"...Then we separated in Nepal, that's about it."
"I see. It seems that Yusuke doesn't plan to come back for a while! You've come back just in time. After Nana was chosen by the crew, she rarely comes to help. I just need manpower here. By the way, just now I'm afraid I haven't found a good place to stay when I come back. There are still spare rooms upstairs..."
"Thank you, boss." Ryusuke Higashino gratefully took the coffee that Saburo Kadama had just brewed for him, and then said seriously: "But let's keep the recruitment advertisements outside for now. After all, I came back this time because I am about to meet him. If things like unidentified life forms happen, we may sometimes lose sight of the store.”
Dad smiled and said, "Kamen Rider, I understand, I understand. Hehe..."
Drinking coffee, they spent the rest of the time chatting about their travel adventures or family issues:
For example, Nana has officially participated in a film and television drama, although it is only a small supporting role...
Another example is that the fifth generation's younger sister, Minoru, has met a muscular professional wrestler in the past two years. Although they are just ordinary friends, in my father's opinion, I am afraid that Minoru will be deceived by that man sooner or later...
At this moment, a series of police sirens sounded outside the door, roaring past the polepole store, attracting the attention of Ryusuke Higashino and his father.
Ryusuke carefully identified the direction in which the sirens were going. Not surprisingly, it was the location of Oba Middle School.
It seems that the old patrolman must have discovered the student's body on the tree and called the police. However, this was not unexpected, so let it take its course for now.
…
Ten o'clock at night.
The lights of several police cars illuminated the playground of Dachang Middle School, and a cordon was set up around it. Under the big tree where the victim's body was buried, a young detective was observing the scene.
He was a young detective wearing a yellow windbreaker and a meticulously groomed appearance. His name was Hojo Tohru, and he belonged to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division.
The other criminal policeman named Kono next to him was an 'old man' from the Search Section 1. He was a middle-aged man who looked a little short and skinny. At this time, he was questioning the old patrolman who had witnessed the scene.
"Why are you using such a weird method to kill people?" Hojo pondered and asked the middle-aged detective who was walking next to him: "Officer Kono, what did the witnesses say?"
The older Kono took out a random notebook and opened it, "...I heard an explosion during the patrol, and then saw a life form suspected of No. 1 nearby? Then I found a body on the tree..."
"No. 1? This is very interesting. Could it be that the Kamen Rider who has fought against unidentified life forms is now here to kill people?"
"But how is this possible?"
"Yes, how is this possible? The unconfirmed life form and Kamen Rider have disappeared for two years." Hojo said with inexplicable confidence on his face: "So it may be that the suspect is just pretending to be a Kamen Rider. It’s just a murder.”
"That's it, I can't deny it..." Kono nodded noncommittally, "... Oh, and the eyewitness testimony mentioned that the guy suspected of being No. 1 seemed to have escaped in the direction of Otsuka 1-chome. …”
…
The next morning.
After greeting his boss, Ryusuke was ready to go out to visit people he once knew.
When he was going out, he happened to meet a figure and passed him by, and then entered the polepole store.
Higashino Ryusuke couldn't help but stop and look back. The man's face immediately aroused his memory. Although he had a seemingly calm demeanor, the arrogance and conceited temperament that hit his face...
It's definitely Toru Hojo - the famous cast off general Hojo who although he firmly stands in the human camp, his words and deeds make people hate him.
I didn't expect that I would meet an important character from the Yajida period so soon.
Higashino Ryusuke guessed that Hojo came here to investigate because of what happened last night, but as long as he didn't want to be exposed, he could do whatever he wanted.
So he simply put it behind his head and went to the warehouse to open the door with the key Saburo Kadama gave him. A BTCS was parked quietly in the corner.
Still remembering the night of the final battle two years ago, he was attacked by the Water Angels on the way to Nagano, and BTCS was also damaged at that time.
However, after the battle, the people from the search headquarters helped with the aftermath, and the BTCS was repaired and sent to Polole for safekeeping by Kaoru Ichijo.
Now that I am driving this motorcycle again, everything I have experienced comes back clearly to my memory.
The roar of the locomotive outside the window gradually faded away, and it also conveyed the message to Saburo Kodama that Ryusuke had left.
"Here comes the coffee!"
He smiled and served a cup of coffee to the detective in front of him, but he couldn't help but think: Although he looks like a capable person, he is still a little behind compared to Mr. 'Handsome Man in Suit'!
"Uh, thank you." Hojo took the coffee. He wanted to refuse it out of the upper-class mentality, but the pure aroma of coffee in the store still made him want to try it. However, the taste was indeed very good. It is the kind of coffee that has many businesses. A unique flavor that can only be found in old restaurants. (The Polepole store is probably more than a hundred years old. Officially, it was founded in 1899.)
"So who was the person just now?"
"Oh, he's the young man who works in my shop."
Hojo nodded silently, took another sip of coffee and took out the photo of last night's case scene from his windbreaker, and asked Saburo Kadama: "There was a murder at Oba Middle School not far from here last night. Murder It is suspected that he is pretending to be the former Kamen Rider No. 1. Did you notice any suspicious figures nearby when the crime occurred?"
"Kamen Rider No. 1? Well, I know it very well. No one knows Kamen Rider better than me!" Saburo Kadama said, taking out a book of newspaper clippings from under the counter and opening it on the counter with great interest.
Toru Hojo frowned and reminded: "No, you misunderstood. The murderer I am talking about is not a Kamen Rider, but someone who is suspected of pretending to be a Kamen Rider..."
"Well, it's almost done. Let's take a look at this first."
"……All right."
…
Driving BTCS, Ryusuke Higashino first went to the nearby Seongnan University. When he came outside the research laboratory building, he saw an open window and was sure that Sakurako Sawatari was still there.
Sakurako has not changed much in the past two years, and she is still working in the archaeological research laboratory. However, because of her excellent ability, she also obtained the position of teaching assistant in the department, and may become an associate professor or even a professor in a few years.
The two chatted for a while after meeting old friends again. Of course, Sakurako couldn't help but feel disappointed when she heard that Godai had no plans to come back yet.
After a brief reminiscing about old times, Ryusuke Higashino left and prepared to go to the next place.
It’s Chinese New Year, and book friends with spiritual roots are using this app to read aloud, listen to books, and catch up on updates on the road!
