Chapter 2: The Murder Occurrence

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" All shouted.

In was an unconscious body lying on the floor. Blood came out from the body's mouth.

Ran, Sakura, Shiho and Kazuha remained quiet. They got scared of the unconscious body.

"I told you so." Sakura murmured to them, scared.

"SAKURA!!! STOP IT!! He might not be dead yet!!!" Ran screeched.

"S…Sorry." Sakura mumbled.

"What could have been the cause of death?" Kazuha asked curiously.

"Was it a natural death or a murder or a suicide?" Saguru asked Shinichi and Heiji.

"We don't know that yet, not until we know the cause of death. There seem to be no wounds." Shinichi said.

"Hey! We're not even sure if he is dead! Don't say those you guys!" Sonoko shouted.

"But, he looks dead." Saguru said.

"SAGURU!" Sonoko shouted angrily.

"S…Sorry!" Saguru mumbled and apologized.

"I'll call the ambulance right away." The bell boy shouted.

"Wait." Shiho stopped the bell boy from calling.

Shiho went near the body. She knelt down. She felt his pulse from his wrist.

"He's dead." She briefly stated.

Everyone in shock gasped.

"How sure are you?" Saguru asked curiously.

Shinichi went near the body and held his neck. He felt his pulse. There was none.

"Yup! I definitely agree with Shiho- chan. He's dead alright." Shinichi said.

"No pulse?" Heiji asked.

"You've got it." Shinichi said.

"You don't need to call an ambulance. You need to call the police and Inspector Megure." Kazuha pointed out.

"Right away!" The bell boy followed Kazuha and he called up the police station and reported the situation.

The security guard called more police as well. He also called the autopsy team but they might arrive late.

"So…what's the cause of death?" Ran asked.

"The autopsy team might still be late. How do we figure out the cause of death?" Sonoko asked.

"Don't forget, we've got a scientist here who can figure things out." Sakura pointed out.

"Yup! That's me." Shiho bragged.

"Well, what IS the cause of death then, Shiho?" Shinichi asked.

"Let's see……"

Shiho observed the dead body closely.

"Hmmmm…………"

She noticed that the lower lip of the man is turning into violet color. The eyelids are also turning violet. He saw that the pupils are wider, dilated, when she opened his eyes. She noticed his scalp having an awful smell and his scalp is turning violet, too. She smelled the scalp. She got a tissue and used it to wipe his scalp. There was a yellowish substance on the stinky scalp.

She turned to Saguru.

"Glove me." She said.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"Glove me." She repeated.

Saguru didn't understand the 'Shiho language' Shiho meant- Give me gloves.

Sakura whispered to Saguru.

"She means that she wants gloves!"

"Ohhhh……Okay then."

Saguru ran to the information clerk and asked for some gloves.

He ran back to Shiho, gasping.

"Here you go." He reached out his hand and gave the gloves to Shiho who in return grabbed it. Shiho wore the gloves.

"Thanks." She smiled at Saguru.

"No sweat." Although, he DID perspire during the process of getting the gloves.

What he SHOULD have said was, "No trouble at all." Just because, he DIDN'T get in trouble!

Get it? Haha!!

Funny?

Or not funny?

Oh…well, I don't care if you thought it was funny or not because I'm not here to amuse you guys! I'm here to tell a murder mystery story so butt out!

Jokes only! Don't get mad!

Going back to the story……………………

She felt the scalp again and did her examination. She looked closely at the foul scalp and saw strange straight scratch marks. They were parallel to each other.

She noticed that the man was holding a comb.

"This must be it." She whispered to herself.

Shiho, wearing her gloves, held the comb. She smelled it. It stank like his hair, too. The comb had yellowish fluids.

"Could this comb have……… what I think he was poisoned from?" Shiho asked herself.

"What is Shiho- chan doing?" Kazuha asked.

"Shhh!" Sakura whispered to her. "Shiho- chan doesn't like to be disturbed while she is examining someone!"

"Sorry!" She laughed. "It's just that Shiho looks so smart when she's examining!"

