Chapter 148

While Shiratori Ninzaburo was searching headquarters and organizing documents, his phone suddenly vibrated.

He glanced at it and saw it was an unfamiliar number. Confused, he answered, "Hello?"

“Officer… I’m a nurse under Dr. Omuro… I heard you’re investigating Ms. Fukasawa and her brother, is that right?”

Shiratori Ninzaburo, who was still a bit sleepy, immediately perked up upon hearing this: "Yes, do you have any information you'd like to provide?"

The attending physician was unresponsive, but it seemed they couldn't get any important information out of him. As a mental patient confined in a hospital, Ms. Fukasawa probably didn't know anything either, so they didn't waste any time at the hospital during the day, only inquiring about the situation briefly before leaving.

Now that someone has suddenly contacted them, who isn't someone they've asked before, it usually means they have some big news! So they can't talk about it in the hospital; they can only make the call privately!

The nurse hesitated for a moment before saying, "Miss Fukasawa has run away again today."

Shiratori Ninzaburo thought to himself, "Should I call the police and ask them to help me find this person?"

Why not just call the police? Why call him? ...etc.

Shiratori Ninzaburo suddenly realized something, his grip on the phone tightened, and he asked urgently, "I remember she escaped before, didn't she?"

"right."

"Did she only escape once?"

“No, this is what I felt I should tell you…” the nurse hesitated, “Actually, she seems to sneak out quite often. I can’t be sure how many times, but since she almost always comes back on her own, the hospital…”

Shiratori Ninzaburo was shocked: "She's mentally ill! Can't you guys be a little more responsible?!"

“This isn’t a mental hospital. Our hospitalization is primarily to prevent her from harming herself and to provide timely treatment; we can’t forcibly imprison her,” the nurse explained. “Besides, the doctors and officials from the bureau have discussed this several times, and everyone feels there’s no need to call the police…”

Because once the police are called, it means someone needs to take responsibility, and then all the trouble that follows is inevitable.

Therefore, in such cases, as long as no consequences occur, people tend to gloss over the truth and pretend they are unaware of the situation.

Shiratori Ninzaburo could roughly understand this reasoning, but he was still very angry: "You guys are really..."

Since he still needed to extract information from the nurse, Shiratori Ninzaburo swallowed his accusatory words and managed to calm himself down.

"May I ask her what time she usually leaves the hospital?"

"Around the second weekend of every month... And at the end of last month, after receiving news of her brother's death, her condition clearly worsened, and she even committed another assault. She held a utility knife to my neck and said something like... if she killed someone, her brother would definitely come to help her cover up the crime!"

Shiratori Ninzaburo suddenly stood up.

The second weekend of every month is the day "Strawberry Night" is held!

The killer in the video was dressed very conservatively, wearing a helmet, and cruelly tortured living people. Everyone instinctively assumed it must be a man, but what if it was actually Yukari Fukasawa...?!

It's obvious that someone was helping Ms. Fukasawa escape from the hospital, allowing her to kill someone before sending her back. They would have also done some basic cleaning up to prevent Ms. Fukasawa from being discovered covered in blood.

Even after cleaning, a nurse who takes care of her closely might still notice some clues. However, she generally wouldn't think in any other direction, but would only assume that Ms. Fukasawa was hurting herself again, and that her body was covered in her blood.

But when those police officers went to the hospital today to question Ms. Fukasawa, it's likely that not all of them would keep it a secret. If word gets out, people who were just having some doubts might suddenly realize who they are.

This nurse is probably like that; unlike the attending physician who is unwilling to cooperate, she is the kind who is very proactive and will definitely tell the police any suspected clues.

Considering that she had a utility knife held to her neck and was almost killed, it's understandable that she wouldn't consider the hospital's position. This proactive attitude is very understandable.

"I understand. Thank you for your help. I'll go investigate right away and bring the real culprit to justice!"

Shiratori Ninzaburo hung up the phone and immediately went to find his superior, Inspector Megure: "Inspector! I have a lead! That Fukuzawa girl might be the murderer in 'Strawberry Night'!"

Inspector Megure was taken aback: "Really? Do you have any evidence?"

Shiratori Ninzaburo quickly explained the situation to Inspector Megure.

Inspector Megure listened attentively and then asked, "Where is Ms. Fukasawa now?"

Shiratori Ninzaburo: "..."

Yes, where is she? Today isn't the second weekend of the month. With the "Strawberry Night" incident causing such a stir, surely the perpetrator wouldn't dare to commit another crime against the odds?

Why did you specifically ask Ms. Fukasawa to go out tonight?

This question can be answered by Usui Saiki, who is currently in an abandoned building.

Kitami's acting was actually not bad, but in Usaku Saiki's eyes, it was full of flaws. Even though the shadows made it impossible for people to see his eyes, Usaku Saiki could tell that Kitami's attention was behind him.

Bo Yezaki had already sensed someone standing behind him, but since he didn't feel any danger and was confident that he would have the upper hand even in close combat, he didn't pay much attention to the other party's approach.

He even guessed Kita Miki's plan and felt a little bored.

