A murder at City Hall halted the film event.
Organizers began ushering American and Japanese stars out.
Hayashi Shuichi sighed in relief. Belmod's presence in Japan seemed tied to her acting, not an Organization mission…
Just then, a gunshot rang from the hotel rooftop across from City Hall! A middle-aged man, a notable Japanese director, collapsed at the hall's entrance.
Hayashi Shuichi recognized him and spotted two figures on the hotel roof.
Chaos erupted at the entrance. American stars ducked for cover, while Japanese attendees either froze or fled in panic.
Officers scrambled. Inspector Samezaki crouched to check the man's wounds instead of taking charge.
As disorder grew, Hayashi Shuichi shouted, "Don't panic! The shooter's on the hotel roof! Split into two teams: one stays to maintain order and protect civilians, the other searches the hotel!"
His voice snapped Samezaki into action. "Do as Hayashi says! Megure, Morimura, secure the entrance. Sato, Matsumoto, with me to the hotel!"
"You three, stay put!" Hayashi Shuichi ordered his friends before running to the hotel.
Mouri Kogoro, Hibari Eri, and Fujimine Yukiko, though worried, obeyed.
Kudo Yusaku, impulsively, chased after Hayashi Shuichi.
Nearby, Sharon Vineyard lit a cigarette in the shadows. Under the glowing ember, she exhaled and murmured, "Good luck, kid," watching Hayashi Shuichi's back.
Across from City Hall stood a 16-story hotel.
When Hayashi Shuichi and Yusaku reached the lobby, Samezaki had Sato guarding the elevator while he and Matsumoto, with a dozen officers, searched the stairs floor by floor.
"The shooter fired in front of so many cops—they must have a backup plan," Yusaku analyzed. "If it were me, I'd plant bombs in the hotel. One explosion, and panicked guests would flood out, making it impossible for police to search thoroughly…"
His words were cut off by explosions rocking the hotel.
"Jinx!" Hayashi Shuichi glared at Yusaku.
"I was analyzing, not predicting! You're the real jinx!" Yusaku snapped. "You worried about bombs in City Hall earlier, and now they're here in the hotel!"
"Will the bombs collapse the building?" Hayashi Shuichi asked, concerned.
"Unlikely," Yusaku said. "The shooter wants chaos to escape, not to bury themselves."
"The shooter was on the roof—they can't have come down yet. Let's warn Samezaki," Hayashi Shuichi said, sprinting for the stairs.
Yusaku followed without hesitation.
On the third floor, as Yusaku predicted, hallways were packed with frantic guests fleeing.
Hayashi Shuichi and Yusaku scanned the crowd for the shooter while pushing upward, catching up to Samezaki on the fifth floor.
Yusaku shared his analysis. Samezaki ordered, "Matsumoto, get downstairs, call for backup, then gather and check fleeing guests!"
"Yes, sir!" Matsumoto led a team away.
Samezaki, with five officers, continued upward. Seeing Hayashi Shuichi and Yusaku following, he said, "It's too dangerous up there. Stay back."
"You're short-handed," Hayashi Shuichi argued. "We'll only look for suspects, not act recklessly."
"…Fine, stay behind us and don't wander!" Samezaki relented, leading his team onward.
Hayashi Shuichi and Yusaku trailed.
Yusaku muttered, "You didn't ask me before volunteering us."
Hayashi Shuichi, eyeing fleeing guests, replied, "A Kudo missing out on excitement? Never."
"Kudo?" Yusaku frowned. "You know my family?"
"Kudo's a common name," Hayashi Shuichi backtracked, realizing his slip. "I've met plenty of Kudos."
Yusaku wasn't convinced. His mother was the only Kudo; his father and twin brother, staying in Japan, were Kuroba.
Was Hayashi Shuichi bluffing, or… had he met his mother?
Yusaku's parents divorced when he was young. His father took his brother, while he lived with his mother. But as he grew independent, she became elusive, rarely contactable.
Full of questions, Yusaku followed Hayashi Shuichi upward. They reached the top floor without spotting suspects.
"The shooter might be in a rooftop room. Stay sharp!" Samezaki ordered, as officers searched rooms.
At room 1206, everyone froze, including Samezaki.
Hayashi Shuichi peeked in and was stunned.
Damn, the Black Organization is insane!
Room 1206 was a suite, its inner room wrecked, likely from a bomb. In the outer room sat a suitcase containing a massive timed bomb—big enough to destroy the hotel's upper floors.
"Evacuate!" Samezaki shouted.
"No time!" Hayashi Shuichi checked the timer. Less than 30 seconds.
Too short to escape the blast radius!
(End of Chapter)
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