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BGM: Silence
SFX: Crickets
'Reserved for the day. ~Suzu Mahjong Parlor~'
Clatter-clack.
"Na-ha-ha-ha... Excuse me, miss."
Ooishi handed over a convenience store bag with a carton of cigarettes in it to the old lady who owned the mahjong parlor, and she shrewdly made herself scarce. ...She was used to this by now.
"What, were you all earnestly waiting for me? You could've just done three-player."
Everyone sitting at the mahjong tables in the small parlor were Ooishi's subordinates, but there were no tiles laid out anywhere.
"Everyone, I'd like to thank you for your days of investigation without sleep."
"""Thank you!!"""
Energetic responses filled the parlor. ...Already, it had lost the atmosphere of a place of entertainment.
“In the coming days, we'll hand off Takano's murder to the Gifu Police, and give the missing persons case of the disappearance of the mayor and the others to the community division."
...That damn upstart chief. The veterans in the room cursed him.
"All of our requests for warrants were turned down as well. I've even been told by our section chief not to go anywhere near the Sonozaki house. ...We're certainly in a bind, that we are.”
“Incidentally, it looks like I'll be getting orders soon to go to training at the Metropolitan Police Department starting next week. After that I've even been told to take a paid vacation in Izu. ...Well, I suppose that ain't bad~"
He heard a few dry laughs. ...It wasn't anything to laugh about, but that was all they could do.
"This always happens, but incidents are a lot like locking your keys in the car. The keys you need to unlock the door are always locked inside. For cars, you call the repairman and they'll pry open your door. For incidents? Kuma-chan, show the map."
Kumatani flipped over the whiteboard. On the back was a map of the Sonozaki premises made with magnets.
"Now, I've been doing this job for a looong time. I've got a lot of faith in my gut, but this could be the one time it was wrong, no?
“Anyone worried about their retirement money has until the count of ten to get out of here."
Ooishi began to count to ten, and everyone counted along with him.
......It was their famous ten-count resolution.
"Nine, ten!! Ah, no one's leaving. None of you love your families too much, is that it? Nfu-fu-fu!"
"""Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha...!!"""
Everybody laughed uproariously, cheering things up.
"I want everyone to go over their materials. Memorize the locations and blind spots of all the security cameras. Kuma-chan, you'll stand by in the command car. If something happens, you'll switch with me and take over. Komiyama-kun will head up Infiltration Team A. Atsushi-kun will lead team B. Observation teams will set up at points one through eight. Bonchi-kun, you're responsible for keeping a strict timetable. Control your rotations so HQ doesn't get wise. Now, the team on standby has the most important job, all right? If the section chief asks where I am, play dumb."
"""Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!"""
"I'll handle escorting our guest. I'll probably take 'em to the venue, so wait patiently, everyone."
"From what I've seen, we're set for tomorrow or the day after in that regard. It'll be easy. Nfu-fu-fu-fu!"