"Yeah!" Sakura agreed. "She looks like a young scientist! Amazing!"

"Ahem!"

Ran interrupted Kazuha and Sakura's conversation.

"Let me remind you that she IS a young scientist!"

"Hehe!" Sakura and Kazuha laughed.

In came running to the scene Inspector Megure and all the other police officials.

"What happened here, Kudo?" Inspector Megure asked.

"I don't know. Ran just called me." He answered. "I came over right away when I found out that this might be a possible crime in our hands."

"Typical Kudo." Inspector Megure laughed.

Officer Takagi was taking pictures of the scene.

"Was it a murder, suicide, or natural death?" Officer Sato asked them while taking out a pen and a police notepad. She interviewed them.

"We don't know yet." Ran said.

"Shiho, the young scientist, is examining the body." Sonoko said.

"Would you explain to us what happened?" Inspector Megure asked Sakura.

"It would be my pleasure." Sakura answered cheerfully.

"Okay then. What happened?" Officer Shihatori asked while he took out his pen and police notepad as well so that he can write down everything that she says.

"We were just on our way to our room to get our swim suits before we go dip into the pool when we heard a loud thud that came from inside this room."

Sakura explained.

"Okay. Go on." Officer Takagi said, nodding, while also writing on his notepad.

Inspector Megure, Officers Sato, Takagi and Shihatori were writing on their own notepads, copying everything Sakura said.

"Kazuha and Sonoko called the bell boy and the security guard to check this out. Then, Ran called Heiji, Saguru and Shinichi to come as well because I said that maybe this was a murder case. Kazuha, Sonoko, the bell boy and the security guard reached here. Then, the three finally arrived as well. The bell boy had the key so he opened the door. That's where we saw that poor man lying unconscious on the floor. There was blood coming out from his mouth, too. But, we were not sure if he was dead or not, then Shiho and Shinichi confirmed his death by checking his pulse. Then, the bell boy called for help and the security guard called more police. Then, Shiho examined the dead body for the cause of death since the autopsy team might arrive late. Then, she asked gloves from Saguru. Saguru went down to the information clerk and asked for some gloves. Then, he gave them to Shiho. Then, you came. That's the whole story."

"Will that be all?" Officer Sato asked for reassurance.

"Yeah. It's so sad for that man to have died." Sakura stated.

"Wow! That was quite a long summary! Thank you a lot. Your statement will be very useful in our investigation. And what might your name be?"

Inspector Megure inquired Sakura.

All of them closed their notepads and kept their pens on their pockets and took videos of the scene, too.

"I'm Ogasawara Sakura. I'm a new friend of theirs. I'm the new transfer student in Teitan High School because I failed in the Lillian entrance exam. I belong to the rich Ogasawara Empire. I have an elder sister who studies in the Lillian Catholic High School. Her name is Ogasawara Sachiko. Sonoko invited the five of us girls to have a one night free stay at this hotel, you see. After we ate breakfast here this morning, we planned to go swimming, so, we wanted to go back to our room to get our swim suits until we heard the thud."

Sakura lengthily explained.

"Wow! You're from the wealthy Ogasawara Empire?" Inspector Megure asked.

"Yup!" Sakura replied cheerfully.

"Oh. In that case, thank you a lot for telling us what happened, Sakura- sama." He thanked while bowing.

"You're welcomed, Inspector. I'm still a teenager; you don't need to bow at me." She smiled.

"Don't be silly! You're the daughter of the famous Ogasawara Megumi and Ogasawara Ryuu."

"He…He…" She laughed shyly. "Thanks!"

"You're welcomed, Sakura- sama." He bowed again.

A/N: In real life, I am NOT a part of any rich empire! Note, sama means master. Sakura- sama/ Master Sakura ^_^ In real life, I'm not a master either. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bragging.

"So………is it a suicide, Shiho- chan?" Heiji asked curiously.

"No. It's definitely a murder." Shiho turned to all of them and said.

"How did YOU know?" Saguru asked.

"You'll be surprised. I have figured out the cause of death. I know how he was killed."

