Are You the Area Chief Superintendent, or Is He the Area Chief Superintendent?

After sitting down, Ninomiya met Aiichiro's gaze and took the initiative to admit it—

"There was a problem with the station's evidence storage. The paper streamers from the crime scene... weren't kept." Though Ninomiya's face was dark, he forced himself to look apologetic.

"I never expected local police stations to be this sloppy in their day-to-day work!" Ninomiya immediately added.

Compared to the First Investigation Division at the Main Branch, local police stations cut corners in every respect. Ninomiya had felt that deeply over the past two months, but he still hadn't expected evidence from a murder case to vanish so muddleheadedly. The reason was even that the storage room was too full, so they "didn't know where they put it."

At the First Investigation Division of the Main Branch, they wouldn't have dared do something like this even after taking bribes—

As soon as Ninomiya said that, Shiraishi responded, "Not all local police stations are like that." If you're bad at something, practice more.

Ninomiya: ...

"What was left?" Shiraishi promptly changed the subject.

"The leftover tape, a bottle of sleeping pills, and a brazier with some charcoal in it," Ninomiya said glumly.

Kamurocho Police Station's "principle" for preserving evidence was to first assign a small compartment according to the severity of the case. Whatever fit inside was kept; whatever didn't, wasn't—

"So that means... the torn-off tape can't be found either, right?" Shiraishi said helplessly.

When Ninomiya said nothing, Shiraishi knew he had guessed correctly.

"Then..." Aiichiro didn't really understand what use the tape had, but it looked like something important had been lost, and he couldn't help growing anxious.

"It's fine. Most importantly... the body is still there. Along with the bedsheet and notebook we got today... Well, there might not have been anything wrong with the