“Well…that was certainly an entertaining show. The perfect thing to stave off my boredom,” Touko said, her voice suddenly significantly more youthful. “I had all the information about the violin theft. All I had to do was give that girl a little push… She’s very talented, and at such a young age.”
Soga bolted upright from the sofa in shock. Hinata tensed in alarm, too. Even Chris lowered his body, ready to attack if need be.
Touko held out a hand to calm Soga. “Please be seated. That dog is surprisingly vicious. Make any sudden moves, and it’ll bite you.”
“Th-that’s not true!” Mayuka protested. “Chris isn’t vicious! You don’t know him at all…”
But Hinata shook his head. “Actually, Mayuka, Touko knows him quite well. She knows that when the time comes, Chris can be extremely brave…”
“Huh…?”
“But I should clarify that her name is Helen, not Touko.”
Mayuka gaped at him in shock. “N-no way… Y-you mean the same Helen who…? But Touko’s so old!”
Helen smiled widely from under her disguise. “That’s right, I had you completely fooled, didn’t I? Mayuka, I believe? It’s nice to see you again… You didn’t recognize Akane, either, did you?”
Mayuka spun around to look at Reo and yelped, “Whaaat?! Akane?”
Reo, who had been standing so quietly that his presence practically vanished, cleared his throat and nodded sheepishly. At his feet, Kotarou was fast asleep. The fuss earlier had tuckered him out.
The poor pup, Hinata thought, feeling even worse about the situation.
“Reo had been avoiding me since our very first meeting,” he explained. “Most of the time, dog owners open up to each other when their pets become friends. But despite Kotarou being clearly enamored with Chris and me, Reo only acted even colder toward us. He must have been afraid we’d discover his real identity…”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Did you know from the start, Hinata?” Mayuka asked.
“No. I only figured it all out a moment ago. I was always suspicious of Touko, but I certainly didn’t expect she would be Helen in disguise. I guess you started wearing that powerful perfume from the second day on to keep Chris from smelling you, huh?”
Helen put a hand to her neck and stretched it from side to side to loosen it up.
“It’s quite difficult to act like an elderly person. If that dog starts chasing me, I can’t simply toss my cane aside and run, can I? I had to take precautions. When I saw you two nights ago, I could barely believe my eyes! We were just here to enjoy a cruise, and then you all show up, trying to ruin our fun again. What a letdown…”
“Liar!” Hinata shouted. Chris joined in with a loud bark. “You were the one who stopped us from leaving! We would have gone home that very first night if you’d left us alone, but you drugged that juice to keep us here. You ordered it using Mr. Soga’s name, and while Chihori was carrying it to the room, you stopped her, and Akane sneaked up from behind…”
“Oh, you figured that part out, too?” Helen chuckled like a naughty child whose mischief has been uncovered. “I used twice the amount of my favorite sleep aid. Did you feel well rested?”
Mayuka balled her fists and swung them back and forth. “No, no, no! It can’t be! That was all Helen and Akane’s doing?”
“What was the point? To mess with us? Or are you after Chris?” Hinata demanded.
Helen stretched her arms above her head. “Both! And it was fun. Plus, there was this guy…” She pointed a finger at Soga, who was shrinking back into the couch. “And that weirdo animal collector, adding nicely to the chaos. If I could just get that dog now, everything would be perfect. I’m so glad I took this little trip on the Primavera.”
“But you weren’t just taking a cruise, were you?” Hinata said, glaring at Helen. “I noticed a lot of fishy details after Mr. Numata’s smuggling came to light. You’re transporting something on this ship, too, aren’t you? And that’s why you made Akane take care of Kotarou, despite your hatred of dogs.”
There was a gasp from behind them. It had come from Akane. Helen leaned forward with great interest.
“So tell me, then. What is it that I’m transporting?”
Hinata crouched and rubbed Chris on the head. He was such a smart dog.
“Chris once took part in a training exercise at the coast guard headquarters in Yokohama to teach dogs to identify smuggled drugs. That’s where he learned their scent. Chris found that same scent in the kennel on this ship. He guided me to the boxes of dog food and gave me a look that said, ‘Look, I found it. Didn’t I do a good job?’ I didn’t understand what he was trying to tell me—but now I do. Chris found drugs on the ship. He was doing his job!”
“Oh, Chris…you’re such a smart boy. You’re a real canine detective!” Mayuka blubbered and hugged the Shiba Inu.
“You left your drugs at the kennel, claiming they were Kotarou’s dog food, didn’t you?” Hinata continued.
Helen leaned back against the sofa and crossed her legs. “Yes, I suppose I did underestimate you. I never thought you and the dog would get that far. But you’re a bit too late. We’ll be getting off this ship with our luggage soon. And you made one fatal mistake—you chose to reveal your sleuthing to us! So what should I do with all of you? I doubt anyone will notice if I toss you three off my balcony into the water.”
Mayuka clutched Chris and froze. Hinata realized that she was right. They could speak the truth all they wanted in this room, but no one was going to arrest the criminals or put them on trial. No one is coming to save us.
He clenched his jaw. What could he do…?
Just then, the intercom rang.
“It’s the captain,” said a calm, deep voice.