Chapter 24: Elevator Horror
"Let's leave Tamada's body for now. We'll dispose of it in the suburbs in a couple of days when things have cooled down."
Director Tsugawa, hunched over, pushed a cart full of 'children's books' toward the elevator.
These children's encyclopedias containing the drugs had to be stored on the fourth floor in the children's reading area, where the hidden compartments would be safer.
He'd originally planned to check the concealment in the children's section that afternoon, but an uninvited guest had been sitting there the entire time, preventing him from doing so.
He couldn't understand why a man in his twenties would spend an entire afternoon in the children's reading area. The guy didn't seem mentally deficient—even if he came to the library, shouldn't he be browsing the literature section on the second floor?
The elevator doors opened, and Director Tsugawa pushed the cart inside.
After pressing the button for the fourth floor, he glanced up quietly at the ceiling panel.
No foul smell, no strange noises. The body could probably stay hidden for a few more days.
Tamada's wife had already come to the library earlier that day. He was certain she'd report him missing to the police soon.
The corpse would have to remain on top of the elevator shaft for a few more days—at least until the police's attention shifted away from the library. Only then could it be safely disposed of.
Fortunately, the elevator was well-sealed, preventing the stench from spreading below.
Ding.
The elevator reached the fourth floor, and the doors slowly slid open.
Just as Tsugawa was about to push his cart out, he saw a figure standing at the elevator entrance, staring directly at him.
The elevator lights illuminated the man's face: a brown suit, a blue tie, and a kind smile—the perfect image of the fourth-floor children's librarian.
"Director, why didn't you tell me the shipment arrived? I could have come down to help you. You're almost sixty—bending over all the time like that can cause a herniated disc."
The man's voice was clear and familiar, exactly the same as Tamada Kazuo's—the man he'd killed just yesterday.
What was going on? Had the corpse come back to life?
He couldn't help but look up at the ceiling panel above.
All he could see was the glaring overhead light. There were no signs that the panel had been pushed open.
Tsugawa didn't speak. Cold sweat had already soaked through his clothes.
His hand gripping the cart trembled involuntarily.
"It's Tamada! How could it be Tamada? Wasn't he dead?"
Tsugawa's gaze involuntarily fell on Tamada's neck. He had strangled him. If this person really was Tamada, then his neck should show...
His eyes slid down from the other's face to his collar. Just above the tie, there was a purple ligature mark around Tamada's neck—purple with reddish tinges, with traces of blood.
When he'd carried the body to the elevator shaft, it had looked exactly like this.
'Tamada' smiled and walked gracefully into the elevator, gently pressing the button for the first floor. "Director, why aren't you getting out? Did you forget something? I'll go check the first floor for you."
This Tamada Kazuo was naturally not a resurrected corpse, but Natsukawa in disguise.
He'd overheard the entire conversation between Tsugawa and Tequila. The two wouldn't be in contact again for a while.
Since that was the case, he could make his move on Tsugawa. Tequila wouldn't be reaching out to him again for the next few days anyway.
Tsugawa must have been working with Tequila for quite some time and should know a thing or two about the Organization's operations. Kidnapping and interrogating him might yield additional intelligence about the syndicate.
The elevator doors slowly closed and began descending.
Director Tsugawa remained frozen, staring intently at the closing doors.
However, the sweat trickling down his face indicated that his emotions were far from calm.
Ding.
The elevator reached the first floor.
Director Tsugawa was startled by the sound and visibly shuddered.
Natsukawa chuckled and patted Director Tsugawa's hunched shoulder. "Director, we've reached the first floor. Let's check the entrance again to make sure we didn't forget anything."
Director Tsugawa's terror reached its peak. He finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground.
"W-who are you?"
His simian-like face had turned ashen, and his body trembled violently. He tried to stand up and run away, but his legs had no strength left.
"Director, are you alright? I told you not to lift heavy things at your age—you must have hurt your back!"
Natsukawa reached out to help Tsugawa, but was forcefully slapped away.
"You can't be Tamada! You can't be! Tamada's dead!" Director Tsugawa scrambled backward on all fours like a panicked animal.
Natsukawa wasn't worried. All the doors were locked—there was no escape.
