Chapter 185
Two days later, an explosion occurred in a warehouse. After the person in charge reported the incident to the police, he found mutilated limbs inside and immediately called the police again. The Metropolitan Police Department quickly dispatched people to investigate.
These warehouses, with their containers that look like they could be converted into capsule apartments, are actually off-limits for living in. But because the rent is cheap, many people try to sneak in and live there.
Several years ago, when Shinryu Hanakawa was in the Mobile Investigation Unit, he encountered a case where a fugitive was killed while living in such a warehouse, which shows that not only the poor, but also people who want to hide would choose such places.
So when the police who received the case went to take a look, they found that there was a body in such a place, and guessed that it might be some kind of fugitive or someone who had something to hide.
The explosion wasn't very large, basically only affecting the containers on the left and right. They were all carrying normal goods and there was no one inside. Only one person died; his face was disfigured, and his identification was destroyed. When he went to the warehouse manager, the person registered there was also using a fake identity.
The warehouse also housed some other illegal residents. Although it was illegal, having someone provide information at a time like this was a great help. So the police went around asking if anyone knew anything about the deceased.
I actually got a little bit out of the question.
"When that guy first came, I was the one who taught him how to wash up using the park fountain," the man sighed. "I never imagined he'd be dead so soon... I think it was an accident."
The police officer quickly asked, "Why do you think it was an accident?"
Given the number of bombings in Tokyo, it's not surprising to speculate that it's an act of revenge. Maybe they're hiding in a place like this to escape their enemies!
The person then spoke with an eagerness to share: "Because once he left the door unlocked, I went in to borrow scissors, and I saw something on his table that looked like a bomb he was making... I was so scared I ran away! It didn't feel like a model! What's the point of buying a model when you're living here, right? And when we were chatting, I could sense that he seemed to really hate someone. The other day when we went drinking, he was complaining about why that person never came home or read their letters, etc. I don't really understand what their relationship is..."
Upon hearing this, the policeman's expression turned strange, and he exchanged a glance with his partner.
His partner looked down and scrolled through his phone's photo album, then found a picture: "Does he look like this?"
The informant glanced at him and said, "Yes! That's him! How do you all know who he is even though I'm telling you? Do you know him? Who is he? A fugitive?"
"Uh, he's already served his sentence for his previous crimes, but he might be subject to stalking, threats, or intimidation after his release..."
The police vaguely glossed over the topic: "Thank you for your cooperation, but the warehouse is indeed uninhabitable. You should move out as soon as possible."
After the investigation concluded, the two police officers got into their car and returned to the Metropolitan Police Department.
The driver didn't speak, and neither did the passenger. About five minutes into the drive, the driver finally spoke.
"That deceased seems to be the bomber whom Han Chuan-kun beat up in the street before he became a policeman... uh, the one who bravely helped the police catch the bomber, right?"
"It's not certain yet!" another person said, feeling a headache coming on. "If it's a criminal, there should be a DNA record in the database. Let the forensic team check it and see if it matches!"
The police officer in the driver's seat was silent for a few seconds before weakly saying, "I think it must be him."
"..."
"You said the threatening letter that Han Chuan-kun received a couple of days ago, was it written by him? The testimony just now seemed to mention that the deceased said he wouldn't go home or read the letter or something..."
The partner firmly stated, "There's no evidence; it might just be a coincidence!"
"After I wrote the threatening letter to Han Chuan-kun, he died..."
"Don't say such unfounded things! Couldn't it be that his hand was shaking when he was making the bomb and he accidentally caused it to explode?!"
The police officer driving the car sighed: "I'm just stating the facts, but your statement... you also think it's too much of a coincidence, right? Han Chuan-kun was just saying not long ago that he didn't want to be a policeman anymore, finding it troublesome to have to consider the feelings of criminals and control the force he uses..."
They really wanted to believe Hanchuan Shenliu! But this series of coincidences, and the incredibly suspicious things Hanchuan Shenliu said... if they didn't have any doubts, they would be ashamed of their police credentials!
It's not uncommon for police officers to commit murders; often, even colleagues fail to notice the problem, so if no one does, then no one will ever find out!
They wouldn't want to doubt their own colleagues!
Of course, suspicion is only one aspect. If there is no evidence to prove that Hanchuan Shenliu is related to this case, then they will certainly be happy.
His partner wiped his sweat: "Kanakawa-kun wouldn't leave any evidence..."
"The bomber died in the explosion; everything was blown away. What evidence do you think would be left?"
The driver pondered with a serious expression: "But I think if it really is Hanchuan-kun, this case is a bit of a letdown. A mere bomber, all he did was write a threatening letter... I think Hanchuan-kun is the least likely to take the threatening letter to heart among all the students in the class."
"...If in his mind the bomber is already a dead man, then he certainly won't care about him."
The driver: "…………"
What to do? What they said actually makes some sense!
"And it's not just about the threatening letters, is it? Apparently, if Hanchuan-kun had been a little slower in beating him up, he would still be in the bomb disposal unit, where Hagiwara-kun, who was in charge of defusing the bomb, along with the entire bomb disposal team, might have already been killed by this bomber... And yet he's been released in just a few years... Hagiwara-kun is Hanchuan-kun's best friend, what if..."
The driver: "Could you say something to reduce suspicion about Hanchuan-kun?"
