Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 161 - 83 Hoping You Will Change Your Mind

Chapter 161: Chapter 83 Hoping You Will Change Your Mind

The true masters of social interaction are skilled at feigning ignorance.

Five seconds later, Kazama Chihime gave a formulaic and evasive response: "Is that so? I don’t remember... but I’ve always used my right hand, how strange."

At times like this, arguing only makes things worse.

After all, people are emotional creatures. It’s like playing Werewolf; despite the seer making meticulous deductions and identifying the wolves one by one, if a wolf puts on the guise of an ordinary villager and pleads their innocence with tears, there will always be a few gullible fools who believe them... The most crucial part of communication is not what is said, but the way it is said.

For a few seconds, even someone as smart as Minamoto Tamako doubted whether she was overthinking.

Impersonating a dominant hand is not something achievable overnight, unless Kazama Chihime had been faking it since childhood. But back then, the Heavenly Punishment Group didn’t even exist! Just by inquiring with people around her, such as her senior and junior at the dojo, the truth would come out.

Moreover, it’s possible the suspect wielded the knife with their left hand on purpose, purely to confuse and mislead the police’s investigation direction. Relying only on dominant hand to identify the suspect’s identity is too rash.

After all, Kazama Chihime has a perfect alibi, and she is also Senior Feng’s daughter. How could she commit murder...

But what if?

Minamoto Tamako couldn’t help but think, what if Chihime’s alibi was fake? Just like Kamei Yuusaku. A deep investigation could certainly reveal some flaws...

Didn’t the Sugamo Apartment have a previous case of collective crime? What if those testifying for Chihime were all members of the Heavenly Punishment Group?

The more Minamoto Tamako thought about it, the more nervous she became. Her eyebrows furrowed, she couldn’t stand or sit, and she even dared not look at Kazama Chihime, as if she was the guilty one.

Although she had her suspicions, she had no concrete evidence in hand, and couldn’t go out to investigate, making her feel very passive.

It’s all Mr. Fushimi’s fault! If he had divulged even the slightest bit more details about the case, she wouldn’t have to be wild guessing while staring at newspapers every day!

Thinking of this, Minamoto Tamako gave Fushimi Roku a glare, trying to telepathically communicate her dissatisfaction and her eagerness to investigate. The latter understood, blinked, indicating he got the message, and spoke up in defense of Kazama Chihime: "Hmm, it’s possible I remembered it wrong."

That’s not what I meant!!!

Minamoto Tamako wished she could bite his ear, shout into it, venting her inner thoughts straight into his brain.

The words already spoken, Kazama Chihime nodded along in agreement. The two then started their banter right in front of Minamoto Tamako’s face...

Breaking the ice was Kazama Chihime, flinging her hand: ’How annoying, how could I forget something so important’; to which Fushimi Roku replied: ’It might be because Chihime is so charming, Yuusaku must have cherished you a lot in life’; hearing this, Kazama Chihime put on a sad face, talking about how kind Kamei Yuusaku was in his lifetime. Indeed, if Minamoto Tamako were a man, she would be comforting her by now...

Seeing them chatting more and more seriously, Minamoto Tamako couldn’t sit still.

She subtly turned the teacup on the table, signaling ’guest send-off’ in tea ceremony terms. But perhaps Fushimi and Kazama hadn’t learned that, or they pretended not to see it; regardless, her small gesture went unnoticed.

In desperation, Minamoto Tamako exaggeratedly slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "Ah! How could I forget such an important thing!"

Their conversation halted, attention drawn; they simultaneously turned to see what fuss she was making. Minamoto Tamako continued, "Mr. Fushimi, according to routine, isn’t it time for you to soak your feet?"

Fushimi thought inwardly, why are you so proactive today? Has she lost her mind? Did the little cakes contain some magic toxin that turns people stupid?

Kazama Chihime, understanding the hint, recognized Minamoto Tamako was signaling guest send-off, thus stood up, slightly bowed and bid farewell.

Before leaving, Fushimi escorted her to the door. Kazama Chihime turned back, holding the cake tray, and quietly asked, "Mr. Fushimi, what do you think of ’Heavenly Punishment’?"

"An indisputable atrocity," Fushimi Roku said.

"And the one carrying it out? What kind of person do you think the perpetrator is?" Kazama Chihime further inquired.

"A brute who punishes for the sake of punishing," Fushimi shrugged, "why ask out of nowhere?"

"Just making small talk, I’m very interested in the case too." Kazama Chihime finished, bowed again, expressing gratitude for the hospitality with great politeness.

The apartment door closed before her eyes; she lingered momentarily in the hallway before turning to leave.

Back home, Kazama Chihime cleaned the molds, bowls, and mixer she used, tidying the kitchen neatly.

The large two-bedroom apartment now had only herself living there. Watanabe Shun received his paycheck half a month ago and moved out. He currently resides in the narrowest single room at the end of the hallway downstairs, saying he wants to reunite with the leader first thing when they return.

Kazama Chihime did not mind the solitude. She opened the fridge, took out a rice ball, made some small dishes and miso soup in the kitchen, then microwaved the rice ball and arranged it along with the sides and soup on a tray, a simple set meal was ready.

She bent down, placed the tray at the door of the adjacent room, knocked, and naturally received no response.

Kazama Chihime showed no sign of surprise. She took off her blue cashmere sweater, changed into a high-collared trench coat, donned a red scarf handwoven by Kamei Yuusaku, and hurried out.

After descending the stairs, she looked around to ensure no one was following before turning up her collar and stepping into the street. She passed through bustling shops, headed to the platform, and took an electric train to the "secret station."

The term ’secret station’ refers to train stations located amidst mountains or plains, often isolated or difficult to reach. Generally favored by climbers, they exchange related information in communities or offline groups, randomly boarding trains, exploring various secret station sceneries, akin to opening blind boxes.

Kazama Chihime held onto the train strap as it passed one stop after another, with fewer and fewer passengers, leaving only some elderly folks who had difficulty moving.

She found a spot in the corner to sit down, waiting until almost everyone had disembarked, before getting off at a desolate platform.

But this wasn’t her true destination. She continued along the tracks for two more stops, where traces of the Edo Period remained present. Passing by several convenience stores, she purchased some canned goods and bottled mineral water.

From the eastern side of the station, she headed north into the Golden Cypress Street of Minamisenju, part of the Edo Period’s "Shogun’s Procession Route," the path the Shogun took to pray at Nikko Toshogu. The area outside the train line was the Negishi area, adjacent to Nippori.

Once a place of former glory, now it appeared desolate.

Kazama Chihime turned into a back street, reaching an abandoned small shop at the end. The sign hung loosely, with illegible writing. She pushed open a rusty iron door in the dark, turned on a flashlight, and proceeded straight to the underground warehouse, using a key to unlock the iron chain on the warehouse door.

A creaky, abrasive sound resounded, accompanied by a rancid odor.

Kazama Chihime raised the flashlight, the beam illuminating the corner of the warehouse, revealing a middle-aged man shackled to a metal pipe, hunched over with disheveled hair, covering most of his face.

When he turned to look back, the sleeve below his left arm was empty.

"Father, I’ve come to see you."

Kazama Chihime said with a smile, "I hope tonight you’ll have a change of heart and tell me who called back then."

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