Chapter 352 Let Me Go Home
Chapter 358 Let Me Go Home

"How is it? Is it probably going to look like this?"

Sitting in the police station office for forty minutes, Sato asked Ayumi about the criminal's appearance and then began to draw. The result...

"The drawing doesn't look like it at all." Ayumi said with a frown.

"Your painting is really bad." Yuan Tai stared at the painting expressionlessly.

"Yeah, it's just like a kid's graffiti." Mitsuhiko added. "Is there no one else who can write for you?"

"What can we do about this?" Sato blushed at what the children said. "I just asked, and Mr. Tomokawa, who specializes in portrait painting in the bureau, happened to have a cold and took sick leave today. I have to do it."

"Haha, lend it to me." Coincidentally, Officer Takagi walked behind Sato, took her painting, and then smiled bitterly. "This painting... Excuse me Officer Sato, this painting really can't be shown to the investigators. Don't you think so, Officer Shiratori?" After saying that, he also gave the painting to Shiratori Renzaburo who was also passing by.

"Well... as far as hyperrealism is concerned, it's pretty good." Shiratori tried his best to compliment, but unfortunately his words were not convincing.

"Perhaps it would be more appropriate to classify it as cursive calligraphy." I accidentally poked my hand on the table and complained. Sato turned around and rolled his eyes at me.

"Damn it, you guys, if you have the ability, come and help me draw." Sato was so angry that his teeth were itching.

"Ah, that's right. I'm not good at drawing at all." Takagi immediately waved his hands, and cold sweat broke out on his head.

"I... I'm only good at impressionist style of painting." Shiratori also quickly fled the scene.

"Humph." Sato snorted coldly, and then turned his attention to me. "What about you, Mr. Shirakawa? If you can do it, go ahead."

"I...Okay, I'll do it." I was helpless against Sato's sarcasm. So, I waved to Takagi who was holding the drawing board and took it over. I tore off the drawing paper that was worse than a child's drawing and started talking.

"Ayumi, tell me more about the criminal you just mentioned."

"Huh? Big brother, how do you know my name?" Ayumi tilted her head in confusion.

"Um... this four-eyed kid just told me." I patted Conan on the head, which made Conan unhappy.

"Is that so?" Ayumi did not hesitate and repeated the information about the criminal. "He is very tall, wearing a peaked cap, with long hair and a messy beard. He is wearing..."

Soon, Ayumi told me all the information she saw, and then waited for me to finish the painting.

"But we can't be sure that the man Ayumi saw was the arsonist, right?" Takagi interrupted us. "After all, Ayumi didn't see the man setting the fire with her own eyes."

"What do you mean by that?" The children narrowed their eyes in disdain. "Are you trying to say that Ayumi is lying?"

"That's right, don't look down on us just because we are kids." Yuan Tai said unwillingly.

"Actually, I think what Ayumi said is correct." Conan finally spoke. "It's so hot now. That man was wearing a long coat. He also had gloves on his hands. There was kerosene spilled on his trouser legs, and there was a foul smell when he was walking. There was also a weird smile on his face when he came out of the fire. If such a person says that he is not an arsonist, then I think he will find it difficult to justify himself."

"Really?" Sato smiled slightly when he saw the children supporting him.

"All right."

While the children were discussing with the police, I also finished my own painting. Although time was short, I could only roughly draw a line draft.

"Wow... it's so realistic!" Ayumi, who was the first to look at the drawing board, had stars in her eyes. "Brother, you are amazing."

"I don't know if it's similar or not, but since Ayumi said so, it must be correct." Genta nodded as if he understood.

"Both the lines and brushstrokes are much better than Officer Sato's." Mitsuhiko added.

"I...Okay, I give up." Looking at the nearly professional-level portrait line drawing in front of him, Sato had to raise his hands in surrender. "I didn't expect that a rich kid like you could draw."

"No one ever said that rich people can't paint, right?" I scratched my ears unscrupulously, expressing my contempt for Sato's words.

