Sunday, September 23
Recently, Ritsu had taken so many days off that all leave for the month had been canceled.
The only thing he could be grateful for was that the Organization hadn't assigned him any missions lately. Otherwise, constantly switching between playing Augier and Onizawa would have driven him insane.
He was genuinely worried that one day he'd either develop a split personality or mix up his identities and accidentally show up at the MPD wearing Augier's face.
"Whoa, there's suddenly a Bugatti parked downstairs today. That's seriously cool. I wonder who bought it."
"Maybe it doesn't belong to a police officer. Could be some rich kid who came in to file a report."
After hearing the conversation between two officers from Inspector Megure's group as they entered the office, Takagi grinned and said,
"That belongs to our section chief, right? Inspector Onizawa?"
Originally hoping to keep things as low-profile as possible, Ritsu could only nod in admission.
"Yeah. Just bought it."
"Onizawa, did you strike it rich or something? That's not cool. If you're a rich second-generation kid, you should've told us! You can't buy a Bugatti and not treat everyone to drinks!"
Listening to the teasing and cheering around him, Ritsu raised both hands in surrender and smiled helplessly.
"No problem. Since we're already talking about it, dinner tonight is on me."
"Hahaha! Onizawa, you're the best! Looks like we're getting drinks tonight. I should call home and tell them I'll be late."
"You don't even have a wife or kids. Who exactly are you reporting to?"
"Get lost! Just because I don't have a wife and kids doesn't mean I don't have parents! Quit talking nonsense."
Ritsu shook his head with a smile.
Honestly, the atmosphere in Violent Crimes Division 3 was pretty good.
The biggest reason was probably that two of the Criminal Affairs Department's only female officers both happened to be assigned there. Just mentioning that fact was enough to make everyone hold their heads high.
Miwako from Megure's team seemed a bit too strong-willed to be easily won over by ordinary male officers.
As for the other one...
Ritsu's gaze landed on a certain someone who was busy preordering limited-edition Sailor Moon merchandise.
Ahem.
She happened to like him.
Taking a sip from his canned coffee, he sighed inwardly.
'You young guys eyeing those two police beauties still have a very long road ahead of you.'
Bzzz. Bzzz.
The phone on his desk vibrated.
Glancing at the caller ID, Ritsu discovered it was Shinichi.
'A call from Kudo this early?'
For some reason, it didn't feel like good news. His instincts turned out to be surprisingly accurate.
The moment he answered, he heard Shinichi's anxious voice. Judging from the rapid pounding footsteps, he was probably running down a staircase.
"Sensei! Something happened! Get to Tsutsumimukai Tsugawa Green Park immediately!"
"What happened? Why would I go there? Kudo, calm down and explain."
Shinichi shoved open his front door and continued running outside while lowering his voice.
"Someone called me using a voice changer and told me to go to Tsutsumimukai Tsugawa Green Park. They said they had something interesting to show me. If I don't get there quickly, a child will die!"
'Something interesting? Could it be...Was the reason Teiji obtained explosives to challenge Kudo?'
The only known connection between Teiji and Shinichi was the Kurokawa murder case.
But Kurokawa had been the victim, not a criminal. That case shouldn't have affected Teiji's interests at all.
There was clearly something he had overlooked.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the time to think about it. Grabbing the black suit jacket hanging on his chair, Ritsu hurried toward the exit.
"Got it. I'm heading there right now!"
"Inspector Onizawa, where are you going?" Hayasaka asked after successfully placing her merchandise order.
"There may be a bombing case. Hayasaka, contact the Bomb Disposal Unit and have them stand by for deployment. Takagi, get a search warrant and immediately lead a team to Teiji's residence. Search the entire place from top to bottom."
"Yes, sir!!"
Ritsu rushed downstairs in the elevator.
At times like this, he felt conflicted about his dual identity. If not for the Boss's assignment, he wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble trying to prevent bombings.
