huh?!
How could Director Tsugawa, who was beaten to this extent, have agreed to it?
Conan quickly ran to Director Tsugawa and pulled off the sock stuffed in his mouth.
Looking at the big-headed elementary school student in front of him, Director Tsugawa looked as if he had seen a savior, with tears and snot covering his face.
"Help me! Little guy, call the police quickly! Please, I need the police's help!"
Director Tsugawa cried out hysterically.
"I'm the one who killed the person! I'm the one who hid the drugs! I admit it all! Please let the police arrest me quickly! I beg you! I'll confess everything! Don't let her hit me again! I started World War II, I instigated the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and I sent Earth's coordinates to the Aliens—as long as she doesn't hit me, I'll admit to anything!"
Conan looked at the clear slap marks and bruises on Director Tsugawa's face, his mouth twitched, and he silently pulled out his phone to call Inspector Megure...
Soon, police sirens blared outside the Beika Library.
Inspector Megure, along with Officer Takagi, Miwako Sato, and a large number of other officers, rushed in.
When they found the bound Director Tsugawa, the body of Mr. Tamada, and the drugs in the briefcase, Inspector Megure's brows furrowed deeply.
"Tsugawa Shuji! You are suspected of murdering Tamada Kazuo and an illegal possession and trafficking of drugs! You are now officially under arrest!" Takagi stepped forward and put handcuffs on Director Tsugawa.
"I plead guilty! I admit everything!"
Director Tsugawa saw the police as if they were his own family, hugging Takagi's leg and weeping, as if being handcuffed was a relief.
"I killed Tamada! I hid the drugs! Quickly! Quickly lock me in the detention center! In prison!"
Director Tsugawa's cooperation was so overwhelming that it left Takagi at a loss, looking embarrassed.
Perhaps the arrival of the police gave Director Tsugawa courage.
He tremblingly pointed a finger at Nekomiya Mana, who was idly wagging her tail, and loudly accused her:
"Officers, you must do justice for me! She's the one who hit me! Look at my face, it's all from her! This is intentional harm! It doesn't matter if I'm shot, but you have to arrest her too!"
Inspector Megure, Takagi, Miwako Sato, and the surrounding officers were all stunned, their gazes falling in unison on the direction Director Tsugawa was pointing—
On the slender girl with a cute cat-ear headband, who looked harmless, even a little bewildered.
"She... hit you?"
Officer Takagi looked incredulous.
He sized up Director Tsugawa's sturdy build, then carefully looked at the petite and delicate Nekomiya Mana, who looked like she could be blown over by a gust of wind.
His tone was full of confusion. "Director Tsugawa, are you perhaps overly frightened, or experiencing hallucinations from drug use? How could this delicate young lady possibly beat you up like this? If you said you fell, I might believe you more."
"It's true! Officer, I'm perfectly sober! Could these slap marks on my face be from a fall?"
Director Tsugawa grew anxious, to prove he wasn't lying, he raised his cuffed hands, mustered all his strength, and slapped his face twice with a loud *smack-smack*.
Two extremely loud slaps landed firmly on his face, adding new red marks to his already swollen face.
"You see, that's how she hit me back then! 'Smack-smack,' it was so loud! So hard! Like swatting a fly! You have to believe me! She's a monster, incredibly strong!"
The officers watched Director Tsugawa's frantic self-slapping, and then looked at the innocent-faced Nekomiya Mana next to him, exchanging glances.
"In my opinion, this person probably took too much and is hallucinating, the slap marks on his face are all self-inflicted," a junior officer whispered to his companion.
Miwako Sato, barely suppressing the corners of her mouth, tried to keep a straight face and said seriously to Takagi.
"Takagi, it seems the suspect's mental state has been severely stimulated, he might have had a psychological breakdown after killing and hiding the body. This self-harming behavior and absurd accusations… hmm… I suggest that after he's brought back, in addition to drug testing, a psychiatric evaluation should also be arranged."
"But It's true!, I'm not lying, you have to believe me!" Seeing that none of the police believed him, Director Tsugawa was dumbfounded, why was it that no one believed him when he told the truth?
"Pfft…"
Officer Takagi couldn't hold back a laugh, but Inspector Megure's stern gaze silenced him.
Clearing his throat, Inspector Megure tried to maintain his authority, and said in a deep voice.
"Director Tsugawa, rest assured, we are professionally trained, no matter how funny... cough, no matter how outrageous the suspect's words are, we will not laugh... unless we can't help it of course.
In any case, the police will uncover the truth. you need to calm down now."
"I'm very sober! What I'm saying is true! Why don't you believe me?!"
Director Tsugawa despaired, seeing the police's obvious disbelief, even a hint of "caring for the mentally challenged" in their eyes, a surge of anger rushed to his head.
He suddenly broke free from Takagi's support, stumbled, and rushed in front of Nekomiya Mana, pointing to his other, still relatively intact, cheek, and yelled hysterically.
"Quick! Hit me! Hit me again in front of the officers! Just like before! Hit hard! Let them see! Hit me now!"
Nekomiya Mana blinked: "Ehh... Are you sure nya~?"
"Just hit me when I tell you to, what's with all the nonsense?!" Director Tsugawa pushed his face even closer, looking completely resigned.
"Okay, You're the one who asked me to hit you nya~."
Nekomiya Mata responded, gathered her strength, jumped up, and delivered a massive slap to Director Tsugawa's face.
Smack—
A slap several times louder than when Director Tsugawa slapped himself exploded.
Director Tsugawa was spun three and a half times in place by the blow, seeing stars and his ears ringing.
His other cheek quickly swelled up at a visible rate, and a clear five-finger print prominently appeared.
He swayed twice, almost falling, but a look of ecstatic joy spread across his face.
He clutched his face, pointed at Nekomiya Mata, and excitedly shouted at Inspector Megure and the others:
"See?! See?! That's the force! That's the sound! That's how she hit me! Do you believe me now?! Arrest her! Arrest her!"
The scene was silent.
All the police officers stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
Takagi's mouth was open, and it took him a long time to react, finally saying helplessly.
"Director Tsugawa, you strongly requested her to hit you, all of us heard and saw it.
At most, this is your requested… performance? What does it have to do with this young lady?"
Nekomiya Mana shook her hand, pointed to Director Tsugawa's symmetrically swollen cheeks, and said something that made Director Tsugawa want to spit blood. "Now they're symmetrical, meow, much better looking."
"Pfft—" This time even Miwako Sato couldn't hold back, quickly turning her face away.
Inspector Megure took a deep breath, tried hard to keep a straight face, and waved to the surrounding police officers.
"Take him away! Takagi, Sato, after you escort him back to the police station, first conduct a drug test, then immediately arrange for a psychiatrist consultation! His mental problems are too severe!"
"No—! I'm not crazy! She really hit me! You muddled police officers! Let go of me!"
Amidst Director Tsugawa's desperate shouts, Takagi and another strong officer forcibly dragged him away like a dead dog and put him into the police car.