pertwk Page 15
Page 15
The moment the doorknob was gently turned, the dazzling light from outside flooded in, dispelling the darkness inside.
However, just as the door was opened a crack, a hurried figure rushed in, almost colliding head-on with Takada Yuki.
It's Miwako Sato.
She was breathing rapidly, her cheeks flushed, and fine beads of sweat on her forehead; she had clearly rushed over and said urgently:
"Inspector Takada, great, you just got out. The Metropolitan Police Department just called to say they've captured the escaped Kenji Kobayashi."
"Captured?" Yuki Takada said calmly, his composure returning to normal, even more so than when he spoke to Dean Ishida earlier, showing no sign of emotion.
Without pausing, he naturally stepped out of the dean's office and gently closed the door behind him.
The door hinges made a slight "click" sound, blocking out the view of Dean Ishida's face inside, which was still shaken and filled with a complex expression.
“Yes, Inspector Takada!” Sato Miwako followed closely beside him, speaking quickly as she reported the situation to Inspector Takada: “Inspector Megure, in cooperation with the Traffic Division, set up a roadblock and intercepted them near the entrance to the western suburban ring road.”
"He tried to force his way through the checkpoint, but his tire was punctured by the spike strip, and he was immediately subdued. He has been taken back to the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters and is currently undergoing transfer procedures."
The old incandescent light bulbs hummed in the corridor, casting a dim light that made the shadows of the two people appear to be of varying lengths on the polished terrazzo floor.
The air was filled with the dull smell of years of accumulated dust.
"Understood." Yuuki Takada replied with only a few words, then walked straight toward the exit outside the welfare home building without stopping. His back was straight, and the epaulets on his uniform reflected a cold, hard light in the dim light.
Sato Miwako followed closely behind, a hint of doubt passing through her mind.
Although it is unknown what Inspector Takada and Chief Inspector Ishida were discussing in the chief's office, judging from the outcome, it seems that his decision not to personally take Chief Inspector Ishida back is indeed somewhat suspicious.
It's worth noting that Director Ishida still entered the crime scene after the police had cordoned it off.
A person of Inspector Takada's rank shouldn't normally react with such... calmness.
The two walked silently through the orphanage's spacious and quiet main hall, one after the other.
The twilight filtered through the stained glass windows and cast its light into patches of colorful yet cold light on the floor.
The light illuminates the tiny dust particles floating in the air.
The faint sounds of children playing could be heard in the distance, but they were quickly absorbed and diluted by the tall walls and the empty space.
As I stepped out of the welfare home, the rosy sunset was a beautiful sight.
Yuuki Takada walked to his unassuming black official car, opened the door, and got into the driver's seat. Miwako Sato hesitated for a moment, then opened the passenger door and got in.
The engine started, its deep roar filling the cramped space, and the car smoothly merged into the traffic.
“Kenji Kobayashi…” Yuki Takada suddenly spoke, his voice sounding somewhat unsteady amidst the engine noise, his gaze fixed intently on the congested road ahead, “Have Inspector Megure and the others found anything unusual about him? For example… or is there anything unusual about the items he carries?”
Sato Miwako paused for a moment, then thought carefully: "The handover briefing didn't mention it in detail. It only said that he had very few valuables on him when he was arrested, except for the tools used in the crime and a small amount of cash, and it seemed like he only had an old wallet... However, we found an unexplained remittance in his account."
Yuki Takada didn't answer directly, but nodded very slightly, his jawline tightening even more, and his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightened almost imperceptibly once more.
He stepped on the gas, and the car accelerated nimbly through the gaps in traffic, heading towards the Metropolitan Police Department.
About half an hour later, Yuki Takada quickly parked the car and soon returned to the Metropolitan Police Department with Miwako Sato.
Yuuki Takada walked through the slightly noisy corridor, his leather shoes making a clear and cold "click, click" sound on the smooth terrazzo floor.
