Chapter 4, Candied Hawthorn Skewers
Achoo!
"Strange," Matsuzaka Ume frowned, covering her mouth and nose with her hand in confusion, not forgetting to quickly move her hand away from her phone. "Why did you suddenly sneeze? Did you catch a cold? Or is someone thinking about me?"
"I shouldn't have caught a cold," Matsuzaka Ume glanced down at her thick clothes. "Could it be...?" Matsuzaka Ume's hand, which had been covering her mouth and nose, slowly moved to her flushed cheeks, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Could it be... "Oh dear, could it be that Delang is thinking of me?"
Judging by the timeline, Delang should be back soon. They haven't seen each other for a while. Honestly, what's so appealing about digging for fossils in Africa? You might even encounter terrible dangers if you're not careful.
Just like the attack De Lang was involved in in Chile four or five years ago, it's truly worrying.
Just like students, they are a constant source of worry.
"...Matsusaka-sensei? Matsaka-sensei??" Two polite, questioning voices suddenly came from the phone's microphone, which had been moved away.
Matsuzaka Ume snapped out of her daze, her cheeks flushing even deeper this time, this time with embarrassment, her gaze drifting slightly... Had she just accidentally said something unusually narcissistic? Had the person on the other end of the phone or any other passersby heard her?
If someone overheard this... it would be quite embarrassing.
She quickly shook her head, clearing all the inappropriate and chaotic thoughts from her mind, and brought the phone, which had been placed far away, back to her ear, though her mood inevitably became more somber.
Well, Matsusaka Ume knows that the reason that she sneezed because Delong was missing her is a bit far-fetched, and it would be better to explain it as dust intrusion.
Actually... she missed Delang a little.
However, now is not the time to think about these things. Matsuzaka Ume straightened her expression and became serious.
“Nekono-san is currently at the police station, and the police station is located at…” she said slowly to the person on the other end of the microphone, her long eyelashes casting an inky black shadow on her lower eyelids.
These words inevitably raise doubts, because judging from the tone and content... Matsuzaka Ume doesn't seem to be communicating with the police?
And that was indeed the case; the person she was communicating with was no longer the kind policeman who had previously notified her.
The image freezes, the camera gradually zooms in, slowly focusing on Matsuzaka Ume's slender white right hand raised to her ear; in an instant, the hand becomes long and strong.
The person who listened attentively has become a different person!
A tailored black suit accentuated his tall and straight figure, while opaque sunglasses of the same color obscured his eyes, making it difficult to discern his true appearance and expression.
As Matsusaka Ume spoke eloquently through the receiver, the unknown man's lips gradually curled up into an enigmatic smile.
After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "I see, thank you so much for letting me know."
After saying that, he snapped his phone shut, neatly put it back in his trouser pocket, and then took out a black rectangular mechanical device with a thin cylindrical antenna. It was a walkie-talkie.
"Buzz, no target found in the East District yet."
"Reporting, Captain, we haven't found it in the West District either!"
...
As soon as the walkie-talkie was turned on, some faint footsteps and a few clear reports came through, making it clear that these people were carefully searching for a specific person. By carefully distinguishing the sounds on the other end, it was clear that there were quite a few people involved in the search.
Even after receiving the answer, the unnamed man in the black suit did not interrupt the reports from the people on the other end of the walkie-talkie, but listened politely and patiently until the end.
Only after all the assigned squads had finished reporting did he coldly issue his order:
"No need to search anymore, get back to the team. I've received accurate information and know where the target is."
The order had been given, but the person on the other end of the walkie-talkie did not immediately obey and return to their unit. Instead, they hesitated for a moment, then whispered into the receiver:
"Captain, I've noticed a lot more police presence nearby. They seem to be looking for something too..." He was describing the police officers who had found the exact location of the body described by Nekono Ikuya and were now searching for the suspect in the vicinity.
He paused, then continued, "...Has something happened nearby?...Could we be in danger?"
His tone was filled with barely suppressed worry, and his words were expressed very subtly, even omitting a certain form of address without his awareness.
It was as if they were afraid of disturbing something, afraid that their worries would actually become reality.
After hearing this, the unknown man in the black suit was speechless.
He recalled the quick wit that Nekono Ikuya had displayed that morning, and the difficulty they had faced in searching for the other's whereabouts.
Then again, "..."
Then, he sighed deeply, and it took him a long time to calm himself down.
But whether it was just his imagination or not, when he spoke again, the people on the other end of the walkie-talkie seemed to be able to faintly hear a slight grinding sound between his words.
