The police siren wailed over the Chiba-Kogyo bank. Inspector Eijiro and Officer Raone parked over the bank's entrance. The other police officers were chatting alongside with the others who also parked their cars on the crime scene.
"So, what really happened here?", Eijiro asked. He was asking Raone, who received the call from his informant.
"200 million yen was stolen just a while ago. The bank reported that several employees were poisoned after taking a medical examination just a while ago as well. The robbers then takes advantage in robbing the bank."
"As easy as that!" exclaimed Eijiro.
"Yes sir…"
"I'll question this bank as to what happened…"
Both of them entered the room. The medical team gave them a medical report after inspecting the poisoned employees.
"Five died…six survived. All due cause to cyanide…" he murmured, as he reads the report.
"The robbers planned this quite well. According to the bank manager, the robbers disguised as health authorities, claimed they were medication to control a nearby virus outbreak…" answered a voice from the crowd of police officers.
"Who said that…?" asked Eijiro, turned and searched his eyes to the speaker. It was Rook. He was laughing and waved at him.
"It's you again…your smelling power in crime scene seems to be getting stronger…"
Raone smiled to Rook. His spirit as a detective has finally reached his life, like his father, who was a great detective.
"So when they were in medication, the robbers probably gave them chemicals in the intake…" continued Rook.
"Yes…yes…" replied Eijiro, as he pushed Rook out of the crime scene. "The problem is…this is our crime scene. Private detectives like you should stay out of this…" he continued. Raone stopped the inspector.
"Actually Inspector…the bank manager is my father�����" he laughed.
"Your dad..!"
"Yes sir. Dad asked Rook to help us investigate about the case. I'm sure he'll be a great help…like the case we had before…"
He stopped pushing Rook and sighed. The three of them proceeded to the room where the robbers took the money. Eijiro quickly ordered for the other police officers to look for fingerprints. The forensics reported that the employees took the cyanide through a form of a medicine the robbers gave who were in a disguise at that time. Luckily, there were few who survived. It was like a miracle on their side. The employees described the robbers as quite good in English and Italian. They cannot describe the faces of the robbers, because the time they robbed the bank, one of them saw the robbers took off their facial masks and wore black bonnets. The crime was perfect and smooth.
"Facial prosthetics…" said Rook in his mind. He was thinking about what the employees told about the case.
"Not all Japanese are good in English and Italian. The men must be some extra-ordinary team of robbers, they must had great background on education."
He walked out the police station to think for a while. He went into the vending machine to buy some soda. He noticed that there was a weird can of soda from the machine. He chose it. As the can goes out, he read the label from the can as "il mio coure", Italian words which means 'my heart'. A spark of idea entered his mind after reading the words.
"Wait! The employees said that the robbers are good English and Italian speakers and that they had face masks. The thing I am confused to is that if they are really Japanese or not. The accent…how about it?"
He quickly dialed Inspector Eijiro's number and asked for him to question the employees if the accent to their English and Italian is Japanese based.
"All of them are no doubt Japanese, the thing that's weird that I found out about to the employees is that the robber's boss who came at the bank had Kansai accent."
"Then it's decided. I think the boss is from West Japan…"
"Most probably so…by the way Rook, a man came here at the police station claiming that he saw the plate number of the escape car the robbers used and the car's appearance."
"Is he there now?"
"Yeah. We are now questioning him. I'll catch up with you soon."
"Good luck Inspector…"
"I will."
Rook returned to the police station, where he saw the inspector and Raone speaking with a middle aged man, about 27 as officer Miharu encoded his statement.
"Is it him?" whispered he to Raone.
"Yes, it seems he saw the plate number"
"How about the color?"
"Red."
"What car was it?"
"A 911 Targa 4S."
Rook smiled. "I have an idea…" he said. He whispered everything to Raone. The officer clicked his hands in happiness as he heard what Rook told him.
"Of course! I never thought about that!"
Both of them agreed to the idea and told it to the inspector.
"Ha-ha…of course. Since 911 Targa 4S is rare here in Funabashi, all we have to is to check the records to who are the people who purchased such car." He said in amazement. Eijiro and Raone went to check for it immediately, left Rook on the police station listening to the witness's statement.
"By the way…I have to go to Professor Takashi's house. It's been a long time…" he said in his mind.
He went out and wanted for a taxi and went to his old teacher's house. That teacher was his Greek language teacher and his mentor in Science subjects. He decided to pay visit since it was so long when he saw him.
The grassy road and windy environment welcomed Rook on the taxi stopped on his professor's house. He paid his bill and went straight on the house gate. he saw his professor watering his plants on the backyard.
"Professor Nakajima! Long time no see!"
"Rook Kazuki…! Is that you?"
"Yes! I came to visit…"
"It's been years since we saw each other. After the news I heard that you went to Sweden, I never heard again about you…"
"I came back a long time ago…but since, I have been with Tatsumi."
Professor Nakajima welcomed him inside. He opened the gate and went straight to the lounge.
"I am sorry I seem to disturb you on the plants…" excused Rook.
"No it's okay. I even want to thank you for visiting. I want to know things about you on your trip to Sweden."
"I have been doing fine. Actually sir, I also came here to ask some questions that may help me…"
The professor observed him and then smiled after. "Your tone is like your father's. anyway, what questions are those?"
"Sir, do you know someone here in Funabashi or West Japan who is good in Italian language?" he asked. The professor anticipated his question before he answered.
"What made you think I know some?"
"Professor, I heard before that you were a language teacher back in Osaka. I hope you know someone who knows how to speak Italian."
"Yes, I know one. Do you know the stage magician named Souichiro Isami in Osaka?"
He paused and thought for a second. He have heard of that name but never had any information about him.
"Yes but I have only heart of a short information."
"He was a student of mine in one of my language class. He speaks good in Italian."
Rook nodded and brought out his notebook. He asked the magician's latest address. The professor cooperatively gave it and asked why.
"I am a private detective now, sensei. I want to follow the footsteps of my father…" he answered.
"That's inspiring. I am proud to be one of your teachers."
Rook laughed with his teacher. He went to the kitchen and prepared some tea for them. He had a coffee maker so it was fast when he returned.
"Where's Maita…the beautiful maid?" he asked.
"She's on leave. She said there's something she wanted to see on her home time."
The telephone rang when they were speaking. Professor Takashi left him to answer the phone. Rook wandered his eyes and explored the lounge. He saw some pottery collection on one corner placed in a mirror cabinet.
"Pottery collection…this was issued by a pottery company at West Japan…specifically Osaka. I remember the creator of these designs attended Professor's language class before. Look how successful his students are now."
He noticed from the window a small garage. He remembered it was there Professor Takashi placed his car, when he was still his student. He noticed the gate was rusted shut and seem to be unopened for a long time. He looked at the ground and he saw some muddy skid marks. Aside from those, the garage door is rusted shut but the pad lock that locked the door is still new and seem to be recently used.
"Sorry for having you wait" said Takashi, who just returned from answering the phone call.
"It's okay, sensei. How's your car?"
"I parked it there for a long time. The engine had some problem. Since now I have no money to get it fixed."
"I see. It must have been hard."
"Yes."