The next morning was a weekend off.

As soon as Ren woke up, he turned on the TV and saw the morning news.

The screen was fixed on a hotel illuminated by a helicopter. Under the bright lights, a white figure stood out prominently.

A white suit, a white cape, and a white top hat — the identity was unmistakable.

"The police still didn't catch him in the end. Inspector Nakamori is still going easy on him. If he'd just aimed for the guy's thigh, there'd have been almost no chance of escape."

No magic trick can work in the face of an unavoidable bullet.

Unfortunately, just as he'd said yesterday, Ran's father, Inspector Nakamori, suspected the thief's identity, so he deliberately held back.

Even without a detailed investigation, Ren knew that the credibility the First Investigative Division had only recently regained had been completely lost again.

"Ring ring ring!"

Ren picked up his phone and glanced at the caller ID — it was Sato Miwako. He answered.

"Did you see the news this morning?"

"I did. The Second Investigative Division almost caught him. The higher-ups must be furious, right?"

"Yeah. The good reputation we managed to rebuild after the major bombing case has been blown away again."

There was a trace of helplessness in Miwako's voice.

She was a police officer, and she didn't want the people she protected calling her a tax thief. She always felt she had to be worthy of the salary she received.

Ren shook his head slightly.

"Officer Sato, this isn't something you need to worry about at your level. This time, it was the Second Division that failed to catch the culprit, not your First Division in charge of violent crimes."

"Your reputation online is still pretty good. Especially after the recent bombing case. Oh, right, has the bomber been dealt with yet?"

"Not that quickly."

Miwako had also been concerned about the bomber's trial, but the legal process was long. The sentence wouldn't be handed down so soon.

"But I heard the impact of this bombing case was huge. The court's verdict might lean toward the death penalty."

"Eh?"

That result caught Ren a bit off guard.

"I thought he'd get life imprisonment at most."

"I thought so too at first."

The death penalty was indeed rare. In all her years as a detective, Miwako had only seen a handful of such cases. Most of the time, the worst outcome was life imprisonment.

"I think it's because the severity of the case was beyond imagination. The museum bombing in Shinjuku caused unthinkable casualties. But I believe the biggest factor was the massive social impact."

"If it weren't for your help, the Loop Line would've also been hit. And there was the Municipal Building incident at night. The range and impact were both massive. I think those were all taken into consideration."

Miwako felt that the media and public response were driving the pressure toward a harsh sentence.

Ren also thought that was likely the case.

The damage was widespread, and the social impact was enormous. There was no way the police could go easy on a criminal the entire public despised — that would destroy their credibility completely.

And there was probably another reason — regaining the prestige that had been trampled by Phantom Thief Kid 1412… Ren sighed inwardly.

"But isn't this exactly what Teiji Moriya wanted?"

"He did all this, even prepared for his own downfall. I guess he'd be happy to die by his own plan."

"No, I think he'd be pretty miserable."

Miwako answered seriously, but then couldn't help chuckling.

"He originally wanted to die as a brilliant architect. Now he's going down as the culprit of a massive bombing case. I doubt he can accept that gap."

"That's his own problem."

Ren had no sympathy for a lunatic. What was the point of him being dissatisfied? The outcome was already set in stone.

Ren had no intention of investigating Teiji Moriya further.

The guy's fate was sealed. He did what he did, and now he had to face the consequences.

"Officer Sato, are you off duty all day today?"

"Yeah. It's the weekend, and also my birthday. Inspector Megure told me to take a proper two-day break."

If Miwako were still just an assistant inspector, she probably wouldn't have been able to rest much on the weekend, especially with how many patrols were needed lately to maintain security in Tokyo.

But Miwako had been promoted, and she had been the biggest contributor in solving the bombing case. Plus, it was her birthday, so Megure Juzo talked it over with Matsumoto Kiyonga and gave her the day off so she could properly enjoy her weekend and birthday.

"So… you're planning to spend the whole day at home?"

"Hmm? Are you planning to ask me out?"

Miwako asked with slight surprise.

"Sort of. I'm not just planning for your birthday. Tomorrow is Hayasaka's birthday, the day after is Aizawa's, and then it's Sonoko's. I need to do some birthday prep."

Ren held a notebook that listed the birthdays of several girls. April was packed — four birthdays total. He had to prepare gifts.

"I see. In that case, sure. I don't have any other plans today anyway. Shopping sounds nice."

Miwako didn't think too much about the excuse he gave. She'd planned to go out anyway, and now she could also help pick out gifts.

"In that case, I'll get ready to head out. See you in an hour."

"Okay, sounds good."

After setting the time, Miwako hung up.

"See you in an hour… Should I also dress up a little?"

This… was probably a date, right?

Miwako thought about it and felt more and more that it was definitely a date. Since it was a date, she had to put effort into her appearance.

(To be continued.)

***

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