Everyone in the teahouse had undoubtedly heard that piercing scream.
Before long, a crowd had packed the basement entrance, and what followed was the usual familiar procedure.
If there was any difference, it was probably that the police had arrived especially quickly—faster even than the First Investigation Division.
Standing on the stairs, Ran Mouri looked down at the phone call she had ended only seconds ago, then at Fumimaro Ayanokoji, who was already greeting the proprietress and waitresses outside the teahouse. She could not quite process it.
"Uh, is there a police station nearby or something?" she muttered in confusion.
Mori Kogoro, who had discovered Sakura Masazo's body, reacted much as he usually did. He stopped the others to protect the scene, told someone he knew to call the police, and entered the scene himself to examine the situation.
Ran Mouri reacted just as quickly, running toward the terrace where they had been sitting to retrieve the phone she had left there and call the police.
Yet the moment she finished the call, they were already at the door...
"As expected of the Kyoto Prefectural Police. Pretty efficient, huh?" Heiji Hattori said, hands in his pockets as he leaned against the corridor wall, deliberately making sure everyone could hear his sarcasm.
He had naturally noticed Fumimaro Ayanokoji watching them from the riverbank, and he also knew that aside from distant locations like Kurama Temple, where the officer had trouble keeping up, he had followed them for practically the entire day.
Whether the man wanted more information related to Genji Firefly, or whether he was actually keeping an eye on Tangze, afraid their group might cause some sort of trouble, remained to be seen.
Fumimaro Ayanokoji glanced at Heiji Hattori but ignored him. Maintaining his composure, he led the officers behind