Chapter 288: One Bar of Soap, Four Scents

After a brief chat, Fujino finally understood why Megure Jūsan had called him this time. 

It was simple: they needed his help investigating a string of recent police murders. 

Fujino was a bit thrown off. "Inspector Megure, are you sure it's okay to bring me in on a case this serious? I mean, this is a sensitive matter tied to 'Need Not to Know,' right?" 

A run-of-the-mill murder case was one thing, but asking a detective to poke around in something involving internal police scandals? That was unusual. 

"I've already reported your involvement," Megure said, sensing Fujino's hesitation—something he'd expected. "Before I called, I got approval from the higher-ups. They're fully on board with you assisting us, hoping we can crack this case fast." 

"They approved it?" Fujino raised an eyebrow, surprised. 

"Need Not to Know"—a Western police code, abbreviated internationally as NNTK—meant "you don't need to know this." It was a verbal warning to outsiders or those without clearance, a signal to back off, like a confidentiality agreement. 

Sure, Fujino had dropped some hints about the case yesterday, but still—he hadn't expected Megure to get the green light from above to bring him in. 

Cases like this usually stayed strictly internal, with no outsiders involved. 

But by the same token, it meant the police were treating him as half their own now. 

"This case is just like you're thinking, Brother Fujino," Megure explained. "The killer might be someone we know. We've got a direction, but progress has been slow. That's why the brass agreed so quickly." 

"No time to waste. If you've got a minute, head over to headquarters." 

"Got it," Fujino nodded, catching the deeper implication. 

This wasn't random—it was the result of a long buildup. 

Forget yesterday's teaser for a second. Over time, he'd built a solid rapport with the police, so it made sense they'd tap him for this. 

"New detective career bounty mission detected. Please check it out!" 

A system alert chimed in his ear. 

"Mission's up already?" Fujino wasn't surprised. He opened the system interface, and a task window popped up: 

**[Detective Career Mission: Bounty Target (True Culprit of the Police Serial Murders)]** 

**Mission Brief: Two cops killed in a row, and the mastermind is someone all too familiar…** 

**Mission Goal: Capture Kyōsuke Kazato (Target confirmed based on host's info; location marked on HUD)** 

**Rewards: 4 million yen · 600 detective reputation points · 1 all-career stat point** 

"Four million yen, huh?" Fujino rubbed his chin, eyeing the screen. 

This bounty was pretty generous. 

Since Megure had already asked for his help, he could tackle this mission on the side. 

But just grabbing the guy straight away? That felt like letting him off too easy… 

… 

Tokyo, Metropolitan Police Headquarters, meeting room. 

Compared to the Mihana precinct, the headquarters' meeting room was a step up—fancy, even. The blinds were drawn tight, the floor-to-ceiling windows draped with white curtains. A long table sat in the center, flanked by cushy red sofas. 

"Last summer, a doctor named Yasushi Nino from Tokyo Medical University Hospital was found dead in his home," Megure said, seated across from Fujino. Beside him, Shiratori pulled a photo from his pocket and handed it over. 

Fujino took it and gave it a look. 

The picture showed a skinny, sleazy-looking guy in a red suit—someone who didn't exactly scream "upstanding citizen." 

After a moment, Fujino looked up, curious. "Since you brought it up, Brother Megure, this case must tie into the recent murders, right?" 

"Exactly. There's a big connection," Megure nodded. "Back then, my senior, Inspector Tomonari from Major Crimes, handled the investigation. Under him were Officer Nara—who was killed in the phone booth yesterday—Detective Shiyō Ichirō, and Satō." 

"If that's the case, Officer Satō might be next," Fujino guessed. 

"Yep, that's what we're thinking," Megure sighed. "But she insists she doesn't need our protection." 

"Well, it *is* Officer Satō…" Fujino mused, then asked, "What about Inspector Tomonari? How's he doing now?" 

"He's dead," Megure replied somberly. "He had a heart attack during that investigation." 

