Just as Hibiki Eri tossed Sharon's hair into the trash, the old phone rang with an obnoxious "ding-ling-ling."
The shrill noise grated on her nerves. Already fuming, she snatched it up.
Yukiko Fujimine's voice. Perfect. Her mood sank lower.
"Hello?"
"Anybody there?"
"Shuichi? Kogoro?"
No answer. Yukiko instantly knew. "Glasses girl, it's you, right? Why so quiet?"
Eri snapped, "Shuichi went to pick you up and nearly got buried alive! Curly-haired fox, what do you expect me to say?"
"I-I didn't know there'd be an earthquake!" Yukiko laughed nervously. "Besides, Shuichi's been cursed with bad luck lately—every case lands on him. Can't all be my fault, right?"
"If you're just dodging blame, I'm hanging up," Eri said coldly.
"No! My bad, okay?" Yukiko rushed. "As apology, here's something—don't tell Shuichi I said it."
Eri huffed. Yukiko took it as agreement.
"Today, when we dug Shuichi and Miss Wynyard out of the mudslide, I saw that American star pulling up his pants!"
"What?" Eri's voice shot up. Hayashi Shuichi and others turned; even customers stared.
She forced an apologetic smile, then hissed into the receiver while glaring at Hayashi Shuichi behind the counter. "Details. Did you really see it?"
"Crystal clear!" Yukiko huffed. "I was worried sick, saw him slumped against the window, refusing to crawl out—thought something happened. Ran over and caught her zipping him up!"
"…That woman was just here," Eri gritted her teeth.
Before, it was suspicion—no proof. Now there was a witness.
"Wynyard's definitely after Shuichi!" Yukiko fumed. "When they drove off, her attitude toward him was all wrong."
"Glasses girl, while I'm gone these months, watch him!"
"Don't need you to tell me!" Eri slammed the receiver down.
If I could actually watch that playboy, you wouldn't even have a spot in this izakaya!
…
After seeing off Inspector Samezaki's group, Kogoro Mouri sidled up while clearing plates. "Hey, after that call, Eri's been glaring daggers. You piss her off again?"
"Just a hair. Big deal…" Hayashi Shuichi muttered, shrugging helplessly.
"What hair?" Kogoro pressed.
"Nothing." Hayashi Shuichi glanced at the clock. "Almost closing time. Once this wave leaves, we lock up."
"Yeah," Kogoro sighed. "Without Yukiko, business dropped at least a third."
"Can't help it—I'm swamped alone," Hayashi Shuichi stretched tiredly.
"Then hire someone!" Kogoro winked. "That flower-shop junior's perfect—"
"I need a cook!" Hayashi Shuichi snapped. "With Origasa's delinquent vibe, she probably can't boil water. She'd just wait tables—I'd still be drowning."
"Plus, she helps her mom at the shop—no time for izakaya shifts!"
"True," Kogoro sighed regretfully. "Such a cool beauty, wasted…"
"Hey, you've got Ruri," Hayashi Shuichi reminded. "Play around and she'll dump you."
"Save it for yourself," Kogoro smirked, slapping his shoulder. "I'm loyal to Ruri—looking's just eye candy, no intent."
"You're different. You've got Eri and still flirt! You know she's jealous—if she ever snaps like Abe Sada and grabs a knife…"
Kogoro mimed a slash downward.
"Then no matter how pretty you are, Shuichi, it's useless."
Abe Sada, from the Japanese-French film In the Realm of the Senses, strangled her lover to possess him forever and cut off his manhood.
Even wilder—it was based on a true story.
In 1936, maid Abe Sada strangled her lover in a teahouse, then severed his genitals to keep them from being touched during funeral preparations. The "Abe Sada Incident."
Her sentence? Six years—for "crime of passion."
"Don't talk nonsense. Eri's not that twisted!" Hayashi Shuichi glared.
Still, once Kogoro walked off, he instinctively clenched his thighs and glanced at the register.
Eri was biting her lip, eyes burning with murderous rage—like she'd flay him alive.
N-No way she'd actually cut it… right?
Hayashi Shuichi's mouth twitched. He ducked his head and scrubbed plates furiously.
…
Meanwhile, drug research base.
Sharon returned and didn't immediately confront Gin and Vodka—she called Pisco first.
Even beating a dog requires checking the owner; besides, she didn't want to get her hands dirty.
After a quick report, Pisco exploded—Gin and Vodka nearly clashing with cops over drinks?—and stormed over.
(End of chapter)
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