Kiyomi Ruri couldn't think of anything after holding it in for a while. Nakano Eri also returned to the car from the Matsuchi family and sat in the driver's seat in silence for a moment. She fastened her seatbelt, glanced at the rearview mirror, and saw that Nanahara Takeshi had no reaction. She started the car and drove straight towards the Hirano Police Station.

She didn't have much to say. She went to knock on the door of the Matsuchi family again, apologized, and asked a series of questions in a questioning manner. Matsuchi Yuki's answers were exactly the same as what Nanahara Takeshi had said. The look in her eyes when she looked at her was like looking at a miracle.

She was strong, really strong. Anyway, she had never met someone like Nanahara Takeshi before and couldn't help but admire him a little.

So she confirmed that Nanahara Takeshi was indeed talented. Whether he was a professional scammer or a reservist (she heard it from Gotō Yasushi, and now she was a bit uncertain about this idea), he was truly gifted. As long as he had talent and could assist the police in solving cases, she didn't care about anything else.

At most, if one day he was arrested for fraud, considering how well he could deceive, she could find a way to arrange a single room for him in the detention center so that he would receive fewer beatings.

She didn't mention this matter again, and Nanahara Takeshi just smiled and let it go. He sat in the back seat, leaning his head and looking at the scenery. Together with Kiyomi Ruri, who had been thinking hard, the three of them quickly arrived at the police station.

Nakano Eri was familiar with the place and led Nanahara Takeshi and Kiyomi Ruri directly into the police station. A seasoned police officer, who was holding a wooden stick (cane) in front of the police station, was promoting the authority of the police to deter criminals and improve the residents' sense of security. He didn't even glance at Nanahara Takeshi and Kiyomi Ruri, and they didn't even need to register. They saluted and were allowed to enter.

This was the first time in her life that Kiyomi Ruri had entered a police station, even though the building of the Hirano Police Station was not much different from an ordinary office building. She was still excited because she might work here in the future.

Humph, it's worth commemorating that Kiyomi Ruri, the police officer, has set foot in the police station for the first time!

She became excited again, completely naive, and wanted to discuss it with someone. Unfortunately, no one paid attention to her. The three of them quickly arrived at a large office on the fourth floor of the Criminal Investigation Department. There was a piece of paper on the door with the words "Penghe Murder Case Investigation Headquarters" written in crooked brushstrokes.

They pushed open the door, and it was messy inside. A dirty ceiling fan hung from the ceiling, and several whiteboards and desks were placed haphazardly below. The desks were filled with files, empty lunch boxes, and instant noodle cups. Only a corner of the room looked a bit cleaner, with a large computer covered with a gray-white cloth. At first glance, it looked like the computer was dead and not working.

Overall, it was completely different from what was shown in Japanese dramas. Instead of being an office for elite detectives, it looked more like a heartless and unscrupulous company that exploited dispatched employees.

Kiyomi Ruri was taken aback and looked dumbfounded. Nanahara Takeshi, who was no longer annoyed by her at the moment, started to approach her again. He no longer thought that the money and treatment Gotō Yasushi had given him were generous enough. He even felt a bit cheated and felt that he had worked hard enough for the day. It was time to consider asking for a raise from the employer.

"You finally came, Nanahara-kōhai, Miss Nakano, and Kiyomi-kōhai, hello." There were only two people in the Investigation Headquarters, busy flipping through various files and documents. It was Okuno Taiji and Hidaka Tsukasa, two low-ranking detectives.

Kiyomi Ruri was happy to see them, after all, they were acquaintances. She immediately asked happily, "Officer Okuno, Officer Hidaka, did you also transfer here?" Then she looked around and asked curiously, "Are you the only ones here? Where are the others?"

"There are no others. The Investigation Headquarters was disbanded last night, saying that there was another mission." Okuno Taiji patiently replied, "Now Nakano-san is in charge of the case, and the two of us are assisting her."

Nakano Eri being in charge of the case was just a nice official statement. Although she was a formally selected police officer through the National Civil Service Examination Class B Special Category, a member of the pure-blood quasi-professional group, with a purer bloodline than Okuno and Hidaka, and a high probability of working at the Metropolitan Police Department in the future, she was only a nominal detective.

Her major in university was secretarial management, and she was an administrative officer in the Criminal Investigation Department, equivalent to a senior secretary for Gotō Yasushi. Her daily work was to assist her superiors in handling various miscellaneous documents and manage the small treasury and some trivial matters in the Criminal Investigation Department.