"So, of the team that worked that case back then, only Officer Satō's left?" Fujino nodded. "Can you tell me more about what happened?" 

"That case caused quite a stir at the time," Megure said, thinking back. "According to our investigation, Yasushi Nino had been drinking heavily before he died. We figured he got drunk, lost it, and slit his right carotid artery with a scalpel. His sister, Tamaki Nino, was the first to find the body." 

As he spoke, Shiratori pulled another photo from his pocket and passed it to Fujino. 

This one showed a pretty woman with long brown hair, dressed in a pink suit—giving off a cool, melancholic vibe. 

"We initially ruled it a suicide," Megure continued, hesitating. "There was a note in Nino's room blaming himself for a failed surgery, but the truth is…" 

"His sister didn't buy that he'd kill himself," Shiratori cut in. "She said her brother wasn't some scumbag who cared about patients' lives. Suicide over a botched surgery? No way, not him." 

"A week before Nino's death, someone saw him arguing with a guy with purple hair in front of a warehouse," Megure added. "Just to be safe, Tomonari took his team to stake out the place. But during the stakeout, he had that heart attack. Satō rushed him to the hospital, but he didn't make it. The others kept watch and spotted the guy…" 

His face darkened, his voice dropping. "That guy was none other than Toshiya Odagiri—the son of Superintendent Odagiri, head of our Criminal Division." 

Shiratori reached for another photo, hesitated, then swapped it out for a different one after fumbling in his pocket. 

Fujino: "…" 

Here we go again. How many photos does this guy carry around? 

Wait—was that Satō Miwako's picture he almost pulled out? What's he hiding in there…? 

Shaking it off, Fujino took the new photo and studied it. 

This one showed a punk kid with a wild vibe—hard to believe he could be the son of a respected figure like the superintendent. 

"Because of Tomonari's death, the case was closed as a suicide," Megure said, his tone grim. "Tomonari had a son, Tomonari Makoto, who was furious about his dad's sudden death. He even blamed the team on duty, thinking their inaction killed his father…" 

Fujino nodded, getting it. That reaction made sense. Normally, a case like this wouldn't get dug into further—especially with the Criminal Division head's son involved. Even if the superintendent didn't say anything, the underlings would've read the room and let it slide. 

Snapping out of his thoughts, Fujino glanced at the photos on the table. "So this case involves both the Criminal Division head's son *and* a former cop's son?" 

"Yeah, that's how it looks," Megure confirmed, resting his chin on his hands. "We're focusing on those two. We rechecked the victims' connections and found Satō had been asked by Officer Nara to team up with Detective Shiyō and reopen that old case from a year ago." 

"Both officers were killed after the investigation restarted," Shiratori said, looking at Fujino. "Like you suggested, based on them clutching their police handbooks before dying, we figured the killer's someone we know. That narrowed it down to those two suspects. Takagi's looking into Makoto, and I'm on Toshiya." 

"Brother Fujino…" Megure turned to him with hopeful eyes. "Any leads on these two?" 

"Not yet," Fujino shook his head. "If we're sure it's one of them, then it's just a matter of watching. Toshiya's got the stronger motive—he argued with the victim before the death. If he killed Nino and heard the case was reopened, murder's not out of the question. As for Makoto, the ex-cop's son, I don't see a clear link yet—unless he's left-handed, maybe that'd tie in." 

"That's our thinking too," Megure nodded, agreeing with Fujino's take. 

"But it might not be them," Fujino said, stretching as he stood and opened the blinds to look outside. "The more obvious the case, the deeper the real culprit hides." 

"The deeper they hide?" Megure scratched his head, puzzled. 

"Fujino means the more obvious it seems, the harder the killer is to find," Shiratori translated, then murmured, "I've been feeling the same. This case feels too neat—like all the evidence is pointing straight at those two…" 

"We still don't have enough clues," Megure sighed, frowning. 

Honestly, he felt it too. But it'd only been two days since the murders started—info and leads were still thin. For now, it was all guesswork. 

Meanwhile, Fujino slipped into his thoughts. 

