manynovel Page 303
Page 303
"hiss--!"
The implication was clear, even to those who were unfamiliar with sodium hydroxide. Incredible gasps filled the room!
"That is to say——"
Inspector Megure, always the perfect straight man, smoothly continued:
"Xiaobaihe drank the lemon tea willingly after realizing it had been poisoned, which means—she committed suicide!?"
It's only because Inspector Megure is a long-time subordinate of Superintendent Matsumoto that his stubbornness only earned him a stern glance from Superintendent Matsumoto. If any other officer had said something like that, they would have been reprimanded long ago!
"No!"
Xia Ye picked up the test report and said calmly:
"If it were suicide, Ms. Matsumoto would need one thing: a container and desiccant to keep sodium hydroxide dry. That container wasn't found in this changing room, and Ms. Matsumoto can't leave this place, so suicide is a wrong conclusion."
"Officer Akiyama,"
As soon as Xia Ye finished speaking, the forensic investigators from the forensic department walked in from outside and began their report:
"We found this bottle in the trash can!"
There's also a desiccant inside!
"However, the fingerprints on the bottle have been wiped off!"
"Hmm~"
Xia Ye waved her hand, signaling him to put it away.
Then he looked around and said:
"Actually, it's quite easy to determine the range of suspects."
"From the video taken by Ran and Sonoko, we can see that the people who touched that bottle of lemon tea from beginning to end were: Matsumoto's friend Kazumi, student Umemiya, fiancé Takasugi Toshihiko, and Matsumoto, the manager."
"That is to say——"
"The suspect is among these people!"
“Xia Ye…”
Xiao Lan quickly tugged at Xia Ye's sleeve to remind her:
Why did you include Matsumoto, the management officer, in this?
"Normal~"
Xia Ye smiled slightly:
"This is the standard procedure for handling a case—"
"Furthermore, judging from the current situation, our Matsumoto manager is quite a suspect."
"..."
Everyone was worried for him.
Even though Manager Matsumoto was already in a bad mood, he still dared to say that. How brave!
As for the parties involved—
The Matsumoto manager didn't react much.
His fierce expression remained unchanged.
Matsumoto Sayuri, nestled in his arms, had already understood Natsume's meaning. Her feelings had been complicated, but hearing Natsume's words made her want to laugh, and even her melancholy eased considerably.
"actually--"
Conan remained somewhat restrained, and only spoke seriously after glancing at Natsume for her approval:
"That capsule..."
"The capsule results have been obtained!"
Before Conan could finish speaking, the forensic team submitted their report, though it was a little slow because they needed equipment:
"In water at the same temperature as lemon tea, it takes fifteen minutes for the surface of this capsule to melt, thus revealing the medicine inside!"
"Fifteen minutes?"
Upon hearing this result, the groom, Toshihiko Takasugi, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up:
"The suspect couldn't be me. I was in the locker room for less than fifteen minutes!"
"..."
To Takasugi Toshihiko's surprise,
His flawless reasoning did not clear him of suspicion; instead, it drew many strange looks.
This guy is too impatient.
Honestly, many people didn't suspect him at all. After all, killing the bride at a happy wedding banquet is a rare occurrence even in the crime-ridden city of Beika.
"Mr. Takasugi——"
Xia Ye wore a teasing smile:
"Actually, you don't need to rush to deny it. We haven't finished yet. Besides—who says you have to wait for the capsule to dissolve before poisoning? The murderer doesn't think he's the only one who knows how to mix the capsule and the poison together to distort the test results, does he?"
"What do you mean?!"
Takasugi Toshihiko's expression was rather unpleasant.
He didn't notice that on the sofa over there, Matsumoto Sayuri's delicate, pale face was now filled with utter despair. Her unsightly, struggling appearance shattered some cherished childhood memories, making them all seem less pleasant.
Matsumoto Sayuri smiled bitterly to herself.
It turns out it was all just wishful thinking on my part.
the other side.
Xia Ye glanced at Takasugi Toshihiko and shrugged:
"Actually, we can narrow down the suspects even further. Ms. Matsumoto knew that the lemon tea had been poisoned, but she still drank it without hesitation. Among these people, who could have made her do that?"
