local police's opinion of you is complicated..."

“Therefore, let’s leave this case to the Sapporo Police Department to handle.” Kujo Mutsumi stood up and shook hands with Fushimi Shika and Minamoto Tamako, saying, “Thank you both for your hard work.”

Yuan Yuzi felt that she could understand her grandfather's difficulties.

Everyone wants to make a contribution when solving cases! As an outsider, she not only usurped the position, but also solved the problem in Sapporo itself. Where does that leave the Sapporo detectives' reputation?

Besides, the merits she made in Hokkaido wouldn't be recognized when she returned to Tokyo... Even the case files are in Hokkaido's independent system, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department wouldn't even receive news that she solved the case.

Since that's the case, it's better to keep a low profile and let others take the credit.

"It's not hard work, it's all part of my job," said Yuan Yuzi, holding her grandfather's hand.

Fushimi Shika didn't know how Minamoto no Tamako understood it, but he was certain that her understanding was flawed. He coughed and asked, "What does the Sapporo Police Department plan to do with Kujo Hikaru?"

“Of course, it will be handled according to the law,” said Mutsumi Kujo.

Fushimi Shika nodded and said, "In that case, I can rest assured."

Kujo Mutsu thought that his words meant he had compromised, and a smile appeared on his face. He amiably called the butler in and began to prepare dinner, asking Fushimi Shika and the others to stay for the afternoon and have dinner before leaving.

Fushimi Shika had no objection; he had come to Hokkaido to see the head of the family. Minamoto Tamako also readily agreed, feeling that the matter of their relationship was now a sure thing, and that her grandfather would no longer object to her dating Fushimi-kun.

As for Hira Sakurako, her opinion is unimportant, and she almost never expresses her opinion outside of official circles.

The housekeeper and several maids set up the restaurant.

After gesturing for everyone to be seated, Kujo Mutsumi personally opened the refrigerator in the corner of the restaurant and took out an exquisite wooden box.

“These are sea urchins that were just delivered from Hakodate yesterday,” he said, opening the box to reveal the plump, golden sea urchin meat inside. “Now is the season when they are at their fattest.”

Fushimi Shika noticed that the containers for the sea urchins were glass goblets with cracked ice patterns, with crushed ice at the bottom, and each goblet was equipped with a specially made seashell spoon.

The maids brought out other dishes one after another: the steaming Ishikari hot pot was made with salmon caught that day, and the broth had a faint miso aroma; the charcoal-grilled king crab legs were neatly arranged on a bamboo tray, and the crab shells had an enticing orange-red color.

"Taste this."

Kujo Mutsu gestured to the butler to pour a small amount of amber liquid into each person's small dish: "This is a seasoning sauce made from Rishiri kelp, perfect for pairing with seafood."

Genji took a sniff out of curiosity and discovered that the seasoning sauce had a salty and umami flavor reminiscent of the sea breeze, with a subtle hint of wasabi spiciness.

A bowl of milky white soup was specially placed in front of Hirako. The butler explained in a low voice, "This is corn soup made with fresh milk from ranches near Sapporo."

After exchanging a few polite words, Fushimi Shika and Minamoto no Tamako, following protocol, clasped their hands together and said in unison, "Let's begin!"

The three of them picked up their chopsticks at the same time, ready to dig in, when suddenly a commotion came from outside the door, and someone was vaguely shouting, "Let me see my father!"

Then came the sound of hurried footsteps, and someone said through the sliding door, "The master is receiving guests. Take the young master back to his room."

The shouts turned into muffled 'whoosh' sounds, as if something heavy was being dragged away, struggling and thrashing about all the way.

Gen Tamako held her chopsticks in her small hands, staring up at the sliding door. She listened for a long time, seemingly lost in thought. Only when there was no more movement outside did she come to her senses and ask in confusion, "Eh? Was that Kujou Hikari?"

Fushimi Shika recognized it too; it was Kujo Hikaru's voice.

“Of course not,” Kujo Mutsu smiled and served her some food. “That’s another unfilial son of mine, just as unruly. I guess he heard about Hikaru’s plight and came to me to plead for him.”

"I see!" Yuan Yuzi put on a serious face: "This won't do! The law does not tolerate favoritism. How could he have such thoughts? We need to strengthen legal education!"