"Okay, okay, Takagi-kun, hand this painting over to the Investigation Department." As he said that, Sato snatched the drawing board from me and handed it to Takagi.

"Yes." Seeing Sato issue the order, Takagi saluted and left in a hurry.

"Alright. Now that we have the portrait, let's go to the alley where the crime took place and collect evidence."

"Wow! Collecting evidence on the spot!" The children were already excited. This was something very new to them. Of course, they were not really going to help collect evidence, they just thought it was fun.

"Officer Sato, before you take the kids to collect evidence, are you going to let me go first?" I raised my eyebrows. "I've already called, and a copy of my ID will be delivered in a while. Can I go now?"

"No." Sato showed a cunning look on his face. "Anyway, according to the procedure, your ID will need to go through a series of reviews when you get it to the police station, and it won't be completely completed until tonight. So, my painter, during this time, I need to take you to see if the arsonist looks like the one you drew!"

"I..."

————The scent of orchids, the scent of lavender, the scent of home & the wings of angels, the wings of demons, the wings of guardians————

About ten minutes later, we walked out of the police station. Because one car could not fit the children and me as an adult, Officer Shiratori drove with Takagi and the children, while Conan, Shiho and I sat in the back seat with Officer Sato, talking in a low voice about what happened two days ago when Conan went to find Xiaolan after he grew up.

It turned out that on that day, Conan originally wanted to confess to Xiaolan as Kudo, but he ran into a case on that day. So he was delayed. When he wanted to go back to continue dinner with Xiaolan, the time limit for his transformation was almost over. Helplessly, after turning back into Conan, he could only comfort Xiaolan. For this, Xiaolan burst into tears again. It also made me punch Conan on the head again.

"You are an adult boy, but you can play with children. That's great." Sato glanced at me playing with Conan through the rearview mirror.

"Isn't it boring to be brought out for no reason?" I shrugged. "Ms. Sato, I'm a casualty of a car accident. Even if my injury is not serious, you can't play with me like this. What if the concussion recurs? Can my mental damages be included in the compensation you are about to reimburse for my vehicle?"

"Don't worry, I will find a way to compensate you for your car. Just follow me obediently." Sato gritted his teeth and thought to himself. "I wonder if the police station can cover the expenses this time." After all, the price of the imported Renault is not cheap. If Sato were to pay for it himself, it would probably cost him two years' salary. In this regard, Sato could only pray that the police station would still have some humanity.

"Moshimoshi? Officer Sato, can you hear me?" Just as Sato was mumbling, Officer Takagi's voice came from the police car's unique communication microphone. "The alley we are going to doesn't seem to be this road, right? Did we go off course?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." Sato picked up the intercom. "I have to take a short detour to go somewhere."

"Going somewhere?" On the other side of the intercom, Takagi didn't know what Sato meant. "In fact, today is a very special day for me." Sato's voice sounded a little lonely.

"A special day? A birthday?"

"Not at all." Sato's face showed a hint of sadness. "Quite the opposite."

"Opposite?" Hearing this, my eyes twitched slightly. "The opposite of a birthday... a death anniversary?" Conan, Shiho and I looked at each other in confusion, "Is it a family member's death anniversary?" At this, the car, which had originally had some atmosphere, suddenly became silent.

After turning a few streets, Sato's car stopped at an intersection. After saying hello to us and the two police officers who followed us and asked us to wait, Sato placed the flowers he had prepared in a vase on the ground next to the electric pole at the corner of the street. He put his hands together, as if he was worshiping someone.

"...Death anniversary. Oh, I remember now! Today is the death anniversary of Officer Sato's father, Sato Masayoshi." The person who spoke was Shiratori. "It was eighteen years ago today. He died at this intersection while chasing a robber and murderer."

"Here?" Takagi was surprised.

"Yes, it was a rainy day. Officer Sato Masayoshi was hit by a truck at this intersection while chasing the criminal. Unfortunately, it rained so hard that day that the ambulance arrived very late. So Officer Masayoshi breathed his last in the ambulance, accompanied by his tearful family, and passed away. I remember the case was called..."

