By phone, you mean the Moon Rabbit kind?

No, it was a kappa model. All the lab workers had one, so Reisen and I borrowed some too.

Problem is, the line was busy, so I had no choice but to run out and find someone.

I ran into some kappa doing maintenance in the hallway who told me where the medical room was located.

I figured that even if I went to the custodian and opened the exit, the culprit would be long gone.

By the time I got a kappa doctor to the scene, Reisen had lost consciousness.

The kappa did everything they could, but it wasn't enough.

One hour later, Reisen passed away.

That's the gist of it.

XX-sama's investigation confirmed that every kappa at the laboratory had an alibi. At least we knew that they came from the outside.

We only found this out later, but... It seems that the person speaking to the custodian at the time I called was actually the culprit.

Huh?

The call was recorded. I got a copy of the track, so let's have a listen, shall we?

It starts at 3:11 PM.

Ringo

Reisen

Storeroom

Boiler room

Courtyard

Night duty room

Storeroom

Lecture room