Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 560 Transparent Man

Pretending not to notice the two's surprised reactions, Fushimi Shika directly unlocked Horie Kei's handcuffs and led him away from the police station.

Genjiro Yuko came to her senses and realized that this was one of Fushimi Shika's strategies, such as lying about letting people go, waiting for Horie Kei to lower his guard, and then suddenly trying to extract information or launching a surprise attack to obtain crucial confessions...

But now Horie Kei left right in front of her, waving goodbye before he left, which seemed quite polite.

"We just let him go like that?" Yuan Yuzi felt baffled.

“Otherwise what? We have no evidence, and he refuses to confess,” Fushimi Shika paused, crossing his arms, “but if you’re willing to use torture to extract a confession, then it’s a different story…”

"No!" Yuan Yuzi immediately refused, as this violated her principles: "That's illegal!"

“I’m absolutely certain he’s the murderer,” Fushimi Shika urged. “Is that not enough?”

"No means no!" Yuan Yuzi shook her head repeatedly. "If he really is the murderer, I will catch him through legal means!"

"Good! That's ambitious! Then this arduous task is entrusted to you!" Fushimi Shika slapped her on the shoulder.

"Huh?" Gen Tamako was taken aback again.

“The culprit will definitely commit another crime next time. As long as you keep an eye on him and monitor him secretly, he will slip up sooner or later.” Fushimi Shika stood at the entrance of the police station, wrapped his trench coat tighter. It was autumn now, and he was only wearing two layers of clothing, so he was a little chilly.

“But what if the murderer isn’t him?” Gen Tamako asked instinctively.

“Well, you’re not at a loss either. At least you’ve eliminated one suspect. If the murderer commits another crime, you’ll be Horie Kei’s alibi.” Fushimi Shika strode into the police station.

Yuan Yuzi suddenly realized that this was exactly what Lu Jun had just mentioned as 'surveillance to catch someone in the act'.

It turns out that the purpose of releasing the man was to keep an eye on him; as long as they kept a close watch on him, they could make a breakthrough.

In an instant, three possible scenarios for surveillance flashed through Yuan Yuzi's mind:
In the first scenario, if Kei Horie did not commit the crime, and the murderer also did not commit another crime, and no fifth victim appeared in Sugamo for a long time, then Kei Horie is highly suspected.
In the second scenario, Horie Kei did not commit the crime, but the murderer committed the crime again, resulting in a fifth victim in Sugamo. At the time of the incident, Horie Kei was under the surveillance of Gentamako, which would eliminate Horie Kei as a suspect.
The third scenario is that Horie Kei commits the crime, and she catches him red-handed, solving the case in one fell swoop and achieving a great victory!

The more Yuan Yuzi thought about it, the better she felt that tailing was a good idea. Although it sounded very simple and lacked any technical skill, and there was no similar plot in TV dramas or mystery novels, it didn't stop it from being a good method.

She immediately realized there was a problem with this approach: "How can I keep watch 24 hours a day by myself? At least someone should take turns with me!"

Fushimi Shika had already entered the police station. He waved his hand and said, "Go find Watanabe Shun or Kazama Takusai. They're both very idle. They even get paid by me every month. It would be a waste not to let them work."

Yuan Yuzi grabbed him: "Then where are you going?"

Fushimi Shika said, "When I'm in a meeting, don't I have to report to Chief Murata? Even when I'm spying, I have to submit an application report!"

Genjiro then remembered about reporting on Mizutani Rika's social circle and quickly followed her into the conference room. They weren't too late; the meeting was only halfway through, so they joined in.

The atmosphere in the conference room could only be described as oppressive; every elite detective exuded an aura of 'pressure'. Everyone wore a somber expression, and even heavy breathing seemed abrupt.

Murata Anzu sat on the podium, summarizing the investigation reports from each group. Minamoto Tamako listened for a while, vaguely understanding why everyone was so dejected.

With only three days left until the deadline for solving the case, not a single suspect has been found in the police station.

If this continues, the Special Investigation Division will have no choice but to resort to the traditional skills of Japanese detectives: finding a criminal with a criminal record from the files to be a scapegoat.

If things really come to that, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department certainly won't give them a grand commendation. They'll probably just say, "The case was solved, that's enough," consider it a job done, quietly close the case, appease the politicians, and there won't be any reward. If the matter leaks out and attracts public attention, they might even lose their jobs.

By the time Murata Anzu finished her summary, Minamoto Tamako hadn't heard any of the detective teams find the suspect.

She secretly hoped that Chief Murata would notice her, as she and Fushimi Shika were the only detectives who had identified the suspect.

