"Th-That person is Yuzo-kun!"
Ayako recognized Yuzo's appearance better than anyone. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
Why was Yuzo outside so late at night? And what was he doing?
Why was there blood on his face?
Ritsu reacted immediately. He shoved open the window, vaulted outside, and sprinted toward the figure. However, the person suspected to be Yuzo dropped the object in his hand and hurriedly fled into the pitch-black darkness.
"Stop right there!"
Shinichi, who had jumped out the window right after him, shouted loudly as he clenched his teeth and gave chase. But in the forest, he quickly lost his bearings.
Looking around at the completely dark surroundings, he clenched his fists unwillingly.
"Damn it, he got away!"
Wiping the rainwater from his face, he retraced his steps and saw Ritsu crouching with his back facing him.
As soon as Shincihi approached, Onizawa coldly said:
"Kudo, block the rain for me."
The moment he saw that the blood-covered man lying on the ground was Tetsuji, Shinichi hurriedly removed his jacket and held it above them as cover. He didn't dare interrupt Ritsu while he administered emergency treatment.
Ran rushed over with the first-aid kit, while Sonoko comforted her frightened older sister. None of them felt good witnessing something like this.
Just minutes ago, they had all been laughing together while watching baseball.
And now Uncle Tomizawa was lying motionless on the cold ground, his fate uncertain.
Mechanical trauma to the head could range from mild to fatal. The ruptured tissue indicated an open wound. Ritsu reached out to examine Tetsuji's pupils.
The pupils were unequal in size and fluctuating, a clinical symptom of midbrain damage.
Ritsu immediately checked his pulse.
Weak, shallow, and irregular.
If he didn't receive emergency treatment soon, things would become very serious.
"He needs to be taken to the hospital immediately. Sonoko, do you know where the car is?"
"I do! But with this thunderstorm—"
"If we don't hurry, he'll die!!"
Realizing the severity of the situation, Ayako hurriedly led everyone to the parking area behind the villa. Just as she was about to open the driver's seat door, Ritsu stopped her.
"I'll drive. Everyone else sit in the back."
After getting into the car, he instructed Ayako and Sonoko in the back seat,
"The car will be moving fast, so make sure Tomizawa-san doesn't get jostled too violently. Keep his head tilted to one side, and use a clean handkerchief to stop the bleeding, but don't apply too much pressure."
"Okay!"
Shinichi, who hadn't gotten into the car, frowned and said, "I'll stay here and guard the scene, Sensei. Don't worry."
"Alright. You be careful too. The culprit might return to the scene."
"Got it."
Ritsu sped all the way toward the nearest hospital. Fortunately, Sonoko's villa wasn't too remote, and after roughly ten minutes of driving, they arrived at Izu National Hospital.
Thanks to the correct emergency treatment and the timely arrival at the hospital, everyone finally relaxed slightly after Tetsuji was pushed into surgery.
Sitting outside the operating room, Ayako lowered her head and prayed softly, "I hope Uncle's surgery succeeds. Please let it succeed."
Sonoko gently poked Ran in the back and whispered, "Ran, do you think Yuzo-nii really did it? I honestly can't believe it."
"I don't think it was Yuzo-san either… but those eyes really looked like his…"
Ritsu looked down at the bloodstains splattered across his clothes and recalled the earlier scene. Somehow, he felt things weren't that simple.
"I'm a little worried about leaving Kudo there alone. You all stay at the hospital while I head back. Please update me on the surgery through my phone. Here's my contact information."
"Thank you so much, Onizawa-san. If it weren't for you… I don't know what we would've done."
Ayako stood up and bowed slightly in gratitude. She truly was worried about Tetsuji.
What a kind-hearted girl.
"As a police officer, it's my duty."
Driving back to the villa, Ritsu found that Shinichi had already done a basic job preserving the crime scene.
Looking at the figure standing in the rain wearing a raincoat, it was obvious, he truly loved detective work.
"Kudo."
"Sensei? Why'd you come back?"
"I wasn't comfortable leaving you here alone. Besides…" Ritsu paused and looked toward the bloodstained rock lying nearby.
"I'm pretty interested in this case myself. I want to see whether we can find any solid evidence at the scene."
Shinichi shrugged helplessly.
"Unfortunately, I already checked around with a flashlight and didn't find anything. The heavy rain washed away most of the footprints too. And the remaining tracks are all mixed together, so it's hard to distinguish anything."
"Then let's go pay a visit to our suspect."
"Sensei, you mean Yuzo? Isn't that dangerous? What if he—"
"Don't underestimate a police officer's combat ability. Come on. Even if something happens, I'll make sure you escape safely."
Whenever Ritsu observed strangers, he always evaluated their physique first. It was obvious Yuzo didn't exercise much. He had a relatively thin build.
And since it had already been mentioned that he studied painting, the calluses on his hands clearly weren't from handling guns or practicing swordsmanship.
If a painter who couldn't shoot, couldn't use a sword, and never exercised somehow managed to injure him… He might as well dig his own grave and lie down in it himself.
It would simply be too embarrassing.
"But… how are we supposed to find Yuzo-san? His studio probably isn't here, right?"
"You forgot the phone call from the beach earlier this afternoon? The Tomizawa villa's landline should still have the call recording. If we redial the number, we'll know where he is."
Shinichi watched as Ritsu picked the villa's front door lock in just five seconds.
'What an incredibly professional thief… No, locksmith.'
After switching on the flashlight function on his phone, they headed toward the living room. Standing in front of the landline phone, Ritsu pulled gloves out from his pocket, clearly wary of leaving fingerprints behind.
"You're really cautious. Do you think the culprit might've used the phone too?"
Hearing Shinichi's question, Ritsu merely smiled without answering. He pressed the playback button for the phone messages, then hit the redial function.
The call connected on the fifth ring.
"…Hm? Who is this?"
The voice was thick with nasal congestion, even somewhat hoarse, exactly like someone who had just woken up.
Ritsu fabricated a lie.
"Yuzo-san? This is Onizawa Takashi."
"Onizawa-san? How did you get my number?" Yuzo asked in surprise.
"Ayako-san gave it to me. I'm very interested in your paintings, so I wanted to ask if I could visit your studio."
"Really?!" Yuzo's voice instantly became excited.
"Of course you're welcome! My studio is near the villa. Just drive south along the road for about one kilometer and you'll see a two-story white-and-blue villa. There's a black Honda parked outside, so it's easy to recognize."
"Alright. I'll be there in about five minutes."
After hanging up, Ritsu looked at Shinichi beside him and asked, "Coming?"
"Of course I am, Sensei!"
Looking at Shinichi's excited expression as he cracked his knuckles, he really did fit the image of an energetic high school boy perfectly.
Ritsu couldn't help recalling those days at Beika High School, when the three of them would walk home together beneath the setting sun.
Sure enough, getting older made people reminisce about the past every now and then.
Ritsu shoved his hands into his pockets and walked toward the parking lot, while Shinichi hurriedly opened an umbrella to shield him from the rain.
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