(My hand has had tendinitis these past two days. I've used medication, but I'm afraid I may have to write by voice dictation from now on...)
Beika Funeral Home, in-house hotel.
"Inspector Sato, here's your coffee."
Wataru Takagi, who had gone out to buy hot drinks, took a hot coffee from the plastic bag he was carrying and handed it to Miwako Sato.
"Ah, thank you."
Miwako Sato took the still-warm can of coffee. Just as she was about to drink, she heard Wataru Takagi ask:
"Um, is Superintendent Luo still in the meeting room?"
"Yes. He's discussing things in the room inside with Mr. Guo Yi and Inspector Megure."
Miwako Sato explained casually.
Just then, Wataru Takagi glanced at their colleagues smoking nearby. Noticing that they were watching them, he lowered his voice.
"You saw that just now too, didn't you, Inspector Sato?"
Miwako Sato raised an eyebrow. Opening the can, she turned to Wataru Takagi.
"You mean Superintendent Luo and Mr. Guo Yi talking privately in Chinese?"
Wataru Takagi nodded and said quietly:
"After they finished talking privately, they didn't even look at the scene. They took Inspector Megure straight into the room for a discussion. They're avoiding us after all, aren't they?"
Miwako Sato frowned. "Takagi, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Wataru Takagi's face looked a little green as he said:
"Yamada just said that when they investigated the crematorium yesterday, before the Special Crimes Division took over and took the Forensics Division staff away, one of them told him about some of the findings at the scene."
"He said the coffins holding the bodies had been forcibly torn open by something like animal claws, and they found fragments of chewed human tissue inside..."
Hearing this, Miwako Sato nearly splashed her coffee in his face.