This trick might work against ordinary people, but against him, it's like child's play.

But unexpectedly, the person who slowly approached from behind made no move and simply walked into the area illuminated by the flashlight.

Bo Yezhai asked in confusion: "?"

Kitami Ichi immediately broke down: "F! What are you doing?!"

F—Fukasawa's younger sister, dressed in work clothes, holding a dagger, stood there blankly, looking at Kitami Ichi, then tilting her head to look at Usaku Saiki.

Why would Fukasawa help Kitami dispose of the body? Of course, it's because the murderer was Fukasawa's mentally ill sister.

When Usoba Saiki saw Fukasawa's sister, he realized that she was the murderer. The fact that she had killed someone was very obvious to him, but compared to Fukasawa's sister, he wanted the culprit Kitami Ichi to pay the price.

If they only arrested Fukasawa's sister, then as a mentally ill person, even if she confessed to Kitami Ichi, it might be invalidated under the manipulation of the Kitami Superintendent. Therefore, Usaku Saiki pretended to be unaware and left the hospital, intending to continue setting traps for Kitami Ichi.

As it turns out, Kitami Ii is truly inhuman. Unable to find a proper assassin, he makes a mentally ill girl continue doing this kind of thing for him, and I suspect he'll kill her to cover it up later...

Usoya Saiki spoke sarcastically: "Kitami, is this your trump card?"

Ignoring Usui Saiki, Kitami I continued trying to persuade Fukasawa Yukari: "Didn't anyone tell you what to do next before you came? Kill him! Do it! If we don't kill him, we're both doomed!"

He didn't think there was anything wrong with him directing Yukari Fukasawa.

Fukasawa Yukari is stronger than many men, perhaps because she is mentally ill. Moreover, she is not wearing the clothes and helmet she usually wears to conceal her identity and size during performances, revealing a pitiful face. Even if Fukasawa Yukari really attacks Kanakawa Shinryu, as long as Kanakawa Shinryu still wants to be a policeman, he should not be able to retaliate too severely and should focus on subduing her.

Seeing that Fukasawa Yukari didn't move, Kitami Ichi then said to Hanakawa Shinryu, "I heard from Shiratori that you went to the hospital today and saw Yukari? Is she very pitiful? I felt sorry for her too. If you insist on making this case big, what will happen to this child? Her parents and her brother are already dead. Only I can continue to pay for her hospitalization!"

While saying that Fukasawa Yukari was pitiful, Kitami I didn't actually think she was a weak person.

When he first met Fukasawa Yukari, one of his cronies had played Fukasawa Yukari's friend to death. Fukasawa Yukari came to take revenge and decisively killed his friend in front of him. This was the first time he disposed of a body. At that time, Fukasawa's brother rushed over to help his sister with the disposal.

Fortunately, the dead friend was a real friend, not from his circle, and no one came looking for him after he disappeared.

But it was precisely because he was shocked by the scene of Fukasawa Yukari slitting someone's throat that Kitami Yotsuya felt like he had escaped death, and Kitami Yotsuya evolved into a true pervert. He wanted to experience more, so he discussed with Fukasawa Yukari that he would provide the stage and Fukasawa Yukari would be responsible for killing people.

Yukari Fukasawa didn't care; she just wanted to see blood, to confirm that she was still human, still alive. That's why she killed again and again, and her brother cleaned up the mess for her time and time again...

But now, she has found another path.

Today at the hospital, she saw this young man with deep hair and red eyes for the first time. Just one glance sent an unparalleled chill through her, as if the feeling of dying at any moment enveloped her heart.

When the other person looked away, for the first time, she felt the same feeling that Kitami once described: "Because I escaped death, I felt like I was still alive."

She no longer needed to hurt herself, no longer needed to see blood. Just being watched by this person... made her feel alive.

When she was brought into the building, Fukasawa Yukari was still in a daze, only knowing that she had come to kill someone, but she did not expect to see the young man she had only met once.

How could she possibly lay a hand on him? This was the source of her life force; if she killed him… wait… killed him…

Yukari Fukasawa faintly heard someone speaking.

“Murder…dead…if she…F…killed…”

By the way, F is her name; she's here to kill someone.

Yukari Fukasawa's mind hadn't been thinking much for a long time, because it allowed her to escape reality. Now, hearing these keywords, she only subconsciously felt that she should indeed kill someone.

Kitami had a gun, so he wasn't particularly panicked and was confident that F would be able to help him if a fight broke out.

Since he was mentally ill, we shouldn't be too demanding. So while chatting with Shinryu Hanchuan, he called out to Yukari Fukasawa, urging her to quickly remember why she was there.

Finally, Kitami found an opportunity and tried to blind Kanekawa Shinryu with a flashlight.

Hanakawa Shinryu raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light, instinctively taking a step back. Kitami Ichi immediately fired, simultaneously rushing to Fukasawa Yukari, who seemed still in a daze, and calling out, "F! Stop daydreaming! Kill her—"

He suddenly felt a chill on his neck, and then he couldn't speak.

