36: Kids, don't be afraid
Without Jiang Xia obstructing him, Kazato Kyosuke finally managed to stand up straight on both legs.
He was so overwhelmed that he almost wanted to cry, but before he could raise his hand, he suddenly felt a tremendous force on his back—plainclothes officers quickly arrived, pinned him to the ground, handcuffed him, searched him, and took off his hat and mask.
Kazato Kyosuke struggled briefly.
Then he gradually stopped moving.
He had always thought that if his crimes were exposed and he was caught, he would resist until the very last second.
However, at this moment, when Kazato Kyosuke realized that the plainclothes officers were only restraining him and not hitting him, he was moved to tears, finding the police unexpectedly kind.
*****
Nearby, Jiang Xia noticed the murderous intent dissipating from Kazato Kyosuke and was slightly surprised.
He had initially thought that someone as patient and obsessive as Kazato Kyosuke would not give up on killing until he was at the police station or even in court, where he would finally surrender his murderous intent to a medium.
...He didn't expect him to be so easily subdued.
And it wasn't even like Jiang Xia had hit him that hard.
Of course, it might also be that Kazato Kyosuke, being a respectable person, was mentally shattered by the humiliation of being kicked around in public... so there’s this way to collect ghosts too?
Jiang Xia thoughtfully nodded, watching as Kazato Kyosuke, looking peaceful, was taken away by the plainclothes officers. He felt like he had discovered a new method to collect ghosts.
*****
The ambulance arrived quickly and took away the victim who had collapsed in the phone booth.
Jiang Xia had lost interest in the case and was busy counting the ghosts and murderous intent he had gathered from Kazato Kyosuke.
At that moment, the light around him dimmed as two plainclothes officers approached him.
*****
Earlier, while chasing the suspect, the plainclothes officers had all heard Kazato Kyosuke's heart-wrenching cry of "Jiang Xia!"
They immediately realized that this young man, who had intervened and beaten up the suspect, might be related to the case.
Of course, neither officer thought Jiang Xia was a bad guy or an accomplice of Kazato Kyosuke.
First, because Jiang Xia’s actions, while they might have looked aggressive, were clearly acts of bravery.
Additionally, the four kids standing next to Jiang Xia.
The plainclothes officers had clearly seen how, when the armed suspect ran towards them, the kids had quickly taken shelter behind Jiang Xia, showing great trust in him.
Someone who is liked and trusted by so many children didn’t seem like a bad person.
*****
Thinking of this, the officers looked at the unlucky kids caught up in the incident.
Seeing them huddled together like frightened quail, not daring to speak, the officers felt sympathetic—they must have been terrified by the gun-wielding maniac.
Officer A reached out to pat the kids' heads, trying to comfort them.
Officer B then turned to Jiang Xia, "Do you know that man from before?"
Jiang Xia was silent for a moment before quietly replying, "The voice sounded familiar. It seemed like my doctor."
The two officers exchanged a glance and nodded subtly. Yes, Kazato Kyosuke was indeed a doctor.
It seemed these two did know each other.
******
When the plainclothes officers arrested Kazato Kyosuke, they arrived in a van with a spacious interior. However, it wasn't ideal to have ordinary citizens squeezed in with an armed criminal.
Fortunately, the police station was not far from there, so the plainclothes officers left one person behind to accompany Jiang Xia and the children as they walked to the station.
Along the way, Conan was deep in thought, hesitant to speak:
Jiang Xia's attending physician turned out to be a murderer... This was unexpected.
Conan thought, "No matter what the illness is, as long as the treatment period is long enough, a bond and trust are established between the doctor and the patient, especially in a department like psychotherapy... Could it be that Jiang Xia gradually noticed something was wrong during the process, which is why he was so reluctant to go to the hospital?"
However, considering how Jiang Xia stopped immediately when the doctor called out, it didn't seem like he disliked him... Otherwise, instead of stopping, he would have taken the opportunity to kick him a few more times.
*****
Conan's father was, after all, a mystery novelist. Conan himself was well-read and had a vivid imagination.
As he pondered, his thoughts drifted, reminding him of those novels and movies where psychologists first gain their patients' precious trust and then manipulate them into committing crimes.
Could it be...
Conan suddenly became alert, sensing the seriousness of the situation. He wanted to say something but didn't know how to put it.
In the end, he looked at Jiang Xia and sighed deeply.
—Orphaned, mentally unstable, frequently encountering murder cases... even a routine checkup ended up with such an unethical doctor.
They all grew up on the same street.
Why is it that only Jiang Xia always encounters such scum?
*****
Meanwhile, unlike the silently worried Conan beside him, Jiang Xia was in a wonderful mood.
—Today, he went out and brought back a leg-hugging shikigami and the rare mushroom broth-flavored murderous intent he had been coveting.
As he left the police station, Jiang Xia looked at the children nearby, almost wanting to give the Detective Boys a banner that read "Case Magnets, Friends of Mediums."
The three kids shivered under his gaze. After regaining their composure, they quietly said they wanted to go play in the park, promising to behave and not disturb passersby.
Jiang Xia didn't quite understand why they needed his permission to go play, but he didn't bother asking and quickly nodded.
The three children grabbed Conan and quickly ran off, their retreating figures resembling three birds flying out of a cage into the sky.
...With one older bird in the middle, looking back every few steps but failing to escape.
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