Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

Totsukawa and his team stayed at the Concorde Lafayette Hotel, one of the first-class hotels in Paris, with a four-star rating. They wanted to stay in a cheaper hotel, but the university lady and secretary Miura all went here. Since the murderer's target is Dai Viet, there is a possibility of attacking him or his wife again, so we must find ways to prevent another incident from happening again. It was the order of Minister of Criminal Affairs Mikami to stay in the same hotel as Ogoshi and his party. Even so, trying to save some travel expenses, Totsukawa and Kamei lived in a double room, and let the young Shirai live in a smaller two-star hotel nearby.

Totsukawa keeps in touch with Section Chief Honda in Tokyo once or twice a day.The phone in the hotel room can be dialed directly, which is very convenient. "Tokyo is also taking the incident here very seriously." Totsukawa asked tentatively. "All the newspapers have a lot of space in the social news section. This is because the person who was assassinated was someone like Ogoshi Shoichiro, and his family had just received explosives." "The newspapers here are also reporting heavily. It's not because Ogoshi Shoichiro is a character, it seems that what attracts more attention is that the murder happened on TGV."

"The murderer hasn't found out yet, has he?" "yes." "There is no doubt that the murderer was in the car, so that makes things a lot easier." Honda said. "The problem is that there are a lot of foreign tourists in the TGV. Therefore, it is difficult to find out the motive. If the murderer can be limited to Japanese, it will save a lot of trouble." Totsukawa said. "How is the Dai Viet couple?" "We often meet in restaurants, very calm." "How are the guards arranged? There may be plots against them." "The Paris Police Department also took this into consideration and sent two police officers to live in this hotel. We are always on guard, but there are too many guests and it is not easy to handle."

Totsukawa said. "Who are the guests here?" "The Japanese ambassador to France comes every day. Important officials from the French government also come to visit. Besides, the Dai Viet Group has a branch in Paris, and the manager of the branch comes even more frequently." "If we can return to Japan as soon as possible, we will always find a way." Honda said. "I think so." "How is young Shirai this time?" "He knows French, which is of no small use." "Kamei-kun said that Shirai seems to be in a relationship or something, what's going on?"

Ben asked. Totsukawa held the communicator in his hand and smiled: "It's a young policewoman from the Paris police named Christine, a petite beauty. They get along very well, but I don't think they're in love." "I asked nonsense, sorry." Honda said. "It doesn't matter." Totsukawa said. Even so, after the phone call, he was still worried about Shirai.So Totsukawa hung up the phone at the hotel where he was staying. That hotel is a hotel where young Japanese people often stay, so there are people who can speak Japanese at the front desk.

The waiter at the service desk said Shirai was out. Totsukawa looked at his watch, it was already 10 o'clock at night.After leaving a message, he put down the phone and met Kamei. "Aren't you at the hotel?" Kamei asked. "Yes. It's already this time, it's really memorable!" "The beautiful scenery of Paris on a good day really touches the heartstrings of lovers!" "Kamei-kun." "I know. Perhaps the matter has progressed. He has gone to the Paris police." "That's fine." "It's okay. He is a very serious person and will contact him in case of anything."

Kamei said. But judging from the expressions of the two of them, they couldn't feel at ease no matter what. After 11 o'clock, there was still no news from Shirai.Because I left a message for the hotel and asked him to call back as soon as he came back. Just when I was about to call the hotel again, the phone in the room finally rang. "Is it Shirai-kun?" Totsukawa couldn't wait to ask. "Is that Mr. Totsukawa?" The voice of a young woman came from the other end of the phone. "what?" After asking back, she realized it was Christina's voice.

"Is there a problem?" Totsukawa asked in English. "Is Mr. Shirai not here?" Kristina asked slowly in English. "We're worried about his absence. Do you know anything?" Totsukawa asked back. "Around 9:30 in the evening, he called and asked me to prepare a car and wait for him. So I borrowed a friend's car and waited. But after that, there was no news at all. Call his hotel, He's not there either." Christina said. "Do you know why he asked you to prepare the car?" "I don't know. He was very anxious at the time, and he hung up the phone after speaking, so he didn't know anything."

"Have you made an appointment to go somewhere tonight?" Totsukawa asked. "We agreed that this time after the case is solved, the two of us will have a meal together as a celebration, but not today." Christina said. "After returning to Paris, is this the first time I have asked you to prepare the car tonight?" "yes." "When he comes back, I will contact you immediately." Totsukawa said.And asked for the phone number of Christina's home. "How to do it?" Kamei asked.His expression also became tense. "How about going to the hotel where he lives?"

"At this time, the Da Viet couple won't have any activities." Kamei said. For the sake of caution, the two left the hotel only after confirming that the Da Viet couple were in the room. They called a taxi and drove to the hotel where Shirai lived. The hotel is on the left bank of the Seine. Totsukawa and the others live in an American-style hotel on the 30th floor, while Shirai lives in a small hotel on the third floor. It was nearly midnight when we got there. Come to the service desk.The Japanese-speaking waiter who spoke on the phone just now said, "Mr. Shirai hasn't come back yet." This is a man who has studied in a Japanese university for four years.

"Did you really go out? You won't pass out in the room." Totsukawa asked. "Okay, let's go and have a look together." As the waiter said, he took a key and went up to the second floor with Totsukawa and the others. After opening the door, Totsukawa and Kamei entered the house. This is a small room for one person.There were signs of sleeping on the bed.The familiar small suitcase is in the corner, and the washed shirts are hanging in the bathroom. Yes, this is Shirai's Fangwen. Thinking about whether there would be any records, Totsukawa and Kamei began to search the narrow room and opened the suitcase.But nothing was found. The key to this hotel room is held by myself, and the key has not been returned to the service desk.In other words, it can only be assumed that Shirai went out with the key. (Where did it go?) Sitting on the bed, Totsukawa fell into deep thought. Shirai said that he specialized in French literature in college and traveled to France twice. At that time, I must have also visited Paris.Maybe go sightseeing again to revisit old places? Won't.Shirai is a serious person.Now that the case is being processed, he will never leave the hotel in the middle of the night for personal reasons! (Begging Christina to prepare the car, and why?) Want to go to the suburbs of Paris?That is also with Christina. But that's not right either. They can also take a taxi.The purpose of asking someone to prepare a car must be to do things that cannot be done by taxi. (have no idea.) Thinking of this, Totsukawa was even more puzzled.