Miss Izumi

Before Izumi woke up, in the office of the detective agency.

Before treating Izumi, his injuries were examined with Akiko Yosano.

"The ribs were broken and the chest cavity collapsed. Most of the blood on the body came from the penetrating wound on the chest. The murderer's technique was skillful and ruthless. The knife's position was slightly off, and it could pierce his heart." Yosano Akiko He folded his arms and said, "Although he didn't hit the heart directly, if we were a minute or two late, he would also die from excessive blood loss."

Everyone in the detective agency looked serious.

"That is to say..."

"It was a murder, just an attempted murder?"

"Yes."

Just at this time, Kunikida Doppo received a call from Tanizaki Junichiro.

Because the place where Izumi was discovered by Chotaro Mizuno was in an alley not far from the residential building, Junichiro Tanizaki took this opportunity to investigate on the spot.

"A large number of bloodstains of the victim remained on the ground. However, there was no trace of fighting or struggling in the alley, let alone any suspicious murder weapon. In addition, I asked the surrounding residents and found that the victim was found at [-] o'clock in the morning They didn't hear any strange movement between [-]:[-]."

Kunikida Doppo caught a detail: "You mean, the time when the victim was found was [-]:[-]?"

"Yes, an aunt living on the sixth floor of the residential building told me."

The aunt's son is already in his 20s, and he is a jobless vagrant who stays around day and night.I often hang out with a group of friends at night and have fun, and sleep during the day.

The aunt felt that she could no longer let her son go on messing around like this, so she came to her son's room at around eight o'clock this morning, scolded him severely, and forced him to go out to find a job.

In order to wake her son up, she directly opened the curtains that blocked the sunlight.

Part of the alley could just be seen through the window of his son's room.

And the aunt who opened the curtain happened to see Mizuno Chotaro.At that moment, the other party was bent over, as if he was carrying something heavy.

As a resident of the same building, my aunt certainly knew what Mizuno Chotaro did, so she thought he was carrying waste and didn't pay much attention.

She even used the other party to stimulate her son: "It's [-]:[-], and you're still sleeping! Do you want to pick up trash like a bad old man who lives in the basement?"

That's probably how it went.

After listening to it, Kunikida Dopō pondered for a moment and said, "According to this, the place where the victim was found may not be the scene of the first murder?"

"At first I thought so, but..." Junichiro Tanizaki organized his own language and expressed his doubts, "Except for the victim being found at the scene, Grandpa Mizuno carried him out of the alley to carry out the investigation. Apart from the traces of movement left by calling for help, there are no other traces of transportation. It's like..."

"It's as if he suddenly appeared in this alley."

"Hmm..." Kunikida thought for a moment, "I see, you take pictures of the scene and send them to my email address, and ask the victim about these doubts after he wakes up."

"Yes."

After the conversation, Kunikida Doppo hung up the phone, and then informed the other members of the detective agency about the details of Junichiro Tanizaki's on-site investigation.

Except for Edogawa Ranpo who was still dozing off, everyone gathered together to look at the photos of the scene taken by Junichiro Tanizaki.

After reading it with Akiko Yosano, he confirmed Junichiro Tanizaki's guess that "the location of the discovery was not the scene of the first crime", saying: "The victim injured an artery, and it is impossible that the murder weapon was pulled out without traces of blood splatter."

"There is a question. If the place of discovery is not the scene of the first crime, how did the criminal avoid the crowd and move the victim to the alley without leaving any traces?"

At this time, Tanizaki Junichiro called again.

And this phone call made everyone's doubts deeper.

Tanizaki Junichiro found the surveillance video at the entrance of the alley at that time.

The surveillance video was provided by the owner of a convenience store across the road. Hearing that they were investigating a murder case, he offered to provide the surveillance video from last night to 08:30 this morning.

According to the owner of the convenience store, this street is remote, and there are often bad guys wandering around at night.Half a year ago, someone broke open the door of the convenience store and stole a lot of things, which caused him a lot of loss.After that, he installed a surveillance camera at the door, which can see from the convenience store door to the sidewalk across the road.

The alley where Quan was found happened to be within the monitoring range.However, the light in the alley is dim, coupled with the angle problem, only the position near the entrance and exit of the alley can be photographed, and the picture in the alley cannot be photographed.

But that's enough, because that alley is a dead end, and one must pass through the exit in front of one's eyes when entering or exiting the alley.

