Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 70: Justice Will Never Be Absent

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Justice Will Never Be Absent

Minamoto Tamako sprayed nosebleed and knelt on the ground, her pupils dilated, breathing rapidly.

When people overuse their brains, the body enters a stress state, leading to sympathetic nervous system excitation.

Over-excitation of the sympathetic nervous system can cause a series of physiological changes in the body, including elevated blood pressure, which increases the pressure on the small blood vessels in the nasal cavity. The blood vessels in the nasal cavity are abundant, especially in the Li’s area at the lower front part of the nasal septum, where the vessels are dense and superficial. When the pressure exceeds their limit, it’s easy for the vessels to rupture and bleed.

Minamoto Tamako saw it. Through those seemingly inconspicuous clues, she saw the past of the two people.

The scratches on the tatami, the broken lamp, the newspapers in the cupboard, the repeatedly used tiles, the wooden sticks used for dancing... Interaction leaves marks, everything has its own trajectory. She finally understood why she could see the child’s face and hear her voice.

Taira Sakurako left her soul on those masks, and only a genius could resonate with it.

Minamoto Tamako gritted her teeth and stood up, casually wiping away the nosebleed, leaving a bloodstain on her cheek. She was like a ghost, witnessing all that Taira Sakurako and Yukimura Aoi encountered, wanting to lend a hand but was powerless.

Even a rabbit bites when it’s desperate. Minamoto Tamako pushed open the door, eyes red, called in the Identification Officer, and began assigning tasks:

"Take away that piece of tatami, the white stains on it can extract DNA; preserve the lamp, pay attention to the bloodstains on the edges, it might have been left by the perpetrator; and the ceiling, take photos, the victims need justice, make copies for the police officers to search for them..."

The Identification Officer didn’t move and turned to look at Yamaguchi Takashi. The latter was about to refuse, but Yazaki Momo pulled him to conduct an exclusive interview. Yamaguchi Takashi, flattered, couldn’t be bothered with trivial matters and waved for them to proceed.

Minamoto Tamako was about to help when she suddenly blacked out and fell forward.

In her dream, she became Taira Sakurako, sitting by a short table with a broken leg, meticulously painting masks by the light of a lamp. Yukimura Aoi lay on the futon, her smooth calves swinging up and down, tilting her head like a cat.

"Hey, Sakurako, are you scared?" Yukimura Aoi asked.

"Scared of what?"

"Didn’t you tell me a ghost story yesterday? Aren’t you afraid of those things?"

"Not afraid."

"Why not?"

"One person might be scared, but two people aren’t."

"What if I turn into a ghost? Boo, I’ll eat you!"

"Not afraid then either."

"Why?"

"Because you’ll protect me. Right?" Taira Sakurako said.

...

Minamoto Tamako opened her eyes, tears covering her face and soaking the pillow.

Above was an unfamiliar ceiling, surrounded by partitioned white cloth, and the IV drip quietly dripping. She lay on a hospital bed, turned her head, and saw Fushimi Roku crossing his legs, sitting by her bedside playing a red-white game console, the sound of Tetris buttons consistently ringing.

Her throat moved, feeling like it was burning: "Water... water..."

"It’s right by your bed, wait for me to finish this round." Fushimi Roku didn’t even raise his head.

Minamoto Tamako had just finished crying, couldn’t squeeze out tears now, or she’d certainly cry herself to death in front of him.

She hadn’t recovered from the psychological profiling, her emotions in turmoil, thinking she was about to die, and this guy was still playing games... Was the game more important than her? Is there any Watson who would treat Sherlock Holmes like this?!

"you lose!" The game console played a regretful BGM.

Fushimi Roku clicked his tongue, reached to fetch her water. Minamoto Tamako was upset but still gulped down a cup. Her throat felt slightly relieved, and she quickly asked: "How long have I slept? What’s the investigation result? Did you find that child? And that woman—"

"Worry about yourself first." Fushimi Roku interrupted.

"What’s wrong with me?" Minamoto Tamako was taken aback.

"Can you really profile? When did you learn it?" Fushimi Roku asked: "Why haven’t I seen you use it before?"

"My mom once hired a tutor, I learned from the tutor and used it at the school auditorium before... don’t change the subject, what’s the case progress?"

Minamoto Tamako was anxious, the profiling process stopped when Yukimura Aoi ran out of the room, she was eager to find out the truth, unconcerned about her own illness.

"The doctor said your body is fine, maybe the nerve pressure triggered the brain’s protective mechanism. Once or twice is no big deal, but if this happens frequently, you might develop a mental illness." Fushimi Roku paused and warned: "You can’t do this again next time."

Humph, seems Watson still cares about Sherlock Holmes!

Minamoto Tamako calmed down and asked a few more questions before Fushimi Roku unhurriedly replied: "You were probably unconscious for two days, thanks to you, I got a two-day paid leave under the guise of looking after you... The DNA test result came out, it’s Nagashima Takeshi from diagonally across the door, the man who scared you with the wrench."

"Did you arrest him? Was there a confession?" Minamoto Tamako pressed on.

"Arrested, but there was no confession, released the next day." Fushimi Roku said, preemptively advising Minamoto Tamako to remain calm, he explained: "He hired a lawyer, the police couldn’t withstand the pressure and had other cases to handle, so they released him."

"Pressure? What pressure?"

"Firstly, the police didn’t find the child’s body, nor the mad woman. The girl was undocumented, legally she doesn’t exist, and there were no eyewitness testimonies, no one in the building had seen her, so... Calm down, listen to me first, so the prosecution found it difficult to charge Nagashima Takeshi with murder."

"Secondly, the lawyer claimed they would file a class action on behalf of the floor’s residents, citing police brutality, illegal searches, and unlawful detention. If Nagashima Takeshi had injuries, there’d be an additional charge of coerced confession. The guy’s a notorious litigator, the police didn’t want to deal with a mess."

"Moreover, this case has no victim. No one reported, no resident was willing to testify in court. If it went to court, the police couldn’t even prove anyone lived in that room... I know, there are traces of habitation, but that doesn’t prove much, it’s at best supplementary evidence in court."

"Lastly, and most importantly, Yamaguchi Takashi doesn’t want to investigate," Fushimi Roku spread his hands, "he doesn’t want to pursue this case, and the chief has consented, there’s nothing anyone can do."

Minamoto Tamako’s eyes widened, unblinking. Fushimi Roku saw confusion, anger, and disappointment reflected in her eyes, latent with complex emotions, she remained silent for a long time.

"What... what do you think?" she asked.

Fushimi Roku initially wanted to say it’s none of his business but seeing Minamoto Tamako’s heartbroken expression, he changed his tune: "Aren’t you a champion of justice? The filthy mundane world has nothing to do with you; I believe you’ll make the right choice."

Minamoto Tamako took a deep breath, sweeping away her confusion. She sat up, pulled out the needle, donned the police uniform folded by the bed, and earnestly said: "I’ll be counting on you, Mr. Fushimi."

"Uh? Wait, how did this become my responsibility..."

"Justice will never be absent; we must bring them to justice!!" Minamoto Tamako declared with conviction, at this moment finally possessing the long-desired "presence."

...

「Crime Commission Triggered」

「Mission Details: Eradicate the evildoers on the third floor of Sugamo Building A」

「Mission Reward: Graded based on the number eradicated」

「Note: Subsequent missions are locked」