He casually pulled the cart along and slowly approached Director Tsugawa, who stared back in sheer disbelief.
"Don't come any closer!" Director Tsugawa screamed frantically, seemingly trying to attract attention from outside the library.
However, the library's soundproofing was excellent, and no one noticed the commotion.
He now regretted dismissing the security guards earlier. If only there were someone here now!
Natsukawa crouched down in front of Director Tsugawa, his expression shifting from smiling to blank in a single second. "Director, it's so hot up there in the elevator shaft. My neck hurts so much."
His pale face contorted with pain, his eyes bloodshot, and his voice was a perfect imitation of Tamada's.
Tsugawa felt a chill run down his spine, and his already sparse hair practically stood on end.
"It's all your fault! You were too greedy! How could I possibly give you fifty million yen? In the past two years, I've barely earned a hundred million. You wanted half of that all at once? I couldn't possibly give it to you!"
Tsugawa began to wail, his expression pitiful and pained. He knelt on the ground and began kowtowing to Natsukawa. "Please, rest in peace! I... I'll give your wife lots and lots of money. Fifty million yen—I'll send it to your house tomorrow. No, tonight! I'll send it right away!"
As he spoke, he tried to stand up. The floor beneath him was wet.
Natsukawa frowned. This old man either had diabetes or prostate problems. The smell was awful.
Never mind. He couldn't scare him any further. What if he completely lost control of his bowels? How could he interrogate him then?
Natsukawa took a few steps forward and delivered a precise strike to Tsugawa's neck. The director collapsed without even uttering a sound.
Natsukawa tossed the unconscious Tsugawa onto the cart and headed straight for the back door.
"I'm here," he said into his earpiece.
The back door opened, revealing Frank's truck parked outside.
Frank stood in the doorway, remote control in hand.
A gust of wind blew past, and his expression immediately soured.
"He wet himself?"
Natsukawa nodded.
Frank: "..."
"You shouldn't have scared him that badly. This is disgusting."
He muttered complaints about Natsukawa being an idiot, but his actions didn't stop.
He opened the truck's cargo compartment.
Enduring the stench, the two loaded all the drugs and Tsugawa inside.
Then they drove off.
The library's back door slowly closed after they left.
The elevator remained quietly stationed on the first floor. On top of the elevator shaft, Tamada Kazuo's corpse still had its mouth wide open, and the stench was intensifying due to the summer heat. It would likely be discovered within a few days.
Of course, the first thing anyone would notice would be the smell of urine in the lobby.
However, no one would be able to catch the culprit. Director Tsugawa had dismissed the security guards beforehand and turned off the only surveillance camera in the lobby.
Even if Conan showed up to investigate, he wouldn't find anything.
The truck pulled into Frank's villa garage.
Natsukawa quickly exited the passenger seat, covering his nose as he prepared to leave.
He was still wearing Tamada Kazuo's face, and his pinched nose stretched the mask into an odd shape.
That was the only downside of disguise masks—they could be pulled and stretched. Although they'd bounce back, it would definitely freak people out if they saw it.
"Ahh, that's better!"
Peeling the mask off his face, the feeling of his skin directly contacting fresh air was incredibly refreshing.
Although the disguise masks were expertly crafted, their breathability definitely left something to be desired. Wearing one for extended periods made his face uncomfortable.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Just as Natsukawa was about to leave the villa, Frank's shout came from behind.
"It's eight o'clock. Going home to take care of the kid."
Natsukawa waved his hand. Being a stay-at-home dad wasn't easy.
Besides, he had no interest in interrogating Tsugawa right now.
If the man hadn't wet himself, he might have stuck around to listen to what information he could provide. But now? Sorry, zero interest!
Frank spat in frustration, but there was nothing he could do about Natsukawa.
Besides, he was the one who'd accepted the IRS commission—he had no choice but to endure some hardship.
Still, Natsukawa was incredibly resourceful. Frank had no idea where he got his information, but the guy somehow knew the Organization was active in Japan. It had only been about two weeks, and he'd already gathered substantial intelligence on them.
Things were developing in a positive direction.
The smell, however, was developing in a decidedly negative direction.
"Disgusting! Damn you, Natsukawa! This is all your fault!"
[End of Chapter 24]