Then again, without that identity, he never would have known Teiji purchased explosives on the black market.
No point thinking about it now. Stopping the bombings was what mattered.
"Damn it. Traffic during rush hour. I should've ridden the motorcycle today."
Ritsu frowned.
He'd gotten so used to hitching rides with others that he'd never bothered picking up a police emergency beacon for his own vehicle.
As he was nearing the park, Shinichi called again. Connecting the call through the car's Bluetooth system, Ritsu asked,
"I just heard a pretty loud noise. Did a bomb go off? Are you and the kids hurt?"
"We're okay! Luckily we threw it into the river before it exploded. Sensei, where are you now? I'm heading to the plaza in front of Beika Station. The next plastic bomb is there!"
Ritsu spun the steering wheel and made a quick U-turn.
"Understood. I'm heading there now. Did Mori—"
He almost blurted out Teiji's name.
Dangerous.
If he said it, Shinichi would definitely ask how he knew who the culprit was.
"Did the criminal leave any clues?"
"He didn't tell me the exact location, but he did warn me that if I arrived too late, someone might take it away!"
"In other words, the bomb is portable and hidden among something people normally wouldn't ignore."
"Exactly!"
"Be careful on the way. I'll be there soon. Stay alert for any calls from the criminal."
"Got it!"
The instant the traffic light turned green, Ritsu accelerated toward Beika Station.
Parking there was inconvenient, but with his police credentials, he wasn't worried about traffic officers causing problems.
Ten minutes later, he parked the Bugatti directly on the sidewalk. Ignoring the stares from pedestrians, he immediately began searching the plaza.
It had to be something a single person could carry. And it wouldn't be placed somewhere overly obvious.
His brain raced.
Somewhere people wouldn't normally pay attention...
Something that might be taken away...
Not noticed...
Taken away...
If it was hidden somewhere "out of sight," then sound was the only clue.
"Huh? Why is there a kitten here?"
Realization struck instantly.
Ritsu sprinted forward, startling the elderly woman who had picked up the kitten carrier. Pulling the cat out with one hand, he immediately discovered the plastic explosive hidden inside.
The timer had less than five minutes remaining.
"Tch!"
Driving somewhere safe was impossible within five minutes. Scanning the surroundings, his eyes landed on a motorcycle parked by the roadside.
"S-Sensei! You... you already found it?"
Shinichi had just gotten off the train and rushed over. Slightly out of breath, he wiped the sweat from his face.
Suddenly he felt rather out of shape.
Maybe it was time to start playing soccer again.
"Kudo, catch! Move my car for me!"
"Huh?!"
Instinctively reaching out, Shinichi caught the object.
Looking down, he discovered it was the key to the Bugatti. Before he could ask anything, he saw Ritsu swing onto a stranger's motorcycle.
"Hey! I'm borrowing your bike!"
The blond young man, still holding a hot dog in his mouth, could only stare as the handsome white-haired man rode away on his motorcycle.
When he finally recovered from the shock, he shouted, "Hey, thief! Get back here!"
"He's not a thief!"
Shinichi hurried over and explained, "He's a police officer. He's just borrowing your motorcycle to... to chase a criminal."
"A police officer?"
The blond man took a couple bites of his hot dog and chewed thoughtfully.
"Oh, okay then. Just tell me his name so I can pick up my bike at the Metropolitan Police Department later."
"His name is Onizawa Takashi, but... uh, could I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
Pointing at the Bugatti parked on the sidewalk, Shinichi gave an awkward smile.
"Do you know how to drive? Could you move that car somewhere else?"
"I can't drive. Never got a license."
Shinichi immediately fell silent.
Sure, he'd learned how to drive in Hawaii.
But this was Japan.
And he didn't have a driver's license. If he drove the car, traffic police would probably arrest him. He wasn't about to ruin his spotless reputation over moving a vehicle.
So, he decisively chose to call a tow truck.
----
bonus chap every 20 PS
read ahead on my pa reon @Siamus404