Shi stifled a yawn as she drove to Adachi's home. She hadn't slept well that previous night. Her mind had been bothered by the phone call. She sighed and parked her car before sending Adachi a message. As she waited, she watched the world outside go by. Her mind was filled with possible ideas for cause of death for the victims. But none were proven. Then the rumour that was flying around entered her head. The mysterious "Midnight Channel" as the high school children called it. Given the right set of circumstances, your TV would tune into this channel and show you your soulmate. She sighed heavily as the passenger side door opened.
"Good Morning Adachi-kun." She said as she set off for work.
"Good morning." He yawned in response. "Hey, have you heard that rumour about the midnight channel?" He asked her.
"Yes. But frankly I find it to be one of those things like bloody Mary. You know, a urban legend." She said. He nodded, seeing her reasoning. She glanced at him as they were stopped at traffic lights. "Why? Do you think that has a connection to our murders?" She asked. He shrugged. "So far, the only real connection we have is Namatame. But he has a secure alibi. The only other possible link is the inn our first victim stayed at. The daughter of the manager goes to the same school as our second victim." She began.
"And the manager of the inn collapsed due to stress from our first victim's stay there." Adachi added. Shi nodded.
"But that isn't a proven connection. Besides, I can't see a teenage girl having the strength to carry a body up to a aerial to hang upside down." She explained. They stopped talking about it as they pulled into the station parking lot. He tapped her arm and pointed to a dark van with blacked out windows.
"Looks like you've got a new friend to meet." He said. She raised her eyebrow at him before stepping out of the car. One of the two men inside walked over to her whilst the other wheeled in a gurney with a black bag on top.
"We have a 79 year old male from the hospital. Cause of death was registered as a cardiac arrest with a DNR. They just want the normal autopsy Tawakemono-Sensei." He explained. Shi nodded in response. The man nodded towards her car. "Have you given up on the motorcycle?"
"No. Just never have the time now. Besides, it's easier to transport my med kit in a car." She said. He chuckled and walked off as she walked in with Adachi. She saw him staring at her. "Don't give me that look. My dad rode, my uncles ride and my grandfather rode. It's as much a part of my family as death is." She explained. She walked with him to his desk where he immediately got punched in the head by Dojima.
"Where have you been!? Slacking off huh!?" Dojima snapped. "Get back to work." He yelled. Adachi grimaced at Shi as she began to head towards her office, only to receive a second blow to the head.
As Shi worked on the new cadavers, the chief walked in. She looked up at him, wiping her hands after removing her gloves. "Good day Sir. It's unusual for you to grace my office, why are you here?" She asked.
"I need you to do something for me but keep it quiet." He said. She looked confused. "We just got a call from the Amagi inn. Apparently the manager's daughter has gone missing. Go check it but try not to attract attention." He told her.
"I will sir. But it will be difficult. I do attract attention." She said. He merely shook his head and walked out. She sighed and finished her autopsy before grabbing her kit and heading to the amagi inn. When she arrived, a flustered member of staff greeted her.
"We don't know what happened. One minute she was just going to answer the door and the next. She's gone." The woman said. Shi nodded and wrote what the woman had said in a notebook.
"OK, well I'm going to examine where she was last seen. Then I will head back to the station. An officer will be by later for an official statement." She explained. She quickly moved to the front door, the area closed off from guests, staff and public alike. Shi moved around, taking photos, collecting samples and lifting footprints. She sighed as she sealed and filled out the form for the final footprint she lifted. There were so many it was going to be impossible to distinguish them. She quickly headed back towards the station.
When she arrived back, she saw Yu with a brown haired boy speaking with Adachi. Yu noticed and waved as she walked over.
"Tawakemono-Sensei, how are you?" He said softly with a smile.
"Good day Yu-kun. What have you been up to?" She asked. She turned to the brunette who was staring in surprise. "Forgive me. I am Tawakemono Shi, the pathologist for Inaba. And you are?" She asked.
"Oh, uh. Hanamura Yosuke." He said.
"Oh, your father runs the Junes here right? Nanako-chan taught me the song." Shi smiled.
"They're here because they were spotted by a uniformed officer with weapons at Junes food court." Adachi explained. "But they got off lightly with a warning because Dojima-san was here. Oh, you're friends with that Amagi girl right?" He suddenly asked. Shi immediately turned to him.
"Adachi...don't say anything." She warned.
"No, but they might know why she's disappeared. Was she upset or angered by anything recently? Has she seemed strange?" He asked.
"Yukiko-san has disappeared?!" Yosuke asked.
"Yeah, Shi-chan was just at the inn..." Adachi yelped as Shi smacked him on the back of the head.
"That's enough! It's nothing for civilians to be worried about. The poor girl has probably gone to get some privacy and peace after everything that has happened." She said. She grabbed Adachi by his ear and dragged him off, leaving Yu and Yosuke.
"Ah! Shi-chan! That hurts!" He whined as she dragged him down to her lab.
"Be glad I dragged you away before Dojima-san found out. Do you wanna know what happens when civilians get involved in cases like this?" Shi asked. She walked over to the fridge that contained Saki. "This is what happens. They end up with me because they try to help and get hurt. We need to keep this between police OK? Prove to everyone you're a great officer by not running your mouth." Shi said. He glanced at the fridge before nodding. Shi smiled at him. She turned, humming to herself as he went to leave.
"~Everyday's great at your Junes~." She sang softly. He heard her pause as the doors to her lab went to shut. "Goddamnit, now that's stuck in my head!"