Of course, the latter was just a rumor, and Okuno Taiji couldn't be sure. But Nakano Eri was definitely Gotō Yasushi's confidant. According to rumors, the two of them had a special relationship in the police station. However, since she took office, she had never been involved in any cases. At most, she had made lunch boxes for a certain Investigation Headquarters during her internship. Her ability to solve cases was basically zero.

Therefore, the actual responsibility for this case was assigned to Nanahara Takeshi. Even Okuno and Hidaka, two low-ranking detectives, were sent to help when necessary, to be used to subdue criminals. After all, two high school students and a white-boned spirit seemed to have very limited combat effectiveness. It wouldn't be good if something tragic happened to them later. Gotō Yasushi had considered it comprehensively. Anyway, Okuno and Hidaka were too young and couldn't handle much. It didn't matter much.

Kiyomi Ruri suddenly realized and remembered what Nanahara Takeshi had said before. It seemed that the detectives from the Investigation Headquarters had been transferred to prepare for the formation of a special action group. They might be sent to Sapporo soon to handle cases and crack down on gangs. This case was just using rookies as fillers. They could only rely on Nanahara Takeshi to do a good job.

Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

This was a good thing. She immediately looked at Nanahara Takeshi, looking forward to his performance. And Nanahara Takeshi, without hesitation, took the lead and immediately commanded Okuno Taiji and Hidaka Tsukasa to find all the crime scene photos and personal belongings of Matsuchi Yūto. He wanted to see them.

Kiyomi Ruri also took a look. After all, she was a "troublesome spirit" who had seen two corpses before. Although many close-up photos were bloody and uncomfortable, she had improved a lot this time and didn't tremble as much as before. However, she still couldn't understand how cutting the throat could help find the suspect.

After a while, Nanahara Takeshi briefly checked Matsuchi Yūto's personal belongings through the transparent evidence bags. He looked up and smiled, "I remember there was a list of over seventy suspects. Could you please check the gun license records and cross-reference them with the list? Maybe the suspect is among them."

"Uh..." Okuno Taiji didn't move and exchanged glances with Hidaka Tsukasa. He doubted whether Nanahara Takeshi had understood the case correctly and reminded him, "Nanahara-kōhai, when we handed over the information earlier, I heard that Matsuchi Yūto was stabbed to death with a thin-bladed weapon without any obvious characteristics, slightly longer than the palm of a hand. It has nothing to do with firearms."

Nanahara Takeshi shook his head and said, "I vaguely smelled gunpowder. The killer should be someone who often comes into contact with firearms. That's why I thought a comparison was necessary. Thank you for your trouble."

Okuno Taiji and Hidaka Tsukasa exchanged glances again, then looked at their nominal new superior, Nakano Eri. Nakano Eri adjusted her glasses and felt that there was no problem. Japan was a country with extremely strict gun control, not inferior to China in this regard. It was convenient to check the records, and Nanahara Takeshi had already proven his abilities. His words were not baseless, and they must cooperate if necessary.

The three of them went together. In the early 1990s, most of the list had to be manually compared, which would take some time. The computer in the room seemed to be for show and not very useful. It couldn't compare to just a few keystrokes in 2022. It would definitely take some time. Nanahara Takeshi moved a chair, directed Kiyomi Ruri to carefully wipe it for him, and sat by the window to breathe fresh air. He also continued to browse through Matsuchi Yūto's collection.

Kiyomi Ruri busily attended to him, even took out a bottle of purified water she brought and asked him to moisten his throat. Then she asked in a low voice, "Can you tell me now?"

She was almost suffocating, but Nanahara Takeshi lightly said, "Let's wait until the list is compared. Maybe there isn't a single person with a gun on the list. I need to think of another approach."

Kiyomi Ruri quickly said, "It's okay even if there isn't. I just want to know what you're thinking. And I'm your assistant, your partner. If you have any ideas, you should tell me, otherwise... Otherwise, how can I assist you?"

Please tell me quickly, I'm so anxious. If you don't tell me, I won't be able to overthrow you in the future!

Nanahara Takeshi was engrossed in reading and was annoyed by the interruption. He looked at her silently for a while but still relied on her to freshen the air, act as a humanoid housekeeping robot, and wear a stab-proof vest. He didn't bother with her too much. If it weren't for her, he would probably have turned back home already. There was no way to make money, but maybe he was wrong to let her off temporarily. This girl caused too much trouble. Perhaps he should continue to take advantage of her and set some rules for her.

He shook his head, calculated in his mind, and asked, "You also looked at the crime scene photos just now. What do you think the process of the attack was like?"