Kita Kenji stared in astonishment at the sudden spray of blood in front of him, taking a second to figure out what was going on.

...F, did they attack him?

Why? Why not kill Han Chuan Shenliu? They've always worked together smoothly, haven't they?!

Bei Jianyi clutched his neck, staggered, and knelt down. He didn't last more than a few seconds before collapsing to his knees again.

Hanchuan Shenliu walked to his side, pulled Fukasawa Yukari away, and then knelt on one knee beside him to help cover his bleeding wound.

“Your plan is full of holes.” Han Chuan Shenliu said softly, as if afraid of disturbing the quiet night. “I’m really disappointed. It’s not interesting at all… Well, when you were able to find someone you’d only met once to introduce you to an assassin, I should have known that you didn’t really have any trump cards.”

Bei Jianyi's vision was already blurred, possibly a final burst of energy caused by hormones secreted by his adrenal glands before his death. His hearing, however, was much sharper, as if he could hear even the sound of dust falling to the ground clearly.

That damn detective, didn't he promise not to tell Shinryu Hachikawa any more information about him...?

Kitami thought vaguely, then suddenly realized a problem.

Wait, this tone... it doesn't sound like Hanukawa Shinryu at all...

Kitami forced his eyes open, trying to see the people around him, but he couldn't see anything. He could only use his last bit of strength to utter a question as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

“...You...Detective…”

"Considering you're about to die, consider this information a free gift."

The person said, "Thank you for wanting to support my business, but it's not about the money. I promised you I wouldn't tell anyone else, but I already knew, so there's nothing I can do about it!"

Kitami: "...!!!"

It's...the same person...He actually consulted the other person about how to kill them...Ha, hahaha...He's such a joke...How could he be so stupid...Why didn't he realize he'd seen both of them before...Just how good is his acting...?

This guy isn't some intelligence broker or detective, he couldn't possibly be an ordinary yakuza member, yet he managed to infiltrate the police force without anyone noticing... This guy is a top-tier con artist!!!

This person's refined taste, drive, and acting skills are far beyond what he can even begin to comprehend; for him to think he can do it too is simply blatant extortion...

Damn it, he clearly wanted to explain his plans to Han Chuan Shenliu before he died, so that Han Chuan Shenliu would die with regrets, but now it's all turned out the other way around.

To make him realize, before he dies, that he was even more of a clown than he imagined... How unwilling he is to accept this...

Kitami's eyes widened, and he stopped breathing.

System: [He's furious with you.]

Usoppei: [His major artery was severed, so it's normal for him to die. What does it have to do with me? I just feel uncomfortable letting someone like him die so easily.]

He never expected that Fukasawa Yukari would kill him so easily; it was too easy for Kitami Yo!

System: [...You even told him this just to upset him on his deathbed...]

Although Kitami treated me this way, I actually trust him completely and believe he would never tell anyone.

[Nonsense! The person is dead!!!]

The system was speechless. If you were to say that Bo Yezhai was meticulous, he would tell people directly about something he had kept hidden for so long. If you were to say that Bo Yezhai was bold, he would only tell people who were about to die, and his purpose was to make them die of anger faster...

Although he didn't think Kitami would leave any evidence for him, Usoya Saiki still searched Kitami's body while pretending to be resuscitating him, making sure there were no recording devices or similar equipment.

Now that the person was completely dead, Usakabe Saiki took out his phone and started making a call: "Inspector Megure, I've closed the net here, but there was a slight accident... Hmm? Ms. Fukasawa? She's here with me."

Yukari Fukasawa is currently staring blankly in the corner, seemingly unconcerned that the police will come to arrest her soon.

Inspector Megure asked worriedly, "How are you two?"

They just discussed it and all felt that Fukasawa Yukari might have gone to kill Kazukawa Shinryu, given Kazukawa Shinryu's penchant for toying with prisoners...

Usakabe Saiki: "We're both fine, but Kitami is dead."

At that moment, several gasps of surprise came from the other side.

Inspector Megure had been told by Shinryu Kanakawa that the mastermind was Kitami Ichi and that tonight's operation was to set a trap to find evidence, which was why he was cooperating with the operation. Hearing this report now, he couldn't help but feel terrified.

—Did Hanakawa Shinryu finally lose control of his strength and kill the prisoner?!

--------------------

I'll be adding an extra chapter tonight. This chapter is almost 5,000 words already, damn it, if I write a little more it'll be practically a double update...

I was supposed to update on time today, but I decided to finish writing this part of the story first, so I'm late!

.

In the original work, Kitami also had his accomplice bring Fukasawa's sister over so she could help him kill someone, but Fukasawa's sister betrayed him...

This guy seems so confident... even though his plan is full of holes...

.

By the way, there will be no follow-up to Usuba's self-disclosure to Kitami, and no one will find out about it through any means. Fukasawa didn't even hear it clearly.

It's a small-scale operation, simply to make Bei die with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

This is also the difference between Usaku Saiki and a movie star. It's not just that their acting skills are different, but he also lacks professional ethics (x).

That's just his personality... well, you know... he pulled this stunt just to make someone die a painful death...