(thud)
Inspector Yassa glanced at his subordinate.
The young officer understood and leaned over to explain in a low voice, "'Gothic Lolita' is a style of dress that has become popular recently. It looks rather strange—like the clothes the victim was wearing."
Another female officer overheard and corrected him, "Gothic Lolita fashion has been popular for quite a while. It just isn't very widespread around here, so someone Inspector Yassa's age wouldn't know about it."
Inspector Yassa, who was over forty: "..."
Hmph, what did she mean by "someone his age"? Forty was clearly the prime of life!
He could not be bothered to argue with his subordinate's subordinate. Returning to business, he stared grimly at the two Ice Cream Bandits. "The victim was indeed dressed like that. So?"
One of the Ice Cream Bandits seemed to recall something. He rubbed his stomach, his face turning a little pale.
"When we got near the area, that Asian man was just coming out of the public restroom. Before him, the lady dressed in Gothic Lolita fashion had also just finished using the restroom and come out.
"That man looked at her several times. Then he touched his neck, and his expression became terrifying—after that, we didn't dare keep looking and left quickly... Believe me, that guy definitely has violent tendencies! He must have caught up to that lady, dragged her back into the public restroom, and finally murdered her!"
Inspector Yassa: "...Violent tendencies?"
He recalled the victim's condition—apart from the fatal ligature mark on her neck, there were no other injuries, nor had she been beaten. That did not quite match what the Ice Cream Bandits had emphasized.
However, judging by the timing...
Inspector Yassa asked, "What exact time did you see them at the public restroom?"
The Ice Cream Bandits