Miwako Sato followed half a step behind him, her eyes scanning the office signs on both sides warily.
The oppressive atmosphere inherent in the interrogation room area was even more pronounced.
Outside an interrogation room, two burly uniformed police officers were talking in hushed tones. When they saw Takada approaching, they immediately straightened up.
"Police department!"
"Is he inside?" Yuuki Takada asked softly, looking at the two policemen guarding the door.
"Yes! It was just handed over, and Inspector Megure is inside conducting routine questioning." One of them replied quickly.
Yuuki Takada nodded slightly, indicating that Miwako Sato should stay in the observation room outside.
He reached out and gently tapped the cold metal door with his knuckles, producing two short, muffled thuds, before grasping the doorknob and turning it open.
The interrogation room was deliberately dimly lit, with only a bright spotlight on the table shining directly on the man sitting in the fixed iron chair.
Chapter 23 Interrogation of Kenji Kobayashi (Please continue reading)
Kenji Kobayashi, around thirty years old, had greasy, messy hair and several fresh abrasions and bruises on his face, marks left from when he tried to break into the bank.
He was still wearing the same work uniform, his hands cuffed to the armrests of the chair.
The bright light made him squint instinctively, but when he saw that it was Takada Yuuki who had pushed open the door, a very strange light flashed in his squinted eyes—not fear, not anger, but more like a mixture of… eerie mockery and a tacit, extremely uncomfortable understanding.
Yuki Takada closed the door behind him, shutting out most of the noise from outside.
"Brother Takada, what brings you back?"
"I heard you've successfully solved the case of Mizuno Ai that had been troubling the police for so long. As expected of you, you've surpassed many in our First Investigation Division in such a short time." Inspector Megure smiled as he looked at the person walking in from behind the door.
"Inspector Megure, is this the food deliveryman you just brought back, Kenji Kobayashi?" Yuki Takada asked him.
Megure smiled and nodded clearly, "Yes... that's right, this person is Kenji Kobayashi. However, I've questioned him for a long time but haven't been able to find out the source of that money. Why don't you do it, Takada?"
Yuki Takada gave Inspector Megure a clear look, then walked steadily behind the interrogation table, pulled out a chair and sat down, making no unnecessary noise throughout the process.
Without speaking immediately, Yuki Takada simply placed his hands on the table, interlaced his fingers, leaned forward slightly, and fixed his sharp gaze on Kenji Kobayashi's face, piercing through the halo of the bright light.
The air seemed to freeze, with only the monotonous hissing sound of the cold air blowing from the air conditioner vents.
"Name," Takada Yuki began, his voice low and steady—a standard interrogation opening.
Kenji Kobayashi grinned, revealing a set of uneven, yellow teeth, but did not answer his name.
He let out a low chuckle, like an old bellows pumping, and his shoulders trembled slightly with the laughter.
The laughter sounded particularly jarring and abrupt in the silent interrogation room.
Yuki Takada frowned almost imperceptibly, his eyes growing colder.
Kenji Kobayashi's laughter stopped abruptly, as if cut off by an invisible knife.
He suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes staring straight at Takada Yuuki's gaze, his smile twisting into an extremely eerie arc.
The voice was hoarse, carrying a deliberately lowered, almost whispered intimacy, yet it struck the cold walls clearly:
“Inspector Takada…” He licked his chapped lips, each word seemingly soaked in sticky malice, “…You officers arrived really quickly. A little faster than I expected…”
He leaned forward slightly, his handcuffed wrists making a harsh metallic scraping sound as he moved the chair, his face, covered in scratches and grease, almost touching the bright light.
"Did... that dead piece of trash Matsui Shoyu tell you something?" Kobayashi Kenji said softly, with a morbid excitement, "Or... did you, Inspector Takada, already... expose all your little tricks?"
Yuki Takada's fingers remained motionless on the table, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to dissect every subtle muscle twitch on Kenji Kobayashi's face.
