Teruo chuckled. “You would’ve if you came inside just a few minutes earlier.”
“Naughty. I like it.” She grinned, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Heard you’re done with the case.”
Teruo circled his desk and rested against it. “Taniguchi. We arrested him.”
Megumi paused and hovered in front of him. She suddenly drew a shaky breath and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. He smiled and awkwardly patted her back, his arms trapped under hers.
“When they said there was a shooting, I imagined the worst.” Megumi looked up at him. “I’m glad you’re all right.”
“I’m the one who shot. I had to. The bastard put a scalpel to Shinji’s throat.”
Megumi gasped. “Is he okay?”
“Yeah.” Teruo chewed on his lower lip. “Taniguchi… he wasn’t himself. He could’ve easily taken Shinji’s gun and used it, but he was too agitated to make any calculated decisions.” Though Teruo couldn’t see the energy, like Shinji did, the pallor of Taniguchi’s face, the sunken eyes and dark bags showed how much thereiryokuhad affected him. “He managed to destroy part of the evidence.”
“Will they be able to prosecute him?”
Teruo nodded. “We’ve got enough. He confessed, some DNA still remained under the last victim’s nails and they managed to pull it, the digital forensics found more evidence in his phone and laptop.”
“Heard Suzuki’s in the hospital. Did you speak to her?”
“About an hour ago. She cried, feeling horrible about everything. Blamed herself that she worked with the killer this entire time and didn’t even notice. Obviously, it’s not her fault, but…” He paused tracing his thumb over the pack of Mevius. “We’re all blaming ourselves. I mean, he was right next to us.”
Megumi hummed, then gestured toward Shinji’s desk. “How are you two? Any issues working together?”
“Had some arguments, but we’re good now. We kinda jumped into things fast, so we’re still discovering each other.”
She nudged him lightly with her elbow. “I can tell you like him a lot. You haven’t had that glint in your eyes in a long time.”
Teruo gave her a giddy smile and they both burst into laughter. Megumi could always read him like an open book and he was grateful for that. There was no wall of pretense between them.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Megumi said. “See you tomorrow.”
A message came and Teruo checked it after Megumi closed the door behind her. Shinji had finished with the superintendent and was waiting for him in the parking lot. Teruo picked up the car keys and his coat, then hurried to the elevator.
Shinji stood against Teruo’s Nissan, scrolling through his phone. He raised his head and smiled as Teruo approached.
“Any news?” Teruo asked as they climbed inside the car.
“Tomorrow is Ishida’s funeral,” Shinji said.
Teruo lips parted and he stared at the steering wheel. It only now fully hit him that Ishida was dead. That they would never cross paths again.
“Ishida will be there along with the other spirits,” Shinji continued. “I’ll be taking care of them afterwards. The superintendent suggested I take you with me if you’re comfortable with that. But no one can know about it.”
Teruo nodded. “Of course. I’ll come. I want to speak with him.”
CHAPTER 30
Shinji
On Wednesday morning Shinji and Teruo arrived at the Buddhist temple where Ishida Hideaki’s funeral ceremony took place. Ghostly mist swirled in the area, around trees, over the patch of grass on each side of the walkway.
Shinji sensed the spirits’ presence nearby. Some unknown to him, but he recognized the four victims from their case. The Shinigami who had been temporarily assigned to keep an eye on the ghosts was here, waiting for Shinji. She would pass them over to him and he would help them cross in the afterlife. The Onmyoryo initially wanted to give them to someone else, but Shinji insisted he would be the one to help them. It vexed him that he failed to save them from Taniguchi’s grasp faster. He might’ve avoided reaching four victims.
“You’ll need to keep the distance while I talk to her,” Shinji told Teruo as they walked the stamped concrete path toward the temple’s main entrance.
“Another supernatural?” Teruo asked.