Time was limited, so Tanizaki Junichiro copied the entire night's video, and asked the boss to call out the part between [-]:[-] and [-]:[-] this morning.

Junichiro Tanizaki speeded up the progress bar to finish reading, but he didn't find any suspicious people entering or leaving the alley, not even the victim himself.

Everyone was silent for a while after listening.

Tanizaki Naomi asked: "Could it be a person with supernatural powers who committed the crime?"

"It's not impossible... No, it should be said that the possibility is very high. However, the supernatural powers are all kinds of strange things. According to the information we have now, it is not enough to judge how the criminal committed the crime." Kunikida Doppo finished speaking, let Tanizaki Junichiro hurried back with the copied video.

"Right now, just wait for the victim to wake up, listen to his testimony, and then conduct further investigations."

However, they never expected that the victim who woke up lost his memory.

When the other party looked over with those pure, clean eyes, like a baby who doesn't know anything, the hearts of everyone in the detective agency sank.

When they asked again, they found that the other party didn't even remember where they lived or what their name was.

Yosano Akiko frowned, and muttered strangely: "When I checked his wounds before, I didn't find any head injuries... Could it be psychogenic total amnesia?"

Tanizaki Naomi asked curiously: "This disease is..."

Yu Yosano Akiko: "It is amnesia caused entirely by psychological factors, usually caused by a certain event, selective amnesia. People like him who even forget their own identity are total amnesia. But this kind of amnesia Most of what is affected is self-integration—that is, the combination of a single individual and multiple levels to form a coordinated and unified self-whole—such as one's own identity in society, interpersonal relationships, etc. It does not involve self-integration Parts of the game, such as using chopsticks when eating, driving a car, etc., will not be affected."

Tanizaki Naomi nodded: "I see..."

However, Quan lost his memory, and it seems that the only people who are troubled are the members of the detective agency.

Mizuno Chotaro held Izumi's hand, with tears in his eyes, and said in a choked voice, "It's okay, it's okay, as long as people are fine..."

Quan Wen comforted him gently: "Yes, so don't be sad, grandpa."

Hearing this claim, Mizuno Chotaro froze for a moment, the tears that were originally just rolling in his eyes rolled out all of a sudden.He whimpered and said, "Since you entered junior high school, you haven't called me that anymore. You always call me 'Hi'."

Quan wiped his tears for him, and said guiltily, "It's all my fault. I'm too ignorant. I'm sorry, grandpa."

Everyone in the detective agency: "..." Are your "grandparents" adapting to this well?

The crowd divided into two groups, and Yosano Akiko and Tanizaki brothers and sisters gently reminded Mizuno Chotaro that Izumi is a boy.

Mizuno Chotaro's eyes widened with anger, and he scolded: "What boy! If it's a boy, why did the lady doctor change Izumi's clothes?"

Miss Doctor and Yosano Akiko: "..."

In fact, Kunikida Doppo was the one who changed Izumi's clothes just now, but he just used Tanizaki Junichiro's supernatural ability to cover it up.Because Mizuno Changtaro didn't let the man approach the infirmary at all, the reason was: "My granddaughter hasn't put on her clothes yet, why are you going in?!"

On the other hand, Kunikida Doppo told the amnesiac Izumi that Mizuno Chotaro was not actually his grandfather.

Quan covered his mouth and said in surprise: "Who can admit that his relatives are wrong?"

Kunikida Dobubu: "..."

Seeing that the other party is well adapted to the girls' high school uniform, Kunikida Doppo couldn't help but poke his partner standing next to him with his elbow, and asked, "What should I do now?"

Osamu Dazai shrugged and said: "What else can I do? You can't 'break up' this pair of 'grandfather and grandson' who depend on each other, right? Besides, I don't know if his lost memory can be recovered. If it can't be recovered in a lifetime, detective Can the people in the club still take care of him for the rest of his life? It’s better to push the boat along the way and make mistakes, so that Grandpa Mizuno can also have some comfort.”

Kunikida Doppo: "...that's true."

That being said, that doesn't mean they've stopped investigating the matter.

Osamu Dazai stretched out two fingers and touched Shimoizumi's blood-stained coat.

This is just an ordinary men's bathrobe, nothing unusual.However, Osamu Dazai found an exquisitely crafted omamori with the word "Peace" embroidered on it from his clothes.

He squeezed it, and found that it was not filled with pieces of paper, wood, etc. that usually guards would have, but something in powder form.