From what Megure had just said, he'd pieced together the case's plot. 

Years ago, Kyōsuke Kazato, a surgeon dubbed the "Golden Left Hand" for his skill, was the youngest prodigy in his field. But during one surgery, Yasushi Nino slashed his wrist, ending his career. 

For a doctor, steady hands are everything—shaky ones can't operate. It's basic knowledge for someone like Fujino, who's got a doctor career under his belt. 

About a year ago, Kyōsuke thought it was just an accident—until a drunk Nino let slip that he'd done it on purpose. Furious, Kyōsuke killed him with a scalpel and staged it as suicide. 

Later, when the police reopened the case, Kyōsuke—now a police psychologist—found out. To cover his tracks, he killed two cops and planned to take out Satō Miwako, pinning it all on Makoto. 

His next move? Targeting Satō at Shiratori Sara's wedding celebration. 

Fujino's eyes glinted as he stared out the window. 

… 

The day of the wedding celebration. 

For the past day and a half, Fujino had been helping the police investigate, but they'd made little headway. 

It was the weekend, and the Fujino household had a rare break. They all headed to Shiratori Sara's wedding bash together. 

Fujino stuck to his usual black suit—versatile enough for any occasion in Japan. 

Haibara Ai wore a loose gray dress layered with a long, thin white coat—mature yet still cute. 

Akemi Miyano opted for a gray business suit with a pencil skirt—sharp, poised, and professional. 

"You two go ahead. I'll find a parking spot and meet you on the fifteenth floor," Fujino said as they reached the Mihana Sun Plaza Hotel. The underground lot was packed, so he split off. 

"Almost time, huh?" 

He found a spot, parked, and squinted at a red dot on his HUD not far off. 

Then, he pulled a makeup kit from his inventory… 

… 

Kyōsuke Kazato parked in the garage. 

He opened his glovebox, pulled out a handgun, and stared at it thoughtfully. 

Today was Inspector Shiratori's sister's wedding—a perfect chance. 

He'd planned this out after hearing about it. Once this was done, he wouldn't have to worry about his past catching up. 

Taking a deep breath, he tucked the gun away and stepped out, ready to execute his plan. 

But just as he rounded a corner, a dark-skinned guy with short blonde hair popped up, startling him. 

"Uh, who are you?" Kyōsuke asked, eyeing the stranger warily. 

The guy had tanned skin, wore a thick black coat, and carried a briefcase—pretty mysterious vibe. Kyōsuke didn't recognize him at all. 

"I'm selling soap," the guy—Fujino in disguise—said, setting the briefcase down and opening it. He pulled out a bar and offered it. "Here, take one for free. Help me spread the word." 

He held it closer. "Give it a sniff." 

"Soap?" Kyōsuke's face twisted, confused. 

A soap salesman? In an underground parking garage? 

It was weird, and he knew better than to take stuff from strangers. But something about this guy's words felt… compelling, almost magnetic. 

"It's really free?" he asked, taking the soap. 

"One bar, four scents," Fujino said, locking eyes with him, his gaze earnest. "Back, sides—all different. Smell it, try it out. No charge." 

"Four scents? That's wild," Kyōsuke blinked, hesitant, then brought it to his nose. "Whoa, it *does* smell good… What kind is this?" 

"Glad you like it. Keep sniffing," Fujino said, his smile unwavering. 

"How much? I'll buy a few!" Kyōsuke said, taking another whiff. 

The more he smelled, the better it got—he couldn't stop! 

Then his head started swimming. His body swayed, feeling light, like he was floating on clouds. 

*Thud…* 

The soap slipped from his hand, hitting the ground. 

Kyōsuke collapsed, out cold. 

"Orator career comes in handy," Fujino muttered, picking up the fallen soap with a smirk. "Pair it with this stuff? Perfect combo…" 

He tucked the soap back into the briefcase, stood up, and looked down at Kyōsuke. A faint grin curved his lips on his darkened face. 

(End of Chapter)