"Yes Yes Yes."

Kujo Mutsu nodded to the side, constantly picking up food with his chopsticks, just like he was drinking with his boss.

This little incident passed quickly, and no one paid it any mind except for Fushimi Shika.

After the three of them finished their main course, the maid pushed in a serving cart with three wooden barrels of different sizes on it.

The butler lifted the smallest lid, revealing a white solid that emitted a chill, and introduced it as, “Cream from the Tokachi Plain, served with Yubari melon and a secret sweet sauce.”

After saying that, he cut off a piece.

Yuan Yuzi licked her lips. She loved desserts the most. She craned her neck to look and saw that the cross-section of the white square showed the honeydew melon sliced ​​into paper-thin fan shapes, which shimmered with a translucent orange-yellow luster under the light.

The butler helped distribute the desserts, and Fushimi Shika smacked his lips as he ate. He was doing it on purpose, trying to use his tongue to extract the recipe so he could make it himself when he got back.

As dusk settled over Sapporo outside the window, everyone enjoyed the meal, completely unlike the awkwardness and formality of the previous time.

As the sun set and the moon rose, Genji Tamako declined her grandfather's invitation to stay the night and took her leave with Fushimi Shika and Hirako.

She still prefers to sleep in her grandfather's old house, where she can hear the sound of the waves every night.

The housekeeper personally drove the three of them home, saving them the trouble of taking a taxi.

Fushimi Shika rolled down the car window and leaned against the door to digest his meal. The autumn evening breeze rushed in, blowing with exceptional comfort.

The butler drove the car slowly through the front yard and turned at the gate. At that moment, Fushimi Shika could vaguely sense that someone was watching him.

He leaned against the car window with one hand and looked up following his sixth sense. The Kujo mansion was hidden in the darkness, but the lights inside the window were already on. He saw a figure standing at the fourth-floor window, and the figure flashed past him in the same instant he looked up.

Fushimi Shika sensed a subtle malice.

The next second, the car drove past the intersection, and the wall blocked his view; he could only see the roof of the Kujo mansion.

Fushimi Shika withdrew his gaze and turned to ask the butler, "Speaking of which, how many children does the Kujo family have?"

The butler glanced at the rearview mirror and said, "The head of the family has four children. Miss Tamako's mother is the eldest daughter; next is Young Master Hikaru, the eldest son; then comes Kujo Takeshi, who has four daughters; and the youngest young master is Kujo Ryo, who has been studying in the United States and recently returned home..."

He paused for a moment: "These are all direct descendants. As for the relatives further away, there are too many to list."

Yuan Yuzi could never remember how many relatives she had, not because she had a bad memory, but because she simply didn't bother to remember them.

As the housekeeper mentioned her uncles, Gen Tamako gradually began to match their faces and names in her mind.

“Oh! Uncle Yi is a very nice person. He always speaks softly. Everyone says he doesn’t look like a member of the Kujo family… Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s not related by blood. He does look a lot like my maternal grandfather…”

"Uncle Liang, it feels like ages since I last saw him. I remember he was very rebellious and often argued with his family. I never expected him to get into a university abroad. He must have studied really hard..."

“Those female cousins ​​are so annoying. They chatter on and on, and they have no sense of responsibility. Once during a small family gathering for Chinese New Year, they dragged me to play hide-and-seek, but I hid so well that they abandoned me and went home…”

Minamoto no Tamako muttered to herself as she introduced her relatives to Fushimi Shika.

The butler ignored Miss Tamako's revelation of her past, focusing on driving for a while. Once Tamako finished her rambling and Fushimi Shika had no further questions, he subtly inquired, "If Mr. Fushimi is interested, I can suggest the head of the family arrange a dinner so we can meet and get to know each other..."

Before Fushimi Shika could speak, Minamoto Tamako put on a bitter face and said in a drawn-out tone, "Eh—we're probably too busy lately to come."

Dealing with just one maternal grandfather is already exhausting; if a few more relatives come along and start pointing fingers and nitpicking, how can anyone live like that?

Yuan Yuzi didn't like visiting relatives, so she had a clever idea and told a clumsy little lie to get out of it.

The butler smiled and nodded in agreement, not mentioning the matter again. They didn't chat any more on the way; Genji and Hirako sat to digest their food, not wanting to speak either.