"Wow! How?" Sonoko asked in amazement.

"He was poisoned." She answered.

"By what poison, Shiho- chan?" Saguru asked.

"Cyanide. Definitely cyanide." Shiho smirked.

"You're amazing! How did you know that?" Sakura asked in amazement.

"It's really simple. I noticed that all the parts on his body with blood vessels turn violet. His lips are violet. His finger tips are blue turning violet, too. Blood came out from his mouth. His pupils are dilated. These are some of the signs of being poisoned by only one kind of poison, cyanide." Shiho explained.

"Amazing!" Everyone gasped. "You're so intelligent!"

Shiho smiled at them.

"So, did the man drink the cyanide or something?" Shinichi asked her.

"No. Actually, it's the comb."

"The comb?" Sonoko asked.

"Yeah. The comb. I found this man holding onto a comb." She explained.

"So? What's the connection of the comb and the poisoning?" Saguru asked.

"I found scratch marks on his scalp. His scalp definitely smelled like stinky cyanide. The scratch marks had so much cyanide."

"So?" Saguru asked again. "So what about that? He combed his hair? Wait! Wait a second! Don't tell me………"

"Yeah! That's right! The comb had cyanide all over it, so, when this man combed his hair, the cyanide seeped into his scalp and went to his skin! His scalp was poisoned with cyanide! He didn't DRINK cyanide! His skin had contact with cyanide! It seeped into his meninges and………"

"What are meninges?" Sakura asked, cutting of her scientific explanation.

"Meninges are located at the outer covering of the skull. It's like a membrane. It's covered with skin, which is the scalp. In short………"

Shinichi cut of her sentence.

Shinichi continued what she was going to say.

"In short, he died because of severe meningitis! And, that severe meningitis was caused by too much cyanide in his scalp WHICH, I might add, was caused by the poisoned comb."

"That's exactly what I was going to say! Why do you always stealing my spotlight!?" Shiho asked angrily.

"YOUR spotlight?!! What do you mean by THAT?! Excuse me?!" He accused.

"Yeah! You always shine and show your intelligence in deducing murder mysteries! I only shine when I speak of Science! Why do you always have to continue what I am saying! You're already good at detective work, you don't need to be so smart in Science, too, you know!" She screeched.

"Sorry." He humbly apologized.

"That's okay." She smiled. "Just, let me finish my sentence next time, kay? You always interrupt what I am saying and continue it yourself."

"Wait a sec…" Ran interrupted.

"What is it?" Shiho asked.

"What is meningitis?" Ran asked Shiho.

When Shinichi was about to answer her question, Shiho covered his mouth and said.

"Ahem! Shinichi! Excuse me, but, let ME explain!"

"Oh…um…okay!"

"You can shine in your murder theory later!" Shiho said.

"Sure." Shinichi agreed while smiling. "You go, Shiho!"

Shiho smiled at him.

Shiho explained to everyone.

"Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges. And, when that inflames, it can cause brain damage. In severe cases, it can cause death because of brain failure."

"Amazing!" Everyone including Shinichi gasped. "You're truly so smart!"

She smiled.

"Thanks. But, you know, Kudo is, too." She humbly said, pointing at Shinichi.

"Actually, not really, Shiho. I was wrong about the meningitis meaning explanation." He shyly admitted.

"Huh?" Shiho asked, confused. "I thought you knew?"

"I was about to say that meningitis is when the mininges get poisoned." He shyly said.

"Well, that's well…partly correct."

Shiho blurted out.

"The meninges can be inflamed by many things. Bacteria, viruses, parasites or poisons like cyanide."

"Well, but, still, you're more correct, Shiho- chan."

"Thanks."

She grinned.

"Anyway, High School Detectives Heiji and Shinichi, now is your time to shine! Investigate this murder. Who exactly put cyanide on his comb?" Shiho said while winking at them.

"Let's get the suspects."

Inspector Megure said.

"We should investigate who were the persons who had the chance to put cyanide on his comb."

"Right!" The three officers said.