Chapter Forty-Eight: The Pursuit

“Section Chief Kunugida, sorry to throw you into a major operation right upon your arrival... From now on, all officers in the field will be under your command! Ensuring Mrs. Suzuki’s safety is our top priority!”

Shiraishi recognized who was issuing orders alongside him. After a brief hesitation, he handed over command—Kunugida had once been the head of the Search Division 16, so his experience was undoubtedly extensive.

Shiraishi entrusted him with leadership and chose to act independently. Kunugida accepted the responsibility without question and immediately began directing the operation.

Ah—

Suddenly, a scream from an unfamiliar female voice blared through the walkie-talkie.

Then Gen’s voice came through: “Mrs. Suzuki... she jumped from the women’s restroom on the second floor! She got into a car arranged by the kidnappers and has already driven off!”

Clearly, the scream was caused by Gen’s sudden intrusion, while Fuji was nearby calming the other bystanders.

Upon hearing Gen’s report, Shiraishi immediately floored the accelerator and headed toward the service station.

“What kind of car? Are there kidnappers inside? Who’s driving?” Kunugida asked over the radio.

“No one else—Mrs. Suzuki is driving herself... It’s a black Wind Sweet, but the license plate was obscured,” Gen replied promptly.

Downstairs was a garbage station filled with large trash bags that could serve as cushions. Gen and Fuji quickly leapt down and chased after the car’s direction.

They didn’t get far before hearing tires screech—an Infiniti QX56 stopped right in front of them.

Before they could panic, the driver’s seat revealed the familiar face of their precinct chief.

“Get in!” Shiraishi shouted urgently.

The two climbed into the car, and Shiraishi drove a short distance following their directions. Suddenly, he noticed the tracker had stopped moving.

He drove straight to the last known location: a narrow alley.

“Stop! There’s the car!” Fuji spotted it by the roadside.

The three got out to inspect and found the car empty. Even more unsettling—bags of money and Tomoko’s own phone remained inside!

With that, Shiraishi couldn’t get in touch with Tomoko Suzuki.

“Damn it!” Shiraishi cursed in frustration.

---

“Mrs. Suzuki probably switched vehicles. No signs of a struggle at the scene; it seems she left on her own. The last known location is...” Fuji quickly reported the coordinates over the radio.

Clearly, the public restroom rendezvous was a ruse. The kidnappers had used a written message to instruct Tomoko to change the meeting method and location.

What infuriated Shiraishi was Tomoko’s stubbornness—whether out of genuine courage, defiance, or a desperate attempt to prove she wasn’t helpless in front of her daughter, she had actually followed the kidnappers’ instructions!

“There’s no surveillance in the nearby area...” Kunugida’s update was disheartening.

Meanwhile, Fuji and Gen noticed the chief had vanished.

Looking around, they suddenly saw him like a gibbon, deftly using the corner of a wall and the dense surrounding buildings to leap and climb swiftly onto a nearby six-story building.

From the rooftop, he began to scout the area, eyes sharp and alert.

Gen and Fuji exchanged bewildered glances.

What on earth was he doing now?

From such a height, his view expanded greatly. However, since they didn’t know what car Mrs. Suzuki had changed into, he had no choice but to look for any vehicles acting suspiciously, which was not very efficient.

Just then, good news came from the precinct.

“Voiceprint analysis results are in! In the kidnappers’ background noise, there are sounds of play and dolphin calls... they’re likely at the Mioka Aquarium! All detectives and plainclothes officers, proceed to the aquarium. Uniformed patrol officers continue searching near the vehicle switch location for clues!” Kunugida conservatively refrained from sending everyone to the aquarium.

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi quickly climbed down, descending the walls with a near-leap per floor, then made a final three-story jump to the ground.

Gen and Fuji stared in astonishment.

“Let’s go!” Shiraishi called out.

Though Fuji was a patrol officer, Shiraishi grabbed her along since it was on the way to the aquarium.

In his haste, Shiraishi carelessly committed three traffic violations in a row.

To make matters worse, a traffic officer happened to be nearby.

“Stop! Which lane are you supposed to be in?” Yumi Miyamoto, riding a motorcycle, caught up with the offending vehicle, knocked on the window, and asked irritably.

Yumi Miyamoto was a traffic officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, but Shiraishi knew her.

“I... it’s me!” Shiraishi wanted to show his badge but, realizing it was someone he knew, simply admitted it.

---

“Shiraishi? What’s going on... bought a new car?” Yumi recognized him and was about to make small talk.

But Shiraishi, anxious, cut her off. “What’s wrong with this road?”

Not only had Yumi stopped him, but the road was also jammed.

“There was a minor collision up ahead, so it’s down to two lanes... Do you have official business? I can clear a path for you,” Yumi noticed his urgency.

“No time... Gen, take my car!” Shiraishi said, glancing at Yumi’s motorcycle.

He got out and said immediately, “Let me borrow your bike. I’ll treat you to a meal later!” Then, without waiting for a response, he scooped Yumi off her motorcycle like a child.

Due to their size and strength difference, Yumi barely had time to react before being lifted off. Her helmet was snatched off one-handed as well.

“Wait... no... haha... ah...” Yumi first giggled from being tickled, then cried out in dismay—mourning her motorcycle as it was taken away under her, the helmet awkwardly perched atop Shiraishi’s large head.

Yumi felt her “iron steed” had shrunk the moment Shiraishi mounted it.

What was once a large motorcycle under Yumi suddenly seemed like a child’s bike beneath Shiraishi.

“Are you all from the Mioka precinct? What’s going on with your chief?” Yumi, watching Shiraishi ride off, could only complain to Gen and Fuji.

---

After mounting the motorcycle, Shiraishi sped toward the Mioka Aquarium.

Just then, his phone rang. Though he was reluctant to answer, he saw it was Kuroki’s number.

“Hello, any leads?” Shiraishi asked directly. He had previously asked Kuroki to investigate the identity of the kidnapped girl, but now, with the kidnappers’ location known, it seemed less crucial.

Kuroki had not been to the precinct today and didn’t know how to reach the new superior or use the walkie-talkie, so he reported directly to the chief.

“Chief! The kidnapped girl is Ayano Uji, who had been using the identity of Sonoko Suzuki while working at a bar. The kidnappers are likely a gang of delinquents who often frequent that bar,” Kuroki reported immediately.

Using Sonoko’s identity to work? Shiraishi was initially stunned, then realized it was probably to pose as a student from Teitan High School. Although the legal working age in Japan is 15, most shops hesitate to hire unknown minors from outside the area to avoid trouble. Employing local students is much safer.