After arriving home, the three bid farewell to the housekeeper and went into the courtyard to take a bath and rest.

Minamoto no Tamako and Hirako washed first, and after they finished, it was Fushimi Shika's turn.

Fushimi Shika sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, his head against the wall, thinking about all sorts of random things.

The sound of rushing water came from the direction of the bathroom, occasionally interspersed with the muffled voices of Minamoto no Tamako and Hirae Sakurako. He stared at the moldy patch in the corner of the ceiling, shaped like a crow with a crooked neck.

The wooden partition wasn't soundproof, and he could clearly hear the squeaking sound of the plastic bottle being squeezed, probably from Gentama squeezing out shampoo.

The ventilation fan at the end of the corridor turned slowly, sending the scent of damp shower gel to his nose.

It smells like mint mixed with citrus.

Fushimi Shika unconsciously rubbed the rough edges of the floorboard seam with his thumb until he heard Minamoto Tamako exclaim, "Sakurako, don't suddenly turn off the light!"

The bathroom door opened a crack, and billowing white steam poured out. Hira Sakurako, wrapped in a large towel, ran barefoot down the hallway, leaving a trail of wet footprints.

Fushimi Shika turned her face away and heard the frantic movements of Minamoto Tamako grabbing a towel, and her muffled shouts through the door: "Wait five more minutes! I'll be right there!"

Five minutes later, Minamoto no Tamako, still in her pajamas, urged Fushimi Shika to take a shower. Fushimi Shika responded with a sound of agreement, but did not move.

She was about to blow-dry her hair when she glanced at Fushimi Shika and sensed that the vice-captain was in a bad mood, so she asked, "What's wrong? Is your stomach bloated?"

“No,” Fushimi Shika said, “I was just thinking about something.”

"What's wrong?" Yuan Yuzi sensed that he was a bit serious, so she turned off the hair dryer.

"Tell me, which of your children will your grandfather pass the position of head of the family to?" Fushimi Shika suddenly asked.

"It doesn't matter, does it? It's not like it'll be passed on to me anyway." Yuan Yuzi felt that this guy's greed had returned. He was already doing very well to get fifty million, but now he was even eyeing the position of family head.

"That's strange. Doesn't your mother care about this either?" Fushimi Shika asked again. "Yeah, she doesn't like going back to her hometown either, and she often argues with her grandfather." Minamoto Tamako turned on the hairdryer again, feeling that Fushimi Shika was talking about trivial matters.

“As a large family, succession should be the most important thing, right?” Fushimi Shika stroked his chin, his thoughts becoming increasingly complicated. “I was just thinking that Kujo Hikaru’s motive for murder is very strange.”

"What's strange about it?" Gen Tamako asked.

“I can understand him killing his lover, since Ichikawa Akira was the one who blackmailed him first; but why did he kill his wife?” Fushimi Shika asked, his fingers interlaced on his knees. “If it was for an affair, he was already openly having one, so why would he risk killing someone?”

“This…” Yuan Yuzi was stunned.

"Secondly, there's something questionable about Kujo Hikaru's motive for killing Ichikawa Aki." Fushimi Shika continued, "We deduced from Ichikawa Aki's unusual income that she extorted money from Kujo Hikaru... So, let's think about it from another angle: what exactly did Ichikawa Aki have against Kujo Hikaru to extort so much money?"

Yuan Yuzi hadn't really thought about this question in detail. She wasn't good at speculating on other people's motives, and after thinking about it for a while, she still couldn't come to a conclusion. So she simply asked in return, "What do you think?"

Fushimi Shika did not answer, but sighed, "That was a mansion worth thirty million yen! You and I personally sent Kujo Hikaru to prison, ruining his promising life, and we only got twenty-five million yen each... What exactly was the leverage that made Kujo Hikaru have to kill someone to cover it up?"

Genji Tamako's curiosity was piqued. Forgetting to dry her hair, with a towel on her head, she casually pulled out her pipe and began to ponder: "Could it be that Kujo Hikaru killed someone before? Did Miss Ichikawa find out about this and use it to blackmail him?"

Fushimi Shika retorted, "How could Miss Ichikawa possibly know such a thing? Even if she did, what use is just words without evidence?"

