My Knife Pointing At Your Heart

CHAPTER 24

Chapter 24: The New Girl

Outside the hospital, the chant was rhythmic and cruel.

"Justice for Mrs. Hanada! Justice for Mrs. Hanada!"

Yurika lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the muffled noise. She could distinguish one voice above the rest—Lenka. The grieving daughter was leading the mob, demanding retribution against the "monster" inside.
"I need to get back to Tokyo," Yurika whispered, her voice raspy. "I can't stay here. I need to wait for this protective custody to end..."

She sat up, wincing as her bruised ribs protested. She grabbed her bag from the bedside table and began rummaging through it, checking her supplies. As she pulled out her wallet, a crumpled piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

Yurika froze. She reached down and unfolded it. It was the note Mrs. Hanada had written—the family tree, the secrets. Seeing the handwriting triggered a flash of memory.

The dark living room. The blood. Mrs. Hanada's dying breath.

"Before I closed my eyes... I was right next to her," Yurika murmured, squeezing her eyes shut. "She was whispering something. Not just groans... words."

She massaged her temples, trying to force the memory to the surface. "Why can't I remember? Come on, Yurika! Think!"

But the memory remained locked behind a wall of trauma. Frustrated, she grabbed her phone. She needed an anchor to the outside world. She dialed Midori.

"Girl!" Midori answered on the first ring. "I was waiting for you to call! Are you okay? When are you coming back?"
"I can't come back yet," Yurika said, keeping her voice low. "I'm in protective custody. It’s... complicated."

"Yurika, your name is all over the national news," Midori said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "They’re saying you killed an old woman. But I know you didn't do it. I don't believe a word of it."
"Thank you for believing in me, Midori. Really." Yurika took a breath, shifting to business. "Listen, is Principal Turo at school today?"

"Yeah, he's in his office. Why?"
"I need to check something. Do you know his wife, Yata Taiping?"
"Yeah, she heads the PTA sometimes. Why?"

"Do you have her number? I need to speak to her. Please, just trust me."
Midori hesitated for a second, then agreed. A moment later, a contact card appeared in Yurika's messages.
Yurika dialed the number. Her heart hammered against her ribs.

"Hello?" A woman’s voice answered.
"Hello, Mrs. Taiping. I’m so sorry to bother you," Yurika said, pitching her voice to sound like a timid, concerned student.

"I’m a student assistant at Shizuku Academy. I was trying to reach Principal Turo about an urgent file, but he’s not answering. I was worried he might be sick? He seemed very tired yesterday."

"Oh, you sweet thing," Mrs. Taiping replied, sounding charmed. "No, he's at school today. But you’re right, he was exhausted. He slept like a log last night."
Yurika’s grip on the phone tightened. "Oh, that’s good. So he was resting all night? I wouldn't want to have disturbed him."

"Yes, dear. We went to bed early. He was right there beside me, hugging me tight all night. We didn't wake up until 6:00 AM."

"I see," Yurika said, her mind racing. "Thank you, Mrs. Taiping. I’ll try his office again."

She hung up.

"So it wasn't Principal Turo," Yurika whispered. "He has an airtight alibi. But the killer was tall... a six-footer, just like Turo."

She stared out the window at the angry crowd. "Maybe it was a hitman? Did Turo order someone to kill Mrs. Hanada because she knew too much?"
The door opened. The lead police officer stepped in, looking stern.