Chapter 28: An Unexpected Gain

Under the cover of night, a massive figure nimbly vaulted through the window, exiting the Beika Police Station. He moved with caution, skillfully utilizing various obstacles to evade the two reporters "ambushing" the premises.

Despite his size, Shiraishi’s counter-surveillance skills were top-tier. While tracking someone else might be a challenge for him, evading pursuers was child’s play.

Just then, Shiraishi noticed a small figure in a nearby alley, seemingly waiting for him. She was far smarter than those two reporters—instead of waiting at the police station entrance where she would easily be spotted, she had chosen a side alley along his inevitable route.

After confirming her identity, Shiraishi, mildly curious, hopped into the alley and approached her from behind.

Gina Monobe had been hiding near the station, looking somewhat impatient. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her from behind, blocking out both the moonlight and the streetlamp. Sensing the shift in light, Gina stiffened, her body trembling as she turned around.

The moment she saw the massive Shiraishi, she nearly screamed, quickly clamping a hand over her mouth. Even though she had been waiting for him, the sudden appearance of a seven-foot-six, three-hundred-pound giant still startled her.

"What are you doing here?" Shiraishi recognized her—she was the young thief he had saved recently. She was likely still a minor, which explained why she had been released so quickly.

"I... none of your business!" Gina retorted defiantly.

"Oh, stay safe then." Shiraishi shrugged, looking as if he were about to walk away. He knew she was waiting for him, so he wasn't in a hurry.

Just then, "Hey!" Gina called out to his retreating back.

"Hm?" Shiraishi turned his head slightly.

Though her face was etched with resentment, Gina said, "It seems... you’re in trouble, aren't you?"

"It doesn't qualify as trouble. Don't worry about it," Shiraishi said calmly.

"Ha? Worry? Why would I worry? I... I’m trying to warn you!" Gina quickly insisted.

"Warn me?" Shiraishi looked at her skeptically.

"I’m warning you... on September 3rd, I went to that apartment in the Third District. Around 6:00 PM, the police had put up caution tape... that’s where the crime happened, right?" Gina whispered.

Shiraishi’s interest was instantly piqued. He turned back to her, pressing for more details. "You were in the area that day? Did you see anything?"

Gina curled her lip, but continued, "That day... I had some business there. I prefer taking shortcuts, so I went through the alley behind the apartment. There was a car parked there that I’d never seen before."

"That alley is very narrow, barely wider than a car. The way it was parked made the path so tight that I had to squeeze through sideways... People don't usually park like that, right?"

Gina had been grumbling about it at the time, so the memory was vivid. It wasn't until she saw the news today that she realized that car might be significant—after all, it was parked in such a way that the driver would have had a hard time getting out. The only reason to park there—much like Gina’s reason for taking that route—was the lack of security cameras.

As for what "business" Gina had or why she knew the car "wasn't usually there," Shiraishi politely chose not to ask. It was highly likely she had been scouting for a theft.

Furthermore, when she was about to leave that day, she had been startled to see the police sealing off the scene, which was why the incident had stuck in her mind.

"That car..."

*Gurgle.*

Just as Shiraishi was about to ask more, he heard Gina’s stomach growling. He realized that the lead she provided was important and that this wasn't the place for a long conversation, so he decided to act.

"Wait here a moment." Shiraishi dialed Fuji, having previously memorized the contact list from the station.

"Officer Fuji, it’s me. You haven't gone too far yet, have you? Could you come to the east alley? I have some business... if you work a little overtime, I'll treat you to a late-night snack."

He called Fuji Seiko over. After all, it was late at night, and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to take a teenage girl out to eat alone; he needed to avoid any potential gossip. Since Fuji had been at the station, she would be nearby and hadn't gone far.

When Fuji received the call, she was initially puzzled—she didn't know the Chief’s personal number.

"Eh? Isn't she that..." Fuji recognized Gina immediately.

"This is Ms. Gina Monobe. She was near the scene on September 3rd and witnessed something... let’s talk while we eat," Shiraishi explained.

Hearing this, Fuji understood immediately. Gina noticed Shiraishi’s cautious behavior and curled her lip in annoyance.

Around 10:00 PM, Shiraishi found a small 24-hour diner nearby. "Order whatever you want!" he said generously, though he specifically added to Gina, "But no alcohol for you."

"I wasn't planning on drinking anyway!"

"I see. So you arrived at the apartment at 3:00 PM and found a car that 'wasn't usually there' parked in a spot where it shouldn't have been?" After hearing the description, Fuji cast a sideways glance at Gina. She clearly also realized how Gina knew what was "usually" there.

The two women sat across from each other, while Shiraishi added a chair on the outside—the seats in such a small diner weren't built for his frame. The owner even looked on with concern as he sat down.

"What color was the car? What was its shape?" Fuji asked, trying to identify the model. Even though Shiraishi hadn't intended to make her work, only wanting a neutral third party present, Fuji naturally began assisting with the investigation.

Gina answered directly, "A Tesla Model S, the red one."

Fuji: ...

Fuji had forgotten that the girl had "professional expertise" and knew more about car models than she did.

"Um... do you remember the license plate number?" Fuji felt it was an unreasonable question—how could she possibly remember?

Sure enough, Gina said matter-of-factly, "Why would I remember that? I don't do low-tech stuff like smashing windows to grab bags!"

Fuji: ...

*Do you have to be so blunt? Is that something to be proud of?*

"Chief, I’ll have someone check the nearby surveillance footage. It should have captured the car passing by," Fuji requested.

While the alley itself had no cameras and was rarely used, the car couldn't have appeared out of thin air; it should be visible on the surrounding street cameras. Once the plate was confirmed, the rest would be easy.

Shiraishi checked his watch and said, "It’s already this late... let's do it tomorrow..."

"It’s no trouble. Gen and Yamada should still be nearby!" Fuji said, showing professional dedication on behalf of her colleagues.

Fuji then muttered, "Though we can't be sure it's related to the case yet... 3:00 PM is half an hour after the window of death."

Shiraishi knew that if the owner of that car were the culprit, it would completely contradict their previous investigation. Tsubokura’s alibi was becoming increasingly suspicious.

"Since we have a new lead, we have to investigate. Consider it a new direction for the case," Shiraishi decided.