Woo-oo! Woo-oo! Woo-oo!
The wail of sirens filled the street as the police finally arrived.
Since the report was of a suicide by jumping, only a rookie from the First Investigation Division, Officer Megure Juuzo, was dispatched.
Stepping out of the car, he spotted Shuichi Hayashi waiting nearby. "Hayashi-kun, what's going on?"
"It's not a suicide," Shuichi said flatly.
"Huh?" Megure froze. "But the call said—"
Seeing Shuichi's serious expression and recalling his past deductions, Megure immediately trusted him. "Another murder case? I might not be able to handle this alone… Hold on, let me call Senior Matsumoto—"
"No need," Shuichi said, pointing to the nearby payphone booth. "The culprit's over there. He's already dead from a heart attack."
"I'll walk you through the crime, and then you can have your team take photos and collect evidence."
"The culprit's name is Fujimori. Two weeks ago, his wife was at home…"
"What? We're starting now?"
Megure fumbled for his notebook, hastily jotting down notes.
"…Aside from the bloodstains on the tenth-floor window and the fishing line mark on the rooftop water tank, you'll find the hammer Fujimori used to attack the victim and the fishing line for the trap on his body."
After laying out the details, Shuichi emphasized, "Mr. Fujimori's dying wish was for you to send his ashes back to his hometown to be buried with his wife. He's a murderer, but given the circumstances of this case…"
"Don't worry, Hayashi-kun. I've got this," Officer Megure assured him. "Once the case is closed, I'll personally make sure his ashes are sent back."
"Then I'll leave it to you," Shuichi said with a nod, turning to walk toward his sister waiting nearby.
"Sorry, that took a while."
"Onii-chan, let's go home," Reiko said, her mood subdued. "I don't want to go to the amusement park anymore."
After such an ordeal, Shuichi had lost his enthusiasm for fun too. "Alright. I'll make you something good to eat when we get back. What do you want?"
"Red bean double-skin milk," Reiko mumbled. "When you lived at home, I got to eat it every day."
"Fine, I'll make a big batch for you to take home," Shuichi said with a helpless smile. "It's such a simple dessert. I've taught you how to make it a dozen times…"
Reiko's cheeks flushed as she muttered, "You said yourself, everyone's got something they're bad at!"
"Bad at it? That's putting it kindly," Shuichi teased. "Your cooking skills are on par with Eri-neesan's—both of you are kitchen disasters. Even Wangcai won't touch what you make."
"Woof!" The dog barked, as if in agreement.
"Onii-chan!" Reiko stomped her foot, pouting. "As long as you're around to cook, that's enough! And you, Wangcai—no dinner tonight when we get home!"
Amid their playful bickering, the gloom on Reiko's face melted away.
At the izakaya's entrance, Eri Hii sat on a chair, basking in the sun while reading The Night Baron, a novel Yukuo Kudou had given Shuichi.
Engrossed in guessing the killer's identity, she was interrupted by a dog's bark. Annoyed, she looked up to see Shuichi returning, carrying a girl on his back and leading Wangcai.
"You're back early," Eri said, surprised to see him. "Didn't I tell you yesterday to rest properly?"
"Couldn't stay cooped up at home, so I came here," Eri said, peering at the girl on his back. "Reiko?"
"Yeah. This morning, we were supposed to go to the amusement park, but we ran into someone jumping off a building…" Shuichi gave a brief rundown. "On the way back, Reiko got tired, so I carried her. She fell asleep less than three minutes ago."
"She's really asleep?"
Eri's tone was skeptical. She had no fondness for Shuichi's little cousin, who always seemed to glare at her, as if Eri had stolen something precious.
"Asleep or not, there's no faking it," Shuichi said, knowing the two didn't get along. Worried Eri might play a prank and wake Reiko, he quickly carried his sister upstairs.
He laid Reiko on his bed, tucking her in, before heading back down.
Eri was still in her chair, teasing Wangcai, but the dog, likely influenced by Reiko, ignored her, head held high.
"Hmph, one day I'll have Shuichi turn you into dog meat hotpot!" Eri grumbled.
Shuichi, coming downstairs, overheard and laughed. "Wangcai's always like that. Why get mad at him?"
"He's all chummy with Kogoro!" Eri said, frustrated. "We both found that dog when he was a puppy. He used to follow me around all the time, but now that he's grown, he acts like this."
"Maybe he doesn't like your scent," Shuichi said, puzzled. Wangcai was friendly with everyone around him—except Eri, for some reason.
"It's definitely your dear sister's doing," Eri huffed. "That dumb dog listens to her more than anyone."
"Reiko's just a kid. She doesn't scheme like that," Shuichi said, chuckling as he pulled Eri up from the chair.
"What's that for?" she asked, frowning.
"You're just getting over a cold. Don't sit in the breeze too long," Shuichi said. "Come inside and read. I'll make you some red bean double-skin milk. You used to love it."
"You mean you're making it for Reiko, right?" Eri said, pursing her lips. "That was then. I don't like it anymore."
"Oh? Then what does the great Lady Eri fancy now?" Shuichi teased. "Your humble servant will whip it up."
Eri thought for a moment. "Milk tempura, then!"
Inside the izakaya, Shuichi first found some food for Wangcai, then got to work.
Reiko's double-skin milk was simple to make. He poured milk into a pot, brought it to a boil, then turned off the heat and poured it into a large bowl. Soon, a wrinkled skin formed on the surface.
In another bowl, he mixed egg whites and sugar until the sugar dissolved. Once the milk cooled slightly, he pierced the skin with chopsticks and slowly poured the milk into the egg white mixture, stirring until smooth.
He then poured the mixture back into the bowl with the milk skin, which floated up naturally. The bowl went into a pot to steam over water for about ten minutes.
With the summer heat, Shuichi chilled the double-skin milk in the fridge after steaming. When Reiko woke up, he'd sprinkle on some cooked red beans for a cool, refreshing treat.
(End of Chapter)
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