Maybe they are the Special Investigations Division's hope for solving the case!
Minamoto Yuko clenched her little fists, like a primary school student waiting for a red flower, eagerly hoping that Commander Murata would call on her and ask her how she identified the suspect.

In this way, she can present her flawless logical reasoning in front of all the detectives in the Special Investigations Division, leaving everyone speechless, winning applause, and making everyone look at her in a new light!
Unfortunately, after Murata finished reading, she readjusted the direction of the investigation, increased the workload of all the detectives, and finally asked Minamoto Tamako to supplement the investigation report on Mizutani Rika.

Yuan Yuzi quickly stood up and recited the detailed contents of her investigation over the past period, hoping that someone could ask about the follow-up investigation.

While she was giving her report, the other detectives were either texting or whispering among themselves, and even Chief Inspector Murata was organizing documents on her desk. They seemed to be listening, but they didn't appear to be paying attention.

Genji felt a deep sense of frustration, as if she had returned to the time when she was a patrol officer in Koban, Sugamo.

Fortunately, this feeling came and went quickly. She secretly made up her mind to catch the murderer herself and prove her strength to everyone!
As long as she is capable enough, no one will dare to look down at their phone when she speaks!
"As stated above, there were no abnormalities in Rika Mizutani's social circle during her lifetime. However, it is worth mentioning that I discovered other suspicious points during the investigation..."

As Minamoto Tamako was about to finish explaining her reasoning process, Murata An interrupted her, saying, "Everyone has limited time. We need to go investigate immediately after the meeting. Write down any suspicious points in the investigation report. I'll look at it when I have time."

“Yes,” Gen Tamako replied.

And just like that, the meeting ended abruptly.

Murata Anzu wasn't lying; all the detectives were extremely busy, and they didn't plan to sleep for the next three days. As soon as the meeting ended, they rushed downstairs to proceed with the next steps of the investigation.

Yuan Yuzi organized the investigation findings, compiled them into a report, and submitted it.

By the time she finished her work, it was just time to leave. Fushimi Shika packed up her things, clocked out on time, and as she passed Minamoto Tamako's workstation, she casually asked, "Are you going to keep watch tonight or rest for the night and work tomorrow?"

Yuan Yuzi was still sulking. She felt that the other detectives looked down on her, and she secretly wanted to solve the case on her own. She puffed out her cheeks and said, "I'll go keep watch in a bit."

"Okay, then I won't be making your portion for dinner tonight."

Fushimi Shika nodded and was about to slip away when Minamoto no Tamako grabbed him: "We're partners. If you don't go, how will we write the case report afterwards?"

“Just say I organized the investigation. Isn’t organizing and mobilizing people a merit?” Fushimi Shika said righteously. “Didn’t I send you to keep watch? Aren’t Kazama Takusai and Watanabe Shun my employees now? Didn’t I pay them out of my own pocket to work for me? Why can’t that be written into the case report?”

Yuan Yuzi listened in a daze, feeling that what he said made sense, but also feeling that something was not quite right.

Before she could react, Fushimi Shika pulled away from her small hand and hurriedly slipped away: "I'm leaving now. I'll take Sakura to school tomorrow. As the saying goes, women are in charge of external affairs and men are in charge of internal affairs. Working together makes the work easier, so you don't have to worry about things at home."

While Minamoto no Tamako was still trying to figure out how to retort, Fushimi Shika had already trotted away. She had no choice but to clock in for a field assignment and page Kazama-senpai and Watanabe-senpai, politely asking if they would be willing to help. Kazama Takusai readily agreed, but Watanabe Shun was less inclined.

Fortunately, Fushimi Shika had given prior notice that if he hadn't gone to keep watch, he would have been fired tonight and could no longer be considered a parasite in the company, slacking off and collecting a salary every day.

Somehow, Moriki Yalan found out about this and came to help. She didn't participate in the surveillance; her main responsibility was delivering meals. During their shift breaks, they would have a few drinks together, treating it like a picnic.

The four of them made an appointment online, and Yuan Yuzi drove to pick them up.

“We need a small truck for surveillance. Driving a Lexus is a bit too conspicuous,” Kazama Takusai reminded him.

“But I don’t have a small truck…” Yuan Yuzi was a little lost. She gripped the steering wheel with both hands, feeling somewhat bewildered.

Come to think of it, how could a famous detective not have a pickup truck for surveillance? A pink sedan and luxury cars are just too conspicuous!

It seems I'm still too amateurish and my cultivation is not up to par. I must be prepared at all times in life!

Watanabe Shun volunteered to borrow a small delivery truck from an izakaya (Japanese pub).

