Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner

Seeing this, Abe Rokuro stepped forward, bowed, and earnestly pleaded with the on-duty police officer for some leeway.

The latter was indifferent, keeping a stern face and saying that rules are rules; Abe Rokuro showed great tenacity, like an insurance salesman, continuously bowing and pleading for help from the on-duty officer.

The on-duty officer was unwavering and principled, unmoved by Rokurou's pleas, even warning them not to violate regulations.

At this point, Abe Rokuro was out of options, so he turned to Fushimi, hoping for assistance from his senior.

Seeing both of them looking at him, Fushimi Roku felt obligated to step in, lest he seem inactive, so he cleared his throat and said, "I'm from the Narcotics Investigation Division, and I suspect the detainee is a drug trafficking affiliate, requiring an urgent interrogation."

"Uh…"

The on-duty officer sized up Fushimi Roku; he wanted to say that the detainee had nothing to do with drug traffickers, and technically, Fushimi Roku wasn't a member of the Narcotics Investigation Division… but none of these issues could be laid bare on the table.

Grudgingly, he said he needed to notify Chief Higashiyama to ensure it's okay to proceed with the interrogation.

"Alright," Fushimi Roku said nonchalantly, "Go ahead and call."

Seeing he couldn't scare him, the on-duty officer reluctantly made a real call to Chief Higashiyama.

Higashiyama Takashi, who had a bad temper and was recently working overnight shifts, severely lacking sleep, had finally laid down to rest when he was rudely awakened by a phone call over such a trivial matter as an interrogation… Higashiyama Takashi couldn't even bother to hear them out and roared, "Asking me for something like this?! What are you even doing?! Get lost!!"

All four of them heard the yelling, and the on-duty officer awkwardly hung up the call.

Now having no reason to block the process, he had no choice but to allow the interrogation, taking the person to the interrogation room.

As the officer was preparing the detainee, Minamoto Tamako didn't waste time and went to the archive room to look through the case file quickly.

The suspect was named Matsuboto Miyaku, a bartender living alone in Tokyo, with no frequent contact with relatives. His only family was his father, living over a hundred kilometers away in the countryside.

A month prior, Matsuboto Miyaku was seen naked on the streets of Sugamo, crawling across the road, creating a commotion; afterwards, he was repeatedly urinating beside utility poles and shouting angrily at passers-by, suspected of being mentally unstable.

When police arrived on the scene, Matsuboto Miyaku attempted to attack and bite them, eventually being subdued with a riot fork and brought to the detention center.

Afterwards, during the interrogation, Matsuboto Miyaku admitted to having used illicit drugs at the time, resulting in an unclear state of mind and extreme behavior.

After reading the file, Minamoto Tamako felt there wasn't much of an issue; it wasn't until Matsuboto Miyaku was brought into the interrogation room that she realized it was a big problem.

Matsuboto Miyaku appeared beaten and bruised, with dirty, messy hair, lifelessly hanging his head as he sat in the chair.

Abe Rokuro waved a hand in front of him, but there was no reaction, as if he were an empty shell without a soul.

Minamoto Tamako immediately knew the suspect had been subjected to torture during interrogation.

She turned and questioned the on-duty officer, "Who did this?"

"How should I know," the officer said, shrugging dismissively and shutting the interrogation room door: "Why don't you ask him directly?"

Minamoto Tamako was furious, slamming the table and rushing to retrieve the interrogation records. The records contained lifeless dialogue, clearly written carelessly, with the suspect coerced to sign post-factum.

The detective responsible for interrogating the suspect was her colleague, who had greeted them just the day before. She couldn't believe he'd resort to such lowly measures!

No wonder he blocked the procedure earlier, preventing her from interrogating, it was because he had a guilty conscience!

Abe Rokuro was just as indignant, but being a junior patrol officer, he wasn't in a position to reprimand his senior, so he could only fume silently with a flushed face.

Fushimi Roku felt their focus was misplaced and reminded them, "Concerns about accountability can wait, we should first proceed with the interrogation."

The sooner they finish, the sooner the work's done.

Minamoto Tamako recognized the priorities and suppressed her anger, taking the lead seat in the interrogation, and began, "Mr. Matsuboto, I am Sugamo Detective Minamoto Tamako, officially interrogating you regarding the drug use incident…"

She paused, sensing something wrong with Matsuboto Miyaku's state: "Mr. Matsuboto, are you listening?"

Matsuboto Miyaku kept his head down, unresponsive.

Oh no, could he be dead?

Minamoto Tamako quickly stepped forward to check his breathing; although weak, it was steady, presumably not a major problem. She then felt his chest to ensure his heartbeat was normal, with no fractures, then finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Physically, he seemed fine, and although the detectives resorted to coercion, they knew their limits, ensuring no severe injuries could be easily spotted.

"Hello?"

Minamoto Tamako shook Matsuboto Miyaku softly, "Mr. Matsuboto, do you hear me? I'm here to help you, please trust me..."

No matter what she said, Matsuboto Miyaku remained unresponsive.

Abe Rokuro wanted to speak, but remembering Fushimi senior's warning, he swallowed his words.

Fushimi Roku, noticing this stalling was never-ending, impatiently noted, "He clearly has mental issues, even if you shout, he won't respond."

Abe Rokuro nodded beside him, thinking to himself how impressive Fushimi senior was for articulating his own thoughts.

"So what can be done?" Minamoto Tamako asked.

Fushimi Roku hadn't yet responded when Minamoto Tamako interjected, "Don't even think about suggesting going home to rest!"

"..."

Fushimi Roku, preempted, glanced at Abe Rokuro, maintaining his persona: "Ah… I'll work hard, just please don't oppress me anymore…"

"?"

Minamoto Tamako was taken aback.

Abe Rokuro thought Fushimi senior had it hard, having to endure such a nasty-tempered young lady, life must be tough every day.

Without waiting for Minamoto Tamako to speak up, Fushimi Roku continued, "Given there are mental issues involved, he can be temporarily sent for medical treatment, or hire external professionals for therapy… but I think, for what he did, he doesn't quite warrant such treatment."

Minamoto Tamako slapped her forehead, saying, "Makes sense! We can ask Doctor Miyazaki to help!"

Fushimi Roku amplified his voice, "Doctor Miyazaki doesn't come cheap for outside calls, especially at this late hour…"

"It's alright, I'll pay if necessary!" Minamoto Tamako never hesitated to spend money on proper business.

Upon hearing this, Abe Rokuro thought that Senior Tamako was indeed as extravagant as the rumors suggested.

Fushimi Roku made a token attempt to dissuade, but Minamoto Tamako dismissed his words as nothing, completely ignoring them.

She called Miyazaki Shizuka, asking her to make a home visit to see a special patient. This wasn't the first time she'd asked Miyazaki Shizuka for a night-time visit, nor was it the first time that Miyazaki Shizuka accepted, so they quickly agreed on a price and time, and Miyazaki Shizuka headed out.