Osamu Dazai's eyes flashed, he put the Omori under his nose, and sniffed lightly.

After sniffing it, he found that besides the smell of blood, there was also a faint and wonderful fragrance on the amulet, just like the air-conditioning that comes out when the water freezes in winter, very cool.

This is... Hei Fangxiang?And it's pretty well tuned.

Nowadays, there are very few people who can play with incense, right?Except for the interest, they are basically the descendants of the old Chinese.So, does a boy at Izumi's age belong to the former or the latter...

Osamu Dazai is more inclined to the latter.

When Quan spoke, he was always soft-spoken. Facing the emotionally agitated and incoherent old man, he never showed any impatience from the beginning to the end.He was also extremely serious when listening to the other party, with a pair of dark and warm eyes, looking at the speaker intently, as if he was the only one in his eyes, giving him enough respect.

After hearing Mizuno Chotaro's complaint about Mizuno Izumi's "not being called a grandfather after entering junior high school", his first reaction was to admit his mistakes and apologize to appease him.

Even in the face of the embarrassment of amnesia, the other party's attitude is quite calm and calm, with a good degree of acceptance.

It can be seen from the details that this is a well-bred child.

A person's temperament, speech and behavior, etc., can easily reflect his education and quality.

Especially when the other party is in a state of amnesia, when the memory is almost blank, every word and deed is almost a subconscious response, and the probability of being able to deceive is very low.

Of course, low probability does not mean absolutely impossible.

Thinking of this, Osamu Dazai turned back and asked Quan calmly: "These should not be used anymore, can you give them to us for inspection?"

Quan nodded and said: "Please feel free, please."

Now that Quan has lost his memory, and naturally he can't tell the information related to this case, it seems useless for him to stay in the detective agency all the time.

Mizuno Chotaro thought that in the past, his granddaughter always went back to catch up on sleep after she left the evening shift, so today should be the same as usual, and she didn't have breakfast before going home.

Quan can't see any serious problems now, but after bleeding so much just now, he must eat well and nourish his body.So Mizuno Changtaro led Izumi, thanked everyone in the detective agency solemnly, and then bid farewell to them, preparing to take his granddaughter back and cook for him.

Back home before, Mizuno Chotaro not only brought Mizuno Izumi's high school uniform, but also brought the gray cloth bag that everyone in the detective agency is very familiar with.The money left by Kunikida Doppo and the others is useless to the old man.Half a month later, there were even more change in it.

Mizuno Chotarou did not take out the gray cloth bag in front of everyone, but quietly put it at the door after Izumi closed the door of the detective agency—just like Kunikida Doppo and others did back then.

After he put down the bag, he said to Quan: "These are all grandpa's money. The money you got from working and stuffed secretly under grandpa's pillow, grandpa will save it for you, don't worry."

Quan was taken aback when he heard this, and then smiled and said, "Why is it so clearly distinguished? What is 'yours and mine', you are my grandfather, and the money I earn is yours."

Mizuno Chotaro was even more confident: "Since it's mine, how I arrange it is also my business!"

"Okay, okay, grandpa can arrange it however he wants." Quan smiled and went downstairs, holding his hand intimately.

Mizuno Chotaro clapped his hands, and said earnestly: "Who doesn't suffer in life? There are many bad people in this world, and there are also many good people. When others help us, it is the kindness of others, not their obligation, so we Don’t take the kindness of others for granted.”

Quan Wen replied, "I see, Grandpa."

It's just that he is destined not to be full of kindness to the world, because he is used to being a villain who is worse than the villain.

Even if the memory disappears, those things that can be melted into the blood and penetrate into the bone marrow cannot be removed at all.

Disguising himself as harmless and innocent is a subconscious expression of his arrival in an unfamiliar environment.It is a mask that cannot be removed or torn off from his face, just like breathing, it is something that happens naturally, and it is a part of his "self".

In fact, he has reason to suspect that his amnesia is also part of his design.

After all, after Mizuno Chotaro said the phrase "The money you earned by working part-time and stuffed secretly under grandpa's pillow, grandpa saved it for you", he remembered the most important thing...

Write round eyes.

And that sentence is obviously the "key" he left for himself.

Izumi looked at the three-curved jade pattern reflected in Mizuno Chotaro's eyes almost indifferently, and silently calculated in his heart: The next step is to take advantage of the "amnesia" and quickly get rid of the group of enthusiastic detectives.