Shinrei Tantei Yakumo:Volume 2 Prologue

It was raining heavily that night.

February was coming to an end, and although the days were gradually becoming warmer, it was still cold once the sun went down, especially on rainy days like these.

Gotou was at the police station writing paperwork, and he hated it. He was already two years into his police career and this was the only thing he was still not used to.

Ah! How troublesome! He didn’t know what to write. Gotou gave up, and leaned back in his chair. At that moment, he noticed someone standing outside the police station.

The man ignored the rain, had no umbrella, and was standing in the rain with only a raincoat on; he seemed to be in his thirties, probably a couple years older than Gotou.

The man did not care that he was wet. Not only that, he was also wearing sunglasses on this rainy night.

He had an extraordinary presence.

The man entered the police station in silence. Gotou held up his police baton and alertly talked to him.

“Is there something you need?”

“There is a child that is about to be murdered.”

That man’s voice sounded mechanical and devoid of any emotion.

“A kid?”

“Yes, Mr. Policeman; a child is about to be murdered.”

Gotou could not see any anxiety or panic on the man’s face.

Was this a prank? Thought Gotou, but this man seemed serious, only he lacked the sense of urgency evolved when someone’s life was in danger.

Anyhow, it was not the time for him to be in a daze; if what the man said was true, then if he hesitated any longer it could cause horrible and irreversible consequences.

“I got it, let’s go!”

“I’ll lead the way.”

The man said in his flat tone of voice, and then exited the police station, Gotou followed closely behind. The downpour immediately drenched Gotou’s uniform. Could the man lead the way in this kind of rain while wearing sunglasses, much less see?

The man put his hands in his coat pocket and walked as if it was a sunny day out.

“There is a kid about to be murdered right?”

Gotou couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes.”

“Then we have to be faster.”

The man answered but showed no change. What was this guy playing? Wasn’t there a kid about to be at death’s door?

“Where’s the kid?”

The man pointed forward in the darkness.

“There’s a building in construction up ahead.”

“I got it! I’ll go save the kid; please head back to the police station and wait for me.”

Gotou said and ran.

Gotou knew about the building the man was talking about, the building was about a hundred meters away from here.

He saw it! There it was!

There was a red car parked there with the engine still running. Gotou knocked on the car’s window, but there was no reaction, and he couldn’t assess the situation inside because it was too dark.

Gotou took out his flashlight and shined it on the car; there was no one inside.

He looked up and saw the infrastructural columns of the building; it was cemented up to the second floor. Was the kid inside there?

Gotou sprinted to the building, narrowly avoiding the torrential downpour.

Ka-chink!

He heard the sound of something rolling on the floor. Gotou was on alert; pulling out the police baton at his waist, he crept slowly towards the source of the sound.

There was a shadow of something moving near a column.

Found them!

Gotou squatted on the ground and shone his flashlight on the shadow.

“It’s the police! What are you doing?”

It was a woman?

Hearing Gotou’s voice, a woman in her early thirties turned her head around. A shocked look was on her face.

Her skin was white, hair long, eyes small yet clear and pretty, her nose was straight, and a red necklace shone on her chest, but it looked fake in Gotou’s eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

Gotou barely finished before he was shocked. The woman crouched on the ground, both hands choking a child.

“Stop!”

“No! I need to kill this child now! If I don’t kill him now then he will kill so many people! Just like that man, killing innocent people!”

The woman let out sharp cries. What was she talking about? Gotou slammed the woman; she rolled on the concrete before collapsing.

Where was the kid? Gotou reached to touch the kid’s neck. There was a pulse. Good! He was alive!

What about the woman? Gotou looked back.

The woman stood up, and repeated one phrase, “I must kill him, I must kill him……” while retreating. Gotou wanted to say something, but in that moment, the woman held her head, and like a mad woman cried out loudly before bolting away. Gotou wanted to chase the woman, but he couldn’t leave the kid alone. Damn it!

What on earth was that woman saying? If she didn’t kill him now then he would kill more people…… what did that mean?

Gotou gave up the idea of chasing the woman and helped the kid up. Even though the kid had been about to die a few moments ago, he didn’t cry; he just looked blankly ahead.

“It’s all right now.”

The kid didn’t answer.

“What’s your name?”

“Yakumo.”

“So you’re called Yakumo!”

Gotou ruffled the kid’s hair. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but Gotou thought the child resembled the woman who just ran away. Was she his mother? No, it couldn’t be…… Gotou picked up the flashlight that was knocked out of his heads and shined it on the kid’s face.

In that split second, he thought his eyes were really playing tricks on him, but he didn’t see wrong.

The child’s left eye glowed red like raging crimson flames.