Gentama thought it made sense and guessed, "Could it be that she is pregnant with Kujo Hikaru's child?" Before Fushimi Shika could speak, Gentama denied the guess: "Impossible, impossible. It's just an illegitimate child. It's not like she would kill someone to cover it up."

She then listed three or four more guesses, which were either rejected by Fushimi Shika or she herself felt were unreasonable.

Yuan Yuzi grew increasingly frustrated, rubbing her head with a bath towel: "Ugh! It seems there are still some doubts in this case. We shouldn't close it so hastily; we must continue the investigation!"

As she spoke, she stood up, intending to change her clothes and hurry to the police station to interrogate Kujo Hikaru and find out his motive for murder; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep.

Fushimi Shika suddenly said, "I have a guess, which came to me on the way back."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yuzi felt it was the same familiar formula and flavor, but she still couldn't help but bite the bait again, falling for it once more: "What guess?"

"It's not confirmed yet, I won't tell you." Fushimi Shika stood up and said, "Okay, I'm going to take a shower."

Minamoto Tamako wanted to smash the hairdryer in anger, but she quickly grabbed Fushimi Shika and said, "No! Why keep us in suspense? Just tell us your reasoning! Let's brainstorm together, that's the spirit of teamwork a reasoning team should have!"

Fushimi Shika glanced at him sideways and asked, "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Gen Tamako nodded: "Of course!"

Fushimi Shika thought for a moment. In the past, he would never have told Minamoto no Tamako. But things were different now. Minamoto no Tamako was now the person he trusted the most, and if he didn't tell her, he would have no one else to confide in.

Just in case, Fushimi Shika made a disclaimer beforehand: "Let me make it clear first, this is just my 'personal speculation,' a subjective conjecture, and should not be taken as fact at all."

"Okay, okay, hurry up and tell me." Gen Tamako completely ignored her.

Fushimi Shika crossed his arms and rested his chin on his hand, saying, "I think it was Kujo Mutsumi who sent his son to kill someone."

"?"

A huge question mark appeared above Genji's head.

She couldn't follow the train of thought in that sentence no matter what she did—"Kujo Mutsumi sent his son to kill someone"—the amount of information contained in those nine short words almost made her brain crash.

"W-why?" Minamoto no Tamako's first thought was that Fushimi-kun's stomach was bloated and his brain was fried: "If it was my grandfather's idea, then why would he ask us to find out about this?"

Seeing her blank expression, Fushimi Shika realized he had wasted his breath and waved his hand, saying, "I can't explain it to you. Think about it yourself."

Then, he quickly went to the balcony to get a change of clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

Gentama had no choice but to give up asking for the time being. She sat on the tatami mat drying her hair, listening to the buzzing of the hairdryer, her little brain thinking and thinking, but she couldn't come up with an answer.

Why?

No, that's not right!

Lu Jun just said that this is just his guess, and guesses don't need logic or facts... But then again, why would he think that way?
Minamoto no Tamako planned to wait until Fushimi Shika finished washing up, then drag him to the Sapporo Police Station for interrogation.

Now that Kujo Hikaru's charges have been confirmed, his detention period will naturally be extended. Even if a top lawyer comes, it won't make a difference; they will have time to conduct the trial at their leisure.

"Are you done yet?"

After finishing drying her hair, Gen Tamako urged him to hurry up at the bathroom door.

Taking a bath helps to soothe the mind, and hot water can relax capillaries. Fushimi Shika soaked in the bathtub for a while, putting all the messy things out of his mind, and his mood improved slightly. Then he heard Minamoto no Tamako urging him from outside the door.

"What?! Didn't you finish washing up?!" he shouted through the glass door.

"Hurry up and finish washing, then we'll go to the police station to interrogate Kujo Hikaru!" Gen Tamako replied.

"What can you do if he doesn't tell?" Fushimi Shika asked rhetorically.

"I...I can..." Gen Tamako really didn't have any good ideas, but she had a good partner: "I can let you interrogate me! You must have a way, right?"

Fushimi Shikashin said, "Interrogation my ass! I've already exceeded my workload for today and I need to rest properly: 'There's no way I can go; it's a waste of time. Kujo Hikaru won't cooperate with us.'"

"Really?" Gen Tamako suspected he was trying to slack off.

