CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 70 DIO, YOU’VE BEEN TOO CARELESS_1

The petite woman stepped into the interrogation room, her golden hair tied into two curly pigtails. She was dressed in a Gothic black and red dress, carrying a small parasol.

Ishikawa Kimiyama furrowed his brows. "Who are you?"

"The one taking over this case. You can leave now," Emily said, waving her hand dismissively, her presence powerful.

Okayama Buji stepped forward from behind her, showed his credentials, then patted Ishikawa Kimiyama’s shoulder. "Get out. This case is ours now."

Ishikawa Kimiyama exhaled in relief and nodded. "Okay."

Rumi Yoshizawa, who had been on the verge of tears, was puzzled by this sudden change. Given Emily’s attire, which had nothing to do with the police, why was she here?

"Good evening, Miss Yoshizawa." Emily greeted her and folded her parasol. She walked to a chair, stepped onto it, and looked down at Rumi Yoshizawa. "We’ve already identified the victim using the driver’s license from his pocket," she said. "He was truly a disgusting piece of trash!"

Rumi Yoshizawa had forgotten what the man even looked like. She bore no grudge against him; in fact, she even felt somewhat grateful. If it weren’t for him, she would never have met Lord Dio!

Emily observed her expression, an idea forming. "However," she continued, "the person who hurt him was extremely skilled, killing with a single blow. Someone with such skills must be fat and ugly, afraid to show their face, someone who only dares to stab dummies in the dark to vent their negative emotions."

Rumi Yoshizawa became enraged. She had come to view Dio as a godlike figure. Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, widened, and she desperately wanted to rush forward and tear Emily’s mouth apart.

Okayama Buji stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please calm down," he said.

Emily taunted, "I can’t believe you have a soft spot for such an ugly creature. Are you a rat from the gutter?"

"You little brat, don’t talk nonsense!" Rumi Yoshizawa shrieked. "Lord Dio has fair skin, and his golden hair shines like actual gold! His features are like those of a Roman War God’s statue. His physique is perfect. Even a bodybuilding champion would look inferior beside him! If you don’t know him, stop spouting such garbage!"

"So, you’ve fallen for him," Emily stated.

"No woman could resist Lord Dio’s charm!" Rumi Yoshizawa shouted frantically.

Emily’s eyes narrowed. She was almost certain that once this woman left the police station, she would start imitating Dio’s crimes. Her heart had been corroded by Dio’s dark charm, making it impossible for her to return to a normal life.

Emily jumped off the stool. Turning to Okayama Buji, she said, "There’s no need to question her further; she doesn’t know much. What she just blurted out is everything."

"You bastard!" Rumi Yoshizawa cried out, finally realizing she’d been tricked. She struggled against her restraints.

Okayama Buji smiled gently. "Miss Yoshizawa, attacking someone in front of the police is a crime."

He increased the pressure on her arms, pinning Rumi Yoshizawa with one hand while cuffing her with the other, then secured the handcuffs to the table leg.

Emily stepped out of the interrogation room.

Okayama Buji followed, closing the door behind him with a deft movement of his hand, shutting out Rumi Yoshizawa’s harsh curses.

Outside, Emily instructed Ishikawa Kimiyama, "This woman will commit a crime within a week of leaving the police station. We need to keep a close watch on her."

Behind her, Okayama Buji sighed. "Dio... what kind of man is he, really? How can he make a woman he’s met only once become so obsessed?"

A cold sneer formed on Emily’s lips. "Don’t overestimate him. This woman is simply too foolish. In my opinion, Rumi Yoshizawa felt oppressed by her conventional life, so she developed an admiration for Dio, who disregards human life. Heh. The common admiration for strength often stems from a perverse fantasy of being the one inflicting violence. It’s a sickness."

Okayama Buji, thinking Emily had a point, asked, "What’s our next move? Continue watching Kitazhi Intelligent Company? Or try to find Dio?"

Emily didn’t answer, silently walking out of the Ushiku Police Station, lost in thought. Her initial plan had been to investigate high-tech companies, searching for materials used in the robotic arm. During her search, she had focused on Kitazhi Intelligent Company. She’d been drawn to the Ushiku Police Station simply because she received the forensic autopsy report. Recently, all Tokyo murder cases involving a single, fatal stab wound to the heart were being transferred to the Shinjuku Ishida Special Case Group. Emily had always believed that the atrocities at Ishida and Konishi Financial Company wouldn’t be the killer’s last; there would undoubtedly be more. As it turned out, her intuition was correct.

The criminal is becoming bolder, she mused. Our failure to catch him has emboldened him. He’s no longer as careful about concealing himself as before; he’s even willing to reveal his face and name. A cold smile touched Emily’s lips. "Many highly intelligent criminals make this mistake. After evading police pursuit once or twice, they become arrogant. Their third or fourth murder scenes will invariably leave more clues as they crave more thrills. A blond foreigner, handsome, great physique, tall."

"For Dio to leave so many clues at once... he’s truly arrogant," Okayama Buji remarked.

"Indeed. He won’t be easy to find," Okayama Buji said, shrugging.

Japan has very little surveillance, he thought. Street patrols are mainly for preventing littering or giving directions. With their meager monthly salaries, it’s unrealistic to expect them to bravely provide clues about a murderer.

Emily stated confidently, "Knowing these characteristics, we can ask the Street Cleaners for information. I’ll catch this murderer, Dio, within a month!"

Such was the confidence of a renowned detective.

Okayama Buji’s expression was complicated. "A murderer, you say... From what Dio has done, he seems more like an enforcer of justice outside the law. The people he kills are those who deserve to die."

Emily looked up, her expression one of astonishment. "Are you really a police inspector?" she asked. "Don’t assume that someone who kills ’bad people’ is necessarily good. He bypasses all legal procedures, relying solely on his personal moral judgment to decide right and wrong. Dio isn’t just a villain; he’s a hypocrite, and far more frightening."

"But Japanese law can’t punish those people, can it?" Okayama Buji countered. "If Dio can keep up his disguise for a lifetime, is there really a difference between his hypocrisy and true kindness?"

"Heh." Emily scoffed. "Hypocrisy is called hypocrisy precisely because it can’t be sustained for a lifetime. Do you think Dio won’t kill innocents? If we continue to investigate, Dio will eventually reveal his true nature. He’ll become someone who eliminates anyone he perceives as a threat."

Having worked as a detective for several years, Emily knew well that no one can hide their true nature forever. A wolf in sheep’s clothing might resist eating sheep for a while, but for a lifetime? Impossible. A wolf infiltrates a flock for one reason only: to eat the sheep. In Emily’s view, Dio’s fundamental drive was to satisfy his desire to control the life and death of others.

"Don’t develop any sympathy for the criminal," Emily warned, then slipped into the car.

She was determined to catch Dio!