"Hand me the wrench." Tsuneo reached out and asked Dr. Araide, who was standing beside him, for the tool.
"Is this it?" Dr. Araide crouched down, fished a large wrench out of the tool bag, and handed it to him.
The two made small talk for a while.
"By the way, Mr. Tsuneo, do you know where that Kudo Shinichi went?"
Dr. Araide suddenly put on a very curious expression.
"Kudo?"
"You know him?" Tsuneo glanced at him.
He hadn't expected him to ask so directly.
"No, I've never met him, but I always hear students discussing him, so I'm a little curious," Dr. Araide said with a smile.
As the school doctor of Teitan High School, it was normal to be curious about a popular figure who hadn't appeared for a long time, right?
Tsuneo was silent for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, "I haven't seen him for a long time either. I don't know if he died in some corner somewhere."
"He's a detective, after all."
"Maybe he was pushed off a cliff like Holmes."
The expression on the repairman's face wasn't pleasant. It wasn't exactly sorrow, but the look of having lost contact with a friend was evident.
Dr. Araide's eyes sharpened for a split second before instantly returning to normal. He smiled and said, "Although he's a detective, he's still a high school student. How could something like that happen?"
"It's hard to say. The last call I got from him, he said he was investigating some mysterious organization or something, and then I never saw him again." Tsuneo's expression remained very grave.
Organization...
Dr. Araide pushed up his glasses, his gaze deep, his thoughts unreadable.
"By the way, Dr. Araide, how did you know Kudo and I knew each other?" Tsuneo tapped the water pipe with the wrench, making a crisp sound, and looked at him.
"I also heard it from the students. The reputation of you two famous detectives is quite loud." Dr. Araide smiled.
It was all from the students; I certainly haven't been secretly investigating.
"Oh..." Tsuneo uttered an 'oh' and said no more.
Aside from Sonoko and Ran, there were indeed other classmates who were on good terms with Kudo and knew that he was familiar with him, so he'd let that pass.
But to say he hadn't done any investigation—he could go fool a ghost.
"How is your grandmother's health? Is she okay?"
"Yes, she's fine."
"What about Mrs. Araide? You've gone to visit her, right? Sigh, you are just too kind-hearted."
"..."
"If it's difficult for you to apply for visitation, I can help speak to Inspector Megure for you, so you can go every week."
"I... Thank you."
Nighttime.
Inside the Araide private residence.
In the dimly lit bathroom, steam swirled.
Dr. Araide, who had just spoken with Tsuneo, removed his disguise and walked out wrapped in a bath towel. This witch's figure was still as exaggerated as ever.
In the darkness, she poured herself a glass of wine and sat at the table, sipping it slowly.
"This repairman is really a troublesome character." Vermouth crossed her legs and looked at the photo on the table.
The photo on the table was a picture of the unicorn girl and the Grim Reaper elementary student together.
However, judging by the angle, it was clearly taken secretly.
"Dead?"
Vermouth frowned, then her brow suddenly relaxed, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
"Heh, maybe the truth will be revealed soon."
That's right. Compared to being ignorant, it was more likely that the guy fixing the water pipes was spouting nonsense.
No matter how she looked at it, the feeling Tsuneo gave her was that he wasn't a lightweight.
"He wouldn't really go to Inspector Megure to plead for me, would he..." Vermouth rubbed her temples firmly.
Do I really have to go visit every week???
"Holmes pushed off a cliff?" Vermouth extended a finger and tapped on the photo on the table.
I hope you can come back from the dead too...
"Those questions were certainly specific." Tsuneo drove slowly, also thinking about the conversation between the two.
Vermouth's questions were very direct; she asked about Kudo within just a few sentences.
However, it was nothing. This identity was probably used to investigate her godson's matters anyway. The sooner she figured it out, the sooner she could withdraw.
But her skills were truly impressive. Dr. Araide was a top student at Toto Medical University; he wasn't that easy to impersonate.
"Heh, how can I let you be so leisurely?" Tsuneo took out his phone, parked the car on the side of the road, and dialed Inspector Megure directly.
"Oh! It's brother Tsuneo!" Inspector Megure sounded in high spirits on the other end, likely because he hadn't encountered any difficult cases.
And, as everyone knew, he was always very warm towards the repairman.
"Still working this late?" Tsuneo checked the time.
It was already eight in the evening, and he could still hear Takagi and the others talking in the background.
"No, we just finished up. We were just about to leave."
"Speaking of which, about the last incident, brother Tsuneo, I still need to thank you!" Inspector Megure explained about work briefly before starting to express his gratitude for the bank robbery case last time.
With the truth surfacing that the bank manager had murdered his wife, his two friends who had played the bank robbers were also successfully arrested.
Since his wife, Midori, had been accidentally injured by the robbers while withdrawing money from the bank, Inspector Megure had been very invested in that robbery case and had worked desperately hard.
Thanks to Tsuneo and the others, it had been solved so smoothly.
"Don't worry about it. Actually, I have a favor to ask you, Inspector Megure," Tsuneo said with a smile.
"Whatever it is, just say it." Inspector Megure nodded, indicating he would do his best.
"It's like this. Do you remember the case at the Araide Clinic?"
"Of course."
"Well then, I want to put in a good word for Dr. Araide..."
After hearing the details, Inspector Megure couldn't help but sigh. This Dr. Araide Tomoaki was truly a great person.
His stepmother had plotted to kill his father, yet he still wanted to visit her every week.
"I understand. I will help with this matter." Inspector Megure felt the request wasn't excessive.
"Mhm, he will be very happy..."
"Hello, is this Dr. Araide? This is Inspector Megure!"
Not long after, in the pitch-black Araide residence, Vermouth picked up the phone.
"Inspector Megure..."
Hearing the name, Vermouth's hand gripping the phone tightened a few degrees.
"I've already heard about your situation from brother Tsuneo. Before you go every week, just give me a call!" Inspector Megure took charge of the matter.
Many things could be negotiated and arranged.
After all, brother Tsuneo had spoken up, so he had to handle it beautifully, didn't he?
"Is... is that so? That's wonderful!" Vermouth almost choked on her own saliva but quickly recovered and spoke happily.
This repairman is overly enthusiastic; he got it done that very night...
"Yes, you must thank brother Tsuneo properly," Inspector Megure said with a laugh.
"I will..."
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