“Of course it’s true. He hates you so much he wants to bite you to death. How could he possibly cooperate with you?” Fushimi Shika pressed. “Can you guarantee he’ll get a reduced sentence?”

“This, sentencing is the judge’s business, how can I guarantee that…” Yuan Yuzi said.

"Then what's there to talk about? If I were Kujo Hikaru, I'd spit in your face." Fushimi Shika slid down, letting the hot water cover his neck.

Yeah, comfortable.

When Minamoto no Tamako recalled Kujo Hikaru's ferocious, snarling expression, she immediately lost the will to question him.

But she still wanted to find out Kujo Hikaru's motive for murder, and she wanted to know why Fushimi Shika said, "It was Kujo Mutsumi who made his son commit murder."

As a detective, you must relentlessly pursue the truth!

Fushimi Shika soaked in the bath for nearly twenty minutes, his skin turning a deep red, like a boiled shrimp. When he got out of the bathtub, his limbs felt a little weak.

He quickly changed his clothes, dried his hair with a towel, and pushed open the bathroom door.

Genjiro had been guarding the door like a cat. When she saw Fushimi Shika come out, she rushed over to ask what had happened.

After Fushimi Shika laid out the bedding and lay down, he felt something was missing. Then, remembering the custom of drinking milk after a bath, he waved his hand and said, "Go buy me a bottle of iced milk, and I'll tell you."

"Why don't you go by yourself?" Yuan Yuzi was a little unhappy. There was no reward for doing the work, so why should she run errands?

Fushimi Shika lay down and covered herself with the blanket, saying in a strained voice, "My throat is so dry, I can't speak... Oh right, not plain milk, it'll give me diarrhea. I want sweet milk, preferably strawberry or cantaloupe flavored."

Yuan Yuzi had no choice, since she needed their help, so she went to the convenience store by the slope and bought two bottles of breakfast milk.

Since Fushimi Shika wanted something cold, she scooped some ice cubes from the refrigerator, poured the milk and ice cubes into a glass, made a glass of chilled sweet milk, and brought it to Fushimi Shika.

“Here comes the milk,” said Yuan Yuzi, pouting.

Fushimi Shika reached out and took it, gulping down two mouthfuls. Sensing something was off, he frowned and asked, "Why is it walnut flavored?"

"The strawberry flavor just sold out." Gen Tamako licked her upper lip.

Fushimi Shika narrowed her eyes, not exposing her.

The walnut-flavored sweet milk was also good, with a slightly grainy and rich texture. He gulped it down in one go, let out a satisfied burp, and lay back down.

Gen Tamako knelt on his head, looked down at him, and asked, "Can you tell me now?"

Fushimi Shika lay flat on the bed, and from his perspective, he could see Minamoto no Tamako's hair falling down, enveloping the surroundings: "Actually, there's no other reason. You just need to think about what Kujo Hikari is missing?"

After pondering for a moment, Yuan Yuzi said, "It seems... he's missing a child? He's forty years old and doesn't have a single child, which is very abnormal. Maybe he has fertility problems."

Fushimi Shika found her thought process peculiar and couldn't help but sigh before asking, "Besides this?"

"It seems... that's all, right? He's so rich, he can have anything he wants, what could he possibly lack?" Yuan Yuzi didn't have a deep understanding of human desires and couldn't answer this simple question.

"Of course it's a lack of power."

Fushimi Shika paused, then continued, "As long as your grandfather lives, no matter how much money he earns, it's 'the Kujo family's money,' not 'his own money'... He's over forty years old; even if he were to enter politics, he'd need the support of a zaibatsu (financial conglomerate)."

Gen Tamako nodded thoughtfully, but she still didn't understand the cause-and-effect relationship: "So?"

Fushimi Shika answered, "Besides the power of the 'head of the family,' what else is there for him to pursue? In other words, only the power of the 'head of the family' would make him stop at nothing, spending money to avoid trouble, even killing to silence witnesses."

Yuan Yuzi realized something, and her face gradually turned pale: "So you think that Grandpa ordered him to do this? But... why? Grandpa had no motive to kill."

"That's true, maybe I'm overthinking it."

Fushimi Shika lay on the bed, saying this aloud, but in his heart he was thinking, 'That's not necessarily true.'

(End of this chapter)