The Case of the Mad Chameleon Murder Pt. 1

**The Case of the Mad Chameleon Murder Pt. 1** (マッドカメレオン殺人事件①, *Maddokamereon satsujin jiken ①*) is the 16th chapter of the *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga.

## Summary

In the East Japan Integrated Hospital, Mofu receives Ron as a patient and tells him that the results from his exams are back. She says his habit of pressuring culprits to death is not something hereditary.

In the police department, Amamiya asks Toto to make a report on regional crime patterns. When Toto asks if she is really okay with that, Amamiya just says they are busy. While he is there, Amamiya wants Toto to check on the one Toto worked with on "that investigation," meaning Kawasemi. Amamiya wants him to observe Kawasemi's slump up close and to report back to her. After losing his assistant Yamane, Kawasemi's arrest rate has been falling drastically. Toto thinks Amamiya is worried about him, but Amamiya says people will stop saying Kawasemi is a candidate for police superintendent general even though he is part of the Aichi Prefectural Police. She wants to hear the "death throes" of Kawasemi's career.

While on the bullet train to Nagoya, Toto says he is not being sent out to work on a case, so why is Ron coming along? Ron says that if Kawasemi is in a slump, it means more cases would come their way. Toto does notice though that even if he says that, Ron is really worried about Kawasemi.

Ron did consider it, but he says differently. He is fairly certain he is not the type to be concerned about other's feelings if it has nothing to do with a case, at least during his student days. Toto considers it: Grizzly did say that Ron never tried to get close to anyone then. Toto asks if Ron has any friends. Ron says, nope, not one. Toto thinks about it, then smiles, then chuckles. Ron asks what is so funny before he says that he guesses Toto is his friend. Toto gives his thanks then thinks: Just like Grizzly said, Ron is starting to change.

In front of the building of the Aichi Prefectural police, while running late, Toto gets a message from Ron. Ron says something urgent came up and that Toto should go on to meet Kawasemi on his own; he will catch up with him later. Toto then starts looking for Kawasemi.

Toto finds Kawasemi at an intersection, inspecting a man and scolding him about keeping himself clean-shaven during an investigation. But the man uneasily says he was asked not to shave his beard, and that he was working uncovered, so could Kawasemi please not interfere and not shout. Kawasemi apologizes in a whisper, as the plain-clothes directs Kawasemi to a uniformed officer responsible for the area. The officer, Kimyou, then reports. But Kawasemi asks him to give his name, which Kimyou already did. Toto notes that Kawasemi is making a lot of uncharacteristic errors.

Kawasemi recognizes Toto when he arrives. At an udon restaurant, Kawasemi immediately catches that Toto was sent by Amamiya to check on his slump. It has got nothing to do with being sharp, he just knows her for a long time. He allows Toto to tell her he is in a major slump. His superiors that he used to snap at have turned the tables, but that did not bother him. His intention to work hard enough to make up for the work Yamane used to do has not faltered. But he could no longer see everything he saw until now. Kawasemi then offers to take Toto to buy a souvenir.

In the shopping area, Toto buys, as Kawasemi notes, as much as a student on a school trip. Toto says his grandmother will be happy. Both of them note a sign "Beware of the Mad Chameleon!". Kawasemi explains that it is a random attacker causing havoc lately in the shopping district. They attack college students in broad daylight with something like a wrench, and only steals smartphones. But what was truly baffling was that their appearance was completely different every time. Because of that, people started calling the suspect the Mad Chameleon. Witnesses have seen an elementary school student with small eyes, another saw a tall burly man wearing a polo shirt, another saw a petite female office worker. Hence, there have been wildly different descriptions. Such is why the investigation is going poorly.

While discussing, both of them find a man in a cap and jacket carrying a wrench, attacking a man in a suit, hitting him in the head. Kawasemi tells Toto to follow the man in the red jumpsuit, the attacker, while Kawasemi tended to the victim. Toto runs after the man, who bumps into a woman at a sign saying that the area to the right is closed off (due to construction) from 2pm to 6pm. But the man runs into a large garment store, and Toto loses him.

Toto apologizes to Kawasemi as he has several suspects in a line from within the store. He could not find the red jumpsuit. Toto thinks the suspect took it off, but Kawasemi feels that is finding a needle in a haystack. Kawasemi confirmed the victim's death, and declares that the situation will now be handled as a murder case, and they are bringing in the culprit that day. When Kawasemi asks, Toto assures him that the culprit did not escape from the store, the emergency exit is blocked off by some packages, the main entrance is the only way in and out of the store. Meanwhile, Kawasemi confirms that the pattern is the same as the previous incidents: a college student, attacked in the middle of the day, struck with a wrench, and the victim's smartphone went missing. Toto starts to admire Kawasemi at work, but Kawasemi himself is panicking. Kawasemi could not see what he needs.

Toto raises his phone, and finds Ron calling. Toto updates him that a murder happened just in front of him. Ron is calling from the Aichi International Neurological Research Center. He asks Toto to explain the case. He then says that the people are not using a disguise, since you cannot change your own body type. Ron then asks: If it is not a disguise, why does the Mad Chameleon look totally different depending on who is looking at them? Toto does not understand, and that is exactly why he is asking Ron. Ron just says he is heading to the scene, and Toto should wait for him.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Mofu Usaki
* Ron Kamonohashi
* Amamiya
* Totomaru Isshiki
* Omito Kawasemi
* Kimyou
* Mad Chameleon