The vehicle's exterior is quite understated, with a thick layer of dust covering the glass and a "Fujix Tofu Shop" logo on the door, making it look like a small truck that you could see anywhere on the street.

The interior was a bit dirty, with a strong fishy smell, vegetable seeds in the corners, and the handlebars were covered in a patina.

Yuan Yuzi had no room for complaint, and to her surprise, Ya Lan didn't back down.

Ya-Lan is usually very clean, something she noticed when she worked in Sugamo. To avoid the dirty and chaotic environment, she even frequently skipped work.

Perhaps it was out of support for her that I held back.

Yuan Yuzi was touched, and her determination to solve the case became even stronger. She could not let her friend down!
She drove her small truck, carrying the three of them, to Horie Kei's workplace.

Kei Horie works at a convenience store. People with criminal records like him find it difficult to find stable jobs and can only do temporary work like at convenience stores.

Yuan Yuzi parked her car in front of the convenience store, and could see the store's entrance through the car window.

Inside the store, Kei Horie mechanically repeated the action of pasting price tags. His fingernails were stained with the grease from fast food rice balls, and the cuffs of his uniform were wrinkled from the steam from the hot beverage cabinet.

His pale face was reflected on the monitor screen next to the cashier. Occasionally, when a customer came in, he would give a stiff smile, bow, and say, "Welcome."

“I’ll take the first shift,” Kazama Takusai said, leaning against the car window. “You guys go to sleep first, I’ll wake up Jun tomorrow morning.”

Before coming, Minamoto no Tamako had prepared sleeping bags and instant food in the train carriage. It was only a little past eight o'clock, and none of them could sleep, so Watanabe Shun suggested that they drink and chat together.

Yuan Yuzi disagreed. They were on a mission and couldn't slack off. Even if she couldn't sleep, she had to force herself to. She pulled out her sleeping bag, crawled in, and leaned against the back seat first: "Everyone, get some rest. We need to stay energized so we won't lose focus while keeping watch."

"Okay." Watanabe Shun was a little unwilling, but he still obediently went to sleep.

The two crawled into their sleeping bags and nestled on either side of Genji. They closed their eyes, but couldn't fall asleep.

Yuan Yuzi vaguely heard the rustling sound of cockroaches crawling. She remembered Ya Lan's obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness, and couldn't help but open her eyes. She turned to Mori Mu Ya Lan and whispered, "Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?" Morigi Yaran asked.

"Thank you for coming to help, Ya Lan. Actually, you didn't need to come; the three of us were enough to keep watch," Yuan Yuzi said.

"You're welcome." Morigi Yalan paused, then lowered her voice and said, "Actually, this is quite good."

"Don't you find it tiring?" Gen Tamako asked.

“Of course it’s tough, but…” Moriki Ayara glanced at Kazama Takusai and said, “Tokyo is a cold city. The social distance between people is just too great. If you don’t live with people you know, you’ll feel very lonely.”

"Is that so?" Yuan Yuzi thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case; her colleagues at the police station always kept their distance.

Socializing in Japan is incredibly difficult.

"Go to sleep." Moriki Yalan closed her eyes again.

Yuan Yuzi nodded and forced herself to fall asleep.

She lay there for more than two hours. Horie Kei got off work halfway through, and Moriki Arashi got out of the car and followed him all the way to Horie Kei's residence. Finding nothing unusual, she took a detour to meet up with the others.

The small truck was parked on the street corner. Ideally, two vehicles should be used for surveillance of the workplace and the home address, but Watanabe Shun couldn't borrow a second small truck, so he had to make do with this one.

Genjiro slowly drifted off to sleep, only to be awakened early the next morning by the sound of a shift change. Kazama Takusai had Watanabe Shun get up and take over his post.

"Be careful, this person is a bit special," Kazama Takusai cautioned as he crawled into his sleeping bag.

Watanabe Shun yawned and asked, "What's so special about it?"

“Very ordinary.” Kazama Takusai lay down.

“Ha, what kind of characteristic is that…” Watanabe Toshimasa was saying when he suddenly sat up straight: “He went downstairs!”

The other three quickly sat up and looked out the car window.

It was rush hour, and the streets were full of pedestrians. There were high school students walking to school, office workers rushing to catch the tram, and some joggers. The streets were so busy that they didn't get to see Horie Kei.

"Where is he?" Morigi Yalan asked. "Are you sure he came downstairs?"

"I'm sure. He came out of the stairwell, but he disappeared in the blink of an eye." Watanabe Shun was a little panicked. He finally understood what 'very ordinary' meant.

(End of this chapter)