Shinrei Tantei Yakumo - Volume 10 Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Translated by Niulili

Ishii was staring at the monitor as if staring at him.

He was in the employee waiting room at a gas station.

He confirmed the image of the security camera at the convenience store from yesterday. As expected, there was the appearance of Nao.

But that was only a moment.

He knew the direction she was walking, but he didn’t know where she was going.

So, he decided to divide it up from Miyagawa and walk to the convenience stores, gas stations, and even private houses along the road, checking the images from the security camera.

While marking a map, he followed Nao’s footsteps from the scene of the accident, but it stopped.

The reason was simple. She entered an alley with little traffic.

There was no security camera along the way, and he had no idea where Nao was.

But that didn’t mean he would give up there. He made a rough guess from all directions and was allowed to check the image from the security camera from one side.

The gas station that he had now was one of them.

Ishii sighed when he saw the video up to the current time on the monitor.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t confirm Nao’s appearance in the video of the security camera at this gas station.

“It is not good there too…”

Miyagawa shouted next to him.

“Yes…”

“She is hard to find.”

Miyagawa grumbled.

Since last night, they had been chasing the whereabouts of Nao without sleeping. He knew how tired he was, but they couldn’t give up here.

Of course, other police officers were also searching, but Ishii had a sense of mission that he had to find Nao with his own hands.

“Let’s hit the next”

Ishii struck his cheek with both hands to inspire himself.

“Well, when did you become such a hot-blooded man ?”

Miyagawa shook his head.

“Eh ?”

“I thought you were a weak guy.”

Miyagawa gave a wry smile.

He did not deny that he was weak. But if he was the former Ishii, he would have been making noise.

It was Gotou who struck back Ishii. That’s why he couldn’t give up here.

“If you have time to think then stop, and move quicklyーDetective Gotou often said that.”

“These are the words I taught him.”

“Really ?”

“Well, even if I said it, he wouldn’t do it.”

Miyagawa stood up and he smiled happily.

In a way, this teaching might be passed on from man to man and that moved his heart.

Thinking that way, Ishii suddenly became stronger.

“Mr. Detective” called the store manager as they tried to move out of the gas station office.

“What ?”

Ishii asked back.

“Are you looking for a young girl around the age of seven ?”

“Why do you …”

He asked the store manager for help in searching for a missing person, but he did not tell him what kind of person he was looking for.

Nevertheless, the characteristics that the manager now said were in line with those of Nao.

“A customer said that she saw a girl walking alone late last night.”

“Is that really true ?”

When Ishii draw near, the store manager flinched, his facial expression distorted.

“Oï. What do you mean?”

Miyagawa urged him.

“The customer said that it was strange that a girl was walking alone late at night, so she called out.”

“So ?”

“But the girl didn’t hear her or didn’t reply, she didn’t get a response, and she walked away …”

This was a powerful piece of information that he cannot hoped for.

Given the situation, it was certain that person saw Nao.

“Can you contact that customer ?”

Ishii asked while taking out notes.

If he knew his contact information, he could visit and check immediately.

“I don’t have her contact, but there.”

The store manager pointed to the red light car stopped for refueling.

ー How lucky !

Ishii quickly rushed to the car and presented a police’s badge to a middle-aged woman sitting in the driver’s seat.

Suddenly, the woman made a dismayed look, but Ishii continued without regard.

“Yesterday, you saw a girl walking alone.”

“Yes”

“What did the girl look like?”

“She seemed to be wearing pi… pink pajamas.”

No doubt. Atsuko’s story was that Nao was wearing pink pajamas when she disappeared.

“Is this girl this child ?”

Ishii took out a picture of Nao and presented it to the woman. The woman replied, “Yes, this is the child,” as she looked at the picture.

Apparently, there was no doubt.

“Where did you see that girl?”

“There’s a bank just down the road. She was near it.”

The woman explained while pointing at the road in front of her.

“Over there …”

Ishii answered while thinking about the site.

“It was late at night, and she was barefoot. I thought it was strange, so …”

The woman’s voice did reach Ishii’s ear halfway.

Ishii pulled out the map that had been pushed into his pocket and unfolded it.

So far, the places where Nao’s appearance was confirmed have been checked. Also, he circled the place he just heard.

The place was also near the apartment where the psychic phenomenon happened.

ー Is this just a coincidence ?

As Makoto speculated, the disappearance of Nao and the psychic phenomenon of the apartment might be related.

Considering that Nao went to the apartment as she was guided by the will of someone other than herself, it made sense.

“What happened ?”

Miyagawa, which came later, asked.

Ishii came here and realized that he hadn’t talked about the psychic phenomena that Gotou was involved in, to Miyagawa.

Ishii hurriedly explained to Miyagawa what he has done so far.

“Tell me that first”

Miyagawa struck Ishii’s shoulder.

“So-Sorry…”

“Well, it’s okay. Anyway, we need to go to that apartment.”

Ishii replied, “Yes!”, then thanked the woman and the store manager who provided the information, and rushed into the car.

When the foothold that was disappearing was seen again, a feeling of excitement was born in Ishii.