...That must be static from the walkie-talkie, that's right, electrical static! It's definitely not the captain grinding his teeth! Ugh, these walkie-talkies are really bad quality!
The group unknowingly reached a consensus and guiltily looked away, pretending nothing had happened.
The unnamed captain in the black suit, oblivious to what his rebellious team members were thinking, continued, "I think instead of worrying about this, you should worry more about yourselves. Be careful not to get mistakenly arrested by the police."
Otherwise, I'd have to go to the police station myself to bail you out, and I might even be witnessed by Nekono Ikuya. I can't even imagine how that little devil would laugh then.
The mysterious man in the black suit muttered to himself.
If that really happens, he will definitely make those despicable teammates who made him get loudly mocked by Nekono Ikuya give him extra training, he will definitely make them give him extra training!
Seemingly able to sense the unspoken threat from their captain over the walkie-talkie, the people on the other side shivered inexplicably.
They looked up at each other in fear, then murmured their agreement in hushed tones. Only when the walkie-talkie channel with their captain was truly turned off did they dare to wipe the cold sweat from their foreheads and breathe a sigh of relief.
However, they did become more cautious in their actions afterward, at least no longer acting as openly as before.
Hanging the walkie-talkie back on his waist, the mysterious captain in black glanced thoughtfully at the corner of a police uniform that was faintly visible at the street corner not far away.
...Is it at the police station?
...
Nekono Ikuya was comfortably staying at the police station, completely unlike before when her expression still held a hint of reluctance.
His eyes were bright, and he was crunching potato chips, looking completely absorbed in the moment.
He was staring intently at the center of the hall, where several unusual people dressed in plain clothes had appeared, most of them looking somewhat confused and flustered.
The reason these people are considered extraordinary is not because of their clothing or behavior, but because of their current status.
They were all brought back to the police station for questioning by the police from various locations over this period of time. At this moment, they only had one identity: suspects in this case!
With this identity, no matter how insignificant they were in the eyes of others before, they are no longer just ordinary people in the eyes of others.
...Although, this doesn't seem to be something that brings joy?
Of course, not only was Ikuya Nekono surprised that the police were able to quickly identify so many suspects in such a short time, but even the police themselves were astonished.
Because the body, which was dumped in the alley, was discovered somewhat late, and at first glance it seemed more like an impulsive act than a premeditated one, the pool of suspects was no longer limited to the victim's circle of acquaintances, but could include strangers, making it extremely difficult to identify the suspects.
But little did anyone know that a kind-hearted resident living nearby had inadvertently remembered the approximate figure of a passerby in the secluded alley last night, providing a valuable clue.
Then, just like skewering candied hawthorns, one hawthorn at a time is quickly found along the wooden skewer and strung together to make a skewer of candied hawthorns!
The onlookers leaned back in shock.
Why are there four hawthorns on this candied hawthorn skewer? This alley is so remote, and few people usually pass by. Even Nekono Ikumi took a detour today because she was buying dessert.
Last night, four people passed through this alley, and they all seemed to be connected to the deceased. Oh, so including the deceased, there are five people in total.
What, did these people plan to go to the alley for team building yesterday?
Regardless of why they coincidentally passed through the alley last night, or whether there was a special reason, after the police officer's patient explanation, the four bewildered hawthorns finally understood why they had been summoned here, and their expressions gradually became terrified.
It is understandable to be terrified, regardless of whether they are the murderers or not. It is only natural to feel terrified and panicked when you hear that someone you just had contact with has died so suddenly and when you are suddenly summoned to the police station for questioning.
The four hawthorns finally understood their predicament. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with obvious wariness—a wariness directed at the possible murderer hiding among them.
Hawthorn... Oh dear, always calling it hawthorn. With the four suspects in front of him, Nekono Yuuya couldn't help but miss the sweet and sour taste of candied hawthorn.
Unfortunately, although the snacks offered by the enthusiastic police officers were of many kinds, there were no candied hawthorns among them.
However, they do have iced cola.
Nekono Ikuya glanced at the table, still holding potato chips in her left hand, while her right hand reached for the can of cola in the corner, her palm fixed and her fingertips deftly flicking it...
With a hiss, he easily pried open the tab on the top of the can of cola, and the black liquid inside immediately began to bubble happily.
Nekono Ikuya was also in high spirits, even with a touch of inexplicable pride. He generously gulped down a large mouthful of cola, then turned his gaze back to the several…
No, it should be several suspects.
A real-life werewolf game is about to begin. Nekono Ikuya takes a bite out of half a potato chip, her eyes curving into crescent shapes.
Hehe, this is much more exciting than TV dramas.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com