"hiss--!"
(acac)
This straightforward hint instantly drew most people's attention to the groom, Toshihiko Takasugi.
Of course, a few others who remembered Xia Ye's words looked at Manager Matsumoto—
Yeah, that's some level of intelligence.
We've basically said goodbye to using our brains to solve cases.
"It's really you!"
Manager Matsumoto gently placed his daughter on the sofa, his tall frame like a wall as he strode quickly to Takasugi Toshihiko, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him up, his face full of anger:
Why did you do this to my daughter?!
"Matsumoto Management Officer~"
Xia Ye smiled calmly:
“We haven’t found conclusive evidence yet. If you make such a preconceived notion, people will gossip, and Mr. Takasugi might even sue you for excessive force!”
"no need!"
Takasugi Toshihiko suddenly relaxed, a smug smile playing on his lips. He reached out and slapped away Matsumoto's arm, his eyes filled with resentment as he said:
"There's no why! I just wanted you to experience the pain of losing a loved one! You murderer!"
After years of pent-up resentment was finally released, Takasugi Toshihiko recounted a somewhat sad story from the past.
twenty years ago.
Matsumoto, the superintendent, is pursuing a fugitive.
The fugitive's car, driven recklessly, struck Takasugi Toshihiko's mother. However, Officer Matsumoto failed to notice the injury and continued pursuing the fugitive, resulting in Takasugi Toshihiko's mother dying due to delayed medical attention.
Toshihiko Takasugi was later adopted by the Takasugi Group.
Years later, he encountered Sayuri Matsumoto and approached her, plotting to kill her so that the superintendent Matsumoto would experience the pain of losing a loved one.
This is the course of events in this case.
"Well, there's no such thing as true empathy in this world, so I won't judge your act of revenge—"
Xia Ye said calmly:
"But I want to ask you, did you kill the criminal who ran over your mother and killed her?"
"what?"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Even Takasugi Toshihiko, who had become arrogant and fearless after confessing, was taken aback before replying, seemingly confused:
"No--"
Why not?
Xia Ye narrowed her eyes slightly and said calmly:
"Given the strength of the Takasugi Group, investigating someone's information should be no problem at all."
"Twenty years is a long time. Even if that criminal committed murder, he would have served his sentence and been released. Why not find him and kill him? After all, he is your real mother's killer, the most direct kind!"
"I......"
Takasugi Toshihiko wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn't say anything.
Xia Ye is right. As for the cause of his mother's death, the perpetrator is undoubtedly the direct culprit, while Matsumoto, the superintendent who "failed to help," was at most somewhat negligent.
After all, the Japanese police have not written into the law things that some people take for granted, such as "serving the people and always prioritizing the safety of the masses."
A mere dereliction of duty.
Writing a self-criticism and getting a small penalty on the bonus will make it all worthwhile.
"certainly--"
"It's human nature to take anger out on others."
Xia Ye chuckled and gave Takasugi Toshihiko an excuse:
"As a child, you were shocked and held a grudge against Manager Matsumoto, ignoring your real enemy, which is quite reasonable."
"After all, the delayed medical attention was indeed the main cause of your mother's death—so even if you wanted to kill Manager Matsumoto, I could understand."
"Cough cough!"
Inspector Megure coughed lightly.
Remind Xia Ye.
The Matsumoto manager is still there.
You really dare to say anything!
"but--"
Xia Ye's expression turned serious:
"Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. Since you hate Manager Matsumoto, why don't you just go and kill him? Even if you get caught, you can openly say that you're avenging your mother."
"And now-"
"But you've dragged innocent Ms. Matsumoto into this!"
"I do not care!"
Takasugi Toshihiko blurted out.
His once handsome face now showed only a barely perceptible hint of guilt, but rather a deep-seated resentment.
"I don't really care~"
Xia Ye shrugged slightly, her eyes cold:
"Actually, I don't need to say so much to you, but without your attitude, I'm afraid some people will remain stubbornly unrepentant."