The Story of Rei-chan

No one noticed Matsuda Jinpei's disappearance into the fireplace. Furuya Rei listened to Oguni Shige share confidential information that locals probably didn't know, while looking over the records of the incident from three years ago.

Three years ago, on this very day, was Mori Ichitaro's 40th birthday. Kerkyra Island was a famous tourist destination owned by him. To prepare for the birthday party, the island had stopped accepting tourists for two weeks.

On the day Mori Yue met with her accident, it rained heavily, thunder roared, and the ocean waves surged violently. Most of the guests were forced to return to the mainland; only a few who arrived early made it to the party. Due to the bad weather, Mori Ichitaro decided to postpone the birthday party to the next day, holding only a small gathering that night.

The storm lasted all night and only subsided the next morning. People on the island discovered Mori Yue was missing at two in the morning. It was her habit to wake up at that hour every night to drink a glass of hot milk before going back to sleep. The reason was that when she was five years old, her mother, Mori Sara, was murdered by robbers right in front of her just as the clock struck the hour, leaving her with a severe psychological trauma.

That night, the maid brought the milk but knocked repeatedly without Mori Yue opening the door. Upon entering the room, she only found the bedding cold. Everyone on the island, including the guests, searched through the night but found nothing. The next morning, Mori Ichitaro contacted the coast guard and borrowed boats to search the surrounding area. Ultimately, Mori Yue's body was found on a small deserted island.

Due to the storm, the exact time of death could not be determined, but based on the maid's account, she disappeared between 11 PM and 2 AM. At that time, besides the Mori father and daughter, there were 15 guests and nearly 30 servants on the island. Furuya Rei believed that Mori Ichitaro had certainly interrogated the servants using brutal methods to find the suspect he doubted.

Although the police concluded it was an accident caused by the weather—Mori Yue being swept away by waves when she went outside—the evidence was flimsy because the body, having been submerged in water for a long time, left no unusual traces. Mori Ichitaro naturally did not accept this outcome. He had once made a scene at the police station before being pressured by higher-ups, after which he began an undercover investigation.

Furuya Rei tapped his pen lightly against the white paper, his brow furrowed. If Matsuda Jinpei were here, he would have recognized that Rei was truly angry with the police's handling of the case. The 22-year-old Furuya Rei was a man brimming with a sense of justice.

Hyacinth continued to chatter away, making the two of them look like old friends catching up. A few people tried to eavesdrop, but whenever they drew near, both fell silent, or Rei would turn around and smile, causing them to leave awkwardly.

“Mori Yue actually had a poor relationship with her father,” Hyacinth lowered his voice. Rei noticed that although this voice was disguised, it still revealed a youthful tone, suggesting this person was probably around his age. Someone who held so much information yet loved to share it like this was usually unsuited for intelligence work, unless it was a deliberate cover.

“Mori Ichitaro never used to care about his daughter,” Hyacinth said casually, sitting cross-legged next to Rei. “He was originally a son-in-law married into the Mori family. Although he held business power, the assets actually belonged to Mori Sara, and after her death, to Mori Yue. To completely seize the firearms business and social connections, he needed to eliminate the true heirs.”

Rei deduced, “So the killer who murdered Mori Sara was hired by him?”

“Exactly. But at that time, he hadn't consolidated all his power yet, so he had to keep Mori Yue alive as a shield against the other branches of the Mori family.”

Rei continued his line of thought, “Once he was fully established, Mori Yue became an obstacle. But if he was the one who acted, why is he looking for the killer now? Unless... Mori Yue isn't dead. Someone saved her that night, and she is holding onto something important that he has yet to obtain.”

Furuya Rei looked straight at Hyacinth and asserted with certainty, “Mori Yue is still alive.”