From the tenth floor of the apartment building, Yukiko Fujimine didn't chase after Shuichi. Instead, she clung to the corridor window, anxiously watching the scene unfold below.
It was her shout that had alerted the two officers to the impostors. But when the robbers knocked them out and the fake patient—Yoshikawa—aimed a gun at them, her heart leapt into her throat. She regretted her outburst, fearing it had put the officers in mortal danger.
Then Shuichi and the older security guard emerged, and when Yoshikawa fired at them, Yukiko squeezed her eyes shut, terrified of seeing them collapse in a pool of blood. Hearing only one shot, she cautiously peeked. No bodies. She exhaled in relief.
When the robbers climbed into the ambulance, intent on running over the fallen officers, Yukiko's nerves tightened again. But Shuichi, in the police car, rammed the ambulance off course, saving them.
As the ambulance fled with Shuichi in pursuit, Yukiko waved her fists, cheering him on. The Mihama Police Station was just a kilometer ahead, and the high-speed chase—punctuated by collisions—left her exhilarated, eyes glued to the scene.
But when the police car slowed, falling behind, Yukiko's heart sank. Is Shuichi scared? she thought, disappointed.
Then, in a flash, as the ambulance turned at the T-intersection, Shuichi gunned the accelerator, slamming into it and sending it careening into the police station. Yukiko realized his slowdown had been a tactic. Her pale cheeks flushed—whether from excitement or embarrassment for doubting him, she wasn't sure.
Her relief quickly turned to worry. The ambulance was wrecked, and the police car couldn't be much better. She'd even seen something fly out of it, landing by the roadside. Thinking it was Shuichi, she didn't heed his earlier warnings or stop to change out of her nightgown. She bolted downstairs.
At Mihama Police Station, the three robbers disguised as paramedics were dragged from the ambulance's wreckage. Bruised and bloodied, they were lucky to be alive.
Cuffed and desperate to lessen their charges, the "doctor" pleaded, "Officers, we're robbers, sure, but we've got principles! We only steal, we don't hurt people. That lady in the apartment? We didn't touch her!"
"No harm?" an older officer snapped. "Then how'd our two men get hurt? And you had the gall to steal a police gun—that's a serious crime!"
"That wasn't us!" the "doctor" protested. "It was all Yoshikawa. He got spooked when his face was seen and wanted to kill to cover it up. We three fought to stop him!"
The two orderlies chimed in. "We told Yoshikawa to cool it—murder's not like robbery!"
"If it weren't for us, he'd have killed those cops!"
The police weren't buying it.
Shuichi, seated nearby, was having his wounds tended by the young female officer who'd spoken out earlier. His injuries were minor—just cuts on his arm and leg from shattered glass.
Hearing the robbers' claims, he spoke up. "They're not lying. When the security guard and I came out of the apartment, I saw them trying to stop Yoshikawa from shooting the downed officers."
"You're a good kid!" the "doctor" said, practically groveling, conveniently forgetting Shuichi was the one who'd crashed them into the station.
With Shuichi's testimony, the officers' attitudes toward the three softened slightly.
Yoshikawa, however, wasn't so lucky. After being buried under a pile of officers, he'd passed out. Now, identified as the gun thief, he was trussed up and hauled to the interrogation room.
In this era, surveillance cameras existed but weren't widespread, and footage was often unreliable or damaged. To boost conviction rates, police sometimes resorted to rough interrogations—practices that were hard to stamp out. Yoshikawa was in for a thorough "welcome" from the officers, using methods that left no visible marks. Shuichi, familiar with such tactics from his past life, knew this all too well.
"Hiss…" Shuichi winced.
"Sorry, did I hurt you?" the female officer asked softly. "Bear with it a bit—proper disinfection helps it heal faster."
That's not why… Shuichi thought, turning his head awkwardly. To clean a cut on the inside of his arm, she'd pulled it close, hugging it against her chest. The soft sensation was what had gotten to him.
She was pretty, with a great figure. Surrounded by teenage girls all the time, Shuichi couldn't help but let his mind wander now that he was close to a mature woman. His eyes kept drifting to where her arms held his.
Lost in the moment, he was startled by a commotion in the office. Footsteps rushed closer, and a shadow blocked the light. He looked up—Yukiko.
Seeing Shuichi safe in a chair, she sighed in relief, blurting out, "You're okay?"
"What, hoping I wasn't?" Shuichi teased.
"N-No, that's not it!" Yukiko stammered. "I saw the police car crash into the ambulance from upstairs, and something flew out. I thought it was you…"
"You thought I was dead?" Shuichi gave a calm smile. "Don't worry, I'm not that easy to kill."
(End of Chapter)