The Case of the Genius Composer Kidnapping Pt. 4

**The Case of the Genius Composer Kidnapping Pt. 4** is the 34th chapter of the *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga.

## Summary

Namazu confirms loudly what Toto just said: the real culprit is someone else? Toto says yes. But one of Namazu's subordinates calls him at that time, saying they found someone suspicious. Namazu then says that must be the true culprit, and that he is heading to the bottom of the hill, to get a look at the famous Hummingbird's face. Sannou once again says that they cannot leave everything to the metropolitan police and that Mitsubashi will go along with the Yamanashi police. They have yet to rule her out as suspect and have not ruled out the possibility that she is conspiring with the culprit.

But Toto now forcefully says: it is utterly impossible. That is because Mitsubashi is the one Hummingbird wants to kidnap: she is songwriter Nyo-Nyon. Ron smiles. Sannou asks what Toto is talking about. Toto confidently explains: the woman who was kidnapped is not the real Nyo-Nyon, who used voice synthesis software to create the song that reached 100 million plays. The real one is the manager.

Mitsubashi says that if Toto has already realized, there is no point in hiding it, and she admits she is Nyo-Nyon. But how did he know? Toto explains: what made him suspicious was she said she did not know much about music, but when the laptop sound was too quiet, she said the level is too low. She tried to cover it up, but referring to the volume as its level is a phrase only someone knowledgeable about music would use. Also, he adds, she never once went near the open windows of the top floor. After the kidnapping, the reason she was late to arrive was because she did not want to get too close to the windows. She spoke to Toto near the stairs, then descended as if she was running away. It was unusual that a manager would not bother to check the room where her precious artist was last seen. When Toto saw that, he realized she must be the real Nyo-Nyon, the one who had fear of heights.

Sannou just asks, who then is the girl who was kidnapped? Mitsubashi says the girl is a singer the agency introduced to her when she said the would rather retire than reveal her face to the public. Mitsubashi explains further: it is not like she is dissatisfied with her work. But she feels like everyone's expectations are crushing her, then all the current events has happened. She wants to go back to when she could enjoy composing on her own without anyone's interference. But more importantly, Mitsubashi asks, is the girl safe? Sannou says it will become clear once they ask Hummingbird. He will head to the foot of the hill as well. He apologizes for suspcting Mitsubashi.

Ron stops him, saying that he and Toto will come along with him. When Toto asks why, Ron says it's about the mystery of how the fake Nyo-Nyon vanished from the top floor. Doesn't Sannou want to hear Officer Isshiki's theory about that too? Ron adds that he would like to hand out some sweets to the officers down there. Sannou is first silent, then concedes. The policemen say Mitsubashi would be safest with them, so they ask her to come along with them, and she agrees.

In the police car Sannou asks how exactly was the singer kidnapped. Ron takes over, saying it would not be good if the driver, Sannou's, attention was focused on the back seat, where Toto was, and they get into an accident. Once you know that the one who vanished from the top floor was not Nyo-Nyon, who is afraid of heights, then it is quite a simple trick. When the fire alarms started going off, and she heard the fire started directly below her, she knew the door on the stairs was locked, and the tower survived the previous fire. So as her fear increased it would make sense that she would look out the window. She saw a group of police officers holding a stretched-out curtain and yelling "Hurry!". The only explanation possible for her escape would be is she jump down onto the curtain. She jumped out herself. Mitsubashi realizes that is why the curtains are missing from the storage room. Toto realizes the officers in the rear garden did not report anything like that. Ron adds the Yamanashi police officers stationed in the garden were all Hummingbird's accomplices.

But Hummingbird's real masterstroke cam next, Ron continues, when he tried to kidnap Nyo-Nyon like this. There is only one reason they all showed up like police. It is so they could get through the airtight security, declared their target as the culprit, and then boldly drive away with her in a patrol car. But that plan failed, Hummingbird-kun, Ron tells Sannou.

Sannou smiles, saying he never imagined he would be so totally cornered. He admits he is Hummingbird. When the public-facing Nyo-Nyon jumped out the window despite her fear of heights, he was able to confirm that the manager was the genuine article. He tells them not to worry, no harm has come to the singer.

Toto says that is not the issue, does he understand what it is Hummingbird is doing? Hummingbird says kidnapping, of course, or that's how it looks from the outside. Mitsubashi adds, does he have any idea how scary it has been, and why target her? Hummingbird says he was moved by her talent of course. Ron says that sound likes someone else's line. Is there someone pulling his strings? Hummingbird says yes, a very cute puppetmaster, his daughter.

Hummingbird tells his story. The daughter is only thirteen. His wife died giving birth to her, thus the daughter is everything to him. The girl is a musical genius like her mother, and he raised her to be one of the next top pianists. But though he believed developing her abilities would bring her happiness, he foolishly insisted on round-the-clock special instruction. He was unable to realize how lonely she was, and it ultimately broke her. Before he knew it, she retreated far away from music and closed off her heart. She became an empty shell. Now she cannot live without medication.

But when he turns on the TV, every so often the people on screen and the music flowing out will bring tears to her eyes. Rare talent stirs the soul, and the only ones who can move her daughter are the supreme artistic geniuses. Ron concludes: Hummingbird then tried to introduce her to those geniuses in the hope that it would aid in his daughter's recovery? Hummingbird confirms yes. He would explain the situation to the talented person and introduce them to his daughter. The daughter does not give the slightest response if he is present, so they meet one-on-one. He does not know what they talk about, but he can hear his daughter's faint laughter, like a bird's chirp, through the door. These days, he lives for those fleeting moments when he can hear his daughter's heart again.

Mitsubashi and Toto as surprised at this story, but Toto recovers and says kidnapping is still a crime, and he is causing people harm. He says Hummingbird is under arrest, and where is the kidnapped girl. Hummingbird says she is in the trunk of the car they are using. Toto realizes that may be why that car was parked in the rear garden. But when Toto checks the trunk, there is no person, just a card from Hummingbird: The singer is sleeping soundly in the read garden. Until we meet again someday...

Toto moves up from demanding where is Hummingbird, but Ron says he got away. Toto knows Ron let him escape. Ron explains: his own father was never around so he is fascinated by a father who would go that far for the sake of his child. Also, Hummingbird strangely manages to make his kidnapping victims happy. Chicory investigated what happened to the geniuses after they were kidnapped. For some reason, none of them had a bad word to say about Hummingbird, and actually helped some of them recover from slumps and create new masterpieces. Ron gives a hypothesis: Hummingbird's daughter cried while watching TV not because she was moved, but because she felt sympathy for them, sensing the same loneliness in them that she had experienced herself. Mitsubashi understands. Then, Ron continues, when Hummingbird's daughter meets the geniuses and understands their suffering, they feel healed, and manage to recover from the hearbreak they have gone through. Hummingbird is a kidnapper who can magically heal wounded geniuses.

Two months later, Nyo-Nyon had founded her own agency and put out hit after hit. She has a new single that sets a new record for reaching 100 million plays. Toto wonders if Nyo-Nyon reached out to Hummingbird and met his daughter based on Ron's deductions. But Toto complains: a crime is still a crime, they have to arrest him next time. Ron meanwhile says he is in. He wants to have a battle of wits with Hummingbird again.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Ron Kamonohashi
* Totomaru Isshiki
* Namazu
* Sannou
* Mitsubashi
* Sannou's daughter (flashback only)
* Masatatsu Oyama (flashback only)