Chapter 30: That Shapeshifter, Deducing

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When Rin arrived at the Magistrate’s Office the next morning, she was led upstairs by Yoshimoto to where the Imperial Commissioner, Akihiko (another yoriki), Dr. Schamberger and Daan Vandervort had already gathered.

She sat down at the head of the table and joined the quiet group of people who were waiting for her. With a scowl, she pointed a finger at the two foreigners among them.

‘What are the two of them doing here?! This is an official investigation, unauthorised people are not allowed!’

Vandervort blinked with feigned confusion though his lips curved up into a smile, while the doctor turned anxiously to Commissioner Inoue.

Sure enough, the pretentious bas—eh, the Imperial Commissioner, explained calmly, ‘They have been granted permission by the shogun to enter our land. The shogun wants to meet them and has ordered me to take them with me to Edo once this mess has been sorted out. For now, I have invited them to be a part of this gathering since the Terazawa-bugyō believes their goods are involved.’

Rin glared at Commissioner Inoue. ‘How can you be certain that they are not the culprit behind these murders?’

It irked her that the Imperial Commissioner decided to include them in their discussion of the case without first consulting her, especially since he had previously emphasised that she was responsible for the re-investigations.

Was he making her life difficult on the shogun’s orders?

‘We’ve placed them under watch yesterday after the search for the silent gun was conducted, so I’m sure the culprit isn’t one of them. None of them were allowed to leave Dejima. They’ve all been accounted for.’

The young mistress clenched her hands into fists inside her sleeves. Frustration simmered in her chest. ‘That might be, but Nobuyuki was found with his head intact and his katana strapped to his waist. The murderer is aware we already know the kataki-uchi is a ruse.’

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