After racking his brains, his partner finally came up with an answer: "Wasn't Hanukawa in the First Investigation Division when the explosion happened?"
"It may be a timed detonation."
"But it's more likely that he accidentally detonated it, right? Actually, I don't think Hanchuan would do something so complicated... This place is too remote, he doesn't have a car, and it's not easy for him to take a taxi to plant a bomb in someone's housing container, is it? It's even questionable whether there would be any drivers willing to give him a ride..."
Hanchuan Shenliu wanted to take a taxi to the Metropolitan Police Department. Some taxi drivers might still make money with tears in their eyes, but if they were going to a remote place like this, a place suitable for murder and hiding a body, a relatively chaotic environment, and a place where robberies often occur... the difficulty of getting a taxi would suddenly increase.
“...That makes sense. Hanchuan-kun really hates this kind of trouble.”
The two discussed the cold, deep river all the way, and by the time they reached the Metropolitan Police Department, the suspicion that had suddenly arisen after realizing the series of coincidences had finally subsided.
Who would want to suspect a colleague? Even a detective's intuition isn't always accurate!
They returned to the floor where the First Investigation Division was located, and happened to run into Shiratori Ninzaburo, who was going to the break room to make coffee. Seeing them, he casually asked, "Just back? Did it go well?"
"...It's alright," one of them replied. "Although the body was blown beyond recognition, we can roughly identify it."
"Huh? How did you confirm that?"
"...Based on the description, it sounds like the guy who wrote the threatening letter to Hanchuan-kun, so I found a photo of the bomber and had people nearby identify him. But just to be on the safe side, I had the Forensic Science Research Institute do a DNA comparison."
Shiratori Ninzaburo: "...Huh? The one who died was that bomber?!"
The two policemen nodded, their expressions somewhat strange, as if they didn't know whether they should feel heavy-hearted or happy for Hanchuan Shenliu: "Hanchuan-kun can rest assured."
Shiratori Ninzaburo: "…………"
Although I don't think it was Hanchuan-kun who did it, if the bomber was murdered, then the biggest beneficiary would be...
Just then, Kenji Hagiwara happened to be passing by and quickened his pace slightly upon hearing the keywords: "What happened to Shinryu?"
Shiratori Ninzaburo glanced at him silently: "That bomber is dead."
Kenji Hagiwara paused for a moment, then immediately realized they were talking about some bomber. A series of terrifying guesses flashed through his mind, and he quickly asked, "How did he die?"
“Died in an explosion.” His colleague coughed. “According to people who knew him, he had been secretly making bombs, but he may have messed up the process and killed himself… The scene was so badly damaged that there were very few clues.”
Kenji Hagiwara pondered for a moment: "...I see. It's true that evil deeds are punished."
Everyone returned to their offices, each lost in their own thoughts, awaiting the DNA comparison results.
The DNA test results came back quickly, confirming that the deceased was indeed the bomber.
Kenji Hagiwara shared this information with Saiki Usui: "...That's it. He's most likely the one who wrote the threatening letter. You don't need to worry anymore."
"I wasn't worried." Usakabe Saiki didn't pretend at all; his initial annoyance about work immediately improved. "But this is good news—why do you look at me like that? Are you doubting me?"
"That's a bit of a coincidence," Kenji Hagiwara shrugged. "But I believe you didn't kill him."
After all, Shinryu had promised him that if he were to cross that line, he would definitely tell him... just like when he directly asked him if he wanted to do anything to the bomber. Since Shinryu didn't say anything, he believed that he didn't kill the person.
This bomber was so arrogant before, as if he had victory in his grasp. He even sent a fax to the Metropolitan Police Department. Everyone was waiting for his big move, but he didn't even manage to hurt Xiao Shenliu. Now he seems like a complete clown... It's a little embarrassing to think about.
System: [You didn't kill him... but if it weren't for you, Pramia wouldn't have gone to kill him...]
Bo Yezaki argued vehemently: "I didn't pay Pramia, we weren't even in an employment relationship… I just thought that bomber was arrogant and self-important, so I helped him contact some industry bigwigs and let them exchange ideas. I even made minor edits to the letter to preserve its original meaning as much as possible!"
System: [...Can't you write something yourself? You have to copy this...]
[That won't do. If I write it myself, wouldn't I be unable to perfectly convey that guy's thoughts? I'm just as surprised he's dead! Pramia was too ruthless! Technical exchanges related to bombs are really dangerous!]
system:【…………】
I won't go into the contents of the letters, but one wasn't enough, you sent five, listing all the safe houses that Pramiya frequented.
Pramia's obsession with concealing his true identity rivals that of the distillery boss! It would be a miracle if Pramia could tolerate something like this!
Usoya Saiki received a threatening letter and even used it as an opportunity to gain a lot of suspicion... Fine, that's no problem for you!
What about Pramiya? You know where she lives, should we do something about it?
You're a police officer, after all. Look at how much trust Kenji Hagiwara placed in you. Don't you feel any remorse? Do what a police officer is supposed to do!
Usakabe Saiki remained calm: "Of course I have plans for her."
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Bonus chapter for landmine! Two more chapters to go!
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Bo Ye: I was just trying to help him spread his ideas and find peers to exchange ideas with... I was very surprised that he died!
System: Can you write something yourself...?
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For someone like this clown, it's already quite generous of Bo Ye to copy some letters.
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