Two days later, Hayashi Yoshiki met with Police Chief Hakuba, father of the high school detective.
The meeting took place at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
The man who greeted him looked kind and warm.
In his early forties, with a perpetually smiling face, he bore a resemblance to Suzuki Shirō—Sonoko's father—and gave off a very approachable first impression.
"We finally meet, Mr. Hayashi."
"A pleasure, Chief Hakuba."
"Well... I hear a lot about you from that son of mine," said the Chief with a friendly chuckle.
He motioned for Hayashi Yoshiki to sit down before taking his own seat on the sofa.
"It started when you caught Kaito Kid. My son used to think he was better than most, but getting outmaneuvered by Kid multiple times… that changed things."
"Still, I must say—Hakuba is a very capable young man."
"True," said the Chief with a nod, "but he still has a lot to learn compared to you."
Chief Hakuba continued observing Hayashi Yoshiki.
How to describe it?
His son, Hakuba Saguru, was proud—eccentric at times, not arrogant, but difficult to approach. Few people could truly connect with him.
Ever since the Twilight Villa incident, however, Saguru had not stopped praising Hayashi. He even pulled out a novel written by him and reread it. There was clearly some admiration there.
He might even idolize him a little… the Chief mused.
As for Hayashi Yoshiki, his first impression was excellent—gentle, composed, polite. Undeniably a remarkable young man.
"My son told me all about your inferences," the Chief said. "A perfectionist with a strong sense of performance, skilled in mathematics and physics..."
"We followed that line of investigation, but sadly, came up empty-handed."
"Of course, that doesn't mean you were wrong," he added quickly. "Being able to notice the time manipulation in those three videos and deduce the murderer's intent—that was brilliant."
"If anything, it means the killer is more deeply hidden than we thought."
Chief Hakuba spoke at length with admiration.
While he wasn't formally the head of the task force, he had substantial influence over its operations.
"I've been thinking about the killer myself these past two days, Chief Hakuba."
"Go on."
"From a realistic perspective—can a person truly calculate accidental deaths to this level using human effort alone?"
"...That's exactly the issue," the Chief replied with a sigh.
"Still, unless we catch him, there's no way to know for sure."
Hayashi Yoshiki offered a helpless smile.
The truth was, even the task force had little insight on the perpetrator.
"Mr. Hayashi, the task force has compiled records of accidental deaths over the past few years. Would you like to review them?"
"Absolutely."
Chief Hakuba personally led him into a separate office.
Several officers paused in surprise upon seeing their superior enter.
Among them was someone Hayashi recognized.
"Sir," said Odagiri Toshiro, rising to greet his commanding officer.
"No need for formality," the Chief waved. Then, smiling at Hayashi, he added, "You already know Mr. Hayashi, of course."
"Long time no see, Officer Odagiri," said Hayashi politely.
"Likewise. That last case was solved thanks to you."
They had met before—during the Shiratori Sara wedding incident, where Sato Miwako was shot and Ran Mouri lost her memory.
Odagiri Toshiro had been deeply impressed by Hayashi Yoshiki, whose deductions once again helped shape the current investigation.
"Come with me."
Leaving the warm Chief Hakuba behind, the serious and stern Odagiri Toshiro guided Hayashi Yoshiki into the task force's war room.
And what he saw stunned him.
Photos covered several massive whiteboards, surrounded by handwritten notes and timelines. Records detailed the victims' relationships and final moments. Statements from innocent people who had been unknowingly pulled into these "accidents" were also displayed.
Accidental death records from recent years filled the walls.
"We've noticed a sharp increase in accidental deaths over the past year," said Odagiri.
"Only the last year?" Hayashi narrowed his eyes.
Yes—it had been just over a year since he'd come into possession of the Death Note.
Even the most subtle anomalies can be uncovered when enough data is gathered.
"Where did the first unusual deaths occur?"
"Yokohama," Odagiri replied without hesitation.
He walked over to one of the whiteboards, removed some photos and files, and handed them to Hayashi Yoshiki.
"The first series of suspicious accidental deaths took place in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture—about 16 months ago."
"Four cases in just two weeks. Unfortunately, Kanagawa police didn't take them seriously at the time."
As he examined the documents, a chilling déjà vu washed over Hayashi.
Sixteen months…
Leaving aside the timeline distortions caused by Conan's influence, had that much time really passed?
When he had first obtained the Death Note, Hayashi had indeed tested how closely he could mimic the deaths from Final Destination—and he had done so far away from Beika City, far from his own location.
Now, according to Odagiri, many officers on the task force speculated the killer hailed from Kanagawa.
"..."
"..."
Hayashi Yoshiki remained in the task force office for quite some time.
Odagiri Toshiro was incredibly cooperative—pulling up any material Hayashi requested, allowing him to gain a deep understanding of how the task force viewed the killer.
"There may be more than one killer," said one report.
"They could be a team."
"It's rationally impossible for one person to achieve all this alone."
This was now the dominant theory within the task force.
Hayashi Yoshiki silently agreed.
Finally, as he prepared to leave, Odagiri Toshiro made a formal request:
"Mr. Hayashi, we'd like to invite you to serve as a detective consultant to the task force."
And he accepted—with a quiet, firm nod.
"Murderers who treat human lives like toys and take them so carelessly… must not go unpunished."
As he shook Odagiri's hand, the always-gentle Hayashi Yoshiki wore a rare, weighty seriousness in his expression.