Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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The two surveillance clips from the department store had already been sent to Hayasaka's phone. Ritsu took it and replayed them repeatedly.
He could confirm that when the missing girl, Morishima Mao, first arrived at the department store, she appeared relaxed. But in the second clip, she was clearly anxious, she even jogged as she left the camera's view.
This showed that she hadn't realized how close it was to the agreed time to go to the café. That would also explain why she hurriedly ended both calls from her friend, she likely thought she was already late and should hurry to focus on learning.
That meant, during those five minutes, the only person she could have met was the café owner, Yamamoto Kenji, who was supposed to train her.
"Inspector, should we go into the café and check if there's a hidden door?"
Hayasaka, who loved watching crime dramas, had quite an imagination. Maybe there really was a concealed door somewhere in the café, leading to something shady and perhaps Morishima had stumbled upon it and been captured.
"Seems like you watch a lot of TV dramas," Ritsu said flatly. "And even imagine yourself as a highly efficient detective while watching them."
"Inspector… could you not analyze my life based on what I say? I'm starting to think you installed surveillance cameras in my home."
Hayasaka crossed her arms protectively over her chest, looking wary, which left Ritsu at a loss. If only she could apply that wild imagination in the right direction, she wouldn't just be running errands at crime scenes.
"According to the café staff's statements, Morishima never entered the café. Checking it would just be a waste of time."
"But… what if there's a hidden back entrance? If she went in through there, it wouldn't attract attention, right?"
Ritsu pointed toward a nearby bakery and said, "Based on what we know, this was her first time coming here to work. First, we rule out the possibility that a first-time visitor would know about a hidden back entrance. Second, as someone already running late, choosing to take a detour instead of the main entrance, does that fit basic logic?"
"…That makes sense," Hayasaka admitted, twirling her hair. "And if the owner had been standing at the entrance calling for her, the staff might have noticed. So… where did she go?"
Calling for her…?
Ritsu suddenly looked up at the building in front of him. The second and third floors were residential units, and the entire third floor had balconies, spacious, separate apartments.
If the owner had left the café, turned left, and gone upstairs to one of the third-floor rooms, he could have seen Morishima getting off the bus. After ending the first call, she might have noticed him signaling her to come upstairs. Eager to apologize for being late, she would have entered one of the rooms without suspicion.
This explanation resolved both questions, where she went during those five minutes, and why the second call was made indoors.
"Did the previous investigators canvass the nearby residents?"
"No. Everything in my notes has already been reported to you."
"Hayasaka, come with me!"
"Huh?"
Ritsu moved quickly, his pace almost a run. He couldn't understand why the officers handling the case hadn't checked the residential units above the shops, this was a serious oversight.
Taking the stairs two steps at a time, he reached the third floor and knocked on the first door near the stairwell. There was some rustling inside, followed by footsteps. The door opened to reveal a blond young man in pajamas.
Speaking in a Hokkaido dialect, the man asked, "What do you want this late? I just got home from a night shift."
Hayasaka immediately showed her badge. "We're police."
"P-Police?" The young man looked nervous. "Oh… I see. What do you need from me?"
A strange smell drifted out from inside. Ritsu frowned and looked at the man's fingers, several were stained yellow from burns. Combined with his dark circles, messy hair, and vacant eyes, these were telltale signs of heroin use.
"Do you want me to search your place for hidden heroin, or will you put your hands out and let me cuff you?"
The blond man knew he couldn't escape. He had used not long ago, there was no way he'd pass a urine or saliva test. With a defeated expression, he extended his hands.
Ritsu cuffed him to a nearby railing, there were more urgent matters at hand. Hayasaka, still stunned, couldn't believe they had caught a drug user along the way.
They moved to the second unit next door. Ritsu knocked again, but there was no response. He turned to the cuffed man and asked, "Do you know who lives next door?"
"Huh? Next door… no one lives there."
An empty unit, perfect conditions for Yamamoto Kenji to commit the crime.
Ritsu signaled Hayasaka to step back, then raised his leg and kicked the wooden door open. The violent entry made the blond man tremble, he was suddenly very glad he hadn't tried to run.
The interior was dim and unlit. After confirming there was no immediate danger, Ritsu moved deeper inside. When he opened the bedroom door, the scene made him clench his fists.
The bedroom was starkly different from the living room, which contained various coffee-making equipment. Inside, there was only a bed and in the corner sat an unconscious girl.
It was Morishima Mao.
Her hair was disheveled, her head tilted slightly back. Her body was covered in wounds of varying sizes, completely unclothed, with her limbs restrained by iron chains. She bore no resemblance to the bright, lively girl in her photos.
"How could this…"
If only the police had realized sooner… she might have escaped this nightmare.
Ritsu crouched down and gently tapped her shoulder. But even that small touch triggered a strong reaction. When she saw him, she instinctively recoiled.
Her cracked lips trembled as she rasped hoarsely.
"…Don't… don't come closer…"
Ritsu understood. He was a man, of course she would fear him.
He stood up, took off his jacket, and handed it to Hayasaka, who was frozen in shock.
"Help her get dressed. I'll contact the local station."
"…Okay."
Not long after becoming a police officer, he was already facing something like this.
Ritsu stepped outside, exhaled heavily, and dialed the Hamura Police Station. After briefly explaining the situation, officers arrived about twenty minutes later.
They took away Morishima, who was dazed and deeply shaken, and the blond man, who confessed to his heroin use.
At the same time, Hamura Police arrested Yamamoto Kenji at his home, where he had been sleeping soundly. Faced with overwhelming evidence, he confessed to his crimes at the station.
"If this case had been taken seriously within the first 12 hours… if the officers had been more responsible… could all of this have been prevented?"
Hearing Hayasaka's question, Ritsu had no answer.
"At the very least, we brought the criminal to justice."
He rolled down the car window and started the engine.
"Look forward. Tell me your address, I'll take you home."
Watching the night scenery blur past outside the window, Hayasaka thought about what she had just seen.
Three days.
She had been curled up alone in that room for three whole days.
How desperate must that have been?
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Author's Note:
This case is based on a real incident. In reality, it was even worse—the girl was never found. The perpetrator was the shop owner, but due to police negligence, the upstairs area wasn't searched. By the time they realized, all evidence had been destroyed.
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