Chapter Thirty: A New Witness

Thursday, September 29.

Although he didn't return to his apartment to rest until after 11:00 p.m. last night, Shiraishi arrived at the office early.

Upon his arrival, he was greeted by four pairs of dark circles: Genji Seiji, Yamada Takeshi, Makitaka Miwa, and Suzuki Atsushi. These four detectives had spent the night working. The first two had been scouring surveillance footage from the roads near the victim's home on the afternoon of September 3, searching for that red Mado S, while the latter two had been reviewing footage near Beika Park, hoping to find Tsubokura or the female blogger.

"Chief, here is the footage we found last night. At 1:32 a.m., two streets away from the crime scene, this car was captured... Judging by the direction, it was heading toward the scene. This model is rare these days, so it is highly likely to be the vehicle the witness saw." Genji showed Shiraishi a surveillance still.

"I see. Have the Traffic Division pull the vehicle's registration. Also... take this photo, which shows the driver's face clearly, to the Technical Department. See if they can enhance the resolution to identify her as soon as possible." Shiraishi examined the image. The driver appeared to be a woman, though the blurriness left a slim possibility that it could be a man with long hair.

"Chief, we... we're sorry. There was so little footage near the park that we couldn't find either the blogger or Tsubokura," Makitaka said regretfully.

"I understand. The four of you, go get three hours of rest. If you collapse, there will be no one left to take shifts." Shiraishi sent them off.

Their status panels were already marked with "Dry Eyes" and "Mental Exhaustion"—they needed to recover.

Shiraishi looked over the existing clues alone, then tossed the file onto his desk in frustration. The only lead of significance, the "blogger," was currently unreachable for questioning. His hopes rested entirely on the driver of the Mado S. He gathered his composure and turned his attention to his administrative duties, setting the case files aside.

***

At noon, Akasaka rushed into the office, skipping formalities. "Chief! We found her. The owner of the car spotted near the scene is Hayashida Yuko. We cross-referenced the enhanced photo, and the driver was indeed her."

"Hayashida?" Shiraishi remembered the surname.

"Yes, she is the victim's wife... though they have been separated for two years and are in the process of getting a divorce," Akasaka confirmed.

Shiraishi nodded. "Bring her in for questioning immediately!"

Normally, such a matter wouldn't require the Chief's approval—it was merely a "voluntary assistance" request, and even an arrest warrant could be secured with only the Criminal Division Chief's signature. However, the Beika Precinct was currently the focus of public scrutiny, and Shiraishi had made it clear he was overseeing the case personally, which was why Akasaka had come to him.

***

Theoretically, without an arrest warrant, a suspect can refuse to cooperate. But...

*Madam, you wouldn't want to be a suspect, would you?*
*The arrest warrant is being processed. Once it's issued, you'll be in handcuffs. It wouldn't look good for people to see that, would it?*

There were plenty of ways to intimidate a suspect. As long as they weren't like the blogger—who was under the protection of the Prosecutor's Office—or a wealthy individual with a high-priced lawyer, most could be coerced.

However, there were exceptions.

This time, Ms. Hayashida refused to cooperate. An hour later, an embarrassed Akasaka approached Shiraishi, hoping to request an "emergency arrest" based on the evidence collected. Akasaka could have made this decision himself, but given the circumstances, he was cautious.

"Hm? Where are you heading?" Shirai asked as he spotted him in the hallway.

"Chief... it's like this..." Akasaka explained the situation.

Shirai listened and retorted, "For a case like this... execute the emergency arrest immediately. I will take full responsibility!"

Although he was currently in the most precarious position, Shirai did not intend to shift the burden onto Shiraishi, who had only recently taken office.

***

Two hours later, in the first interrogation room of the Beika Precinct, Ms. Hayashida was being held.

Shiraishi arrived to observe. Through the one-way mirror in the soundproof observation room, he could see the scene. Amplifiers piped the audio out, while those inside remained unaware of the observers.

"Chief." Akasaka and the others stepped aside, and Shirai was present as well.

"Ms. Hayashida refused to cooperate initially?" Shiraishi confirmed.

"That's right..." Akasaka began, but Shirai interrupted, "I approved the emergency arrest."

Shiraishi said nothing. Someone with a motive who was spotted at the scene during the time of the crime—he would have approved the emergency arrest as well. However, an "emergency arrest" only lasts 24 hours, and no more than 48.

"I hope the cannon fodder from the Prosecutor's Office can hold out until tomorrow," Shiraishi remarked.

It was clear from the suspect's reaction that she had no intention of talking. With less than 24 hours until the trial, there was a risk that the verdict would be handed down before they could get anything out of her.

***

Standing before the one-way glass, Shiraishi saw a woman with long, alluring hair. She was heavily made up, giving off a haughty and pretentious air. Despite the mild weather, she was wearing a tight skirt with fur accents.

The officer conducting the questioning was Makitaka Miwa, the only female detective in the Criminal Division. A clerk sat at a side table taking notes. They had hoped that having a female officer would reduce Ms. Hayashida's hostility, but Makitaka’s "Interrogation" skill was only at a basic level.

"Heh, Officer, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"If I may, Officer, do you even know what marriage is?"
"You can't be serious. You're not going to bring in someone else to try and force a confession, are you?"
"My time is very precious. You had better think about the consequences of dragging me in here based on the words of a suspicious little brat!"

Makitaka was being completely overwhelmed by the suspect's presence. Aoki, witnessing this, signaled for Suzuki Atsushi to pull Makitaka out. It was clear that the suspect's level was far beyond Makitaka's interrogation abilities.

Shirai’s face darkened, but even he didn't dare step in to try.

"Is Fuji on duty today?" Aoki asked Akasaka. Fuji’s interrogation skills were superior, but...

Shiraishi intervened. "Let Genji try."

While his overall rating wasn't top-tier, Genji Seiji’s "Interrogation" skill was at an SR level—the highest in the precinct. Unlike the others, Genji’s methods weren't about the records or the cameras; he was a master at "opening hearts." He was the precinct's trump card.

"Wait? If it's Genji... it might take a long time, and the trial is tomorrow..." Akasaka was hesitant. Genji’s methods were effective, but they were "slow-burn." With less than twenty hours left, time was running out.