Kiyomi Ruri was stunned for a moment, bit her finger, and pondered, "The process of the attack... That night, Matsuchi Yūto had a layout meeting. The killer knew about this and lay in ambush near his house early on, maybe even hiding in the yard. After he entered the yard, the killer suddenly rushed out and approached him. He stabbed him several times and then delivered a final blow. That's probably how it happened, right?"

"Almost." Nanahara Takeshi had been thinking about this question at the Matsuchi family's house. He nodded and said, "The first stab by the killer pierced Matsuchi Yūto's lung, preventing him from making a loud scream. But this was probably unintentional. The killer probably didn't have much experience in attacking with a knife and didn't care if he would scream loudly.

Then, the second stab. Matsuchi Yūto instinctively waved his hand to resist, leaving a defensive wound on his arm. However, it didn't have much effect, and he was still stabbed in the chest. After that, the killer stabbed him again, right in his abdomen. At this point, Matsuchi Yūto lost his balance and fell down, causing a large wound.

These three stabs were very fast and lethal. Unless there happened to be a house full of surgeons and an operating room nearby, Matsuchi Yūto was basically doomed. But the killer still delivered another blow after he fell, bending down to cut his throat. Isn't that strange?"

Kiyomi Ruri said in confusion, "It's just a finishing blow to ensure his death..."

Nanahara Takeshi shook his head, "It's understandable to deliver a finishing blow, but at that time, Matsuchi Yūto had completely lost the ability to resist. Even if the killer delivered another blow, he could have just stabbed his chest or neck a few more times. Why did he choose to cut his throat? Why did he leave such a long wound on Matsuchi Yūto's neck? It requires adjusting the grip on the knife. Why did he go through the trouble?"

"Maybe he did it subconsciously and didn't think much..." Kiyomi Ruri subconsciously argued with Nanahara Takeshi. Only a troublemaker could be a good assistant.

Nanahara Takeshi didn't care about it. He nodded and said, "Yes, it was the killer's subconscious action, his habit. So, what kind of person would have this habit?"

"Uh..." Kiyomi Ruri thought for a while and tentatively said, "A professional killer? Maybe the killer first cut Matsuchi Yūto's throat from behind, and the other wounds were made later."

Nanahara Takeshi looked at her speechlessly for a while and sighed, "Anyone knows that cutting the throat is the most lethal. If the killer had cut his throat first, and then made the other wounds randomly, it wouldn't make sense. Matsuchi Yūto couldn't have heard his husband making any noise inside the house. And as I told you before, stop watching TV dramas. Why would a professional killer come into play? Do you really want to dig a hole in the backyard?"

Well, it does seem unlikely. Kiyomi Ruri was convinced and asked in confusion, "So what kind of person would have this habit?"

Nanahara Takeshi narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression becoming colder, but he raised his leg and gestured that it was a bit sore. He asked her to massage it and said in a low voice, "In Hirano, the only type of person I can think of who would have this habit is a hunter. A person with experience hunting large game, not the kind of fake hunter who shoots at rabbits and deer under the supervision of safety officers during outings, but someone who goes deep into the mountains with a team and hunts deer, wild boars, and even bears."

He would track the footprints of the prey, make thorough preparations, and ambush in places like water sources and animal trails. He would calmly lurk and wait for the prey to enter the attack range. After successfully shooting down the prey with a hunting rifle, he would use a knife to cut the prey's throat, causing it to die quickly and reducing its suffering, showing a small amount of mercy.

This was also a kind of ritual, a conquest ritual, representing that he had conquered this fierce prey that could threaten him. He was the one who controlled its life. This was often the most exciting moment in the entire hunting process. Therefore, only a hunter or a seasoned hunting enthusiast would develop this habit. After stabbing Matsuchi Yūto, the killer didn't make any more stabs out of habit. He subconsciously adjusted his grip on the knife and cut his throat, even making eye contact with him, showing a sense of control. At that moment before Matsuchi Yūto died, the killer saw him as prey, or at least subconsciously treated him as prey."

When he said this, Kiyomi Ruri completely understood. She squatted there and subconsciously massaged Nanahara Takeshi's leg, murmuring, "Japan has extremely strict gun control. Even during non-hunting seasons, inspections are often conducted to prevent unauthorized modification of firearms. During the hunting season, entering the mountains requires inspections and registration. A hunter or a seasoned hunting enthusiast who goes deep into the mountains to hunt large animals must have a legal hunting rifle. That's why you wanted to check the gun license. Whoever has recently come into contact with Matsuchi Yūto and has a gun license is a murder suspect!"

Damn it, I didn't expect the answer to be so simple. Suddenly, the list of over seventy suspects was reduced by countless times. The case might be solved soon...

Damn it, why didn't I think of it? He already mentioned that cutting the throat was suspicious!