"Chou Si Lang..." Conan's eyes became serious, and he began to tell everything he knew. "The case was called Chou Si Lang."

"It is said that the detective who was hit by the truck kept repeating a mysterious name to the criminals who kept escaping in front of him, so this incident was named the Choshiro Incident. Although the police set up a large-scale search network at the time, unfortunately, Officer Sato, who had mastered the core elements of the case at the time, died, causing the case investigation to fall into a dilemma. The statute of limitations had expired three years ago."

"Conan, you've turned into Kudo." Shiho reminded in a low voice.

"Ahhh... This is what Uncle Maori told me. Ahaha, ahahaha." Conan quickly reacted and smiled at Shiratori and Takagi. However, this also successfully diverted their attention.

"Now that you mention it, I seem to have seen a report on TV before." Takagi continued. "I heard that it was a very well-planned crime. The only clue was the bank's surveillance video of less than ten seconds. And how did the police officer at the time identify the criminal? It also became a mystery after his death. Unexpectedly, that person turned out to be Officer Sato's father."

"It can't be helped." Sato stood up. "Even if the case and the name of the main suspect are still remembered by people, the name of the police officer who died in the case will not be remembered. Besides, police officers don't work hard just to leave memories, right?" These self-deprecating words cast a layer of sadness over Sato's once capable face.

"Are there no witnesses? The truck driver should be able to see the criminal's face, right?" Yuantai put forward his idea.

"Yes, but the criminal was wearing a long raincoat, sunglasses and a mask. Neither the driver nor the surveillance camera could capture any useful clues. We couldn't even confirm whether it was a man or a woman."

"But don't the police already know the name of the criminal? His name is Chou Silang." Mitsuhiko also began to help analyze.

"Yes, but the police have searched for people with this name, but after screening, they haven't found anyone who meets the criteria for committing the crime."

"Well... in the end, this case was determined to be an unsolved case. Indeed, after all, there are too few clues in this case. Relying only on the surveillance video, raincoat, and Chou Silang are too weak three clues." Finally, Shiratori made the arrangements.

"Actually, there are four clues." After hearing what Shiratori said, Sato revealed another secret. "There are actually four clues. Another one is the note with the words KA, N, and O written in katakana on my father's police manual. As far as I know, the police don't want this record to be leaked. They think these three words have a great impact on the case. In the following days, the police asked my mother and me about this matter many times. Unfortunately, we have never heard of such words, let alone understand what they mean."

"Is that so? What a pity..." Takagi expressed sympathy.

"Oh, because it might help the case, I was particularly impressed." Sato smiled bitterly. "I even swore for this matter that if anyone can solve this mystery and catch Chousi Lang, I will agree to whatever he asks for!"

"Nani?! Any request?!"

"Are both... all right?"

In an instant, the two police officers standing behind us fell into a state of fantasy, and the children became even more bold in putting forward their requests.

"If I guessed it, would you be willing to treat me to a hundred servings of eel rice?" There was no doubt that the person who was speaking was Yuantai.

"Oh, of course~" Sato smiled and bent over.

"As for me, I want to live in the Tropical Paradise Castle." Little stars flashed in Ayumi's eyes.

"Yeah, no problem~"

"If it were me, I'd want a ticket to the International Space Station!" Mitsuhiko was unwilling to be left behind.

"Ha. Good~good~"

"If it were me, I would want an exact GPS location of the police station."

"Huh?" Sato looked at the brown-haired girl beside him in astonishment.

"That way we can find some idiot right away if he goes missing."

"Is that so?" A drop of sweat fell from Sato's forehead. "I... should be able to think of a way."

"Well, can I have a ticket for this year's World Cup?"

"Ah... yeah." Sato's mouth twitched. "Kids nowadays are really realistic."

"What about you two? What do you want?" Sato looked at the two policemen who were thinking about love.

"Ah... no, nothing." They both waved their hands and grinned foolishly.

"What about you, Mr. Painter?"

"Let me go home."

"Eh?"

"If you don't go back and apologize, my girlfriend will get mad."

"..."

(End of this chapter)