Jiang Xia seemed to take the news Hashimoto Maya had brought very seriously. His tone was grave. "Then let's break the door down."
"I'll do it!" Mouri Ran had long been ready for action. Hearing that, she strode forward and spun into a powerful kick at the door.
With a boom, another room door met its demise beneath her foot.
Ignoring the unfortunate room door, everyone stepped over it and rushed inside. One look around, and the screams that had risen to the throats of the two high school girls were silently swallowed back down.
"Strange, why is no one here?" Suzuki Sonoko cautiously poked her head out from behind Jiang Xia, gripping his shoulder as she looked around. At last, she eyed another door suspiciously. "They must be in the bathroom!"
At that, Mouri Ran put away her frightened expression and rolled up her sleeves.
The hotel manager squeezed in through the doorway, practically crawling. "Wait, don't kick it! The bathroom door isn't locked!"
Sure enough, Jiang Xia gave it a push, and the door slid open smoothly. A look inside revealed that it was empty as well.
"Uh..." Having guessed wrong, Suzuki Sonoko scratched at her Hairpin in embarrassment... But a Beautiful Girl Detective's assistant never admitted defeat! Quietly cheering herself on, she turned her gaze toward the bed. "C-could they be under the bed?"
Hashimoto Maya, however, looked toward the curtains beside the bed.
A breeze stirred, billowing the rose-red curtains like a slow crimson tide. For some reason, the sight reminded him of the flowers scattered across the first two Crime Scenes.
After hesitating for a moment, Hashimoto Maya followed the others toward the bed, then casually pulled the curtains open.
The next instant, he abruptly met the gaze of a ghastly pale face hanging in