After school the next day, Mayuka said she was heading back to the haunted mansion.
“I mean, today’s the first day of filming, so I need to go and see how it works. If I only show up for my own scenes, I won’t understand how it all fits together. I have to go!”
“So why don’t you go on your own, then? I’ll just walk Chris in a different direction today,” Hinata said boldly.
The previous day had been fun. Chris and I got to be useful, and while the end result wasn’t as dazzling as it could have been, we did find some valuable treasure.
But Hinata wanted some time away from the mansion to think things over.
A bunch of little details were bugging him, but he still wasn’t able to figure out what it all meant. He couldn’t help but feel like he was missing something important.
Although he couldn’t explain what, he felt like there was something unsettling going on in that mansion. Akane seemed suspicious, too. But he couldn’t say exactly what it was that bothered him. It all weighed on Hinata’s mind, making him feel nervous and uncertain.
Mayuka grumbled, “All right. I guess we’ll split up for today.”
It was rare for Mayuka to skip Chris’s after-school walk. Hinata was a bit lonely, but he convinced himself it would be nice to have some peace and quiet for once.
Hinata and Mayuka went out into the shopping district, said good-bye, and headed in opposite directions. Hinata and Chris went toward the train station, and Mayuka went toward the haunted mansion.
“You like taking a different route now and then, don’t you, Chris?” Hinata said. “Your senses will get dull if you go in that dusty old mansion every day.” Chris looked up at his partner and barked happily.
See? Even Chris agrees.
Hinata took off walking with renewed vigor, convinced he’d made the right decision. If you went toward the station and turned left at the bakery across the street, you’d pass Rui’s house. That would be their route this time.
But at just that very moment, a white car slowly came up behind them before passing by.
Chris twitched and came to a stop. Then he lifted his nose and sniffed at the air.
Suddenly, Chris bolted after the car!
It all happened so quickly that the leash slipped right out of Hinata’s hand.
“Aaah!”
“Woof, woof! Woof, woof!” Chris barked and sprinted after the white car.
Chris? What’s wrong?! Hinata hurried to catch up.
Right as Chris reached the car, the vehicle began to slow down and then stopped. Chris lunged at the rear door and barked some more. The passenger door opened.