He didn't answer Kenji Kobayashi's question, but continued to exert pressure with his penetrating, icy gaze.
“Cyanide paste…poison needles on the edge of the baffle…”
Kenji Kobayashi let out another low chuckle.
"Brilliant, truly brilliant. Inspector Takada, it's a shame you don't write mystery novels. You even guessed that idiot Matsui's stupid finger-licking at the last moment... Tsk tsk."
He leaned back abruptly, the chair making a jarring noise again, his twisted smile a mixture of mockery and an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
"But..." Kenji Kobayashi suddenly raised his voice, with a hysterical excitement, "You only guessed how to kill him, you can't guess why! You can't guess... why we want to kill him!"
"Us?" Yuki Takada finally spoke, his voice low and steady, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, accurately capturing the key words.
Kenji Kobayashi's smile froze instantly, a fleeting hint of panic flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper madness.
He seemed to be provoked by the question, and struggled suddenly, the handcuffs hitting the handrail with a loud clang.
"Shut up! You're not qualified to ask!"
He roared, spittle flying everywhere, "That coward Matsui Shoyu! Traitor! Did he think he could escape? If it weren't for us paving the way for him, could he have achieved what he has? He deserves to die! He must die! Most importantly, he's been caught by the police this time. If he confesses anything..."
"Kenji Kobayashi!" Yuki Takada slammed his hand on the table, his voice booming like thunder, instantly drowning out Kobayashi's roar.
The entire interrogation room trembled, and even the halo of the bright spotlight seemed to shake.
Inspector Megure, sitting next to him, immediately tensed up instinctively.
Yuki Takada stood up, his tall figure casting an oppressive shadow under the bright light, completely enveloping Kenji Kobayashi, who was handcuffed to the chair.
He looked down at the other man, his gaze sharp as a tangible icicle, piercing Kobayashi Kenji so that the words he was about to say were stuck in his throat.
"Why did you kill Matsui Shoyu?" Takada Yuki's voice was icy cold, each word distinct and clear, echoing in the silent interrogation room.
Kenji Kobayashi was taken aback by the sudden aura and question. The crazy expression on his face froze, and his eyes were somewhat blank.
"You can choose not to answer me?" Yuuki Takada said coldly, a chilling, unsmiling smile curving his lips. "But we have ways to make you tell us what you want to know."
Kenji Kobayashi's pupils suddenly contracted!
That madness and mockery seemed to freeze and shatter instantly, leaving only a sudden, naked terror!
The muscles in her face twitched unnaturally, and her mouth opened but no sound came out. She instinctively tried to avoid Takada Yuuki's all-knowing gaze, but her body was stiffened in place by the handcuffs.
His greasy hair clung to his forehead, and the fresh abrasions looked even more glaring in the bright light, serving as a testament to his panic and helplessness.
The interrogation room was deathly silent.
The hissing sound of the air conditioner seemed to be amplified countless times.
Kenji Kobayashi's heavy breathing was clearly audible, and fine beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, mixed with grease, sliding down the bruises on his cheeks.
Yuki Takada gave him no chance to catch his breath and slowly sat back down in his chair.
He crossed his hands on the table again, regaining his previous composure, but his eyes became even more profound.
"So, have you thought it through?"
Chapter 24 Do you want to become the second Matsui Shoyu?
Yuuki Takada leaned forward slightly, his gaze lingering on Kenji Kobayashi's face, which was contorted with shock.
"Tell me, why did you kill Matsui Shoyu? Was it because he had evidence against your criminal gang? You were afraid that Matsui Shoyu would say something he shouldn't have in the hands of the police, so you had to take action against him in advance and keep the secret at all costs, right?"
Kenji Kobayashi's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and sweat had soaked the collar of his dirty work clothes.
He stared intently at Takada Yuuki, his eyes filled with fear, resentment, and a hint of... desperate madness.
With his mouth agape, Kenji Kobayashi seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he could only squeeze out a few broken syllables through his teeth.