Chapter 91: The Object Hidden in the Study Ceiling (First Update)

At the Metropolitan Police Department press conference, Aya Asai hung up the phone with Hidenobu Aoyama just as it was her turn to take the stage. Wearing a police cap and uniform, her poised demeanor and long, graceful legs carried her confidently to the podium under the watchful eyes of the assembled crowd.

If one looked closely, they might notice faint runs in her sheer nude stockings—subtle marks left moments ago by Hidenobu Aoyama’s handiwork.

Standing before the reporters, Aya Asai bowed respectfully before speaking slowly, “Good morning, everyone. I am Aya Asai, Chief of the First Division, Section One, Homicide Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department. The series of copycat murders falls under our jurisdiction. Within two days, two innocent women have been brutally killed. The perpetrator’s crimes are heinous beyond measure.”

“Before taking the stage, I pondered how to convey to the public that we are diligently working to solve this case and to soothe their anxieties. But now, I have an announcement: just moments ago, the suspect in the copycat murder case was apprehended!”

A thunderous uproar erupted throughout the room. Even senior officials like Kunio Ninpei exchanged glances before all eyes turned in unison toward Police Inspector Hattori of the First Division.

Hattori himself looked bewildered.

“Chief Asai, could you share details about the suspect? How did you manage to capture him?”

“Does the suspect have any psychological disorders?”

The reporters were the first to react, bombarding Aya Asai with a barrage of questions.

“The suspect’s name is Ryo Kitamiya. He is a plumber by trade. For further details, please await official announcements from the Metropolitan Police Department,” Aya Asai raised her voice to answer crisply, then bowed again before turning to leave.

Inspector Hattori crouched slightly to intercept Aya Asai in the hallway. “Chief Asai, why didn’t you inform us about such pivotal news beforehand? Had we known earlier, today’s press conference would have been entirely different.”

“I only received the report moments before stepping onto the stage,” Asai replied with a helpless expression.

It wasn’t that she sought to steal the spotlight—but Hidenobu Aoyama had, by a stroke of luck, just handed her this opportunity.

Meanwhile, Hidenobu Aoyama was en route to the residence of the late Nagataka Nakayama. Upon arrival, he saw several police vehicles parked outside and crime scene tape blocking access.

“Captain Watanabe, it’s you again?” Upon entering, he found that the Mobile Search Unit present was none other than Watanabe Chikazu’s 204 Squad.

Was this guy an NPC set to spawn at fixed points? Every time there was a scene with mobile search, it was invariably the 204 Squad.

Watanabe shrugged in response to the question. “Maybe it’s fate?”

“Drinks on me next time,” Aoyama patted him on the shoulder and asked, “What have you found?”

“The victim was strangled alive with some kind of fine, resilient thread. Time of death is estimated to be yesterday afternoon.” Watanabe led Aoyama to the corpse, then gestured toward a plump young man nearby. “He reported the crime. He’s a subordinate of Chief Nakayama. He came here because Nakayama hadn’t shown up for work this morning and was unreachable.”

“He saw Nakayama’s car outside but got no response when he rang the doorbell. Feeling something was wrong, he climbed over the wall, peered through a window, and saw Nakayama bleeding from his neck, collapsed on the sofa. That’s when he called the police.”

Aoyama nodded to indicate he was listening.

“Two sets of footprints were found at the scene—one belonging to Nakayama, the other presumably the killer’s. No eyewitnesses, but surveillance footage captured the suspect climbing over the wall both entering and leaving, though the face isn’t visible. The house had been ransacked, so robbery as a motive cannot be ruled out.”

“Moreover, no fingerprints were found anywhere. The killer likely wore gloves throughout and was extremely cautious—probably a seasoned criminal,” Watanabe said grimly.

“The nerve of this thief—murder and robbery targeting a police officer,” Aoyama remarked, though inwardly he suspected that Inoue Miya was the real killer, and the ransacking was merely a ruse to disguise the crime as a robbery.

“Economy’s bad; chaos is mounting,” Watanabe sighed, then called out to his team, “Hand over the scene to the Metropolitan Police.”

“Alright!” came the response.

“Chief Aoyama, we’re pulling out now. Wishing you success in your investigation,” Watanabe said his farewells.

Aoyama nodded. “Safe travels.”

The Mobile Search Unit compiled all clues found on site. After a thorough reexamination yielded no new findings, the investigation would proceed based on these leads.

“Search carefully,” Aoyama ordered.

“Got it!” the team replied.

They dispersed throughout the villa.

Aoyama entered the second-floor study where all accessible cabinets were open and contents scattered chaotically. Documents littered the floor.

Bending to pick up papers, he suddenly froze, noticing a faint red dot reflected on the floor tiles. Instinctively, he looked up.

Among the multicolored chandeliers overhead, a subtle red dot glowed steadily—an almost imperceptible surveillance camera, easily missed without careful observation.

Damn!

A hidden camera installed right in the study.

His first thought was that the footage must have recorded the killer’s image. The second was that, since Nakayama had installed surveillance in his study, something very important must be kept there.

His gaze first fell on a safe that had been moved but left unopened. Yet he quickly dismissed it—truly valuable items rarely stayed locked in safes.

“You search the upper floors. I’ll handle this room,” Aoyama called out, closing the door behind him as he began a meticulous examination.

The room was small. If anything was hidden, it would be in the walls, ceiling, or floor. Inch by inch, he inspected the walls, then the floor, and finally climbed onto the desk to remove ceiling panels one by one.

He found it—the ceiling concealed not only a thick envelope of documents but also the main unit for the surveillance system. He took the envelope and the hard drive storing the footage, then restored the ceiling to its original state.

The hard drive was last year’s latest model, 1GB capacity, 3.5 inches in size. Though large compared to future storage cards, it was currently the smallest and highest-capacity device available.

Aoyama tucked the hard drive into his jacket, pressed the envelope against his waistband, concealed them beneath his clothes, and left the study.

“That’s it. No other findings—we’re done here.”

“Roger that!”

…………………………

News of Nagataka Nakayama’s murder quickly spread through the Metropolitan Police Department. Ryo Miyamoto, Chief of the Second Division, Homicide Unit Two, was shaken to his core. First, Fuji Konoe was killed, then Nakayama. This was no coincidence.

The killer was definitely Inoue Miya.

She was exacting revenge.

Who would be next? Him? Or Hane Konoe?

The more Miyamoto thought about it, the more terrified he became. He drove anxiously to the Tokyo Prosecutor’s Office to find Hane Konoe. On the road, every car seemed to be tailing him.

Heart pounding, he reached Konoe’s office and burst in, panic-stricken. “Prosecutor, Nakayama has been murdered!”

“What?” Konoe was caught off guard.

“The Chief of the Second Division, Homicide Unit Two, Nakayama, was found dead at home!” Miyamoto’s face was pale with fear as he shouted, “Inoue Miya! It must be her—she’s a lunatic on a revenge spree! Soon it’ll be us! I don’t want to die—I don’t!”

“Calm down!” Though startled, Konoe quickly regained composure.

Miyamoto seemed deaf to reason, overwhelmed by terror. “She won’t spare me—not ever—”

“Slap!” Konoe struck him hard across the face, grabbed him by the collar, yanked him close, and growled, “What good does fear do? Let’s think of a way to fight back!”

“Yes, think of a way, think of a way,” Miyamoto swallowed nervously and murmured. After a moment, he asked, “Prosecutor, do you have a plan?”

“Relying on the Homicide Unit One to catch Inoue Miya is unrealistic. We can’t pin our hopes on others,” Konoe said rapidly, then added, “We must keep an eye on Asai Aya and her team’s findings while devising ways to protect ourselves.”

“Here’s the plan: put a bounty on Inoue Miya’s head on the streets. I’ll offer seventy million yen. Meanwhile, have your subordinates investigate every lead—legal or otherwise. We’ll squeeze her until she’s forced out!”

“Also, until we catch her, no one acts alone. Always have someone tail you—no openings for her.”

He was genuinely afraid now. Inoue Miya was unburdened, willing to die alongside them.

“Got it!” Miyamoto calmed down as he heard Konoe’s clear plan.

Elsewhere, soon after returning to the Metropolitan Police Department, Hidenobu Aoyama was summoned to Aya Asai’s office.

“Was Inoue Miya responsible for Nakayama’s death?” Asai had just heard the news herself.

Aoyama chuckled softly. “Isn’t this exactly what we expected? This is only the beginning. Next are Miyamoto and Konoe—the deaths of four officials in succession will cause a huge uproar. The more the public reacts, the greater our credit for solving the case.”

“But have you considered what happens if we fail to catch Inoue Miya? Or lack evidence to convict her?” Asai asked anxiously.

Aoyama pulled the hard drive from his jacket and showed it to her. “I found this in Nakayama’s study. Since his study was ransacked, the footage must have captured Inoue Miya, which will be enough to pin the crime on her.”

He put the hard drive away and continued, “As for not catching her? Worrying about that is pure needless anxiety. The moment she kills her last victim, we launch a full-scale arrest. How could she possibly escape then?”

They hadn’t tried to catch Inoue Miya yet because they hadn’t intended to. With this surveillance evidence, they could apply for a warrant and hunt her relentlessly across Tokyo.

Aya Asai sighed, feeling uneasy about this approach. Yet she could neither influence Aoyama’s mindset nor prevent being pulled further off course by him.